“What is it? Is it something you can’t answer? If we have a long conversation here, it will bother the people waiting at reception. Let’s talk in a separate room for the time being. Hey, escort this person to a separate room!”
“Yes!”
The staff who had been questioning Kent handed him over to the waiting guards.
“Come on, let’s go.”
“Uwah!”
Kent was led by the guards out of the room where his belongings had been inspected and then taken to a separate room.
“The person in charge of the interrogation will be here soon. Wait here until then. Understand? Wait obediently. If you try to escape or act strangely, you’ll be immediately apprehended and sent to a dungeon.”
After warning Kent, the guard left the room. Adamantly left alone, Kent looked around the room.
“It’s like an interrogation room.”
A cold, narrow room had a desk and two chairs facing each other. The windows were barred, making it difficult to leave the place easily.
“For now, I need to contact Marie and the others who came with me…”
Kent operated his terminal and called Marie, Rachel, and Hanako, who had come with him, to inform them of his current situation, but there was no answer.
“I guess I can’t help it. They might be busy and can’t answer, but I’ll try it just in case.”
Kent clicked on the name of a woman displayed in his address book and called her.
“Kent, what’s wrong?”
“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy. Are you free now?”
“Yes, I don’t have much time, but I’m free now.”
“That’s good.”
Kent was grateful that the woman he sought help from answered the phone.
“Actually…”
Kent explained that when he tried to enter the castle to see the celebration event, his terminal was flagged during the luggage inspection, and he was about to be interrogated.
“I understand. I’ll handle it. Kent, this is a favor, okay?”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. Sorry, it looks like someone’s coming. It’ll be trouble if they see me, so I’m hanging up.”
Noticing approaching footsteps, Kent hurriedly hung up the call. Then, he waited for the person to enter as if nothing had happened.
“Alright, I’ve kept you waiting.”
The door burst open, and a burly, intimidating man entered. Unlike the guard from before, he was armed and appeared to be of higher status. He roughly pulled out a chair opposite Kent across the table, sat down, and crossed his legs, leaning back.
“So? You tried to bring something suspicious into the castle, didn’t you? Show it to me.”
“Yes.”
Kent handed the tablet to the intimidating man.
“What is this? It looks like a plain board, but one side is glass? It’s not a mirror… is it? Hey! What is this used for?”
The man who received the tablet said, holding it and looking at it alternately with curiosity.
“That is…”
Kent, as he had when undergoing the body check, hesitated on how to answer.
“Is it something you can’t say?”
*Bang!*
The interrogator hit the desk loudly. The shock echoed in the narrow room. Kent thought that even if he told the truth, it was likely he wouldn’t be believed, and if he were judged to have lied, he would be apprehended.
“So you’re going to remain silent. In that case, I’ll have to resort to rough methods, but are you okay with that?”
Kent realized that if he spoke honestly and was believed, it would be reported to higher authorities, revealing that he attempted to bring in a terminal that could easily be used to harm the King, putting his own position in danger. If he wasn’t believed, he would be apprehended for perjury. If he said nothing, he would likely be interrogated with methods close to torture. No matter which option he chose, it would not be a good outcome for him.
“I can’t help it. Don’t hold it against me. This is my job.”
Saying that, the man took a black whip from his pocket. He swung it widely and hit the floor.
*Crack!*
The tip of the whip hit the floor, making a loud sound that reverberated through the narrow room. Kent could easily imagine that being hit with it would be incredibly painful.
“I’m going to hit you now.”
*(He’s going to hit me?)*
Kent mentally retorted, wondering what the purpose of the black whip he had taken out earlier was.
“Are you interested in this whip? This belongs to my wife. When we share our bed at night, if I give her this, she whips me with it. It feels indescribably… oh, but I’m on duty now.”
The intimidating man carefully put the black whip, which he claimed was his wife’s personal item, back inside his clothes.
“Pain lasts for three days. But your sin of remaining silent will be greater. If you don’t speak now, I’ll really hit you! Understand?”
The intimidating man raised his fist.
*(Is this it…)*
Kent steeled himself to be hit and closed his eyes.
*Thump, thump, thump*
“Huh? What? What’s going on?”
The hallway in front of the room where Kent and the others were located was very resonant. Someone seemed to be running towards them. Judging by the intimidating man’s reaction, no one ever ran in this area. He felt that something might have happened and stopped his raised hand.
*Bang!*
Then, the door to Kent’s room burst open. Judging by the sound of the lock not being disengaged, it seemed the door wasn’t locked in the first place.
“Hah, hah, hah, nnnh. Kent, are you alright?”
Catherine appeared, dressed in her Saintess attire. It seemed she had rushed over after receiving Kent’s call, breathing heavily and with her clothes slightly disheveled.
“S-Saintess? Why are you here?”
The intimidating man, who had been about to interrogate Kent, was surprised by the appearance of the Saintess.
“I heard the story. Hah, hah. What he has is a matter of national secret. Do not pry any further and release him.”
“B-but…”
Catherine, having heard the situation over the phone, conveyed only her purpose to the intimidating man without giving a detailed reason. Although she was a Saintess, who was treated as an equal to upper aristocrats, he also had his duties, and he opened his mouth to Catherine.
“I will take full responsibility. Therefore, I will take him with me.”
“Understood. That’s what she said. You can leave the room now.”
When Catherine said she would take full responsibility, he had no choice but to release Kent.
“So, let’s go. Kent!”
“Thank you for coming to my rescue.”
Kent thanked Catherine. Thus, Kent was able to leave the narrow room.
“It’s a good thing the smartphone battery didn’t die before then. I couldn’t charge it over the New Year’s holidays, so it died and shut down as soon as the call ended.”
“Uwaa. So, if the smartphone battery had died before that, it would have been game over. A close call.”
Kent and Catherine walked side-by-side down the hallway to return to the room where the luggage inspection had taken place. Kent noticed that Catherine had taken his hand, and the warmth of their hands was transmitted to each other. At that moment, Catherine told Kent that her smartphone’s battery had died.
“Kent, actually, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about…”
“What is it? Since you helped me, tell me anything if you’re in trouble.”
“Thank you, Kent. But I think I’ll refrain from talking about it. It’s nothing, so forget what I just said.”
Before entering the room for the luggage inspection, Catherine stopped her steps and spoke to Kent. Although she seemed quite serious, she ultimately didn’t say anything. Kent was concerned by her somber expression, but since she wouldn’t say it, he couldn’t force her to.
“I’m sorry, Kent. It looks like this is as far as I can help. I’m behind schedule, so I have to go now.”
“Thank you, Catherine. I was truly saved.”
“No problem. See you again then.”
Catherine escorted Kent to the room where the luggage inspection was being conducted, handed him over to the staff, and then quickly left.
“You may pass.”
“Yes.”
Thanks to Catherine’s intervention, Kent was able to pass the luggage inspection.
