Episode 36.12 (2/2)

(From 25 years ago?)

At this time, Nirfut took himself too lightly.

A man as skilled as Jinga can distinguish those with skills. Even if not so, the fact that Nirfut is an extremely skilled spy or assassin is obvious when you inspect him closely, which Jinga is capable of. And Jinga is not someone who would forget the presence of a hostile involved in a standoff with him last night. Nirfut had already failed the moment he chose to stand helplessly before Jinga.

”Nirfut-san. You are under arrest.”

”I-I'm an attendant of Boldrin House, you know? That is simply outrageous.”

”I'll throw that word back at you.”

”What are you talking about?”

”The head of Goncourt had been stabbed with a poisonous needle last night.”

”P-poisonous needle? That is simply absurd. It's a groundless charge.”

”Treating that was quite tough just so you know.”

Nirfut's whole body froze over.

”Treating that, tough?”

”Yes. He's completely back on his feet, he's having breakfast right about now.”

While he was dumbfounded, Nirfut was made to turn around and got a shackle put on his hands.

Then he got blindfolded and gagged before getting dragged away.

Looks like Nirfut is the only one arrested.

Afterward, he was thrown in a locked room.

The shackle was well made, even Nirfut's skill could not undo it.

Quite some time has passed before he was taken out and put on a wagon.

They got down at the destination, his blindfold was removed.

It's the temple.

There's a priest standing in front of him.

”Go up the stairs.”

He's still shackled with a soldier holding a rope tied to his shackle behind him. At a glance, the rope seems to be made of Spider material, not something an ordinary blade can cut.

After going up the stairs, he got blindfolded once again and was made to go round and round inside the building.

Then he was made to sit in a room before getting tied around his chair.

His blindfold was taken off, affording him to see an object placed on a desk in front of him.

(Bell?)

A moment later, Nirfut realized what that object was.

He made a desperate effort to struggle and break out of his restraint, but the chair didn't even budge.

(That's the <Bell of Truth>!)

(No, they can't be!)

(Just how?)

<Bells of Truth> are magic tools that can see through lies, distributed to every town lords by the king, placed under custody of the temple.

Once tolled, it cannot be used again for one year. It's normally employed by the temple or the town lord themselves. Many town lords even paid a huge sum of money to secure the right to use it every year. It's not an object even a noble house the likes of Goncourt can deploy as they wish. They will have to pay an absurd amount of money to the temple on top of acquiring permission from the town lord, which is next to impossible. Just how in the world Goncourt managed to gain the right to use such a valuable object.

In any case, the real thing is there right in front of him. Nirfut has misjudged House of Goncourt's power and resolution.

(Cassandra-sama.)

(Forgive me for failing to meet your expectations.)

(May you're blessed with good health always.)

Nirfut attempted to commit suicide.

However, he had been stripped of all his tools, and they would heal him when he bit his tongue. The interrogation was carried out mercilessly, bringing Boldrin's ploy to light.