Chapter 15 “Inflicting Pain”

Mena glared at us while gritting her teeth. Well, at Nerva to be exact, since he was the one that lead the show for quite some time. Reiyes and I were just standing behind him, ready to follow his instruction, if he ever gives us any for that matter.

“Really? And what are you going to do with that information?” She raised her voice as she said that. “Capture us all and give us to the kingdom’s hand? Might as well kill us all right here, right now!”

“Oh, we would never to do that.” Hearing that answer, she scowled even further. “Ah, you don’t believe me.” He walked toward them, making them trying to take a distance from him. “I can tell. There’s no hiding from me.” Nerva took a step back and then faced them again. “Let me tell you this, we are not affiliated with the royal family at all and I could care less what happened to you and your so called organization. But if I find you to be planning for something bad, I will personally eliminated you.” A slight fear invaded my mind as he said that. I looked at the two and saw similar response from them, if not worse. Nerva really know how to handle a conversation.

“I s-still can’t trust you!” Although her reply came as a stuttered one, it was clear that she still tried to take a tough front.

“Understandable, Ms. Captain. Very understandable.” Nerva, still with his calm and composed self, answer that while slightly shaking his head. “So let us go first as a sign of our good will toward you. We will tell you a piece of information that you are looking for.”

“…And what is that information?” Although I couldn’t see his face clearly at the current angle, I could still see the tip of his mouth curved upward to form a small smile.

“Surely you remember they who are burnt to ashes in the forest?” That sudden mentioning of that made the two got up and immediately went into a battle stance. “I think you are still searching for information regarding that, am I right?”

“How did you know that!?” A laugh came from his mouth as the boy shouted that. “W-What’s so funny?”

“Ah, forgive me. Well, the reason for me knowing that? That’s simple.” A small chuckle came from him. “That’s because I’ve heard it from the one that do it.”

“What!? So you guys did it!” accused the woman while pointing at us.

“Oh, no, no. That is incorrect to say that.” Nerva let out a small laugh again and then pointed his cane at me. “She is the sole culprit of that incident.” They looked at me with widened eyes and slightly gasping mouth. I guess the revelation shocked them.

“…No way…You’re lying…”

“… A single person?...That can’t be…” The boy looked at me with disbelief. “N-No way that y-you can defeat so many by y-y-y-y-yourself.”

“Nope, he is right, believe me.” I said to them with a calm tone. “And…there were not a lot of them. Only…err…how many was it? Seven mages, ten Arcane Puppets and…five? Or maybe ten warriors?” I tapped my head as I tried to remember that. “Yeah, something around that.”

Just from their eyes alone I could see that they were trying their best to digest the shocking news they’ve just heard. Usually when someone heard something crazy like that, they will deny it. But I guess the display of power Nerva did previously created all the differences.

“…You…” The woman looked at me with a clear sign of fear. “…Monster…” Well, she’s not wrong there. It hurt, but she wasn’t wrong.

“Y-Y-You!” A shout came from the boy. “You really are our enemies!”

“Hmm? Nope, not really.” I shrugged his accusation away. “I don’t have any reason to make you my enemy.”

“Lies!” Once again the boy shouted. “Then why did you destroy them? Why?”

“So noisy.” I scratched my head as he said that. “The reason? Well, they seemed to be trying to burn the forest. I just warned them not to since they might get hurt by the very own fire they’ve just made. And, yeah, they attacked me. So, self-defense.”

“…Y-You…wiped out an entire group…just because of self-defense?” I nodded at the woman’s word while saying ‘uh huh’ to her. “That’s absurd!!!”

“They have heavily armed guards! And mages too!” After that, it was the boy’s turn. “Wiping them out just for self-defense is crazy! Madness!!”

“…That’s what we all…no, Nerva and I thought too.” I glared at Reiyes who said that. “But this fellow is not one that can control her power.”

“Hey, that’s mean!” What do you mean by that? “I can control my power just fine!”

“Said the one that burnt a whole group when using it without magic will be just fine.”

“Ugh…” Damn you, Reiyes! ”I…uhm…I…”

“You have no excuse, Cyrielle.” At Nerva’s word, I clamped my mouth shut. He was right. I have no excuse. But…using the hatchet without magic. That is no fun! I want to see it blazing fire left and right when I use it! “And…you don’t reflect on that mistake of yours.”

“Ugh…” He noticed. I forgot how sharp Nerva is. “…Sorry.”

“Sorry!? That’s all you could say!?” She glared at me at that time after learning the true culprit of the incident. “Do you know the damage you did!?”

