Chapter 134 – Fabricating Evidence
Inside a magic materials shop in Hel City—
Flamme picked up a small bottle and gently shook it. Inside were shimmering, golden insect shells.
"—Miss, you have excellent taste~"
The shopkeeper beamed.
"These are the hardened shells of the Golden Beetle, a creature personally raised by the Goddess, as recorded in the sacred scriptures!"
"Grind it into powder and sprinkle it on yourself—it can protect you from demonic curse magic!"
"If you like it, I'll give you a discount—how about 4 Strahl gold coins?"
Flamme pursed her lips and glanced sideways at the idle demon beside her.
Elias looked at the bottle, then at Flamme's expectant expression—and suddenly sighed.
"…Like master, like disciple."
"Flamme, the reason I sent Frieren off to buy food was precisely to avoid situations like this."
The moment the name Flamme was spoken, the shopkeeper's eyes widened.
He stared at her face—then at her flowing orange hair.
"G-Goddess above! So it's… it's the legendary Lady Flamme herself! What an honor for my humble shop!"
"In that case, how about this—I'll sell it to you for just 2 Strahl gold coins!"
Flamme's eyes lit up instantly.
But Elias let out a faint chuckle.
"…Heh."
"Flamme, it seems your reputation doesn't carry much weight in situations like this."
"In fact, this so-called Golden Beetle shell…"
"…is completely worthless."
"What did you say?!"
The shopkeeper immediately panicked, snatching the bottle back and waving it in front of Elias.
"Sir, open your eyes and take a good look—this is premium Golden Beet—"
"—The Golden Beetle is extinct."
Elias spoke calmly.
"Two thousand years ago, the great sage Aivis attempted to save the species. It was a noble effort… and a complete failure."
"What you're holding is nothing more than ordinary shells painted gold."
The shopkeeper froze, his face draining of color.
He hurriedly hid the bottle behind his back, forcing a stiff smile.
"W-Well then… how about I just give it to you for free?"
"Even if it can't ward off curses, it can still add flavor to soup~"
---
And so, Flamme walked out of the shop holding a bottle of utterly worthless insect shells.
"Flamme, you're not seriously planning to use that for soup, are you? That might be a lie too."
"—It was free. No reason to refuse."
Just then, the two of them noticed the commotion on the street.
From the murmuring crowd, they caught fragments:
"…barbaric warrior…"
"…country bumpkin…"
"…white-haired elf…"
Elias looked toward the densest part of the crowd—
—and spotted three very familiar figures among the group escorting prisoners.
"…Flamme, this time I miscalculated."
"It seems sending Frieren to buy supplies wasn't such a good idea after all."
---
"You're… Teresa?!"
Hughes looked up in shock as Teresa approached him.
She gently took his hands.
"Hughes… it's been a long time."
Frieren's eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together like a blooming flower.
"So this is what a reunion after a long separation looks like? How beautiful and touching~"
Robin stood beside her with a deadpan expression, his eyes completely unmoved.
"So… we got thrown into jail just to watch a heartfelt drama?"
"…You have a point."
Teresa nodded quietly. After taking a deep breath, she turned to the helpless boy.
"Hughes… what happened? Why were you arrested by the Hel Mercenary Corps?"
Hughes didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced warily at Frieren and Robin behind her.
"Don't worry," Teresa reassured him. "The elf is Frieren, and the warrior is Robin. They're both trustworthy companions."
"…O-Okay…"
Hughes began recalling what had happened.
"I left my hometown, Lake Ring City, to the south to compile a herbal compendium, traveling north across the entire southern continent."
"But just as I was nearing the border, I suddenly ran into a mage named Gemma. She arrested me without explanation."
"She claimed to be a mercenary directly under the Lord of Hel City… and said I was a fugitive wanted for a recent murder case in the city!"
Hearing this, Teresa's face filled with confusion.
"But you came from the south—you haven't even crossed the border yet! How could you have committed a murder in Hel City?!"
At that, Hughes tilted his head, revealing the two long scars on his neck.
"Because Gemma said my age, voice, appearance—and especially these two scars—perfectly match the suspect's description!"
"What?!"
Teresa couldn't help but shout.
"Those scars are from when we were kids—I accidentally caused them!"
"Hughes, why didn't you explain that to her?"
Just recalling Gemma's cold, malicious gaze made Hughes swallow nervously.
"Because she said I'd better confess right away. If I tried to argue… the city lord had already ordered that I be killed on the spot."
"She said bringing back a corpse would be just as good."
"…Damn it!!"
Frieren suddenly recalled what had happened at the outpost earlier.
If they hadn't intervened in time, that bandit would've already been a corpse—dragged back to Hel City by Enrique for public display.
"They don't even let the accused defend themselves before arresting them?! How can that city lord and his mercenaries act like this?!"
While Frieren fumed, Robin leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, and let out a quiet chuckle.
"That's because… even if you tried to defend yourself, I doubt anyone in Hel City would listen."
"In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if—even without those scars—they'd just kill Hughes anyway… and then find a way to fabricate evidence afterward."
"…What?!"
The moment those words fell, Frieren, Teresa, and Hughes all stared at Robin in shock.
"What?"
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Is that really so hard to imagine?"
Seeing how casually Robin said it, Frieren felt a chill run down her spine.
Robin had traveled the world—his experience was far broader than hers or Teresa's.
But the idea of manufacturing evidence just to close a case… was deeply unsettling.
"Robin… should we just break out of prison? You seem like you'd be experienced in that!"
Robin's face darkened instantly.
"…Frieren, what kind of person do you think I am?"
"But escaping now might cause trouble for the rest of our journey."
"Let's wait a bit. Back when I was imprisoned by the Allied Army… it was Lord Elias who got me out."