episode_0171

“Haa…”

After telling Baron Howard to wait a moment, I left the interrogation room, closed the door, and leaned my back against the wall a few steps away, letting out a deep sigh.

And I gently closed my eyes, meticulously recalling the interrogation process that had just taken place from the beginning.

The start was better than ever.

The bluff of deceiving him with the name ‘confession drug’, which was just bitter, worked perfectly.

He was the easiest person to read expressions among everyone I had met so far, and every change in emotion and gesture was so transparent that I had to keep covering my lips at first to stifle laughter.

But.

The moment we got to the main point, he changed completely.

His expressions were still easy to read.

It was just that a madman appeared who genuinely believed that there was nothing wrong with the clothes he made and that he had only made clothes for the customers with sincerity, without any lewd intentions.

Eyes so clear and transparent that they might create the illusion of a martyr, straightforward and upright.

A demeanor that explained everything without hesitation, even if such intentions weren’t present.

Logic that justified his actions by quoting doctrine.

As if he had anticipated this from the start, he turned into a cunning fox, slipping away only to places that were difficult to touch.

That’s why, even though there were no particular problems, he was exceedingly suspicious.

Only 18 years old.

Until now, he had not been active in social circles and had shown a gentle, flexible, and passive attitude, a small-minded person.

But within less than a year of picking up a needle and thread, he had brought a huge storm to the imperial capital and was an ambitious person proceeding in a straight line to the core of power.

At the same time, he was also a madman who actively interacted with demi-humans and yet employed the Empire’s Imperial Princess as his staff.

However, he was a kind person who showed immense weakness towards his family.

An attitude with no backbone whatsoever.

Of course, it was possible for a person to show different attitudes depending on their intimacy and relationships.

But the reaction Baron Howard showed before leaving the interrogation room kept lingering in my mind, preventing me from clearing my suspicions.

‘Can you state with certainty that you have not mixed a single drop of lies in the story you have told so far?’

‘…?’

A question asked formally at the end of the interrogation.

But Baron Howard clearly showed agitation at that question.

Was it an absurd question?

No.

It is a question that is perfectly reasonable to ask to test the other person one last time.

Nevertheless, Baron Howard showed agitation.

As if struck in the bullseye, he flinched, hesitated, and then nodded his head.

Why?

What on earth did he hide, causing him to make a mistake at the end?

Is it just a simple coincidence?

“Hoo…”

With thoughts circling in place, I exhaled a hot breath, stopped thinking, and opened my eyes.

I cannot reach a conclusion on my own.

I’ll only think in the direction of suspecting Baron Howard.

It’s thinking close to confirmation bias.

I was fixated only on his final attitude and too readily dismissed the attitude he showed before that.

Therefore, I slowly moved my steps and entered the room next to the interrogation room.

“Bishop, you’ve worked hard.”

“No, it’s just the beginning.”

Towards the priests and monks who greeted me, I nodded with a friendly smile and then shifted my gaze to one side of the wall, staring at it as if to pierce through it.

The wall, transparent like glass, clearly revealed the scene beyond, showing the interrogation room and Baron Howard sitting blankly there, sipping bitter black tea.

“Bishop, will you proceed with additional interrogation of Baron Howard later?”

As I gazed at Baron Howard, the priests who approached me asked carefully.

Although it was a simple question asking about the future schedule, I could roughly grasp the thoughts of the priests from this question.

These people did not feel anything suspicious from Baron Howard.

That’s why they asked if I would investigate Baron Howard.

Because it seemed there was nothing more to investigate.

“Do you think it will be necessary?”

I crossed my arms and answered the priests’ question with a question.

Then, as if they had been waiting, the priests opened their mouths and presented their opinions one by one.

“Although there are elements that could be problematic, we do not think it is a problem that would require a heresy judgment. Wouldn’t it be sufficient to only pay attention to the behavior that excessively emphasizes lewd elements?”

One priest had already reached a conclusion and thought that Baron Howard was not a heretic.

“And judging by the investigations so far, it is difficult to see Baron Howard’s actions as having a particularly negative impact.”

“On the contrary, it is widely rumored that he primarily gives advice that strengthens romantic relationships, and many say that they have experienced positive changes in their marital relationships through his advice.”

“If considering the advertisement as a separate matter, there might be differing opinions on whether ‘Baron Howard’s clothing is truly obscene.’ There are also many artisans who produce underwear that is even more vulgar than Baron Howard’s.”

“There are no indications of transactions with brothels or underground establishments. There were also no suspicious aspects in administrative guidance or tax investigations conducted as retaliation by nobles with whom there had been disputes.”

“We are unsure if additional information will come out from further investigation here.”

The other priests had not reached a conclusion as definite as the first, but they were nevertheless evaluating Baron Howard positively.

“Hmm…”

My worries deepened.

As the priests said, there were no serious problems with Baron Howard’s actions.

Issues that could be resolved by giving a light warning and ending it.

