12 - The One Being Interrogated is the Expert in Interrogation
I have been told that spending one's life on revenge is futile. But that is something only a person who has a purpose in life other than revenge can say. Back then, I needed the flames of revenge in order to survive. Without them, I probably would not be where I am now.
Revenge is the only path forward left at the end of despair. By crossing the bridge of revenge, I obtained hope. No matter how blood-stained it may be, I am grateful for it now.
◇◇◇
After being brought to the royal capital, Ray was locked in a solitary cell for several days. He thought he might be executed just like that, but it seemed that this world had something like laws, so he was not killed without any defense.
Where Ray was brought was clearly an interrogation room. Doors and windows closed off by iron bars. In the center of such a room, a small desk and several chairs were lined up.
As he sat in a seat at the back of the room waiting, knights clad in armor and several people who looked like civil officials entered the room.
One of them, a knight in attire clearly different from the others, and a civil official sat in the seats in front of Ray.
"Now, how are you feeling?"
"Quite well. After all, it has been a long time since I've had a proper meal."
Even the prison food, which was like leftovers, was a feast for Ray simply because he could eat it without suffering.
"Prison food is a proper meal? Just what kind of life were you leading?"
"Isn't that why you brought me here?"
"Exactly."
"Then please begin. I said I feel well, but that is compared to before. My true feeling is that I want to rest even for a little while."
"I see... Understood. Then let us begin. Hey."
Ray thought they would move to questions immediately, but apparently that was not the case. Prompted by the knight, the civil official sitting next to him took a small, transparent sphere from his pocket.
Placing it on the desk, the civil official spoke.
"Could you place your hand on this crystal ball?"
"This is...?"
"It is a simple magic tool. If you are innocent, it will prove it. So please follow my instructions with peace of mind."
The civil official's tone was polite, but it left no room for argument. As for Ray, he was not in a position to resist even if he wanted to. He obediently placed his hand on the crystal ball as told.
Ray already had a guess as to what this was. Since it was being used for an interrogation, it was likely something like a lie detector of this world. If that were the case, things would become quite troublesome for Ray.
"Now, I will begin the questions. Your name is Kamui. Is that correct?"
They likely intended to start with a safe question, but that was convenient for Ray.
"Yes."
The moment he uttered the affirmation, the crystal ball glowed faintly.
"Hmm? Is it wrong?"
There was no doubt it was a lie detector. The question was how it reacted. If it was something that read the mind, Ray would have no way to counter it.
"Yes."
The crystal ball did not react.
"Hey, what is the meaning of this?"
The knight, who likely never expected to stumble on such a question, seemed slightly shaken.
"I do not know my name exactly. When I was rescued, I was called Kamui, so I affirmed it thinking that must be the case. But I do not know if that is my name. Therefore, if you ask if it is wrong, the answer is still 'yes'."
Ray felt a bit relieved that the crystal ball did not react. Those words were not the truth. Even so, the crystal ball did not react. It was not reading the mind completely, but merely turning slight emotional reactions into light. Ray figured that the principle was the same as the lie detectors of his original world.
"Then, what were you called in that forest?"
"You."
This was not entirely a lie. Rui had called Ray "you." In short, depending on the way he thought in his head, he could somehow manage the crystal ball's reaction.
"They didn't even call you by a name?"
"Well. Since I didn't know my name to begin with."
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"I have no memories of before I was in that forest."
(I did). He did not say this aloud. There was no reaction from the crystal ball.
"No memories?"
"Yes. I had no memory of how I entered the forest, or where I had been and what I had been doing until then. That is why I could not confidently introduce myself to the Demon Race as my real name."
He had told Kamiira his name without confidence. Even so, the crystal ball did not react. It was a magic tool that could be deceived quite easily.
"Is such a thing even possible?"
"Whether you believe it or not, it is a fact."
"Hmm. In that case, the only things I want to hear about are the events after that. You won't tell me you have no memories of that as well, I hope."
"Yes. I remember my life in the forest."
"Then I shall ask. Why were you living with the Demon Race?"
"...There was no other way. Do you think one can survive alone in that forest?"
