Chapter 35: Suspicion

"Thomas, I tried to find you, but could not. Tell me, how was it that you sent the Golden Leaf party against a hag?" Yima all but growled. "Then, you quit your job and went out to the world with a mob by your side."

"Am I a suspect?" Thomas said, disbelieving.

"The chief one," Yima snapped, and Rina stepped forward.

"I found Tommy at a ranch, helping the crops grow with his magical harp. There is not a single bad bone in him, I can assure you," when the guild master glared at her, she made a step back. Letting Thomas's bulk hide her.

"And, isn't it convenient that you come back with the one we ousted as an accomplice? The very same day that we found him snooping around the receptionist desk, looking to cause more trouble?" Yima's eyes had them all pinned down. Leaving them to feel like children. Yet, Thomas made a step forward.

"I will drink a potion of truth to clear my name. Before the entire guild, if I must," it was not like Thomas had anything to hide. He was sure that this all was one big misunderstanding.

"He refused to do the same," Yima pointed at Teri, who was looking at the ground.

"How do I know that you won't poison me?" Teri asked. Yima snorted.

"Are you questioning my honor, boy?" the guild master snapped. Thomas turned to Teri.

"The guild master wins nothing by poisoning us. Come now, Teri, you have to believe me. I worked here for three years. In that time, there were a couple of such trials. Nothing bad happened to the innocent," sure, there had been that one instance when a rogue had been found guilty of stealing and had his hand cut off by the city watch, but the guild was not the one to do the bloody work.

"Three years, you say?" Teri was having his doubts, but Thomas's calm made him calm down in turn.

"Three," the summoner repeated.

"Well, what would it be then? The truth potion, or the king's court?" Yima asked them, impatient.

"The potion," all three said. The king's court would not give them a potion, even if they asked. Instead, they were going to ask them pointless questions and keep them in the dungeons below the Orestria castle for years until they finally decided whether they were guilty or not.

"Good, follow me," Yima took three vials from the desk drawer, and Rina's eyebrows rose.

"Wait, I am being questioned as well?" She asked.

"Yes. You come back with someone we were nearly sure about, and the chief suspect. For all we know, you might be the master mind," Yima led them out, and towards the training hall.

Rina soaked up the sight before her. She had been allowed only up to the receptionist's desk, the first time. Gotten her finger cut, and her blood had shown a low rank. Then, she had been thrown out.

Now that she had the chance to look around, she could tell that the guild was wealthy. There were mosaics all around her. The wall they were passing by showed off all the fighter classes. The ceiling was decked with all the magic classes. On the door to the training hall, there was a spear user and a double axe user with crossed weapons.

Yima pressed a button, and then began to speak.

"All guild members and the personal come to the training hall for the trial of three suspects in the Golden Leaf incident," he then turned to the three.

"Pick a chair and sit down," pointing at the lines of chairs by the wall, he went and ascended the stairs to the guild master's seat. They got the chairs opposite Yima, and sat down.

Thomas was pleasantly surprised when no chains sprang from the chairs.  The training hall filled up and Yima stood up.

"You all know about the incident that nearly cost us Andrew and Lucius," Yima said, as he kept on going down to the arena. "That the hag was something a more experienced party should have handled. And, that the receptionist who gave the quest ran off before I could question him."

"To be fair, you kicked me out, guild master Yima. When you told me that I can't keep Karl," Thomas protested, only to be silenced by a glare.

"You had no permission to leave during an investigation, even if back then your loyalty was not placed under scrutiny," Yima said in a level tone. He uncorked the bottle with the first truth potion, and handed it to Thomas. "Drink."

Thomas did, defiance clear in his eyes. Only for his eyes to become glassy after he drank the potion.

"Did you know what the quest entailed before giving it to the Golden Leaf party?" Yima asked.

"No, I am not allowed to look inside. Just to look at the rank at the out most layer of the quest scroll," gasps were heard from the crowd. Yima's eyes softened.

"Why did you leave, Thomas?" Yima had to be certain that the reason Thomas had given was the true one.

"Because Karl deserved better than to be abandoned at the side of the road. He is a good slime, and helped rescue the missing people of Drumm village," Yima nodded, and uncorked the second bottle. He handed it to Teri.

The tank took a good look at the pink liquid, then he gulped it down. His eyes became glassy as well.

"Teri, did you have anything to do with the Golden Leaf incident?" Yima asked him.

"No, I was just trying to get myself a higher-level mission. Money has been tight lately," disgruntled murmurs were heard from the crowd. People like this one risked their lives for nothing, and then the guild had to inform their families of their deaths.

Yima moved to Rina. He handed her the vial with the potion. After she drank it, he spoke.

"Archer, what is your involvement in the Golden Leaf incident?" He asked. Not believing that he would find much in this corner, either.

"None. I came, got deemed too weak, and got kicked out. Then, I found Tommy, and we kicked a dungeon's butt," Yima blinked. He figured that the archer was one of those talkative people to which the potion acted as an empowering agent.

"Well, I have heard enough. It is clear that you are innocent. Teri will get his money back, but won't be welcomed back in the guild. We don't abide by rule breakers," Yima then snapped his fingers, and his mana freed the three of the sway of the truth potion. Teri's shoulders slummed. His name would be cleared, to a point. Still, it would be hard finding work.