by Hyougetsu
In other words, if he didn’t give his name it would prove he had been doing something shady. Which meant there were ample grounds to execute him. It seemed this man was no idiot, and he understood that too.
“My name is Kozun... I’m the branch manager...for the Lafour company’s western branch.”
The Lafour company was one of the merchant guild’s most influential members. And this Kozun was apparently the manager of one of their stores. Perfect. It shouldn’t be too hard to get the rest out of him now. Once someone gave into fear and confessed even the smallest of details, squeezing other information out of them became easy. Because after they’d divulged one thing, they lost the ability to judge what they should and shouldn’t keep quiet about.
“The western branch you’re talking about, is that general store with the pointed yellow roof? The other traders told me how they admire your fair business practices.”
“Th-Thank you...”
It was my job to engage in friendly banter and get him to lower his guard. Meanwhile, Monza should still have been glaring sharply at him from behind. I could tell from Kozun’s expression, that she was doing a good job.
“The Lafour company has done a lot to assist us in keeping the peace within Ryunheit. You have my thanks for that.” The unsaid implication was, of course, that his boss was one of my subordinates. No shopkeeper would want to go against their employer. After reminding Kozun of his position as one of my conquered citizens, I returned to questioning him. “I’ll ask you one more time. Are you sure you weren’t trying to assassinate one of my werewolves?”
“I-I wasn’t! I swear!”
The man hurriedly shook his head. It looked like he was done staying quiet. I grinned wolfishly and said, “If that really is the case, the demon army won’t do anything to punish you. Naturally, we will do no harm to your family or your career, either.”
Once again, the unsaid implication was that if he was plotting something, he and his family would be slaughtered. Veiled threats went a long way in teaching people their place. Still smiling, I continued applying the pressure.
“If you’re telling the truth, we’ll let you go back to your family, and this will all end as a simple misunderstanding.” I patted the man on the shoulder reassuringly, before delivering the final blow. “Oh yes, I’ll return your silver knives to you as well. I’m sure you need them for your work. But it’s easy to lose something this small, so you shouldn’t walk around with them too much.”
In other words, I was saying “Stop skulking around with these.” The man nodded vehemently. With this, he’d probably learned his lesson. If he hadn’t, well then I’d just kill him next time he tried anything. I’d prefer not to, but if I had to play the villain to maintain control, I would.
After that, I interrogated the remaining men one by one. Each one gave me a little more information to work with. The second interview went like this: “I heard quite a few interesting things from Mr. Kozun.”
I laid my elbows on the table and crossed my arms. The man sitting in front of me withered.
“U-Umm...did he say anything about my...”
I grinned.
“As long as you speak truthfully, you’ll be allowed to return home safe and sound. But if you tell even one lie...”
Behind me, Monza began transforming into her werewolf form. The young man nearly fainted then and there.
“Are we clear?”
His interrogation went rather smoothly. However, like Kozun before him, he clammed up when I asked him what they were doing there. Whatever secret they may have been hiding, a little intimidation wasn’t enough to wring it out of them. Hmm, what to do?
After the last interrogation was finished, Monza tapped her notepad thoughtfully and muttered, “They’re all different ages and have different jobs. I was convinced they’d be part of the same pack, but now I’m not so sure.”
“The second guy definitely sounded like he knew the first. All the other prisoners seem to know each other, too.” I looked into my mirror and straightened out my appearance. “There’s no way a bunch of guys who happened to be in the same place, all carrying silver knives, don’t know each other. They’re definitely hiding something.”
Monza looked up from her notepad and smirked.
“Should we torture ’em, then?”
I shook my head in response.
“If we go too far, the citizens will start to resent us. I think this is as far as we can go for now. Let’s set them free.”
“H-Huh? Are you sure?” Monza asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She probably wanted to have some fun with them. Fortunately, I knew just how to cheer her up.
“Don’t worry, we’re not letting them go just like that. I want you to tail them all for the rest of the day.”
“Aha, so that’s how it is. Sounds like fun.” Monza clapped her hands and grinned. But then a second later she tilted her head in confusion. “Wait, I’ve only got four people in my squad...”
“Don’t worry, I’ll let you have Vodd and Hamaam’s squads for this. Split into pairs and make sure one of you is watching your target at all times. Got it?”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
I left the rest to Monza and returned to my room.
“Sir Veight!”
As I’d expected, Airia came running up to me not long after I returned. Fahn was standing behind her, shrugging her shoulders. Looks like a lot happened while I was down there. Airia’s complexion was pale, and she was clearly flustered. Though I suppose that was to be expected. She was currently following the demon army’s orders, and that demon army had just annihilated an army comprised of her former allies. That put her in a complicated position.
“I heard there was a battle outside the city. Please tell me the details! Also, who are those men you took into custody?”
I bade her to take a seat and sat down myself before starting my explanation.
“A Thuvan army of 400 men attacked the city, so I sent my forces out to intercept them. The men I captured were ones I found skulking around the northern gate during the battle. They were all armed with silver knives.”
“Silver knives?” Airia looked confused for a moment, but then it dawned on her. “Don’t tell me, they were trying to attack your men!?”
