Despite the commotion over the new ban on glasses, Amy and I arrived at the dungeon without much trouble.
"What kind of an idiot would make so much noise so early in the morning…? Aaah, it's Louie Permarten, the Scion!"
Most people see me and freak out, as if I were a giant, rabid dog.
"I have no interest in these lowly thieves."
"Her cell is deeper inside the dungeon, Scion."
Amy led the way.
The Sword Maiden was locked up in a solitary cell, unlike the many thieves who were rounded up together in a large one.
Her silver hair shimmered behind the iron bars.
Since I used her bathing suit skin the most, I subconsciously expected to see her in it. But every inch of her skin was hidden behind her frustratingly rigid armor.
"Are you the Sword Maiden?"
"I'm honored by your presence."
Even behind bars, she's well-mannered.
Serika made a name for herself in her youth with her remarkable swordsmanship. Initially known as the 'Sword Girl,' she matured into the 'Sword Maiden.' She eventually took the Oath of Purity to dispel the notion that she was prude.
Now, she's an elite warrior who obtained what I believe to be a legendary stone all on her own.
"It seems like you caused quite the mess last night."
"I don't have any excuses, Scion"
"You're right; you don't. I suppose you'll accept your punishment without a fuss, then?"
"Is this a trial?"
"It is."
Under Permarten law, every suspect is put under trial.
"What do you think your punishment will be?"
"I believe the Countess is the one who gives verdicts."
"My mother and I see eye to eye on many things. You'll need to find a way to convince me—not my mother—if you want a lighter sentence."
The Count of Permarten is in charge of all the trials in the city. Since the seat is vacant, Countess Jennis has taken over the role.
"I'm actually the one in charge. My mother simply announces the verdict."
"I wasn't aware of that."
"Because you never bothered to find out."
I'm sure Serika lived a life where she didn't need to worry about the court system. She's an incredibly kind woman who rarely loses temper, though other adventurers constantly make fun of her by calling her the 'Sword Prude.'
She's such a nice person that I feel terrible for what I'm about to do.
But I have to do it.
I need to see this through. I can't afford to miss out on her.
I already slapped the shit out of the maid with glasses, so my moral compass is already skewed. Although technically, I wasn't the one who did it; I just ordered Amy to…
I feel so guilty for doing this to her, but I need to do this to increase the chances of my survival.
"You must realize the gravity of your actions."
"Pardon?"
"Ahem. Do you even know why you're here?"
"I believe it is for assault and destruction of property."
"That's right, and this was your weapon."
I grabbed her bat from the evidence storage directly across from her cell.
"It's a bat with nails sticking out of it. Did you not think about how badly you could hurt—if not kill—people by striking them with this?"
"Pardon me, Scion, but I made sure to control myself well enough not to kill anyone."
"Hmm…"
"I'm sure no one has died… At least the ones I hit."
"That's true…"
According to the report, most of the thieves suffered nothing more than light bruises. Seeing how dangerous the weapon actually was, she probably covered it with her aura to make sure the thieves didn't die.
It was still extremely uncharacteristic of her, though.
"Why did you do it?"
"Well…"
"Were you seeking revenge against those who made fun of you? The 'Sword Girl,' 'Sword Prude,' and all that."
"..."
She didn't say anything.
I recall a manga featuring her as the protagonist, titled: A_righteous_female_knight_with_backalley_thugs.jpg
It had a cliche about Serika, a beautiful young knight, running into well-endowed thugs in some back alley.
This proves that Serika frequents back alleys to beat villains into a bloody pulp.
"You assaulted the members of the Thieves Guild. Is this your idea of a pastime?"
"..."
"It looks like you're blowing off steam by beating the shit out of these unsavory characters."
"That's…"
"It doesn't matter why. You were arrested at the scene of the crime. You will face additional punishment for assaulting that many people. The full weight of the justice system shall rain down upon you."
"But…!"
"Are you going to claim it was in self-defense? I'm not so sure about that. Even if you had no intention to kill, you still meant to cause the maximum pain possible without causing death."
"I acknowledge that, but I would like to say something."
"What is it?"
"They stole something I risked my life to earn from the 50th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth. I only sought to take back what's mine."
"Of course… Was that 'something' a gem?"
"...!!"
"That gem wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it was still quite similar."
This is where I present the story I rehearsed.
"I sent someone to investigate the Thieves Guild upon hearing a rumor that they came across something extraordinary. That's when you caused absolute mayhem."
"..."
"Do you have any idea how much I paid the Guild Master for the gem? Although…"
I paused briefly.
"He isn't with us anymore."
"That means…"
"Fortunately, the vice-master of the guild confessed they stole the gem from you."
Sorry, Yurdias, but it's true. She needs to face the consequences of her actions anyway.
"I bought the gem from the Thieves Guild fair and square. I have ownership over it now."
"But…"
"I know. I shouldn't have bought it, knowing it was stolen. But it means that much to me."
"So, may I—"
"You being locked up in my dungeon is an entirely different issue from the gem. I should've locked you up with the others in that cell over there, but I thought it was too dangerous for you to be kept with those animals."
I said it like she should be grateful to me for doing her a favor.
"I paid so much for the gem that I can't simply return it to you, even though I know you were wronged by the thieves. How about I offer you a deal?"
"A deal?"
"Indeed. I'll sell it back to you for half the price I paid."
"But that's unfair…"
"Unfortunately, the money's gone. While someone here caused a ruckus, one of the thieves ran off with the money."
"Oh…"
That was a lie. But it should be believable enough for her to fall for it.
"Amy, have you found the one who ran off?"
"No, not yet."
"What a shame."
Of course they haven't found anyone. I never paid for it in the first place.
"In short, my money's gone, and no one knows where the thief who ran off with it is. Maybe he escaped into the Infinite Labyrinth and got devoured by a monster."
"Fine. How much did you pay for it?"
"20,000,000 gold."
"...Pardon?"
Serika's face froze.
"Are you deaf? I said 20,000,000 gold."
I came up with this number on a whim, but I guess 20,000,000 gold is the appropriate amount of money to hire a maxed-out adventurer like her.
"You don't have the money, do you? I suppose it's too much money for an adventurer. How about this, then?"
I pointed up.
"Join my knight order as my technical advisor. I'll forgo your charges."
I could feel Amy's stare burning a hole in the back of my head.
She's probably thinking, 'You arrested her for that?!'
She probably assumed I was here to rape Serika.
"What do you say to my offer?"
"When you say 'knight order,' you mean…?"
"A group of knights I recruited to gather gems for me. Since you found a gem similar to what I'm looking for, I'm sure you'd be a great asset."
"..."
I can see her purple eyes shaking. She must've been surprised at the amount of money and, once again, at my offer.
"Once I find another gem, I'll either give you back the one you used to have or the new one. I will show you the respect you deserve as my technical advisor. You'll also be paid well for your efforts."
I won't be able to win over Serika with normal sex.
Which means…
"What do you think? We can talk about it over a glass of wine tonight."
I need to get her drunk first.
"You like wine, don't you?"