Messing with My Favorite NPCs? Grave Mistake!

“The hell do you mean murderer?!”

For a few seconds, I realized that Tara and I were saying the exact same thing, almost in unison, showing clearly that we’d both had enough of what we’d seen.

My eyes were fixed on the two knights in armor, who were glaring at Rumel without flinching, as if she might attempt to escape any second.

Now was the time to make use of my speech-skill.

“Hey, you, shameless bunch, you better stop sizing up that little girl, she’s not a damn trophy for the taking!”

My screen flickered.

From the way their faces shifted, I knew they heard me. For a moment, they seemed startled, but as if they forgot what they heard entirely, they reassured themselves.

That meant they did hear me in their minds, but chose to ignore me.

We’ll see about that.

Meanwhile, most of the customers had already left. Only a few were staying, and they too were watching gasping to see what would happen.

The red-haired one then replied to Tara.

“In the meantime, we’ve received word that some night witnesses saw a demi-human sneaking into the victims’ homes last night.”

“A cat-girl,” the silver-haired knight continued. “One who’s been seen around for some time, and was told to be working here.”

“Everyone back away from the girl! She’s hereby placed under arrest, charged with murder by poison, conspiracy with the North, possible espionage, and inciting political hatred!”

Conspiracy with WHAT?

“But… I didn’t…”

She didn’t know what else to say. She only stood there and slowly lowered her head.

God, it was as if she herself believed what they were saying.

“That's a lie! She’s only a child, not some kind of assassin!”

Adiel stood in front of her, blocking the swords.

“And she's helping people! Didn't you hear she was robbed?”

They both read my mind.

All the knights could do was chuckle.

“As things are now, you could take that robbery-thing as a lie. She must’ve made it up to hide her secrets. Nevertheless, we have a criminal in front of us, and we have to bring her in, as required by law.”

Tara interjected right away, her eyes aflame.

“Then let me tell you my laws as the head of this place! Rumel is my employee, so she's under my protection!”

The red-haired one pursed his lips, being visibly annoyed, but didn’t falter.

“If you wish to appear before the Imperial Court as an accomplice, so be it. In that case you can expect to receive the same punishment as the girl. Death. You better not make yourself an enemy of the Empire if you wish to live in it peacefully.”

That was vile.

Tara didn’t look the least bit like she wanted to back out. She would’ve done anything for her, no doubt about it. But whether she was part-dragon, she felt fear just like anybody.

She felt overwhelmed by the contradictions within her.

“Look at you two… Threatening anyone… For a child.”

With every word, her voice changed from angry to helpless.

Ultimately, defying herself, she began to take a couple of steps back, each step as heavy as a mountain.

Only Adiel remained. The silver-haired knight gave her a casual shove and reached for Rumel. Adiel didn’t fall, Tara quickly caught her.

“Don't do anything stupid. We can do nothing.”

I had to act. As the two knights started to walk to the door with Rumel, I went up to them.

“You know this is absurd. This girl doesn’t look like a murderer in the least. You are making a grave mistake.”

The screen started to resonate again.

The knight grimaced, rubbing his temple like he had a headache.

“Hey, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Let’s get out of here already.”

The ability was getting more intense. It peaked when I addressed people who were trying to resist.

I bared my teeth.

No matter how strong it was, talking to these two didn’t help—they refused to listen.

Typical NPC behavior in practice, ladies and gentlemen! Pure idiots, only doing what they’re told.

Thank goodness Lupa wasn’t like that...

Lupa!

If Rumel was going to the castle, Lupa had to be there. She was also the most honorable of the knights. If there was even the slightest chance that she had a say in things...

I had to think of something as it began to dawn on me that an innocent girl was going to die because of a misunderstanding.

And she wasn’t a dumb pre-programmed NPC in a poorly made game, but a sentient being. One of my sentient beings, which makes her to be under my protection as a... sort of god in this world.

Damn, now I could understand firsthand why Sachi had been so angry during our call. She cared for someone who, although a fictional character, was important to her. And he had been written out of the story, probably due to a stupid reason.

Slowly, I too was in tears, like Sachi was.

I was going to go through the same thing, only more real if I didn't do something.

I needed a plan. No, just an idea. Anything. A way to save her, not to mention finding the one responsible for framing her.

I wasn’t going to observe silently anymore.

This was personal now.

Before the knights left with Rumel, I had to reassure Tara and Adiel, hoping they weren’t so lost already that they couldn't hear me.

They were standing by themselves not far from the stairs, and neither of them knew what to do or say.

