“Wake up, you filthy criminal.”
“Ugh.”
Thud.
I woke up after being tapped on the head.
It seems I had dozed off after a long ride in the carriage.
“Oh, wow—oof.”
Thwack!
Suddenly, my head was struck.
It was a man clad in knight’s armor.
“Hmph, who said you could speak, you insolent fool? Hey, you lot, it’s time for work.”
The man in knight’s armor called out to people outside the cell.
Humans began gathering outside the cell in a huddle.
I am currently tied to a chair.
Wrists, ankles, and even a magical restraint for good measure.
“This is a custom-made belt made from magic-sealing leather. Even if you try to channel your magic, it won’t work, reincarnated hero.”
“Nah, nah, this guy’s just a homeless dropout. Doesn’t seem to have any magic power.”
“…Don’t be careless. He managed to avoid divine punishment during the trial by ordeal.”
“He’s just a lucky guy, isn’t he?”
“If that’s the case, it’s all the more unbelievable. To avoid punishment from those people with mere luck…”
Several men surrounded me.
Hmm, judging from their magical aura, they seem fairly capable.
But it’s different from properly trained magicians; it’s rougher, more brutal.
…Some sort of underground society members?
No, maybe something else…
“Oh, sorry, sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. We’re kind of like the last angels you’ll be chatting with in this world. Tough luck, getting noticed by him.”
“By the order of Lux Brudra Lux, we will now begin the interrogation of the reincarnated hero, Kasuya Takihito.”
“…Curse your fate, wretched soul.”
Ah, I see. That handsome blond prince knows what he’s doing.
A perfect scumbag move, not dirtying his own hands at all.
…Hmm, did a counter against mental magic fail, leaving me with partial memory? Or was I witnessed by someone else…?
This otherworld is quite deep.
Looks like my intelligence might be the key here…
“Well, the order this time is ‘Oops, he died during interrogation.’”
“To put it simply, we’re going to torture you until you’re close to death. Honestly, neither a confession nor begging for your life matters.”
“…But, well, it’ll be a nice distraction. Scream and cry as much as you want.”
It seems I’m about to be killed by them.
I see, these three are probably professional assassins.
The strange habits and feel of their magic come from their unorthodox methods.
On top of a handcart-like table are dirty scissors, sharp needles, and that thing that looks like pliers… for pulling out nails, I guess.
Hmm, I can use my magic control skills to dull the pain, but…
Yeah, since I’m about to be tortured, I might as well experience the real thing at least once.
“Well then, let’s begin. Hate me all you want. Oh, right, since it’s an interrogation, we should follow protocol.”
“Yeah, sure. Snow, right? The reincarnated hero we captured?”
“…Yes, Snow von und zu Liechtenstein , the marquess’s daughter.”
They stare intently at me.
First, they press the blades of the scissors against my index finger.
“Well then, let’s get this over with.”
“Where did you take her? Ah, you don’t have to answer right away.”
Snap!!
Without any warning, the scissors close, trying to cut through my finger.
But—
“Huh? What the…?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Well, this is strange… The scissors won’t cut.”
Oh, crap. I unconsciously reinforced myself with magic power.
What’s the right move here?
This is a rare, spontaneous event, and it’s probably a torture scene meant to end in my death.
I’d like to act with some thoughtfulness, but…
By the way, Navi, where did Snow go?
“It seems Snow was kidnapped and taken to Pandora. And, bad news: thanks to remote surveillance magic, Snow is also watching this torture…”
“WHAT!!?? FOR REAL!!???”
“““Whoa!”””
Oops, that was bad—I yelled out loud.
She’s watching this torture scene too!? That’s intense!
In the end, a person’s true nature is revealed by how they respond in moments of crisis.
Heh, as someone aiming to be a supportive friend in the main party, I know what I have to do.
“…Hey, is this guy really just some homeless trash?”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
“No, it’s just… compared to the others we’ve tortured and killed, he seems a lot more composed—”
This is bad, they’re getting suspicious!
Alright, time to disable my magic reinforcement.
Slash. Thud. My index finger drops to the ground.
WOOOOAH, IT HURTS SO MUCH!!!!!!
“Oh, it suddenly worked.”
“Here, get the water bucket. Phew, glad it worked—good thing we’ve got options.”
“Okay, then, let’s resume the torture. Make sure you scream and wail; it’s more fun that way.”
Bring it on—watch me, Snow.
I’m going to do my best.
Even though I’m scared, I’m going to play the friend character who won’t betray the heroes.
I’ll show you what I’m made of.