The reason we came such a long way from the Holy Kingdom to the Empire’s imperial capital was the ‘suspicion of Baron Howard’s heresy’, and nothing else.

Even if he was suspicious, it was all based on intuition.

All the physical evidence and testimonies given so far only say that Baron Howard is not a heretic.

Therefore, investigating anything beyond that based solely on the reason that the Baron’s final reaction was suspicious is clearly excessive investigation.

Having already taken the drastic step of rushing to the Empire based on a single testimony suspecting heresy, if I were to push it further here, I might have to be prepared for the Emperor’s hammer.

Is the suspicion towards Baron Howard so serious that it would cause a significant problem, requiring me to push it here?

No.

He doesn’t give off a malevolent aura like a devil worshiper.

He is not someone who preaches strange doctrines like doomsday cultists.

Just a man who excessively likes peculiar clothes.

The possibility of him causing a problem is likely insignificant.

“Alright.”

A conclusion has been reached.

I uncrossed my arms and turned my gaze away from Howard, speaking to the priests.

“We will conclude the interrogation of Baron Howard here.”

“Understood.”

“However, we will proceed with gathering opinions from those around Baron Howard as planned. If no suspicious points are found during that process, we will proceed with the investigation and interrogation of the accuser.”

“Yes.”

_

“The interrogation ends here. You may return today.”

“Ah…!”

As I was nervously waiting for the results inside the interrogation room, Bishop Bianca, who entered with a sullen expression, delivered rather positive news to me.

At least I wouldn’t be immediately detained.

Just that made me feel like I had passed a hurdle.

“Will there be any additional interrogations later?”

“We will conduct a simple Q&A with those around Baron Howard. If no special charges or evidence are additionally found during that process, we will proceed directly to trial without additional interrogation.”

“Um… is this enough to warrant a trial…?”

And the moment my tension eased, at the single word ‘trial’, I felt the blood drain from my head, and my relaxed mind became constricted, as if handcuffed.

Going to trial means there’s something substantial, doesn’t it?

“For heresy judgments, even if the crime is minor or the person is innocent, a trial is always held without summary disposition or dismissal. That way, everyone can be clearly informed that this person is not a heretic, and it helps ensure that those who were falsely accused are not caught up in suspicious rumors.”

“Ah…”

The angle of this place’s rollercoaster is artistic.

The skill at plummeting quickly then lifting the head is excellent.

Thanks to that, my heart feels even more tense.

“If there is an additional investigation, when approximately…?”

“Well… If something additional is needed later, I will send someone to inform you of the schedule.”

“Understood.”

I nodded and stood up.

Now that I seem to have found out everything worth knowing, I should go back…

“Ah.”

I almost forgot something really important.

“Um, I’m really sorry, but when does the effect of the confession drug I drank wear off? Is there an antidote or something?”

“Antidote…?”

I should detoxify the confession drug before leaving.

If I don’t, I might end up saying things I should and shouldn’t say to people around me.

Bishop Bianca subtly glanced at the teacup on the table, then furrowed her brows and looked at me.

“…Are you asking that after having completely finished the black tea while I was away? Having licked it all up so cleanly, even what would have worn off would have returned.”

“I drank it mindlessly when my tension eased… I realized after I finished it all.”

“Sigh…”

A sigh that burst forth from deep within her chest.

Narrowing her eyes and shaking her head as if seeing an idiot, Bishop Bianca trudgingly walked towards a corner of the room and rummaged through a drawer.

What the Bishop’s hand, which had been searching the drawer, pulled out was a cookie about half the size of a palm, embedded with chocolate chips.

Picking up the cookie, the Bishop turned around and approached me, pushing out the cookie as she spoke.

“Eat it. Chew it very thoroughly, and wait a few minutes, and the medicinal effect will completely wear off.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Quickly taking the cookie, I broke it in half, put it in my mouth, and as the Bishop said, I carefully and meticulously chewed the cookie.

After chewing it until it was almost like dough, I gulped down the cookie and waited for the antidote to take effect, observing if any changes were coming to my body.

“Ooh…”

It feels like the itching sensation in my mouth has decreased after some time, and that feeling of wanting to speak unconsciously also seems to have diminished.

“It should be fine now, you may go.”

“Yes, understood.”

As if that feeling wasn’t just in my head, as I felt the change, the Bishop personally opened the interrogation room door, telling me I could go back.

“I hope we can meet for a good reason next time.”

“Me too.”

I bowed deeply towards the Bishop, greeted her, and then left the interrogation room.

“…!”

And after walking two steps confidently, I stopped abruptly in my tracks and turned back towards Bishop Bianca with an awkward smile.

“Your Grace the Bishop, I’m truly sorry, but could I borrow a carriage to go to the atelier or my home?”

“……”

Bishop Bianca tightly closed her eyes and closed the interrogation room door as if she hadn’t heard me.

“Ah…”

Guess I have to walk…