Chapter 281: Interrogation

"Are you accusing us?"

"...I wasn’t." Soren coldly replied. "But now I’m starting to. And considering how defensive you are, your reckless, illogical actions, and your inability to provide answers, you’re the biggest suspect."

"!" Lariel’s eyes widened, stunned into silence for a moment before his face twisted with fury. "You dare...!"

His mana flared, his hand rising, but before he could do anything, the knight’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

"Control yourself, elf." The knight didn’t raise his voice, but it was loud enough to be heard by everyone. "Unless you want to prove him right."

"Urgh..." Lariel’s mana wavered, then receded. His already fragile pride was shattered, his breathing becoming heavy, but he could only force himself to sit back down.

Soren watched him with a fearless expression while the other elves exchanged uncertain glances. The seeds of doubt had been planted. Now it was only a matter of time before they grew and the truth revealed itself.

’I only hope he is capable as he seems...’

The knight glanced at Soren, squinting. "...Mr. Everly has a point. Considering the info we have, the kidnappers must have known everything about her. When she would be alone, where she would go, her strengths and weaknesses, and even her contracted spirit." He started speculating. "The timing of the attack was too precise. I also think someone close to her might have leaked information. It could be a maid or the personal attendant you mentioned. Or... the culprit might even be among us right now."

His gaze swept over the elves before stopping on Lariel.

"If you really want to find her, you’ll have to cooperate with us. We must check everyone who came with her... starting with you."

"..." Lariel clenched his fists under the table, but eventually gave a nod, realizing there might indeed be a traitor. "Ok."

He then raised his right hand and put it on the orb. "I didn’t kidnap Lady Nuelia or provide any information to those who did. I am not involved in her disappearance in any way."

The truth-seeing orb remained unchanged.

Lariel secretly let out a breath of relief, but kept his expression as honest and composed as possible.

"...Good," The knight said, also relieved. If Lariel had really turned out to be a traitor, a battle would have broken out, and many lives would have been lost. No matter how stupid, he was still a 7th circle Awakened.

"Then, we’ll continue." He turned to the other elves. "One by one, each of you will place your hand on the orb and state your innocence. If anyone refuses, they’ll be treated as a suspect immediately. Understood?"

The elves nodded and started to rise from their seats one at a time.

"...I am not involved in Lady Nuelia’s disappearance."

True.

"...I am not involved in Lady Nuelia’s disappearance."

True.

They kept repeating the same lines.

"...I am not involved in Lady Nuelia’s disappearance."

"...I am involved in Lady Nuelia’s disappearance."

True.

"..."

"...Wait."

The room went still, all the eyes turning to the elf at the table. He stared down at the orb for a long moment, then at his own hand, and let out a strange laugh. "Ah... I still got caught, haha."

The words fell over the room like a stone in still water. For half a second, no one moved. Then everything broke loose.

Lariel, as the closest, was the first to move.

He shot forward, his hands catching the elf by the collar and slamming him down on the table. It cracked under the force, and the other elves scrambled back.

"You! Why did you betray us?!" Lariel shouted in fury. "Where is she?!"

"Keke-cough... cough... ke..."

The elf in question giggled. Even with his back against the table and Lariel looming over him, his smile didn’t falter. "Keke, it was all thanks to your stupidity and useless pride. It all went as planned." He paused, his grin widening even as blood trickled down his lips and nose. "No, wait. Considering how stupid you are, there was no need to plan at all! Haha-cough!"

Lariel’s eyes widened, his grip tightening around the elf’s neck.

"Cough-go ahead, kill-cough-me..." The elf’s smile twisted darker. "Prove... my words... right... keke..."

"!" Lariel’s hands trembled, his killing intent intensifying. Every fiber of his being wanted to snap the elf’s neck and be done with it, but a sliver of reason kept his fingers from closing.

"Tch!" He released his grip but still kept the traitor elf pinned down. "I’ll deal with you once this is all over."

Then, he looked at the knight. "...You take over. I fear I might end up killing him."

"Keke~" The traitor cackled, his voice hoarse but dripping with amusement. "Ask all you want, but you won’t get any answers from me. I don’t know anything." His gaze slid toward Soren, and his grin widened. "But that one... that one is the true culprit."

A strange glint passed through his eyes, as if something inside him was dimming.

All the gazes turned toward Soren.

"?" Soren frowned, and then his eyes suddenly widened.

"ARGH!" He groaned out loud, clutching his head as if in immense pain.

"Dear!"

"Soren?!"

Ethea and City Lord Asad reacted simultaneously, while others watched in confusion and shock.

"Something’s not right," Lariel muttered, his gaze shifting from Soren back to the traitor elf. He then saw it: the light returning to those hollow eyes, and a trace of surprise flickering across them. ’Don’t tell me?! M-Mind control magic?’

"You!" He realized in an instant what the guy tried to do. But before he could react, the elf’s mana surged, his body beginning to convulse.

’Is he... trying to self-destruct?!’

Lariel moved, but he was a step too late.

"DEATH TO YOU ALL!"

The elf roared derangedly, bleeding from every orifice as his body swelled with chaotic mana.

"HAHAHA-!"

Swoosh-!

"...Not on my watch." The knight struck the elf across the back of the neck with one precise blow.

"!"

The elf’s laughter cut off instantly, his eyes rolling back as he crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. The knight didn’t stop there. He pressed a hand against the elf’s chest and channeled his mana inward, forcing his own energy through the elf’s mana circuits to suppress the violent surge before it could erupt.

"Everyone, watch out! They can use mind control!"