Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Interrogation Dilemma
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"This is it, right? Obstructing official duties? You know about that? It's a fine at minimum. Worst case, you go to jail."
"Yeah, whatever."
Han U-sol responded indifferently, as if it were no big deal.
Obstructing official duties? What could they even do about it?
A fine? He'd just pay it off. Money wasn't an issue anyway; he had nowhere to spend it.
Jail time? He was the one maintaining the city's barrier ahead of the crisis, an indispensable figure for the future. There was no way they'd sentence someone like him to prison.
Even if his record ended up with a red mark later on, Han U-sol wouldn't regret today's actions. If he let this chance slip, Anis would drift further away forever.
"...Fine. I get it, so let go of my arm already."
Ronel sighed in surrender, meeting the eyes blazing with Han U-sol's determination. She'd anticipated this turn ever since her initial slip-up.
"Look, it's bruising... It hurts...."
"Lead the way. Now."
"...Haa. Alright. But calm down a bit."
"I'm already calm enough."
"Anyone can see you're dying to get in there...."
"Just go first."
"Ah, I knew this would happen—that's why I didn't want to say anything...."
Ronel rubbed her throbbing wrist with a pout.
Paying no mind, Han U-sol shoved the back of the leading Ronel, urging her onward.
Dark interrogation room. A man and a woman sat facing each other.
The traitor Camilla.
And a lowly private soldier.
Camilla sat slouched, her upper body tightly secured by the restraint suit. The soldier across from her droned on endlessly, firing questions.
But Camilla just yawned repeatedly, ignoring his queries entirely.
Frustrated, the private snapped irritably.
"Hey. You deaf or something?"
"I hear you~"
"Then answer the questions."
"Don't wanna."
Like the private, Camilla wore an annoyed expression. The restraint suit had kept her from moving properly for so long.
Her lower body had some freedom, but her upper half was locked down—not even a finger could twitch—leaving her body stiff and sore.
Leaning back against the chair, Camilla twisted side to side in a makeshift stretch.
"You gonna keep this up? If you do, it'll just get harder for you...."
"Baby."
Tap, tap. Camilla lightly tapped the floor with her toes a couple times. The private glared unpleasantly at her for cutting him off.
"Honestly, even if I get it, having a core demon-side figure like me sharing a table with a grunt like you feels like too much of a mismatch, don't you think? I'm not one to divide people by rank, but this is just way off. Right? Makes me lose any will to talk. Are you that short-staffed?"
"What the...?"
The private's ears flushed red with rage.
"Sending a guy like you for the interrogation means things must be hectic outside, huh? Some variable threw things off? Bad enough to derail the big plan? ...Nah, thinking back to that smug, dumb look on your face when you walked in, probably not that serious... Just piled up with too much to handle?"
Before he could bellow, Camilla kept prodding mockingly.
"Or friction with the heroes? Looks like Colton cooked this up solo, so maybe some disagreement with the front-liners? If so, I get why you're busy ironing it out. I'd probably send an idiot like you too. Interrogation isn't priority right now anyway."
The private's face reddened further. Insulted, he clenched his trembling fists and started stammering.
"Looks like I hit the mark. Or not."
"You bitch...!"
He was fun to rile up. Camilla let her shoulder-length hair fall as she poked at his nerves.
"Anyway, can you stop talking to me? You're beneath my level."
"...Someone else will be here soon anyway."
"Oh? Who?"
-Creak.
The moment Camilla asked, the interrogation room door opened, and a man and woman entered.
Camilla's gaze lingered longest on the newcomers—especially the man.
'...Han U-sol.'
A different smile bloomed on her lips, replacing the sneer.
"Hmm. Not bad. Gotta look like that to match my level."
Camilla eyed Han U-sol closely.
Determined, vivid eyes.
In contrast, fidgety fingertips that betrayed impatience.
Interesting.
Very.
And exactly who she needed most right now.
Dark interrogation room. Three people: two men, one woman.
"Why bring two people to interrogate one? Planning torture? You wouldn't, right? On humanitarian grounds."
"That depends on you. Just answer the questions."
"Not saying no yet? Scary."
Despite Ronel's cynical reply, Camilla kept smiling leisurely.
"Fine, ask away. I'll answer what I know."
"First, the demon faction's general situation. Second, where Demon Kahtel is and what he's doing. If he's incapacitated, why and to what extent."
"Too many questions right off the bat."
"Then answer them one by one."
