A Battle of Wits
"That was quite far from what I originally intended to say, but shall we get back to the main topic now?"
"Ahem, yes."
The lengthy, meandering conversation that had dragged on like chasing clouds finally came to an end with Serena's words, her eyes narrowed in a squint.
'Who started veering off first? And now she's acting all high and mighty.'
It was Serena who had first strayed from the point mid-conversation, and Ruby had simply chosen to follow her down that path willingly.
What she needed above all was time.
She had to buy time somehow until the secret auction house owner arrived.
"By the way, are you really all right? Is there something you absolutely must do...?"
"No, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."
But that decision was now turning into an unexpected thorn, pricking at Ruby.
To Serena, who had an exceptional talent for analyzing people's psychology and motives, Ruby's responses—slipping in agreements just right—seemed far too suspicious.
And no matter how composed her expression, there were tells she couldn't hide: the faint impatience, the occasional flicker in her eyes.
They might be subtle clues an ordinary person would miss, but in Serena's mind, they were coalescing into a single conclusion.
'...She's reading me.'
But Ruby was no pushover either.
'The head of the Moonlight family, and according to the secret auction house owner, the empire's greatest genius. And she's personally interrogating me.'
Though she'd suffered from a string of unforeseen events lately, and taken a considerable loss today as well...
'...This is fun.'
Her true nature was...
• Blessing of the Demon God / Direct Avatar Link
'This is very fun.'
She was the Demon King, who would dye the world in terror.
Even if Serena used her genius strategies and tactics to decimate the demon army, or Irina overwhelmed them with sheer firepower and burned them to ash.
Even if Perloché charged in one-on-one with her divine power and blessings, or Kania unleashed black magic vast enough to blanket the continent.
Even if Clana manifested the sun's primal power and released an immense force like the sun itself.
If she stepped forward, all of it would instantly become futile thrashing.
"Hah..."
"Miss Ruby? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Just a yawn—the night's getting deep."
That was why, though slightly flustered at first, Ruby was now thoroughly enjoying the situation.
For her, who had never suffered a scratch due to her overwhelming might and was always lost in languor and boredom...
Experiences like coughing up blood and passing out, plans failing, or being grilled by a human were pure delight.
'Good... so how do I wriggle out of this?'
But she had no intention of just enjoying it endlessly.
She already had one stack accumulated—though she didn't know who had spotted her.
If Serena saw through her identity, it would undoubtedly start disrupting her plans.
'...Attack her?'
As she pondered ways to escape with a smile, clenching and unclenching her right hand, such thoughts began to form—but...
I'll warn you. That person... you cannot attack...
"Hah."
A red warning window popped up before her eyes, and with a sigh, she activated her skill.
Goodness Value: 0
"Miss Serena, you seem to have good luck."
"...What do you mean by that?"
After staring at the info window for a long while, Ruby spoke to Serena in a low voice.
"You happened to run into me after I escaped the slave market. You didn't even know I'd come from there."
'If my Goodness Value had been just a bit lower, I'd have attacked right away.'
Internally, she licked her lips while gazing at Serena.
"Yes, you're lucky. I protected someone trembling in the alley, and it turns out they escaped the slave market."
Serena replied to Ruby in a soft, gentle voice.
"Are you perhaps a slave?"
"No, not that..."
"Then, did you go there to buy slaves?"
Sensing the hidden daggers in that gentle voice, Ruby sighed and answered.
"Do you really need to know that?"
"Yes, it's absolutely necessary. And while you're at it, tell me what happened at the slave market."
Ruby cleared her throat at Serena's demand and fell into brief thought.
'If I can't attack, I need to make her strike first.'
The 'System' that had been giving her headaches lately.
To bypass the restrictions it imposed on her, she had to either find a human with low Goodness Value or get attacked preemptively.
"All right."
After a moment's deliberation, Ruby made her decision.
"I'll tell you everything."
To shatter the 'System's' constraints that dared to bind her, she needed Serena to attack her somehow.
"Really? That's unexpected. You seem like someone with many secrets—I thought you'd hide as much as possible."
"Looking at you, it feels like I'd regret not spilling if I tried."
With that resolve, Ruby met Serena's probing gaze and began her tale.
"First off, my status is that of an insignificant slave who luckily escaped today's slave breakout."
"...Is that so?"
Gauging Serena's reaction after tossing out the fabricated identity she'd thought up on the spot, Ruby smirked inwardly.
'She knows about the slave breakout incident.'
Reading emotions and true intentions from words and expressions wasn't Serena's exclusive skill.
With her transcendent reflexes to catch muscle twitches, or deducing psychology from actions and faces—it was basic for Ruby if she bothered.
'But she's suspicious of my identity. Why?'
Having completed her inference on Serena with those abilities, Ruby wore a relaxed expression and awaited her response.
"You sure say 'escaped slave' boldly. You know I'm a noble, right?"
"I'm quick on my feet—that's my specialty. I escaped the slave market; you think I couldn't slip away from just you here?"
