Chapter 362: Interrogation (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 362: Interrogation (4)
Arua Raven turned back around. Even after she took her eyes off him, she could still feel the man's lonely, pitiful gaze on her shoulders. It felt like a blade was digging into her chest.
Why is he looking at me like that? I'm the one who was betrayed...
Evil spirits deceived the entire world. That was what she had been taught from a young age, and what she'd heard from countless stories growing up.
You saved me because I was in danger? That's not possible...
Raven shook her head, but it took more effort than it should have. Ignoring the way her heart protested, she tried to drill this into her skull: he was simply saying what she wanted to hear. He had to have some sort of angle. She couldn't be fooled by this. With that in mind, she began to take heavy steps forward.
Trudge.
With each step she took, however, memories of going on expeditions with him flashed through her mind. It started with their first meeting in the Bloody Citadel.
"What the hell is that?! Why is there a Vampire here?"
"You better run instead of whining, dwarf."
A Vampire had appeared as the guardian of the first floor's rift. The man naturally took charge of their group and threw himself into battle before ultimately achieving victory.
The holy water he used toward the end... he only knew about that because he's an evil spirit.
Ultimately, that was how it was. Behind every precious memory, she found moments where she was deceived and fooled. How stupid and easy she must have seemed.
Trudge.
Of course, when all was said and done, she had ended up owing her life to that man in the Bloody Citadel. However, Raven assessed the situation rationally.
That doesn't mean he sacrificed himself to save us.
If he hadn't done what he did, he would have died too. That was why that man had risked his life in that fight.
Trudge.
The next scene that came to mind was the time they were trapped in the first floor's Crystal Cave. The knights and large clans had discarded them like a bad hand and escaped through a portal, leaving them in dire straits. That was the same day that man became known as a hero in the city.
"Then what do you want me to do?!"
"I repeat! Everyone stop!"
The man had been resolute almost to a fault, and in response, adventurers who had been pointing swords at each other joined forces. Then progress began.
"Fuck, this is driving me up the wall."
"I-I can't go any farther. I'm sorry."
While warriors who must have crossed the boundary between life and death countless times before faltered and lost their courage, that man continued forward.
"Behel-ahhh!"
That man took on the most dangerous role and fought more desperately than anyone else. However, Raven made a call.
That... was also to save himself... That's all there is to it...
She took a step. Each step took her farther away from the steel bars. The things that she had experienced with the man inside, big and small, and all the help she had received from him flashed through her mind. And each time they did, Raven thought to herself:
That wasn't even that difficult... He didn't risk his life that time... I gave him at least as much help in return.
Most were things she could gloss over with thoughts like that, but...
"Did you...come all this way for me? Through that fire?"
"I was on a walk."
What happened on the day the imperial capital was set on fire...
"W-What are you doing? You're not thinking of lifting this whole boat...?"
"Ahhhhhh!"
He sent everyone away from Farune Island and stayed behind to fight the enemy.
"Your... b-b-back...!"
Even the way he blocked the spell flying toward her with his body...
That... was for his own good...?
Raven soon found that no matter how hard she tried to deny it, it was increasingly difficult to do so.
There's... no way...
Although she had been in life-threatening danger at the time, she could still clearly remember it. That man, even as he writhed in pain so intense that the veins on his neck were sticking out, had endured it all while hugging her carefully so as not to crush her. There was no point in lying to herself any longer.
"Raven, it was because you were in danger. That's why I saved you."
Though she tried to refute it several times, he had been speaking the undeniable truth.
***
Creak.
The door on the other end of the hallway beyond the steel bars closed.
"She's gone."
"Yes..."
Eventually, Raven left. I now had to abandon the hope that she would come back and open this cage.
"Evil spirit."
Huh?
When I glanced to the side, I found Erwen. Her head was lowered and all I could see were her eyes, which were locked on mine. "...You were an evil spirit?"
Yeah, I was wondering why you were quiet.
Like I thought, she was shocked by this news. And it made sense that she'd be angry. She probably assumed I didn't tell her because I couldn't trust her.
"Erwen, calm down. I'll explain—"
"This woman knew already. So I was the only one who didn't know."
"About that, I—"
"I told you I didn't care. I told you...! But why did you deceive me? Because you couldn't trust me? What will it take for you to trust me?"
I think this is the first time I've ever seen her this mad...
I glanced at Amelia for help, but she just shrugged and avoided my eyes.
Are you trying to say this is karma and that I have to deal with it myself? But on the bright side... she really doesn't seem to care that I'm an evil spirit.
Was it because she just saw Raven leave with her own eyes, unable to accept the fact that I was an evil spirit? While on the one hand, I was left lightheaded by all the murderous intent Erwen was radiating, on the other, I was relieved and grateful.
Well, this and that are two separate things, though. How can I calm her down?
