Holy Kingdom – Lucas

“Nothing special. I was just curious about the truth.”

“The… truth?”

“Yes.”

Rena stared blankly at Lucas nodding his head.

‘Well, she probably never imagined I’d come looking for her like this.’

Showing up unannounced and harping about the truth – this reaction was predictable.

Even Lucas himself never imagined he’d seek out someone accused of colluding with demons to treat their wounds.

“This must seem absurd, but there are several things I’m curious about.”

Lucas wiped Rena’s face with a handkerchief pulled from his pocket.

-Swish, swish.

But the blood and semen didn’t come off easily. The fluids had dried on her skin after so much time had passed.

‘They really enjoyed themselves with the first woman in a while.’

Still, after Lucas’s thorough wiping, Rena’s face became somewhat presentable.

“This should suffice for now. You understand why I can’t remove the stocks, right? I need to maintain minimum security measures. I heard about your escape attempt.”

“…Thank you. Does wanting to hear the truth mean you’re willing to believe me? But in my current condition… Huh?”

Rena wriggled her restrained hands as she noticed the change in her body’s condition.

“My strength has returned. The foreign sensation down there is gone too… Did you heal me?”

“Yes. You couldn’t have answered properly in that state earlier. And my name isn’t ‘you’ – it’s Lucas.”

Being constantly called “you” was ridiculous.

Lucas judged it acceptable to share his name under these circumstances.

“Lucas. Interrogator Lucas-nim.”

Rena repeated his name, then suddenly began shedding chicken-dropping-like tears.

“H-hic… Waaaaah!”

“Y-you’re crying?”

“Sniff… Th-thank you. Really, truly. I’d given up after being abandoned by everyone.”

This was awkward. Crying gratefully to someone who’d tortured her?

An embarrassed Lucas scratched his head.

“I appreciate your emotion, but now’s not the time for tears.”

“But hic…”

“Sigh… Do you want me to leave?”

“Hic?! N-no! Don’t go!”

At Lucas’s words, Rena’s eyes widened and she desperately tried to stop crying.

After a moment, Rena sniffled and spoke.

“Sniff… Even if I explain, it’s the same as last time. As you know, I’m accused of attempting to assassinate the Pope and colluding with demons. But this is a false accusation. No matter how much I protest, I’ve been branded a traitor and turned into this… fuck toy.”

“Hah. I suspected as much…”

As his suspicions proved increasingly correct, Lucas felt a headache coming on.

Not demons or dark mages.

The Holy Kingdom’s leader, the Pope himself, had framed a Hero Party member using an artifact.

An absurd claim upon reconsideration… but the crucial point lay elsewhere.

Rena was still maintaining her innocence to him.

“I remember what you said during the last interrogation. That His Holiness brainwashed you with an artifact to frame you. Correct?”

“Yes. I understand if you find it unbelievable. I never imagined the Pope would commit such atrocities. But it’s the truth.”

“Right. No matter how much I tortured you, you kept insisting. But why did you act differently last time?”

“Huh? Last time…”

“With the Hero. Though I apologize to the Hero, I peeked into the room out of curiosity. You confessed your crimes to him willingly, unlike how you acted with me.”

This was why Lucas had come to find Rena.

During her interrogation, her resolute eyes had momentarily shaken him.

His intuition screamed that her claims were all true.

But after meeting the Pope, he quickly dismissed such thoughts.

Due to Lucas’s deep loyalty and faith in His Holiness.

But an incident soon shook even that faith.

**

The incident occurred when Rena and Jade met again after the attempted papal assassination.

Lucas stood guard outside, eavesdropping on their conversation.

He couldn’t resist his curiosity about how Rena would behave.

‘Obviously she’ll claim innocence to the Hero too.’

Her shamelessness deserved admiration.

But Rena’s response shattered Lucas’s expectations.

-Rena. Did I-

-Yes.

-What?

-I colluded with demons.

…Did I hear wrong? She’s admitting it willingly?

Lucas barely suppressed the urge to burst into the room.

‘After begging me to believe her, now this…’

He wanted to confront Rena immediately about deceiving him.

This concerned the pride of an interrogator confident in his skills.

“Sigh…”

Closing his eyes to calm himself, Lucas reviewed the situation.

‘What’s happening here?’

Something felt off.

No matter how much he tortured her, she insisted on her innocence.

She’d seemed like a saint sacrificing herself for the world.

For such a person to suddenly change attitude…

Required an earth-shattering event or change of heart.

‘After my interrogation, the only person who spoke with Rena was… His Holiness.’

What method could make Rena change her mind?

Though the Pope was great and venerable…

Rena seemed the type who’d rather die than abandon her claims of innocence.

