Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 29

“You have accomplished the incredible feat of slaying a dragon. Your achievements shine brilliantly. With the future in mind, why not marry Minerva and further contribute to the kingdom?”

“I refuse.”

“What!?”

The duke had suddenly thrown that ridiculous proposal into the conversation, right after Lord Riofendarl’s slightly proud remark about me.

But the sheer disgust I felt made me instinctively reject it immediately—without even thinking.

As I registered the shocked looks from everyone around me, I thought, “Ah, maybe I should’ve been more tactful.”

But… whatever.

I don’t want this, and Shifa is right here.

“Father, that was quite sudden.”

“Ah, I see. I see.”

The duke’s eyes had narrowed sharply after my instant rejection, but upon hearing Minerva’s words, he sat back down on the sofa, reassessing the situation.

As for me?

I was completely disinterested in either of them.

All I could think was how sorry I felt for the poor sofa, having to support that weight.

“Perhaps you are simply shy? Or is it out of duty to your fiancée? You need not worry. Since you are already engaged to Lady Shifa, you may wed her as well and govern this land together. However, this territory will soon become the center of many powerful interests. Consider this proposal a means of securing stability. Besides, once you become a noble, having multiple wives will hardly be an issue.”

No, even if I weren’t engaged to Shifa, there’s no way in hell I’d marry such a gaudy woman.

Also, what powerful interests?

You mean your own greed, right?

『Is it about time? Can you hear me?』

“Who?”

“Regardless, I love Shifa. She’s like a cute angel, and I have no interest in marrying anyone else. Furthermore, I have never heard anything about receiving a noble title. I am an adventurer, and I have my own reasons to continue exploring the dungeon. I plan to remain here with Shifa, who has always supported me.”

“……”

Wait…

Wasn’t someone speaking through the communication magic tool just now?

But before I could process it, I had already spoken my mind out of frustration.

Shifa turned bright red, flustered beyond belief.

Lord Riofendarl looked slightly troubled, while the duke and Minerva were absolutely furious.

“A mere adventurer dares to refuse a noble’s invitation? And not just any noble—mine, a duke’s!?”

“Yes. Is that a problem? If you’d like, I could settle this right now by—”

『Stop, Lax. Ignoring me while I’m speaking? You’ve got quite the nerve, don’t you?』

“Ah…”

I had been seconds away from snapping, but the voice from the communication magic tool firmly interrupted me, snapping me out of it.

Crap.

I almost made things worse.

We had just secured peace, and I really didn’t need to be charged with disrespecting a noble over this idiot duke.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“Huh?”

I bowed my head toward the communication tool, even though the person on the other end couldn’t see me.

Yes, by now, it should be obvious to everyone in the room—

The one speaking through the communication magic tool was the King himself.

Normally, I only ever spoke to the Princess, who, for some reason, had taken a liking to me.

But this magic tool’s true owner was His Majesty.

In other words, it had been given to me so that I could speak directly to the throne, ensuring my protection from the very “powerful interests” the duke had just mentioned.

And that meant—

The duke was in serious trouble.

After all, His Majesty had just heard every single corrupt scheme he had laid out.

The duke, now realizing this, looked completely bewildered.

…This was hilarious.

“H-H-His Majesty!?”

『You seem to have been acting quite selfishly, Duke Horneld.』

“N-N-No! I would never dare!”

And just like that, the conversation was over.

The duke desperately bowed toward the communication magic tool, repeatedly apologizing with the utmost formality.

But the King wasn’t listening.

Giving up on making excuses entirely, the duke had tried to apologize from the start—

A decent decision, considering the circumstances.

But let’s be real—

There was no way in hell His Majesty was going to accept it.

Even I had to admit it—

My ability to clear the lower floors of the dungeon made me highly valuable.

Once this city settled down, I was already being requested to aid other cities that had dungeons of their own.

That was part of the deal with the Royal Family’s support.

So, naturally, the duke’s blunders were meticulously recorded.

Then, as if the King had prepared for this exact moment, he read out a long list of illegal activities committed by the duke.

And just like that—

He was purged.

Honestly, there was no surprise there.

The moment anyone looked into his dealings, they’d find dirt everywhere.

The Royal Knight Order, who had been fully prepared in advance, immediately arrested the duke.

It was obvious that His Majesty had anticipated the duke making a move and had ordered preparations in advance.

…Much appreciated.

The duke screamed something incoherent as he was dragged away.

His daughter, Minerva, was also taken into custody.

And at long last—

Peace.

As for what happened to the duke afterward—

I didn’t care enough to find out.

Or so I’d like to say.

Word eventually reached me—

The duke’s eldest son, the official heir, was forced to take over.

It seemed the Horneld family itself was allowed to continue.

Part of me wondered—

“Was that really a good idea?”

And another part of me thought—

“If Alessandro’s older brother is anything like him, then this is just going to be another problem later on.”

However, since the duke had at least kept the region stable for years, his punishment was reduced.

In the end, he was merely forced into retirement and nothing more.

And that night—

Shifa, with her face flushed red, told me—

“I was really happy.”

We talked for a while…

And when I tried to send her back to her room.

She got mad at me.

As for what happened next.

I’ll let you fill in the blanks.