Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Evidence (1)
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Michael Ryanbloom swung his greatsword down, splitting the ogre's head in two.
With that, he had slain all the ogres. Michael wiped the sweat from his forehead and caught his breath.
A glance around showed that the orcs had mostly been dealt with as well. The knights were pursuing the remaining stragglers.
“One, two, three... four! I got one more than you! So I win!”
Right beside him, Veronica Sanchez spoke with a triumphant expression. Michael gave her a look as if asking what she was talking about.
“You stole two kills from me when I’d almost finished them off. This bet is basically my victory.”
“Where does it say that? I killed the most anyway!”
“You have to consider the process. What right do you have to complain after stealing someone else’s prey?”
Michael and Veronica Sanchez glared at each other, growling.
“Fine. I’m not wasting words on you. I’m going to see Demian... I mean, Sir Demian. Do whatever you want.”
Michael finally shook off Veronica Sanchez, who was still grumbling petulantly, and headed toward Demian Haksen.
He had watched even while fighting the ogre. Watched Demian Haksen battling the chimera.
‘As expected, big brother is amazing.’
Michael knew a fair bit about chimeras himself.
The most horrific abomination in this world.
A devil you could never let your guard down against.
There were countless nicknames symbolizing them. That was how dangerous they were.
Yet Demian Haksen had pressed such a monster without batting an eye.
Michael was always brimming with confidence, but he couldn’t imagine doing what Demian had.
‘Especially that final technique that diced the chimera up.’
Aura was strongest when cloaking the blade. Sending it outward inevitably weakened it.
But Demian had unleashed his aura externally and still unleashed devastating power. Even Michael, watching from afar, had felt a chill.
Michael couldn’t even grasp how it was possible.
‘Now that the subjugation is over, I need to learn as much as I can from him.’
The guidance Demian had given him before had greatly elevated Michael Ryanbloom’s realm.
Without Demian’s help, he wouldn’t have reached mid-class so quickly.
‘If I learn from him this time, I might even grasp the key to high-class...’
Michael was lost in such thoughts when—
“Gaaahhh!”
A sudden scream shattered his reverie. Startled, Michael quickened his pace.
And he beheld a gruesome sight.
A black mage sprawled on the ground, screaming in agony.
“P-please, stop! Aaagh! Gaaahhh!”
The black mage’s eyes rolled back as her body shuddered violently.
Michael stared at the scene in bewilderment.
There were no signs of torture on the black mage’s body.
So why was she in such pain? He couldn’t understand it.
“This shouldn’t hurt that much yet. I still have more to show you.”
Demian Haksen jabbed a finger into the woman’s back. Her eyes widened hugely.
“J-just kill me! Kill m— Aagh! Aaagh!”
Michael couldn’t help but be horrified as he watched the black mage.
The moment Demian prodded her back, her muscles began writhing like snakes across her entire body.
It was visibly obvious to the naked eye. Each twitch brought a scream that threatened to tear her throat.
“Aagh! Aaagh!”
“Not quite right. Wasn’t that last one... like this instead?”
Demian prodded the black mage’s shoulder, and a grotesque twisting of joints echoed out.
Now even her screams were incoherent.
‘Dividing muscles and dislocating bones...?’
He had seen the marquisate’s knights use it on prisoners before.
It was a torture method that artificially twisted muscles and joints by infusing mana into the victim’s body.
Rumor had it that the empire’s top interrogators had devised it to extract confessions from heinous criminals like traitors and spies.
‘No, it’s different from that.’
Dividing muscles and dislocating bones required constant contact.
But Demian was inflicting agony with mere finger jabs.
He couldn’t be sure, but it was far superior to that technique.
“Please! Stop it! Please! Just kill me!”
“If you want to escape the pain, then talk. How did you communicate with your comrades in the capital?”
“W-with letters... I told you, letters!”
“You still haven’t learned. Spouting such nonsense.”
“Gaaahhh!”
Demian jabbed the black mage’s body again with his finger.
The vivid sounds of ripping muscles and crunching bones rang out.
That horrific noise made Michael tremble.
But the scariest thing here wasn’t the technique.
“Talk. And I’ll stop this pain.”
It was Demian, smiling as he tortured the black mage.
Demian’s smile radiated pure delight, as if he were going mad with joy in this moment.
That was what terrified Michael Ryanbloom beyond endurance.
“D-Demian bro...”
Michael cautiously called out to Demian. Demian paused just before jabbing the black mage again.
“Are the orcs and ogres all taken care of?”
“Y-yes, all done. But...”