As Ruby replied nonchalantly, Serena asked with suspicion.
"But revealing your identity doesn't benefit you. You could've just lied convincingly."
"...I'm revealing it to sell you info—don't make me feel slighted."
Flowing naturally through Serena's barrage, Ruby cleared her throat and whispered.
"One gold per question. How about it?"
"...You're not the only source of info—doesn't seem like a great deal for me."
"A chance for perfect answers from someone who knows everything about this incident—is that really a bad deal?"
"Hmm..."
As Serena furrowed her brow slightly, Ruby pressed her advantage.
"Plus, you brought me here instead of the slave market... You're short on time or can't go there yourself, right?"
"...Heh."
Serena smiled.
"You're sharp. I like that."
"Rolling my brains to survive became a habit."
Ruby smiled back, and a gold coin flew toward her.
"First: Did all the slaves escape?"
"Yes, every single one, without exception."
As Ruby shut her mouth after answering, Serena sighed and spoke.
"That doesn't feel like one-gold info."
"...Then how should I do it?"
"Mix in info only you know, or hard-to-get details—that's what'll make me keep paying."
Ruby beamed innocently.
"Got it. Then... every single one escaped! They even took a hostage!"
"...A hostage?"
Serena reacted sharply to the word.
"Yes! That rude, spoiled noble who was buying up slaves left and right... Oh, right. Gold."
As Ruby paused, eyeing her, cracks formed in Serena's composure.
'Serena, you love Frey like crazy, don't you?'
Watching her, Ruby burst into internal laughter.
'The interim auction house owner is useful at times like this. Gave me a way to hit this sharp girl's weak spot.'
"...Here, gold."
As Ruby mulled that over, Serena hurriedly handed her a coin.
"Sorry, but... this is kinda valuable info."
"Yes?"
"The insiders probably know, but the hostage's high status means it'll likely be covered up. So one gold isn't..."
"I'll give three."
Watching Serena pull out two more coins in haste, Ruby smirked inwardly.
'As expected—no info on Frey.'
When describing the hostage earlier, she'd woven in traits of Frey as the 'Villain's Path'—and Serena had visibly wavered.
Meaning she hadn't obtained info on Frey yet.
"Thank you! Good thing I came along!"
"...Tell me everything you know about the hostage. Exactly."
Ruby's eyes sparkled as she pocketed the gold, but Serena urged coldly, fanning her mouth with composed chill.
"Hurry."
"The hostage had white hair, white eyes, and looked quite sickly."
".....!"
"Despite that, he treated slaves roughly, beat them, and bought most of the ones trying to escape—earning their hate."
Speaking seriously before Serena, evoking Frey, Ruby drove the wedge home to the frozen, fanned woman.
"Oh, and he had this weird staff..."
"...That person was taken hostage?"
Serena interjected swiftly.
"Someone I know... There must've been guards protecting him. And self-defense tools..."
'Yeah, even weakened by penalties... someone like Frey taken by slaves? She'd suspect.'
As Serena pressed with a faintly trembling voice laced with strong doubt, Ruby replied as if expecting it.
"There were people guarding him, sure—but a fox monster appeared and bit them away!"
"...F-Fox monster?"
"Yeah, that brat tried something... but the fox used weird powers, and they couldn't even fight back!"
Serena's face darkened at the words.
"Anyway, the fox joined us, so now we have that arrogant noble. Satisfied?"
"..........."
As Ruby tilted her head teasingly, Serena sank into deep silence.
"...Is there a slave leader?"
After a long quiet, Serena broke it with that question.
"Uh, there is, but... why ask suddenly?"
"I want to contact them personally. Any way to...?"
- Triiing! Triiing!
As Serena replied quickly, a signal tone suddenly rang out from somewhere.
"Ah, hold on. I need to take a call. Wait just a moment."
At that instant, Ruby shot up from her seat, rummaging in her pocket as she headed to the bathroom.
"Even a genius girl..."
Whispering so only she could hear.
"...turns into an idiot when she falls in love?"
Her face twisted in a sneer.
.
.
.
.
.
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- Screeech...!
"We've arrived. Have a good... Whoa!"
Frey, who had slipped out of the secret cabin and caught a fast carriage, tossed gold to the driver upon arrival and leaped out.
"No matter how I think about it... I can't shake the worry..."
The letter had seemed cute at first glance, but as he neared the destination, its contents nagged at him relentlessly.
"...Serena's never scribbled a letter so hastily. What's going on?"
Mulling the question he'd tossed around endlessly in the carriage, Frey hurried to the café he'd visited before.
"Wh-What?"
He froze, eyes widening round.
"...Irina?"
"........."
Right in front of the café stood Irina, clutching dozens of torn magic scrolls.
"Frey."
"Irina, why are you here...? Huh?"
Irina, who should have seen him off and returned to her dorm, tilted his head in confusion—but then...
"...What!?"
His jaw dropped as he stared ahead.
- Roar...
The café—his meeting spot with Serena—was burning.