“I don’t know for sure yet, but that seems to be the most likely explanation.”
I purposely said that as nonchalantly as possible and leaned back in my chair. Growing even more flustered, Airia pleaded, “P-Please show them mercy. I don’t want to see my citizens’ blood spilled in the streets.”
“Believe me, Lady Airia, I don’t either.” I grinned wickedly and said, “To be honest, I’d rather not have killed those Thuvan soldiers either. But as one of the Demon Lord’s vice-commanders, I am duty-bound to fight.”
I gauged her reaction before continuing.
“Likewise, as I hold this city in the Demon Lord’s name, I am required to punish any who would defy his rule. Do you understand?”
I purposely phrased my words in a way to make her think that I would execute them. Though in truth I was letting them go so I could find out who was the mastermind behind the operation. The blood drained from Airia’s face.
“W-Wait! Please! At least investigate further!”
“Unfortunately, maintaining public security is of more importance than confirming their guilt. I have no choice but to punish anyone who seems suspicious.”
Airia looked like she might faint. Unfortunately, I hadn’t come here to make friends. If necessary, I’d use coercion to get what I wanted. Though if I pushed too hard, I’d achieve the opposite of what was desired, hence why I offered Airia a deal.
“That being said, these men haven’t done anything yet. And so, their lives are still hanging by a single thread.”
The story of the spider’s thread flashed through my mind as I said that. To be honest, I did think this was an underhanded way of handling matters, but considering what they’d attempted, I’d say it
was warranted. By all rights, I should have executed them then and there. Airia waited for my verdict with bated breath. A part of me enjoyed seeing her terrified expression.
“I have no reason to let would-be assassins go free, but I do owe you a debt for assisting us in patrolling the city. I suppose I can be merciful, just this once.”
“Th-Thank you very much...”
Airia breathed a sigh of relief and slumped onto the table. Was she really that nervous? Well either way, I’ve repaid my debt to her now. Seeing as I wasn’t planning on killing them either way, you could say what I’d done was devious. But at the end of the day, that was how negotiating worked. Besides, I was a devious person. So I made sure to get as much as I could out of this exchange.
“However, I would like you to make sure no else tries to do the same. If anyone tries something like this again, it won’t end with just their arrest.”
That wasn’t an empty threat, either. I was serious. If anyone tried to hurt me or my men again, I’d slaughter them without mercy. It seemed Airia realized I wasn’t bluffing either, as she hurriedly nodded and said, “Understood. I’ll make sure everyone under my command knows not to defy the Demon Lord’s army. Most of the citizens have been told already.”
“Thanks for your cooperation.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how much weight her word had, but it wouldn’t be wise to ask for more. The most important thing about getting what you wanted through threats was knowing when to quit. If you push too hard, you lose everything. All that was left now was to see what Monza and the others found.
Three days passed before Monza came to knock on my door.
“Commander, are you free?”
“Yes, come in.”
Monza slipped into the room without making a sound. Despite appearances, she was a master hunter. She pulled out a bundle of documents and placed them on my desk.
“This is everything we found out about the six guys we trailed. To sum it up, they’re all members of the Sonnenlicht Order. They all go to the same shrine for worship, and they always go at the same time. That’s the only connection between them that we could find.”
“I see.”
So, the common thread between them was the order. In which case, the surprise attack from a few days ago suddenly made sense. Unless they’d breached the main gates, Thuvan’s archers would have been useless. No one would have attempted such a reckless tactic unless they had some reason to believe the gates wouldn’t pose a problem.
Monza grinned and asked, “Want me to kill ’em all for you?”
By ‘all’, she was referring to the Sonnenlicht Order in its entirety. It seemed like overkill, but for demons that was normal. Anyone who bared their fangs at the strong had to be prepared for death. However, I didn’t want to take such a hardline approach with humans. It would just make the city hate us.
I shook my head and said, “Don’t eat your chicken until it’s laid eggs. Let’s monitor the situation for a while longer.”
“Tch.”
Monza clicked her tongue in displeasure. She was being pretty cheeky toward her boss. But I knew that was just her way of venting her frustration. So I grinned evilly and said, “I want you to keep an eye on Yuhit... That guy who runs the Sonnenlicht Order. If he does anything suspicious, report to me right away. Also, find out his history; I want to know if he has any connections to Thuvan.”
“Aye, aye, sir,” Monza said with a lazy salute.
It turned out I was right to mistrust Yuhit. Apparently, the man who had been appointed bishop of the Ryunheit flock had originally come from Thuvan; he had been serving as a deacon in Thuvan before his promotion to bishop of Ryunheit. Naturally, that meant he knew a good number of people there. Furthermore, more than half of the Meraldian soldiers stationed in each city were devout followers of Sonnenlicht. And if that wasn’t enough, Monza had brought even more proof.
“Also, it turns out those six guys are huge fans of Yuhit. They’re some of his most zealous missionaries. All of the nonbelievers aren’t very fond of them.” Monza idly sniffed the tea leaves in my room as she gave her report.
“Oi, those are my favorite leaves. Don’t leave the container open, you’ll weaken the aroma.”
