Reborn From the Cosmos Arc 5-Qualifiers-10

Arc 5-Qualifiers-10

Who is asking you to interview ?

[I am not supposed to give you this information and I am not strong enough to withhold my thoughts from those who will be asking questions once we are finished.]

Soone quite important then. My stomach turns at the thought that the king himself is one of the people who can compel her to keep her silence. It’s almost funny. After concluding the ss with Samuel, I thought myself cured of my royal fears. It seems fate is set to test my convictions.

[Then, the first question. Are you loyal to the crown?]

I am very nervous that soone is asking you to ask this.

[This is not an interrogation, Lou. There is no need to be nervous.]

I believe that you think that. However, people are tricky beasts and that is a very suspicious question.

[You are quite paranoid.]

Am I? I think I have a healthy amount of suspicion. Isn’t this normal?

[No. I have seen agents of the court less suspicious of people’s motives than you. Lou, do you trust ?]

Yes. Specifically, I know and understand your motives. Also, I happen to think you happen to be good. At the very least, I can’t imagine you screwing soone over to get ahead, least of all your allies.

[Then trust please and answer the questions. Otherwise, a simple situation will beco difficult for the both of us.]

Hmph. Alright, but only for you, Miss Talia.

Her lips twitch in that ghost of a smile of hers. [Once again, are you loyal to the crown? The truth will not harm you, no matter what it is, but a lie might.]

The truth then. I imagine I am as loyal to the crown as the next citizen. I respect the king and the royal family’s position, follow their decrees, and have no desire to undermine their rule. In fact, I’d like to have as little to do with them as possible.

[Thank you, Lou. Do you respect the law?]

What kind of—hah, forget it. I’ll just answer the question. Sure, I respect the law. As much as the next citizen. Which of course ans that I obey them until they beco inconvenient.

[What is your relationship with the Grimoire family?]

I reflexively scowl. Relationship. I don’t have a relationship with the Masons. I used to despise them and fervently wish for their entire bloodline to suddenly be struck with baldness and infertility. Our families have been feuding for generations.

That being said, I have recently managed to nd fences to so degree with the newest head of the family, Gordon Grimoire Jr. We…bonded over our elentals, heh.

[That is the truth, but not the whole truth.]

Do you need to know more?

[Not answering is also an answer. I assu we are moving on. What are the whereabouts of your mother?]

Confusion and shock bring my thoughts to a halt. I thought I knew where these questions were leading but my mother is unexpected. Extrely unexpected. I can’t even imagine how she relates to anything. She’s been gone for years. Most of my life. What kind of question is this?

[Do you know the circumstances of her disappearance?]

I can’t help frowning. Of course I know how she disappeared, she’s my mother. A summoning gone wrong. Whatever she called dragged her off. My father won’t tell what, perhaps protecting from going off on so vendetta. I can only guess she said sothing it didn’t like. Or it really liked. Maybe I get my charm from her. Can’t imagine it coming from my father. Amazes he managed to convince a woman to sleep with him.

Jokes aside, what bastard is asking about my mother?

[Do not ask to tell you, Lou.]

Because they’re going to be delving through your thoughts when we’re finished to make sure you were a good girl and didn’t divulge anything you weren’t supposed to. Hah! People associate the Grimoires with abuse of the ntal affinity but the crown has been doing it for just as long. Nothing blatant, of course, but they don’t need to be. It’s all about control, isn’t it?

She frowns. [Lou…]

It’s fine, Miss Talia. I know. I don’t bla you for this. It’s just frustrating to know soone is peering at from the shadows and using you to do it. Co on. Let’s finish this.

[Thank you. What is your opinion on the ntal affinity?]

Hell of a ti to ask that question. I let out a long sigh. Despite my current distaste with this affair, the ntal affinity is a tool like any other. It’s not inherently bad or evil. It is all in how it’s used and that is decided by each individual.

[Would you consider it dangerous? More so than other affinities.]

Without a doubt. The body is infinitely easier to heal than the mind. Worse, if soone is skilled, you’d never know you’d been attacked. To make it more terrifying, if the wrong person is influenced, it can have a cascading effect. Say, a high noble. Or a mber of the royal family. Saints, just the thought is terrifying.

[Do you think the ntal affinity needs to be regulated?]

I shuffle in my seat at the uncomfortable question. That’s dangerous ground you’re skirting. Summoning was once ‘regulated’ as you so delicately put it. Didn’t work out well for my family. It’s why barely anyone knows about the art now.

[Do you feel the sa about ntal casters?]

It’s the sa thing, isn’t it? A potentially dangerous ability in the wrong hands. Does that an it should be made forbidden, its users ostracized? No. You can’t ban everything that’s dangerous. How about no more swords, in case soone falls on one? No more forks either. Soone’s fingers could slip and they may stab themselves in the throat.

[Then, if you don’t think it should be banned, what is the solution?]

Simple. Lay down the rules, fair ones or at least as fair as you can manage. If soone breaks them, take them down. Everything will be fine as long as you’re better than the bad guy.

[And what if that doesn’t stop bad guys, as you put it? You may stop one but can you stop the next and the one that follows? The more lenient the law, the more that will be inspired to break it.]

I sneer. Frankly, in that case, you’re not doing a good enough job. No one but the bravest and most desperate should even think about breaking the law. They should be too afraid to dare try. Power conquers all. The one with the most power dictates how it’s used. Simple as that.

Miss Talia’s communications pause. I don’t dare cast a ntal spell to confirm, not with two other powerful casters in the room who might notice, but I bet she’s talking to soone else. Most likely the person telling to ask all of these annoying questions. Cheh. I have a good idea who it is, or at least who they belong to, which is the only reason I’m not having Bell search out their identity.

After a few minutes, Miss Talia straightens up. Her features harden. Her neutral expression is the sa but it’s stiff, as if she’s forcing herself not to react. Silly woman, that only makes it obvious that you’re uncomfortable with sothing.

[Lady To, an offer has been extended for you to join the interrogators. Should you choose to accept, you will imdiately be given the title of countess and after faithfully completing your duties for a period of ten years, be granted a parcel of land under your authority. Additionally, you will receive a salary of 500 gold crowns during your two-year training period to be raised to 1200 gold crowns once you have beco a full-fledged interrogator. If you accept, you will have three days to put your affairs in order before departing to Sumr Spire.]