「Gyaaaa-……ah……ah?」

Bolton screamed as the flame that had been compressed to about 1cm in size was placed inside his body. But the next moment, realising he didn’t feel any heat, he stood up to check his body.

Murt had been suppressing Bolton with his halberd a few seconds ago, but probably felt some danger from Rei’s magic. He had already taken some distance away from Bolton.

「……Nothing, at all?」

He checked his body but there was no sort of burns on his body or clothes. But he was certain some kind of magic had been used.

「What did you do to me-!」

He didn’t understand, he couldn’t understand. The confusion made it easy for his blood to rush to his head, as a result, he made a hasty action.

With the Death Scythe on his shoulder, the young man, or rather, young boy, watched him with eyes as if he was garbage……seeing that, Bolton instinctively raised his fist……

「Gafu-!」

Rei avoided his fist without much difficulty and hit Bolton in the belly with the handle of the Death Scythe.

「Quiet down. This magic won’t kill you. It is my magic so I can guarantee it.」

(Well, your body will burn every time the date changes, so in a sense, you feel acute pain as if you were dying. Besides, you won’t actually die and this magic will restore your mental state if you go crazy, so I didn’t tell any lies.)

Thinking to himself, he continued his explanation.

「The flame put inside you will cause a severe pain that burns your body at regular periods. ……However, let’s just say that you will be freed from it if it judges that your crimes have been compensated by your pain. 」
「What!」

Bolton was at a loss at Rei’s words. How many crimes had he committed during his life? Understanding that, he only had the expression of despair.

In addition, Brazos and Freon raised their eyes at the magic that was more brutal than they expected.

Still, they didn’t complain to Rei because they understood how much cruelty Bolton had inflicted in his life.

「Physical pain from interrogators and torturers by day. Mental pain as if your body is burning by night. ……This is the consequence of the way you have lived. Enjoy it to your heart’s content.」

As Rei murmured that, one person jumped into the reception room.

「Master! Are you okay!」

It was an old man who looked about the same age as Bolton, or maybe older. As soon as he entered the room, he started shouting at Galahat with a stern gaze.

「Galahat! To disrespect the debt you owe to Master! Know your place!」

The shout of the old man wearing the clothes of a butler echoed in the reception room. Most people in the room frowned their eyes involuntarily.

「Who is this guy?」

It was Murt who responded to Freon’s question.

Murt spoke while looking bitterly at the old male butler.

「He is the head butler of this mansion. He has been with Bolton ever since Bolton was a child.」
「……I see.」

Freon expressed her understanding at Murt’s explanation.

She looked at the old aged butler, who was not much older than Bolton and had literally been brought up as Bolton’s bodyguard. And……

(Did this fellow spoil Bolton up until now, resulting in his current character?)

Because he could easily imagine how Bolton had been brought up until now, she clicked her tongue unintentionally.

His original duty was probably to remonstrate with his master, but he probably barely did that or didn’t do that at all. Azoth Firm’s past practices, it was not difficult to imagine it based on his behaviour when he entered the reception room.

「Galahat, what will you do with him? Do you plan to hand him over to the knights for now?」

Understanding how cruel the magic used on him was, Bolton was frozen in despair and Rei ignored him, turning to look at the butler who was staring at Galahat intensely.

「Ah, Ahh. That’s right. Yes. Are you fine with that?」

Galahat was Galahat. Finding out that his mother’s illness, which was the greatest reason why he continued to help his brother, was contrived by Bolton, he fell into a state of shock. He probably didn’t know what his mind was thinking.

Rei gave a sigh and turned towards Murt.

「While Galahat is like this, you are the one who knows Bolton’s mansion the best. What do you think we should do with this butler?」
「……That’s right. As Bolton’s confidant, I think he should know about a variety of things.」
「Well then. Although this is a frontier city, it would be better if fewer people found out that the biggest business in the city is connected to the Bestir Empire.」
「Ku-, hahahahaha. It’s useless, useless, useless. You’ve caught me and that puppet over there, but there are many others like me that are meddling in this country. I’m just the tail of the lizard, the tip of the iceberg.」

Postguerra talked proudly while still being tied up, but seeing that most people in the room were looking with cold eyes at someone else, he quietened down and clicked his tongue.

(Is this guy an idiot. Why would he bother to tell us that there are other people lurking around besides himself? ……No, anyhow, the city of Gilm is far away from the border with the Bestir Empire. So, it’s not difficult to guess that they are lurking in other cities.)

Even if this matter didn’t come to light, Rei guessed that the hunting down of underlings of the Bestir Empire within the Mireana Kingdom would happen for a while. Spies themselves weren’t uncommon, but if the underlings of the Bestir Empire were hidden immediately next to people of power, the story would be different.

「What are you doing! Release me, let me go! I am Bolton-sama’s butler, don’t touch me with your dirty hands, adventurer!」
「Yes, yes. Although my hands may be dirty……if you say that to a woman, you’ll have to bear the pain.」

Freon had blue veins on her forehead at the butlers words and swung her sheathed long sword against the butlers legs. Maybe he was aiming for the moment the long sword was still in it’s sheath or he had just forgotten about it. In any case, the butler fell on the spot after being smacked with the sheath and rolled on the floor groaning in pain.

And then……

「Here!」

A man in his thirties entered the reception room while shouting.

Although the people inside though, again, as they turned to look at the door……seeing that there was a knight wearing the armour belonging to the knights of the city of Gilm, they gave a sigh of relief.