I moved over to them and spoke.

“Don't give up on her, it’s not too late yet. Just wait, and she will come back to you unharmed. She will be safe, and whoever did this will pay.”

Tara gently nudged Adiel away, who was on the verge of tears. She sat her down and tried to calm her, though staying calm herself wasn’t easy.

“I don't know how... But something tells me she will come back...”

Hearing that, the barmaids came closer, almost everyone who had been in the kitchen or serving up until then. They’d witnessed everything but had stayed dead silent when the knights began threatened their boss minutes ago.

“You... really think so?”

“I don’t want to say goodbye.”

“Could she come back?”

They asked all sorts of questions, themselves trying to feel a bit better.

Tara looked around among the maids, and knew that if she was to have any hope, as the boss, she had to make sure everyone was safe and sound.

She was ashamed she couldn’t stand up for her more than she did, yet what I told her gave her a spark of hope.

“I know she will come back…”

Thank God someone listened to me. Not trusting me fully probably, but still hearing me out. For a moment, I was very glad.

It was a moment of respite before my thoughts were flooded with doubt.

What I now said was a promise, and I had to keep it if I wanted to deserve any trust.

Leaving everyone inside behind, I moved away. Going through the left-open door, I hovered over the tavern in the air, like an eagle watching its prey.

On the other side, Rumel’s hands were tied and the silver-haired knight made her sit before him on the saddle. They galloped away from the crossroads, getting faster by each passing second.

I was scared, just like her, but I was also angry.

An angry god.

I followed them as if I were their shadow. Eyes locked on the road, all I could think about is what I’d do next.

Rumel will be brought before the law for trial, so until that happens, she is relatively safe. I had the time to act until then.

However, not only will I have to get her out somehow, I’ll also have to find out as much as I can about what exactly she’s being charged with. Those two knights probably missed out a lot of details that I’d be eager to hear.

There will be a lot of spectators there for sure. This whole Comsul-murder thing is pretty special in itself, let alone if the supposed murderer is taken to the Capitol that same day.

But this will come in handy. I’ll have to make the most of the Voice Access ability. I’ll have to talk directly to the Court, try to change their minds or thoughts to my advantage, hoping it will work, or at least upgrade my existing skills in the process.

If I succeed—at best, though I doubt it—the Court will declare her innocent. A slightly more realistic scenario is that she’ll be locked up for further investigation, buying me more time.

But what if none of that works?

How I’ll get Rumel out then, I don’t know. Sneaking someone out in front of so many important men, dozens of guards, and the literal General of the Tessalian Empire’s army is as good as suicide.

I needed Mineruva too.

I knew she’d be there to help, but I had problems with what she could do. I had to admit that even if she was a god-level NPC, she still couldn’t fight.

My only hope was that she could protect and teleport Rumel away if it came to that.

But then came the realization…

Seriously, if a deity shows up in front of hundreds of people and takes the culprit away, how will that solve anything?

Let’s assume it works!

She teleports her away, Rumel’s saved, but what happens then?

She’d remain guilty in their eyes, they’d start looking for her the same as before, only then they’d want to find Mineruva too, her becoming an accomplice.

Nothing will be solved if she appears and takes her like that.

Why the hell is this so hard?!

Even though I was the furthest from a hero, I finally understood how much rested on me now.

◆ ◆ ◆

The two riders were soon beyond the city, and rode along the arched bridge across the stretch of land connecting the Capitol and Tessal.

Rumel was speechless—both terrified and amazed at the sight of the castle, but it did little to help her mood. She shifted uncomfortably on the saddle, the knight holding her tightly.

The walls were massive from down here, making those men up on top look like ants. The red-haired one signaled to them, and among muffled yells, the men began to open the front gate.

The two knights hadn’t even slowed down, but the huge gate slowly began to open.

I can't believe I’m here again, and for the same reason as yesterday. A meeting.

I didn’t even bother to notice that I was getting new messages. I was too lost in a state of nervous concentration, like being in the final level of a boss fight, and frankly the last thing I needed right now was some kind of event alert message.

«Recent: A meeting of the Imperial Court is due in 10 minutes»

«Recent: Rumel is expected to appear at the meeting»

As I guessed, nothing new.

But then, it scrolled down to the bottom automatically, revealing a third alert.

I gasped.

«Recent: Lupa is expected to appear at the meeting»

Yes! That means I might actually have a chance at this…

I took a deep breath as we moved in. The knights and Rumel in front, me behind them, invisible.

