Ch.196Interrogation

The rice cake and dumpling soup I attempted after a long time received high praise from all four of us.

Especially Seti and Mina showed great interest in the food called dumplings. They looked so adorable nibbling and savoring each bite that I made fried dumplings with the meat and flour meant for tomorrow’s meal, only to have the ingredients disappear in an instant.

While it was slightly disappointing that everyone overate and I couldn’t get intimate with anyone that night…

“Will likes it when you lick here.”

“L-like this? Lick… mmm…”

“Yes. You’re doing well.”

Thanks to Seti and Phyllis’s double service the next morning, I had no lingering regrets.

Phyllis… a woman who used to be on the receiving end had somehow acquired such skills…!

Could some kind of technical alliance have formed without my knowledge!?

Despite that little incident, we didn’t expend more energy than necessary in the morning. After leisurely finishing our meal, we headed to Gerald Fork’s mansion.

As luck would have it, Gerald was out when we arrived, but after waiting in the reception room for about 30 minutes, he returned in a hurry.

It seems he too had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Emperor’s token.

“Is it true that you’ve brought the treasure of the Silver Wolf tribe!?”

“Yes, I successfully passed their test and received it. This is the item.”

When I placed the antique wooden box from my bag onto the table, Gerald tried to open the lid with trembling hands.

“Wait, don’t open it yet.”

“Huh? Why not? Shouldn’t we check the contents?”

“That’s true, but if possible, I’d like you to take it over there and open it where the women can’t see. The visual is quite shocking, so I’d prefer to keep it away from their eyes.”

“…? Alright. Wait a moment.”

Gerald carefully lifted the box, carried it to a spot away from the reception table, and slowly opened the lid to check the contents.

It was quite a spectacle watching Gerald’s expression change from “What is this?” to gradual shock and horror.

With a pale face, he closed the lid and returned to the table. Only after taking a few deep breaths was he able to continue the conversation.

“…Is this, really it? Are you certain?”

“Unless there’s some other treasure given to those who pass the test. If you’re suspicious, you can check with the Silver Wolf tribe’s chief.”

“No… I believe you. They wouldn’t deceive someone who could walk an hour to verify it.”

Gerald acknowledged the completion of the request, but his face remained pale as he shuddered.

I patted his shoulder and whispered quietly enough that others couldn’t hear.

“I heard you need to down it in one shot.”

“!?!?”

“…Anyway, now that I’ve definitely delivered the item, I can receive the promised payment, right?”

“O-of course. You wanted to talk with the dark elf, correct?”

“More precisely, it’s closer to an interrogation than a conversation. If you order Calliope to ‘answer our questions honestly,’ Phyllis will ask her a few questions.”

“That’s no problem. However, I’d like you to promise that you won’t ask for the treasure back even if the dark elf doesn’t have the information you want.”

“Of course we won’t. It’s not something we need anyway.”

When I said that, Gerald’s shoulders twitched, and he looked at my face with a meaningful gaze.

What? I’m just saying I’m different from you—I can handle three women at once.

…Though it seems like that advantage might not last much longer.

“Good. Then… Marian, take this item to my study and bring that dark elf to the reception room. Make absolutely sure you don’t look at the contents of the box.”

“Yes, master.”

The maid called Marian took the Emperor’s token from Gerald and left the reception room. About 10 minutes later, she returned with Calliope, who was wearing the same maid uniform.

Calliope showed no signs of surprise or fear upon seeing Phyllis and quietly waited for Gerald’s orders.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who felt she resembled an emotionless doll.

“Calliope, from now on, answer honestly to the questions asked by these five people. This is an order.”

“Understood, master.”

Calliope responded without a moment’s hesitation in an emotionless voice after receiving Gerald’s order.

Gerald gestured for us to go ahead and ask, and Phyllis stepped forward to pose her question in a trembling voice.

“…Calliope. Five years ago, you invaded the Willow Sanctuary, killed many elves, and kidnapped Iris Aedra, the Elder’s successor, didn’t you?”

“That is correct.”

“Ugh…! Then what happened to the kidnapped Iris? Tell me where she was taken and what happened to her!”

“……”

When Calliope remained silent after Phyllis’s question, I nodded to Gerald to prompt her to respond.

“Calliope, I ordered you to answer.”

