The Interrogation and the Young Miss

This marked the third day of Rhine’s confinement within a private room at the ducal estate; though ostensibly equipped with every amenity, it was, in essence, a prison cloaked in courtesy.

“How did you manage to defeat two three-ring sorcerers?”

“How many times must I repeat myself? Do you have the memory of a goldfish—a common misconception, mind you? I did not defeat them; they turned on each other. I personally witnessed the shorter one ambush the taller with a dirty trick from behind, which was precisely what gave me the chance to strike with my sword.”

Regardless of the diverse methods of interrogation employed, Rhine adamantly stuck to his version of events.

Objectively speaking, his account was entirely reasonable.

Since the assassination fee was intended for two individuals, the survivor would naturally claim the other’s share.

Moreover, with only utter chaos and no survivors left at the scene, Rhine could, at most, be suspected of being ‘unrealistically proactive,’ leaving no concrete evidence to convict or sentence him.

The beautiful young boy crossed his legs and let out a cold snort through his delicate nose.

“You understand what I mean, right? Don’t question my skill. If you can’t reach my level, it’s because you’re incompetent. If you’re incompetent, then practice more, got it? My swordsmanship was taught by Ferren. Do I even need to tell you who Ferren is? A Divine Retribution Knight! If a Divine Retribution Knight says my skill is fine, what right do you have to question it?! Go whine to him!”

A female interrogator could only offer kind words, while also handing Rhine his lunchbox, at which his eyes immediately lit up.

“Oh, you brought me food, thank you. Hey, wait, didn’t I ask for chicken legs yesterday? If you can’t even manage this small task, how do you expect to curry favor with the boss? So useless~ Haha, no wonder you’re stuck in this position. You’re probably still single, aren’t you?”

The twenty-eight-year-old female interrogator’s fists clenched tight.

‘Was she interrogating Rhine, or was Rhine interrogating her?! I’m losing it, this is a little terror! He must be a little terror!’

The tormented interrogators dared not resort to harsh methods, instead posing their questions cautiously while maintaining a welcoming smile.

For, subjectively speaking, Daniel truly owed his rescue to Rhine, and no matter the process, the outcome was undeniable.

If they were to employ torture or some grand memory recovery spell, wouldn’t that be a blatant abuse of their benefactor?

In truth, Rhine himself was rather pleased with this arrangement.

Working a conventional job was out of the question, and he possessed no knack for business—primarily because there would be no dividends for him.

Here, everyone was a ‘talent’ (though often left awkwardly sweating), and their words were ‘pleasant’ (despite him constantly spouting nonsense that they dared not retort to).

What wasn’t to love about paid leave?

Now, he could openly slack off, and do so with an air of aggrieved righteousness, as if the Cavendish family owed him a great debt.

‘I’ve blocked blades for the young master! I’ve exerted myself for Cavendish! And now you refuse to reward my great achievements, instead imprisoning me! Truly, human hearts are treacherous, repaying kindness with enmity, and so on.’

Most importantly, he now had ample solitude to construct his four-ring magic circuit.

With nothing else to do for three days, he single-mindedly focused on its construction, making rapid progress.

Rhine, confined within these walls, remained oblivious to the external investigation.

On the morning of the fourth day, the situation finally took a turn.

Or rather, a crisis.

“Young Miss, uh, this is an interrogation area. By the rules, you cannot—”

“What? Rhine is my retainer. Did I give permission for that toad-faced Marin to drag him out and cause such a commotion? He saved my brother, so who exactly is at a disadvantage here? If you need instructions, go ask him, don’t bother me.”

The mentally exhausted interrogators also gave up, realizing they were caught between a rock and a hard place, pleasing neither side.

‘Let whoever wants this wretched job have it!’ they thought.

Rhine stared with deadpan eyes at the spoiled Young Miss.

After a moment of silence, he spoke with a hint of resentment.

“…You chased away my breakfast.”

“Only foul words come from a foul mouth.”

“You didn’t just come here for a prison visit, did you? What’s the situation like outside right now?”

Audrey feigned a playful raise of her willow-like brows.

“Your master has condescended to visit you, and that is the first thing a retainer says?”

As she spoke, she placed the wooden basket she was carrying onto the table, lifted its white cloth cover, and revealed fresh, steaming bread to Rhine’s astonished gaze.

“Long live Young Miss! Today, you are as kind-hearted, amiable, approachable, magnanimous, and humble as ever…”

“Hey, what kind of praise is that? You’re making me sound like an old woman.”

Audrey pouted, yet a faint, natural smile played upon her lips.

“Eat while we talk. A young boy your age should be growing, and this level of thoughtfulness is only natural for a lady like me. Ahem, consider it a reward for your efforts.”

She proudly puffed out her slightly ample chest, then raised a slender, fair index finger.

“That Marin fellow, despite being rather unpleasant, has an undeniable ability to get things done… After that incident, he turned the entire arena upside down, from inside to out. Rumor has it he found some clues, and he also confiscated all the illicit gambling funds.”

The ‘public’ in Lanburg County, of course, referred to the Cavendish family; so, while it was called confiscation, it was essentially free acquisition.

“What happened next?”

“That, I wouldn’t know. Thanks to you, Daniel only sustained minor injuries and didn’t even require a healing priest; a day of rest was all he needed to fully recover.”

Rhine silently brewed green tea and presented it to Audrey.

She took a delicate sip, nodded contentedly, and continued.

“Marin, for his part, understands the gravity of the situation. With Daniel speaking up in your defense, he wouldn’t dare harm you. Ordinarily, he’s a petty man who would rather kill a thousand innocents than let one guilty person escape.”

Rhine sat back down, picked up a piece of bread from the basket, and shoved it into his mouth.

After swallowing it down as if exacting revenge, he posed a question.

“Do you have any leads on the mastermind behind all this?”

Audrey shook her head regretfully.

“Unfortunately, no survivors were left. Marin was genuinely furious this time; he had no intention of holding back when he came to rescue you. Otherwise, given his nature, he would surely have left one alive.”

‘Of course I knew he wouldn’t leave any survivors; the killing intent practically splashed across my face when he arrived. His knight rank must be around Fifth-tier, I presume…’ Rhine pondered, simultaneously calculating his chances of victory if he were to face Marin head-on with his current strength.

The mastermind… their chosen target for assassination was merely a second son of the family.

While a second son was still noble, their importance clearly paled in comparison to Chris, the eldest son and future heir to the ducal title.

What exactly were they after?

Simple revenge?

The Cavendish family had long made countless enemies within the Norman Empire, with everyone eyeing their wealth and influence, so revenge would be a plausible motive.

Yet, Rhine still felt that the matter was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

As a well-traveled and knowledgeable seven-ring sorcerer, he had always understood that the spiraling undercurrents buried deep beneath the Norman Empire would devour people.

Even a family as powerful as the Cavendishes might not dare to fully involve themselves within it.

‘Trouble, truly troublesome, but this trouble ultimately belongs to the Cavendish family. What does it have to do with me? At most, I am merely a passerby, nothing more.’

Rhine stealthily glanced sideways at Audrey’s beautiful, innocent, faint smile, then emphasized once more in his heart.

‘Yes, nothing more.’