Episode 143
"This seems quite far from what you originally intended to say. Shall we get back to the main topic?"
"Hmm, yes."
The idle chatter that had been going on for a while came to an end with Serena's words as she looked with half-open eyes.
'Who was the one who started it first, yet you're acting so high and mighty.'
It was Serena who had veered off topic first while talking, and Ruby had simply chosen to willingly follow the path she had diverged to.
What she needed above all else was time. She had to somehow stall until the Secret Lord arrived.
"By the way, are you really alright? Perhaps there's something you absolutely must do..."
"No, I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."
But that decision became an unexpected thorn that began to prick Ruby.
To Serena, who had an exceptional talent for analyzing human psychology and motives, Ruby, who kept agreeing with her words and interjecting, looked far too suspicious.
And then there was the anxiety she couldn't hide no matter how calm her expression, or her occasionally wavering eyes.
Of course, these were minor clues that ordinary people would miss, but in Serena's mind, those clues were converging into a single conclusion.
'...Is she reading me.'
However, Ruby was no easy opponent either.
'The head of the Moonlight family, and according to the Secret Lord, the Empire's foremost genius. Such a girl personally interrogating me.'
Although she had suffered from repeated unexpected events recently, and today as well had faced considerable disadvantages.
'...Interesting.'
Her true nature was.
[Name: Ruby]
[Abilities: Strength
[Special Notes: Blessing of the Demon God / Avatar Direct Link]
[Alignment: Demon King]
[Goodness Value: -100]
'Very interesting.'
She was the Demon King who would paint the world in terror.
Even if Serena used ingenious strategies and tactics to ravage the Demon King's army, or Irina burned the Demon King's army with overwhelming firepower.
Even if Perloche used holy power and blessings to charge in one-on-one, or Cania poured out enough dark magic to cover the entire continent at once.
Even if Klana manifested the innate power of the sun, releasing vast power like the sun itself.
If she stepped forward, it was clear that all of it would become nothing more than futile struggles in an instant.
"Heup..."
"Ruby? What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing. The night has grown deep, so I just yawned."
That was why, although slightly flustered at first, Ruby was already enjoying this situation.
For her, who had never suffered a single wound due to overwhelming power, always immersed in lethargy and powerlessness.
Experiences like coughing blood and fainting, moments when plans failed, and situations where she was interrogated by humans were all so enjoyable.
'Alright, then... how should I escape this situation.'
However, she didn't intend to just keep enjoying herself idly.
Ruby already had one strike accumulated against her, though she didn't know who had discovered her.
If her identity was exposed to Serena before her eyes, it was certain that her plans would start to face disruptions.
'...Attack her?'
Because of that, Ruby, who was thinking of a way to get out of this situation with a smile, started clenching and unclenching her right hand while having such thoughts, but.
[I must warn you. That person, you cannot attack...]
"Ha."
As a red warning window appeared before her eyes, she sighed and used a skill.
[Goodness Value: 0]
"Serena, you seem to be quite lucky."
"...What do you mean by that?"
And after looking at the information window for a while, Ruby spoke to Serena in a low voice.
"You happened to meet me, who escaped from the slave market. You wouldn't have known I had come out from there."
'...If the goodness value was just a little lower, I would have attacked right away.'
Inside, she was looking at Serena and licking her lips.
"Yes, it is fortunate. I protected someone who was trembling in the alleyway, and that person turned out to be someone who escaped from the slave market."
Serena said to such a Ruby with a gentle voice.
"By any chance, are you a slave?"
"No, that's not it..."
"Then, did you go to buy slaves?"
Feeling the hidden dagger in that gentle voice, Ruby sighed and answered.
"Do you really need to know that?"
"Yes, it's absolutely necessary. It would be nice if you could also tell me what happened at the slave market."
Ruby, receiving Serena's proposal, cleared her throat and fell into thought for a moment.
'If it's impossible for me to attack, then I need to make her launch a preemptive strike against me.'
The 'System' that has been giving her quite a headache recently.
To ignore the restrictions the System placed on Ruby, she had no choice but to find a human with a low goodness value or be preemptively attacked.
"Alright."
So after a brief moment of thought, Ruby made her decision.
"I'll tell you everything."
To break the restrictions of the 'System' that dared to constrain her, she needed to somehow get attacked by Serena.
"Really? That's unexpected. You seemed like someone with many secrets, so I thought you would hide as much as possible."
"Looking at you, it seemed like if I hid anything, I wouldn't even be able to pick up my bones."
Having made up her mind like that, Ruby began to speak while looking at Serena who kept probing her.
"First, my identity is that of a worthless slave who luckily escaped from today's slave escape incident."
"...Is that so?"
Having stated a fake identity she thought of in a split second and observing Serena's reaction, Ruby smiled inwardly and thought.
'She knows about the information that there was a slave escape incident.'
Reading emotions or inner thoughts from the other person's words and expressions wasn't a skill unique to Serena.
Grasping muscle movements with transcendent reflexes, or analyzing psychology based on the opponent's behavior and expressions was merely a basic ability Ruby could accomplish if she set her mind to it.
'But she's suspicious about my identity. Why?'
Having completed her reasoning about Serena based on such abilities, Ruby put on a relaxed expression and began waiting for Serena's reaction.
"You boldly bring up being an 'escaped slave'? You must know well that I'm a noble."
"Being quick on my feet is my specialty. I escaped from that slave market, so do you think I can't escape from here with just you alone?"
As Ruby said that with a calm expression, Serena asked with a suspicious look.
"But revealing your identity doesn't benefit you either. You could have easily lied."
"...I revealed my identity thinking to sell information to you, so I'm offended you'd say that."