Michael swallowed dryly. Staring straight at the still-screaming black mage, he asked,
“D-do we need to keep going? It seems like enough already.”
He was stunned by his own words.
Defending a black mage? The church wouldn’t stand for it.
“Enough... you say?”
Fortunately, Demian Haksen didn’t take issue with Michael’s words. He merely questioned.
“You’re not actually pitying these things, are you?”
“No, it’s not that...”
It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel pity.
Demian’s use of the technique was that gruesome.
“You’re wasting emotions needlessly. It’s a good chance, so let me teach you what black mages are really like.”
Demian jabbed a finger into the bald woman’s neck. Her muscles went still.
With the pain gone, the screams stopped. The bald woman lay face-down, gasping for breath.
“What price did you pay to use black magic on the orcs?”
“That’s... well...”
The bald woman gasped for air. Freshly freed from agony, she hadn’t regained her senses.
“Your delayed answer means you still haven’t come around.”
“S-sacrifice... I offered sacrifices! I-I threw people to the o-orcs... and when they ate them, I cast black magic... to subjugate them!”
“How many people did you kill?”
“T-three hundred! Three hundred! I-I went around slash-and-burn villages... c-collecting sacrifices!”
Michael felt like he’d been struck in the back of the head by her words.
Three hundred slash-and-burn villagers thrown to the orcs? Subjugated them while they were devoured?
“You’re next. What did you do to make the poison?”
Demian turned to the haggard-looking woman. She hesitated.
“I can’t hear your answer.”
“I-I didn’t kill many! I only kidnapped people when testing new poisons!”
“You kidnapped people to test poisons?”
“Y-yes! B-but I didn’t waste test subjects! If they seemed like they’d die, I kept them alive somehow and reused them! Really!”
Michael Ryanbloom’s face hardened.
In other words, she’d forcibly kept people alive to use repeatedly in poison tests.
Those test subjects must have suffered endlessly.
“Michael, do you understand now? This is what black mages are. They don’t deserve pity.”
Demian’s words made Michael slowly nod.
“Then withdraw. There’s still a ton of info I haven’t squeezed out of them.”
As soon as Demian finished speaking, Michael retreated far away.
He understood how horrific black mages were. But Michael was worried.
When Demian tortured them, that smile on his lips wouldn’t leave his mind.
Michael gazed at Demian with a concerned expression.
* * *
“Sir Demian, what in the world... do you mean?”
Back at Walnut Castle, Demian had revealed the truth to Oliver Apple.
“My uncle joined hands with black mages... and used them to sabotage the subjugation, cornering you...?”
“That’s not all. Every incident His Highness the Regent has ‘resolved’ so far was a self-staged play by these black mages.”
The sudden truth made Oliver Apple stagger.
“W-why... why on earth...?”
“You know the answer too, Your Highness.”
Oliver Apple’s expression hardened at Demian’s words.
“It’s for the throne...”
Oliver Apple let out a deep sigh. He still couldn’t accept the truth.
“Sir Demian, what should I do?”
“There’s only one thing for Your Highness to do. Expose the truth and bring down His Highness the Regent.”
Oliver Apple’s eyes trembled at those words.
He respected his uncle. Admired his dignity and talents.
The thought of dealing with a family member he revered himself made him hesitate.
“Your Highness, pull yourself together. This is no time for conflict.”
Demian pressed the wavering Oliver Apple.
“Alexander Apple is royalty who colluded with black mages. Not only that, he deliberately sowed chaos in the kingdom to build his power. And when that wasn’t enough, he tried to kill you.”
Demian was right. Alexander Apple had crossed the line long ago.
Showing sympathy to such a man wasn’t just foolish—it was insane.
“...You’re right, Sir Demian. Alexander Apple is nothing but a traitor who brought chaos to the kingdom.”
Oliver Apple looked at the black mages. They were no longer sane after prolonged torture.
“I’ll take them and expose every truth.”
Demian smiled in satisfaction at the resolute answer.
“Thank you for the wise decision. But as it stands, we can’t corner Alexander Apple.”
“What do you mean?”
“He could deny ties to the black mages and claim we’re framing him.”
Oliver Apple had no choice but to nod at Demian’s words.
“To truly cut off his lifeline, we need more solid evidence or witnesses.”
“What should we do?”
“I happen to have a good plan.”
Demian pulled something from his pocket. An old, yellowish parchment.
“It’s a magic tool the black mages used to communicate with each other. I learned how to use it after interrogating them.”
Demian whispered something in Oliver Apple’s ear.
After hearing it all, Oliver Apple burst into loud laughter.
“That sounds fun. We’ll do as you suggest, Sir Demian.”