Ray answered after a short pause. He must not give a clumsy answer while being too preoccupied with the magic tool's reaction. He had realized this from the knight's question.
"That is true. Then, how were you living among the Demon Race?"
"...It is difficult to explain. Like a general laborer, something like that."
"For example?"
"Cleaning inside the caves and such."
"I see. Why didn't the Demon Race kill you?"
The questions suddenly became risky. He thought for a moment about how to answer this, but the conclusion came quickly.
"...I don't know. I was never asked."
"Was there never a time when you were almost killed?"
"There wasn't."
"Were you ever put through terrible experiences?"
"Life itself was a terrible experience. That is what it means to live in that forest."
"Specifically."
"There is nothing to eat."
There was no reaction from the crystal ball. Ray believed that the content of his response should not have been strange.
"Hmm. I wanted to ask that as well. What did you eat to survive?"
"Fruits found in the forest."
"It's not... a lie. What is the meaning of this?"
There should be nothing edible in the forest. However, because the crystal ball did not react, the knight could not call it a lie.
"It is as I said."
"I thought there was nothing in that forest that humans could eat, but it seems that was incorrect information?"
"No, I think the information is correct."
"Hey, your answer is strange!"
"What I was eating was poison. The kind that would kill you in one go if you ate it normally."
"Then how can you be alive!?"
Eating such poison would result in death. Ray himself was saying he would die if he ate it normally. Yet in reality, Ray was alive and standing before him. The knight did not understand the meaning of Ray's answer.
"You start little by little, like licking a piece of fruit the size of a fingertip. If you continue that, your body gradually gets used to it."
"What? Is such a thing possible?"
This question was directed not at Ray, but at the civil official sitting next to him. With a slightly troubled expression, the civil official spoke.
"Theoretically, it is possible. However, the probability of it succeeding should be quite low."
"I think it is as that person says. I am only alive because I was lucky. When I first put it in my mouth, I went to the brink of death. After that, there were several times when I thought I was finished."
"I see..."
A slight look of disappointment appeared on the knight's face. If that were possible, entering the forest would become easier. Ray thought the knight must have been thinking something like that.
"What were the Demon Race doing in that forest?"
"Have you not asked the captured Demon Race?"
"...I have asked, but this is to get corroboration."
This was a lie. Rui's interrogation had not yet taken place.
"I see. As far as I know, they seemed to just be living normally. Living in hiding so as not to be found by humans. That is how I understand it."
"Indeed."
The fact that he was satisfied with such a shallow answer meant that this was not a very meaningful question. Ray braced himself, thinking the next one would be what they truly wanted to know.
"Then the next question. Why were you not made into kin?"
He had been on guard for what kind of question would come, but it was nothing major. There was little information about the Vampio race among humans. The stories of the Vampio race generally known were quite fabricated.
"It rarely happens that they make someone kin. That is what I've heard."
"Why?"
"Because there is no need. I think so, anyway?"
"But the Vampio race attacks humans—"
"Do they attack humans that frequently? How many people have been made into kin?"
"Young man, we are the ones asking the questions here."
The civil official interrupted. Because of that, Ray became certain. As expected, this man was the main target. The knight was the questioner, and the civil official probed Ray's reactions to those questions. That was the division of roles.
"I'm sorry. I have little knowledge of the outside world, so I was curious."
"I see. Could you tell me in detail the meaning of the words 'no need'?"
"Making someone kin means making them part of the clan. But the Vampio race has a fixation on blood ties. Therefore, they do not easily make people without blood ties into kin. That is the reason."
"You are well-informed."
"I asked the Demon Race similar questions. They told me properly. The reason they wouldn't make me kin."
"I see."
He could not read what the civil official was thinking from his expression. It was a far cry from the knight.
"But how do you know that I haven't been made into kin?"
"Another question from you?"
"Ah, sorry. But I don't remember being examined, so I found it strange."
"I cannot tell you that."
How to determine if someone is a demon was a classified matter. It was information that must never be leaked.
"I see. Then it can't be helped."
"You backed down easily."
"Even if I knew it, it wouldn't necessarily benefit me. Though I can't say that for sure."
"Well, that's true."
