Chapter 401: Questioning.

Chapter 401: Questioning.

“I apologize for not being able to visit sooner but as you know, we had a little situation.”

“That’s fine, I bet you had to deal with the Golden Order locking down the city.”

“Quite so.”

Roland nodded at Arthur, who had come to visit him at the clinic. A day had passed since he had awoken, and his body was feeling much better. Most of the debuffing effects that had been affecting him were now gone, and he could be released. However, there was one small problem - the Golden Solarian Order of Paladins. They still wanted to have a chat with him and were adamant about not letting him out of their grasp before that. Even Arthur couldn't do anything about it, as they could invoke the Kingdom laws to override his status. Perhaps if the Duke stepped in, it would be possible, but his son didn't have that kind of power.

“How far have they gone?”

“They blocked off the city and are going through every home, I assume they have some sort of magical device to detect cultists?”

“That could be possible...”

Roland pondered the situation. The church's thorough investigation wasn't unexpected, considering the recent attack on his home. However, he needed to be cautious about how much information he shared. His knowledge about creating divine runes posed a problem, and then there was also the matter of Agni. He had to assume that the Golden Order had already conducted their research on him, leaving little room for evasion.

If he started lying and didn't cooperate, there was also the possibility of him getting captured and held as a heathen. The Inquisition was notorious for torturing suspects, as healing magic could easily mend physical injuries, they didn’t worry about making mistakes. However, the mental scars endured from days or weeks of such torment were usually irreversible. It was better to tread carefully as even the position of Head Knight would not protect him if he was deemed to be a cultist.

“Did they try to interrogate you?”

“Oh they did, luckily thanks to my disguise I have a sound alibi, you on the other hand...”

“I’ll have to speak to them before leaving, I should probably get it over with...”

Roland let out a sigh, receiving a reassuring pat from Arthur. Throughout the entire cultist attack, Arthur had been in disguise, sparing him from scrutiny. Unfortunately, Bernir, Elodia, and all the others weren't as fortunate; they would have to endure the Golden Order's interrogation. They hadn't done anything wrong, but Roland could foresee some of them unintentionally revealing information. Armand was known to be talkative, so details about the holy runes might eventually slip out. Moreover, there was the matter of the massive sun-like spell that Roland had created, which had spilled out into the open when it detonated.

‘Should I pretend that I have some type of blessing from Solaria? They probably have some way to test for divine classes and blessings though, probably not the greatest idea...’

The prospect of facing the Golden Order was daunting, but Roland realized he couldn't delay it any longer. He needed to tread carefully, and perhaps withholding information was not the best approach in this situation. In reality, he needed the Golden Order as much as they needed his knowledge about the relic.

Though it was his trump card, he actually wanted to present it to the Church. Anyone who could help keep the cult at bay was a potential ally, and releasing the knowledge would eliminate any reason for further pursuit. Nevertheless, it was still something that he could get a good price on and there were some things that he wanted from this exchange.

As he prepared to face the interrogation, the door to the clinic room opened, and a stern-looking paladin entered. The paladin was clad in shining armor adorned with the emblem of the Golden Solarian Order. His gaze was sharp, and Roland could sense the aura of authority emanating from him. Even without using his analyzing skill Roland was aware that this person was a tier 3 class holder, probably above level two-hundred. The room fell into a tense silence as the paladin surveyed the occupants.

“Knight Commander Wayland, follow me, we need to have a discussion regarding the recent events, Sir Gideon and Dame Loreena are waiting.”

His tone was cold and to the point, something that a close by resident caught on and decided to comment about.

“Hey, that’s no way of talking to a Knight Commander!”

It was not Arthur and not any of the soldiers that Roland commanded, instead it was his brother-in-inlaw, Armand. He along with Lobelia had awoken as well and both were still suffering from some cursed after effects. They weren’t that injured to begin with but their stats could not compare to his and the guild masters.

“Hey you idiot, stop!”

“Why should I? Who does this shiny asshole think he is?”

Lobelia started pulling him back, while Armand shot a menacing glare at the Golden Order Paladin. The man in shining armor took the threat seriously and reached for the longsword strapped to his side. His opponent, however, was still a tier 3 class holder who didn't require weapons to fight. Even if Roland were unarmed, he posed a threat and was also potentially involved with the cult.

“Are you trying to resist the Golden Order inquiry?”

“Hold on, Armand. Let's not escalate things here. We can cooperate and sort everything out without unnecessary confrontations, just leave this to me."

