Late at night, when everyone was fast asleep, Pal and I cleaned our sweat-soaked bodies with Clean magic and got dressed. I had already put the inn’s occupants to sleep beforehand. Their stares were far too suspicious—they might have planned to break into our room once we were asleep.

“Orlando is staying at the village chief’s residence. However, there was no mention of the locations of Sadada and Ish.”
“We’ll just get that information from the three of them.”
“Shadow, you can stop here. Take a rest.”
“...Are you sure?”
“You’ve been keeping watch all this time, haven’t you? We’ll handle the rest. Go take a break.”
“Understood...”

Why the tears? I don’t get it.

To avoid waking the villagers, I surrounded the village chief’s residence with an Area Sacred Barrier.

“Come forth.”

In response to my command, the members of the Maniears household appeared:

• Sorderic Maniears
• Artemis Maniears
• Five liches

“Master.”
Sorderic knelt.

“Lord.”
Artemis curtsied, bowing her head.

The liches floated around me, rejoicing at having been summoned.

“I called you here for one reason—the time has come to fulfill our promise.”
“We are most grateful, Master.”
“Thank you, Lord.”

I looked up at the village chief’s residence.
It was quite a large mansion—evidence of their prosperity.

“Inside are Orlando, who once served as the Maniears family’s butler, and Lugh, who was the head steward, along with his wife.”
“I have dreamed of this day.”

Sorderic smiled, but his eyes pierced the mansion with a chilling intensity.

“I believe Orlando knows the whereabouts of Sadada and Ish.”
“They were also servants of the Maniears family.”

As expected.

“They may know about others as well, but we’ll start with the three of them.”

Sorderic nodded.

“Let’s go.”
“Yes, sir.”
“As you wish.”

We entered the mansion through the front door. The liches, passing through the door, unlocked it on their way in.

The household consisted of the village chief and his wife, their son and daughter-in-law, grandchildren, guards, and some servants in the annex. From the presences I sensed, a few were awake, but most were sound asleep.

“I’ll maintain the barrier. Do as you please, Sorderic.”
“Thank you, Master.”

After bowing to me, Sorderic silently advanced deeper into the mansion with his group.

From this point on, it was up to them. Whether they killed Orlando and his cohorts or wiped out their families, it was not my concern.

These people had murdered not only Sorderic but also the young Artemis. If they were killed along with their entire family as an act of revenge, they would have no right to complain. Even if their grandchildren were innocent.

Some might call it merciless, but if their own child were murdered, those same people wouldn’t hold such opinions. Hypocritical criticism is the most infuriating thing.

A terrifying bloodlust filled the air.

“It’s begun.”

Pal wrapped her arm around mine, pressing her soft chest against me.

This is deliberate, isn’t it? No way am I falling for this here.

Several guards were already down. As a scream echoed, the guards from the annex rushed over. The liches quickly incapacitated them. The servants were left immobilized, their life force drained but not taken—they weren’t enemies.

“Master, it seems the other servants have awakened as well.”
“Indeed.”

Some were trying to escape, but the barrier I set up prevented it. They would not all be slaughtered; the barrier was simply to ensure no one escaped. Once everything was resolved, it would be taken down. Scary, sure, but they would just have to endure it. It was the price of working under criminals.

The mansion grew quiet. Orlando, Lugh, and Lugh’s wife had been gathered in one place. Pal and I headed there as well.

“W-why!? How!?”

An elderly man, presumably Lugh, pointed a trembling finger at Sorderic, eyes wide in disbelief.

Seeing someone you’ve killed standing before you would indeed be terrifying.

Only the three culprits were here. Lugh’s family was being monitored by the liches.

“C-calm down, Lugh!”
“How can I stay calm!? Sorderic is right here, and so is Artemis!”
“This has to be an illusion! Get a hold of yourself!”

The two old men began arguing. How pitiful.

“Silence.”

Sorderic’s quiet but furious voice froze the moisture in the air. Frost formed on Orlando and the others, and their bodies began to shake uncontrollably. This might be too much; we still needed them to talk.

Artemis circled around them, evaporating the frost. Their faces turned bright red.

“Gyaaaahhh!”

At this rate, even their blood might evaporate.

“Enough. Extract the information from them quickly.”

The three were wrapped in bands of light.

“Who... who are you!?”

As I restored their condition, they turned their frightened gazes toward me.

“How dare you! Bow before him!”
“Gah!”

Under Sorderic’s pressure, they collapsed to the floor, writhing pathetically.

“Now then, Sorderic, make it quick.”
“My apologies, Master.”

Sorderic threw a knife before them.

“Pick it up. Stab me with it, as you did back then.”

The knife gleamed ominously. The three hesitated, their eyes darting between the knife, Sorderic, and Artemis.

“What’s the matter? If you won’t pick it up, I’ll kill you anyway.”

Death was inevitable.

“However, if you provide all the information you have on the others’ whereabouts, I might consider sparing you.”

“...!!”

Hope flickered in their eyes.

But they wouldn’t be spared. If it were me, I’d say, “I never promised to spare you.”

The room filled with desperate pleas as Sorderic began his interrogation. I took a seat and waited. Pal, as usual, served tea.

From where? Oh no... was that from her skirt?

“Master, my skirt is a secret space. Ufufu.”
“Secret, indeed...”

How it worked, I didn’t know—but for now, it didn’t matter.