「Mm……?」

Having everyone suddenly concentrate their looks at him, the knight was confused for a moment and looked around the room while speaking.

「Oh……please explain the situation.」

The servants who had been sent to bring them over probably didn’t explain any of the current circumstances. Freon and Brazos both turned to look at Galahat, but it looked like Galahat’s mind was still elsewhere.

「Murt, Galahat is like this at the moment, so please explain for him.」
「Ah? Ahh, I understand. Then, may I leave Bolton for the moment?」
「Mm.」

Brazos nodded, but Rei interrupted as Murt approached the knight.

「Can I have a moment before this?」
「Mm? If I’m not mistaken, you’ve come to see Daska-sama several times……was your name Rei?」

Fortunately, the man seemed to know Rei and gave a small nod. Rei pointed towards the hole in the wall of the reception room.

「You can see from the hole there, there are two unconscious people in the garden. You should secure them as soon as possible.」
「Why? I haven’t heard the details yet, but I don’t think that would be any people with a higher importance than Bolton over there.」
「Even if the ones fallen in the garden are what could be called the secret weapon of the Bestir Empire? 」
「……What?」

The knight, who had been about to turn towards Bolton, stopped and asked back.

「I said they were the secret weapon of the Bestir Empire. To be exact……」

Speaking up to that, Rei wondered for a moment if he could talk about the inheritance ceremony. However, he judged that it would be better not to say anything stupid since Postguerra, an alchemist of the Bestir Empire, was nearby.

(It would be better if I just told this to Margrave Rowlocks later.)

「They were created by the alchemists of the Bestir Empire, like a chimera of humans and monsters.」
「What!?」

At Rei’s words, the knight understood how serious a matter it was. He hurriedly looked into the garden through the hole in the wall.

From there, he could see a woman with scales growing all over her body and someone with their upper body covered in a crab like shell and multiple tentacles growing from their lower body. He could also see that both were unconscious and that a Griffon, Set, was watching the two of them.

「……It’s as Rei said. Still, alchemists of the Bestir Empire. To go to such depraved means.」
「Hahaha. What are you talking about. Technological advancements always comes with failure. No, rather, technology advances based on improving from failures?」

At the voice of the tied up Postguerra, the knight looked at him suspiciously.

「This person is?」
「What, did you just mention me just now? I’m that depraved person.」
「-!? A Bestir Empire alchemist!?」

The knight revealed an expression of surprise when he saw the Demon Soldiers.

「This is……how should I say this?」
「In other words, Azoth Firm……」

Rei muttered as he looked Galahat and rephrased his words.

「Bolton was connected to the Bestir Empire.」
「……It’s different, different, different! I Never thought he was an alchemist of the Bestir Empire. I never betrayed the Mireana Kingdom!」

Bolton realised that he would be considered a traitor if he left things as they were and kept shouting. However, since Postguerra was here, anything Bolton said would only be an excuse.

Seeing that, the knight thought about something for a few seconds before giving a small sigh and turning towards Murt.

「Sorry, prepare some paper and something to write with. I can’t do anything by myself since it has become such a big deal. I have to consult with my superior and Daska-sama. I would like to go get them directly, but I cannot leave this place like this.」
「Ah, Ahh. That is certainly true.」

Murt brought out some paper and writing utensils and the knight wrote down the rough circumstances, saying that a Bestir Empire alchemist had been captured, before giving it to the servant to bring back to the Margrave’s residence.

After seeing him leave, the knight turned back to Rei again.

「As for the detailed story, I will hear it after my superior and backup arrives. Still, tell me roughly what happened so that I have an idea.」
「Because Galahat-san is like that at the moment, I’ll explain……」

Saying that, Murt spoke about the story and reasons leading up to the disturbance in the mansion.

While listening to the story, Rei stored the Death Scythe into the Misty Ring and went towards Galahat, who was still out of it.

「……」

Galahat looked at Rei approach but his eyes were out of focus. Seeing that, Rei eventually clenched his fist with a sigh.

「That’s enough……snap out of it!」

Although he wasn’t serious, it wasn’t a soft blow either. In other words, he punched Galahat in the belly with enough force to knock a normal person out.

「Guh!」

Galahat knelt on the floor with a groan. Rei grabbed both his shoulders and forcibly lifted him up.

「Shouldn’t you have known for a long time that Bolton was someone like this? In fact, you have seen how he has treated others up until now. With all that, do you intend to escape from reality now that it’s your turn?」

Rei lightly hit Galahat’s cheeks with the palm of his hand.

Although the blood rushed to Murt’s head and he tried to raise a complaint at Rei’s aggressive attitude, Brazos and Freon held him back.

1 slap, 2 slaps, 3 slaps, 4 slaps.

Each time a light pan~ pan~ sound echoed into the surroundings.

And gradually, Galahat’s eyes returned to focus and he stretched out to catch Rei’s arm.

「……It’s okay now. I’m sorry, I made you worry.」
「I’m not particularly worried. This matter might have been caused by me, but you were the one that actually took action. Please take proper responsibility of this to the end.」
「Ah. That’s right. A variety of unexpected things happened, but this is certainly what I started. I will fulfill my responsibilities to the end.」

Thus, although Galahat hadn’t fully recovered from finding out that he had been betrayed by his loved brother, he still gathered himself and started explaining to the knight with Murt.

The other three, Rei, Brazos and Freon, finally finished their work and gave a sigh of relief that they could finally rest as they watched the situation.

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