She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

IN THE BARRIER-CLAD AMPHITHEATER at the center of the abandoned garden, only Mira remained standing. Caerus lay on the ground, the lower half of his armor shattered. His two cohorts were now clad in singed rags. 

Mira put a finger to her chin and looked down upon the armored man with her aquamarine eyes.

First, I’d best deal with that sword. Mira turned her eyes to the spirit blade still full of elemental power. She picked it up casually and held it aloft.

A torrent of countless elements appeared like a rainbow, yet the cries it emitted turned a thing of wonder into a thing of horror. As the beam of destructive light struck the magic-sealing barrier, it caused the seal to evaporate and vanish. She’d managed to both discharge the power of the weapon and solve the problem of the barrier in one fell swoop.

“Two birds with one stone,” she muttered.

After looking into the now deep-blue sky, Mira turned her attention to her suddenly lighter right arm. Drained of the spirit’s power, the blade shattered to pieces. With only the hilt remaining in her hand, the burned metal scraps crumbled to the ground.

The resonance and fusion of the elements—weapon and armor alike—were all yin. Mira turned to Caerus.

“Now, I have some questions for you. You’d best answer honestly.” She put her left foot on his right arm and sat her right knee on his stomach to pin him down. With her free hand, she knocked on his metal face guard like a door.

“What do you want to know?” Caerus muttered in surrender. He offered no resistance and stared weakly into the sky.

“Where did you obtain this spirit equipment?” Mira demanded, her voice low as she held his helmet’s chin in place and glared between the gaps.

Caerus seemed confused for a moment. He had expected her to ask why he’d done this, who the ambushers were, and how he would make up for this. Her question was puzzling. After cocking his head, Caerus felt his consciousness clearing. He then realized that Mira was no longer holding any of the stones that had so easily destroyed his armor.

“I wouldn’t tell you even if I knew!” Caerus spat, allowing his pride to surge despite what had just happened. 

Yes, Mira’s blasting stones were gone…but so was the barrier sealing her magic. Another grave miscalculation.

“You young people just don’t know when to cut your losses.” Mira shrugged in annoyance at Caerus’s answer and thought of how she should punish him.

She could slap him…but the helmet would take all the fun out of that. Spirit equipment came with a feature that prevented forced removal, so she could only remove it if he was willing or unconscious. She could demand he remove his helmet so she could slap him, but he would only obey if he was into that kind of thing…which would sort of defeat the purpose. Putting him to sleep so that she could remove it was an option, but he couldn’t answer questions if he was unconscious. She could destroy the helmet, but that might seriously hurt or kill Caerus. That would put punishment above interrogation, which she didn’t want to do.

Mira looked around, seeking a solution. Something caught her eye and brought a mischievous grin to her face. 

“If you’re going to talk, I suggest doing it now,” she warned.

“Never!”

He couldn’t say she didn’t give him the option… 

Mira pulled away and moved her hand, traveling down from his stomach to his lower half, where his spirit armor had been broken. Unease ran through Caerus, and he began to cower with fear. His fear quickly took the form of vivid disgust and arousal accompanied by pain that plucked all the nerves of his body like a stringed instrument.

“Aaaaargh, stop! You’re crushing me! You’re crushing meee!” He writhed in agony, but he was unable to escape Mira’s grip. Sweat poured from him as he howled like a cornered beast, instantly regretting his naivete.

While swords and Immortal Arts might be too extreme for an interrogation, she had found a place where even a mage’s feeble muscles could draw ample pain. She knew firsthand how horrifying it was—despite her current form. Though surprised by her own callousness, she steeled herself and pinched her thumb and pointer finger a little harder. 

It certainly was enough to make Caerus yield.

“Be honest, now. Otherwise…” As she spoke, she slowly but surely drew her grip tighter again. Since she’d released him once, there was no real pain. Yet.

 “I’ll talk! I’ll tell you anything you want! Just stooop!” shouted Caerus as he shook in his armor.

