Chapter 42

With the activation of「Wrath」, Jae's reasoning would, ordinarily, be quickly fading by the second. Fortunately, thanks to his ol' reliable,「Steadfast Mind」, he was able to keep his head relatively calm. Nothing good would arise of fighting Nazar, and Jae was painfully aware of that.

He spoke after Jae didn't respond to his question.

"...I'll take your silence as confirmation. Wow, so the existence of the Sinful God's Apostle wasn't a mere rumour after all, huh... I guess Zeel was right."

Jae flinched.

Zeel? Wasn't that...

"Jae, you have business in the Queen's castle, right? Don't be careless."

"What?"

"There are some guys, who... probably won't be too happy to see you. When I arrive, everything'll be alright, and he might not even get there before me, but just in case he is there, I want you to promise me something."

"No, what are you talking about? You know the Goblin Lord--?"

"Promise me, Jae."

"......What is it?"

"No matter what happens, you must defend yourself; that is a matter of course. However, do not confront D. For your own safety."

"Why? Who's D?"

For the first time, Nazar looked away from Jae. He smacked his lips, speechless, and after a moment of hesitation spoke with a bitter smile.

"...She's... an unamusing woman... I'm sure you'll understand if I mention that 'D' stands for 'Diligence."

Ahhh, fuck it...

―Diligence.

Jae knew it as one of the Seven Virtues.

He had only become aware of their existence a mere couple of months ago, during his first meeting with Reius, and yet here he was, already about to face one of them.

I didn't know they were people still actually alive!? Aren't they supposed to be skills like the Sins? ...No, they used to be alive too, so maybe it's just that...

"...Hey, how strong is Diligence?"

Nazar quickly replied while shrugging his shoulders.

"I couldn't tell you. Sorry, but I've never seen her fight personally. I just thought that, you know, since you two are nigh opposites... you might want to avoid her."

Damn... So in the end, I can only hope that she isn't strong, then... Wait, is it possible to acquire the Virtue skills from「Gluttony」...? No, wait, it's a person at the moment, and chances are that it wouldn't work anyway because of sheer incompatibility.

A few seconds of silence passed before Nazar opened his mouth again, having fully restored his regular smile.

"Anyway, I look forward to seeing you in a week or so."

*pat pat*

He pat Jae on the shoulder, but before he could even respond to the action, Nazar suddenly disappeared. Jae found himself in the busy morning marketplace, alone.

Having belatedly realised just what occurred, he murmured.

"...Fucking time control."

After a quick breakfast, Jae, Rena and Bailey took a carriage to the next town over.

Jae felt a strong sense of urgency arise within him, so he wanted to hurry as fast as he could to the Queen's castle. The Demon race's carriages function similarly to cars, in that they use an engine in place of animals. The vehicles in Asphal are powered by magical power as fuel, and require it to operate; just like petrol or gasoline on Earth.

They paid a fee similar to a taxi for a quick ride, and thanks to this, the three were able to arrive in the next town just before noon. They ate a quick lunch before swiftly hiring another ride and making their way to the next town, where they ate dinner and stayed for the night.

In this fashion, the three were able to cover a lot of ground in just one day, and after progressing through different towns consecutively in this manner...

Jae, Rena and Bailey were able to arrive in Asphal's capital city, Onyxia, in just three days.

...

......

Jae gazed around at the wondrous city, which reminded him of 21st century Earth more than any of the towns they had stopped by until now.

It was almost evening, so the dozens of street lamps were beginning to be turned on, and as the twilight sun gradually lowered over the western horizon, it brought a certain kind of 'glow' or 'radiance' to the city that made Jae think he'd never be able to see anything quite like it anywhere else in the world.

"...It's quite...... fantastical, in a sense."

The name 'Onyxia' truly fit, as the lustrous black buildings shimmered like stars in the fiery light of the setting sun, like a glistening onyx gemstone.

