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Just moments ago, with a determined expression and tightly sealed lips, as soon as Gilbert appeared, the restrained figure immediately prostrated themselves on the ground.

It was as if they had finally met their savior, sweating profusely, desperately trying to bow even lower.

Gilbert, utterly baffled by this unexpected sight, tried to maintain his composure.

He had planned to take the psychological upper hand before the interrogation, but it seemed unnecessary now.

“Did you think you could survive after inciting a rebellion?”

“I never had the slightest intention of doing so! I would never dare to rebel!”

What kind of story is this?

It was hard to believe the words of the rebel leader who had brazenly invaded Demia Empire Academy twice and caused near-devastating damage.

Yet, there was sincerity in his voice. A desperate will to survive was evident, and outwardly, he seemed genuinely uninterested in rebellion.

Of course, the possibility of this being an act was extremely high.

“Depending on your answer, you might face a comfortable death. Otherwise, it will only be a painful one.”

“Lord Gilbert! I am truly innocent! I am just a third-rate actor!”

Whether it was a genuine fear of death or not, Bandike began to spill everything even before the interrogation started.

Regardless of the truth, his story did have some elements of injustice.

As a third-rate actor, he had only intended to drink some alcohol by playing along with the mood, but his companion happened to be a man with a deep hatred for the Empire.

That man was Brecht, whom Gilbert knew well, and he had shown the initiative to organize the rebellion by making Bandike, who had helped him make his decision, the leader.

From this perspective, Bandike seemed like someone unjustly caught up in the events.

“Even so, as the leader, you were the one who gave the orders.”

“That, that…” Even if becoming the leader wasn’t his choice, it was Bandike himself who gave the orders from that position.

That fact remained unchanged.

“One thing puzzles me. How did Horizon get his hands on the New Resistance?”

“That, that is…”

Bandike hesitated, but upon seeing Gilbert’s piercing gaze and Layla, who was expressionlessly playing with her dagger behind him, he quickly continued.

“We met during the initial attack on Demia Empire Academy.”

What followed from Bandike was, from Gilbert’s perspective, quite absurd.

Seeing the punitive force of the old Resistance, Bandike, terrified, used his acting skills to incite people to fight to the death while he secretly escaped.

When he was about to be caught, Horizon suddenly appeared, rescued him to use him as a figurehead, and from then on, he led the New Resistance as Horizon’s puppet.

Even if it was for survival, Gilbert couldn’t view favorably someone who sent comrades to their deaths and fled alone.

“I, I only did it to survive! I never had any intention of rebelling against the Empire!”

“Lord Gilbert, I don’t think we need to hear any more.”

“True. There’s no useful information here.”

As Gilbert glared at Bandike with cold eyes, he trembled. Despite his desperate struggle to survive, the fear of impending death overwhelmed him.

“W-wait, there’s one more thing I need to tell you!”

Bandike shouted desperately, as if he couldn’t die like this.

But Gilbert had already decided to ignore him. He had confirmed that even if everything Bandike said was true, the information wasn’t particularly helpful.

Even if his words were true, the likelihood that Horizon would have shared more with a third-rate actor like him was extremely low.

“Horizon! There was someone who communicated with that old man!”

As Gilbert was about to leave the basement, Bandike’s desperate shout made him stop and return to his seat.

He wasn’t naive enough to believe the desperate shout completely, but it wouldn’t hurt to listen. After all, extracting information and verifying its truth was the purpose of finding Bandike.

“Who was the person communicating with him?”

Bandike, relieved to have caught Gilbert’s interest, hurriedly spilled what he knew. He knew this was his last chance.

“I don’t know exactly who it is. I only overheard it by chance.”

“You don’t know their identity? What value does that have as information?”

As Gilbert’s eyes sharpened, Bandike’s throat went dry. He needed to be very careful with his next words.

His life depended on it.

“I couldn’t tell who it was, but I could hear some of the conversation. That alone should be valuable!”

“That’s for me to judge. So, what did you hear?”

“Horizon regularly exchanged messages with someone. I don’t know the exact number of times. Based on what I saw, it was about three times, but I only overheard the conversation once.”

There was a slight sense of trust in his straightforward storytelling. Perhaps it was a calculated tactic, but the important thing was that Gilbert wanted to hear more.

“First, the unknown person seemed to be on equal footing with Horizon or possibly subordinate. I couldn’t catch any distinguishing features due to voice modulation magic, but judging by their conversational tone, it’s likely.”

“I can’t imagine that arrogant Great Sage being subordinate to anyone. Still, it would be good to confirm.”

“Exactly! That’s what I wanted to say!”

As Gilbert, who had been listening indifferently, nodded, Bandike’s face, which had been pale with fear, showed a hint of color. He seemed to hold a glimmer of hope for survival.

Perhaps because of this, his tongue loosened, and his words flowed smoothly. The rhetoric that had enchanted countless Resistance members was in full swing.