I didn't have to think for long.
That wasn't even that difficult... He didn't risk his life that time... I gave him at least as much help in return.
Most were things she could gloss over with thoughts like that, but...
"Did you...come all this way for me? Through that fire?"
"I was on a walk."
What happened on the day the imperial capital was set on fire...
"W-What are you doing? You're not thinking of lifting this whole boat...?"
"Ahhhhhh!"
He sent everyone away from Farune Island and stayed behind to fight the enemy.
"Your... b-b-back...!"
Even the way he blocked the spell flying toward her with his body...
That... was for his own good...?
Raven soon found that no matter how hard she tried to deny it, it was increasingly difficult to do so.
There's... no way...
Although she had been in life-threatening danger at the time, she could still clearly remember it. That man, even as he writhed in pain so intense that the veins on his neck were sticking out, had endured it all while hugging her carefully so as not to crush her. There was no point in lying to herself any longer.
"Raven, it was because you were in danger. That's why I saved you."
Though she tried to refute it several times, he had been speaking the undeniable truth.
***
Creak.
The door on the other end of the hallway beyond the steel bars closed.
"She's gone."
"Yes..."
Eventually, Raven left. I now had to abandon the hope that she would come back and open this cage.
"Evil spirit."
Huh?
When I glanced to the side, I found Erwen. Her head was lowered and all I could see were her eyes, which were locked on mine. "...You were an evil spirit?"
Yeah, I was wondering why you were quiet.
Like I thought, she was shocked by this news. And it made sense that she'd be angry. She probably assumed I didn't tell her because I couldn't trust her.
"Erwen, calm down. I'll explain—"
"This woman knew already. So I was the only one who didn't know."
"About that, I—"
"I told you I didn't care. I told you...! But why did you deceive me? Because you couldn't trust me? What will it take for you to trust me?"
I think this is the first time I've ever seen her this mad...
I glanced at Amelia for help, but she just shrugged and avoided my eyes.
Are you trying to say this is karma and that I have to deal with it myself? But on the bright side... she really doesn't seem to care that I'm an evil spirit.
Was it because she just saw Raven leave with her own eyes, unable to accept the fact that I was an evil spirit? While on the one hand, I was left lightheaded by all the murderous intent Erwen was radiating, on the other, I was relieved and grateful.
Well, this and that are two separate things, though. How can I calm her down?
I didn't have to think for long.
"And Raven, what about her?! You h-hid it so thoroughly from me, but just because that woman was in d-danger—! Protecting her at the cost of your identity is—!"
Tap.
Before Erwen could seethe even harder, I snatched her wrist out of the air. "Erwen, I would have done the same if you were the one in danger." Every word I spoke was sincere. I definitely would have done the same for Erwen.
But was that hard for her to believe? "L-Liar... Y-You didn't even tell me in advance... Y-You think she's more trustworthy than me."
"What...? Why on earth would you think that?"
"Because... I-I'm like this... Because I only took those kinds of essences... I'm treated like someone unhinged..."
Huh. I didn't know you were thinking thoughts like that about yourself.
It looked like Erwen had secretly been feeling a lot of shame about her condition. "Erwen, that's not true."
"Then... why did you only hide it from me...?"
Jeez, that's why I told you I would explain.
I sighed inwardly.
"Because he wanted to protect you." For some reason, the answer came out of Amelia's mouth, not mine. "That's reasonable, isn't it?"
What was this girl talking about? I ignored her and studied Erwen, who paused as she took that in.
"...Uh, huh?" Her shoulders jerked and began to shake after a beat. "M-M-Me?"
Okay, it sounds like she's calmed down a bit...
Just in case she had misunderstood something, I quickly jumped in to explain. "You saw it too. Raven interrogated Amelia."
Even if I had Auril Gavis's gift, I couldn't prevent truth magic from being used against other people. That was why I wanted to keep the number of people in on my secret as small as possible. Of course, this decision was also to my advantage, but it wasn't made solely for my own benefit.
"I wanted to give you an out if there ever came a time when you got into trouble because I'm an evil spirit. If you didn't know, you would just be seen as a victim. But if you knew and still helped me, you would be treated as an accomplice."
"Th-then it's because you care about me more than Rainwales...? S-Since you kept it from me on purpose. To... protect me..."
"Uh..." My eyes naturally shifted to Amelia. She chuckled in a way that seemed to ask what I was stressing about, then nodded.
I think she's telling me not to worry about her and to take care of this first... Whew, she's so trustworthy.
"Yes, that's why I kept it from you."
"I-I knew it!" When I agreed with her, Erwen was overjoyed and balled up her fists. Then she looked toward Amelia, her shoulders straight and the corners of her mouth curled up.
"...This is a bit annoying," said Amelia, frowning.
