episode_0049

Following the extremely unfriendly directions, we arrived at a dilapidated cathedral.

“Kuhuhu, welcome. After all, I have to break the curse~?”

Cheshire at the entrance of the cathedral welcomed me.

“So what should we do here?”

“Let’s go inside first~.”

I followed Cheshire into the cathedral.

The game preparations were already completed inside.

“Last time it was a woman, this time it’s a man.”

Seven men of all kinds were tied to a cross, dressed as priests.

Although their mouths were not restrained, everyone was quietly rolling their eyes as if they were watching Cheshire.

“Welcome to the second act, Zeke~.”

Cheshire continued walking among the seven men.

“There are seven archbishops here. Among them, there is hidden a foolish archbishop who was possessed by a witch and imprisoned a pure white wizard.”

Cheseo takes out a key from his pocket and shows it.

“This is the key to the prison where the pure white wizard is imprisoned. But oh my~.”

The key in Cheshire’s hand disappeared in an instant.

“The archbishop, possessed by a witch, swallowed the key~. What should I do with this? To save the pure white wizard, we have to find out who the archbishop swallowed the key~?”

Cheshire giggles with an evil smile.

“The goal of this act is to find the key in the Archbishop’s stomach!”

“What, it’s similar to ‘Find the White Rabbit’. Is this act really called ‘Find the Archbishop’?”

“Ding~! The idea was good, but it was wrong.”

Cheshire playfully makes an X with his hands.

“The name of this act is ‘Inquisition’. I’m sure Zeke can find the heretic fairly, kuhuhu~.”

Every time I do something, if it’s Zeke, if it’s Zeke.

This is really shitty ramen.

“Now, here. Preparation for this act.”

What Cheshire handed over was a revolver loaded with only one razor blade and one round.

“What is this revolver? Show mercy is this?”

“Umm~ It’s up to me how to use it~.”

Swallowed… No, the key that Cheshire teleported is in the Archbishop’s stomach.

To take it out, of course, you have to manually cut its stomach with this small razor blade.

I know because I’ve experienced something similar, and it hurts terribly.

To the point where it would be better to die.

In that sense, this one bullet can be seen as a small mercy that sends someone to the netherworld with minimal pain.

What if I used that one shot and got it wrong?

That’s none of Cheshire’s business.

“What is the hint to find the Archbishop?”

“Nothing~!”

“No?”

“Just somehow find the key and that’s it.”

“Ha, that’s why I didn’t cover my mouth.”

Whether it’s through appeasement, interrogation, or torture, you have to figure it out.

“Kuhu. Okay then. From now on, the Inquisition begins~.”

With the sound of Cheshire applause, the seven men each started talking.

“Please save me, please save me!”

“That guy swallowed the key! You know it when you see the ship!”

“Not me! I said no!”

“Ah, Holy Mother, please look down on me.”

“Why, why am I like this… .”

“I saw it. I saw where the key went… .”

“Fuck, I don’t want to die. I can’t die like this!”

Archbishops who talk arbitrarily.

‘It’s so fucking loud.’

All of these idiots were so excited that they were busy barking at each other.

Seeing that no one was calmly assessing the situation and trying to persuade me, my intelligence was at the level of an asshole.

Empty!

I hit the wall with the handle of the gun to attract the attention of the bastards.

“Now, focus. Focus you bastards. You guys are just assholes here. All you have to do is listen carefully to what I say and only answer what I ask. Do you understand?”

The clueless bastards just exchanged glances with each other, but no one answered.

“You’re not answering?”

Only then did the bastards, one by one, begin to answer that they understood.

“I am a former criminal investigation investigator. He was an ace among aces, capable enough to have the highest arrest rate in an investigation bureau overflowing with elites. I mean, I can immediately figure out the lies of sloppy bastards like you in just a few conversations.”

Before establishing the Pixie Management Bureau, I worked at the Investigation Bureau to build my reputation and catch heroines in advance.

Thanks to his retry ability, he quickly became the ace of the investigation bureau, and was a promising talent who could even become a high-ranking official in the future.

Of course, that wasn’t important to me, so I ran out to establish the Pixie Management Bureau.

For your information, Mariela is also from the Investigation Bureau, and I scouted her for the Pixie Management Bureau.

I walked through them and gave each one a number.

“You are number 1. You are number 2, and in that order, number 3 and number 4. Until the last 7 times. If you don’t answer in time when your number is called, they will search you. Now, number 1.”

