shade (1)
next day.
From noble mtl dot com.
The results of the interrogation have arrived from the 3rd Knights, the Argon Knights.
“First of all, the treatment of the two knights who betrayed.”
“Let me speak.”
“Once captured, both of them were permanently stripped of their knighthood, and their families were notified immediately.”
The reason is work negligence. It was natural because they did not cause direct damage to the escort target.
Well, I heard they made an excuse that they just crossed paths with the escort target, but… … Of course none of that mattered.
After all, what matters is what happened after that.
“and?”
“Killed.”
“Right.”
I smiled coldly at George’s report.
There was no need to disguise it as an accidental death. It just disappeared from the continent without the knowledge of mice or birds.
That’s what it means.
‘It must have been a useful example.’
He was dishonorably deprived of his title anyway, so no one would be looking for him.
I checked the report handed over to George and looked at him again.
“Going dark?”
“I’m trying to find out information from two bastards, but it doesn’t seem clear.”
“That means we haven’t gotten the right information yet.”
“Well, it must be similar.”
George shrugged.
In the first place, he was nothing more than a janitor, the lowest of the lowest. Since I didn’t know much, there probably wasn’t much that I could find out.
But as soon as I got up from my seat, he threw a questioning look and asked.
“What are you doing?”
“Go directly.”
“… … What can you do to go there?”
“I will find out the information.”
“… … .”
George’s fingers whirled around his temples. At the same time, the head was lowered.
If I could find out, wouldn’t I have found out right away? Probably thinks so.
Of course I didn’t care.
“Where are they now?”
“… … Well, it should be at the headquarters of the 3rd Knights in the capital.”
“Right. to guide you.”
I said that and walked to the door of the office.
At that time, George, who had his eyes fixed on me, threw a reply.
“Aren’t you going to take the child? It will be helpful for now.”
He was referring to Roel, who had woken up from a twenty-hour sleep.
At least you’ve heard their conversation up close, so it’s probably the most suitable reference.
I glanced at the guy’s face and then turned my head again.
“Not required.”
Most of the information was in my head anyway.
You just need to get the information you want.
***
Arriving at the headquarters of the Argon Knights, I went down to the basement of the headquarters under the guidance of the knights.
A place created to deal with very secret and secret things.
Unlike the dungeons of the royal palace, it was under the control of the Argon Knights.
clap-
“Your Highness, Prince 1, this way.”
A chair in the dark. And the underworld bastards wriggling on it no longer had the luxury of covering their faces with masks.
And since the faces were all exposed, I could see their expressions closely.
… … The guys were laughing at the incoming articles.
I suddenly felt curious about their actions and asked.
“What is funny?”
“Keuhehehe, what’s funny about it? It’s ridiculous to arrest people who don’t know anything and interrogate them.”
It was a brief conversation, but I could roughly understand the situation.
The man with a splint on his leg grinned.
“Besides, did I tell you? We fought back by swinging our swords from that side first, and we never intended to hurt anyone.”
“Are you claiming self-defence?”
“It’s a fact that will come out if you investigate it with magic, but now what?”
… … okay.
The guys seemed to be thinking of claiming self-defense based on the law as a way out of this situation.
One day after capture. It must have been enough time to calm down.
As expected, the guys glanced at the knights and said.
“Is it okay for the royal knights to capture people like this in the first place?”
“Right, apparently three people died this way.”
“what the! If this fact becomes known to the public, will it really be a big deal?”
Knights under direct control of the royal family who must prioritize the laws of the kingdom above anyone else.
Such people are taking issue with imprisoning people without even investigating.
But there was something they were seriously mistaken about.
“Do you think the only reason you guys got here is because of an attempted kidnapping?”
“Otherwise, what is the point of confining us to a place like this?”
“Wrong.”
“… … what?”
However, he averts his gaze without answering the question. After confirming my gaze, the knights bowed their heads and left the prison.
After confirming that they had left, I said as I took off the black leather gloves I was wearing.
“Unfortunately, what brought you guys here is not mere law or justice.”
“What do you mean?”
“just… … I guess you could explain it as a sin that bothered me.”
My lips twisted.
Further explanation was meaningless. Also, I wasn’t a good person enough to explain that.
“George.”
“Here it is.”
What George, the only one left in the prison, handed over was a sharpened dagger.
I took it and approached them.
“Tongue, what are you trying to do?!”
“Why is that… … .”
It was only then that they felt strange and started to resist, wriggling their bodies tied to the chairs.
But it was unlikely that it would be of any use.
hooked!
“Quaaagh!”
thighs at first.
The dagger that pierced it moved slowly and twisted cruelly as if piercing flesh.
But not a drop of blood was shed there.
This is because the aura that flowed through the blade blocked all the blood vessels around the thigh.
I left the man struggling violently with the pain in his thigh and looked to the side.
“Do you know where the current head of the underworld is staying?”
“That, we couldn’t know that… … It is handled extremely secretly even in the dark district… … .”
hooked!
“aaagh!”
“Hee, hee… … !”
The screams came from someone else, not from the man who answered ‘I don’t know’.
