Interrogation (2)
Interrogation (2)
The Taesan main estate.
The overall grounds were vast, but the mansion where the Clan Head and other key figures resided was naturally enormous.
"Acting Clan Head... ma'am."
Despite the building's massive size, it wasn't uncommon to run into people.
With the times so chaotic, the servants were constantly scurrying about without a moment's rest.
The servants who spotted Lee Ji-yeon and moved to pay their respects flinched the instant they noticed me cradled in her arms.
"Lee Ha-yul. It is an honor to behold the noble countenance of our benefactor."
Of course, being talents who served at the Taesan main estate, their agitation never leaked outward.
It was simply that my Observation was far too adept at picking up their reactions and inner thoughts.
The looks I got before they bowed were a little embarrassing, but not enough to make me want to leave this cozy embrace.
Lee Ji-yeon, who had glanced down at me, let out a small laugh.
"You're all working hard. It's a cliché, but please bear with the hardship until this situation is resolved."
"I will do my utmost in my assigned duty."
Having acknowledged their greetings, Lee Ji-yeon passed by the servants.
- Pok-pok
The green Winged Garment wrapped around me like a baby sling tickled my side.
- That tickles.
I shrugged my shoulders at the tickling sensation. Only when I finally buried my face into her ample chest did the tickling stop.
Lee Ji-yeon, who had been suppressing her laughter, stroked my back.
"In the old days, you'd try to squirm away because you were embarrassed if someone saw. But just now, you stayed perfectly still, completely indifferent. Are you not embarrassed anymore?"
- I'm a little embarrassed, but I don't want to get down.
If I worried about what other people thought, I'd never be able to stay in her arms outside.
Since I was in a child's body that was easy to carry, I was even more reluctant to part with her. When I conveyed that sentiment, Lee Ji-yeon smiled, somewhere between satisfaction and amusement, and adjusted her hold on me.
"Then it can't be helped. We'll arrive soon, so just stay comfortable."
- Okay.
Passing by countless servants, Lee Ji-yeon headed down to the mansion's underground.
The style was similar to the above-ground floors.
A wide, long corridor. An antique green carpet runner and yellow lanterns hanging on the walls.
But there were no servants bustling about, and no windows revealing the outside.
Instead, at every stairway, heavily armed superhumans stood guard in teams of two.
"Lee Kang-woo of the 1st Legion Strict Guard Unit. I see the Acting Clan Head and the clan's benefactor. No abnormalities."
The air carried a tighter military discipline than above ground.
Lee Ji-yeon nodded and passed them, descending further down.
Only after clearing several guard posts did we reach the lowest floor, beyond which there was ostensibly no further descent.
Lee Ji-yeon's footsteps, which had been striding down the corridor, came to a halt.
In front of an iron door sealed with dense magic stood a man, his leg jittering nervously.
Brown hair and light green eyes.
A superhuman from whom dense mana and the Taesan Innate Talent seeped forth. The man, who had been anxiously scratching his head, flinched and turned around.
"Sis."
The man was Lee Ji-yeon's younger brother.
His name was Lee Ji-hu.
To be precise, a younger brother with a different father—a character I'd encountered in the original work.
"What are you doing here? Go upstairs and rest."
"Yes... well, my body's reasonably all right, ma'am... More than that..."
When Lee Ji-yeon approached the door and asked with a tilt of her head, Lee Ji-hu scratched his head and trailed off.
Biting his lip firmly, Lee Ji-hu met Lee Ji-yeon's gaze.
"Sis. This incident... was it really, truly... caused by Mother?"
"She was subdued at the scene, but I'm not yet certain. That's why I've come to confirm it now."
At Lee Ji-yeon's calm words, Lee Ji-hu's pupils wavered slightly. Soon, he gave an awkward smile, as if letting out a bitter laugh.
"I... see... Ah, haha... That you subdued Mother... no matter how many times I hear it, it's hard to believe."