“I’m glad we understand one another,” Mira answered and eased her pinch, and the armor clattered as he relaxed. “Now, I’ll ask again: Where did you obtain this spirit equipment?”

“From a merchant.”

“Ho ho. And who is this merchant? And where did you meet them? And where did they claim they’d obtained it?”

“I don’t know,” Caerus said lamely.

Mira’s fingers closed like a vice. 

“I mean it! I’m not lying!” his voice rose an octave as he screamed desperately. “My mother knows the merchant, and she got it for me! Only she knows the details!”

He probably wasn’t lying. His mother? Not his father? Hrmm, I suppose the details can wait for later. I’ll put Solomon on the case for now.

Somewhere, a merchant had acquired a whole set of yin spirit equipment when it was rare to find just one piece. Horrors crossed Mira’s mind…all yin spirit equipment came from a spirit’s dying breath. Who was producing so many rare, cursed items?

That’s Solomon’s problem…which means he’ll probably make it my problem, Mira grumbled mentally, finding this all rather fishy. Her thoughts turned back to Caerus.

No matter what, this man was a noble. Disposing of him carelessly would likely cause trouble later, and that wasn’t her style in the first place. Only one thing to do—have the appropriate public institutions deal with him.

Decision reached, it was time to return to Lunatic Lake. Mira looked at the two black-clad men on the ground. They were still out cold, but they would be valuable witnesses. She couldn’t just leave them here. Thankfully, she had one method to ferry them all at once.

She released Caerus from her less-than-tender grip and summoned Garuda.

Caerus yelped as Garuda gazed down at him, annoyed. The sorcerer gasped at its beak, big enough to swallow him with ease.

“Is she about to feed me to this monster?!” Caerus whispered to himself. Incorrect, but Mira certainly didn’t mind letting him think so for the moment.

“Garuda, could you give me a ride again? I’ll also need you to carry this man,” Mira gave Caerus a quick kick in the stomach as she gestured across the amphitheater, “and the two over there.”

Garuda nodded without a sound and offered its neck to Mira. Amid a warm, gentle wind like a spring breeze, Mira hopped onto its neck. Her vantage point rose as the massive bird stood upright. Garuda casually picked Caerus and the other two up with its claws like fallen prey and spread its wings to fly. Overwhelmed by the sudden vertigo, Caerus gradually lost consciousness.

***

By the time she arrived back at Lunatic Lake, Mira was ready for a snack.

Garuda’s presence was awe-inspiring, even compared to Pegasus. But the locals were used to Cleos coming and going in his bird-drawn wagon, taking a little of the excitement out of the occasion. As Garuda landed in front of the castle gate, the two gatekeepers looked on, trying to put their finger on what was different this time.

Then they realized that the monstrous bird was not carrying a wagon, but captives.

When the dignified Garuda leaned down, a girl alighted from its neck. Though they’d become accustomed to her coming and going on Pegasus, they didn’t seem very surprised to see her ride in on Garuda.

“Welcome back, Miss Mira. Do you plan to meet with His Majesty?”

“Indeed I do.”

Mira was rapidly becoming known around the castle as being just as capable as any Wise Man, and the king seemed to hold her in the same esteem.

“So…what’s the story with those three?” the other guard asked as he eyed Caerus and his cohorts suspiciously. They were currently being lightly stomped into the ground by Garuda.

Mira prodded Caerus with her foot. “The armored fellow is a noble named Caerus. The other two seem to be his hired assassins. Long story short, they summoned me over a misplaced grudge and attacked me. It didn’t turn out like they hoped.”

The guard wrinkled his nose in mild disgust. Caerus was widely known and loathed. He was arrogant due to his skill in sorcery and his father’s major role as a sorcerer of the Kingdom of Alcait, and he tended to use his power against anyone of a lower social status that he came to dislike. But attacking a future Wise Man and friend of the king was taking it a little too far…even if he hadn’t been successful.

