The crowd in front of the Voss manor gate was already boiling like a vat of hot oil. The smell of sweat, dust, and anger mixed into one suffocating mess.
Lucas stood in the middle of the dirt road, The Great Hoe still resting on his shoulder, face pale from exhaustion — not fear.
"BUTT BANDIT!!!"
"ASSAULT!!!"
"PUNISH HIM!!!"
Lucas took a long breath.
He almost laughed — but not the funny kind.
The "is this real?" kind.
"What the hell is this?" he muttered, voice shaking — not out of fear, but pure irritation.
He glanced at Silvara beside him, her sword already half drawn.
"Silver. Listen. What kind of accusation is this? Butt bandit? Seriously?"
Silvara only pressed her lips together.
"I don't get it either, but Healer Mae said it. And the Baroness… agreed."
Lucas turned toward the angry crowd.
He saw faces that used to avoid his eyes.
Now? They stared straight at him — bold, hateful, some genuinely offended on a spiritual level.
Up front, Geralt was still being dragged by two guards, his face bright red — shame, not pain.
Then Lucas remembered.
Yesterday.
Geralt had misunderstood because Lucian's reputation was already garbage.
And now?
The entire village shared the same misunderstanding.
A small laugh escaped him — tired, bitter.
"I get it now," he said quietly, but loud enough for nearby villagers.
"Before, it was just one misunderstanding. Geralt. Because he needed money for his sick kid. Fine. Understandable."
Then he raised his voice — fully shouting.
Once again, the tip of The Great Hoe pointed toward the crowd.
Lucas — exhausted, frustrated, and running on emotional fumes from the memory of his mother — snapped.
"YOU'RE ALL JUST BROKE, CHEAP GOSSIPERS!!!" His jaw tightened.
"YOUR ENTERTAINMENT IS CHEAP — JUST LIKE YOU!!! YOU TREAT RANDOM INFORMATION DUMP LIKE FACTS!!!"
Silence.
A few villagers took half a step back.
Some began doubting themselves.
Lucas stepped forward.
He rested The Great Hoe on his shoulder again — gripping it tighter, not to threaten, but to stop himself from swinging it.
"You gossip because it's fun. Because your lives are empty. Because judging is easier than thinking. Was I trash before? Yes."
His eyes narrowed.
"But I NEVER touched anybody's ass."
He pointed at Geralt.
"He's right here. Ask him. I hired him to dig dirt — not dig his cheeks."
Geralt immediately nodded in panic.
"Y-yes! The Young Master only told me to help plant tomatoes! I misunderstood yesterday! I pulled my pants down because I panicked — I thought he wanted… something else!! But he didn't!!"
Murmurs spread.
Some villagers exchanged looks.
Some looked genuinely embarrassed.
Lucas moved closer.
He now stood right in front of the Baron's table.
The Baroness covered her mouth.
Baron Voss just stared — shocked.
Since when can Lucian form a proper insult? He wondered.
"You want a trial?" Lucas lowered The Great Hoe to the ground.
THOK.
Not heavy — just loud enough.
Enough to make a few people flinch.
"Fine. Let's have a trial. But I want one thing."
He raised one hand.
"Bring Geralt forward. Let HIM speak.
And if it turns out I'm innocent—"
He pointed the end of The Great Hoe at the villagers.
"EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WILL BOW BEFORE ME."
Healer Mae stepped forward.
"And if you're guilty?"
Lucas smiled thinly.
"If I'm guilty… then fine. I'll surrender. Tsk."
He flicked a glance at the system panel only he could see.
---
[DING!]
(¬‿¬) Host, you're playing with fire. I love the chaos.
+0 EXP (Sorry Hehehe....)
Control yourself, Host.
---
Geralt began his testimony — voice trembling yet loud — declaring that his beloved stinky hole was never touched by even a millimeter of the Young Master's dick.
He even dropped to his knees.
"I swear by the Saints and my sick child — the Young Master only told me to dig soil! I panicked on my own! Nothing was touched! Nothing was seen! I was the idiot!"
The crowd fell quiet again.
Some women covered their mouths.
Some took a slow step back.
Healer Mae frowned.
She approached Geralt, voice cold — but with a flicker of doubt.
"No force? No threat?"
Geralt shook his head hard.
"It was all my misunderstanding! I was scared because of the Young Master's old reputation! But yesterday… he gave me honest work and honest pay!"
Healer Mae stared at Lucas for a long moment.
Lucas just stood there — exhausted, eyes red, hands shaking around The Great Hoe as if it was the only thing anchoring him to sanity.
"…Very well."
She raised her right hand.
White light wrapped around it, forming a gauntlet decorated with ancient runes and a glowing red crystal. Sharp metal claws emerged from the fingertips.
She pointed at Lucian Voss.
"If you hide sin…"
Her voice echoed like a holy decree.
"I WILL EXPOSE IT."
The crowd erupted with cheers.
Lucas exhaled — long, irritated, tired.
Still angry — but painfully aware this was medieval logic.
A time where just looking like you liked another man was enough to get you branded filthy and get executed.
Fortunately, in the modern world… most people didn't care—Or at least pretended not to.
And with that in mind—
You don't need to worry, brother.