First off, I made sure to dismiss the surrounding soldiers. Unwanted conversations could be counterproductive.
Lucas and Evangeline were the only ones left in my company. I found myself sitting face-to-face with the five convicts.
"Let's start with verifying your identities."
I pulled out some documents and locked eyes with the representative of the prisoners.
"Your name is... 'Godhand'? Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
The man who was the prisoners' representative, Godhand, nodded his head.
Between his messy light green hair, his eyes were a deep brown.
I wasn't able to clearly see his ears, but there was no doubt about it. He was a genuine elf.
The same went for the other four. They tried hard to hide it, but upon closer inspection, it was evident. All five of them were elves.
"Your affiliation?"
"We are part of the Aegis Special Forces Team 8."
At the mention of the Aegis Special Forces, Lucas and Evangeline showed signs of surprise, and understandably so.
The dark wing of the Empire that took care of all its dirty work. A direct affiliate of the Royal Family, tasked with black ops.
The shadow of the Royal Family, the Emperor's hunting dogs - that's the Aegis Special Forces.
I narrowed my eyes at Godhand.
"The name 'Godhand' doesn't seem like your real name."
"Members of the Special Forces don't have real names. Our codenames are our identities."
"I see, then... Godhand."
"Yes."
Throughout the conversation, Godhand had been responding calmly, but he fell silent at my next question.
"I heard you committed acts of treason. Is that true?"
"..."
The silence only lasted a few seconds, but it felt oppressive.
After a while, Godhand bowed his head deeply.
"Yes."
"Do you admit to all the charges?"
"With all due respect, Your Highness."
Godhand lowered his gaze and said softly.
"We were turned over to a military court in the capital three months ago, and our verdict has already been decided, as well as our punishment."
"..."
"I don't understand why you're asking. You can just execute us promptly."
That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid, isn't it? I grumbled inwardly.
'I need to find a way to incorporate them into my command.'
I licked my lips lightly.
Shall we poke the hornet's nest a bit?
"There are a few things I'm curious about. Since you're about to die anyway, why not answer a few questions for a curious prince? I believe I have that much authority."
"..."
"I'll take that as a yes and proceed with my questions."
Godhand's eyes widened in surprise at my next question.
"Your team was last deployed in the Bringar Kingdom, right?"
"How did you know..."
"You'll get in trouble if you think I don't have eyes on the outside just because I'm stuck in the southern outskirts, Godhand."
In reality, I didn't have any eyes on the outside. I simply read their biographies written in their character profiles in the system.
'I guess due to their affiliation with the dark wing, there isn't much information on their character profiles.'
It was only public information. When and where he had been dispatched, when he received his death sentence - that was all.
But even with just that, one could see the big picture.
Furthermore, I knew he was an elf, which added more context.
"Your team was dispatched to the Bringar Kingdom a year ago. And our Empire's ambassador to Bringar was assassinated nine months ago."
Since the diplomatic situations between neighboring countries and the empire affect the game, naturally, having reset the game 742 times, I knew all the events perfectly well.
"Afterwards, the diplomatic relationship between the two countries worsened until, eventually, a war broke out half a year ago. It's still ongoing."
Facing Godhand, who had sealed his lips, I continued to press.
"The special forces of Aegis specialize in infiltrating the enemy's rear, sabotage, and targeted assassinations. Is that right?"
"..."
"From now on, silence will be taken as an affirmative. Anyway, I've formed a hypothesis."
I chuckled quietly, forming a circle with my fingers.
"Our Empire wanted to swallow the Bringar Kingdom whole, but lacked a proper excuse to start a war."
"..."
"But what if an envoy from our side gets assassinated within the Kingdom? This could be blamed on the Kingdom. It would provide a perfect pretext for war."
By now, Godhand was no longer looking down. He was glaring into my eyes.
"Send an envoy, assassinate them with our special forces. Pin the blame on the Kingdom and start a war. Quite a plausible hypothesis, don't you think?"
"Your speculations are excessive..."
"Three months ago, your team completed the mission and returned to the Empire, only to be immediately arrested and, without any evidence, sentenced to death for treason."
I shrugged with a smirk.
"Getting rid of the execution team to silence them... quite a dark strategy, isn't it?"
"Your Highness."
Godhand let out a faint sigh. It was the first emotional expression he showed today.
"Your speculations are harsh, and even if everything you've said so far is correct... then why would we willingly accept death?"
I frowned. Godhand continued speaking.
"If what you're saying is true, then we completed our mission and were unjustly punished. Why would we quietly await death? We should either testify or flee..."
"Because they have hostages."
At my answer, Godhand closed his mouth.
I continued with a thin smile.
"All of your kin are being held captive and forced into slavery."
"..."
"If you complete your mission and accept death, there must be some benefit for your kin. Isn't there?"
Godhand bit his lower lip. It seemed I was correct.
In this world, the other races like elves and dwarves all belonged to the slave class.
A century ago, all non-human nations fell in the war against humans, and the survivors became slaves to mankind.
The Everblack Empire, which led humanity to victory in this racial war, seized the power of the continent... and so the story goes.
Regardless, the number of elves left was scant, and they were trapped within the Elf Autonomous Zone, living in abysmal conditions.
And these elves were working in the special operations of the Empire?
Furthermore, they were calmly awaiting their execution? All five of them?
