Interlude 2: Glen

After finishing Chelsea’s questioning, I took the chef Micah along with me to the prison tower on the east edge of the citadel. This was where the men we caught yesterday were being held.

Yesterday, I had used my [Appraise] Skill to get the men’s personal information, like their names, jobs, and ages. I’d also had the knights investigate them themselves, but not a single one of the attackers gave up their reasoning for visiting the Wisteria Villa or taking Chelsea and the others hostage.

I had no other choice than to bring Micah out. While she was a chef with the [Cooking] Skill, she also had the Sage-level [Interrogation] Skill as well.

I had asked the foxwoman if she could use her Skill, and she’d gripped her fist tightly and declared, “Since I wasn’t able to be there for Chelsea when she was in trouble, I’ll do my best to make up for it~!”

And so, we walked into the interrogation room with her all ready to go. Inside, the plump man who’d been caught by the huge Venus flytrap sat with a Mana Sealing bracelet on him. I looked to the knight who had been questioning him prior, but he just shook his head. It seemed they were keeping just as silent as the day before.

While heaving a sigh, I switched places with the knight and sat in front of the man. “Double-checking here, but your name is what?”

The man didn’t answer my question, looking off to the side silently. I heaved another sigh.

“Your name is Bacchus, you’re twenty-eight years old, and you used to be a peddler—but your current class is ‘Worshiper of the Proxy, Driven by Envy,’” I said, reading off his appraised stats, and...he finally looked at me. “Looks like you’re fine. Since you have no status ailments, you should be able to talk.”

Bacchus looked incredibly unhappy when I said that.

“Worshiper of the Proxy, Driven by Envy.” The same class as the swindler who had gotten Radzuel’s former emperor to chop down all its Spirit Trees. Thinking back, the swindler had a blessing called “Ash of the Spirit Tree of Origin,” but Bacchus didn’t.

“So you don’t have the blessing, huh?”

“How did you—” He stood up from his chair. Anyone could tell how shaken he was at that statement.

The effect of “Ash of the Spirit Tree of Origin” was the ability to teleport and transfer, and also protection from the effects of miasma. Not a single one of the men we’d brought to the prison tower had it. Did that mean that the ones who did teleported away?

“So the blessed abandoned you?”

Bacchus’s face went bright red at my leading question.

“Yeah, they did! They used us as bait and ran away!” he yelled, glaring at the table. “Us neophytes don’t have the blessing, and those with it always treat us like trash! And, unable to bear seeing it, the attendant told us that if we show that we’re useful, he would ask Her Lady the Proxy to bless us as well!”

“And how were you going to be useful?”

“We were—” The man suddenly seemed to realize something. “I can’t... I can’t forgive those bastards, but I won’t betray Her Lady the Proxy!” he said before snapping his mouth shut.

From what he’d just said, there were others. I needed to press him further.

“I’d like for you to take over for the rest, Micah,” I said, looking over to her.

She nodded, pumping her fists up. “I’m on it~!”

I stood up, and Micah took my place sitting. After taking a big breath, she straightened up. “Micah will now use her skill [Interrogation]. Please answer in detail,” the foxwoman said in a tone completely different from her usual. “Bacchus, what was the purpose of your group’s visit to the Wisteria Villa?”

“To gain access to a strengthening herb from the botanical gardens and bring it to our comrades.” The words slipped from Bacchus’s mouth, much to his shock.

One of the plants growing in a corner of the gardens had been completely pulled up. When we checked with Marquis Wisteria, we learned it was a strengthening herb. They worked like nutritional pick-me-ups in my past life, by strengthening you for a period before draining you completely afterwards. And just like curing meat, they took a day after harvesting for them to have any effects. The effect would also weaken the longer they were kept. Why would they want a herb so hard to use and difficult to distribute?

Micah seemed to have the same question. “What were you planning on using the herbs for?”

“To feed the monsters we keep,” answered Bacchus, shaking so much his teeth chattered.

“And what would happen if you fed the herbs to them?”

“When they’re overfed with the herbs, they get so energized that they go into a rage.”

Shocked, I looked over to Micah. She nodded and continued using her [Interrogation] Skill.

“What were you planning on using the monsters for?”

Bacchus covered his mouth with his hands, trying to stop himself from talking, but the words easily came through. “We’d destroy the Spirit Tree of Origin and assassinate the pink-haired girl.”

The moment I heard that, I gave Bacchus an icy look. When he noticed, he became blatantly terrified.

“Why don’t you tell us more?”

After that, I had Micah use her [Interrogation] right up until she was dry on mana, and we learned exactly when and where they were planning on doing things.

＋＋＋

“Using Micah’s [Interrogation] Skill, we’ve learned the men’s goal.”

Once the interrogation was over, I headed back to Chelsea’s personal lab and spoke to Ele in his Spirit form.

“Their first goal is destroying the Spirit Tree of Origin within the citadel. Their second is assassinating Chelsea.”

“Why would they target them?” Ele murmured, furrowing his brow. Outside of the window were the glass-like leaves and trunk of the Spirit Tree of Origin, sparkling red in the setting sun.

“Shouldn’t you know the reason the best out of all of us?”

Ele looked down, sighing. “I know that the Proxy is involved.”

As the King of Spirits, Ele could see a target’s information just like the [Appraise] Skill being used.

“The Proxy’s attendant apparently ordered both the Tree destroying and Chelsea’s assassination because ‘The Proxy would be happy.’” When I told Ele what Bacchus had said, the Spirit sounded depressed.

“If the Spirit Tree of Origin is destroyed, I would be forced back to the Spirit World. If Lady Chelsea were killed, I would lose my contractor and have no reason to stay here,” explained Ele, sighing deeply. “I wonder if the Proxy hates me...”

“I wonder too... The one who gave the order was the attendant, not the Proxy herself,” I said, and Ele’s expression grew harsh.

“So She is being used?”

“I’d like to ask her that myself.”

Spirit Ele put a hand to his lips. “It may cause Lady Chelsea some concern, but I should go see the Proxy...”

“Let’s focus on catching the guys who are after the Spirit Tree and Chelsea first.”

The Spirit nodded, before addressing me. “Glen. Did you not put a barrier around the Spirit Tree?”

“I did.”

“And you gave Lady Chelsea a ring with defensive magic, yes?”

“Yep. Neither the Tree nor Chelsea will ever be harmed,” I declared. “The worshipers with blessings should be bringing their monsters tonight.”

The effects of the strengthening herbs would only begin appearing after midday today, and Bacchus had told us that the worshipers wore black to blend in with the darkness. That meant that they’d put their plan into action tonight.

“We’ll have to teach them that any attempts against us are futile,” said Spirit Ele with a chuckle. I gave him a strong nod back.