Erwen didn't pay her any mind and turned her attention back to me. "Mister, I'm grateful, but... don't do that again. There's no way I would want to leave you to fend for yourself." Erwen glared beyond the bars in the direction Raven left. "I'm different from that woman, who knows no shame even after you saved her life multiple times."
Uh, are you...?
"So, just trust me! Okay?"
"Yes..."
Once that was just about sorted, Amelia stepped in and changed the subject. "Anyway, what are you going to do now?"
Oh, that... I should start getting ready.
"Let's pack our stuff first."
"Stuff?"
"We can't leave the equipment behind."
I crouched over the items I looted from Lighthouse Keeper. Gathering the equipment on his stretched-out robe, I wrapped it up like a bundle, then tied it around my neck tightly—Barbarian Peddler Mode. I'd carry it around like this for now and then put it in sub-space when I had the chance.
"If you've got everything, tell me now: what are you going to do? I'm sure you have something planned." Since Amelia was asking again, I shared the Plan B I had been cooking up in my head.
Then, I waited patiently until the time came. A long while later, the doorknob at the end of the hall started turning, before slowly opening with a creak.
Rattle. Tap.
Raven once again appeared—without anyone accompanying her.
"She's alone," said Amelia.
"What is she planning? She must have reported it to her superiors by now."
Amelia and Erwen stared out of the cage, clutching their weapons as if on guard. At that, Raven flinched and stopped.
"Why are you alone?"
"To check something," Raven responded quietly.
The exchange was held from a distance of twenty-three feet. Perhaps it was because of the way our voices echoed in the hallway, but every inch between us felt wider than ever.
"Check what?"
Raven did not answer me. She just kept walking and closed the distance. The closer Raven got to the bars, the more I could see her expression without darkness obstructing it. She was wearing a complicated look, one that could not be summed up in just one emotion. But one thing was obvious just at a glance.
"...You didn't report me?" I asked, and Raven once again answered with silence.
Step, step.
Her feet continued without pause, and it didn't take long until the only thing between us was the steel bars. Raven stared at me through them with her clear blue eyes, and I looked back at her without a word. I wasn't sure how much time passed before—
Clunk.
Raven wordlessly took the keys out of her pocket. What kind of change of heart had she had? Earlier, the walls around her heart had been so high up that nothing I said was working.
Could this be... an attempt to trick us?
That was plausible. Our combat power would have been included in her report. Since it would be troublesome to turn us into enemies while on the boat, she may have been pretending to help us for now, only to arrest us later in the city.
"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" I asked bluntly. "Like you said earlier, what you're about to do now will betray everyone who placed their trust in you."
As I spoke, I focused on Raven's eyes. I was convinced her poor acting skills would tell me whether she was telling the truth or not, but Raven only chuckled.
"Why are you laughing...?" It didn't sound like mockery. Rather, the laugh felt more self-deprecating, more tinged with sadness. But why would that be?
"It's just, this reminds me of earlier."
Huh?
"If I didn't know you were an evil spirit, you wouldn't have even asked that."
"Ah..." For a moment, I was rendered speechless. It seemed Raven had made her decision before she even came down here because there was no hesitation in her movements.
Slide.
The key slid into the lock and turned. The steel bars between Raven and me shone in the torchlight and reflected our images like mirrors. For some reason, I felt flustered. To be honest, I had thought I was done for, which was why I thought up Plan B.
"...My answer is the same as yours. If you stay here, you'll be in danger, Mr. Yandel. I've decided to help you for now, not caring about what happens afterward. So..." The key finished turning with a click. "Come out quickly. I need to hear what you plan to do next, too."
The tightly closed door had opened.
"And Raven, what about her?! You h-hid it so thoroughly from me, but just because that woman was in d-danger—! Protecting her at the cost of your identity is—!"
Tap.
Before Erwen could seethe even harder, I snatched her wrist out of the air. "Erwen, I would have done the same if you were the one in danger." Every word I spoke was sincere. I definitely would have done the same for Erwen.
But was that hard for her to believe? "L-Liar... Y-You didn't even tell me in advance... Y-You think she's more trustworthy than me."
"What...? Why on earth would you think that?"
"Because... I-I'm like this... Because I only took those kinds of essences... I'm treated like someone unhinged..."
Huh. I didn't know you were thinking thoughts like that about yourself.
It looked like Erwen had secretly been feeling a lot of shame about her condition. "Erwen, that's not true."
"Then... why did you only hide it from me...?"
Jeez, that's why I told you I would explain.
I sighed inwardly.
"Because he wanted to protect you." For some reason, the answer came out of Amelia's mouth, not mine. "That's reasonable, isn't it?"
What was this girl talking about? I ignored her and studied Erwen, who paused as she took that in.
"...Uh, huh?" Her shoulders jerked and began to shake after a beat. "M-M-Me?"