“Let’s call the unknown person ‘him’ for convenience. He definitely communicated with Horizon regularly. Whether it was one person or multiple, I’m not sure. Of the three times I witnessed, two seemed to be the same person based on accent, but the third was different.”

Gilbert watched Bandike, who seemed to have been enchanted by haste magic, with slight curiosity. As Bandike began to speak fluently, Gilbert found himself strangely drawn into the story.

Glancing up, he saw Layla was the same. However, as a highly trained Ranger, Layla maintained her composure with just a few blinks.

Feeling a sense of dissonance, Gilbert slightly furrowed his brow. The ability to enchant people with words alone in such a short time was impossible without some special trick.

Since the barrier blocking magic at its source was in place here, it was unlikely that any magical means were used. Moreover, all his belongings had been confiscated upon arrest, making it impossible to use any mind-altering incense or artifacts.

That left only one possibility.

This man, Bandike, clearly had a characteristic skill related to rhetoric.

Although Gilbert had discovered a new fact, he quickly refocused on Bandike’s words.

The possibility of him having a characteristic skill was still just a suspicion. Even if it was a highly probable suspicion, Bandike didn’t seem to be consciously using it.

More importantly, the information about Horizon’s collaborator was more critical than Bandike’s potential skill.

“Horizon frequently used the word ‘plan’ with him. Here, ‘plan’ seems to refer to something from the faction he belongs to, separate from the actions of the New Resistance.”

Gilbert recalled the previous monster subjugation mission.

The monsters discovered during the smooth operation were still vivid in his memory. Especially the Monster Ogre, which had brought him to the brink of death, was an unforgettable event.

The Ranger unit dispatched by the Empire had reported that someone had intentionally contaminated them. At the time, there was no clear evidence to pinpoint the mastermind behind the incident.

It was only vaguely suspected to be the work of the New Resistance, who harbored resentment towards the Empire.

Even then, there were doubts about whether they had the means to turn monsters into demonic creatures.

“My guess is that he had a plan separate from the New Resistance. They seemed to coordinate and exchange opinions.”

“Who ordered the demonic creatures during the monster subjugation?”

“I don’t know about that. Horizon ordered me to focus on gathering forces. He only mentioned taking some measures, so it might have been his doing.”

Suddenly, Gilbert’s head ached. While uncovering another faction colluding with Horizon was a gain, the sudden emergence of a third or even fourth faction was troubling.

No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t find any information that fit this situation.

He could only remind himself that this wasn’t within Tactical Combat.

While it was good news to have uncovered their existence, the frustration of not knowing their true identities was immense.

“Do you have any more information?”

“T-that’s all. W-will this count as mitigating circumstances?”

The once smooth rhetoric began to falter.

While he had been determined to survive and spill everything, seeing Gilbert’s expressionless face now made him feel like it was already over.

Sweating profusely and trembling, Bandike’s head snapped up at the sound of the chair scraping the floor.

“The decision is not mine but His Majesty’s. However, the information was indeed helpful, so I will convey that.”

“T-thank you!”

Seeing Bandike bow his head to the ground, Gilbert left the basement with Layla in tow.

As the musty smell of the basement faded, Gilbert’s stiff expression began to relax. Returning to his usual stoic demeanor, he asked Layla, who was still following him.

“Unit Leader Layla. What do you think?”

“Based on heart rate and pupil state, there’s a 70% chance it’s true. He might have a characteristic skill related to rhetoric, but even excluding that, it seems the same.”

“I see.”

As expected of the leader of the elite Ranger unit, the answer came promptly.

Rangers learn a technique called the “Eyes of Truth,” which uses enhanced hearing to detect subtle physical changes and determine the truth. Layla had nearly mastered this skill.

Of course, it was useless against superhumans who could perfectly control their bodily changes, but even they could be read by top-tier Rangers.

The fact that Layla didn’t take any special action during Bandike’s interrogation meant it was unnecessary.

In other words, Bandike’s words were highly likely to be true.

“First, let’s check if there’s more to uncover. At the same time, investigate if Horizon left any traces.”

“Understood.”

With a firm salute, Layla left. Left alone, Gilbert went up to his room to organize his thoughts.

“Lord Gilbert!”

“What is it?”

A servant attending to him urgently called out as he was heading to his room. The urgency in their expression indicated something significant.

“His Majesty has summoned you for an audience immediately after the interrogation.”

“His Majesty? Understood. Prepare to go to His Majesty at once.”

“Yes, sir!”

With the maid’s help, Gilbert straightened his attire and boarded the prepared carriage. The heir, now firmly established, was currently residing in the capital. Fortunately, the Warp Gate had been repaired, so traveling to the capital wasn’t an issue.

Arriving at the Warp Gate, Gilbert, feeling an inexplicable unease, opened the Sub Scenario window. Seraphina’s Twisted Index was still at a dangerous level but had stabilized.

Taking some comfort in that, Gilbert closed the Sub Scenario window and stepped forward as the Warp Gate was ready.

In an instant, a blinding light flashed, and the majestic scenery of the Empire’s capital greeted him.

 

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