“Yes, I understand, Captain.” Penelope, a well-trained investigator, lowered her eyes from her superior’s naked body and received the device he gave her.
“No… No, I will do the interrogation of Eleonora Asil myself. Don’t talk to her recklessly, provoke her, or be rude. Understand?”
“We don’t have a chance… If we attempt to, we would get retaliated. Isn’t it unfair?”
Kyle laughed as Paul murmured melancholy. “It won’t happen if you just let her sleep soundly. Oh, let’s have regular meals three times a day. Hot cocoa for dessert. Don’t give me any other snacks.”
“Yes, Captain… what?” Paul trailed off at the end of his response, confused. Meanwhile, Penelope, who had been diligently writing down the orders of his superior, a habit she had taken from him, also slowed down, looking at the memo she had written herself.
Kyle’s order was exactly what Eleonora Asil had requested in the instructions she had given to them. Penelope was a little confused. However, Kyle showed no signs of doubt about what he said. He added a few minor orders and closed the door again.
“It’s a strange day…” Paul muttered in a puzzled voice.
Penelope shrugged. “Now, we have to appease her as much as we can.”
“Sure. Even so, you have to pack your own meals…”
“Maybe she won’t even give us a chance to rebel? You know the Captain has an allergy to Eleanora. If you say that to the boss, you might get hit.”
“Oh, yes. Let’s go, Penelope. Are you going to edit that recording?”
“Yes. Take Valtalere’s statement with you.”
The two investigators, unaware of anything that had transpired between Kyle Leonard and Eleonora Asil went on their way. At the end of the hall, they diverged into two directions. Penelope headed towards the investigator’s office while Paul moved forward to the interrogation room underground.
And for just one and a half days, when Kyle was forced to take a rest after treatment and Noah was asleep without the knowledge of the world, a few things happened simultaneously.
Paul encountered unexpected difficulties during Lenia Valtalere’s interrogation, and Penelope witnessed a fairly suspicious scene in Kyle’s recording.
*
It was only two days after Noah had been sprawling like a sloth in the VIP room of the Bureau of Investigation and Security. Contrary to her expectation that she would be cleared of charges in a day or two, the situation turned out to be not favorable to her, and it was not Kyle Leonard who brought to her the news.
She was dozing in the armchair with a thick quilt wrapped around her body when she was woken up by the sudden rush of investigators. Upon hearing the first words they uttered, she was wide awake.
“Uh, so now, what?” Noah blinked, at a loss.
“I want you to take her down to the interrogation room right now.” The investigator, who, ironically, had gentle eyes, commanded in a threatening tone.
“Please cooperate, Lady Asil.” He didn’t put a handcuff around her wrists nor pointed a gun at her forehead, but he was menacing enough.
What, is something wrong?
Noah was forced to follow the investigator down despite the ominous foreboding she couldn’t shake off, and when she arrived in front of the underground prison and interrogation room, the fear she felt beforehand paled in comparison with what she beheld before her.
I’m scared!
Contrary to the ground floor, which was a neat modern building, a harsh atmosphere, which seemed to have just emerged from the Middle Ages, engulfed the basement.
The floors, made of stone, were unevenly laid, grim columns and iron bars lurked every corner, and dimly lit lanterns casted gloomy shadows everywhere.
Dozens of iron gates were hung on both sides of the corridor, and judging by the number on the door plates, it must have been a cell for the prisoners.
Don’t tell me you’re not gonna lock me up here like this. Noah’s shoulders shrank at the sight of the prison she had never seen before. Upon seeing a prisoner with heavy chains on both his ankles trudging behind the investigator in the hallway at a distance, goosebumps erupted all over her skin.
“What number is the interrogation room?”
“Number 0. Where the Mana Breaker is activated.”
The investigators surrounding Noah seemed to be exchanging whispers among themselves, but she couldn’t hear them well. Frightened, Noah was seriously contemplating whether or not she should escape and call Muell.
“For the captain only?”
“Yes.”
Captain. It was a title that referred to Kyle Leonard. Though she perched her ears and paid attention, the investigators did not have any further conversation. Still, it was reassuring if Kyle interrogated her himself. As soon as she could enter, she would ask what was happening.
However, the foreboding prevailed. As she followed the group of investigators, she scanned the vicinity and saw two people walking from the other direction toward their side.