The Condemnation Play (1)

"There is a suspicion that Koleha has been bullying this student—Hiiro Inn."

"My, is that so? However, nothing of the sort happened, you know? You there, girl—"

"H-hey! Don't glare at Hiiro!!"

Kenho stepped in front of the Heroine. She hadn't intended to glare. Truly. Perhaps her excitement was leaking out as pressure.

"Mm. Good, Kenho. Keep that up for a while."

"Oh!"

Kurushu at her side, Kenho as a shield, and Harks as a sword.

A formation befitting a Heroine, with capture targets in tow.

"So then. I bullied that girl? That commoner girl."

"You call her a commoner."

"My, Your Highness Harks. I merely spoke a fact."

"Hmph… A fact, yes, a fact. It is a fact—but she is not merely a commoner. I shall reveal Hiiro's true identity."

"Oh? And that is?"

Harks spread his arms wide, presenting Hiiro to the party.

"'The One-Winged Saint'! That is she!!"

A stir ran through the venue.

A Saint, one the church had long sought but never found, an embodiment of miracles.

The sphere of light that had flown earlier was a glimpse of that power.

The holy light that strengthened the Demon King's seal.

There had been talk that the light came from this academy's girls' dormitory, rumors that someone attending this school was a Saint.

Now that identity had been revealed by a royal declaration.

"If she were merely a commoner, being oppressed by a noble wouldn't amount to much. But if the other party is a Saint… then a mere marquis's daughter cannot be allowed to bully her!"

"Yes, yes. Quite right! Heh, looks like you've at least cleared the first hurdle."

This was as Koleha had foreseen.

If this didn't become a big deal, there would be no fun in presenting the evidence she'd prepared to refute the false charges. The more carried away they got, the greater her satisfaction would be when she pushed them into the pit.

(That said, 'mere marquis's daughter', hm…)

For now, she was still Harks' fiancée. In other words, not merely a marquis's daughter.

But with that earlier declaration to dissolve the engagement, the story changed. If they dissolved it here, Koleha would be merely a marquis's daughter.

And the Heroine's title, 'One-Winged Saint'. That derived from the lovey-dovey spell that sealed the Demon King. Her power only fully manifested when combined with a capture target.

No doubt the scenario writer had looked up 'two wings as one' in a dictionary.

The other wing. That would be himself.

Discard Koleha and be with Hiiro. That's the meaning.

"Well then, shall we hear it? What did I do?"

"The rumors say you bullied her—but what exactly did you do?"

"…?"

Koleha tilted her head.

"Um. Isn't this where you present the contents of the actual bullying and interrogate me?"

"… Kuh! I couldn't find a shred of evidence…!! Sorry!!"

"Ah, no, no… Er, then surely there must be witness statements or something?"

"Ah, right… For example, there was a witness report of you and the Saint shopping together amicably."

"…?"

Koleha tilted her head.

"Um. Not 'you foisted bags on her and worked her hard'?"

"What are you saying? Because you paid, she willingly carried the bags; you even trusted her enough to hand over your purse and baggage. What else would you call it but friendly? There's nothing odd about that."

"… Quite right."

Indeed. No particular problem.

As Harks said, it had been a give-and-take: carry the bags in exchange for footing the bill. She'd intended to use that as her excuse, but if he said it first, there was nothing left to do.

"But somehow the rumor became 'Lady Nyarlathotep is working a beautiful girl to the bone'. Though there's no problem at all…"

"Kuh…! … But, see! There must be something else!? Right!?"

Koleha was confused. Why? Why was she prompting the condemnation?

"Was there?"

"… Like ripping up textbooks, soiling uniforms, pushing her down the stairs. Those things happen, don't they!?"

"Did that happen? But there's no evidence…"

"Then fabricate it, the bullying evidence!!"

"… Koleha. As royalty, fabricating evidence that doesn't exist… That's the one thing I mustn't do. You're the one who taught me the royal house must be trusted."

"That's true! That's true, but!!"

For the sake of condemnation, it's a necessary sacrifice. That's what you should say!!

How infuriating! You clever man!!

"Ah. But I think there was a time the uniform was soiled? It was a test of a new detergent you developed, right?"

"… H-how do you know that…!!"

"Because a new detergent arrived from the Nyarlathotep domain."

Darn. They'd provided samples for the product launch.

And unlike cosmetics, laundry detergent was something even men could appreciate…!

"Don't nitpick lowly folks' detergent as royalty!!"

"Why wouldn't I. And it was a gift from my fiancée's house; I wrote a letter of thanks."

"That's… that's true!!"

"It even removes ink stains nicely. Father was pleased his sleeve ink stains came out well."

"Drat! Thanks for the free advertisement!!"

What was going on. Harks was only saying sensible things.

"So it wasn't bullying; it was marketing. Right, Lady Saint?"

"Ahh! That's right, I remember! You could say I was bullied by Lady Koleha then! Because she forced me to remove the ink stain she put on! I'd planned to cut it out and make it a family heirloom, since it was dyed so nicely…! But thank you for blowing away the water and drying it during our short break!"

"See, even the Lady Saint says so."

"Hey!? Why would you say that, Hiiro!? You're making it sound like you're on my side!!"

"… Maybe?"

The Saint Hiiro averted her eyes.

"And Your Highness yourself should have witnessed my misdeeds!?"

"Ah! Come to think of it, there was that magic practical. Back then…"

"Yes! That! Pursue things like that!"

"—You were jealous, weren't you? You thought I was getting along with her."

"Eh!? No!? It was marketing! Cosmetics marketing!? … Hah!?"

Koleha blurted out the truth.

"… My fiancée's bashful denial is adorable!"

"It is true! See, I even have proof! Look!"

Hold on a second. Why was Harks so delighted to call it bashfulness?

This was where he should side with the Heroine, no?

"Heh. The fact that you went out of your way to prepare such proof is what makes it bashful."

"… Kuh, why must I present the evidence myself!? What is happening? Your Highness Harks, you feel like the strongest opponent I've ever faced…!?"

"What? Is that… rare praise for me!?"

"It is not praise!!!"

What on earth had gotten into Harks today? Koleha raised her voice.