Chapter 26: Arrogance Pride [2]

"Do you hear yourself?" she asked.

"Perfectly."

"You’re admitting that you deliberately tortured a man to death, yet you still refuse to understand the seriousness of your actions?"

"Of course I understand."

Lorenzo’s smile faded.

"I understand that civilians died today. I understand that terrorists held innocent people hostage. And I understand that your department now has to identify the perpetrators and explain how an attack like this happened in the capital."

His eyes met hers.

"I also understand that you lost an opportunity to interrogate their leader."

He paused.

"But here’s something you seem to have forgotten."

His voice grew colder.

"I wasn’t working for the SCBD today. I wasn’t one of your officers, and I wasn’t responsible for preserving your evidence or protecting your suspects."

Lorenzo tapped a finger against the table.

"I went there to have dinner with my fiancée. Then a group of terrorists attacked the restaurant, killed innocent people, and pointed a gun at the woman I love."

He leaned forward again.

"So forgive me if I didn’t prioritize your paperwork."

Marcus quietly exhaled.

This kid really has no intention of making things easy.

Elena’s fingers tightened around her pen.

She had interrogated arrogant Awakeners before. Some believed their strength placed them above the law, while others relied on their families to intimidate anyone who questioned them.

But Lorenzo was different.

He wasn’t merely trying to escape responsibility.

He genuinely believed his actions were justified.

And that was precisely what made him dangerous.

Is he a psychopath?

Elena had seen people lose control in the heat of battle. She had also seen Awakeners become cruel after years of wielding power.

But Lorenzo’s casual admission that he wanted his victim to suffer was disturbing in a different way.

He spoke as though the man’s death required no further explanation.

Her mana erupted before she could stop herself.

An overwhelming pressure crashed down on Lorenzo, filling the interrogation room with the suffocating presence of an S-rank Saint.

The air seemed to grow heavier.

For an ordinary E-rank Awakener, resisting such pressure should have been nearly impossible.

Yet Lorenzo remained seated.

His body flinched under the crushing force. His hands tightened into fists, and his teeth clenched as he fought to keep his expression composed.

His breathing grew heavier, but he refused to bow his head.

Elena watched him closely.

He’s enduring my mana pressure?

After several seconds, she withdrew her mana.

Lorenzo slowly exhaled.

His body still felt heavy, but he forced a smile onto his face.

"Mind your words, Riina," Elena warned. "What you’ve said borders on treason. You’re insulting the World Government."

Lorenzo let out a short, humorless laugh.

"Instead of doing your jobs properly, all you can do is intimidate a seventeen-year-old. That’s the SCBD for you."

His expression hardened.

"You couldn’t prevent the attack. You arrived too late to save the people who died. And now you’re questioning the one person who actually intervened, suggesting he might be involved in a mafia war."

He shook his head.

"Just great."

Lorenzo pushed back from the table.

"I have to say, I’m disappointed in the SCBD. I came here voluntarily, yet you didn’t even offer me medical treatment despite my injuries."

He straightened his jacket.

"So, let’s end this farce."

"I’m tired, and frankly, I’ve had enough of this conversation."

Lorenzo stood up and looked directly at Elena.

"Unless you’re planning to charge me with a crime, I’d appreciate it if you stopped wasting my time."

The interrogation room fell silent.

Marcus Scout’s expression stiffened.

This kid... Does he have any idea who he’s talking to?

Of course, Lorenzo knew exactly who Elena Ward was.

An S-rank Awakener. A Saint. One of the most dangerous officers in the Special Crime Branch Department.

Under ordinary circumstances, someone like him wouldn’t dare speak to her this way.

But Lorenzo wasn’t an ordinary Awakener.

Nor was he particularly interested in playing the part of a well-behaved young heir.

He had cooperated with the investigation, answered their questions, and explained his actions.

If that still wasn’t enough for them, then that was their problem.

Elena’s expression darkened.

"Sit down."

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon?"

"I said, sit down."

Her mana stirred once more, filling the room with a suffocating pressure.

"Do you think you can walk out of here whenever you please just because you’re the son of Aldric Riina?"

Lorenzo glanced at the door before looking back at her.

"No. I think I can walk out because you haven’t given me a reason to stay."

His smile returned.

"Unless you’re planning to arrest me. In that case, I’d suggest you tell me what crime I’ve committed first."

Elena’s eyes narrowed.

"You deliberately killed a suspect who could have provided critical information about a terrorist organization."

"And he was holding my fiancée hostage."

"That doesn’t give you the right to—"

"Then arrest me."

Lorenzo spread his arms.

"Go ahead. Write the report. Call your superiors. Explain to them that the SCBD has decided to arrest the son of an Overlord because he killed a terrorist who threatened his fiancée."

His expression remained perfectly composed.

"Just make sure you include every detail. The dead civilians, the hostages, the gun pointed at Sofia’s forehead, and the fact that your department arrived after everything was already over."

He tilted his head.

"I’m sure they’ll appreciate the thoroughness."

Marcus closed his eyes for a moment.

He’s deliberately provoking her now.

And the worst part was that Lorenzo knew exactly what he was doing.

He was forcing Elena to make a decision.

Either she would detain him and justify that decision to her superiors, or she would let him leave and continue the investigation without him.

Neither option was particularly appealing.

Elena understood that as well.

But she wasn’t about to let a seventeen-year-old boy dictate how her investigation would proceed.

"You’re very confident for someone sitting inside an SCBD interrogation room."

"Confidence comes from knowing where you stand."

"And where exactly do you think you stand, Lorenzo Riina?"

Lorenzo’s smile faded.

"Right now?"

He glanced down at his bloodstained clothes.

"Somewhere I’d rather not be."

Then he looked back at her.

"But if you’re asking about my position in this world, I think you already know the answer."

The room fell silent again.

Lorenzo wasn’t threatening her with his father’s name.

He wasn’t asking for special treatment.

He was simply refusing to pretend that their positions were equal.

Elena could dislike his attitude all she wanted, but she couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation.

He was the heir to one of the most powerful families in the world, and so far, they had no evidence directly connecting him to the terrorist attack itself.

She could continue questioning him, but without sufficient grounds for detention, doing so would only create further complications.

Elena’s jaw tightened.

"You’re free to leave for now, Mr. Riina."

Without waiting for a response, Lorenzo walked out of the room.

Marcus watched him leave before turning toward Elena.

"That went well."

Elena shot him a cold look.

"Not another word, Captain."

Marcus wisely remained silent.

For several seconds, Elena stared at the closed door.

She had dealt with countless arrogant Awakeners throughout her career, but Lorenzo Riina left her with an uncomfortable feeling.

"Captain Scout," she said at last, closing the folder.

"Yes, ma’am?"

"Review everything we have on the Riina family’s recent activities. Their conflicts, their enemies, and any unusual movements in the days leading up to the attack."

Marcus’s expression grew serious.

"Understood."