Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Interrogation
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".....Ah."
An unfamiliar ceiling.
As my consciousness surfaced, the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes was a pure white ceiling.
Unlike the wooden ceiling of the inn where I'd been staying, this one felt impeccably clean.
'What was I doing....?'
In my strangely hazy mind, I racked my brain, trying to recall where I was and what I'd been up to.
'Right. I was fighting a necromancer in the sewers...'
I remembered defeating the bastard, but after expending too much energy, my vision blurring as I somehow dragged Ricard—who'd barely clung to life—out of the sewers blindly.
Then, staggering out into the street... I think I passed out after some citizens screamed at the sight of my blood-soaked body...
'A hospital room?'
Feeling sunlight filtering through a small window sting my eyes, I slowly opened them wider... and froze.
'Iron bars?'
The small window letting in sunlight was blocked by cold iron bars.
Sensing something off, I bolted upright, and that's when I realized where I'd woken up.
"What is this place... a prison?"
Iron bars across the window. And a tiny space enclosed by similar bars.
No matter how I looked at it, this wasn't a hospital room. I jumped off the small bed I'd been lying on and rushed to the bars.
-Clang!
"It's locked..."
I tugged at the door just in case, but of course, it was locked tight.
I frantically scanned my surroundings and patted myself down, but the clothes I was wearing weren't even the leather armor I'd had on before entering the sewers.
Just a thin prison garment, and none of my weapons in sight.
'Shit. My money...!'
To make matters worse, the hefty money pouch I'd been carrying personally—since I hadn't found anywhere secure to store it—was gone too.
"You're awake. Perfect timing."
As I paced the cramped cell, piecing together the situation, a slightly husky woman's voice echoed from the shadows, and a figure emerged.
Long golden hair reaching past her waist. High-quality armor covering her entire body. Striking blue eyes and a beautiful face.
But her expression was icy cold, mismatched with her beauty.
"E-rank adventurer Yuseong. That's you, right?"
".....Yes. That's me."
"I'm Clarice, a holy knight of the Temple of Justice."
"Temple of Justice?"
She called my name out of nowhere and introduced herself.
Hearing her affiliation, I was mildly surprised.
The five Good Gods who opposed the six Evil Gods that nearly destroyed the world.
Among them, the Temple of Justice—devoted to the Arbiter of Justice—held the greatest influence across the continent among the temples of the five Good Gods.
"I have a few questions for you."
As if that was introduction enough, Clarice finished curtly and fired off her questions in a cold, businesslike tone.
"I heard you were the first to spot the necromancer in Riville's sewers this time. Correct?"
"....Yes."
A strange pressure weighed on me, and I didn't even think to ask why I was here—I just started answering Clarice's questions.
Most of them concerned what I'd encountered in the sewers.
'Has the necromancer business come to light? Makes sense. If only two out of four people who went on that request came back covered in blood, they'd investigate.'
Guessing why a temple member was here and grilling me, I relaxed a bit and answered honestly... but then...
"Hm. So you and adventurer Ricard encountered the necromancer, fought, and defeated it. Right?"
"Yes."
"How?"
".....One of the fallen comrades, a guy named Coron, had a greatsword, and we used it to break the shield the necromancer was casting..."
When it came to my 'Duplication' ability, I hesitated slightly.
In the end, I glossed over that part and fudged the details.
"Hm."
Clarice scanned me with cold eyes, then threw another question.
"I checked your adventurer records. You only came to Riville recently. And this was your first request here."
"....That's right."
"Before that, you operated for two years in Rivillon, a small city east of Riville."
"......"
She rattled off my adventurer history, then fixed me with a chilling gaze.
"So where were you and what were you doing two years before that?"
"......"
Her question dripped with suspicion.
My breath caught the moment I heard it.
Because two years ago, I'd suddenly been dropped into this world. There were no records before that.
"....Before that, I was wandering around, discriminated against because of my black hair..."
Slightly flustered, I pulled out the prepared excuse I'd made for when people asked about my past.
It leveraged the fact that black-haired people still faced prejudice, though less than before.
"...Hm. A wanderer, huh..."
Clarice looked unconvinced, then tossed something to me abruptly.
"This is..."
"Then where'd that money come from? No E-rank adventurer could earn that much."
It was the money pouch Laila's master had given me as reward—and payment for keeping quiet about the ruins incident.
She shoved the pouch full of a fortune no E-rank could dream of and demanded its source.
"Answer me."
"....That's..."
I hesitated.
Explaining the money would naturally lead to mentioning the Evil God followers and the Black Sacred Relic in the ruins' basement.
Laila's master—a high-ranking Magic Tower member—had given me a whopping 20 gold not just for saving Laila, but explicitly to silence me about that incident.
Could I just spill it? Sure, maybe to someone from the Temple of Justice it'd be fine...
'It'd be best not to tell the temple side either, hm?'
...But what stuck with me was how Laila's master had specifically warned against mentioning it to the temple when telling me to stay quiet about the ruins and relic.
