Chapter 344 ‘Interrogating‘ Faerora II

"Ah…I also know that he has a magic contract sword on your heart that would kill you the moment you betray him."

"Then you should know that interrogating me is pointless as even if I wanted to talk, I'd be dead before I can say anything.

Even just sitting here with you has the contract sword poking my heart already."

In response to Faerora's words, the young hero nodded lightly before gesturing towards Amelie and speaking.

"And that is why our dear friend, Amelie, Is here today.

Her job here is to render that contract null and void.

"It's a contract spell cast on me by a Grandmaster level existence who has achieved Tier 3 in both Death and Darkness magic.

Even if she has those light spirits with her, they can't do a thing to his spell unless they're on his level."

"Hmm…true.

Normally, that is."

Evan rested his hands on the table and leaned forward while locking gazes with Faerora as he continued.

"Amelie here is a bit 'special'; I won't say how, though; that's her private info.

Anyway, it is possible for her to achieve the feat of breaking your contract."

He used his hand to nudge the small earth spirit on the table who was hiding behind the jug of juice and looking at Faerora fearfully before completing his words.

"When she does break the contract, I'm going to need you to answer certain questions. The kind the Eighth finger would not expect you to be able to tell anyone because of the existence of the contract.

Don't give an affirmative answer yet though, it might activate if you do."

Faerora's expression contorted slightly as she replied to Evan's words.

"It's already showing signs of activating."

Seeing the elf who was in obvious pain, Evan looked at Amelie and nodded, before flicking his fingers and causing arms to stretch out of her shadow and bind her body.

At the same time, Amelie pulled out a disk-shaped object from inside her robes and placed it on Faerora's chest, tapping the centre of the device as multiple tiny limb-like appendages shot out from it and latched onto her skin.

Ambient magic power began to gather in the room, with the sheer concentration of magic power and divinity causing heads to turn as people began to wonder if there was a grandmaster-level existence flexing his power inside the Count's mansion.

Some of the Duke's knights and Amelie's paladins even came over to check the situation, but upon seeing the young hero and the Bishop casually enjoying their meal while the person on the other side of the table looked to be in pain, they were honestly at a loss for words.

Evan did his best to dismiss them just in time for them to hear the sound of something cracking as illusory chains manifested in front of the disk-shaped object and shattered into pieces of light.

Faerora's expression of complete shock allowed Evan to infer that the process was successful, with Amelie taking off the disk-shaped device and healing her skin while Evan removed his restraints.

"How do you feel?"

"…

…free."

It took the elf a while to open her mouth and speak that one word with Evan smiling as he nodded in affirmation and spoke.

"Yes, you are indeed free."

The boy then pulled out a map and a pen from his inventory, setting them on the table in front of Faerora before saying.

"About those questions that I had for you.

For starters, can you help me point out all the places where the Eighth Finger hid his undead? Especially the ones taken out from Bultom's dungeons."

Faerora was lightly stunned as Evan got down to business right away, with her gaze alternating between Evan and the map on the table.

She was silent for a few seconds, however, within those few seconds she made a decision. And one could infer what decision she made from her next set of actions.

Her fair fingers slowly descended atop the table, and grabbed the pen on the map.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Hello, Duke Charles.

…Oh, and Marquis Antebellum, good day to you."

Evan barged into the Duke's temporary office as he spoke, taking a moment to greet the Marquis sitting opposite the Duke and waving at Ralphie as he walked towards the table and sat down.

He slammed the map in his hands onto the table and spoke.

"I got the intel we wanted.

Now then, how about we give this guy a taste of his own medicine?"

Duke Charles picked up the map from the table and unfolded it, with Ralphie leaning in to gain a closer look as he asked.

"What are those two large circles at the top for, there's an '8?' and the word 'king' written there?"

"The '8?', is the Eighth Finger's presumed location. Ruined City Saunau.

The 'king' is the Dullahan King's confirmed location. Paglad.

That's the guy that you are going to have to deal with, Duke."

Duke Charles nodded as he studied the points marked on the map before asking.

"How did you get her to talk?"

"Nothing serious.

I just gave her the freedom that she'd wanted ever since she was forced to work for the 'Demonic Hand'.

And she gave me what I wanted in return.

It was a win-win.

Now, it's time for us to do our part; we start mobilising our forces today so that we can carry out our operation within three days.

Any longer and the Eighth Finger would have most likely finished taking action in response to Faerora's 'change of sides' from his to ours."

Marquis Antebellum momentarily flinched when he heard those two words from Evan, with his eyes slightly widening in surprise.

'Duke Roger's son knows about them too?'

Evan noticed this reaction and turned to the Marquis with a smile which the man returned, however, Evan's next question caused that smile to break instantly.

"Are you here concerning your cousin's 'treason'?"

◇ ◇ ◇

Adventurer's Guild Building

Bultom Dungeon City

Cheverton Duchy

April 21st

Year 1052

The large double doors of the adventurer's guild building complex slammed open, attracting the attention of basically everyone in the large great hall, from adventurers drinking at the bar section to those at the tables chatting with their friends, and those at the lines on the counters along with their attending receptionists.

Surprise coloured their faces when the person who slammed the doors open walked in, having an obviously displeased look on her beautiful face.

It was a blonde-haired girl, standing at about five feet five inches tall girl. She was wearing a brown turtleneck with a black coloured skirt and long black pantyhose under tall leather boots.

She took slow and steady steps across the hall, not minding the gazes around her as she made her way towards a counter that was just vacated.

However, what made heads turn, was not her terrifying beauty, or her sapphire eyes that seemed to suck you in if you stared at them, but the fact that resting on her shoulder, was a long spear that had its bladed tip stabbed into the shoulder of a barely conscious man who was being dragged behind her.

Trailing right after, were four others who gazed at her with slightly fearful expressions, all walking in a straight file towards the counter.

As for the man that was being piked with her spear, he was someone that a lot of people in the guild recognized.

He was a fairly strong new B-rank adventurer, who had the strength to match up his rank. The only issue people had with him was his attitude and his lack of ability to cooperate with anyone other than his party members on joint party quests taken on by multiple parties.