Chapter 360: Interrogation (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 360: Interrogation (2)
Raven climbed the stairs to the deck and hurried to the ship's gunroom. By the time she arrived, the assistant to the vice captain, as well as the platoon leaders of the corps, were all gathered.
"Vice Captain Raven! You're back! What a relief! We were actually forming a unit to back you up since you were taking so long to return—"
"I need to make a report. Please leave, everyone."
"...Sorry? Ah, yes, ma'am!" The leaders who were gathered followed Raven's urgent command. The room emptied in a matter of seconds.
Raven placed her hand on the military-use message stone located inside the cabin with a troubled look on her face. "Nia Rafdonia. This is Arua Raven, Vice Captain of the Third Magic Corps. I have been delayed in securing a retreat route for the troops and have just returned. Please update me on the present situation."
"Nia Rafdonia. This is Eltora Tercerion, Chief of Staff of the Third Corps. I was worried when I heard you had gone to stop Blood Knight, but I'm glad you've returned safely."
"...Please excuse me, but how come the chief of staff is at the other end of this transmission instead of the commander?"
"Because in times of war, I am the second in command and take over in the absence of the highest commanding authority."
"Absence... Sir?"
"Count Ramleonde was killed in battle. After he gave the order to gather all units, he was ambushed by a group of criminals led by the traitor Ricardo Lüchenprague while on the move."
"That can't be..."
"The ambush ended once all troops retreated to the lake, but as we cannot be certain what might happen next, I want you to command your unit to stay in the area and be on guard until further instructions are given."
After that, they clearly and concisely shared information on the casualties and damage they knew about and the enemies that had carried out this attack.
"I think I've conveyed everything you need to know. Now it is your turn. Was it really Blood Knight?"
In response to her superior's question, Raven summarized everything that had transpired in the form of a report: how she had stayed behind to stop Blood Knight, how the enemy's reinforcements had joined the fight, how Lighthouse Keeper had been slain in battle, and that she had used Mass Teleportation to retreat. The events were concisely relayed in a few sentences, omitting all else. It wasn't simply to save time, though. If it had been, she wouldn't have had to finish her report so awkwardly.
"Lighthouse Keeper was slain, huh? This is good news. Well done. Be sure to inform Blood Spirit of the reward she'll receive for her achievements in battle."
Her superiors believed this achievement was thanks to the contributions of Blood Spirit, but the reality was entirely different. The reason no one had been harmed by the notorious Blood Knight was thanks to that man, Riehen Schuitz, and he had been the one to kill the Lighthouse Keeper in the end as well.
"Then I will end the transmission here."
Raven found herself unable to relay that, even as the conversation came to an end. No, that wasn't all.
Amelia Rainwales.
She also had not mentioned the woman who had played as active a role as Blood Spirit in the battle, even though it was obvious to her that this was the same woman from Noark she had met on Farune Island. Raven intentionally withheld information. She may not have lied, but it was undeniable that she had forsaken her duties as a soldier.
Sigh...
As someone who always dutifully fulfilled her role, Raven felt a deep remorse. But what could she do? She needed time to get her thoughts in order first.
Riehen Schuitz...
Until now, she had assumed the man who introduced himself by that name was someone whom Erwen was merely dragging around because he resembled a certain someone. Once she saw Giantization, she hoped against hope. If he wasn't just similar—if that was the reason why Erwen called him Mister—that meant that that certain someone was actually alive.
"...I don't know."
She was overwhelmed. It was hard to be sure of anything. Though it really seemed like him, she still wondered if he was just someone with a strong resemblance. There were many clear differences, too, like his height and face.
"Your... b-b-back...!"
When she touched his wound reflexively, his blood was just hot and sticky to the touch. If it was that man, his blood would have stung. Also, there was another difference.
...He's too strong.
He had a body that could block Blood Knight's aura, a unique skill that reflected magic, and on top of that, the ability to pull in enemies using wind. The Yandel she knew could not have displayed such power against such strong opponents.
But time has passed.
He might have gotten stronger from taking new essences. Even Erwen, who was a member of the Seven Powerful, had changed a lot in the past two years.
In that case...
The more she organized the numerous pieces of information she'd been bombarded with in such a short period of time, the more Raven found herself leaning toward the thought that Bjorn Yandel was alive. The decisive factor was Amelia's presence. Though she had been unable to uncover anything in the end, it was true that there had been uncertainty surrounding his death. If the person who went missing with him was alive and well, that as good as implied that he could be alive too.