“…The Elder’s successor from the Willow Sanctuary… was training in dark magic and the crafting of dark blades at a hideout in the eastern swamps until last year. However, several months ago, the hideout was destroyed by a hydra attack, forcing us to relocate to a new base.”

“Where is this new base?”

“A place you can never reach… no, you might reach it, but you will never return alive. Elf of the Willow Sanctuary, you will never recover your Elder’s successor.”

As Calliope answered, she showed emotion on her face for the first time.

A smile mixed with mockery and contempt.

An expression of certainty that Phyllis would never achieve what she wanted.

“Calliope…! How far will you dark elves push me, push us into despair…”

“Wait, calm down, Phyllis. Getting caught up in cheap provocation will only hurt us.”

“I know that! But Iris…”

“We knew from the start that Calliope wouldn’t be cooperative, right? Let’s first get as much information as we can, then put our heads together afterward.”

I gently stroked Phyllis’s head to calm her down, then directed a question at Calliope.

“Hey Calliope, what is this dark magic you mentioned earlier?”

“…It’s a general term for the magical system of the dark elves. Unlike the magic of the elf race, which has degenerated miserably and now relies on colonists’ tools, we dark elves have preserved the magic from our most prosperous era in its original form.”

“Hmm, that’s impressive. And the dark blade? Is that referring to that unpleasant dagger that turns elves into dark elves?”

“That is correct.”

“Have you been with Iris the whole time since kidnapping her?”

“If you’re asking whether we stayed at the same base, yes. If you mean whether we conducted external activities together, no.”

“Is there a way to return a dark elf back to an original elf?”

“No.”

When Calliope stated this definitively, Phyllis’s expression hardened, but I continued with my questions undeterred.

“Does that mean it’s theoretically impossible, or just that it’s unknown within the limits of your knowledge?”

“The latter. However, no race surpasses dark elves in magical arts, so even if such a method exists, I am certain it would be impossible for you to discover it.”

“…Fine. Then next, could you tell us the exact location of the new base?”

“It is from here… nngh…!!”

After deliberately diverting attention with questions about dark magic and dark blades, I casually asked about the location of the base. Calliope almost answered nonchalantly before biting her lip in resistance and turning toward Gerald.

“M-master. I beg you to withdraw your order. If I answer this question, I will be bound by an ancient oath to kill everyone present here.”

“That won’t be possible, Calliope. The collar of servitude around your neck will prevent that.”

“Heh, a mere magical tool made by humans… cannot be stronger than a dark elf’s oath… and this master-servant relationship won’t last forever either… guh!!”

A threat that even if she submits now, she would kill everyone including her master once the slave contract period ends.

Perhaps due to the disrespectful behavior that could be considered treasonous, she seemed to be experiencing even more pain, as blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth.

“Master, these people are neither the strong who defeated me nor the powerful who purchased me with wealth. I do not wish to end this master-servant contract with unwanted rebellion for the sake of such worthless individuals. So please, withdraw your order…!!”

“…If I withdraw my order, will you obediently follow me to the end and bear no grudge against me even after the slave contract period ends?”

“Of course. I swear under the shadow of our ruler, the Great Mother.”

“Lord Gerald, don’t be deceived! Please, at least get information about where my sister… where Iris is being held!”

“Master…! If you withdraw the order, I will extend the period of the slave contract until the end of your life, after sending these people away!”

After hearing the desperate pleas from both women, Gerald ultimately sided with Calliope.

“Very well! Calliope, I withdraw my order for you to answer their questions. You no longer need to say anything.”

“Thank you, master…”

*Thud*

Calliope, who had been trembling while enduring the pain until the end, lost consciousness and collapsed as soon as the order was withdrawn.

Several maids waiting in the reception room hurriedly took her outside, and Gerald exhaled deeply and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Lord Gerald…”

“I’m sorry, elf miss. I have no obligation to cooperate with your circumstances at the risk of my life.”

“…No, I understand. Calliope’s service as a slave is only for 20 years. You must consider what happens afterward.”

From my perspective, it seemed he was not only afraid of Calliope’s revenge but also tempted by the possibility of making her a slave for life… but let’s leave it at that for now.

“Then we’ll take our leave.”

“Yes. I hope we can discuss good business next time we meet.”

“If the opportunity arises.”

We bid farewell to Gerald Fork and headed back to our lodgings to organize the information we had obtained from Calliope.