Two figures sat silently in the office. One was a young woman whose face had hints of drying tears on her face while the other was a young man who was comforting the girl beside him.
It has been about half an hour since the guildmaster left the office, and finally, Yuna has sobered up from all the crying. Her face was as red as her eyes as she slowly took in the embarrassment of crying like a little child.
Grey had already told her everything he knew and Yuna had already forgiven him. Even when she wanted to get mad at Grey, such anger didn't last long. Rather, her anger was turned into a somewhat different emotion.
The current Yuna now acted like a spoiled little child, requesting Grey to stay close to her and pat her head. Grey didn't know why she requested those things, but thinking it might calm her down, he did so without much thinking.
"Are you hungry?" ［Grey］
Grey asked calmly as he gently stroked Yuna's head, and Yuna just quietly shook her head in response, her hair swaying from side to side along with her head.
"You sure? Missing meals is bad for you healtー" ［Grey］
"Grey, you're being overprotective again." ［Yuna］
"Ah, sorry. I was just worried." ［Grey］
It was already past lunch yet the two still stayed put in their seats in silence, not being disturbed by hunger nor boredom.
With their high combat power, they could just sate their hunger by using mana. Meals are only taken for physical comfort and satisfying their appetites for food. After all, eating is something which makes people more human.
'I know, dummy' ［Yuna］
Yuna giggled without letting Grey notice. Even when she was a bit annoyed by Grey's overprotection, she was happy that he worried for her.
But right now, Yuna wanted to make Grey stop treating like a child. After all, she didn't want Grey to look at her as a little sister nor like a daughter. She wanted Grey to look at her as a woman.
With it, she was now one small step closer into Grey's heart. Even if it might be a small step, a step is a step, nonetheless. It does not remove the fact that she was making progress on their relationship.
It might take years before Grey notices her but she was willing to wait. After all, as long as she can stay by his side, she is satisfied. There was no need to rush and risk their current relationship.
"Oh, right. The interrogation... I wonder how the Guildmaster is doing..." ［Grey］
"Then, do you want to go to the barracks together?" ［Yuna］
"Together"... Yuna greatly emphasized that word. She didn't want Grey to leave her alone in the dark again. Unless one is as dense as a sack of bricks, one would easily understand what Yuna was trying to convey.
Of course, Grey totally got Yuna's hint, but what surprised him the most was that he never knew Yuna was such a suggestive girl. She had really grown up in the time they spent in Galderia.
Slowly but surely, Grey noticed that the two of them were changing by the moments. That's why... He wanted to treasure every single day they have together. After all, each one is a once in a lifetime experience more precious than a sack of gold.
"Alright, let's go together." ［Grey］
"Un." ［Yuna］
The two left the office and then headed to the barracks, but along the way, there was something Grey couldn't help but notice...
'Isn't Yuna too close...?' ［Grey］
... Yuna was following him closer than usual like a little puppy. She was wearing a happy expression on her face, and acted like an attached child who was afraid to be separated from her parent even for a second.
Grey wanted to do something about it, but it wasn't like she was doing something wrong or it was uncomfortable for him. In the end, he just let her do what she wanted as long as she's happy with it.
Grey didn't think much of Yuna's behavior and just dismissed it as something like a reaction after hearing so many shocking things simultaneously. Never in his wildest imagination did he think that Yuna was doing it to close the distance between them, both physically and romantically.
Thankfully, to the eyes of the passersby, it was just a normal distance... for a couple, that is. Something that didn't cross Grey's mind.
"Oh, Grey, Yuna! You're both here! The Guildmaster is waiting for you!" ［Dale］
When they arrived at the barracks, the one that greeted them was Dale as he stood by on duty along with the other guards.
With Dale guiding them, Grey and Yuna went inside the barracks and into the room where the interrogation was supposed to take place. Their steps clacking on the stone brick floor as they traversed the corridors.
Not only the Guildmaster, even Kris and Aria were there too when Grey and Yuna arrived at the interrogation room. All of them were wearing serious and dreadful expressions on their faces.
