Chapter 282: Interrogation with Tea
“I want to see the Magic Circle in the Temple.”
As I paused in front of the Temple on my way from the eatery to the inn, I looked up at its structure.
It’s supposed to be a white temple, but the stone has a slight yellow tint. The upper part looks dark, perhaps stained by rain. Though, I wonder if acidic rain even exists in this world.
The Fortress City is older than Kanum, a place built with some level of planning by the kingdom. It has also been modified by ancient Heroes. When I first arrived, I quickly fled, but it’s actually a city with quite a few attractions.
“I guess I’ll be waiting here for a few days. I plan to ask the Vice Guild Master to hurry back when he returns. Since I have some free time, maybe I’ll come back tomorrow?”
“It’s already closing time for the Temple today, and it’s better to visit during daylight,” Dinoss replied, with the Butler cheerfully suggesting the same.
Damn! They’re set on heading straight back to the inn, huh?
“Give it up,” Retze lightly patted my back.
Next to me was Ash—sandwiched between the Butler and Retze. Karn was behind us, and Dinoss led the way, forming an impenetrable formation that got us to the inn in no time.
After buying firewood from the innkeeper, I started a fire in the Fireplace while the Butler and Retze fetched water from the well. Some inns charge for well usage, but this one is free.
The Butler prepared tea, while Retze pulled out his vine sword and soaked it in a bucket for maintenance.
“…It seems correct, yet something feels off,” Dinoss muttered as he observed.
Dinoss and Dean’s swords are designed to burn away dirt with a little infusion of Magic Power.
Ash prefers to maintain his sword before bed unless he’s really worn it out. He does it during watch duty when we’re camping. The Butler remains a mystery.
“Well then. Now that we’re mentally prepared, shall we begin the questioning?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong!” I wanted to protest to Dinoss that I wasn’t mentally prepared at all.
“I can’t see, so I probably wouldn’t even notice if someone confessed to me…” Retze settled onto a bench.
Karn spread his cloak on the floor by the Fireplace and plopped down on it. Speaking of which, Es prefers living on the floor instead of chairs. I really need to make a cloak with a Magic Circle.
The room has a Fireplace but lacks a sofa; it only has two backless benches. It’s more like a room where somewhat wealthy people stay, bringing their own carpets to sleep on the floor.
I moved the benches at the edges of the room to face each other, so Ash and I sat together, while Dinoss and Retze faced us. Normally, the Butler would be slightly behind Ash, but now he was closer to Retze, diagonally in front of him.
“Alright, first off, what did you do to the Former High Priest’s son? The Vice Guild Master fainted, and it looked like Magic Power Depletion, but that wasn’t the only thing going on, right?”
Dinoss was the one asking again, observant as always.
“Well, it seemed like a hassle if he was awake, so I had the Zabuton absorb his Magic Power to induce Magic Power Depletion.”
As expected, with his considerable Magic Power, the Zabuton puffed up a bit.
“Zabuton?”
“That’s the Spirit contracted with the Former High Priest’s son.”
“Does it look like a Zabuton…?” Dinoss looked puzzled.
“Gene, can’t you come up with a better name? I feel like my vague image of Spirits is drifting further away from reality,” Dinoss complained.
“I think having the right image is important too,” Retze chimed in, but I only accept complaints from the person involved.
“That’s not the issue, is it? Can you use other people’s contracted Spirits, Lord Gene?”
“That son didn’t contract it himself; it seemed more like he was bound by an old contract, so I freed it. Asking the Zabuton came afterward.”
Since the Butler was currently asking about the Zabuton, we’ll ignore the White Snake for now.
“Wait. Is it really that easy to break a contract?”
Dinoss covered his face with one hand and held out the other to stop me.
“…And Ash’s Az too…” The Butler glanced at Ash.
“Yeah. Gene was the one who released me and Az from my father’s contract. I’m grateful.”
Ash answered after glancing at me, then teasingly tickled Az’s chest with his fingertips.
“When we fought the Earth-Burrowing Serpent, your Spirit acted on its own, and that was your instruction, right?”
Dinoss asked, half-squinting through his fingers. Did I get caught that quickly!?
“I asked the Spirits around us to absorb Magic Power from anyone visible other than us for recovery and combat support…” I averted my gaze.
“That’s how Spirits attached to people can move? I thought my own Spirit liked me! I’m gonna cry!?”
He already looked like he was on the verge of tears.
The Butler slowly shook his head, looking down. You’re being looked down upon, King Wolf!