The answer was obvious. The lives of their brethren were being held as leverage.
'The Elf Queen, who appears after three years, is also manipulated for similar reasons.'
In any case, this is one of the most common ways the Empire exploited the non-human races.
Holding the lives of their kind hostage, forcing them to sacrifice themselves. In this game, it was practically a cliché.
"Sacrificing for the sake of your brethren... how noble. A truly selfless spirit."
I sneered.
"Although quite foolish as well."
"...Even if, with the utmost generosity, all of Your Highness's speculation turns out to be correct."
Godhand sighed yet again.
"So what changes, Your Highness?"
"Hmm?"
"We've received a death sentence. You must have received the same decree."
Godhand spoke wearily.
"I fail to understand why you say these things to condemned men about to flee the gallows. Are you mocking us? Or is this merely another amusement for the royal family?"
I smirked, leaning towards Godhand.
"Don't you see, Godhand?"
"...?"
"The decree I received reads 'carry out the execution,' but there's no specification as to how I should take your lives."
"What do you mean..."
"There's no mention of whether to hang you, behead you, burn you at the stake, or cut you into five pieces. Therefore, I can take your lives as I please."
I gestured towards the south.
"Besides, we are at the monster frontline. This is a place where calamitous beasts march upon us almost daily."
"...?"
"I assign you a terribly difficult task, and you disappear while carrying it out. I report to the superiors that the execution was carried out... It's a possible scenario."
"...!"
I do have that amount of discretion.
The monster frontline is a southern border of the Everblack Empire. It's one of the many borderlines within the Empire.
The commander in charge of this area has full control over life and death.
'...Well, that's the case in name only. I don't have as much power as the other commanders.'
But the mere fact they sent me five usable condemned men after I requested reinforcements means they're basically saying, 'do as you wish.'
I chose to interpret it in my own way.
"Before that, I want to ask. Do you want to live?"
I asked, looking into Godhand's trembling eyes.
"If no harm will come to your kin, do you still have the will to prolong your pathetic lives?"
"...What good will come from our survival?"
"Anything at all."
"..."
"As long as you're alive, you can accomplish anything, eventually."
Godhand, whose lips had been trembling, growled, biting down hard.
"Do not give us false hope, Your Highness."
"Hmm?"
"You may whip us, cut us with your sword, chop off our limbs, or feed our necks to the dogs. It doesn't matter. Dispose of us however you please. But."
Godhand shook his head slightly.
"Just don't give us hope."
"..."
"Hope hurts us more than anything else."
There are those who have grown accustomed to living in despair.
Having expectations, dreaming of the future, only to be betrayed.
Giving up means, at least, they won't be hurt.
"Don't misunderstand. I never intended to offer you such dazzling things."
But, I didn't plan on offering them hope in the first place. It isn't something I could give them anyway.
"I merely wish to offer you a chance. A chance not to end your lives."
"...Why?"
Only now, Godhand asked me the reason.
"Why do you wish to keep us alive?"
"Don't ask the obvious. It's because I need you here."
I responded candidly.
"Let me make it clear. I plan to keep you alive because I need you."
Awkward as it may be, it's right to explain the real reason why they're needed.
"The monster front lines are chronically understaffed. We're desperate for talented warriors. If you help me, it will be easier to defend this place."
"..."
"The monster invasions are getting worse day by day. If this place falls, the autonomous region where your kin live will also be at risk."
The elf autonomous region is quite far from here, but it is firmly located in the southern part of the continent.
If the monster front falls, it is inevitable that they will not be safe.
Defending this place is, after all, a matter of protecting their kin.
"Well, I've spoken at length, but the choice is yours."
I crossed my arms and leaned back.
To live or to die.
As always, that is the question.
"However, I have a request. Not only prolong your lives but also help protect your kin."
"..."
After a moment of silence.
"Your Highness."
Godhand spoke up.
"It is as Your Highness has said. We received a special duty. If the five of us complete our mission and are quietly 'disposed of,' our tribe will receive enough food to survive for a year."
Essentially, they were sacrificial offerings.
And they had accepted that fate.
"We certainly don't yearn for death, either. But our race's predicament is so dire that we'd willingly sacrifice our lives. Desperate enough to court death."
Godhand slowly looked over his four subordinates, bound and kneeling behind him.
"I dare say, Your Highness. If you will not take responsibility for us, just kill us here and now."
"..."
"But if you decide to take us in, please be responsible till the end."
"I will take responsibility until the end."
I placed a hand over my chest and vowed.
"I swear upon the blood and name of Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack, the third prince of the Everblack Empire."
"The 8th team of the Aegis Special Forces, as of now, pledges its loyalty to His Highness, Prince Ash."
Cling-
With a sound of rending metal, the chains binding Godhand fell away.
He had bound himself even though he could have escaped at any time.
As Godhand waved his hand, the chains binding his four subordinates were severed too.
The four subordinates slowly removed their gags and blindfolds.
"We are merely one arrow, one bullet, one gust of wind."
Godhand came forward and slowly knelt on one knee in front of me. His four subordinates also knelt, one by one, behind him.
The five special forces members bowed their heads to me in unison.
"Please use us freely and discard us without mercy."
I will never discard you and will treasure you until the end.
I smirked.
Finally, I have secured a decent sub-party.