"Guildmaster, how's the investigation?" ［Grey］
"Haah... See for yourself." ［Gaston］
The Guildmaster heaved a lengthy sigh as he moved away from the door, revealing the man which Grey had just captured a few moments ago. The scumbag who is part of Jaco's party.
The man's hands were handcuffed and his mana veins were sealed to prevent him from trying to escape, but what caught Grey's attention the most was the man himself. He was no longer breathing.
There was no sign of pulse and all his mana veins have raptured. On the outside, it might look like he was hanging his head down and closing his eyes, but on closer inspection, one would understand that he has already long departed.
"Suicide?" ［Grey］
"Something like that. The bastard suddenly died a few moments after he regained consciousness. We didn't even get to ask him a single question." ［Gaston］
"And we were so close, too! Damnit!" ［Kris］
As Kris hit the walls with the side of his fists, the whole barracks shook slightly from the raw force of his strike. Thankfully, he didn't exert his full power and blast a hole in the wall.
Indeed, it was a frustrating scene. It was also the reason why the kingdom has yet to gather any information on the masterminds. They were like lizards who cut their tails just to save themselves.
Grey slowly approached the dead man as he scoured every inch of his body to search for foreign substances which may have caused his death, but to no avail. The cause wasn't a physical substance, but a magical one.
"Contract magic?" ［Grey］
"That's right. Every time we try to interrogate them, the contract activates and kills them instantly. Those calculative bastards!" ［Kris］
As Kris' words, everyone in the room fell dead silent. All of them were clearly frustrated but decided not to show it.
Contract magic. It is a magic which is borne from the combination of holy and curse magic. A magic that punishes those who disobey them.
Normally, it would only temporarily seal the magic veins of the contractee, but with a few modifications, it became a contract which takes away the life of the contractee whenever they try to leak secrets regarding the contractor. A simple yet effective method.
Whenever the contract magic is established, there is no way to undo it forcefully without the agreement of the contractor or contractee... or that's how it was supposed to be.
Unfortunately for the enemy, Grey was there. Even if the knowledge God provided was mostly about common sense, that only applies to common knowledge. When it comes to magic, arts, and other skills, God had granted Grey everything he needed to know, and by everything, God really meant everything.
As contract magic is an agreement of souls, one only needs to partially destroy the soul to break the contract between both sides. But since the soul is the core of the body, the moment it gets destroyed, the owner of the body will die too.
And if one wants both sides to stay alive, one only needs to break one of their souls then repair it within a split second. That way, the contract will be demolished and both the contractor and the contractee will be saved.
The problem with the current situation is that the contractee is already dead and they don't know where the contractor is.
'Ah!' ［Grey］
It was then that Grey suddenly remembered an important aspect that he had completely overlooked. An aspect which might lead them to success.
"Guildmaster, I have a question." ［Grey］
"What is it?" ［Gaston］
"His party members... Those guys who were with this man a few weeks ago. Do you know them?" ［Grey］
"You mean Jaco's group? Yeah, why?" ［Gaston］
"Do you perhaps know where they can be found?" ［Grey］
A sinister smile loomed on Grey's face as he asked the Guildmaster with a dubious question. It was a smile which clearly wasn't one.
Grey had remembered that it wasn't only the dead man who was emanating an evil aura. His party members were, too. They were all scumbags and lowlives who would serve the world better if they just died.
And seeing how they are in the same party together, it wouldn't be strange to think that all of them were involved in the beast incidents. Actually, they are the people Grey was most suspicious of.
"Grey, I know what you're thinking. But if we move recklessly, they might just end up the same as this man here. It's too risky!" ［Gaston］
"Guildmaster, trust me on this one. I have a way to make things work." ［Grey］
Dubious and curious eyes looked at Grey as he said those words. There was only one person who had full trust in him, and that was Yuna.
The Guildmaster wanted to doubt Grey but knowing all his accomplishments and the nature of his ability, there wasn't much room for doubting, If anything, Grey might be the only one they can put their trust in to carry on the operation.
