Chapter 148: The Perpetrator’s Punishment and the Victim’s Crime (1)

"We have been waiting."

One said that and approached me.

"Um, this one is?"

Then the soldier who looked at Sophia asked confused.

What is it.

"My Dule."

"A Dule...?"

Her chest is bared and there is faintly a crest on her left breast so I think they would understand, but...

...Ah, that’s right.

Sophia is an elf, so they were confused seeing her in Dule attire.

There are no elf Dules.

"I-I see... Ah, sorry. Um, may I confirm?"

"Ah."

The soldier was a little dumbfounded and immediately asked for confirmation.

When I answered the soldier approached Sophia in a timid manner.

Perhaps because I and the soldier advanced the talk ignoring Sophia’s will, Sophia got a little sullen, but obediently showed the First Crest on her chest.

"Ku... nn..."

When the soldier held his hand over her Sophia squeezed her eyes shut and raised her voice slightly.

When that ended she immediately glared at the soldier, though.

The soldier did not notice that and compared it with the crest on my hand.

"Yes. Fine. Then I will guide you. Oi, I’ll leave the rest to you."

After exchanging a word with the other soldier he opened the lock of the iron grate at the back and tried to go down the stairs further inside.

At that moment a man who seemed a soldier ran up the stairs vigorously from below.

"Oi! Call Priestess Broich immediately!"

He shouted at the soldier who had been about to guide me with amazing intensity.

"Ah, ah. Understood. Asahi-sama, please wait a moment."

Perhaps sensing it was a situation where every moment counted, the soldier who was asked told me that and left the room.

"Oi, what’s wrong?"

I stopped the soldier who tried to go back down.

"Who are you?"

The soldier who turned around made a dubious face and asked me back.

"Hiroyuki Asahi."

The soldier who just left should have said my name.

I named myself while a little irritated.

"A-Asahi-sama! P-please wait a moment!"

The soldier told me that in surprise and went down the stairs as if rolling.

What is it? I looked at the one remaining soldier in that manner.

"W-well..."

The soldier shook his head while confused.

Looking at Sophia she only shrugged.

No help for it.

I sat in a chair in this room that seemed to belong to the soldier who just left.

Then Sophia spoke to me.

"I wonder what’s wrong?"

"Well. Did something happen to Yanica...?"

I answered Sophia.

The purpose we came here was to collect Yanica.

Yanica’s interrogation was being carried out in this underground.

Naturally Yanica should know information on the enemy who occupied here.

Helene and Hein asked me to interrogate to get that information.

There is also Yuki’s matter, and even if interrogation, no, torture was carried out on Yanica I thought it was her own doing, so I accepted Helene and the others’ request and handed Yanica over.

With this I would not have to give Yanica punishment either, and Yuki first, and Sophia and Rina and the others would also settle their scores, I thought.

That even if she died she could be revived, I thought, perhaps because I have also gotten used to this world.

So even if the soldier earlier was flustered I did not mind much.

"Could she have escaped."

Sophia tilted her head and muttered that.

"That shouldn’t be. Rosina was called, so she was injured... no, when Yanica escaped she might have wounded a soldier."

That Rosina was called means someone was wounded.

However that is not limited to Yanica.

If Yanica escaped, what do I do?

Have Cathy search?

Cathy has the ability to know the location of my Dules.

Leaving her as is also sits poorly.

When I thought that far Hein appeared from the stairs continuing underground.

His face was somewhat pale, a forced smile stuck on an exhausted expression.

"This is Hiroyuki-dono. Sorry for making you wait."

Hein formally bowed his head.

"That’s fine, but why is Hein-san here?"

It shouldn’t be a place a court magician comes and goes.

"Ah, no, to return her to Hiroyuki-dono. The ones interrogating are my subordinates."

According to Hein there is apparently magic called Sense Lie that sees through lies.

Originally an interrogator can use that magic, but there was none in this Torrestia.

No, the interrogators remaining in this town that was the enemy’s stronghold cannot be trusted.

Because Sense Lie can only be perceived by the caster themselves.

And imposing clemency can also be considered.

And so they assigned people from the still trustworthy town of Hansen as interrogators, and Hein’s subordinates to perform Sense Lie, apparently.

"I see. So did something happen to Yanica?"

I immediately asked Hein the thing that concerned me point-blank.

"Ah, no, well, that’s right. After Priestess Broich comes, perhaps."

Wiping sweat he answered my question stammering.

No, he is not answering.

Anyway shall we wait for Rosina.

"Understood."

I answered honestly.

Immediately after that Rosina appeared accompanied by Sheena.

"What’s wrong? Oh my, even Hiroyuki-kun."

Even facing me there was not the usual carefree atmosphere.

Her eyes were somewhat sharper than usual.

And though she hid it with makeup there were bags under her eyes.

Rosina and the others, priests who can use healing magic, are treating the sick and injured who make up most of this town’s residents for free.

Calling Rosina, who should be the busiest among them, and also bringing Sheena, is it that serious.

"This way."

Hein went ahead of me and Rosina and went down the stairs.

...

Right after going down the stairs two soldiers stood saluting.

One of them was the soldier who said to call Rosina.

"I will guide you."

That soldier opened the iron grate door continuing to the prison.

"This way."

I followed the soldier going ahead to guide.

Left and right were prison cells, raw bloodstains stuck thickly.

A stench that would bend your nose also drifted.

Sophia pinched her nose with her left hand and clung to my left arm with her right arm.

I also drew Sophia close with my left hand.

It was a little hard to walk, but no help for it.

The regret that I should not have brought her here crossed my mind, but it is too late now.

When we arrived at the far end there was a sturdy-looking door with no window.

"Hiii!!"

"Ahahahah!! Hii hihhihhi!!"

"I’m not at fault!! That one is at fault!!"

Strange voices rose from the solitary cell right beside it.

I immediately hid Sophia behind my back and peeked inside.

There were three men there.

One sat in the corner of the room with his back to us holding his head, one sat looking at empty space and laughing.

The last one grabbed the iron grate with both hands and was shouting as if appealing to us.

"...This way please."

The soldier glanced at them and opened the door at the back.

From inside an even worse stench drifted.

Following Hein who entered first, Rosina, then I and Sophia entered.

What we saw there was...

"Horrible..."

From behind Sophia’s voice muttering as if groaning could be heard.

There Yanica was exposing an appearance that could only be called horrible.