“Uhm…they are all wiped out, right?” I mean, what else is there except the whole group is destroyed? Hmm…I can’t even try to care about it. Oh well.

“And you want us to exchange information!?” The boy shouted at us. “Are you taking us as a fool!?”

A moment of silence wrapped the whole room. I glance from Reiyes and Nerva and then to the pair in front of us that were breathing heavily, trying to control their rage. I saw no movement from any of them. I guess from the direction of the conversation, the negotiation wasn’t so successful. But that is my thought. Nerva, on the other hand, might have another different view of the whole situation.

“…So difficult.” A sigh from Nerva broke the whole silence in a second. “I guess from your response, it is impossible to exchange information.”

“Of course it is impossible! It is impossible from the start!”

“You are the only one that still thinks that it is possible to do that! Who in the right mind will exchange information with their enemy so easily? No one!”

I’ve been thinking, aren’t the two of them felt tired for all that shouting? I mean, we can hear them pretty good. The room is not that big, you know? But they all have been shouting from the start. I guess they are still angry at that whole group being wiped out. Not my fault that they are too weak. I just gave them a warning and they attacked me. And I only just gave them a single strike with my hatchet, full power of course. How should I know that they will be destroyed that easily? I thought that since they were fire mages, my fire could be resisted at least a small bit.

“…Really, so difficult.” Eh? Why did Nerva’s voice give me another chill? Oh…this is not good. I immediately looked toward him and felt a chilling sensation. In front of me stood not the usual Nerva, but the Nerva I don’t really like to remember.

“W-W-What?” At her voice, I turned to look at her and saw a very familiar expression whenever Nerva became like that. The boy next to her also displayed similar expression. And that expression is…fear. “W-W-What do you want?”

“All I want is a peaceful information exchange.” Nerva stepped forward. The two took a step backward with fear plastered clearly on their face. “But seeing that you insist on branding us as your enemy, we can conclude that this peaceful negotiation is over.”

“P-P-Peaceful? You think kidnaping us and tying us is peaceful!? You are mad!”

“…What difficulties you gave us.” Nerva then rummaged his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. “I hate to say it, but we have to move on to the next stage.” Ugh, I knew it. As I let out a groan, I noticed that the two has backed up even farther from him. Although I couldn’t see his face from my position, I bet he was wearing a rather calm expression on his face. Combined with his calm and cold voice, I could really understand the reason for the two being scared even further.

“B-B-Back off!” The boy stood in front of her, trying to shield her from him. “I said back off!” Quite admirable for him to do that. But, boy, you are not very convincing with that trembling feet of yours. Nope, not one bit. “Don’t touch the Captain!”

“Why would I?”

“Eh?”

“You are my target.” The moment he said that, he paled even further than before. “You are the one that will drink this.”

“W-What are y–GARGHH!!!” Without letting him finish his sentence, Nerva grabbed the boy’s neck and then pushed him toward the ground, making a loud thumping noise. “Guh! L-L-Let me g–GAH!!!”

“Quiet.” It seemed that he tightened his hold on him since he was gasping for air. “Here you go.”

The boy writhed in agony and tried to shake him off. But, as expected, Nerva hold against him was very effective since Nerva didn’t budge a little bit while he poured the content of the bottle into his mouth and the boy’s movement was so slow and difficult. I glanced at the woman near them and saw that she was too scared to move. For her own safety, I hope she stayed that way.

After emptying the whole content of it into his mouth, Nerva stood up and took a step back from him, letting him free.

“A-Adart!” The woman ran to her and crouched down to his level. “Adart! Say something!”

“Guah!! W-W-What did you made me drink you, guh!” His eyes widened all of a sudden. This made the woman near him worried as she kept calling his name over and over again.

“Ah, it works fast. I guess the ingredient has a much better quality than I expected.” A small chuckle came from Nerva. “Then Cyrielle, hold her down.”

“Got it~!” I walked forward rather lazily at his command. Hearing my footsteps, she tried to back away from her position.

“E-Eh!? B-Back of!” She glared at me. “I warn you!”

“Very noisy.” I ignored her warning and proceeded to slipped behind her. Without waiting for her to realize what happened, I grabbed her hands and put them behind her back while I used my other hand to get a hold of her neck. I also made her crouched down slightly together with me, preventing her from using her feet completely. In a short moment, I was holding her quite nicely and she couldn’t move even an inch.

“O-Ow! Let me go!” Ha? Of course I won’t!

“Quiet, you’re noisy. But cute, though.”