"I found it hard to believe too. Though, well, there were circumstances—it didn't seem like she was at full strength."
"Whatever words you add, it's difficult for me to comprehend... But..."
His gaze, which had been wandering in confusion, landed on me. I, who had been gauging the situation while cradled in Lee Ji-yeon's arms, flinched and trembled.
"This person is..."
"It's my junior... Lee Ha-yul."
"Ah...!"
A gasp escaped Lee Ji-hu's lips.
I felt like letting one out too.
In the original work, if you got entangled with the Taesan family, Lee Ji-hu was someone you naturally became acquainted with as Lee Ji-yeon's younger brother.
It was a cruel way to put it, but he wasn't a particularly strong character.
Since he had manifested Taesan, he could easily fold an ordinary superhuman, but he simply wasn't a true monster who could shake the world.
What mattered now wasn't that part. It was the fact that he was Lee Ji-yeon's younger brother.
In other words, he was the kind of person I needed to leave a good impression on.
'Uh, uh, uh...'
Being curled up tightly in Lee Ji-yeon's arms in a shrunken state didn't seem like the best position for planting a good impression.
Having judged that much, I moved my body.
And under the hand that Lee Ji-yeon pressed firmly against my head, I buried my face back into her chest.
- Mmphmph...
"...?"
"His current condition isn't exactly good. He still has lingering injuries. So I'm carrying him around while also infusing him with vitality energy."
"Uh... I see..."
Lee Ji-hu tilted his head with a puzzled expression. It looked like he found something odd but couldn't put his finger on anything specific.
- Let me go...
- No. Stay like this for now.
When I subtly sent a Sound Transmission, it came back as a flat rejection immediately. Even my arms and legs, which had been about to squirm, were wrapped up and restrained by the Winged Garment.
Of course, they were only gently coiled around me, so I could simply break free with force, but...
I didn't want to resist that much.
Anyway, since I'd obtained a justification to stay still, I waited quietly with my face buried in Lee Ji-yeon's embrace.
"I don't know how long the interrogation will take, so you go up."
"...Will it even be a proper interrogation? Considering Mother's resistance..."
"There's a method for that, so don't worry. More importantly, if you have time, stop by the office and at least help the Chief Administrator with her work. I'm sharing the load too, but she still seemed to be struggling."
"Understood. But you look just as worn out yourself, sis."
Meanwhile, Lee Ji-yeon had been conversing with Lee Ji-hu.
Their tone and atmosphere were a little awkward, but it never turned hostile. Like family, they even expressed concern for each other.
I wriggled and raised my body, wrapping my arms tightly around Lee Ji-yeon's neck.
- Lee Ji-yeon. Let's go quickly.
"Huh?"
- Quicklyyy...
"Uh... Ah... Aha?"
At the sight of me resting my chin on her shoulder, Lee Ji-yeon blinked.
Her eyes suddenly went round, and while managing her twitching lips, she stroked my head.
"Sorry, Ji-hu. I don't have more time to talk. Could you head up now?"
"Ah, sorry for holding you up unnecessarily."
Lee Ji-hu checked the time, offered an apology, and walked toward the stairs.
He disappeared from sight. Only then, with the corners of her mouth lifted, did Lee Ji-yeon gently pull me away from her shoulder.
"Junior."
- What is it?
I turned my head slightly, pouting. Lee Ji-yeon's eyes curved into round crescents.
"Are you deliberately acting cute right now?"
- I'm not. I'm saying this because I'm genuinely in a hurry. You were spending too much time in front of the door...
"Yes, yes, I got it."
Lee Ji-yeon laughed aloud and adjusted her hold on me.
Soon, she gently took my chin and pressed my lips with her thumb.
A flicker of worry rippled through her green irises.
"...Still, in his shrunken state, is it a bit... you know."
In an instant, the worry that had formed subsided.
Shrugging her shoulders, Lee Ji-yeon swept back my bangs and pressed a kiss—*chu*—to my forehead.
- Hik...
