Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 264

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 264 – The End of the Day and the Demon Lord’s Conversation

While Ain suffered outside, the interrogation in the dungeon continued.

“Why did Ain-sama decide to separate the prisoners onto two floors?”

“Well… it’s a common… standard interrogation tactic.”

Lili said as she approached the cell.

The dungeon on the second basement floor was blocked by a heavy door. When closed, no sound could be heard from the next room.

Opening one of the doors, Lili saw that the man inside was already awake.

“Your comrades told us their secrets. Please tell us if there are any discrepancies in the information.”

Dill nodded in agreement.

So that’s what he meant by “mean.”

“Oh, and there’s a condition. If there are any discrepancies, or if the information is insufficient, you will be sent to Baltic. So be careful.”

“What do you mean? Just because you’re sending us to Baltic…”

“The prisons in Baltic are far from civilization. They hold the worst criminals, so it’s a pretty harsh environment. Do you understand? If you’re interrogated there, they won’t hesitate to use any means necessary.”

It was easy to imagine.

It was no gentle threat, and the man in the robe shivered quietly.

It wasn’t the dark side of the country, but it was only natural that those who committed serious crimes be dealt with severely to maintain law and order and protect the people.

“It’s up to you whether you answer or not. Anyway, this is what I heard from your comrades…”

“W-wait! We don’t have much information.”

“I already heard that from the guy downstairs. Oh, and if there are any discrepancies, I’ll send you to the Baltic region, so keep that in mind.”

With that, Lili sat down in front of the man, smiling broadly.

It was a feminine gesture that made a soft, modest, and dainty sound.

“First, please tell me about your goals.”

“…W-we are trying to resurrect the great red dragon…”

“Is that all?”

“Th-That’s all! The leader is guiding us, and that’s why we’re doing this.”

Dill, who was listening nearby, was puzzled.

Was that all it took to commit such a large-scale crime?

“You’re not hiding something, are you? How could you attack the crown prince with such a weak motive?”

“Dill-san, I’ll explain later. Ain-sama has already investigated it.”

“Ain-sama…? I see. In that case, I’ll wait.”

Trusting his lord’s judgment, he took a step back and waited for an answer.

“So, can you tell me where the leader is and what he looks like?”

“The leader never shows his face to us lowly servants. I’ve heard that he travels around the continent of Ishtar.”

“Hoho, I see, I see!”

At that moment—bang!

A dagger pierced the wall of the cell with a dull sound.

Dill could confirm this, but it was a movement that a mere knight would never discern. Lili threw the dagger at the man’s ear.

“That was the first time, right? Can you repeat that?”

“H-he’s not just traveling around. He’s investigating the resurrection of the Red Dragon…”

The man’s eyes flashed with fear and confusion.

But that was the recipient’s problem, and Lili would not allow it.

She kept her eyes cold.

“That’s quite different, isn’t it? If you’re underestimating me, I can handle it myself.

Handle it. The man was filled with fear at the thought of how she would handle him.

“…I just misspoke.”

“Is that so? Then don’t make the same mistake again, okay? I might not be able to hold back.”

“Th-That’s not what we agreed!”

“No, no. We didn’t make any agreement. I said that if there were two or more misunderstandings, I’d send you to Baltic.”

As she said this, the man’s face gradually darkened.

In other words, his fate was now in her hands.

“Why were you after Ain-sama’s sword?”

“…B-because it’s necessary for the red dragon’s resurrection. That’s what the leader told us.”

“Why?”

“Because a sacrifice is necessary. It’s not a living thing, but it’s as valuable as a powerful treasure… That’s what I’ve heard.”

It sounded like a tall tale, but he seemed serious.

Dill just stared at the man suspiciously, unable to figure out the sect’s true intentions.

“Hmm, I see. Have you heard the recent rumors about the egg being found?”

“We’ve heard about it, but we don’t know if it’s true, so the higher-ups are holding back on any action.”

“That’s surprisingly wise. A little disappointing, though.”

Then, Lili slowly stood up.

“That’s enough. You can rest now.”

“W-wait! I’m going to…”

Without waiting for a response, they left the cell.