"Haah... Then, what are you standing there for? Give a paper and a pen. I'll write down their locations." ［Gaston］
Desperation present in his voice, the Guildmaster wrote down all the places he knew of that Jaco and his group frequently visited.
As the Adventurer's Guild Guildmaster, Gaston handled every information related to the adventurers. From the places they stay at to their records, he knew everything which needed to be known.
Especially when the adventurers' in question was a problematic one. The Guild would spare no effort into monitoring them. After all, they will be the ones responsible if one of their adventurers caused trouble.
And it seemed like Jaco and his group was on the top of the list of the troublemaking adventures as the Guildmaster easily wrote down information about them. They have caused enough trouble that the Guildmaster has memorized their locations.
If only they had gathered substantial evidence and there were victims who testified, they would have long arrested Jaco and company. That's how severe their case was.
...
Far away from the barracks, in the nook and crannies hidden away by the alleyways, there was a door leading to a basement. A basement which was unkempt and filled with cracks on the floor.
It was a dark and gloomy place only lit up by a single lantern hung on the ceiling. Rats were crawling everywhere and the smell of alcohol and smoke filled the air. A polluted environment contained in a small space.
"Puhaaa... That hit the spot!" ［Jaco］
Sitting along a wooden table was Jaco and his underlings. Their faces and clothes in similar unruly condition as the basement and their mouths reeking the smell of alcohol.
On the floor lay cups and bottles which once contained alcohol but are now fully empty. It was as if the group had been relying on alcohol for their sustenance. A lifestyle which only lowlives can endure.
"F*ck it! Because of those brats, we can't show our faces in the guild anymore!"
"If only we weren't drunk back then, we could have easily beaten them!"
"That's right! I don't believe those brats have defeated an Orc King! Someone must have helped them!"
Cries of anger and hatred reverberated inside the basement as the group of drunkards continued to run their mouths, clearly blaming Grey and Yuna for their humiliation.
But rather than acknowledge their own weaknesses, they still insist that it was only because they were drunk that they fainted. They were arrogant and miserable, which can be considered as cancer in society.
"Oi, is Kroll here yet?" ［Jaco］
"No, boss. It seems that he's running late."
"That f*cker, he's probably harassing women in the alleyways again."
"Haah... F*cking hell. Why did I entrust that bastard with the orb!" ［Jaco］
As they continued to drink, the drunkards' topic shifted to one of their comrades and about a mysterious orb.
What they were talking about was clearly the "Enslavement Orb" Grey had gotten his hands on a few hours ago, and it seems that "Kroll" was the name of the man who just got killed by contract magic.
Unbeknownst to them, Grey and Yuna had already arrived outside and overheard their whole conversation. Just the mention of the orb alone was enough for Grey to confirm that they were indeed accomplices.
"Huh...? What's this... feeling..."
Thud
Out of nowhere, one of the drunkards' lost consciousness and his head hit the table, producing a loud thud. His body wobbled at first as if he had been completely intoxicated by the alcohol, lulling him to sleep.
"Yaawwnnn... So sleepy..."
"Hey!... What are... you guys... do..."
"F*cking hell..."
Thud Thud Thud
Soon after, the other members of the group of drunkards followed suit and also fell asleep, producing a loud thudding sound each time. One of them even fell towards the floor rather than the table.
But it wasn't because of the alcohol that they suddenly drifted to sleep...
"Looks like it worked." ［Grey］
"Amazing as usual." ［Yuna］
... it was because Grey casted a curse magic called "Sleep" on them. It was a simple spell which played with the consciousness of people, making them feel tired and fall asleep in a short moment.
The effectiveness of the spell depended on the gap of combat power, and Grey being an S-ranker, it was insanely effective to a bunch of D-rankers who were already under the influence of alcohol.
Slowly, Grey approached one of the sleeping men and clenched his fist. He then slowly drew back his fist and exhaled a lengthy breath.
Yuna on the other hand was facing the man, with her hand reaching out to him. She was preparing a holy-attribute spell which Grey instructed her to use a split second after he strikes the man.
