Heretic Interrogation
"Now it's time to say goodbye to them."
"Wuu... Uncle Tucker's cooking was so delicious..."
"Me too... I'm suddenly getting hungry again..."
The kids must've really grown attached.
Not long after parting ways with them, we divided up the carriages and horses and set off on our own.
Mages were a rare breed on the continent, so their networks were incredibly tight-knit. And once word got out that a Tower Lord like him had been injured, the mages in their city-state would come at us with everything they had, hell-bent on killing us.
It was bullshit that they were doing this to us when we hadn't even talked it out first, but weren't the ones at the top always narrow-minded and selfish? That human ego where they blame others before themselves. They endure it when they're weak, but the moment they gain power, they swing it around like spoiled kids, only thinking of themselves.
That was human nature too.
Come to think of it, maybe that's why Lucifer's contractor saw humanity as evil?
There weren't many records left from back then, but the expedition teams sent north to explore the New World had documented plenty about why the northern continent fell. Pretty much anyone who cared to know, knew.
These days, sure, time had passed and there were people living up there, but temples and mages still refused to set foot on the North Continent.
The reason? They had the most extensive records and knew exactly what had wiped out the continent.
According to the knowledge Dantalian implanted in me, even angels descended to the mortal realm at the gods' call to fight that demon contractor—and got utterly annihilated.
A land harboring an overwhelming evil that even the gods' messengers couldn't stop. Of course the temples stayed away.
Mages didn't want to die pointless deaths against a demon contractor who wouldn't listen to reason either.
Even now, humans living on the North Continent were extremely rare worldwide. Mostly innate thrill-seekers like adventurers, vicious criminals, heretics dabbling in demon summons like Pladeus, or exiles dumped there by kingdoms.
No temples or towers meant development lagged behind other continents, naturally. Nobles and royals had no interest in pioneering dangerous unknowns—they were content maintaining their family lands.
"Actor. Where do we go?"
"Hm... Beats me. I was just thinking escape, but..."
My contract with Dantalian required ten thousand face skins, no strict deadline, but if I didn't fulfill it before my life ended, my soul—and the kids'—wouldn't be safe.
Maybe become a mercenary and rack up kills on the battlefield? Nah, too risky...
Wuuuung!
What the...? This sensation?
We'd just reached a fork in the road, heading to cross the border after parting, when the air hummed like it was vibrating for the first time. I startled at the weird feeling and scanned around, but the kids except Allen didn't notice.
Seeing me freak out, Allen spread his bat wings and shot into the sky, scouting before yelling in shock.
"Boss! Some weird light! It's coming from the fortress we were at!"
!!!
Light... vibration... that eerie sensation... And Allen spotting it meant someone had just warped to the fortress.
From Ostis's memories, I knew mana in the atmosphere ripples when magic activates. This strange vibe was definitely a warp spell firing off.
"Shit! They're already here?!"
"Boss! What do we do?"
"Fight again this time?"
"Or run?"
...
Fight? Flee? We were at a crossroads.
The fortress wasn't far. Mages could fly with Fly spells, making escape damn near impossible.
We might slip through the forest using our separated friends as bait, but...
'Bye bye, oppas~'
'See you next time~'
'We'll never forget this favor.'
...
Their fate was obvious. They wouldn't go down easy.
"Fuck... this goddamn world won't even let us live quietly!"
"Boss?"
"Everyone. Sorry, but I need a favor. Bring them back safe. I'll prep our escape."
"Got it!"
"Okay!"
"Leave it to us!"
"Alright! Estelle, web up the forest like last time—nice and thick to slow 'em down! Rina, carry the kids who can't run fast! Don't bother grabbing luggage!"
"Leave it to your big sis!"
"Got it, Boss!"
"Derek! Sick the hellhounds on the mages like before! They're the same ones from last night's raid. Got it?!"
"&#$@§..."
He nodded! Derek, still muttering like a halfwit, seemed to get it despite his dazed face.
I quickly pulled out one of my mage face skins, flipped it, and slapped it on. My bones twisted, build shifted, body turning mage-like. Unlike Ostis the lord last time, this was a regular mage, so I could hold onto "me" despite the strain.
"Boss. Whatcha doing?"
"Hm~ I'll stay here and set up a warp array. You all go fetch them safe."
"Uh... okay. But Boss, your speech sounds kinda... grandpa-ish..."
"Pfft!"
"Heehee! Pffft!~"
"Ahem~ Don't laugh when an elder speaks! Hurry and bring them back—what are you waiting for?!"