If it really is Mr. Yandel, what do I do?
Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit. The palace had already officially announced that, and she knew that was the case even before the announcement. That was because she had seen Missha's expression that day.
"You said there are going to be rumors that Mr. Yandel is an evil spirit... but it won't just be a rumor, will it?"
Missha, who had the longest and deepest relationship with Yandel, did not answer her, but her wavering eyes held the truth.
Snap, snap.
Raven bit her nails for the first time in a long time. It was a habit that only came out when she felt cornered. In sharp contrast to her usual self, she could not look at this situation objectively at all. While she hoped that the man was Yandel, she also found herself hoping he wasn't.
"Well, what can I do? I have to check."
Soon, Raven made up her mind. She knew that no matter how scared she was, she could not put off and run away from something that needed doing.
***
No. 399: Cage of Silence was a trap-type Numbered Item that activated when a transportation-type ability was used within a certain radius of it.
"That woman... she's not going to leave us in here forever, is she?"
"She'll come. And probably soon."
Sigh...
As someone who always dutifully fulfilled her role, Raven felt a deep remorse. But what could she do? She needed time to get her thoughts in order first.
Riehen Schuitz...
Until now, she had assumed the man who introduced himself by that name was someone whom Erwen was merely dragging around because he resembled a certain someone. Once she saw Giantization, she hoped against hope. If he wasn't just similar—if that was the reason why Erwen called him Mister—that meant that that certain someone was actually alive.
"...I don't know."
She was overwhelmed. It was hard to be sure of anything. Though it really seemed like him, she still wondered if he was just someone with a strong resemblance. There were many clear differences, too, like his height and face.
"Your... b-b-back...!"
When she touched his wound reflexively, his blood was just hot and sticky to the touch. If it was that man, his blood would have stung. Also, there was another difference.
...He's too strong.
He had a body that could block Blood Knight's aura, a unique skill that reflected magic, and on top of that, the ability to pull in enemies using wind. The Yandel she knew could not have displayed such power against such strong opponents.
But time has passed.
He might have gotten stronger from taking new essences. Even Erwen, who was a member of the Seven Powerful, had changed a lot in the past two years.
In that case...
The more she organized the numerous pieces of information she'd been bombarded with in such a short period of time, the more Raven found herself leaning toward the thought that Bjorn Yandel was alive. The decisive factor was Amelia's presence. Though she had been unable to uncover anything in the end, it was true that there had been uncertainty surrounding his death. If the person who went missing with him was alive and well, that as good as implied that he could be alive too.
If it really is Mr. Yandel, what do I do?
Bjorn Yandel was an evil spirit. The palace had already officially announced that, and she knew that was the case even before the announcement. That was because she had seen Missha's expression that day.
"You said there are going to be rumors that Mr. Yandel is an evil spirit... but it won't just be a rumor, will it?"
Missha, who had the longest and deepest relationship with Yandel, did not answer her, but her wavering eyes held the truth.
Snap, snap.
Raven bit her nails for the first time in a long time. It was a habit that only came out when she felt cornered. In sharp contrast to her usual self, she could not look at this situation objectively at all. While she hoped that the man was Yandel, she also found herself hoping he wasn't.
"Well, what can I do? I have to check."
Soon, Raven made up her mind. She knew that no matter how scared she was, she could not put off and run away from something that needed doing.
***
No. 399: Cage of Silence was a trap-type Numbered Item that activated when a transportation-type ability was used within a certain radius of it.
"That woman... she's not going to leave us in here forever, is she?"
"She'll come. And probably soon."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because this cage won't last forever."
To be more precise, its effects lasted two hours upon activation, and the time it took to recharge was extremely long.
Besides, she can't beat us up while we're locked up.
This was Cage of Silence's biggest weakness. It was an item solely for containment. Once this item was activated, all attacks from the outside were obstructed. Therefore, most people usually used it in conjunction with a siege formation, ganging up on the target once the cage disappeared.
Tap.
The moment footsteps echoed down the hallway, the soldier in charge of guarding us saluted in that direction. "Nia Rafdonia!"
So, you're here.
"Thank you for watching over them. I have something to discuss with them. Could you give us the room? Ah, and please keep everything that happened here a secret."
"Yes ma'am!"