“I thought he might cause some trouble in the future,” Mira added. “And since he’s a noble, I brought him here. Could you call someone who knows how to handle people like him?”

“Certainly. I’ll fetch just the people to deal with this. Please wait here, miss.” After a proper military salute, the gatekeeper ran into the castle.

His partner kept a watchful eye on Garuda as it held down the three criminals. “I suppose the time has come to settle accounts,” he murmured with a small, satisfied smile.

“Oho. The little man has had this coming, then?”

“That would be an understatement. I’m only a gatekeeper, but my son goes to the academy as well. Caerus is talented, but he’s also a bully. He’s used his status to avoid any real discipline for years.”

“Well, that’s about to change. You tell your son that he can focus on his learning now.”

“And I’ll tell him that it’s thanks to Miss Mira!” The gatekeeper grinned. Though she didn’t know it, her stock at the academy was about to rise.

***

“Apologies for the wait, Miss Mira.” The other gatekeeper returned with a capable person in tow. Two capable people, in fact.

“Oh, well done.” Mira looked up and saw Suleiman trailed closely by Luminaria and her eye-catching red hair. Several guards followed along, as well.

Suleiman shot a glance at the three perpetrators, then bowed to Mira. “I heard you were assaulted. May I ask for more details, Miss Mira?”

Mira gave a brief summary of events. After her explanation, Suleiman looked exceedingly frustrated and heaved a long sigh.

“I had heard that you put on a good show at the symposium, but I’m amazed he took it that poorly. That’s one of the silliest grudges I’ve ever heard of—even if your entering the symposium was borderline cheating. Still, it’s not exactly cause for an assassination.”

The symposium existed to show off the potential of magic. And Mira certainly showed potential. Unfortunately, the nature of the symposium forced all the other students presenting for their schools of magic to compete against her. Caerus could neither prevail, nor cope with the loss.

“Do you happen to have the letter he sent you?” Suleiman asked.

“It should be in my pouch…” Mira fished around for the evidence. “Ah, here it is.” 

Suleiman took the letter from her. “Now, I’ll need to hear testimony from these three. Let’s get them to the questioning room.”

“Very well,” Mira answered and dismissed Garuda, releasing the three.

Caerus obediently remained where Garuda had pinned him down…largely because he was still passed out from the trauma of the flight. The other two had awoken, but at the sight of Luminaria looming over them, they opted to continue to feign sleep.

With Suleiman in the lead, the guards hauled Caerus and the others off into the castle. Mira and Luminaria strolled together behind them.

“This seems a bit petty to warrant your attention. Feeling bored these days?” Mira asked quietly so that only Luminaria could hear her. The sorceress patted Mira’s head as the small summoner tried to look up at her counterpart.

“Hardly.” Luminaria leaned over, theatrically covered her eyes with her other hand, and faked a sob. “I got worried because I heard my beloved friend got attacked.”

“Oho. What’s the real reason?” Mira grumbled.

“When I hear a man has attacked a woman, I gotta know what’s going on,” Luminaria answered with the same smirk she’d used for thirty years. “But it doesn’t look like he was man enough.”

As they casually conversed, they descended the stairs to the castle’s basement.

***

The interrogator opened the door and bowed, having finished preparations to take custody of the prisoners and question them.

“This way, please,” he instructed.

A steel door lay ahead. The room behind it was small and dark with neither windows nor ornamentation—if one ignored the selection of physical restraints. A profound sense of claustrophobia descended once the door swung shut, intensified by the occasional flickering of the lights.

“I had them remove what remained of his spirit armor while he was unconscious,” Suleiman said to the group. “All that remains is to question them, so we’ll have to wake them up. Miss Luminaria, would you please do the honors?” he requested.

“Sure. I’m not used to doing this sort of thing gently, but I’ll give it a whirl.” Luminaria stepped forward to stand in front of one of the black-clad men who was propped in a chair. 

