Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Chapter 82

"Questioning her now won’t get us anywhere," Hunter G replied, keeping his tone steady. "She’s already suspicious of the Guild, and the snake Beastman guarding her won’t make things any easier. If we want answers, we need to approach this carefully."

Berthanon stared at him for a moment before leaning back in his chair. He didn’t look pleased, but he eventually let out a long sigh and reached for the bell on his desk.

"Bring us some tea."

A servant entered a few minutes later, carrying a tray with two cups. She placed them on the desk and withdrew without saying a word, leaving the two men alone again.

Berthanon picked up his cup, took a sip, and then motioned toward the other one. "Drink."

Hunter G glanced at the tea but didn’t reach for it. "I’m fine. I don’t need anything."

Berthanon’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Are you still afraid I’ll poison you?"

Hunter G’s expression stiffened, but he said nothing.

The old man chuckled and pushed the cup closer to him. "Come now, Hunter G. If you can’t even drink a cup of tea in my presence, how do you expect us to trust each other? I thought we’d already settled that little misunderstanding. Or do you still believe I’d waste my time trying to poison you?"

Hunter G knew better than to believe a word that came out of Berthanon’s mouth. Unfortunately, refusing the tea would only give the old man another reason to suspect him, and he couldn’t afford to let their conversation turn into an argument before he understood what Berthanon wanted so he picked up the cup and drank.

The tea was slightly bitter, but he didn’t think much of it at first. He placed the empty cup back on the desk and watched Berthanon, waiting for him to explain why he had insisted on meeting so urgently.

Berthanon folded his hands together. "Good. Now, about the girl."

Hunter G’s stomach tightened.

"I’ve already arranged for a memory search to be performed on her," Berthanon announced casually. "The equipment is ready, and the technicians are waiting. Once she’s brought in, we’ll be able to see what she’s hiding and get the information we need."

Hunter G’s expression changed immediately. "No."

Berthanon raised an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"I said no. You can’t do that to her."

For a moment, the office went silent. Then Berthanon threw his head back and laughed, as though Hunter G had just told him the funniest joke he had heard in years.

"You can’t do that to her?" he repeated mockingly. "Since when did you become so concerned about a girl you barely know?"

"She’s injured, and the procedure could damage her mind. You know the risks as well as I do. If you want information from her, let me talk to her first. There’s no need to force a memory search on someone who hasn’t even recovered from her injuries."

Berthanon’s laughter faded. "You’re forgetting your place."

"I’m not forgetting anything," Hunter G shot back. "I’m telling you that this is unnecessary. We have other ways to get what we want, and forcing the procedure on her now could destroy the very information you’re trying to obtain."

Berthanon studied him with an expression that had lost every trace of amusement. He seemed almost disappointed, as if Hunter G had failed a test he hadn’t known he was taking.

Then the old man leaned forward. "You really think you have a choice here?"

Hunter G didn’t answer, but his silence was enough.

Berthanon tapped the desk once, his smile returning. "Let me explain something to you. The memory search is happening whether you agree or not. You can stand there and object all you want, but it won’t change a thing. So I suggest you stop wasting my time and do as you’re told."

"I’m not agreeing to this," Hunter G said firmly. "I brought her here so she’s under my charge. If you want to do anything to her, you need permission from me and I’m not giving it to you."

Berthanon’s smile widened. "Then I suppose you won’t be needing the antidote."

Hunter G went still. For a second, he wondered whether he had heard correctly. He stared at Berthanon, searching his face for some sign that the man was bluffing, but the old bastard merely reached for his cup and took another leisurely sip of tea.

"What did you say?"

"The tea you just drank contained a poison," Berthanon explained, sounding almost bored. "It’s a particularly unpleasant one, and once it enters the bloodstream, it begins attacking the body. Without the antidote, you’ll have approximately nine hours before it kills you."

Hunter G felt his blood run cold. He looked down at the empty cup on the desk, then back at Berthanon. The bitter taste suddenly made sense, and so did the old man’s insistence that he drink it. He had been so focused on getting Berthanon to reconsider the memory search that he hadn’t even considered the possibility that the tea was poisoned.

Berthanon watched the realization settle over his face. "Now, don’t look at me like that. I gave you a chance to make this easy, but you insisted on being difficult. All you have to do is cooperate, and you’ll receive the antidote. Refuse, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself."

Hunter G’s hands curled into fists at his sides. "You planned this before I even arrived."

"Of course I did. Did you honestly believe I’d leave something this important to chance?"

Berthanon stood and walked around his desk, stopping close enough that Hunter G could see the smug satisfaction in his eyes.

"You will make sure that girl gives us the information we need. You will make sure we learn where she obtained the Star Glow Herbs, and you will find out everything she knows about those zombies. Once you’ve done that, I’ll give you the antidote."

"And if I refuse?"

Berthanon’s expression hardened. "Then you die, Hunter G. It’s as simple as that."

NOTE: Hunter G Is Zeke, they are both the same person. Only reason why he’s called Zeke with Freya is because they’re close. Berthanon doesn’t care of Zeke’s real name.