“E-Eh?” Oh, she heard that last comment? I said that as quiet as I could though. I guess I wasn’t as quiet as I thought. That and also that my statement really didn’t suited the whole situation. So? I’m an honest person. “W-What!?” Well, no use hiding it then.

“I said you’re cute.” The moment I said that, she turned her head toward me. And…oh, blushing now, are we?

After looking at her so closely, she is much cuter than I thought. She looked so innocent with her flushed cheeks and confused face. Her eyes are watery, probably from all that shouting from before. I could also smell a bit of sweat from her. But she didn’t smell bad or anything. In fact, her smell is rather on the good side. Call me anything you want, but that is what I thought.

In short, I like her. If I can’t take the boy, I’ll take her. It would be the best if I could have both. Or maybe see the two of them together and I’m in the middle of it. Oh, not good. I’m drooling a bit.

“W-W-Why are you d-d-d-drooling? D-D-Don’t look at me like that!” Oh, she showed a very different fear than before. I forgot that she is their leader so she is bound to be a sharp person. I let my guard off and seemed to have shown my intention on my face.

“Don’t worry about it, cutie.” I gave her a smile, which did nothing but scared her more. “Besides, you have more important thing to be concern of at the moment.” I said that while gesturing with my head toward the scene in front of her. She followed my sight and I could hear her letting out a voiceless gasp.

At the direction where I showed her, the boy lied on the floor with pained expression while griping his own throat. I might not be correct, but I kind of could recognize the content of that bottle from Nerva judging by that reaction. And I have to say that I also hate that potion if I’m correct about it.

“Ah, the effect seems to have entered the second stage.” Nerva approached him with Reiyes closely behind soundlessly. “It seems that you are very sensitive to medicine, yes?”

“Y-You…ugh…w-what…argh…urgh…d-did…you…”

“What did I give you, right?” The boy nodded weakly. “Well, I wouldn’t spoil the surprise. You’ll see it soon anyway. Let’s just wait for…one…two…three…four…five.”

“GUAAAAAHHH!!!!”

“Adart!!!” The cause of her suddenly shouting was none other than the fact that he suddenly arched his back while letting out a hoarse and loud shriek. I instinctively averted my eyes from the scene as I pity him a bit since I know really well the experience. He then fell onto the floor with a loud thumping sound and lied motionlessly. “Adart!!! Adart!!”

“…ugh…” A low groan came from him and she let out a silent sigh, probably relieved that he is still alive. Oh, how naïve that was. If she know what he will face next, death is a much better option. And knowing Nerva, he wouldn’t let him die easily. “Eh?” He immediately opened his eyes and looked around with widened eyes. “I’m…all right?” Okay, I positively know the potion. Poor guy.

“Of course you are.” Nerva walked closer to him. “Do you think that will kill you?”

“E-Eh?” Ah, he noticed the ominous feeling from his voice. “T-Then what?”

“This.” I could see Nerva smiled. And then, he did just as I expected him to do.

“E-Eh? Wh–GARGHH!!!” He stepped on his hand that was laid unprotected on the floor, which earned him a loud and painful scream from the boy while he grabbed his hand, clearly trying to pulled it away. “ARGHHH!!!!”

“Hmm, not loud enough. A little more then.”

“U-Ugh, a l-l-little m–ARRRGGGHHHHHH!!!” A much louder scream echoed in the room. I couldn’t help but felt slightly uncomfortable at that. This is the Nerva I would never miss. “S-S-S-Stop, it h-h-h-hurts! AAARRGHHH!!”

“Adart! Adart!”

“Woops, stay still, cutie.” I tightened my hold on her as she was trying to get to him as soon as she saw Nerva’s method. “I advise you to not go there, cutie.” I like calling her that, you know? And since she already know what I thought about her, might as well use that.

“Let me go!” She struggled to loosen my hold on her. But it was a futile effort since my hold is very secure, but I can guarantee that I didn’t hurt her a bit. The reason? I’m quite experienced in doing this, for one way or another. You can use your imagination for that. “Adart!! Adart!!”

“He can’t hear you, cutie. Trust me.” But that was also a futile effort since she didn’t show any sign of hearing my advice. She kept calling her over and over again.

“Y-Y-You bast-t-tard! D-Damn y–GUAAAHHHH!!!”

“Still able to talk, eh?” He didn’t let him finish his sentence and stepped on his other hand, making him screamed loudly again. As I looked at him, I see that he started to foamed a bit from his mouth. Even from my place, it was clear enough that he was suffering.

