Villain's Valor: A Noble Fantasy Resurrection

Chapter 97 : Interrogation

The next day, Elsa and I met to catch up. Her curiosity regarding my recent journey into Zone 3 still burned brightly, so I recounted in great detail about the environment, the eerily beautiful landscapes I discovered, and the mysterious powers of the demons inhabiting that region. I described the challenges I faced and the experiences that left their mark on me.

I decided to overlook the detail of nearly dying at the hands of corrupt Lysandra; sometimes it's better to keep things quiet.

With great enthusiasm, Elsa also shared how she had spent the past month. She told me she dedicated her mornings to rigorous training, honing her sword skills to always be prepared for any eventuality. The afternoons, on the other hand, she reserved for enjoying games and fun with Ema, finding solace for her soul in her company.

However, during our conversations, Elsa mentioned something that piqued my interest: the sensation of strange presences lurking around the inn in recent days. She described how she had sensed an unusual atmosphere, as if someone or something were skulking in the shadows, silently observing.

Though they hadn't shown any hostility thus far, their mere presence was reason enough to keep us on constant alert.

With quick reflection, she began to connect the dots and speculate about who they might be. Finally, those who had been lurking decided to make their presence known. They had been delaying for too long, indicating that the situation was becoming increasingly urgent. Apparently, they couldn't wait any longer and, for the moment, were content to silently observe.

They assumed they were biding their time to act, perhaps waiting for Ema to leave the inn to carry out their plans.

Elsa also shared her concerns and deductions about what might be happening. Like me, she came to the same conclusion. She had been paying attention to the special case surrounding Ema, aware of our young companion's unique situation. Uncertainty and danger seemed to surround her, and it was evident we needed to remain vigilant.

We began to make plans and deliberate on how to act in case of an imminent attack. Meanwhile, Lysandra stayed busy with Ema. With her small hands, Ema dragged Lysandra to her room, leaving me with uncertainty about her intentions. Although I wasn't sure why Ema had taken her along, I planned to inform Lysandra about Ema's situation later. I was determined to finally resolve this issue at its root.

After almost talking with her about everything, we parted ways; it was a good time to talk amongst ourselves after this whole month.

*****

Three days passed without apparent incidents, but the furtive glances around the inn became increasingly evident. With time, more people joined in silent observation, creating an atmosphere of growing tension. Despite this, they still took no action, content to lurk in the shadows and watch from a distance.

I had already informed Lysandra about Ema's situation, but her response left me speechless. "Then let's go to their headquarters and kill them all," she said so naturally and calmly, as if it were the most obvious and simple solution. At first, her proposal surprised and bewildered me. However, upon reflecting on it, I began to understand her perspective.

While the idea of killing such people didn't bother me, I couldn't deny that it seemed to be the most direct and effective solution to end this situation.

Indeed, there is a significant issue: we don't know who's behind them. Diamond rank experts rarely involve themselves in such dealings, suggesting it's more likely they come from a lower rank. The chances of them being from a lower rank increase considerably.

In my opinion, it's unlikely they're from a rank higher than gold, though there could be exceptional cases where they might belong to the platinum rank.

After discussing with Lysandra and sharing some opinions, we reached the decision that it would be prudent to pay a visit to the headquarters of those who were watching us. However, since we don't know their exact location or who their leader is, we opted to capture one of their spies for a "friendly chat" and extract relevant information from them.

Lysandra left the room to prepare the plan, leaving Elsa and me in a silence filled with doubts and anticipation.

With an ironic smile, I try to reassure Elsa, "It's the only way to get information; as long as the prisoner cooperates, they'll be set free." I knew our actions might seem drastic, but in such a delicate situation, we couldn't afford to be complacent. We needed information to protect Ema and fulfill a promise to Roberto to protect his family.

A few minutes passed, and Lysandra returned, but she didn't come alone. By her side, she brought a man who was suspended in the air, completely wrapped in thin branches adorned with small red flowers. Fear was clearly reflected in the man's eyes, who seemed absolutely terrified by his situation, his eyes darting around the room in desperation.

Lysandra skillfully maneuvered the branches, causing them to compress a little more, releasing a sigh, she looked at Elsa again, "Do you want to stay or leave?" I asked.

She showed some hesitation in her eyes, as if weighing the implications of our decision. After a few seconds of consideration, she finally decided to stay. I nodded in understanding, respecting her choice and not pressing the issue further. I knew it wasn't an easy decision for her, but it was important that she felt comfortable with what we were about to do.

With a snap of my fingers, my aura began to emerge from my body, quickly enveloping the entire room. A thin layer of darkness spread into every corner, casting the room into an ominous twilight. The air seemed to suddenly change, becoming charged with a dark, heavy energy. It was as if the room itself was reacting to my power, responding to my call with a somber and ominous atmosphere.

The ability I just displayed is a technique I learned from Lysandra. Since she's a mage, she taught me to manipulate my aura in various ways. One of the most fascinating lessons I received from her was the ability to give tangible shape to my aura. However, to reach that level of skill, a more advanced mastery in mana manipulation, the life energy surrounding us, is required.

Lysandra's detailed explanations opened my mind to new possibilities and inspired me to further explore the capabilities of my aura. Since then, different ideas have been popping into my mind about how I can make the most of this ability.

But now, looking at the man lying on the ground, I stand up, grab the chair, and sit in front of him, with my hands on my knees, staring at him intently.

"All right, friend, we have only two options: you either start singing willingly or by force. What do you say?"

The darkness around us turned towards him, increasing the pressure even more.