The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 117

Chapter 15: Accusation: The Curious Bastard

What is a Master?

As explained before, on the Arnia Continent, the realm of martial artists is divided into Beginner, User, Expert, and Master.

However, this is just a general classification. In detail, the scope of a Master is very broad and not easily defined.

What is clear is that reaching this level is difficult through mere effort alone; talent and luck are essential.

As such, the destructive power of a Master-level expert is extraordinary.

You can think of them as superhumans.

Didn’t Jealousy Nifleheim and Commander Karina, who fought in the North in the past, possess the power to change the terrain?

Johan was also an expert who was not inferior to them, so the possibility of defeating him in a head-on fight was virtually zero.

Even for me, an expert on the verge of becoming a Sword Master.

The gap between Expert and Master was immense.

What if Johan had truly tried his best to kill me?

The match would have been one-sided, and I wouldn’t have even touched a hair on his head.

Fortunately, Johan’s purpose was to subdue me before interrogation, so I took advantage of that.

In short, I was extremely lucky.

I ambushed Johan, who was completely unguarded, with unfamiliar Druid skills, Demonic Heavenly Sword techniques, and ancient artifacts.

It was a victory thanks to the help of the baby dragon Coco, who delivered a fatal blow.

Still, it was difficult.

In a fight where I would win one out of ten matches, I navigated a needle’s eye of probability and salvaged that one match.

“Mailman, you say? A puzzling term.”

Johan touched the envelope I had placed on his forehead.

As soon as he opened it, an old rosary fell out.

Johan’s eyes widened at the sight of the well-worn rosary.

“This is!!”

“Do you recognize it?”

“How could I not? It’s a sacred object I gifted to Karina as repayment for owing her my life.”

Johan’s eyes narrowed.

“Why do you have this? Don’t tell me you’ve harmed Karina in some way?”

“Are you always this suspicious? Let me be clear. Do you think I have the ability to do anything to Karina? Do you think she would be easily defeated, with her personality?”

After I said this, Johan nodded, completely convinced.

“Absolutely not.”

“She is my patron.”

“···Patron?”

“Yes.”

Johan’s pupils shook at the word patron.

“Come to think of it, aren’t you Gordon’s son? If Karina is your patron, does that mean you know two of the Seven Stars?”

“That’s not all. Who do you think I received this revolver from that dealt you the final blow?”

I put my finger on the trigger of the pistol and spun it around.

Confusion deepened on Johan’s face.

“Don’t tell me···you have a connection with Tom as well?”

“That’s right. Then let me ask you this: if I were truly possessed by a demon, would I have been able to establish close relationships with three of the Seven Stars?”

The Seven Stars are not just strong in terms of power.

Of course, there are special cases like Johan, but those who have reached that level are generally broad-minded and knowledgeable.

The bottom line is, if I were really possessed by a demon, wouldn’t all three of the Seven Stars have noticed?

Johan knew that the probability of that was slim, so he scratched his cheek.

“Are you still suspicious? Then read the letter Karina wrote.”

Johan unfolded the letter enclosed in the envelope and read it.

Johan’s face changed colorfully from red to blue, shifting every moment as he read the letter.

I was very curious about what was written, as he was even sweating profusely.

Perhaps my thoughts were showing on my face; Johan handed me the letter after reading it all.

“I read it. It’s definitely written by Karina. It’s definitely not a forgery.”

The letter read:

[Who is that bitch? Which bitch seduced you that you’re so giddy and out of your mind again?

I’ve told you before, haven’t I? Fix your habit of blindly believing the words of people around you. The only person you can blindly trust is me. Got it? Especially women, only me.

I heard the story from Henon. You’re really screwing up, aren’t you? If he was possessed by a demon, I would have killed him a long time ago. You idiot.

I’m sending the rosary in case you do something stupid again. You know what it means, right? If you touch even a hair on Henon’s head after seeing this, I’ll personally take a knife and go to the Holy Nation to fight to the death, so be warned.

And below this is what I personally want to say to you, you C X XXX XXXX XXXX XXXXX son of a bitch XXX XX XXX XX you crazy XXX XXX!!!!

