Chapter 97 The Interrogator and the Interrogated
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I blinked, my heart sinking as I was led into the room. There, waiting for me with practiced poise, were the twin young ladies and their elderly butler.
Several members of the guard followed closely behind, fanning out until they had me and my companions completely surrounded.
”W-What are you three doing here…?” I stammered, my eyes darting between the twins.
”Ugh, the stench,” Aristina muttered, wrinkling her nose in visible disgust. “Honestly, Iris, it is simply appalling.”
”It is the breath of a demon monster ¹,” Iristina replied, her voice cold as she dabbed at her dress with a silken handkerchief. “We shall have to change our clothes again, Alice.”
I felt a prickle of confusion. I remembered them as the daughters of the Kelna merchant guild ², but their presence at the guard post felt disturbingly official.
Aristina continued to pinch her nose, while Iristina focused on her meticulous cleaning.
”Um… excuse me?” I ventured tentatively.
”Captain, do forgive us,” Aristina said, turning her attention to the man in charge. “We realize it was sudden, asking to join this interrogation.”
”Not at all! Please, do not give it a second thought!” the captain barked back, his posture stiff.
It seemed the bearded captain was the one officially conducting the inquiry. The twins were comfortably seated in the only chairs, leaving the captain to loom over the scene.
He fixed me with a glare that could have pierced armor.
”First, identify yourselves! You, start!” the captain commanded.
”I-I am Shimizu Shoichi…”
”…Eme-rald,” the girl beside me added curtly.
”I’m Ami-chan!” Ami-chan chirped, raising her hand in a peace sign against her right eye and offering a playful wink. The captain, however, did not so much as blink.
”You are suspected of spreading lies about coming from the Demon Forest, causing unnecessary unrest among the townspeople!” the captain roared. He punctuated his words by striking the floor with the pommel of his sword. THUMP! “What is the meaning of this deception? What is your true purpose in this town!”
I felt a jolt of genuine fear, yet I had prepared for this line of questioning.
”It is no lie,” I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. “We truly live in the Demon Forest. We only came to town to sell the crops we have cultivated there.”
”You persist even now!” the captain shouted, the floor echoing with another heavy THUMP! “Your very appearance is suspicious! And this girl—no doubt you have snatched her from somewhere!”
”Wait…! I am—” Eme-chan began, her brow furrowing.
”I was not asking you!” the captain snapped, cutting her off with another sharp blow to the floor.
I felt a flash of irritation. Being branded a criminal based on nothing but a ‘suspicious’ look was starting to grate on my nerves.
The twins, meanwhile, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle, wearing faint, mocking smiles.
”Where did you steal that fruit from?” the captain demanded.
”I told you, it isn’t like that!” I argued. “We grew it ourselves in the Demon Forest…!”
”Enough of your lies!”
Aristina, her pink hair shimmering in the dim light, finally interjected.
”Captain, please, calm yourself,” she said smoothly. “Your sense of duty to protect this town is truly admirable.”
”Lady Aristina! You are too kind!” the captain replied, his aggression momentarily replaced by fawning respect.
”However,” Aristina continued, “there is a slim chance this humanoid demon monster is telling the truth.”
I felt a brief surge of hope. Was she actually going to listen?
”Allow me to ask in the captain’s stead,” Aristina said, leaning forward. “If you truly live in the Demon Forest… where exactly is your home? Near the entrance? Or… surely not in the depths?”
I didn’t hesitate. Compared to the forest outskirts, there was only one honest answer.
”The depths,” I said.
”Hmm… is that so?” Aristina murmured.
”You scoundrel!” the captain exploded. “To lie so brazenly to Lady Aristina!”
I sighed inwardly. I knew the depths were considered uninhabitable, but the captain seemed determined to reject every word I spoke.
”I wonder,” Aristina mused, “do you also produce that pure white sugar there?”
I wasn’t surprised she knew. I had considered the possibility that my cargo had been inspected while I was detained.
”Yes, we do,” I admitted.
”I see…” Iristina spoke up this time, her eyes narrowing. “So, you are capable of producing white sugar independently?”
Liliarette had been right; the sugar was a powerful lure.
”The amount is quite limited,” I explained cautiously. “But occasionally, we can bring small quantities to market.”
I remembered Liliarette’s warning. The fruit was our primary trade; the sugar was a card to be played only when necessary.
”I believe I understand the situation now,” Iristina said, her voice dropping to a decisive tone.
”In that case, humanoid demon monster,” Aristina commanded, “you shall lead the guard and representatives of the Kelna merchant guild to your residence.”
My eyes widened. “What…?”
”It is the quickest way to clear your name and secure your release, is it not?” Aristina asked with a sharp smile.
”Wait a moment,” Eme-chan interrupted. “We cannot possibly lead a large group into the dangerous depths of the forest.”