While seemingly trying to hold his tear, his eyes looked watery enough that it was evident that he was having a very hard time holding them back. He still gritted his teeth in effort to keep his voice down, which also didn’t really work. Combined with the fact that he had drool spilling from his mouth and foam started to showed up too, he is in great suffering.

“I….d-don’t understand.”

“Hmm?” What did you not understand? Oh, let me guess. “You don’t understand how can he be in so much pain, right?” She didn’t say a thing. But her body language told me that I was right on target. “If you ask me, I can answer you.”

“…Why?” She didn’t turn around but I took that as she was asking me. Might as well answer her.

“Remember the bottle?” She didn’t say anything. “That is a special medicine that increased one’s pain. If I’m not mistaken, by threefold.”

“T-T-T-Threfold?” I gave her a nod. “N-No way…”

“Ah, you’re wrong, Cyrielle.” Ugh, he heard me. “That was the old recipe. This, on the other hand, raised it to tenfold.”

“T-Tenfold!?” Although I didn’t shout it like her, I was as surprised as she is. Tenfold? That is so crazy! How did he refine that damned recipe of his? What a fearful guy he is.

“Correct. It is tenfold. If not.” He pulled his foot again and then stomped on the poor boy’s open palm.

“AARRRGGHHH!!!!” And, just like before, a loud and painful scream erupted from him. I flinched a bit at that, but I still forced myself to not avert my eyes from them.

“He wouldn’t scream so loud with just a small pain like that, right? I mean.” He lifted his foot again and positioned it onto another part, this time at his lower left arm. I could see him breathing roughly in between his pained groan as he lied on the floor. After that, his eyes moved toward his torturer’s foot that is floating above his arm.

“N-No…P-P-Please, I b-beg y–AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!” As expected, his plea fell on deaf ear as Nerva put down his foot on that very spot mercilessly. He even moved his heel around a bit on that spot, making his scream louder than before.

I could only imagine the pain he was in with that last one. Usually, one would not feel so much pain with just a simple action like that. Sure, it is painful. I won’t deny that. But as one who is trained, which I expected the boy is judging from his body and job, he should be accustomed to pain somewhat better than regular person. A small hit on the hand would certainly not lead to a loud scream like that from him. But at the moment, he was so pitiful.

“This way, the injury is very little and it is not life threatening at all.” He smiled while facing toward us. “You can inflict pain as much as one could without risking injuring him. Marvelous, isn’t it?” He let out a small chuckle after he said that. Not an ounce of malice could be found inside his voice.

Crazy, mad, and scary. The Nerva in front of me is that kind of Nerva. I know that it is not his usual self, but the sight of it still made me shiver with fear. Speaking of shiver, it seemed that the one I’m holding at the moment also shivered with fear. I guess fear for his subordinate’s safety and also for her own fate.

“Are you sure it won’t kill him, Nerva?” Reiyes who was silent for some times started to talk. “I mean, he is already foaming.” Well, he is, right? Isn’t that life threatening?

“Worry not, my friend.” He pulled his feet again, leaving the poor boy get a weak hold on his recently tortured limb while groaning in pain and breathing roughly. “If anyone else does it, they will risk the victim dying fairly quick since the body will not be able to cope with the amount of pain being dealt with. But for someone like me.” He crouched down and then took the boy’s hand. Noticing that, the boy shook his head, probably begging him to stop whatever devious action he has in mind. But he only gave him a smile and then proceeded to hold his hand, which probably in a very tight hold.

“AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!” Judging from the scream, it was probably like having his hand being crushed by a blacksmith hammer on an anvil. But from Nerva’s explanation, the amount of force he applied might be no more than just like a tight handshake. “IT H-H-H-HURTSSS!!!” Suddenly the scream got louder. “S-S-STOP IT!!!” The boy let out a lot of foam from his mouth and his whole body convulsed and shook wildly. I could also see his eyes started to turn white.

“And…there…” Nerva then released his hand, leaving him on the floor gasping for breath while also convulsing like crazy. Nerva then stood up and faced the two of us. “You see? If I did it even for a second more, he would die from the shock. Or became insane. I don’t really know.” He shrugged like it was not important. “But I could determine that much better than anyone. That way, he can suffer longer and longer and longer without killing him.”

“Hmm, impressive.” Reiyes gave an honest opinion at that.