"...", the silenced Bailey, who stood just next to him, was so completely suppressed by the city that, to him, seemed so otherworldly that he couldn't utter a single word.

Meanwhile, "Waaaaooww...!", Rena exclaimed.

It seems that after being away for so long, she forgot just how fabulous Onyxia was, but she was not intimidated by the size or appearance of everything in the slightest.

As Jae turned his head, most of what he observed were buildings that closely resembled city skyscrapers. Huge towers of crystal and metal; held together and stabilised with the power of magic. The many, wide roads on the ground, were littered with vehicles, like cars, buses, trucks and the like.

Oh, my god...

Jae didn't know what to think. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that there could exist a place like this in what he knew as a 'fantasy world', but the technology was so far advanced that it was almost to the point of 21st century Earthern megacities like New York, Shanghai or Tokyo.

Hell, he could even spot something similar to a helicopter floating in the sky, although since it operated on vastly different principles, it looked strange.

Taking a breath, Jae reminded himself what needed to be done.

Hm... I guess that in the distance is the castle.

Although there were many high-rise buildings in the vicinity, there was something huge in the centre of it all―a colossal fortress of such significant magnitude that it completely blew the rest of the city out of the water. It was built out of the same kind of dark-coloured stone or metal substance as the other buildings in the city.

It's a bit odd, but...

Jae wondered as he looked at the castle, which contrasted so greatly with everything else that it felt out of place. Why build a castle-like this in the centre of a huge city like this? Well, the reality was most likely that the city was built around the castle, but whatever the order was, it was a strange concept that didn't quite fit. In any case.

...This is the last stretch. Not long to go now.

As mentioned previously, it was getting late, so Jae planned to get the kids some dinner and stay the night somewhere before heading to the castle. And he did just that.

There was nothing, really, that was worthy of mention, other than things like what you might expect; the place they ate and stayed at was just like any other inn or B&B that you might find in a city with a large population density. In other words, the quality wasn't great, and the prices were expensive, but it was better than sleeping on the streets.

Jae woke up early and prepared himself within five minutes. Because of the creaky floorboards and cheap beds, his actions managed to wake Rena and Bailey from their sleep, and they also got ready before having a quick breakfast. The three then left the establishment, completely broke.

Damn that place! What the hell is with those prices? 20 Silver per person, are you insane? That's three times the price of the damn countryside inns! And the quality was worse! And the food...! It's such a scam... Even Rena was iffy about the food, and she isn't a picky eater at all. God, if I didn't sell some of my monster materials then I wouldn't have had enough money, but even with that I'm broke...

"Gahh, whatever..."

They walked down the straightest path to the castle, as they had no money for a taxi, and it took a while before they arrived due to the distance. Fortunately, because of their intense training, the kids were not at all tired even after all the walking.

As they approached the castle, Jae talked to the two in a voice to provoke excitement.

"Kids, are you excited?"

"Mhm!! I really want to see everyone!"

"Uh... Mm..."

Of course, the two had conflicting reactions to the situation, as they were in very different situations. A bitter smile crossed Jae's face when he witnessed the colour drain from Bailey after hearing that her family owned this city and castle. He gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder and spoke gently.

"It'll be alright. Just stay near me."

A glint of trust and awe entered his shaking eyes as he looked up at Jae, "...Okay."

Jae gave him a quick smile before the three confidently walked up to the front gate of the castle.

Finally... After months of travel, we are here, He thought, relieved.

At the heart of Asphal; the capital city, Onyxia. At the heart of Onyxia; the Demon Queen's castle. Jae, Rena and Bailey had arrived here from the centre of the Great Forest in a mere few months―an incredible feat.

Of course, were Jae to be by himself, and were he to push himself to his limits, he could've potentially covered the same distance in about a week thanks to Sloth, but that is rather unfeasible.

Anyway, the three had ultimately succeeded in their goal, and had reached the end of their journey. They had learnt many things along the way, and were relieved to have finally completed―

"Sir, you must come with us."