The civil official did not seem to notice the words Ray hurriedly added. It wasn't that there was no benefit. It might become a hint for rescuing Rui. However, seeing that the crystal ball did not react, it might be knowledge that is not very useful. If that were the case, it would mean the mechanism was not exactly the same as a modern lie detector. Ray tightened his resolve, which had begun to loosen slightly as the conversation continued.
"Are there other demons in that forest?"
"...There are. Or rather, there might have been."
"What does that mean?"
The civil official seemed to have stopped the division of roles. However, this was actually harder for Ray. If each of them thought of questions, he felt he might be caught off guard. He suppressed his emotional agitation as much as possible. He believed that was the trick to deceiving the crystal ball.
"There is no doubt they lived there. But they had a strange rule that they would not concern themselves at all with anything happening elsewhere. Even if some place was attacked, they would leave it alone and only think of their own safety. In that case, there is a high possibility they have already fled."
"I see, so that's how it is. A very demon-like way of thinking."
"Is that so? I couldn't understand it."
"That is because you are human. There are many points where the ways of thinking of humans and demons are incompatible."
"Am I to become human after all?"
"Eh?"
The civil official was surprised by Ray's question. It was not that Ray had said something unnecessary. Ray was an Otherworlder. He was not of the human race. In order not to lie about that, he wanted to keep it ambiguous whether he was human or not.
"No, honestly, I don't have those feelings. That is precisely why I was able to live in that place, so my feelings are complicated. Whether I became unhappy or lucky thanks to having no memories."
"You don't look like an Elf Race. A Dwarf Race, certainly not."
"Then it can only be a human. I see, I understand."
He learned something from this conversation. The determination was only whether one was a demon or not. He didn't know the method, but that was it. Just knowing that it could be done by checking for something unique to demons made things a bit better, Ray smirked inwardly.
"But it is troublesome. What do you remember, and what do you not remember?"
"I don't know about that. I had no memories regarding myself or the people I was involved with. Other than that, the language is as I am speaking now. Ah, but I didn't know the name of the country. Because of that, I don't know the criteria for what I can remember."
"Even the country's name. Then you don't know where you were born and raised?"
"I don't think it was this country."
"Why do you think so?"
"I just think so. That is all I can say."
"I see. This is problematic."
The civil official showed a bit of his true feelings. Because there was the premise that he had no memories, it was difficult to find contradictions in the answers. He might have noticed that Ray was intentionally trying to steer the conversation in that direction.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it is not something for you to apologize for. Now, then..."
"Can you enter deep into that forest alone?"
It was a question completely unrelated to the flow so far. This was why it was troublesome for Ray.
"...I wouldn't know unless I tried. No, it's impossible."
"Hmm? Which is it?"
"I think it's impossible. I thought you were worried about the food problem, but before that, I forgot about the existence of Magic Beasts. I have no means of fighting. Therefore, it's impossible."
"True. I forgot that as well. I see, you cannot fight."
"Asking such a thing... are you going to enter the forest again?"
The knight wanted to know how to live in the forest. Ray thought they were attempting something that would require a longer period than this current incident, which had taken over a month one way to reach the depths of the forest.
"Well, it's not decided yet."
"To go to such lengths. Is there something in that forest?"
"Have you heard nothing?"
"Even if you say it so vaguely. Please tell me specifically what it is."
"That... I cannot say right now."
"Then I cannot answer anything either. I lived there for a long time. There are several things I've heard."
"It's like a secret."
"That's not enough. Other demons are living in hiding. That's also a secret, if you call it one, right?"
"W-well, I suppose so. Then let us set this question aside."
The smoothness of the knight's questions from the beginning had vanished. That meant either he had run out of prepared questions, or he had only one left for the end.
"I wonder why you were not affected by the Vampio race's Charm?"
This time it was the civil official. Again, a question that completely ignored the flow.
"Who knows? I don't know. Besides, I can't say I wasn't affected at all."
"Is that so?"
"I wasn't afraid. That might also be because of the Charm, right?"
"It might be because you had no memories."
"I knew about demons. Even so, I felt no fear."
It was a fact that he knew about demons. Not as things that actually existed, but still. And there was absolutely no lie in the fact that he felt no fear.