She was right, of course. Without teleportation, the journey was a treacherous trek through monster-infested wilds.
”Oh? But you managed to make it to town, didn’t you?” Aristina countered. “If you truly live there, surely you have established a safe route? …Assuming you are telling the truth, of course.”
”We use a special route,” Eme-chan said firmly. “One that only we can navigate. Taking others… especially a large group, is impossible.”
Iristina stepped in, her logic as cold as a winter frost. “Did you think we would simply back down? The investigation of your cultivation site is a matter of public safety for this town.”
”I don’t follow,” I said.
”These fruits are entirely unknown to us,” Iristina explained. “If they were to spread unchecked, they could devastate the local ecosystem. An on-site survey is mandatory to understand their properties.”
I felt a pang of guilt. Back in my Dominion ³, the seeds from the Land of Blessing ⁴ were indeed growing with unnatural vigor.
”Furthermore,” Iristina continued, “the cultivation site must be managed by a proper authority for the sake of the investigation.”
Eme-chan’s eyes sharpened as the pieces fell into place. She turned to me.
”Shoichi, I see it now. They are working with the guard to frame us with false charges. Their real goal is the seizure of our farm.”
I froze. They weren’t interested in buying the fruit—they wanted to steal the entire operation.
”That is why the merchant guild is here for an interrogation,” Eme-chan hissed. “They intend to send in ‘investigators’ and simply occupy the land.”
I was stunned by the sheer ruthlessness of it. It was a blatant power play, fueled by greed and influence.
”How dreadfully cynical,” Aristina sighed. “We are merely acting as representatives of the guild to ensure the town’s safety.”
”Proper management is essential,” Iristina added. “We cannot simply leave it as it is.”
”This is absurd,” Eme-chan snapped. “Your greed will be your undoing.”
”Whom are you speaking to?” Iristina asked, her voice flat. “Such a thing is impossible.”
I watched the argument, realizing the captain was intentionally staying silent, letting the twins do the talking.
”Shoichi, let us leave,” Eme-chan said. “We have no further business in this town.”
”You honestly think those who have caused such confusion will be allowed to walk free?” Aristina asked, her eyes glinting with a predatory light.
It was a stalemate. They wouldn’t let me leave unless I surrendered the farm. But I had one more card to play—one that might change everything.
”Just a moment,” I said, reaching into my coat. I pulled out the letter of introduction from Liliarette.
”If you truly represent the Kelna merchant guild, then perhaps you should take a look at this.”
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Summary:
Shoichi and his companions are interrogated by a hostile guard captain and the twin daughters of the Kelna merchant guild. The twins reveal they know about his white sugar and demand to be led to his cultivation site in the Demon Forest. Eme-chan realizes the twins are using the guard to frame them so they can seize the farm for the guild. Facing a stalemate, Shoichi prepares to reveal a letter of introduction from Liliarette to change the power dynamic.
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Character Insight:
This chapter highlights the sharp contrast between Shoichi’s naive honesty and the cutthroat political maneuvering of the merchant guild. While Shoichi expects fair trade, Aristina and Iristina demonstrate a ruthless willingness to use state power (the guard) to monopolize resources. Eme-chan’s role as the pragmatic protector is further solidified as she instantly recognizes the guild’s ‘power play’, showing she is much more world-weary than Shoichi.
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Behind the Scene:
The author uses the ‘white sugar’ as a classic fantasy trope for a high-value commodity that triggers political conflict, shifting the story from simple commerce to a struggle against local authorities.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Aristina – A young, very cute girl, twin to Iristina. She has pale pink hair tied in high pigtails (twintails) and slightly slanted eyes. She is dressed in expensive clothing with a pretty ribbon on her head.
• Iristina – A young, very cute girl, twin to Aristina. She has silver hair styled in a two-side-up fashion and has somewhat drooping, jito-me-like eyes. She is dressed in expensive clothing with a pretty ribbon on her head.
• Shimizu Shoichi – A plain, middle-aged Japanese man with short black hair and brown eyes. He looks worn-out and ordinary. Average build, average height, standing looks like Satoru Mikami from certain series.
• Ami – A palm-sized fairy-like being from a world separate from both Earth and the isekai realm. She has light blue hair tied in a ponytail, mischievous blue eyes, and tiny wings that flutter behind her. Her outfit consists of a provocative high-cut leotard and a short jacket that looks like a miniskirt from the back, leaving her legs bare. Despite her playful appearance, she is actively searching for a contractor who can protect her from dangerous pursuers in exchange for the powers she offers.
• Liliarette – The other Princess, who sacrificed her ability to walk and her sorcery talent to save her sister, Cleonora. She is imprisoned in the East Tower and is being used as a political and monetary pawn by Viorga. C-cup, true golden hair, waist-length hair, the fringe was a slightly blunt, hair on her left side was braided to the chest.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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