Come visit the North when you have time. Don’t forget to bring delicious alcohol.]

Oh my.

That’s a strong expression.

I understood Johan’s reaction.

It is also clear that it is not a forgery.

Karina is a woman who would write like this.

Thump!

Johan, wearing armor, knelt down.

“I’m sorry. There seems to have been a misunderstanding.”

Has the misunderstanding finally been resolved?

I was relieved.

“Even if it wasn’t Karina’s message, I vaguely felt it while fighting. The techniques you use are all related to nature. I didn’t think the Arnia Continent would lend this much power to a demon from the Demon World.”

Listening to Johan’s words, a more fundamental question lingered in my mind.

“I have a question.”

“Ask anything.”

“In the first place, what kind of rumor circulated in the Holy Nation that I, who caught the demon, became the one possessed by the demon?”

It’s too much to say that Archbishop Francis personally moved Johan; his value is too high.

Even if he is an archbishop of the Holy Nation, is it possible in the Holy Nation to move one of the Seven Stars, who participated in the final battle, as he pleases?

“Hmm. I don’t know the details. I just followed the Saintess’s orders without any suspicion.”

“The Saintess, you say?”

“That’s right.”

This changes things.

If it’s the Saintess, even Johan would respect her and carry out her orders.

Then the question is, why did the Saintess cooperate with the Hilton family’s scheme?

There are two possibilities.

The former is that the Saintess is also so gullible that she blindly believes the words of others like Johan.

However, this is unlikely.

If the Saintess, who is the leader of a country, had this personality, something would have happened in the Holy Nation long ago.

Or…

‘It means that the Saintess is also a corrupt woman steeped in the world.’

It’s a situation I don’t even want to imagine.

Usually, a Saintess has a strong influence that can control the entire Holy Nation, right?

To put it bluntly, it is no exaggeration to say that she has power equal to that of the Pope, the head of the Holy Nation.

“Has the Saintess ever given a wrong order?”

“There has never been one. This is the first time. That’s why I’m so confused.”

Johan really looked confused.

I subtly probed him.

“By any chance···what do you think of the Saintess?”

“What do I think?”

“I was wondering what kind of person the Saintess is usually like, so I asked.”

“It’s embarrassing, but if I had to say, she is the Saintess we know. She is so kind and good, embracing the sorrows of the believers and sharing their joys. She is the light that illuminates the Holy Nation and like the salt that we need.”

This won’t do.

If I probe any further, we might fight again.

Johan’s faith in the Saintess was that solid.

For now, I decided to put aside the uncertain Saintess and deal with Archbishop Francis, who had definitely targeted me.

“In my opinion, I think this order was orchestrated by Archbishop Francis, not the Saintess.”

“That can’t be.”

“Otherwise, the current situation cannot be explained. How about doing this?”

I whispered my plan into his ear.

Johan’s surprised pupils shook.

When I showed him Karina’s rosary to the hesitant him, he finally nodded heavily.

* * *

Back again.

Fontano Palace.

It’s been two hours since Henon ran out of the palace and Johan followed.

All the nobles of the palace, including Princess Rebecca, were anxiously waiting for the results.

The room was as quiet as a mouse, and no one dared to speak rashly.

How much time has passed?

The outside became noisy.

“Lord Lloyd, the Royal Consort, and Holy Knight Johan are entering!”

Princess Rebecca jumped up.

Everyone focused their attention on the two who had appeared.

And then they were shocked.

“!!!”

Johan was bleeding from his thigh, and I was supporting him with my arm around his shoulder.

Anyone could see that there had been a battle between the two, and it looked like I had won.

The nobles who saw this scene murmured all at once.

“Did Lord Lloyd really beat Holy Knight Johan?”

“That’s impossible. Johan is an absolute powerhouse of the Seven Stars, a Master level. Even if the sky splits in two, that can’t happen.”

“But look at that. His leg is badly injured. How do you explain that?”

“···Did he fall while walking?”

“Ugh.”