Okay, it sounds like she's calmed down a bit...
Just in case she had misunderstood something, I quickly jumped in to explain. "You saw it too. Raven interrogated Amelia."
Even if I had Auril Gavis's gift, I couldn't prevent truth magic from being used against other people. That was why I wanted to keep the number of people in on my secret as small as possible. Of course, this decision was also to my advantage, but it wasn't made solely for my own benefit.
"I wanted to give you an out if there ever came a time when you got into trouble because I'm an evil spirit. If you didn't know, you would just be seen as a victim. But if you knew and still helped me, you would be treated as an accomplice."
"Th-then it's because you care about me more than Rainwales...? S-Since you kept it from me on purpose. To... protect me..."
"Uh..." My eyes naturally shifted to Amelia. She chuckled in a way that seemed to ask what I was stressing about, then nodded.
I think she's telling me not to worry about her and to take care of this first... Whew, she's so trustworthy.
"Yes, that's why I kept it from you."
"I-I knew it!" When I agreed with her, Erwen was overjoyed and balled up her fists. Then she looked toward Amelia, her shoulders straight and the corners of her mouth curled up.
"...This is a bit annoying," said Amelia, frowning.
Erwen didn't pay her any mind and turned her attention back to me. "Mister, I'm grateful, but... don't do that again. There's no way I would want to leave you to fend for yourself." Erwen glared beyond the bars in the direction Raven left. "I'm different from that woman, who knows no shame even after you saved her life multiple times."
Uh, are you...?
"So, just trust me! Okay?"
"Yes..."
Once that was just about sorted, Amelia stepped in and changed the subject. "Anyway, what are you going to do now?"
Oh, that... I should start getting ready.
"Let's pack our stuff first."
"Stuff?"
"We can't leave the equipment behind."
I crouched over the items I looted from Lighthouse Keeper. Gathering the equipment on his stretched-out robe, I wrapped it up like a bundle, then tied it around my neck tightly—Barbarian Peddler Mode. I'd carry it around like this for now and then put it in sub-space when I had the chance.
"If you've got everything, tell me now: what are you going to do? I'm sure you have something planned." Since Amelia was asking again, I shared the Plan B I had been cooking up in my head.
Then, I waited patiently until the time came. A long while later, the doorknob at the end of the hall started turning, before slowly opening with a creak.
Rattle. Tap.
Raven once again appeared—without anyone accompanying her.
"She's alone," said Amelia.
"What is she planning? She must have reported it to her superiors by now."
Amelia and Erwen stared out of the cage, clutching their weapons as if on guard. At that, Raven flinched and stopped.
"Why are you alone?"
"To check something," Raven responded quietly.
The exchange was held from a distance of twenty-three feet. Perhaps it was because of the way our voices echoed in the hallway, but every inch between us felt wider than ever.
"Check what?"
Raven did not answer me. She just kept walking and closed the distance. The closer Raven got to the bars, the more I could see her expression without darkness obstructing it. She was wearing a complicated look, one that could not be summed up in just one emotion. But one thing was obvious just at a glance.
"...You didn't report me?" I asked, and Raven once again answered with silence.
Step, step.
Her feet continued without pause, and it didn't take long until the only thing between us was the steel bars. Raven stared at me through them with her clear blue eyes, and I looked back at her without a word. I wasn't sure how much time passed before—
Clunk.
Raven wordlessly took the keys out of her pocket. What kind of change of heart had she had? Earlier, the walls around her heart had been so high up that nothing I said was working.
Could this be... an attempt to trick us?
That was plausible. Our combat power would have been included in her report. Since it would be troublesome to turn us into enemies while on the boat, she may have been pretending to help us for now, only to arrest us later in the city.
"Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" I asked bluntly. "Like you said earlier, what you're about to do now will betray everyone who placed their trust in you."
As I spoke, I focused on Raven's eyes. I was convinced her poor acting skills would tell me whether she was telling the truth or not, but Raven only chuckled.
"Why are you laughing...?" It didn't sound like mockery. Rather, the laugh felt more self-deprecating, more tinged with sadness. But why would that be?
"It's just, this reminds me of earlier."
Huh?
"If I didn't know you were an evil spirit, you wouldn't have even asked that."
"Ah..." For a moment, I was rendered speechless. It seemed Raven had made her decision before she even came down here because there was no hesitation in her movements.
Slide.
The key slid into the lock and turned. The steel bars between Raven and me shone in the torchlight and reflected our images like mirrors. For some reason, I felt flustered. To be honest, I had thought I was done for, which was why I thought up Plan B.
"...My answer is the same as yours. If you stay here, you'll be in danger, Mr. Yandel. I've decided to help you for now, not caring about what happens afterward. So..." The key finished turning with a click. "Come out quickly. I need to hear what you plan to do next, too."
The tightly closed door had opened.