“Scary and brutal, yet impressive.” I couldn’t help but also added my opinion to that. After I said that, the woman I’m holding trembled greatly. It seems that his explanation combined with the sight of his subordinate writhing in pain on the floor frightened her too much. “You hear that, cutie?” I said that close to her ear and saw that she was crying. “Oh, poor you. Did that frightened you? Or are you worried about him? This wouldn’t happen if you just cooperate, you know?”

“I….I…would…never…” I couldn’t hear her clearly since she was almost whispering that. While sobbing slightly, she continued. “Sorry…sorry…Adart…Sorry…”

“…Sheesh, you are one stubborn woman, you know?” I started to get irritated. “Your subordinate is clearly dying there. In fact, it is better for him to die that getting through another second of that, you know? But you still don’t want to talk?” I was honestly worried about the two of them. Sure I have no connection to them whatsoever, but seeing them like that somehow didn’t feel right for me. Of course, I also know that this is our mission and we are not killing them or anything. Well, I guess killing them is much better than this. At least they are not suffering.

The woman didn’t give a single answer at my question. She just sobbed silently and nodded once. Ugh, this is getting us nowhere.

“Hmm, this is not looking good.” Nerva said that as he tapped his cane. “I can’t do anything at him at the moment or he will die. And I don’t want him to die.”

“Then why don’t you move on to her?” Reiyes said that with his usual calm and cold tone. That startled both of us. “That woman or him, as long as we have the information, it is fine, right?”

“True.” For a few moments, Nerva kept tapping his cane in silent. I guess he was weighting his choice. “Hmm, you’re right, Reiyes.” He then approached the boy and then just stood next to him. “Fainted, eh?” Really? I didn’t notice that. I guess he was exhausted after all of that. After saying that, he mercilessly planted his cane onto his hand.

“AARRGGHHH!!!” Just like many times before, scream of agony erupted from him. Then he started to breath roughly again while his eyes opened only slightly.

“Reiyes, hold him.” Reiyes nodded and then picked up the boy rather roughly into a tight hold similar to mine. “Don’t let him asleep. Just pinch him slightly if he is losing consciousness. Keep his head toward his captain.”

“Understood.”

Nerva then walked toward us.

“N-N-No! Get a-a-away from me!” She started to trash around wildly after seeing him walking toward us, clearly frightened at what she will face. “Help!! Somebody! Help!!”

“It’s futile. Do you really think that someone will help you if you scream? No one, and I mean not a single soul, can hear you as long as you are here.”

“N-No way…” Slowly, I could feel him losing her energy. “P-P-Please…”

“Ah, that will not do, my dear.” Nerva waved his finger at him. He then pulled out a similar bottle. “If you are not going to tell us what we need, than I’m afraid you know what will happen.”

“B-B-But…”

“And it seems that you are not going to talk any time soon, right?” She became silent. I guess she really has no intention to talk. “Then I’m afraid that this is your fate.”

“Wait!” I immediately let out a shout, startling not only Nerva, but everyone in the room.

“What is it, Cyrielle?” Nerva, although he used a calm and composed tone, I’m dead sure that he is very irritated at the moment.

“Uhm, can I take care of this one?” For a few moments, the whole room became silent and I could feel the attention directed toward me.

“What are you suggesting?”

“I mean, can I take care of…convincing her? Through my own method?” I just can’t see her being the subject of Nerva’s method of interrogation. Seeing the boy was enough for me and I hope to not see the same happened to her.

“Your own method? As in…” Nerva faced me and I just nodded at him. “…Are you sure?” Ah, he approved? Hahaha!

“Yes, I am!” I could feel my voice came out as excited. That made the woman glanced at me with a rather worried expression while the boy looked at me with confusion clearly in his eyes. “Then…can I do it?”

“…Okay, I don’t mind. But…” He then faced the woman and let out a sigh, startling her. “You…I’m sorry.”

“E-Eh?” Hearing him apologizing like that made her even more worried than before. I could also hear Reiyes let out a sigh too. Who cares! Hahaha! I’m really excited for this!

“Reiyes, keep him awake and also make sure he keeps his eyes on her.”

“…Understood.”

“Cyrielle, you can start any time you want,” said Nerva while walking to the chair and pulled it nearer Reiyes and the boy. He then sat near them, joining them as the audience. “Just…don’t get carried away. Unlike mine, your method might…have a much worse consequences for her future.”

“You got it!” His words didn’t enter my mind a single bit. I then looked at the trembling woman in my hold. “So, I hope you are ready, cutie. Because I am.”

Author Note:

Please give me comment and opinion for this story, or even critique so that I can improve my writing. Do tell me if you find something strange or wrong with the chapter. Thank you for reading!