Dill and Lili looked at each other and said,

“That’s how it is. Doing it this way creates pressure, which makes discrepancies difficult to arise.”

“I see. That’s interesting.”

“However, we don’t have much information this time. The men in robes are probably just pawns.”

The low-ranking members are willing to commit suicide.

Furthermore, with so little information, they had no choice but to come to this conclusion.

“But I don’t understand. They were willing to commit suicide before, so why are they afraid of harsh interrogation now?”

“The pain they will suffer is a different matter. This is the reason.”

She said this and took out a small leather bag.

When Dill peered inside, he saw red powder.

“Is this the so-called sacred flame?”

“No, it’s not. It’s called sacred ash, and it’s said to be made from the scales of a red dragon.

It was a very valuable item.

Intrigued, Lili poured some of the powder into her palm.

“Apparently, the leader is distributing it to everyone, but it’s not red dragon scales at all.”

“…It’s fake?”

“Not just fake. It’s a drug. In ancient times, it was used to perform magic independently of consciousness and strengthen the body. Now, it’s classified as an illegal drug.”

The leader was really mean.

By using drugs and treating the men in robes like disposable pawns, he was nothing more than a criminal.

“Believing gives you power. That’s true, but it wasn’t the red dragon’s protection after all.”

“I guess so, haha…”

Though they didn’t get much information, they had made some progress. With a wry smile, Lili headed toward the next cell and spoke.

“But when Ain-sama asked the man below earlier, I could tell he was quite devout. I think the drugs are just tools used as aids. The man calling himself the leader must have some kind of charm that draws people in.”

“…That’s a hassle, isn’t it?”

“In the end, it’s people with prophetic charm who commit such crimes. This investigation might get tricky from here on out.”

The man they just interrogated said the higher-ups were a bit wary.

They weren’t stupid after all.

Their use of disposable pawns showed a certain level of intelligence.

With that, the two headed toward the third man for interrogation.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

As night fell and much of the information had been shared with Warren and the others in the royal capital, Ain swung his sword mindlessly.

No one called him, so he trained alone on the mansion’s training grounds.

He had swung his sword thousands of times when a rare visitor arrived.

“You’re going to break your arm!”

It was Arche.

As usual, she looked sleepy and dazed as she approached.

Ain stopped swinging his sword, took a deep breath, and looked at her.

“I’m fine. It’s hundreds of times better being like this than feeling sick.”

“…Hmm, I don’t really understand.”

She approached him and sat down quietly next to him.

“You and I are the same. So, let’s talk?”

What’s with this suddenness?

He looked at her with wide eyes.

“Talk… What do you mean by ‘the same’?”

“We’re both victims of that woman. Just sit down.”

“No, I mean, I’m still—”

Before he could finish, she gave him a sullen look and said in a surprisingly strong tone,

“I am the first king. You are the crown prince.”

“…Well, I guess so.”

In fact, she had become queen before Mark.

Ain sighed deeply and sat down on the ground near her.

The sky was full of stars, and the cold air didn’t bother them at all.

“Do you want me to tell you why I went berserk?”

“…That’s quite sudden.”

“But you don’t know, do you? Probably only my brother and sister know.”

Honestly, he was quite interested.

“I’ll also tell you who the strongest knight in this country’s history was.”

“Maybe he’s not exactly a knight, but isn’t it Cain-san?”

He couldn’t help but smile wryly, wondering if anyone was stronger than him.

She heard those words and shook her head.

Ain was naturally confused and froze with his mouth open.

“I think that boy was weaker than my brother. But when it came to fighting, he was stronger than anyone else.”

Her words were too abstract, yet she spoke with confidence.

“Who is ‘that boy’?”

“Mark. We used to call him Mar, but now we call him Mark. He was strong, but…”

As if recalling a memory, she smiled gently.

Her eyes were fixed on Ain, radiating a strange warmth.

“That boy had no talent with a sword either. He experienced many trials. He was also a dryad.”

Was she looking at Ain? Or was she looking at the Mark from the past?

Or was she thinking of someone else? Her eyes, which seemed to see through everything, pierced straight through Ain.

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