“Roa, the reason I called you here is none other than to persuade a certain man to spill his guts.”
Considering he’s only eleven, it might be too early for this.
As his older brother, I feel ashamed, but I have no choice but to rely on Roa.
“P-Persuade?”
“During the previous Apo Operation, we managed to capture one of the Naia Army’s generals, and it seems he was serving under that Barbat.”
“Huh? Why me?”
“Well, that’s where we’re running into trouble. We’ve tried the persuasion tools, but he won’t open his mouth.”
I point to the persuasion tools placed on the table.
Drugs, acids, knives, nail pullers, spiked clubs, saws—various instruments are laid out.
Each of them is vividly stained with dripping blood.
Roa’s face pales as he sees them, and he gasps.
“Isn’t that torture, not persuasion!”
“Well, you could say that. Roa, can you do it?”
“Can I? I-I can’t. Besides, you could easily do it with your Magical Power, right, brother?”
“No, you see, that prisoner seems to have a protective Curse-Seal Magic on him, and I don’t think I can Dispel it.”
‘Curse-Seal Magic’ is magic that uses seals to activate various effects.
It’s used for a wide range of purposes, from light things like hypnosis and contracts to heavy things like sealing the opponent’s Magical Power.
I don’t know the principle, but I think Aquila’s rampage was also an application of this Curse-Seal Magic.
By the way, I’m not very good at ‘Curse-Seal Magic.’
I can do common ‘Demon-Sealing Sigil’ and ‘Righteous Sigil,’ but I find it difficult to Dispel curses or inscribe seals with complex effects.
For me, with my large Magical Power Capacity, it’s like trying to pour water precisely from a one-liter measuring cup into a one-milliliter measuring cup.
That’s why Roa, who is somewhat versed in Curse-Seal Magic, is the right person for the job.
“B-But, torture is…”
“Roa, I hate to say it so harshly, but if you’re a noble, you need to be able to do one or two acts of persuasion as easily as breathing. You understand that, right?”
“N-Not at all.”
Roa, unusually for a male noble, has a compassionate heart and doesn’t like killing.
As a former Earthling who lived in a democracy, I’m completely out of shape.
“Persuasion is packed with all the important elements for a noble. Magical Power control, mental strength, and a compassionate heart—persuasion is the only thing that can train all of them at the same time.”
“What are you talking about, brother?”
Roa sends me a dubious look.
“No, you can’t underestimate it. Controlling vast Magical Power is a major challenge for nobles. Even if you train with your comrades, accidents can happen, and you hold back somewhere, stopping yourself mentally.”
“That’s, well…”
“You can use Magical Power without hesitation on someone unrelated. You can learn through failure how to extract information in the shortest time possible without causing excessive pain, and how much Magical Power you can use before they break. Roa, you should get used to it now.”
“Ugh… but, I’m scared.”
Well, I don’t have much experience either, so I’m not sure if I’m saying the right thing.
I know it’s inhumane, but there are times when you have to accept the good with the bad to protect your House.
“Roa, mother always says, ‘Since you were born into House Ortenos, there will come a time when you have to stand on the battlefield. That’s why you have to gain strength so you don’t die.'”
“I’m… not as strong as you, brother.”
“Roa…”
Roa’s emotions began to waver, riding on his Magical Power.
Maybe he’s strangely conscious of me because I’ve achieved Military Achievements.
Was that tense expression I saw in the office because of that?
If so, as his brother, I should take good care of Roa’s mental state.
“Roa, you might see me as a strong brother, but there are many things I can’t do. The fact that I’m relying on you now is proof of that.”
“That’s not true…”
There’s no doubt that Roa is at the level of a noble who can fight well enough.
However, having me as a comparison nearby has made that standard ambiguous.
I stroke Roa’s head to reassure him.
When I give him a relaxation effect with Magical Power for personal esthetics, Roa’s eyes begin to glaze over.
“Ah, Roa, you’re stronger and more skillful than you think. Do you remember when I taught you Lightning Magic before?”
“Yes, I’ll never forget it.”