Roland interjected, placing a calming hand on Armand's shoulder. The tension in the room eased slightly, but the paladin remained vigilant, eyeing Armand and Roland with suspicion. Only after Armand started backing away did he move his hand away from that magical sword.

“Dame Loreena, why are you disclosing such information?”

“Calm down Gideon, this man isn’t our enemy, he actually holds the key to a breakthrough!”

“A breakthrough?”

It seemed that his Golden Order acquaintance had already realized what the stakes here were and that perhaps holding Roland in a dimly lit room wasn’t the best idea.

“Indeed, he possesses some unique knowledge regarding the cultist's relic and the way to set people free, isn’t that right Sir Roland?”

“Does he? Why didn’t you consult me about this earlier Dame Loreena?”

“Oh, it must have slipped my mind... but I’m sure you’re acquainted with the recent incident involving those bastards.”

“Yes... I see... so it was him?”

Roland didn’t say anything but it seemed that Loreena withheld some information from her golden order friend. He was quick on the uptake as he connected the dots together. His gaze became a lot more intense than before but for some reason, it felt like there wasn’t as much disdain in there.

“How is it possible? If this is true then you must tell us how!”

Previously, Roland had managed to restrain himself from an emotional outburst, but the same couldn't be said for Gideon. His hand slammed onto the wooden table, quickly giving way under the pressure and collapsing. It was evident that Gideon was eager for an answer, but the moment the table gave in, he appeared somewhat apologetic—a stark contrast to his previous behavior. It seemed possible that Roland's perceived worth in the man's eyes had shifted, and Gideon could no longer continue to bully him with questions.

“My apologies, Sir Roland ... but could you tell me, are you really able to counter that effect?”

After regaining some momentum, Roland decided to toss the paladin a bone. His aim was still to use the church for his own gain. Just as they desired his technology to awaken people from the relic's slumber, he intended to use their services to protect his property and loved ones.

“Yes that’s true, I was able to awaken myself before the cultists entered my home. This is probably why I am still talking to you but let me explain some things first...”

One big reason these people needed him was the absence of a working relic for examination. Roland had previously utilized his debugging skill to obtain the schematics, implementing countermeasures after figuring out the relic's intricacies. The church had lost the large monolith during the cult's attack, impeding their progress. He was fortunate to be the sole possessor of the schematic and runic technology capable of countering the effects of the illusions and that’s what he hoped to imply with his recount of the events.

As Roland began to explain the details of his encounter with the cultists and the relic, Gideon and Loreena listened intently. The dimly lit room became a stage for Roland's narrative, and with each revelation, the tension seemed to dissipate. He described the mechanics of the illusion in somewhat of a vague manner to not give his secrets away too early.

Gideon, despite his initial hostility, started to appreciate the gravity of Roland's knowledge. The potential breakthrough in combating the cultists and understanding the relic's properties overshadowed any suspicions about Roland's past. However, to win the church over to his side, it would require more than just theories and strategies. Ordinarily, such claims would demand tangible proof, but the fact that he was awake with the miniaturized relic remains was enough to intrigue the Golden Order and make them willing to cooperate.

“You have been avoiding answering my inquiries, I presume you wish to receive something for your knowledge?”

“I’m glad that is correct, I do have some terms that I wish you to follow through on before I reveal more details. First and foremost, I want the church's protection for my estate and those close to me. I need assurance that they won't be targeted by the cult or anyone else seeking my knowledge.”

Both of the knights exchanged glances with each other, it seemed that the request wasn’t entirely unexpected and perhaps they had even prepared to negotiate.

“I see... regretfully, we are but simple Paladins, we would need to consult someone in a higher position ... “

“Oh, why don’t I just ask Grandfather?”

Loreena interjected before Gideon could finish his sentence. The moment her grandfather was mentioned, Roland noticed the mostly calm paladin flinch. If he remembered correctly, the man she was referring to was a High-Inquisitor, someone who could even call forth a flying ship, as was the case during the cultist attack.

While Roland wasn’t too keen on having someone who knew his father and identity involved, it was already out in the open. However, he was an Inquisitor with actual power, people would think twice about approaching an area that was protected under his name and banner.

“I probably won’t be able to stop you Dame Loreena but why don’t we discuss the other issue before we make a decision?”

“Ah, that issue!”

“What issue?”

Roland, who thought that he was about to sign a contract suddenly started to get a bad premonition.

“The issue concerning the sacred beast of course!”