Answering naturally like flowing water even against Serena's fierce attack, Ruby cleared her throat and began to whisper.
"One gold coin per question. How about that?"
"...You're not the only one with information, so isn't this a deal where you're losing too much?"
"It's a chance to hear perfect answers from someone who knows everything about this incident. Is that really a losing deal?"
"Hmm..."
At those words, Serena frowned slightly, and Ruby added more, riding the momentum.
"And seeing that you brought me here instead of the slave market... either time is urgent or there's a reason you can't go to the slave market. Isn't that right?"
"...Hmph."
Serena smiled at those words.
"You're quite smart. I like you."
"Using my head to survive has become a habit."
Ruby also smiled at Serena and said, and one gold coin flew toward her.
"First, did all the slaves escape?"
"Yes, every single one of them escaped without exception."
As Ruby said that and closed her mouth, Serena sighed and spoke.
"That answer doesn't seem like information worth one gold coin."
"...Then what should I do?"
"If you mix in information only you know, or information that's hard to obtain, wouldn't I be more inclined to keep giving you gold coins?"
As Serena said that, Ruby answered with a bright smile.
"Alright, then... every single one escaped without exception! We even took a hostage!"
"...A hostage?"
At the word 'hostage', Serena reacted sensitively.
"Yes! The insolent scoundrel noble who kept buying us slaves... Oh, right. Gold coin."
As Ruby, speaking to such a Serena, glanced at her and closed her mouth, a crack appeared in Serena's expression.
'Serena, you're crazy about Frey, aren't you?'
Looking at such a Serena, Ruby began to burst into laughter inside.
'The temporary Lord is quite useful at times like this. She let me catch the weakness of such a clever girl.'
"...Here, the gold coin."
While Ruby was having such thoughts, Serena hurriedly handed her the gold coin.
"Um, sorry but... this is quite valuable information?"
"Yes?"
"Those involved will know anyway, but since the person we kidnapped is of such high status, the information will likely be covered up. So one gold coin isn't enough..."
"I'll give you three."
Seeing Serena hurriedly take out two more gold coins from her pocket, Ruby smiled slightly and thought.
'As expected, she has no information about Frey.'
When explaining about the hostage earlier, she mixed in characteristics of Frey as a 'villain,' and Serena started to become visibly agitated.
In other words, she hadn't yet obtained information about Frey.
"Thank you! Coming along was the right choice!"
"...Please tell me exactly about the hostage, everything you know."
As Ruby, having received money from Serena, spoke with sparkling eyes, Serena urged her with a cold voice.
"Hurry."
Covering her mouth with a fan, wearing a cold expression.
"The hostage had white hair and white eyes, and looked quite frail."
".....!"
"Despite that, they treated slaves roughly, assaulted them, and... bought most of the slaves who tried to escape, earning resentment."
In front of such a Serena, Ruby recited words reminiscent of Frey with a serious expression, and drove a wedge into Serena who stood frozen holding her fan.
"Oh right, they were also carrying a strange-looking staff..."
"...That person, was taken as a hostage?"
At that, Serena quickly interjected into Ruby's words.
"I'm saying this because it seems like someone I know... but surely there should have been a guard protecting that person. And a self-defense weapon too..."
'Right, no matter how weakened by the penalty... if I say someone like Frey was done in by slaves, they would naturally be suspicious.'
Serena interrogated with a voice trembling enough that it wouldn't be heard if one wasn't paying attention, and with strong suspicion in her voice, and Ruby began to answer as if she had expected that.
"Of course there was someone protecting that person, but a fox monster appeared and dragged that person away!"
"...F-fox monster?"
"Yes, that scoundrel tried to do something... but the fox monster used a strange ability, so they couldn't do anything and were defeated!"
At those words, Serena's expression darkened.
"Anyway, that fox monster joined us too, and now we have that noble who was showing off. How about it? Was that satisfactory information?"
"..........."
As if teasing such a Serena, Ruby tilted her head and asked, and she fell into deep silence.
"...By any chance, is there a leader among the slaves?"
Maintaining silence for a while like that, Serena broke the silence with such a question.
"Um, there is... but why do you ask that all of a sudden?"
"I want to contact them personally. Is there perhaps a way to contact..."
Ring ring! Ring ring ring!
At the moment Serena was quickly answering Ruby's words, suddenly a signal sound started ringing from somewhere.
"Oh, just a moment. I'll be right back after taking this call. Please wait a moment."
And at that moment, Ruby shot up from her seat and began heading to the restroom, rummaging through her pocket.
"Even a genius girl, when she falls in love..."
Whispering quietly enough for only herself to hear.
"...becomes a fool, it seems?"
With a face full of mockery.
.
Screech...!
"We've arrived, have a nice day... Argh!"
Having escaped the secret hut and taken a fast carriage, as soon as the carriage reached its destination, Frey threw gold coins at the coachman and leaped outside.
"No matter how I think about it... I'm worried..."
When he first saw the letter, it just felt cute, but as he got closer to the destination, the content of the letter kept weighing on his mind.
"...It was the first time Serena wrote a letter so hurriedly. Why on earth?"
Frey, who was hurrying toward the cafe he had visited before, mulling over the questions he had thrown countless times in the carriage.
"W-what?"
Then stopped in his tracks and began to widen his eyes.
"...Irina?"
"........."
Right in front of the cafe, there was Irina holding dozens of torn magic scrolls.
"Frey."
"Irina, why are you here... Huh?"
Frey tilted his head, wondering why Irina, who should have seen him off earlier and returned to her quarters, was here.
"...Huh!?"
Then stood with his mouth agape, staring ahead.
Blaze...
The cafe, which was the meeting place with Serena, was burning.