Chapter Seventeen: Minot’s Day of Trial and Tribulation

“This, this, I…” Tus Khan was drenched in sweat.

He always felt that Ota’s argument was somehow off, yet he couldn’t find the right words to counter it.

What could he say?

Could it be that the Hero Mino was truly a weakling who lost himself after just a little interrogation, lacking any willpower?

Thinking this, Tus couldn’t help but curse himself silently.

This was the strongest hero in human history—the one who fought bravely against the Eight Great Demon Lords and was captured! Without his heroic deeds, the entire kingdom would now be under threat from the demons!

…Tus lowered his head for a moment, a hint of shame flashing in his eyes.

Forgive me, Hero Mino, I should never have slandered you!

At that moment, Chief On Rak cleared his throat and said, “On this point, I can also guarantee that Hero Mino is absolutely not the culprit.”

Though he had wanted to cast suspicion on Mino, his dark perception had long since ruled him out.

Rather than focus on a hero who had lost his threat, he preferred to root out the hidden force causing the destruction.

No one expected the usually expressionless Chief Rak, whose high reputation was also intimidating, to speak so earnestly.

But then they remembered the deep bond between Mino and Rak.

Whenever the kingdom faced disaster or turmoil, Mino and Chief Rak were always present… For a moment, warmth filled their eyes. Chief Rak was truly cold on the outside but warm within. His firm assurance of Mino’s innocence seemed to suggest he had evidence.

It appeared their bond was beyond ordinary understanding.

At that moment, Prince Ota pondered for a while and then spoke: “Very well. To clear Mino’s name and to prevent similar misunderstandings in the future, I will use the little power the Round Table has accumulated to observe Mino’s current situation.”

“However, the Round Table has only just awakened… so it can only pick up sounds around the subject.”

“Really? Your Highness, Prince,” the crowd stirred with excitement, “If we can regularly confirm the hero Mino’s status, it would give hope to all the people!!!”

“Leave it to me,” Prince Ota nodded.

He placed both hands on the Round Table, and gradually his aura connected with it.

A misty fog began to gather on the surface of the table.

“Round Table, activate!” Ota’s voice grew solemn. “Please link us to Hero Mino’s location!”

Faint whispers echoed in the meeting room, then one by one the noises were erased, and finally, the sounds became clear.

The crowd grew excited.

They could hear that familiar voice—it was Hero Mino’s!

---

“Uh… hmm… ah…”

Mino’s voice was broken, as if suppressing his emotions, fluctuating up and down.

“What is this?!” Erwin, captain of the Kingdom’s Knights, suddenly stood up, visibly moved. “This is the sound of someone forcibly suppressing their pain!”

As a soldier who had interrogated countless criminals, he could feel the immense suffering hidden in Mino’s voice.

“Hero Mino is being tortured! There’s no doubt about it!!!”

Bang!

Prince Ota slammed his fist on the table, teeth clenched in anger. “Cursed demons! How dare they torment Mino like this.”

With Erwin’s revelation, the others gradually discerned that Mino was forcing himself to endure something, unwilling to vocalize his feelings.

“It would relieve the mental pressure more to scream out in pain…” Duke Clyde shook his head and sighed.

“He must not want the torturous demons to know how much he’s suffering now… not wanting to give them any satisfaction, he’s stuffing that immense pain inside.”

“Even so, you still refuse to yield, Mino, you stubborn fool.” Prince Ota was moved and murmured.

At that moment, another teasing female voice sounded.

“How do you like my ‘interrogation,’ Hero?”

The elite guards gasped. “That voice—it’s the First Demon Secretary, Shade Demon Kletina!”

“It’s really her—the most cruel and terrifying demon rumored?”

“To have her conduct the interrogation, the methods must be unbearably cruel. No wonder Hero Mino is struggling to suppress himself like this…”

“Damn, I envy him…”

The woman’s voice continued to taunt:

“If you can’t hold on, I might spare you—just reveal all the secrets of the Kingdom of Kul, and I will… set you free…”

The crowd’s anger swelled. The wicked demon was indeed mercilessly tormenting Hero Mino.

From her words, it seemed death might be the easiest fate for Mino.

Erwin clenched his fists in frustration, blaming their own incompetence… dragging Mino down. If only he could, he would gladly take Mino’s place to endure that horrific questioning.

Then Mino’s deep voice sounded.

“Shut up! Kletina, you will get no secrets from me… hiss… no matter how many times you interrogate me… ugh, I will endure it all… don’t underestimate the bond between me and my comrades ahhh!”

At the mention of ‘bond,’ Rak shuddered instinctively.

---

With a crack, the glow of the Round Table dimmed, and the voices fell silent.

Yet in the final roar, they could feel Mino’s indomitable will—right to the end, his voice trembled.

“Mino, we have failed you.”

Ota looked up, closing his eyes in deep sorrow.

Rak lowered his head, a subtle smile curling at the corner of his mouth, feeling pleased: that’s right, intensify that level of interrogation on Mino again! Haha, the hero must be blissfully unconscious by now.

That’s exactly how it should be.

“To think Hero Mino is enduring such terrifying torture in the Demon King’s Castle…” the crowd was filled with reverence and sorrow.

Ota took a deep breath. “Only he could bear such horrific torment…”

“Everyone, we have all heard it.”

“Even now, at this very moment,” he looked around, “Mino is bravely resisting the demons’ cruel torture. His soul hasn’t yielded for a moment; his body hasn’t relaxed for a second.”

“The torture he endures is a disgrace to all humanity! I hereby declare today as ‘Mino’s Day of Suffering,’ shortened to ‘National Calamity Day’!”

“All the people of the kingdom must remember this day, the day Hero Mino endured such tragic torment!”

“Your will is our will!” everyone stood up in unison.

Tus bowed his head deeply, tears glistening in his eyes, his last doubts completely erased.

To have doubted Hero Mino—I truly deserve to die!

…

Demon King’s Castle.

Kletina wiped the rose-scented oil from her fingers, looking discouraged at the hero who had just finished his spa-like interrogation.

Mino lay on the bed, his refreshed face unusually radiant, glowing with a healthy sheen.

He looked at Kletina and blinked.

“Could I get an extra hour?”