Raven returned after about an hour, alone. She even sent away the soldier and got rid of any potential eavesdroppers. This was a good sign, but it was still too early to relax. Raven stood in front of the steel bars and quietly stared inside at us for a while. I was the first to break the silence.
"...What are you going to do with us?"
"Are you still going to use that tone with me?"
Coming out swinging, huh? Would it be better to just reveal my identity and ask her to help us?
While I was debating this, Raven continued. "Your helmet. Take it off."
I'd already shown her my face once before anyway, so I obediently took off the helmet stained with Lighthouse Keeper's blood.
Surprisingly, there was no change in Raven's expression. "And the armor you're wearing too."
Who do you think I am? They say boys and girls shouldn't even sit next to each other after the age of seven.
"I can't give in to inappropriate sexual demands. If I were a woman, would you request such—"
"What are you talking about?" I tried to explain logically why I couldn't take off my armor, but Raven just stared at me, utterly stone-faced. She was kind of scary like that. "I haven't included anything about you yet in my reports. Or about Miss Rainwales next to you. But if you don't do as I say, that will change."
"I'll take it off."
"Your tone... it's sharper now."
It was not like I had a way out of this now. Instead of wasting my breath on replying, I took off my armor, which was wrecked in the back.
Then, for the first time, there was a shift in Raven's expression. Something stirred behind her eyes as they locked on the tattoo hidden under my armor.
Whew, it's actually a relief that it's turned out like this.
"It's been a while, Raven. What, didn't you already suspect this?"
Raven bit her lip and glared at me. "Still... I hoped I was wrong."
"Because I'm an evil spirit?"
"Yes. It would have been better to not ruin your memory..." Raven trailed off bitterly. My heart tightened.
So you can't accept that I'm an evil spirit.
"Wait! Raven, that's a misunderstanding." I quickly launched into an attempt to sway her.
"Misunderstanding?"
"Yes, I'm not an evil spirit."
"Then why are you in that state?" Glaring at me, Raven balled up her fists. "Looks like you shrank your height with an essence like Miss Ainar's Bone Knight... If you're not an evil spirit, why would you have to hide your identity?"
Yeah, I knew you would ask that.
"By the time I returned, the palace had already made that announcement. When I looked into it, it seemed fishy. That's why I'm hiding my identity for the time being."
"...I admit there were many suspicious things about that announcement. But 'time being'? And 'returned'? What does that mean?"
Okay, I think I've succeeded in arousing her curiosity.
"It's a long story. There's something called a Fragment of Records Stone—"
"Wait!" Just as I was about to explain what happened to me, Raven jumped in and interrupted me. "You don't need to explain in detail. This will be enough." With that, a familiar object appeared in Raven's hand. It was No. 7234: Misplaced Trust, an item that prohibited all lies within a radius of ten yards when activated. "You should know what this is, Mr. Yandel. It's an item I received from Mr. Parteian in Doppelganger Forest long ago. A while ago, the military had some leftover budget, so I made sure to recharge it with a few uses."
Oh my, how prepared.
Whooom!
She clicked the power button and the compass-sized disc began to move. Then Raven stared daggers at me as she asked, "Okay, tell me now. Is it really a misunderstanding?"
...It should work, right?
Even as I thought this to myself, I was quite nervous. I hadn't actually checked whether Auril Gavis's present was working properly or not. My plan had actually been to purchase Misplaced Trust or a similar item to confirm this before taking the stand to defend myself to the palace.
"Raven, it really is a misunderstanding. I'm not an evil spirit."
Well, since I can talk, I guess the present really is working...
Click.
Just then, the watch hand that had been smoothly circling the disk stopped.
"...What did you just do?"
"Uh..." When I trailed off, the hand started moving again. Was it a momentary malfunction? "I'm not sure..." I quickly doubled down on the "I don't know" method, and the hand on Misplaced Trust once again stopped with a click.
Tick, tick.
A moment later, it resumed.
"...Why is Misplaced Trust stopping every time you speak, Mr. Yandel?"
I gulped at that.
He said I wouldn't be affected by these things in the future... That damned old man. You should have told me it was going to be like this!
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because this cage won't last forever."
To be more precise, its effects lasted two hours upon activation, and the time it took to recharge was extremely long.
Besides, she can't beat us up while we're locked up.
This was Cage of Silence's biggest weakness. It was an item solely for containment. Once this item was activated, all attacks from the outside were obstructed. Therefore, most people usually used it in conjunction with a siege formation, ganging up on the target once the cage disappeared.
Tap.