"I see. Indeed, perhaps you were affected a little. But not as much as an ordinary person."
"I still don't know about that. The demons found it strange too. But because of that, we could live together."
"That's true. I see. You were a convenient existence for the Vampio race, then?"
"Perhaps. At the very least, a life cannot be maintained with a man who is in heat twenty-four hours a day. He would be killed immediately."
"Well, that's true. By the way—"
"Ah, may I have a moment?"
Interrupting the civil official who was about to continue questioning, Ray asked a question first.
"What is it?"
"May I change how I'm holding this? The same posture is tiring."
"...Ah, I don't mind."
With the civil official's permission, Ray released his hand from the crystal ball and lifted it with both hands.
"Ah, be careful. That is a precious object, so if you break it, you will be charged with a crime without question."
"Eh, is that so? Then I'll hold it carefully."
Saying so, Ray pulled the crystal ball close to his body as if truly cradling it.
"Hey!?"
"Is this way of holding it bad?"
The crystal ball, held with both hands, was placed between the thighs of the seated Ray.
"...I would like you to place it where I can see it."
"But it's precious, right? Placing it like this, there's no worry about it rolling away."
"Then it's pointless!?"
"Pointless? What is the point of placing it where you can see it?"
"You are undergoing an interrogation!"
"Ah, that's right. I somehow felt like we were just chatting."
"Anyway, put the crystal ball out quickly!"
"Yes. I understand."
Even so, Ray did not put it on the desk immediately.
"Hey!?"
"I know. You're really short-tempered."
Only then did he place the crystal ball he had been cradling on the desk. His hands remained resting on it.
"There. Now, please continue."
"...Uh, ah, right. Do you resent the demons?"
"Resent... honestly, I don't have those feelings. Life was hard. But if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here now. I would undoubtedly be dead."
"I see. That's a bit of a problematic statement, but I can understand the feeling."
"Is it bad? Should I hate the demons after all?"
"That's true."
"Will it be a crime?"
Ray asked if simply feeling affection for demons would be a crime. He wasn't seriously worried.
"I cannot say for sure. However, as long as there are no concrete actions, such as helping demons, you probably won't be charged with a serious crime."
"After suffering that much, and then a punishment? If that's the case, I might end up resenting you instead?"
"Haha, I suppose it can't be helped if you say that. Don't worry, at least I won't find you guilty for that."
"What about the other person?"
"I am not the one who decides the crime. But well, there is plenty of room for extenuating circumstances."
If Ray's answers were the truth. There was no need to mention this condition aloud.
"That's a relief. Well, if it's the current solitary cell life, I don't mind to some extent. Compared to the forest, it's a comfortable dwelling where I don't have to worry about food or fear Magic Beasts. Ah, or is that better? Even if I'm let out, I have no means of making a living."
"A home... I see, you have no memories."
"Yes. I'm a lonely soul with no one to rely on."
"That is problematic. And it's also problematic for the side that judges if you are innocent."
"Come to think of it, when will my disposition be decided?"
"For now, I will report the results of today's interrogation, and if there are no problems, you can go outside in a few days. If there are suspicious points, there will be additional interrogations."
The civil official's words were essentially saying that at this point, it was leaning toward innocence. Even so, Ray's heart did not leap.
As for Ray, he wanted to remain here for now. As close to Rui as possible.
"I see... in the solitary cell the whole time?"
"Well, yes."
"May I ask something?"
"What?"
"If someone of my age were to work, what would be available? A way to earn the minimum amount needed to live."
"That is... do you know something?"
"It's difficult. How old are you?"
"Who knows?"
"...Well, it's certain you haven't reached adulthood. In that case, a shopkeeper—no, a shopkeeper is impossible. The only thing that comes to mind is a server in a dining hall."
"Can I live on that?"
"...Not on that alone."
"Sleeping outdoors, then?"
"Hey! There's no way we can allow you to become a vagrant from our position."
It was not that not having a fixed address was bad. Such people did not pay taxes. That was a problem for the country, or rather, a crime.
"That's true. It can't be helped. I'll think about it once I'm out. Any other questions?"