"Let's take care of the urgent matter first and then go up."
At the sight of me momentarily frozen, Lee Ji-yeon gave a soft laugh and placed her hand on the iron door.
.
.
.
- Kkiik...
The inside of the iron door was brimming with mana.
It wasn't simply a high mana concentration.
The mana flowing from the densely engraved spell formulas had pooled inside the room.
Tree roots tangled around her feet on the floor. A mass of roots gathered against one wall, suppressing Lee Ji-ah alongside rock restraints.
Complexity. Her expression could only be described as such. Lee Ji-yeon hugged me tightly.
"Hoo..."
Eventually letting out her breath, Lee Ji-yeon looked down at me. I nodded from my tilted head, and Lee Ji-yeon waved her hand.
- Jjeo-eok
The tree roots covering Lee Ji-ah's eyes and blocking her mouth were cleared away. Lee Ji-ah's eyelids, which had been firmly shut, slowly opened.
"...... "
"...... "
Mother and daughter stared at each other silently. Yet neither easily opened their mouth.
"...Th-the, snake... is... dead...?"
Lee Ji-ah spoke first. A cracked and dull voice. Lee Ji-yeon, who hugged me tighter at that, nodded.
"Yes, it's thoroughly dead."
Lee Ji-ah's gaze fell on me.
Green eyes that seemed indifferent and stiff at a glance.
But I was still receiving Lee Ji-yeon's gaze with my head tilted.
Green eyes. But emotions flickered colorfully within them. Now, I mainly sensed affection, worry, and anxiety.
I nodded in answer to that silent gaze.
- You got hit by a curse too, Ms. Lee Ji-ah.
The Curse of the Dead Spirits.
The status window had already kindly informed me via voice, and I'd confirmed it with Observation beforehand.
But now I could sense the activated Curse of the Dead Spirits.
'To be precise, I should call it a curse that was activated and then lost its effect.'
It varies by type, but many curses persist even after the caster dies.
However, the Curse of the Dead Spirits... this curse meant to be used for incarnation almost entirely loses its effect the moment the caster dies.
- ...As expected of that snake bastard...
Lee Ji-yeon, having sent a telepathic message, gritted her teeth.
- Since the snake is dead, the possibility of the curse reactivating should be fine.
- That means traces remain...?
- Yes.
At my answer, anxiety flickered across Lee Ji-yeon's face. Not missing it, I exhaled through my nose and gave a faint smile.
- Of course I can erase it. I've already erased one for Baek A-rin, you know. I'll erase the curse first before the interrogation.
"You're not going to spout some bullshit about being stabbed with a spear like that time, are you?"
"?"
My body shivered at the voice that came through aloud.
Words devoid of any warmth.
The green eyes looking down at me had already lost their vitality, sinking duller than Lee Ji-ah's eyes.
- No, nononono...! It's not that kind of method...
I hurriedly shook my head. At that, life slowly returned to the green eyes.
I'd almost caused a misunderstanding. I gently slipped out of Lee Ji-yeon's embrace and swept down my chest.
"...Then how exactly do you plan to do it?"
- There are all kinds of ways... I'll explain without any misunderstanding, so please don't glare at me...
The gist was similar to Baek A-rin's case.
I would perceive the curse, send energy flowing into it, and annihilate it.
But it was much simpler than Baek A-rin's case.
Baek A-rin had been encroached upon by her curse from a very young age.
On the other hand, the degree to which Lee Ji-ah was steeped in it felt low at first impression.
'Of course, I'd had the Curse-Lifting Jewel back then...'
But there was a method for this too.
I checked my plan and approached Lee Ji-ah. Lee Ji-yeon, her face hardened, stuck right behind me.
The tree roots absorbed the excessively accumulating vitality, and the rock was suppressing her movements.
It was a restraint created by properly combining Taesan and magic.
'If it were Lee Ji-ah, she'd be able to undo it in no time.'
But it was still insufficient to restrain Lee Ji-ah.