The moment footsteps echoed down the hallway, the soldier in charge of guarding us saluted in that direction. "Nia Rafdonia!"
So, you're here.
"Thank you for watching over them. I have something to discuss with them. Could you give us the room? Ah, and please keep everything that happened here a secret."
"Yes ma'am!"
Raven returned after about an hour, alone. She even sent away the soldier and got rid of any potential eavesdroppers. This was a good sign, but it was still too early to relax. Raven stood in front of the steel bars and quietly stared inside at us for a while. I was the first to break the silence.
"...What are you going to do with us?"
"Are you still going to use that tone with me?"
Coming out swinging, huh? Would it be better to just reveal my identity and ask her to help us?
While I was debating this, Raven continued. "Your helmet. Take it off."
I'd already shown her my face once before anyway, so I obediently took off the helmet stained with Lighthouse Keeper's blood.
Surprisingly, there was no change in Raven's expression. "And the armor you're wearing too."
Who do you think I am? They say boys and girls shouldn't even sit next to each other after the age of seven.
"I can't give in to inappropriate sexual demands. If I were a woman, would you request such—"
"What are you talking about?" I tried to explain logically why I couldn't take off my armor, but Raven just stared at me, utterly stone-faced. She was kind of scary like that. "I haven't included anything about you yet in my reports. Or about Miss Rainwales next to you. But if you don't do as I say, that will change."
"I'll take it off."
"Your tone... it's sharper now."
It was not like I had a way out of this now. Instead of wasting my breath on replying, I took off my armor, which was wrecked in the back.
Then, for the first time, there was a shift in Raven's expression. Something stirred behind her eyes as they locked on the tattoo hidden under my armor.
Whew, it's actually a relief that it's turned out like this.
"It's been a while, Raven. What, didn't you already suspect this?"
Raven bit her lip and glared at me. "Still... I hoped I was wrong."
"Because I'm an evil spirit?"
"Yes. It would have been better to not ruin your memory..." Raven trailed off bitterly. My heart tightened.
So you can't accept that I'm an evil spirit.
"Wait! Raven, that's a misunderstanding." I quickly launched into an attempt to sway her.
"Misunderstanding?"
"Yes, I'm not an evil spirit."
"Then why are you in that state?" Glaring at me, Raven balled up her fists. "Looks like you shrank your height with an essence like Miss Ainar's Bone Knight... If you're not an evil spirit, why would you have to hide your identity?"
Yeah, I knew you would ask that.
"By the time I returned, the palace had already made that announcement. When I looked into it, it seemed fishy. That's why I'm hiding my identity for the time being."
"...I admit there were many suspicious things about that announcement. But 'time being'? And 'returned'? What does that mean?"
Okay, I think I've succeeded in arousing her curiosity.
"It's a long story. There's something called a Fragment of Records Stone—"
"Wait!" Just as I was about to explain what happened to me, Raven jumped in and interrupted me. "You don't need to explain in detail. This will be enough." With that, a familiar object appeared in Raven's hand. It was No. 7234: Misplaced Trust, an item that prohibited all lies within a radius of ten yards when activated. "You should know what this is, Mr. Yandel. It's an item I received from Mr. Parteian in Doppelganger Forest long ago. A while ago, the military had some leftover budget, so I made sure to recharge it with a few uses."
Oh my, how prepared.
Whooom!
She clicked the power button and the compass-sized disc began to move. Then Raven stared daggers at me as she asked, "Okay, tell me now. Is it really a misunderstanding?"
...It should work, right?
Even as I thought this to myself, I was quite nervous. I hadn't actually checked whether Auril Gavis's present was working properly or not. My plan had actually been to purchase Misplaced Trust or a similar item to confirm this before taking the stand to defend myself to the palace.
"Raven, it really is a misunderstanding. I'm not an evil spirit."
Well, since I can talk, I guess the present really is working...
Click.
Just then, the watch hand that had been smoothly circling the disk stopped.
"...What did you just do?"
"Uh..." When I trailed off, the hand started moving again. Was it a momentary malfunction? "I'm not sure..." I quickly doubled down on the "I don't know" method, and the hand on Misplaced Trust once again stopped with a click.
Tick, tick.
A moment later, it resumed.
"...Why is Misplaced Trust stopping every time you speak, Mr. Yandel?"
I gulped at that.
He said I wouldn't be affected by these things in the future... That damned old man. You should have told me it was going to be like this!