Chapter 44
Amid the burning building, the sooty scent emanating from the black ashes vibrated. By then, the entire situation was resolved. I consoled the two women who thought I had died and captured all the unconscious heretics. There were a total of 10 members involved in this incident; nine were captured alive, while one was dead. By the time I regained consciousness, the deceased's body was not just slashed apart but was gruesomely shattered to the point that "shattered" was the right description.
Initially, because of Miru's sudden action, no additional members came to this building, but this much was a significant achievement. They were so secretive and operated in the shadows that finding them was harder than capturing them. Even though in my world there's a saying "physiognomy is science", distinguishing a cult group by appearance alone is like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially when they have their own thoughts and don't neglect their appearance to the point of advertising "I am suspicious". If they intend to hide their identity, they might never be found.
Thus, even capturing one was extremely difficult. In the kingdom, being a heretic alone placed one on the list of second-class wanted criminals, so arresting them wasn't easy. Hence, even though one died, capturing nine was a tremendous achievement. If we interrogate this number, at least one might spill something useful.
The country I'm in, and the main stage of the game, the Kingdom of Ginap, exercises strong public authority and maintains law and order. They have the right to ignore the human rights of powerful criminals like heretics. In this country, the way they treat criminals can be understood as "an eye for an eye" or "putting oneself in another's shoes." Interrogating heretics, classified as major criminals, was done using all sorts of unethical methods, to the point that they would not take their own lives. There are various ways, such as feeding them an elixir made by an alchemist or using mental torture magic. Since it's a magical world, the interrogation can go beyond imagination.
"Phew... We've tied them all up here, now we just have to wait for the guards."
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he looks around. Thanks to Erina and Miru performing their roles well, all the heretics were captured in a short time.
"How about we go outside for a while? The burnt smell is making me nauseous."
Miru, with a slightly uneasy look, suggests, agreeing with Erina's proposal.
Should we do that?