―Suddenly, Jae was called out to in a bold manner.

"What?"

Jae, startled by the abrupt demand, asked the men standing in front of him―the group of large and scary Demon race men, donning armoured uniforms and equipped with dangerous weapons at their sides. They were the guards of the castle's front gate, at first glance.

Jae frowned.

"Can I not enter the castle? There's something really important that I--"

"Silence! Do not speak another word, or we will resort to force."

"Huh...? What are you talking about?"

"You are under arrest for suspicion of premeditated kidnapping and suspicions of slave trade dealings."

"..."

......What the fuck?

*Slam!*

*Ka-chunk!*

The black, iron door slammed shut, and a locking sound was heard, leaving Jae abandoned in the gloomy, damp cell―also of the same black iron. Well, it was only a holding cell, so it wasn't too bad, but it was a cell for criminals nonetheless.

After he confirmed that nobody was around, he audibly complained to himself with a kind of childish pout present on his face.

"Man, what the hell is even going on? I was right, fucking there."

He went over in his mind about what happened just previously:

So, firstly, we got to the front doors. Right after that, those police-looking guys arrested me for what, kidnapping? And the trading of slaves, before they arrested me and brought me here... The shit?? So the problem wasn't even related to the fact that I went right up to the front door of the castle then? In that case, it's good, because at least I know I don't have to make a prior appointment or something to get in, but... Kidnapping? Are you serious?

Jae's mind blanked out for a few seconds before he depressingly muttered.

"......This is exactly what I was afraid would happen..."

Of course, there was always the option to simply break out of jail. However, Jae decided to not go with that for as long as it was worth it, because after all, half of the reason he was even here was in hopes of creating a good relationship with Rena's family, and obviously, breaking out of jail probably wouldn't help him to that end.

The entire room is anti-magic... Do they use their own horns for construction or something? These shackles, too. Hm...

*clang clang*

Jae moved his hands up to inspect his handcuffs―chains of black iron, almost identical to what all the buildings in the city were constructed out of, as well as the cell he was currently in. With just them on, Jae felt his magic being greedily sapped away like it was a vacuum.

I guess... the buildings are all made out of it for counter-terrorism purposes, huh? Maybe? If so, it's smart. Since the Demons excel at magic in return for mostly average physical qualities, having the buildings made out of an anti-magic, metal-like material would be the same as having them nigh-indestructible, I suppose. Well, it wouldn't stop me though.

Jae confirmed that his magic was still in perfect working order by creating small sparks in the air. Following this exercise, a light smile naturally arose on his face.

Good.

If it was like this, then he'd be able to win no matter the situation. At that moment―

*Ka-chunk!*

―The door unlocked and opened, before a neat-looking woman walked in with brisk steps, as if agitated by something.

Oh? She's... Huh.

Jae was surprised by the person who entered the room―a smart, good-looking young woman of the Demon race―who seemed to not want to waste any time, as she quickly began speaking.

"You haven't committed suicide? Commendable, but foolish. It is an anomaly of a case for many reasons, and so I am here personally for your interrogation."

Jae tilted his head, seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, "Now, why would I kill myself in this scenario? You seem to be misunderstand--"

"--What is there to misunderstand?!"

Angry words burst out of her mouth, interrupting Jae, but she immediately recovered and took a deep breath.

"...You...", her voice trembled with rage as she scowled.

Her emotions were pretty transparent, so it was exceedingly clear to Jae that the woman in front of him was exceptionally pissed off for some reason. Her clenched fists shook as her glaring, narrowed eyes, almost bore a hole into Jae's head, as she spat out words of disdain.

"You son of a bitch. I've spent every waking hour of my life for the past two years waiting for this moment."

"..."

...The way this is going, I don't think I'll be able to accomplish what I came here for... Well, as long as the kids are safe, I suppose it doesn't matter what they try to do to me. I suspect they will try to advocate for my release, by saying that I'm not a criminal―no, that's definitely what will happen, but it probably won't go down that smoothly.

