Mithra sat in a simple room, guarded by Sun City's official Guard Corps.
After a while, a tall man entered. He had a strong build and a stern expression, wearing red and gold armor.
"Greetings, Enchanting Land citizen. I'm Nino, captain of Sun City's border guard," the man said, nodding slightly.
Mithra nodded in response. He approached.
"I apologize, you may be innocent, but Sun City hasn't seen such a serious incident in years. I must fulfill my duty," Nino said.
"I'll cooperate," Mithra replied.
"Thank you."
Then came the interrogation.
Unlike the relatively straightforward questioning at the Planet Blue resettlement center, Sun City seemed determined to extract every detail from Mithra, even unrelated ones.
Mithra found it amateurish and unnecessary, but she couldn't protest as a suspect.
"What do you know about the suspect?" Nino asked.
This was relevant, so Mithra answered honestly. "Not much. I only heard some rumors," and she relayed the information she had gotten from Leo Duncan.
Nino frowned. "A Flesh Transmutation cult? What can they do with Flesh Transmutation?"
"I'm not sure. At least, they can reshape their bodies at will, like clay,"
Nino nodded. Then another guard approached and whispered something to him.
After the report, the guard left. Nino turned back to Mithra. "Unfortunately, we haven't found any trace of the Flesh Transmutation believers you mentioned near the scene. While the scene shows signs of a fight, it's not enough to clear you."
Mithra tilted her head, questioning.
"No one saw those five Flesh Transmutation believers before or after the incident?"
"Unfortunately, no one saw any suspicious individuals before or after. There are only a few eyewitness accounts from the time of the incident, but most people were focused on escaping, so there's little reliable testimony," Nino shook his head.
"Theoretically, these people appeared and disappeared out of nowhere, except during the explosion?" Mithra asked.
Nino nodded.
Mithra paused, then said, "Could they have used disguise?"
"Huh?"
"Flesh Transmutation isn't just for combat. I think they could easily transform themselves into someone else," Mithra offered.
"...You have a point, but we still need to investigate. Until the investigation concludes, your movements will be restricted," Nino seemed to accept Mithra's theory, but his position prevented him from drawing conclusions.
"Oh," Mithra replied indifferently.
After asking a few more questions and receiving her answers, Nino bid farewell.
A guard was assigned to monitor Mithra, who was effectively under house arrest.
When Leo Duncan, Nie Hong, and a female advisor arrived, they found Mithra playing with her weapons.
Four swords were arranged around a hammer.
Mithra shifted one of the swords. "Evil Hammer Overlord, we, the four Creepy Swords, have overcome countless hardships to challenge you!"
Then, shifting the hammer, she whispered, "Ha ha, four puny little swords dare challenge the Hammer Overlord? I'll beat you back to your big sword mommy!"
Mithra looked up and calmly put down her weapons. "Oh, you're here."
"Ahem, it seems that wasn't a problem after all," Leo Duncan said, clearing his throat.
"She made it look pretty easy," Nie Hong added.
The female advisor was utterly confused. What was going on?
She decided to get straight to the point.
"Sun City isn't willing to let you go, mainly because you're not officially a Planet Blue citizen yet. Your background is still unclear to us, and this is hard to explain to Sun City," the advisor, whose surname was Cí, said seriously.
"Yes, the captain told me something similar," Mithra nodded.
"My identity is easy to verify, but they're ignoring your testimony. Even in Sun City, with its long history and reputation, they still don't trust people from the Enchanting Land when things get serious," Leo Duncan said, ruffling his now-tidy hair.
"But they can't just assume Mithra is guilty, can they? That's too hasty," Nie Hong reassured.
"Hard to say," Advisor Cí's face was grim. "This has happened many times. When Planet Blue citizens are involved in conflicts, even without evidence, if the suspicion is similar, Planet Blue citizens are often found guilty due to their status."
"It can be like that?" Nie Hong exclaimed.
"Typical Planet Blue," Mithra said impassively, nodding in agreement.
"I don't know what's 'typical' about it, but Planet Blue isn't going to help you. You should be worried," Leo Duncan said seriously.
"But she's taking the societal integration exam soon! Once she passes, she's a Planet Blue citizen!" Nie Hong quickly added.
"But she's not yet. Planet Blue has cultivated relations with Sun City for a long time. They're unlikely to ruin that reputation because of this. Sun City holds the power," Leo Duncan calmly explained.
He muttered to himself, "I wonder if my family's influence can help..."
Advisor Cí continued, addressing Mithra. "But don't worry too much. You were caught up in this because you tried to save one of our students. We'll do our best to help."
Mithra didn't respond.
She hadn't actually been trying to save Leo Duncan. She had been looking for excitement and, having encountered an old "acquaintance", had decided to fulfill her promise to break that guy's neck.
"I have a question," Mithra said after a moment of silence.
"Ask," Advisor Cí replied.
"If I attack Sun City, will Planet Blue still accept me?" Mithra asked casually.
A moment of silence filled the room.
Leo Duncan, and even Nie Hong couldn't help but chuckle.
"Honestly, if Sun City tries to convict you, you can just run away. Our university will back you up," the advisor said.
Leo Duncan's tone lightened. "If it comes to that, my family's influence is sufficient."
Nie Hong said, "This is the style that suits you best."
The guards nearby: ...
They were silently sweating.
Could you keep your conspiracy whispers in Enchanting Land's language?!