CH.325 Interrogated

CH.325 Interrogated

“You really made a mess of things, huh.” Mariina commented as the three of us got down from HomeBase and met up with her at the Sawyer manor. “I mean, you took up a quarter of the tabloid.” She then placed the single sheath of paper on the table, so I could see it.

I did know the capital had these single page newspapers, but I didn’t expect them to be able to print about ... the nightly happenings by the morning. But I was clearly wrong, as there was a story taking up right about half of the front page, speaking about how the S-rank adventurer Master James was found frozen in an ice sculpture. While it didn’t tell everything, it did speak of Master James fighting someone who then proceeded to summon an ice dragon in the middle of the city to freeze him, before they disappeared into the night. It is interesting that they didn’t put my name in the story, but it might be because they want to avoid putting a noble’s name into it, before they can actually confirm that a noble actually did it.

“Well, what can I say? I’m just so popular that as soon as I get into town, the ... tabloids will have to be writing about me.”

“Or you are just that good at getting into trouble.” Alice commented.

“Don’t even. You know that one was zero percent on me. That James guy is just a drunk moron.”

“He is also one of the strongest in the capital.” Mariina said. “They don’t call him Master James for nothing.”

“I would call him the drunk master, but to be honest, he is more of a drunk monster.”

“Especially after that transformation.” Lua added. “I mean, what was that?”

“Probably a unique skill.” I suggested, although that was just a guess. “At the least it was an extra skill, as Laura couldn’t recognize it. But I would guess it is unique.”

“Unless he has evolved and it is a racial skill.” Lua added.

“Could be that, but I feel like Laura would have access to knowledge about racial skills.”

(I do know most of them, but some are hidden until I am perfect.) Laura told us.

“Well, you heard her.”

“I didn’t.” Mariina pointed out. “... I really wish I could.”

“I’m working on that. If it goes as planned, you’ll be able to access my Different Dimension Factory, and you’ll be able to speak to Laura there.”

“Is... Is that true?” Mariina asked. “I thought only those with ... special powers could get there.”

“...” I first silently stared at Alice, before I actually answered Mariina. “Well yes, but actually no. That is what I also assumed until two dragons broke my reception of truth. You can get there just fine, as long as you can control your soul with magic. Then detach it from your body and move it to the dimension that houses my Factory. Simple, right?”

“T-That doesn’t sound that simple.”

“Because it really isn’t. Even Alice can just barely separate her two souls, and none of us can yet transfer our souls out of our bodies.”

“She has two souls?”

“... you told her about SS, but not about that part?” I asked Alice.

“When I told her about SS, I didn’t really know having two souls could be useful. I only learned about ways of using my two souls after Lady Janina came to visit.” Alice explained.

“... wait, wait, Wait!? You were serious?” Mariina spoke up.

“... well, yes. Didn’t you know about that?”

“No. How would I? I mean... magic can do wonderful things, but affecting souls... is that even possible?”

“... so the Sage’s tower doesn’t know of it?” I wondered. “... no. That can’t be it. Agunan said that he has heard of humans that can visit the Spirit world. So there should be something about that, right? Perhaps it is just information they keep under wraps.”

“You can go to the spirit world?”

“Yeah. Agunan, the fire dragon that I ... ‘tamed’ told me he can do it. Apparently ‘playing’ with the spirits is fun. And by ‘playing’, he means fighting.”

By this point, I had completely given up on diplomacy. If I have to deal with this fool, I may as well just insult his ass into next week. He won’t believe me anyway. I can just solve any problems with my connection to the second Prince when I meet up with him.

“Fine. You are under arrest. Cuff him. And don’t even try to resist.” Woody Arrow commanded the three behind him.

“... you know this won’t work.” Mariina cut in. “Even if you are a knight commander, you can’t just barge in and arrest a noble with nothing but your word.”

“And you know, had you asked, it would be quite easy for me to show what actually happened.” I added. I mean, I have the skills for it. I can quite literally watch my life like it was a movie recorded from my PoV.

“Then go ahead. Humor me. If you have proof of your ‘innocence’, I’d like to hear it.”

“There is nothing to hear. Only to see. ... well, I suppose it does come with sound as well, so you will also hear. Dungeon Founder, open.” I opened up my skill and used it to make a makeshift display screen.

Also, I think I’ve never mentioned this, but when someone opens up a system screen like this, the screen will always face you. You, as in everyone. As in, for everyone the screen will look like it is perfectly facing you. I don’t think I ever mentioned it, so now I have.

With my skill now open, I pulled up yesterday’s footage, starting from when James entered the small pub and let it play out from there, all the way until he was an ice sculpture. At that point, I paused it so these knights couldn’t see HomeBase.

“So, still think I’m guilty?” I asked.

The knight commander had no choice but to give up. I mean, I was using a System skill to show what happened and the System and the Goddess are absolute truths in this world, so faking something that happens on a System screen is believed to be impossible.

... I probably could fake it though, If I really wanted to. But I might get some flack from the Goddess if I did.

But still. They had no choice but to give in and leave. I was glad it was ... not solved, but at least put to pause so easily, but I still need to have a talk about the actions of this knight commander with His Highness Elias when I meet with him. You can’t just have knight commanders like that. It will ruin everything.

“So... explain.” Mariina said.

“Explain what exactly?”

“Everything. How did you do that? You just... is that illusion magic? But you used a System screen to do that. How?”

“It is actually quite simple. I just linked a few skills. Dungeon Founder and Storage to be precise.”

“... how would that result in what I saw?”

“Well, Dungeon Founder is a skill that would allow me to watch the insides of my dungeon. Even Dungeon Master can do that, actually. And the skill can be opened to show other people that. You get that part, right?”

“Yes. That does sound reasonable.”

“Then I had Laura link my Dungeon Founder and Storage. This is something I can only do because I have Laura, aka my System Support.” I clarified. “And Storage can not only store items, but information as well. That includes everything I see. Then, because the skills are linked, I can play back my memories, like you just saw.”

“... I ... I didn’t think that would be possible.”

“Well, for a regular person, it isn’t. It does take both a unique and extra skill to do. And a System Support. So don’t think just anyone can do that.”

“... I won’t. Now, what about that dragon? It was summoned using standard summoning magic, not one of your cards, right? When did that happen?”

“Yesterday. Eline, the young catgirl I’m taking care of, can use summoning magic, so we played around with it yesterday. That ended with me making a contract with the ice dragon.”

“... I see. I wish you would have told me. I could have helped you with that.”

“It wasn’t necessary, so I didn’t want to bother. ... Besides, getting help from you is usually too costly.”

“I’ll give you a free service next time, as a thanks for your explanations. So feel free to rely on me more.”

“Sure. That sounds like a deal.”