The Empror's Trap

"Your Majesty, this is probably tied to the earlier assassination attempt you mentioned. I think you should handle this personally," Kenji said, sounding helpful. In truth, he wasn't about to let this messy burden land on him. He remembered the emperor's looming demands and didn't want to trigger any more trouble. So he tried to hand the matter off to her with a polite flourish.

"No. You've been investigating for days and haven't cracked a thing. How could I cut you off from a fresh lead now?" Pluvia narrowed her eyes. "Take it. Find out whatever you can, then inform me."

....

Back at the Anos estate, Kenji wasted no time starting the interrogation of the assassin Lina had captured.

He had a hunch this prisoner wouldn't reveal much, but it was still better than nothing. Getting Lina—who wasn't exactly known for leaving survivors—to bring one in alive was hard enough.

In the pitch-black cell, Kenji deliberately placed this assassin in the same space as the corpse of another henchman Lina had killed before. Indeed, Kenji had kept that body around all this time. He believed it still held secrets. So he asked Lina to set up a preservative array, which she did with surprising efficiency. The result was so effective that the body looked freshly dead.

After tying the assassin to a post in that cell, Kenji pretended to leave. In truth, he stayed just around the corner, listening as Lina handled the interrogation.

She wasn't skilled in the usual methods of torture, and she'd barely studied it despite Kenji's efforts to have her train. She had a knack for dismantling people rather than going through formal questioning, so he eventually stopped trying to teach her standard techniques and assigned that to others.

But her lack of official torture training didn't mean she couldn't extract information. Lina tended to slip a bit of her "heart-demon magic" into the process, eroding the target's desire to resist until she got the answers she needed.

She sat in front of the prisoner, aura flaring in a way that unsettled him, and spoke in a cold tone:

"Who sent you?"

"…"

If this was a typical interrogation, the first question might have been worded more delicately. Lina, however, went straight for it.

"No one sent us," the assassin grunted. "We came on our own to get rid of that damned Emperor."

He showed some backbone, barely reacting to Lina's pressuring aura.

She took a slow sip of water. "I'll say this once. I don't have much patience for nonsense." She set the cup aside and patted the dead henchman's body. "By the way, are you familiar with him? He tried to kill my Master awhile back, so I taught him a little lesson…"

"Your Master?"

The assassin smirked, sizing Lina up in a way that suggested he saw her as a fellow rogue.

"If I'm not mistaken, your master is that brat Kenji, right?"

She stayed quiet, ignoring the disrespect in his words. She simply waited for him to keep talking.

"I know who you are. I know about your so-called master. You take care of him, am I right? You must feel satisfied, thinking he appreciates your talent."

He paused to grin. "But how many years have you served him, kid?"

"I've been at his side for at least eight years," Lina answered, crossing her legs and smiling faintly.

"Eight years. Judging by your looks, you're what—maybe seventeen or eighteen? Or nineteen?"

"If you're that sure, why call me 'kid?'" she asked calmly.

"Because you understand nothing," he said, sneering. "Do you know what kind of man your master is? He's the type who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice anyone once you're no longer useful. You think he treats you kindly now, but only because he doesn't need to throw you away yet."

He shook his head with a sigh. "You're too young. Sure, you're strong, I'll give you that, but so what? You've wasted eight years on him. Is this really what you wanted? What's your reward for giving him these eight years of your life?"

Lina's smile vanished.

She took a measured breath, as if swallowing her frustration, then waved a hand. "Enough. I'm the one doing the interrogation. I'll ask you again: who sent you here?"

The assassin stared silently at her. He almost seemed to admire the grim mood in her eyes. She reminded him of a dangerous pet belonging to the Duke Anos—a lethal companion that still held a certain allure. Her scarlet irises had dimmed, giving off a strange pull.

"I'll tell you whatever I truly know, but if it's something I don't know, me making things up won't help. You'd just assume I was lying and beat me senseless, and then we'd both be wasting our time."

While he spoke, he glanced toward the corridor. He twitched a finger against the ropes.

"Silence."

A faint, invisible energy rippled across the room. Around the corner, Kenji noticed the sudden hush inside.

Oh? So he can do that too?

"Neat trick," Lina remarked. "Seems you learned something from those Western cults."

In general, Western magic and Holy practices worked similarly to Eastern techniques in that they tapped the same spiritual power. The difference lay in how they used or channeled it. Western magic tended to rely on external incantations, whereas Eastern cultivation focused more on honing oneself. Over time, both sides had tried to learn from each other.

Silencing spells existed in both systems, but Western versions often felt more dramatic and precise.

"Just a scrap of knowledge," the assassin muttered, then eyed her again. "I've noticed you're in a tough spot. Sure, your master treats you decently, but how long will that last? He's high up in Camelot—do you really think he'll ever fall for you, a leftover from some demonic sect?"

Lina lowered her head.

"I don't expect…"

"See? That's all you got after eight years of loyal service?" he said.

She lifted her gaze defiantly. "And what about you? You're nothing but a disposable tool for your own master. Look where you ended up. He dumped you here, and you're trying to guilt-trip me?"

The assassin snorted. "What if I said our prince would never leave us behind?"

Lina stared at him, stumped.

Wait, he actually fell for that act? I had only been casually faking some emotional vulnerability, and he walked right into it? So men really do drop their guard around attractive women…