Jae pondered a lot in his head whilst looking with sad eyes at the woman in front of him.

Looking at my current appearance, I'm not really surprised that they found me suspicious. I've been washing myself and cleaning up with magic just fine, but my worn clothes are definitely shady-looking. Especially when I'm having someone like Rena follow me around when she's wearing exceptionally high-quality clothes.

Yes, there was the main issue: Jae, despite being clean, wore heavily suspicious clothes, while Rena was still wearing the cute white outfit Jae made for her out of the wyvern blanket. He cleaned that, too, with magic, and repaired it whenever it was torn, so it still seemed to be in mint condition, but unfortunately for Jae, the disparity was too much for the law officers to overlook, it seemed.

If I was still wearing my old outfit, would this have happened...? Haah, to be honest, I was careless. I thought that just having Rena with me was enough in terms of safety in this place, but I guess this incident clearly proves me wrong...

Then, a certain thought occurred to him.

Wait... Why did they arrest me as soon as I stepped up to the castle doors? It was instant; as if they had been expecting it... Was my objective leaked? No, no one could've said anything. I never told anyone that I was heading to the castle, right? Well, there was Nazar, but I don't think it could've been him. So how...? They didn't arrest me before I got there either. What's going on? Uhh, fuck, I don't know.

Then, the young woman once again opened her mouth. She seemed to have regained her cool, which was something good for the both of them.

"I'll be taking you to an interrogation centre for questioning."

"Ah, can't you just question me here?"

"...Anything you say from now on can and will be used as evidence against you. Do you understand?"

He only said it because he didn't want to waste time moving locations, but he didn't expect her to actually accept his request.

"Sit in that chair over there.", she gestured to a rather shoddy chair in the corner of the room that was situated next to an equally shoddy table.

Jae complied and sat down without a word. Nodding once, the woman pulled out a second chair from the table and sat a short distance away, calmly pulling out a notepad and pen from her pocket before speaking.

"Firstly, I will need you to present your Status Menu."

"I can't do that.", Jae replied without hesitation. In response, the woman frowned and glared at him.

"Then we will have to add the charge of not complying with law enforcement to your existing crimes."

Jae was surprised, "That's a thing?", but he went ignored.

Is this how interrogations go on Earth too? I've never seen one, but this is stupid isn't it? Hah, I can just not answer her questions if I want to and she can't do anything about it. I'm pretty sure this isn't the way they normally do it, right?

"What is your name and race?"

"Uhh..."

Would it be okay to tell her my name? I have that bounty on my head, don't I... Would they hand me in...? No, the Demon race and Seronia are enemies, so I doubt they'd just hand over such a wanted man like me. Well, it can't hurt to be careful, and the fewer people that know the truth, the better, anyway.

Plus, if they were thinking of making peace between the two nations, then handing over such a high-class target would make a perfect deal. It's probably better to just not give them that opportunity.

Of course, Jae also wasn't going to say what his race was, because he knew that they wouldn't be able to figure it out simply judging by the characteristics of his mana. That, and it would come in handy if he ever needed to play the 'Rena's Father' card, though admittedly, he has gotten less and less confident in that option recently.

"Sorry, but I can't do that either."

She was getting really mad now, Jae thought.

"Let me start by telling you this now, but I swear that I know nothing whatsoever of who kidnapped Rena."

"...Don't you dare speak her name with that vile mouth. And I hope you are aware that spewing drivel will only exacerbate the consequences drastically."

"..."

"Nobody on this planet has pissed me off more than you have, you scum. I promise to make the remainder of your life a living hell."

Jae felt very sorry for the woman who was now, as an understatement, incredibly vexed. But, at the end of the day, it wasn't like he was hurting her, so he thought it was fine if it was for preserving himself. So he continued, without regard to the woman's words or feelings.