“You patiently endured my guidance and mastered Lightning Magic, which even Lord Eukraine couldn’t master. Honestly, I thought it would be difficult for Roa, but you accomplished it. I was really surprised by that.”
The process of learning magic is not particularly systematized.
Some Houses may emphasize book learning.
Of course, Ortenos is a very physical House that believes in learning magic with the body, so both Roa and I received that baptism at a young age.
Since I only knew that method, I had no choice but to make Roa learn by hammering Lightning Magic into him.
“At that time, I was desperate to catch up with you, brother. Besides, I could endure your magic as much as you wanted…”
“I-Is that so?”
“Ugh… but, no matter how hard I try, I can’t catch up with you, brother. You’re… always out of my reach.”
Roa puts his head against my chest and snuggles up to me.
I put my hand on Roa’s shoulder.
–For some reason, I smelled Princess White Lily from Roa.
No matter how you look at it, it’s a girl’s scent.
In my mind, Roa is unconsciously being inputted as a girl.
“Are you worried even though I’m so close?”
“Y-You’re unfair, brother. You suddenly achieve great Military Achievements, and before I knew it, you were loved by all the Military Officials… It’s like you’ve gone far away again.”
“Roa, I’ve been watching you all along.”
“Eh…”
Roa’s cheeks are flushed, and his eyes are moist with expectation.
“Roa sees the people around him better than anyone else. That’s why I think you’ve been working hard at various training to fill in the areas I’m not good at, but am I mistaken?”
“H-How did you know that…”
“Roa is my precious family, so I know you better than anyone else.”
I imagine myself as a reliable older brother and give a refreshing smile.
“Ugh… brother, you’ve been watching me that much.”
Roa hugs me tighter.
Roa, with his moist eyes and heavy breathing, is nestled in my chest, and our bodies are close together.
I strongly felt a familiar body odor and the scent of perfume from around Roa’s ear.
(This is bad, a-at this rate…!)
–Physiological phenomenon.
Right now, I recognize Roa as a complete beautiful girl.
Who could blame me for reacting reflexively?
My dignity as an older brother is being tested in a different sense than with Elmia.
“Ah, brother? Something’s hitting my stomach…”
Roa has noticed the abnormality.
If it’s discovered, there’s no way to make excuses.
Considering the times, it’s a bomb that could get me exiled from noble society like Barbat.
In that case–I have no choice but to gloss over it.
“It’s a Star Tool I put in my pocket. Don’t worry about it.”
“Eh? It feels a little warm…”
Roa says, touching my Star Tool.
“That’s not possible. It’s just a Star Tool.”
“Eh? It has a core, but it’s kind of elastic…”
Roa says, squeezing my Star Tool.
“That’s the kind of Star Tool it is.”
“B-But…”
“Star Tool.”
“…Y-Yes.”
I silenced Roa sharply.
Phew, it may have been a bit forceful, but I managed to push through somehow.
If I had been stimulated any further, things would have really gotten out of hand.
Roa still has a suspicious look on his face, but I’ll change the subject.
“Ahem… going back to the story from before, I don’t want to be mean to Roa. So of course, I won’t force you. If it’s difficult for Roa, I’ll just try to persuade him myself as a last resort.”
“Ugh… you’re unfair as always, brother.”
“Roa?”
Roa is pouting a little, looking sulky.
“…I understand. It’s your request, brother, and I’ll try.”
“Is that so, thank you, Roa! Then let’s introduce you right away–“
I open the curtains of the section where the prisoner is being held.
What Roa saw there was–a middle-aged man with a blindfold and a gag, tied to a chair.
“Mmm~~~mm~~~!”
There are blood stains on his clothes and the floor, but there are no signs of injuries on his body.
Roa guesses that he was tortured and then given Healing Magic.
However, only his head had become like a burnt field.
“Eek!”
Roa let out a small scream at the prisoner’s groan.
Seeing Roa shrinking back and looking teary-eyed, I smirked a little.
“Naia Kingdom’s Staff Officer—Nephthys-kun.”