It had taken ages to find tea in this world that resembled Japanese tea. I snatched the box out of Monza’s hands and locked it inside my desk drawer.
Monza scowled and grumbled, “Don’t be so stingy, Boss. Anyway, what do you want me to do next? Can we finally...”
“Afraid not.”
I smirked and said, “From now on, I’ll handle the bishop. You go back to watching the six men. I’ll be taking Jerrick’s squad with me to see Yuhit.”
“Why? Oh, are you going to kill him yourself?”
“No... Why do you want to kill him so badly, anyway?”
Perhaps killing for the sake of it was natural for demons, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept that way of thinking. I opened another one of my desk drawers and took out a sealed envelope.
“I’ll deal with humans the human way. Don’t worry, just leave it all to me.”
“But you’re a werewolf too, Commander.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
There were multiple Sonnenlicht shrines scattered throughout Ryunheit, but only one temple where official ceremonies were held. Ryunheit’s temple was a majestic stone edifice.
I’d come during the night, so the only illumination was a series of lamps leading to the temple entrance. The flickering of the lamps caused the giant sun carved into the arch above the entrance to glow with a mystical light. I ascended the stone staircase and told the guards at the front door that I wished to meet with the bishop.
“Veight, Vice-Commander of the Demon Lord’s third regiment humbly requests an audience with the bishop, Yuhit.”
I was led into an opulent waiting room, where I sat and waited for Yuhit. After a few minutes, the old man entered the room.
“My apologies for the delay. The evening prayers ran late.”
“Oh no, it’s my fault for coming here unannounced.”
Now then, let the battle begin. I started by apologizing for imprisoning six of his followers. This was a light jab to see how he’d react.
“As it was an emergency, I had no choice but to thoroughly investigate the six men’s backgrounds. While it may have been necessary, please forgive me for my rudeness.”
“Oh no, you have nothing to apologize for.”
Hmm, he doesn’t seem too shaken. I didn’t smell any emotion from him either. Seeing as he was a bishop who led over 1000 people, I suppose it made sense that he wouldn’t be easily read.
“By the way, is it true that you hail from Thuvan?”
I didn’t miss the slight twitch in his eyebrows. However, his voice remained calmer than a still lake.
“It is indeed. Why do you ask?”
Trying to play dumb until the bitter end, huh? I was the one in a position of strength here. If he wanted to feign innocence, I had no obligation to indulge him.
“Bishop Yuhit, did you incite Thuvan’s Sonnenlicht followers into attacking us?”
He didn’t bother to deny it. He just fell silent, probably because he knew I wouldn’t believe him even if he did deny it. After a moment, Yuhit heaved a weary sigh and muttered, “Back in Thuvan, I used to raise pigeons inside the temple.”
I didn’t do anything to interrupt him, and he continued.
“When I came here to Ryunheit, I brought some of those pigeons with me. They still remember the route to Thuvan’s pigeon house.”
Ah, so he used carrier pigeons, basically. This time, it was Yuhit who asked me a question.
“Are you going to kill me?”
I didn’t answer his question. Instead, I said, “Because of you, I was forced to fight four hundred men I held no grudge against—and killed all of them.”
At that, Yuhit paled. It had been a battle on the open plains, so Yuhit probably thought most of them had retreated. I
n truth, had it been a normal battle they probably would have after losing 100 or so of their number.
“A-All of them?”
The bishop’s voice trembled. I grinned wolfishly, intimidating him further.
“You seem to have underestimated us, bishop. The Demon Lord shows no mercy to those who defy him.” I watched him drown in despair for a few seconds before leaning close and saying, “Opposing us was a foolish move, bishop. But I have to know, why did you feel the need to go so far? Was granting you freedom of religious expression not enough?”
Yuhit sighed again and scratched his cheek.
“Humans...”
He trailed off. Then, gathering his resolve, he pushed forward.
“Humans can never allow themselves to be ruled by another race!”
Ahhh, I see now. As a former human, I could understand his feelings. Having to submit to werewolves was likely a vexing experience. So instead of getting angry, I simply asked about what I needed to know.
“Is that your opinion as a leader of the Sonnenlicht Order?”
Yuhit shook his head.
“Of course not. It’s simply my own personal stance.”
“Funny, isn’t it? Even though you hate us so much the very thought of cooperating with us disgusts you, you lack the power to drive us away.”
I gave him a sardonic smile. Whether he lived or died was up to me. If I felt like it, I could send his head rolling across the crimson carpet right now. Despite that, Yuhit didn’t flinch. He stared me in the eyes and said, “It is humans, not demons, who deserve to rule this world. Just as they have for centuries.”
Any other demon would have scoffed at him, but I understood his pride. That being said, we were the ones who were controlling Ryunheit through force. Mere words wouldn’t be enough to wrest that control out of our hands. Moreover, the fact that he refused to accept demon rule meant that I couldn’t meet his demands. I may have been a former human, but that didn’t mean I was just going to give him whatever he wanted. Now that I understood his stance, I knew there was no point in discussing things any further. I brought my face to within inches of his and gave him the most malevolent grin I could. I’d practiced evil grins for just this kind of moment.