“…Woof!”

What kind of idiot are you?

Do you answer like a real dog?

I like it.

“Did you swallow the key?”

“Oh, no. I’m not really.”

“Okay. Next.”

I moved to my seat and stood in front of number 2.

“Number 2.”

“Woong… .”

The first guy answered ‘bruise’, so I looked at him the second time and answered ‘bruise’ as well.

They all seemed quite serious as their lives were at stake, but it was even funnier to see them acting so seriously.

In an effort to maintain a solemn demeanor, I desperately suppressed my laughter and asked the same question.

“Did you swallow the key?”

“Well, I… Oh, no. Really, really not… Please, save me… .”

“Okay. Next.”

I talked to all of them from 1 to 7.

We continued to ask questions that were a clever mix of undeniable truth and lies, and based on the responses, we tried to infer whether the first question was true or false.

“Hmm… I think I understand.”

When I made full use of my abilities as an ace investigator,

I know you have no fucking idea.

‘There’s a possibility that the lie detector test is wrong, so how do I know?’

It is impossible to judge truth or lies with just a short conversation.

Plus, these bastards are so fucking nervous that they don’t react normally.

‘Ha, it’s so annoying.’

Suddenly a hit came.

Why should I talk to these assholes?

All you have to do is just take a picture.

Of course, there’s an 80% chance that you’re wrong, but that’s none of my business.

“Number 5!”

“Oh, wow… .”

“You swallowed the key.”

“What, what!? Oh no! I said no!”

“No, it’s you.”

When I ignorantly pointed out the culprit, the other bastards started whispering.

“zu, do you have any proof!? Do you have any proof?”

“…The bastard talks back?”

Clap–

The muzzle of the gun was pointed at Number 5’s forehead.

“Ah, ah… no! I said no!”

“Is there any evidence that says no?”

“Where is that? There’s no proof that I’m right!”

“As a former ace investigator, I pointed out you, but is there any more accurate evidence than this?”

“Unreasonable, purely unreasonable! Please save me… I said no..!”

I think the word I hear the most in this wonderland is ‘please’.

“… .”

“Hmm?”

When I followed the voice and turned to the side, I saw Number 6 looking at me with a murderous look in his eyes.

“It’s him! He has the key! Look at my stomach, it’s more bloated than before!”

Number 6 had a quite belligerent personality when we talked to him earlier.

Maybe that’s why he started to actively push to kill number 5.

I helped out with this 4 times.

“I heard you were possessed by a witch? Even if you just look at it, it looks like you’re revealing a woman! That guy is the criminal!”

The other assholes agreed with them.

“De, I think so after hearing it.”

“That’s right, that guy probably swallowed the key.”

“Oh, that’s right! That’s right!”

Number 5 protested desperately.

“Not me! No! My stomach is clean! There is no such thing as a key!”

“You only know that when you see it! If you are proud, you will be afraid!”

“Fuck it, then you’re behind! I don’t want to die!”

“Shut up! This problem will be solved if you die!”

Number 6 ignored Number 5’s protest, saying that if they were honest, they were second to none, and then forced them to make a one-sided sacrifice.

The name of this act is Inquisition, a trial to find heretics.

If the accused cannot prove his or her ‘religion’, he or she will be executed.

But how do you prove a faith that only exists in your heart?

I can’t even take it out and show it.

If you think about that, this trial is dealing with a provable issue.

At least I can open the boat and show you the key.

If you have the key, you are guilty; if you do not, you are not guilty.

Both the guilty and the innocent are investigated, but isn’t that the beauty of the Inquisition?

I saw dogs barking loudly.

Stupid, foolish.

I think it’s okay if it’s just me, but I don’t consider the fact that I could become the next defendant and suffer the same injustice.

Of course, this situation itself is unreasonable and can’t be helped, but why is there not a single person who thinks rationally?

Empty–

He hit the wall again with the handle of the gun, drawing attention.

“I thought about it while you guys were barking, and I think it’s unreasonable to drive someone to death like this.”

When the person who was singled out for ignorance said something like this, the bastards looked at me with a bewildered expression.

I walked into the middle of them and raised my gun.

“This gun is the problem. It feels like you’re forcing me to choose just one. I don’t want that.”

Take a bullet from the revolver’s chamber and put it in your pocket.

Then number 2, who was closest, asked.

“Well, what do you plan to do then?”