If I just admitted it came from the Magic Tower... No, that might still look suspicious—an E-rank getting that much gold.
"Not talking, huh."
But my brief deliberation looked different to Clarice. Her face grew frostier, and a chilling aura emanated from her.
'Guh.... What's this?'
The moment I felt it, my hairs stood on end—like a frog before a snake.
'Just like Karen's...!'
It matched the overwhelming presence my swordmaster Karen had shown when testing me—unyielding.
Just directed at me, it choked my breath and stiffened my muscles.
"Other suspicious activities too. You came to Riville and practically lived in the library... looking into Evil God books?"
"Guh....Kuh...!!"
With every word from Clarice, the pressure intensified, squeezing me.
The overwhelming force crushed me so hard I couldn't speak, only cough—then Clarice reached through the bars, grabbed my collar, and hoisted me up with one hand.
"Gahk...!!"
"A man with an unclear past, carrying suspicious sums of money, researching Evil Gods, then tangled in an incident with their followers..."
She listed my dubious deeds—suspicious even to me—and a pure white light began emanating from her body.
Breathing grew impossible. I thrashed, clawing at her hand gripping my collar, but she held me effortlessly without budging.
"Are you an Evil God lackey? What's your scheme?"
"...No...t... Misunder...standing..."
This wasn't the time for silence.
Laila's master or not, to survive, I tried spitting out explanations—but with my throat crushed, no sound came properly.
'Shit. Give me a second to explain...!'
Clarice's icy gaze bore down relentlessly. Beyond the collar grip, her aura crushed me; the world started tinting yellow.
"If you won't talk... I'll have to use harsher methods..."
"Wait."
As she declared it and reached for her waist, a familiar voice interrupted from somewhere, halting her.
Clarice glanced irritably toward the voice, her stoic mask cracking into surprise.
"Karen...?"
"Clarice. It was you. When they said an inquisitor from the Temple of Justice was here, I hoped..."
Black hair tied back. Revealing, precarious outfit.
Karen. My swordsmanship master.
She appeared from the passage end, speaking as if well-acquainted with Clarice.
"M-Master..."
"Master?"
When I called her that upon recognizing her, Clarice—who'd been eyeing me with contempt—faltered slightly.
"Yeah. This kid, Yuseong, is my disciple."
"You... have a disciple...?"
"Yep. So let him go. He's no Evil God follower."
"........."
Clarice glanced between Karen and me, pondering briefly.
"...No. Even if you say so, Karen..."
"Lady Clarice!!"
As she refused, a soldier in similar armor rushed in from the passage, whispering urgently into her ear.
"In investigating adventurer Yuseong, circumstances point to Magic Tower involvement..."
"...Magic Tower?"
Her face stiffened at the ominous words, and her grip on my collar loosened slightly.
Glancing troubled between me and the pouch, she finally released me.
"....Go."
She pulled a key from her pocket, unlocked the bars, and handed back the pouch.
Fearing she'd change her mind, I snatched it and ran to Karen, feeling Clarice's suspicious stare on my back.
"Master. How'd you know about this place...?"
"They came to my house investigating you. That's how I learned you were detained and came right away."
"Whoa....!!"
"Detaining an adventurer who uncovered and took down a hidden Evil God follower? Doesn't make sense. She just locked you up on her own authority."
Karen explained as she briefly met eyes with Clarice behind us.
Unable to bear Clarice's unwavering gaze, I urged Karen to hurry out.
"Master. Anyway..."
"Yeah. You did great. Let's get you home and..."
"Karen."
Clarice, still eyeing me suspiciously, shifted to Karen with a strangely pitying expression.
"....How's your body holding up?"
"........."
Karen's cheerful smile—meant to reassure me—froze momentarily.
She gave a wry smile, nodded slightly, and looked at Clarice.
"And you?"
"......."
"Yeah. Same old."
Answering her own question, Karen patted my back (actually prodding with her wooden sword tip) and led me out.
"Come on. Let's go."
"Uh.... But is it really okay to leave?"
"The one who locked you up said you can go."
She kicked my hesitating butt and dragged me outside.
'The temple?'
Realizing I'd been held in the temple, I left the building behind and followed her cautiously, noting her slightly somber air.
Once at her mansion, Karen reverted to her usual self, putting me at ease.
"Good work. I heard the gist from the guild. A necromancer, huh... Tough one. Go rest."
"....Master. Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
Unable to hold back at her considerate attitude, I asked.
She'd come all the way to the interrogation spot, so she probably knew the broad strokes...
Honestly, even I could see my records looked plenty suspicious.
Hearing that, Karen chuckled and waved it off.
"What, that's it? I can tell just by looking. You're no lackey of theirs."
"You can tell just by looking?"
"I've tangled with them plenty back in the day... And I taught you the sword. A swordsman's blade holds more than you think."
"......."
Just a few weeks.
I'd thought calling her 'master' didn't make us that close...
But Karen saw me as a true disciple.
Seeing her trust as a master built my trust in her too.
"...Master? Mind if I confess something?"
In return, I started to open up about what I'd been hiding.