Among all those he’d interrogated, none had shown such conviction.

Lucas pondered what means the Pope might have used.

Persuasion? Threats?

What could it be?

Suddenly, Rena’s words flashed through his mind.

-The Pope used an artifact to manipulate me! He forced me to attack him! Please believe me! Why would I try to assassinate the Pope…

Brainwashing via artifact.

A vile method to control minds.

This could force a confession from Rena.

‘Then His Holiness really framed her…?’

-Slap!

“Have I gone mad since interrogating her? How dare I doubt His Holiness.”

Maybe I should take leave.

Slapping his cheek to focus, Lucas sighed and resumed eavesdropping.

Then witnessed a shocking scene.

-I’m sorry.

-What?

-Stab!

Rena stabbed Jade with a sword.

Lucas rushed into the room at the sudden violence.

-Crash!

“A-are you alright? The criminal just stabbed the Hero…”

The urgent situation wiped away all his previous doubts.

But the seed of suspicion remained planted in Lucas’s heart.

**

The matter concluded with Rena confessing all crimes to Jade.

Ending with the shocking conclusion that a demon spy had indeed infiltrated the Hero Party.

But Lucas couldn’t shake his lingering unease.

‘This resolution feels slightly off…’

Ultimately, Lucas chose to visit Rena personally.

Better to confirm with the source than agonize alone.

If Rena admitted colluding with demons, it would be simple.

He’d conclude she deceived him during interrogation.

Of course, Lucas would need to reflect on his arrogant overconfidence.

The problem was if Rena maintained her innocence.

That would complicate matters.

Thus Lucas prayed for the former, but reality differed.

Rena still claimed brainwashing made her act.

“If you deceived me during interrogation, you should maintain your guilt now for consistency. Yet you don’t. Explain this situation.”

Claiming innocence before him,

admitting being a spy before the Hero,

then claiming innocence again.

If Rena truly colluded with demons… this made no sense.

At Lucas’s question, Rena suddenly smiled.

“Hehe, finally…”

“Finally?”

“Finally, the Pope made a small mistake.”

Life returned to Rena’s previously dead eyes.

“You’re correct. When you left after interrogation and the Pope visited, I was thoroughly brainwashed by his artifact. I resisted but failed, becoming his puppet. But the Pope never imagined you’d suspect this situation!”

“However reluctantly… your explanation fits all circumstances.”

Objectively, believing Rena’s account seemed the rational conclusion.

“See? I told you I was innocent!”

“No. I still can’t fully trust-“

“You can’t possibly still doubt me? You’re not that foolish.”

“…”

She seemed oddly energized.

Lucas was taken aback by Rena’s reaction.

Unbelievable for someone recently gang-raped.

“I’ll tentatively believe you, so calm down. What’s your plan now?”

“Well…”

“Frankly, I’m unsure how to proceed. I can’t confront His Holiness. If he truly committed brainwashing, that wouldn’t end well.”

“…True.”

Rena’s earlier vigor instantly deflated.

“This situation is worst-case. I can’t move freely and will suffer more hardships.”

“I said I’d believe you… Are you giving up already?”

“While the Pope is the root evil, I share blame too. My foolish judgment deeply wounded Jade. Even if I explain now, I’m unsure he’ll believe me. To him, I’m the woman who betrayed his love and trust.”

Am I too late?

Lucas saw Rena’s will already badly broken.

Realistically, a mere interrogator couldn’t change much.

He understood her desire to surrender.

“If you’re truly innocent, my torture was an unforgivable mistake. If you wish, I’ll take responsibility and help you escape. Few know your face – you could start anew.”

“No need.”

Rena lifted her head, meeting Lucas’s gaze.

“I have no intention of giving up.”

“Ha, ha…”

Lucas laughed hollowly.

Those eyes.

They’d shaken him from the start.

The will to never yield before adversity.

The heart willing to sacrifice everything for justice.

Seeing all this in Rena’s eyes, only one word came to mind.

‘Hero.’

The eyes befitting the Hero who sacrificed everything to save humanity.

“Honestly, I wonder if you’re the real Hero. The Hero found a good woman.”

“Hehe, thank you. So you’ll help me? Though I’ll understand if you refuse. This won’t be easy.”

Lucas knew helping Rena could endanger himself.

He might suffer her fate or lose his life.

Opposing the Holy Kingdom’s leader meant such risks.

But Lucas was the Holy Kingdom’s interrogator.

Humanity. Truth. Justice.

He became an interrogator to pursue these ideals.

Thus he was always prepared to stake his life for justice.

“I’ll help you. I’ll stake my life on it.”