Noise.
That was the first thing I heard.
Loud voices.
Hundreds of them.
My head throbbed as I slowly opened my eyes.
Bright sunlight burned my vision.
For several seconds I couldn't understand where I was.
Then the noise became clearer.
Shouting.
Angry shouting.
I blinked again.
Stone.
I was lying on cold stone.
When my vision finally focused, my heart nearly stopped.
A massive stadium surrounded me.
Rows upon rows of stone seats towered above the arena floor.
Thousands of people were watching.
Nobles.
Merchants.
Soldiers.
Adventurers.
Citizens.
All staring directly at me.
"What…?"
My voice came out weak.
I tried to move.
Chains rattled immediately.
My hands were bound behind my back.
Iron shackles locked around my wrists.
Two armored knights stood beside me.
One of them kicked my leg.
"On your knees."
Pain shot through my ribs.
I barely managed to sit up.
"W–Wait… what's going on?"
A loud voice suddenly echoed across the stadium.
"Silence!"
The crowd slowly quieted.
A man wearing royal armor stood on a raised platform above the arena.
His voice carried across the entire stadium.
"Kazu Asamura."
My stomach dropped.
"You stand accused of infiltrating the Royal Archive."
The crowd immediately erupted.
"THIEF!"
"TRAITOR!"
"CRIMINAL!"
My head spun.
"W–Wait!"
I struggled against the chains.
"I didn't—"
The knight beside me slammed the handle of his spear into my shoulder.
"Silence."
Pain exploded through my arm.
But I forced the words out anyway.
"I didn't steal anything!"
More shouting from the crowd.
"LIAR!"
"HANG HIM!"
I raised my voice desperately.
"I was asked to retrieve that document!"
The entire stadium suddenly became quiet.
The royal official narrowed his eyes.
"You claim someone ordered you to do it?"
"Yes!"
My chest heaved.
"I wasn't alone."
Before I could say another word—
A calm voice interrupted.
"That is correct."
My body froze.
I knew that voice.
Slow footsteps echoed across the arena floor.
A familiar figure stepped forward.
When I saw her face—
My chest tightened painfully.
"...Mira?"
She stood beside the royal platform.
Wearing polished adventurer armor.
Calm.
Composed.
Her expression completely unreadable.
The official turned toward her.
"You are the witness?"
Mira nodded respectfully.
"Yes."
Her voice sounded clear and steady.
The official gestured toward the arena.
"Explain what you saw."
Mira looked down at me.
For a brief moment our eyes met.
Then she spoke.
"This man infiltrated the Royal Archive last night."
My heart stopped.
"W–What?"
She continued calmly.
"I followed him after suspecting unusual behavior."
The crowd began whispering.
"I witnessed him climb the archive wall and break into the building."
I shook my head desperately.
"No— that's not—"
The knight beside me struck my back again.
"Silence."
Mira continued.
"He opened a sealed archive chamber and stole a classified document."
The crowd exploded with anger.
"TRAITOR!"
"KILL HIM!"
My mind raced.
She was lying.
Every word.
I stared at her in disbelief.
"...Why?"
For a moment she didn't react.
Then the official spoke again.
"Is there anything else?"
Mira hesitated.
Then she nodded.
"Yes."
Her eyes returned to me.
"This man also confessed something strange."
The crowd leaned forward.
"He claimed…"
She paused.
"...that he is not from this world."
The stadium went completely silent.
For one second.
Then chaos erupted.
"What?!"
"A demon?!"
"A monster?!"
My blood ran cold.
"You told them…?"
Mira ignored me.
"He claimed he suddenly appeared in the forest."
"Without origin."
The official frowned.
"Are you suggesting he is connected to the Hero Summoning Ritual?"
The nobles began whispering among themselves.
Mira nodded slowly.
"Possibly."
Her voice grew louder.
"As everyone here knows…"
"The kingdom attempted to summon a Hero several months ago."
Many people in the crowd nodded.
"But the ritual was considered a failure."
She pointed toward me.
"What if…"
"This man is the failed result of that ritual?"
The stadium exploded.
"FAILED HERO!"
"USELESS MONSTER!"
"EXECUTE HIM!"
I couldn't breathe.
Every voice felt like a blade.
I looked up at Mira again.
"...You used me."
For the first time—
She smiled.
Very slightly.
But the smile disappeared quickly.
The official raised his hand.
"Enough."
The crowd slowly quieted again.
He looked down at me.
"Kazu Asamura."
"You infiltrated the royal archive."
"You stole a classified document."
"You caused public unrest."
My hands trembled.
The official continued coldly.
"The punishment for such crimes…"
He paused.
"...is death."
The crowd roared with excitement.
"KILL HIM!"
"EXECUTE THE TRAITOR!"
My vision blurred.
So this was it.
This was how it ended.
Then suddenly—
"Hold it."
A voice echoed from the stadium entrance.
Everyone turned.
Several figures walked into the arena.
I recognized them immediately.
Rogan.
Torren.
Hector.
Lena.
Torren pointed toward the royal platform.
"This whole trial is bullshit."
Gasps spread across the crowd.
The official frowned.
"Identify yourselves."
Rogan stepped forward calmly.
"Adventurer Party: Iron Trail."
"Rank C."
Torren crossed his arms.
"And we're here to say the kid isn't capable of planning something like this."
Some people in the crowd laughed.
The official raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
Rogan gestured toward me.
"When we found him in the forest…"
"He was half dead."
"No money."
"No equipment."
"No connections."
Torren added loudly,
"The idiot can barely open a door without hurting himself."
Even some soldiers laughed at that.
Rogan continued.
"So explain something."
He looked directly at Mira.
"How exactly did a half-dead Rank E adventurer infiltrate the royal archive by himself?"
The stadium grew quiet again.
Even the official looked thoughtful.
Mira remained calm.
"For someone claiming to be from another world…"
"Perhaps he has unknown abilities."
Torren snorted.
"Yeah."
"His special ability is bleeding everywhere."
More laughter.
The official rubbed his chin.
Finally he spoke again.
"This matter has created significant unrest."
He looked toward the crowd.
"Executing him immediately may cause further disturbance."
The crowd began murmuring again.
After several seconds, he made his decision.
"Kazu Asamura."
"You will not be executed."
My head slowly lifted.
Instead, his voice turned colder.
"You will be exiled from the kingdom."
Gasps spread through the audience.
"You are forbidden from entering royal territory ever again."
"You will be taken to the outer forest and abandoned."
My chest tightened.
The forest.
Again.
The official turned toward Mira.
"As for the adventurer who exposed this criminal…"
The crowd looked toward her.
"Mira Valen."
"For your loyalty to the crown…"
"You are hereby granted the title of Royal Hunter."
The stadium erupted with cheers.
"And if necessary…"
"You may request assistance from the royal court."
Mira bowed slightly.
"It is an honor."
Knights grabbed my chains.
"Move."
They dragged me across the arena floor.
The crowd threw insults.
Some threw stones.
"USELESS HERO!"
"FOREST TRASH!"
Someone kicked my back.
Another punched my shoulder.
They dragged me through the city streets.
Then through the massive kingdom gates.
Finally they threw me onto the dirt road outside the walls.
One last kick sent me rolling down the slope toward the forest.
The gates slammed shut behind me.
I lay there silently.
The forest wind moved quietly through the trees.
"...Again."
From the distant tree line, a lone figure watched everything.
Hidden in shadow.
He sighed softly.
"...How pathetic."
But his eyes remained fixed on me.
"...Still."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Interesting."