"Pffft!~ Yessir... Grandpa.. pffft!"
"Kek! Grandpa.. pfahahaha!"
"Lol... Boss... your voice.. pfft..."
...
Damn... the personality's shifting, dragging my speech along...
The face skin let me mimic everything perfectly, but copying personality and speech patterns? Ridiculous, even to me.
Dududududu!Chaaeng!
Clank! Clank!
"Halt that procession there! I am the proxy of the gods, Gloria of the Seven Virtues Knights! You will submit to a brief interrogation—cooperate!"
"W-what did we do...?"
"Knights! Why are you doing this to us?!"
"If you're innocent, there's no issue. Stay calm!"
...
"Lord Gunter. Are they really heretics? No dark mana at all."
"Ostis said there were others. Or maybe Dantalian shapeshifted into a human?"
"If that Manbianja was truly summoned... we need to confirm."
Tucker's family, Malcolm's, and the Romaani tribe—separated from Actor's group—were loading their stuff onto the horses and carriages Actor had given them when mages dropped from the sky, blocking their path. Holy knights followed on horseback, encircling them.
Suddenly facing a heretic trial. They were innocent, but temples never forgave anyone tainted by demons, even civilians. Gunter, having seen Ostis's suffering, had to investigate thoroughly just in case.
"As proxy of the gods, I ask you here under His gaze. No lies will be tolerated. Have you consorted with demons?!"
"D-demons?! We don't know anything!"
...
"Hm... No lie there. Next question. What's in your carriages?"
"Food for our group and weapons to fend off bandits."
...
"Next. Where are you headed?"
"Crossing the border to the neighboring kingdom."
"We're Romaani—wanderers of the continent."
...
The gods grant discernment of truth and lies, yet not a speck of falsehood... Did we get the wrong people?
Seven Virtues Knights. Gloria, vice-captain of the Purity Holy Knights, clad in silver armor hiding her face, pressed on with a voice like rolling jade beads.
The seven virtues of the gods. Purity followers were mostly women, excelling at purging darkness and demons. They allowed no corruption, discerning lies visually through light and shadow—perfect for heresy trials.
So far, answers pure as fresh snow. Only one question left.
"Good. Final question. Were you at the fortress atop that mountain yesterday?"
...
"Answer! Lie, and you'll not be forgiven!"
"...Yes. We stayed there one night."
"Then. Do you recall last night's massacre there?"
...
"Answer honestly! Lies won't be forgiven!"
"...We know of it."
"Paladin Gloria! It's them! They—Ostis..."
"Quiet, Gunter! This is a sacred trial under the gods' name! I'm questioning them!"
...
"Did you kill the mages there last night?"
"Not us! How could we?!"
"Not you... Then you were with heretics?"
"Heretics?! Those kids saved us from the slave market! Besides, the mages struck first..."
"Seven Virtues. Sisters of Purity, hear me! They know the heretics! In the gods' name, purify their souls!"
Chaeng! Chaeng! Chaeng!
!!!
Anyone linked to heretics was purged without mercy—that was the creed drilled into temple holy knights. Swords drawn, they advanced on Actor's separated allies.
Cornered as heretics facing death. Fanatics plugging their ears, single-minded in purging evil. Despair gripped the people.
They'd just regained freedom for a new start—never dreamed they'd die as heretics here.
"The gods love you, so we purify you to His embrace!"
"Please! Spare us!"
"We did nothing wrong!"
"Waaah~ Mommyyy~!"
"All units! Execute in the gods' name!"
Whiiiiiing!
Kwaaang!
Aaaargh!!
"What the—?!"
A house-sized boulder smashed into the knights from behind at terrifying speed, crushing them gruesomely as they moved to execute.
Gloria whipped around in shock—just as another rock hurtled at her. Calmly, she sliced it top-to-bottom with an overhead strike, cleaving it in two.
Shwick!Craaaack!
Thud! Boom!
"Where the hell are these rocks coming from?"
Krunch!
"Gaaah!"
"Guhk!"
"This?! Fell Hounds?! Sisters! Evil demons nearby! Fight the darkness!"
Right after Gloria split the boulder, shadow hounds erupted at the mages' feet, mauling them. Recognizing them instantly, she channeled holy power to repel the Fell Hounds.
"Wanna heat things up?~♪"
"Yeah! Bad ladies need a spanking!"
!!!
Fwoooosh!!
Shhhhhriek!!
Mischievous kids' voices echoed nearby as flame and ice storms crashed like waves of death from both flanks.