During my first time here, I couldn’t fully appreciate how elaborate everything was here.

As we passed through the gate, the inner walls loomed ahead, where a huge courtyard awaited. It was a series of stables and houses stacked on top of each other and connected by a flight of steps.

The knights led their horses to the front of the stables, leaving them in the hands of the stable boys, and then enter the building.

There was no hurry this time. I wasn’t here to listen to a couple of classy debates. Now the stakes were much higher.

As the knights reached for her, I spoke up.

“You better be gentle with the girl!”

They seemed to be listening, at least enough to take her down to the ground, and from there, with swords drawn, shoved her further toward the guarded inner entrance.

Okay, Michio, you know what to do: play your part.

This is your only shot, make the best of it.

Find out what’s going on and don’t dare come back to the tavern without Rumel! Game on!

I knew that I could fly up if I wanted to, but the sense of responsibility, worry and anger kept me to the ground.

As if I were actually down there walking beside them.

The image on my monitor froze for a second.

Weird, since I wasn’t talking to any NPCs, but at this point this didn’t surprise me that much anymore.

Inside, beneath the high stone walls and vaulted ceilings, there was always someone peering at us. Either a man walking past, or a child hiding behind his mother's long skirt next to a big pillar, everyone had a chance to look at us.

As the knights escorted Rumel up the stairs, groups of people began to whisper.

“Who are they taking?”

“That must be the murderer who killed Consul Berro.”

Several women leaned together further away.

“A demi-human? How typical.”

“It’s always the other species.”

“Not only a murderer, but a political spy.”

“Shameful!”

Believe me, I would’ve gone up to them without a second thought to enlighten them what the definition of a jerk was, and how they exactly matched the description.

I had everything to do so—Voice Access was more than enough.

However, I knew better than that.

Tara’s words to the knights echoed in my head as I tried to restrain myself from standing up from the desk and punching the bedroom wall.

These people only care about their own kind and ignore the common people.

I let them have their way.

Anyhow, there will be surprises coming their way very soon.

And so, instead of dealing with others, I was with Rumel the whole time, talking to her.

“You’re going to be fine. These guys won’t even touch a hair on you while you’re here.”

All the while, the girl kept her eyes on me, probably to where my voice was coming from. Since the robbery, it was the first time she actually looking back at me. And as weird as it might seem, I thought it was wholesome.

“I’m sorry for all of this. I didn’t know what they stole from you either, only when it was late. But I was there with you then, and I’m still here. I’ll clear your name, you just have to be as calm as you can. It will be hard, but I believe in you.”

She stopped walking for a moment, and gave me a nod.

“R-Right… I will.”

“What are you looking at? Get a move on!”

The knights didn’t let her hesitate, but I could tell she did everything consciously now, being alert, waiting.

At the top of the grand staircase, the same scene from yesterday awaited me. A long and spacious gallery hall filled with hundreds of masterfully carved statues.

The knights, however, didn’t lead her to the Senate chamber, but instead turned her in the opposite direction, toward a more distant courtroom. Its wide doors already open, the room filled with people.

But these weren’t the Senate’s men, at least not all of them. Consuls were there as well, but instead of Senators there were people in simple togas. Probably the jury.

From a distance, they noticed the knights and the culprit they were escorting, examining them, only a couple of them talking.

This silence wasn’t calming at all. I kept feeling that something unforeseen was about to happen with each passing second.

I hardly believed it, but I’d have preferred the din of the Senate rather than this.

Rumel lowered her ears and wagged her tail nervously as we moved ever closer to the crowd.

It was only then that I could get a better look at who was present. It wasn’t long until I spotted the person I was looking for.

In the dim light of the windows, Lupa looked quite different, more tender. She wasn’t looking at us in that one moment, but clearly didn’t find her place among these men, being the only woman there.

And when she heard the clatter of armor and looked at us, I think I froze.

Of the many Consuls and Senators we passed, none of them showed any real sympathy or concern, as if they’d already made up their minds that Rumel was guilty.

Only then, in Lupa’s astonished gaze, did I see real, wholehearted sympathy.

She looked at Rumel with a terrified expression, unable to decide of what she was seeing was real.

The knights passed by, bowing to her before going in, but she only cared about the cat-girl they were escorting.

As their eyes met, she held her breath in fear as she realized Rumel was scared more than anything, and not because she knew she was guilty.

It was because Rumel didn’t have a single clue why they brought her here, and this made Lupa visibly shake.

I could only hope she’d listen to me…