"The only thing I know was that she was taken by a group of human bandits in a place far from here, around near the middle of the Great Forest. I don't know what happened before that, though. Oh, and the human village in the centre of the Great Forest was destroyed by a Demon race, in case you were unaware."

"..."

*scratch, scratch*

Despite still being incredibly hostile, the scratching of pen on paper could be heard as the woman transcribed everything Jae said on her notepad without any additional words. Apparently, she realised that speaking more than she needed to would only cause her further frustration.

"Oh, by the way."

All of a sudden, Jae's tone changed from flat to excited, as if he just remembered something.

"Is Jiyeru doing well? Or is he still stuck in that crappy Cursed Zone?"

*scratch, scra--*

―The scratching stopped.

"Didn't he tell you who was coming? I know for a fact he was making regular reports from that place, and it would certainly be strange if he didn't even talk about the biggest event of his time there."

The woman's expression froze, and she slowly raised her head from her notepad to meet Jae's eyes.

"..."

He was smiling gently. With curved eyes, he spoke.

"Don't you think so? Jiera Illujhin."

".........How do you... N-no..."

The woman―Jiera rejected his words. She stood up in surprise, discarding the chair, and shook her head in denial while backing away.

*thud, clack-clack*

―She dropped her notepad and pen, causing noise as they fell onto the ground, as her hands shivered wildly and her muscles convulsed due to shock.

"Y-y-you're not--"

Jae only wore the same, terrifying smile, without saying anything, until the door suddenly burst open.

*Bang!*

"Ma'am! The returned princess ordered us to release the suspect immediately! What should we d---Ma'am!?"

The personnel immediately noticed Jiera's shaken condition and rushed in to assist her. Two people walked her out of the room whilst the rest of the group stood guard in front of Jae.

"What did you do!?", one of them shouted. Jae glowered at him.

"Hey, don't blame me for this. I'm still cuffed, you know? I didn't do anything; I couldn't have."

"Then why was--"

"Oh, shut up, will you? Ask her before you go and blame me for something that blatantly wasn't my fault."

His harsh words rendered the officers unable to respond, as just before coming here, they were ordered by Rena, one of the people with the highest level of authority in the entire country, to release Jae from custody immediately; saying that he was innocent and had in fact saved her life and escorted her here.

Though in this case, it was actually because of Jae that Jiera had become so shook. He was just annoyed and wanted the officers to stop talking, so he said what he did.

Just a little longer now, and I should be without trouble.

Jae thought that, as long as Rena could convince everyone that he was innocent, then he would be let go. He relied heavily on her in this situation, and believed that she would pull through.

She's a smart girl. A genius, under the correct circumstances. That girl will be able to overcome this ordeal with ease. Just like in training.

He considered that Jiera will now think he is Rena's father, although she, herself, would deny it. It bothered him a little, but he then deemed that it wouldn't be too much of an issue.

It can be the truth. It can not be the truth. Either way, Rena is on my side, so it doesn't matter. Jiyeru also believed it anyway, though I don't know where he is at the moment.

...

......

Jae stayed in the holding cell, guarded by the officers until a messenger arrived a few hours later.

*Ka-chunk*

The door opened, and one of the officers entered and spoke briefly, with a nervous expression and a bead of sweat falling down his brow.

"A-ahem. Y-you are free to go, sir. The Queen has summoned you for a meeting."

Jae silently looked towards the officer, who approached him and took off the handcuffs. He then listened while rubbing his marked wrists as the officer spoke.

"Please follow me, I will guide you towards the Queen."

...It took a while, but this is a better result than I expected.

Jae nodded in confirmation and followed the officer, who hastily led Jae through the castle and towards a specific room. He thought whilst walking.

You've done a splendid job, Rena. I'll cook your favourite food for three days and give you all the praises you want when I see you.

A satisfied smile formed on his face as the situation was resolved without the need for physical force.