The man’s eyes flew open and he cringed away from her. “Wait! I’m already awake. That’s not necessary.” His eyes were fixed on the silent sparks of electricity that were forming between Luminaria’s fingers.

The other man quickly popped awake and added, “Me too.”

When Luminaria looked at the two black-clad men, they vigorously shook their heads to indicate they were fully awake.

“Dang. Guess he’s the only one I get to zap,” she said calmly as she put her hand on Caerus’s head. With a sudden flash of light and a small thunderclap, Caerus convulsed and crumpled like a broken doll. His sudden scream confirmed that he was indeed awake as well.

Luminaria removed her hand and the interrogation room returned to its previous peace, barring the sound of Caerus’s panicked hyperventilation. The black-clad men broke out in a cold sweat.

“Where…am I…?” Caerus mumbled as he felt equal measures of numbness and pain course through his body. He stared vacantly at the floor, unable to see much else due to the lack of light.

“This is Alcait Castle’s interrogation room,” Suleiman declared, his manner clearly different now. Hearing him, Caerus looked up and saw Suleiman, Mira next to him, and Wise Man Luminaria—someone all sorcerers recognized. He shuddered. “Do you understand the situation you’re in? For your sake, I hope so. And I’d appreciate it if you answered our questions honestly.”

Suleiman stared at them with a professionally icy gaze. Luminaria ran electricity between her fingers as if playing with a toy. Mira alone remained the same as ever, making her the most eerie of the three.

The steel door opened, and a small silhouette appeared in the sudden light pouring in from the hallway. “Pulling out all the stops for this one, aren’t you?” The light should have been reassuring, but the newcomer only added a new feeling of dread for the three prisoners—King Solomon himself was now in attendance.

This should have been beneath the notice of a king; normally, his subjects would carry out the interrogation and report to him. That he had taken a personal interest was terrifying. Their horror could not have been more complete if a skull had rolled into the room out of the darkness.

Without giving his first statement much time to sink in, he quickly turned to Mira with a chastising look. “You finally come back…and bam. More trouble. I guess we’ve got a lot to discuss.”

“Not my fault. Blame them for starting it.”

Watching these two bantering with one another only made Caerus feel more dread—he’d attacked a close personal friend of the king. He now realized just how important a person Mira was. But it was far too late to undo his mistake.

“So? Why are you here?” Mira’s dignified tone had completely changed. Her attackers became more flabbergasted by the second.

“Aw, I was just excited to hear your stories. We can leave the interrogation to the experts.” Solomon gestured to the interrogator, Suleiman, and Luminaria, designating them the experts.

It was mostly coincidence that they were all present at the same time, but no one could stand up to the three of them. The interrogator restrained the prisoners as needed, Suleiman directed the questioning, and Luminaria was a manifestation of their greatest fears.

Solomon had appeared by chance, but Suleiman took the opportunity to add some additional weight to the proceedings. “Your Majesty, by all accounts, this man plotted the assassination of a future Wise Man and pillar of this kingdom. I request the First-Class Interrogation Exception.”

Luminaria caught on and brought her right hand to her chest, performing the royal salute as her eyes burned with cold flame. “As a Wise Man, I second his request.”

“Granted,” Solomon declared imposingly.

Caerus rocked in his uncomfortable chair, unsure what was taking place. But the two black-clad men seemed all too familiar with what this exchange meant.

“Unbelievable,” one muttered incredulously as they felt their blood chill to the freezing point.

Like Caerus, Mira had no idea what was going on right then. But she would learn the meaning later: The First-Class Interrogation Exception was used against assassins and traitors to the kingdom. It required a special request by someone of greater rank than a duke and the king’s permission. It allowed interrogation subjects to be injured in the course of their questioning—better known as torture.

The noble began to cry, beg, and plead for forgiveness. His pleading could be heard until the door closed behind Mira and Solomon.

The pair chatted amicably in the now-silent hallway as they headed up to their usual spot in Solomon’s office.