Even I, who knew the original work, could see that. Those who personally knew Lee Ji-ah wouldn't be unaware either.
Depending on the person, they'd think Lee Ji-ah had weakened, or that she just had no intention of breaking free.
'...I think it's both.'
Lee Ji-yeon would want to believe it's the latter.
To figure that out, first, I had to break this fucking awful curse residue.
'But why was she hit with the curse?'
She probably couldn't completely resist a curse deliberately placed by a Tower Master.
But it left me wondering how a powerhouse like Lee Ji-ah could become so encroached upon that she could be controlled within a short time.
Following my gesture, the tree roots and rock made way. I placed my hand on Lee Ji-ah's abdomen.
It was a cold and firm sensation.
'Manifestation, Azure Sea.'
- Hwaaak...!
Azure Sea poured from my palm.
Ice vines coiled around my forearm, and water energy seeped into Lee Ji-ah through my palm.
'I burned it with Calamity Flame in Baek A-rin's case... but Azure Sea would be better for Lee Ji-ah, who possesses Taesan.'
If I sent Calamity Flame into her core, it might burn her vitality and spread rapidly. At worst, it could even explode.
I was confident in manipulating Calamity Flame, but there was no reason to reject the safer Azure Sea.
The water energy that gently seeped into her core eventually touched the pitch-black yin energy.
- ...Goooo...
The clear water energy was gloomily contaminated.
I immediately converted the water energy into cold energy. The concentrated spikes of Ice Purity burrowed into the yin energy.
- Jjeojeojeok...!
The yin energy that had been chattering without knowing its place froze solid.
The resistance of energy that had already lost its owner and had its dominance scattered was practically nonexistent.
I swiftly froze and shattered the yin energy, clearing it away.
But this alone took longer than using Calamity Flame, and I didn't know what side effects might remain.
There was another way.
'Manifestation, Authority of Knowledge.'
Chwareureuk! A book unfolded beside me.
On the opened paper, an innate talent that could not be classified by language was recorded.
It wasn't the Curse-Lifting Jewel itself, but a copied record I had stored.
I raised mana based on the record.
'Mimicry, Curse-Lifting Jewel.'
This wasn't an imitation of the artifact itself. I simply mimicked the energy the artifact emitted, the properties of its mana.
- Hwaaak...!
Light flashed along the ice vines. The interior of the dark room brightened for an instant.
The gently wavering energy of Hae-ju seeped into the depths of Lee Ji-ah under my guidance.
"...Mm..."
A groan escaped from between Lee Ji-ah's lips.
Lee Ji-yeon, whose shoulders flinched, shut her mouth, perhaps not to break my concentration.
Just then, Lee Ji-ah clenched her fist tightly.
Lee Ji-yeon, whose eyes instantly sank, raised her fist. Startled, I hurriedly dissuaded Lee Ji-yeon.
- Aaaah! It's okay!
The fist that was about to strike down stopped abruptly.
I swallowed both awe and shock at Lee Ji-yeon's will, which was about to smash Lee Ji-ah's head without hesitation.
Lee Ji-ah's tightly clenched fist slowly unfurled. Inside her hand lay a black something that hadn't been there before.
It looked like a shattered fragment. From that fragment, a truly sticky, vile yin energy sloshed.
I observed the yin energy and the fragment's material. It was instantly compared with the accumulated data.
It matched.
- Tower of the Dead...?
To be precise, that fragment.
The moment I recognized it, Lee Ji-ah's lips, which had been sealed shut, fell open.
"Th-the, snake... while off guard, by an unexpected enemy... was invaded."
The statement came out haltingly.
"Just as the bastard received my memories and senses... I too, ever so slightly... was able to glimpse... the bastard's..."
I listened while continuing to treat Lee Ji-ah's curse with Azure Sea.
Lee Ji-ah's gaze, which had been feebly bowed, landed on me.
"...It resembled you."
Dull green eyes stared at my face.
"The one who led the army corps was similar to you."