"Haah... I hope this works... ⟨⟨Soul Caliber⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
Swift as lightning, Grey's punch struck the man's back. While the man's physical body was unharmed, the same couldn't be said to his spiritual body. All of the man's mana veins and soul have been ruptured in a quick instant.
⟨⟨Perfect Heal⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
But in less than a fraction of a second, Yuna quickly casted her spell, restoring the man's mana veins, but not the soul. The spell only temporarily halted the shattering of the soul but didn't repair it.
⟨⟨Holy Bell⟩⟩ ［Grey］
But that small time window was all Grey needed. In that short moment, Grey casted the strongest holy-attribute spell he was capable of.
The man's soul which was almost shattered into smithereens was now completely restored as if time was reversed and nothing ever happened. But even when it was restored, the force it produced became weaker.
By Grey's calculations, the man's mana capacity, along with his combat power, has decreased quite a bit. He was now at the bottom of D-rank. Not that Grey cared about them anyway.
"Did it work?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, thank you." ［Grey］
"Un. Sure." ［Yuna］
Yuna smiled as she replied to Grey's expression of gratitude. She was happy that she was able to help out in the case. Especially since it involved the destruction of her home village.
Grey and Yuna continued the process for the three other men as well, and like the first one, all of their combat powers drastically decreased. But with it, the contract was also broken.
With their tasks completed, Grey and Yuna delivered the four men to the Guild without anyone noticing. They had used Yuna's "Nihility" to conceal the unconscious men from the eyes of the public.
The moment they arrived, the face of the Guildmaster was a spectacle to be seen. He was so surprised that his eyes were about to pop out of his skull and that he couldn't even mutter any words for a few moments.
The removal of the contract magic was a great success too. The moment the men woke up, none of them suddenly died like the first one. Their faces were screaming of confusion as they didn't understand what was happening.
And as Grey and Yuna already did their part, the interrogation was left to Kris, Aria, and the Guidlmaster. The two would just be updated of the results afterwards.
Meanwhile, Grey went home to have a meal. A meal accounting for both lunch and dinner. After all, they haven't eaten since morning from all the events which had taken place. Yuna in particular was looking forward to whatever Grey was going to cook.
...
It was deep in the night and the last bell had already rang a couple of hours ago. It wouldn't even be an understatement to say that it was already midnight.
But in the serenity of the night, there were two figures heading inside the Adventurer's Guild. One of the figures was a muscular aged man, while the other was a somewhat skinny yet similarly aged man.
"Sorry for the sudden request." ［Gaston］
"Just know that this won't be for free. I'll have you owe me when the time comes." ［???］
"Haah... You really are shrewd, Marcel." ［Gaston］
"Well, I'm a merchant after all." ［Marcel］
The old man with the Guildmaster was also a Guildmaster, but not of the Adventurer's Guild but of the Merchant's Guild. He was one of the most influential people in Galderia along with Gaston, the head of the knights, and the lord.
The reason why Gaston invited him was because of his ability, "Confession". It was an ability which forces the target to answer the user's question truthfully.
There was only one flaw, and that was the targets needed to be under pressure. Otherwise, the ability wouldn't work on them. It was an ability useful to normal people but not to high-rankers.
"Lord Kris, Lady Aria, fancy meeting you here." ［Marcel］
"It's also our pleasure." ［Aria］
"Yup, same." ［Kris］
But that flaw was already covered. With Kris and Aria present, pressuring those who are many ranks lower than them was a piece of cake. It was like taking candy from a baby.
"Now that everyone's here, let's start the interrogation." ［Gaston］
Prompted by Gaston, everyone entered the interrogation room. There, Jaco and his three underlings were seated with their movements sealed by cuffs and a couple of magic items.
The moment Marcel sat down on the opposite side of the table, Kris and Aria immediately released their aura's and concentrated them on the group of four before them.
The men whose faces were once filled with confidence were now sweating bullets in the face of the combined pressure produced by Kris and Aria. It took them all just to keep themselves conscious.
"Now, be some good boys and answer all my questions, alright?" ［Marcel］
CHAPTER 26 END