“I thought of a better way. A very fair and fair method.”

I answered with a slight smile.

They also looked at each other and smiled, as if they were relieved.

“Kuhu. I’m really curious what a better way would be.”

When did you come here? Cheshire is watching from the side.

I spoke to myself in rapid fire.

“Honestly, I was a bit disappointed so far, but I’m starting to get excited again. What do you plan on doing? You take out the bullet. Can you think of a way to get the key without killing him? Or do you want to inflict pain slowly? Isn’t that Zeke’s style? No, don’t say it. Because I want to see it for myself. Kuhuhu~. Are you so excited?”

“…don’t disturb, get out.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, take it easy~.”

Cheshire slowly leans back and takes a watching position.

“Ugh.”

Letting out a short sigh, I approached number 1.

“Hey, number 1. You know what? Is there one more way to kill someone with a gun than shooting?”

“…Yes?”

Pakak–!

A temple that is authentically stamped on the handle of a gun.

Due to the perfect angle, perfect aim, and perfect swing, the first time he was hit, he immediately dropped his head and died instantly.

Other assholes still figuring out the situation.

“It’s unreasonable for only one person to die. If we are going to die, we should all die together. Now, next.”

He lost his composure at my next words and started going crazy.

*

*

Pakak–!

Every time I heard the sound of a skull being crushed, the corners of my mouth twitched into a grin.

I couldn’t imagine it.

I never expected that Zeke would make such a choice.

‘They killed not just one person, but all of them.’

Zeke has always tried to minimize sacrifice in Wonderland.

A man named Zeke was the one who somehow found a way to ensure that no one died or that the least amount of deaths occurred.

In the process, completely unexpected loopholes and shortcuts emerged, and I enjoyed an overwhelming sense of ecstasy each time.

But what wind is blowing?

He, who was clearly an undeniable ‘good’ human being, is smashing the heads of innocent people with such an indifferent expression as if he were killing annoying bugs.

I tried pricking my cat ears at Zeke.

His emotions can be heard subtly.

Annoyance, irritation, nervousness.

The leisure I normally had was nowhere to be found.

Zeke, who always overwhelmed me with his laid-back attitude, showed such an anxious side.

‘This kind of Zeke is also refreshing in its own way.’

But that’s it.

What I want is overwhelming ecstasy, but right now, Zeke doesn’t make me ecstatic, let alone thrills me.

It should not simply be at a level that exceeds expectations.

It must be completely destroyed.

I want to see it destroyed so easily that it seems pointless, as if laughing at the time and effort that went into creating Wonderland.

What I want is for the overwhelming being called Zeke to eat up the show.

But now, rather than eating up the show, Zeke has been eaten up by the show.

‘I’m disappointed.’

In the two acts that have taken place so far, Zeke has not been able to save anyone.

Instead of trying to save him, he just strictly follows the guidelines that Zeke would have ignored, of course.

‘This is not the Zeke I knew.’

Why has it changed?

Why is it broken?

Is it because of ‘Alice’?

Could it be that Alice is so precious that she lost her leisure like that?

‘really? Is it because of Alice?’

The perfect Zeke could change like that just because of one woman.

This is ridiculous.

I look at Zeke’s face again.

I prick my ears.

Most of the emotions heard are annoyances, but Zeke is always annoying, so there is no need to worry.

If you filter out the annoyances, you can hear subtle feelings of nervousness and anxiety.

As expected, something is strange.

It doesn’t sound as relaxed as before.

‘this… Zeke, you’re broken.’

Zeke has to be perfect.

There shouldn’t be any weaknesses.

I can’t believe my best partner is showing such weakness.

I was so sad that my heart ached.

What should I do?

What can I do to fix my broken Zeke?

Zeke is broken because of Alice.

Alice is Zeke’s weakness.

A perfect person should have no weaknesses.

Zeke is not perfect because he has weaknesses.

Then, if he doesn’t have any weaknesses, doesn’t Zeke become perfect?

okay. Just get rid of it.

If his weaknesses disappear, Zeke will become perfect again.

‘I guess I’ll have to revise the script.’

I don’t feel like it, but I can’t help it because I want to make Zeke perfect.

I’m sure Zeke will understand.

‘This time it’s my turn to complete Zeke.’

I am complete because of Zeke.

So this time, I have to complete Zeke.

A relationship where each completes the other,

Is there any other relationship more beautiful than this?

Zeke, we are truly the best partners.

right?