Johan’s defeat was an unrealistic result to the point of making absurd jokes.

On the other hand, Princess Rebecca already had a look of emotion on her face, even though she hadn’t heard the results.

A look that said she knew I would make it.

She is a woman who is grateful for trusting me.

On the other hand, Archbishop Francis, who had not even conceived of Johan’s defeat, asked Johan in a trembling voice.

“Lord Johan, what on earth is going on?”

“It’s nothing. More than that, Henon is innocent. I interrogated him, and far from being possessed by a demon, he is a hero of the continent who caught the demon.”

The verdict has been made.

Princess Rebecca couldn’t stand it and wiggled her butt.

When everyone’s attention was focused on her, she hurriedly covered her face with her palm as if she was overwhelmed with embarrassment, her face flushed like a carrot.

Duke Arnold, who became her vassal, took the lead in setting the tone.

“Then Lord Lloyd, the Royal Consort, was truly a demon slayer. He is a talent worthy of guarding Princess Rebecca’s side. Everything is the kingdom’s good fortune.”

Andre did not miss this opportunity and stepped forward.

“Long live Princess Rebecca!!!”

When he shouted three cheers in a loud voice, the other nobles followed Andre’s lead, sensing the mood.

“Long live!!”

“Long live the demon slayer!!”

“Long live!!”

“Long live the Elden Kingdom!!”

“Long live!!”

The palace was shaken.

The trend has completely shifted.

The nobles who shouted cheers just now were not only anti-imperial nobles.

Even the pro-imperial nobles, including the royal family, all joined in.

The only people who remained still were Archbishop Francis, Charlie, and Philip.

Charlie was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, and Philip’s face turned pale.

Archbishop Francis, who had not even imagined that Johan, one of the Seven Stars, would lose, could not stand it and burst into anger.

“Lord Johan! Was the interrogation done properly? Looking at it now, it seems like you fought each other and lost, so the interrogation ended without even being done properly.”

Johan’s face hardened at Archbishop Francis’s suspicion.

Even if his leg was injured, a Master is a Master.

He exuded a suffocating pressure against the incompetent Archbishop Francis.

“Francis. Do you dare not trust my judgment?”

He said sternly, cutting off his words.

The Archbishop instinctively sensed that he had crossed the line.

“That’s not it···”

“Does the Archbishop not know who I am? I am the Holy Nation’s last sword. If I make a judgment, there are few people on the continent who can directly confront me.”

That’s right.

Johan is stubborn, but if he puts his name on the line, there are few people on the continent who can directly confront him.

When the situation did not go as he wanted, Francis turned his gaze to me this time and burst into anger.

“What kind of evil trick did you use to drag even Lord Johan in? Have you been dragging the royal family and nobles to your side in this way until now?”

“Archbishop! Watch your words!”

Rebecca shouted.

If the verdict had not been made, she would not have known, but in a situation where the verdict of innocence has been made, there is no reason to tolerate Francis’s rudeness any longer.

On the other hand, I was too calm.

I smiled and slowly approached Francis.

Perhaps he felt a sense of foreboding from that appearance.

The Archbishop hesitated and stepped back.

Thud!

His back touched the wall, and there was nowhere else to run.

“Why are you doing this?”

“There’s no need to panic. I’ve just come to return what I used.”

I grabbed Archbishop Francis’s hand and handed him the sacred object.

It was the cursed sacred object ‘Joy of the Sun’ that I used in the previous judgment.

“Ahem! Thank you.”

“Thank you? It’s just the beginning.”

“What do you mean?”

“Activate the sacred object.”

The Archbishop, who did not understand what I meant, tilted his head.

“Activate the sacred object?”

“Literally. I don’t trust you, who accused me, the demon slayer, of being possessed by a demon. So you should also be interrogated like me.”

Originally, people say that you should put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

You only know how you feel when you experience the same thing you did to others.

How will Archbishop Francis, who activated the sacred object containing the curse of pain, react?

Will he be calm because he is immune to abnormal conditions like me?

Or will he endure the pain with superhuman patience?

I was really curious.