"Thirsty. Get me some water?"
"I'm here to interrogate you, not fetch water. Answer."
A quiet battle of wills unfolded between Camilla and Ronel. Amid it, Camilla—still smiling casually—glanced at Han U-sol and spoke up.
"Hey, U-sol? You look antsy with a ton you wanna ask... I'm curious too, y'know? About what you're dying to know. Why not bundle it all up?"
"Senior, I'll give you a shot later, so hold off. Answer her questions first."
"Heh heh."
Camilla chuckled.
In interrogations, whether giving or receiving, control always existed.
Even with clear superior and inferior roles, the invisible flow of momentum could create illusions of reversal. Especially in closed, dim spaces like this.
The questioner ending up questioned.
Or the listener seizing the conversation.
Many got swept up in such flips.
In that sense, Ronel's efforts to hold control were admirable.
"Hm... Fine, whatever. I know all that. Could spill it right here if you want. But..."
"But?"
"I'll tell everything after hearing Han U-sol's question too. Not hard, right? Just curious. Can't stand not knowing."
"Haa..."
Ronel sighed, weary of the dragging talk. Her quiet exhale echoed loudly in the cramped, silent room.
She pondered. Camilla's demand wasn't tough. Just tack on Han U-sol's question to the existing ones.
But something about Camilla's feigned leisure—those occasional chilling glares—felt off. Like she was being played.
Plus, watching Han U-sol hide his impatience poorly stirred unease.
"........."
Her deliberation dragged, but Ronel relented.
Unsettling, but they'd stay at an impasse otherwise. Just a normal woman in restraints. Worst case, a bullet to the head.
With that, Ronel signaled Han U-sol, who spoke to Camilla.
"...You. Know anything about Anis Harper?"
"...Of course. Know her well."
"Then what happened to Anis over the past three years? Tell me."
Han U-sol's blank mask cracked, impatience showing. Camilla met his stare.
"Nothing I can't say. But why so desperate?"
"I..."
"Wanna save Anis?"
"......Yeah."
"Pfft. Heh heh heh."
Camilla scanned Han U-sol's exposed rawness: urgency, desperation, maybe obsession. Laughter escaped uncontrollably.
She leaned forward from the chair back.
"Alright. I'll tell you how she spent those three years. And if you want... I know how to save her too."
".........!"
Han U-sol's eyes widened in shock. Camilla savored it, slowly rising from her chair with a delighted look.
"But there's a condition."
"......What?"
"Untie this."
"......What?"
"Pfft. Can't understand? Unlock this restraint suit. Right now. And help me escape. Easy, right?"
"........."
Absurd demand. A prisoner who could die any moment boldly demanding release was ridiculous.
But Han U-sol wavered slightly.
Ronel glanced at him. Sure enough, shaken.
"Hah."
Ronel scoffed.
"Knew this'd happen—that's why I didn't wanna bring you."
-Click.
Unable to stand it, Ronel stood too, aiming her revolver at Camilla.
"Want a hole in your head right now? Or shut up and sit? Ten seconds."
"Oh, scary. Han U-sol, what now? I'm staying up."
"Wait..."
"No waiting."
Camilla gave him no time to think, relentlessly cornering and forcing a choice.
"Y'know, it's funny thinking about it. You know your relationship was messed up from the start."
Son of an angel, and a magic beast.
Auriel abandoned duty to bear Han U-sol, summoning Anis to this world.
She was right. Irreparably twisted from the beginning.
"You can't undo it, yet you wanna. Why? What drives you? Love? Pity? Sympathy? Or guilt over her suffering because of your existence? What?"
Darkness, faint light.
She smiled under the cold gun barrel.
"Even if you save her body, as long as demonic energy lingers in Anis, it won't really be saving her."
Even if Anis returned, the demonic energy tormenting her and the rotten heart it bred would remain pointless. Unless the energy vanished and her heart healed, Han U-sol's sin persisted.
"But get this? I know how to remove that demonic energy."
Freeing her here could butterfly into a future threat to humanity.
Not freeing her meant losing even the slim chance to save Anis.
Camilla was saying it outright.
Humanity.
Anis.
Choose.
"Han U-sol, what're you doing? Clear this from my sight now."
Camilla stripped him bare, mercilessly digging into his contradictions, his dilemma, forcing the choice.
Then grinned wickedly.
"Or I die?"
Dark interrogation room. Three people. One revolver.
And tense silence descended.