"About the captured demon. Are you on good terms?"
"Whether we are on good terms or not. Since we lived together, we had a certain kind of relationship. By 'certain kind,' I don't mean lovers or anything, okay?"
"I know that without you telling me."
"What of it?"
"No, I was just wondering how to interrogate her. Because if I get too close, it's... you know."
The civil official's words contradicted the knight's claim that he had interrogated her, but that didn't seem to matter anymore.
"Don't tell me you want me to interrogate her? That's impossible. There's no way she'll speak honestly. I'll just be treated as a traitor."
"I see. In that case, it's that after all."
"What is 'that'?"
"Using a magic tool."
"Not this one. Then what kind?"
"...It's a bit hard to say. Well, it's a tool to bind slaves."
"Slaves!? Is there a need to go that far? I'm the one saying this, but I think the mercy would be to kill her quickly?"
Hearing the word 'slave,' Ray could no longer remain calm. Ray already had a resistance to slavery. If that were to happen to Rui...
"I think so too. Based on what you've said, she probably doesn't have much information. In that case, there is no reason to keep her alive."
"Then why?"
"The Hero... is opposing it."
"...Are you talking about making her the Hero's slave?"
His heated feelings cooled instantly. He glared at the civil official with a cold gaze.
"It's not about making her a slave. He's just opposing killing her."
"In other words, the Hero was Charmed by her. Is that really okay? The Hero's lover being a demon, that's a joke that isn't funny."
"You say harsh things. But it's as you say. It's no laughing matter. If the public found out about this, the Hero's prestige would fall to the ground."
"Then you'll kill her in secret."
He wasn't saying it seriously. Even if he said this, they couldn't kill her. Because he believed that, he could say it.
"If we do that, the Hero says he will not work as the Hero. No matter who the culprit is, he will not work for this country."
"Then why not just throw him out? The Hero is human too. If he struggles to eat, he'll obey, right?"
"How radical. But that won't work. If our country throws the Hero out, another country will undoubtedly pick him up."
The Hero was not a universal Hero of this world. He understood that the Hero worked specifically for the Laurel Kingdom.
"...I suppose so. But there might be one way."
"What is it?"
"I cannot say right now. Just as you suspect me, I do not trust you. At the very least, after my freedom is decided."
"...I see."
With those words alone, the civil official understood what Ray was implying. What Ray meant was that someone other than a person of this country should kill her. In other words, Ray would kill her. The Hero's resentment would be directed at Ray. And if the Hero were made to kill Ray, it would be resolved. The civil official thought through all of that in an instant.
And Ray knew that the civil official would think that; saying he couldn't say it now was because he wanted time to think of a means to protect himself. At worst, he didn't mind being killed, but the only thing Ray could not forgive was for it to be at the hands of the Hero.
"Well, is that about it for the conversation?"
"You're the one saying that?"
"Then, is there anything else?"
"No, that's all for today. Take him back to his original place."
"Yes, sir."
At the civil official's instruction, the knight waiting at the entrance approached Ray. Ray stood up and obediently waited. He was then led out of the interrogation room, held by both arms.
In the corridor heading toward the solitary cell.
(Dangerous. I thought it was just a reaction of light, but it really was reading the mind)
The mechanism of the crystal ball was not just showing the reaction to a question with light. At the same time, it was copying the thoughts in the head. It wasn't down to every single word, but if the spoken words and the recorded thoughts were compared later, quite detailed points could be understood.
Ray noticed this because every time he gave an answer to a question, magic flowed into him. Ray hid the crystal ball at his feet to hide the movement of magic that rewrote those records from the opponent's eyes. It was a technique that only Ray, who had received the knowledge of the demon Kamiira, could perform. In terms of knowledge of magic and the magical arts, humans were far behind demons.
(For now, I've rewritten the copied content and the magic circle. It should have worked. Even if Rui lies, there will be no reaction. The opponent's reaction was also decent. I guess I cleared it this time?)
Additionally, he had received the ability to sense people's emotions from Kamiira. And Ray originally possessed the ability to suppress his own emotions.
Setting aside combat, in interrogations and negotiations like this, Ray's abilities had become something that could be called a cheat.