There were two holes in his thighs before he knew it.
But the corners of my mouth were still crooked.
“do not worry. After a while, I will change the questioner and ask the same question.”
“… … .”
“Of course, the responsibility for that time will be none other than the four of you.”
Chow-!
The man, who was on the verge of fainting from the pain he felt, opened his dead eyes as he looked at the holy water being sprinkled on his thighs.
And I felt the spirit that had been far away come back.
I grabbed the man’s hair and looked to the side. The face of another man, terrified.
“Where is the current head of the underworld staying?”
“That, that… … .”
“Well, it’s fine if you don’t answer. If you procrastinate, one day you will suffer the same pain.”
“… … .”
“But there is only one chance left. Answer me, where is the current head of the underworld?”
George looked at it and shuddered with disgust.
It was because he thought that the two words, first prince and torture, would never coexist.
Of course, at least it wasn’t for me who had the experience of regression.
‘It’s been a while.’
Countless battlefield experiences. Among them, I even directly tortured prisoners of the Federation Empire.
And I instinctively realized.
Human beings feel greater fear when the pain they see in others comes to themselves than when pain is inflicted on themselves.
… … The fear that comes from a reaction you haven’t experienced.
Maybe that’s why he described me as a blood-crazed warmonger.
It wasn’t common to see a king who even tortured himself without blood or tears.
However, it was an inevitable choice for more efficient interrogation and strategy. Because the war between a weak country and an empire was like that.
In order to survive from those who do not cover the means and methods, this side had to be poisoned more than that.
“You don’t seem to have any intention of answering, so let’s change the questioner.”
“Now, please wait!”
So, the final option was made.
Eventually, the man saw the dagger approaching and shouted urgently.
“Su, it’s outside the capital! I really don’t know where it is, but I do know that the underworld’s main base is at least not inside the capital!”
“Outside the capital, in which direction?”
“Maybe it’s the West! Rumors spread inside the underworld that executives come and go there!”
The guy shuddered and prayed that the blade would not come back to him.
If I wasn’t satisfied with that fragmentary answer, I’d definitely ask the next person the question again.
But fortunately, just by hearing the direction west, I was able to gather the full information.
“It must have been Lestan.”
“… … No, can you tell just by that?”
“Normally you wouldn’t.”
I shrugged and replied.
Of course, this was also an inference using the knowledge before regression.
The conviction that the main base of the “dark district” that was taking root in the capital during this time would definitely be there.
visor-!
I threw the dagger to the ground at random and came out of the prison.
Then, looking at the knights going inside to clean up, he said in a low voice.
“I got the information I needed. I will go back.”
“Then what will we do after this?”
“Nothing to ask.”
Those words were enough for George, who had already learned my character.
that.
Likewise, it was a death sentence for those who disobeyed My will.
***
A few days later, I visited the headquarters of the 3rd Knights again.
“How are you, Your Highness?”
Edward Fillir. As the leader of the Argon Knights, he greeted me with the same polite attitude as always.
Of course, there would be no meaning to the boring greetings.
I immediately sat down in the prepared seat and flicked my finger. Then George came over and handed Edward some papers.
“… … this is.”
Edward showed great curiosity. I looked at it and said calmly.
“This is information about the base of the underworld.”
“Hmm.”
Lestan.
It was particularly unusual among the territories near the capital, and it was also a place with a lot of movement of the population.
Of course, it wasn’t that the lord was great or that special products were coming out.
Just because one of the biggest guilds in Esteban was there.
“… … They must have been hiding under the influence of the mercenary guild.”
“okay.”
I nodded my head and smiled coldly.
From noble mtl dot com.
“Attempts to eradicate crimes have already happened several times in the past. However, since it was covered in the shell of a mercenary guild, it would have been natural to not be able to find the body.”
“You have perfectly exploited the loophole in the law that gives freedom to guild creation. Certainly, there would be no restrictions on activities.”
“Well, but not now.”
chuck-!
The document handed over this time was a document that showed the personal information of one person.
That face was unfamiliar even to Edward’s knowledge of many criminals.
“John Hedwig.”
“He is the current head of the underworld.”
“… … .”
Edward’s serious gaze, which had been focusing on the papers, turned to me.
It wasn’t long before he found out that there was a headquarters in Lestan, but it was natural to be surprised since he said he had already grasped the information of the head.
“… … okay. A war against the shadows, is that what Your Highness wants?”
“What do you think?”
“yes… … ?”
Edward asked back, unable to hide his surprise.
No, the answer was closer to bewilderment.
And my eyes, looking at it, sank into an abyss so deep that I could not see the end.
“I’m asking for your opinion as the head of the Argon Knights.”
Seeing the pure white silver hair in his shaking eyes, I lightly waved my hand.
darkness… … The way to deal with those necessary evil guys had already been decided, but there was only one reason for asking this once.
Unlike in the past, Edward Fillir will continue to lead the 3rd Knights. Because I wanted to test Lee’s qualities this time.
After bowing his head for a while, Edward, who had been contemplating the authenticity of my question, finally opened his mouth.
“I think… … .”