Chapter Two: The Rose Shadow Demon’s Interrogation

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The Demon King’s Castle.

Gloomy clouds hung over the pitch-black castle. A desolate dead forest surrounded the fortress, concealing countless undead and rotting corpses within it and forming a defensive line thick with the aura of death.

“I never imagined that, one day, I would enter the Demon King’s Castle in such a capacity.”

Mino stared at the shackles around his wrists, feeling as though all the strength had been drained from his body.

Even the holy sword leaning against the corner had grown utterly dim.

“Are you settling in well, Hero?” A lovely voice, delicate as a flower bud, drifted over. Cletina approached, dragging the long train of her rose-colored gown across the floor. Damp petals were left in her wake, filling the air with a rich floral fragrance. The roses in her hair were no longer scarlet, but had changed into an elegant, noble pale violet, giving her an air of tranquil serenity.

“If you need anything, just ask the demons guarding you. We will do our best to fulfill your requests.” Cletina covered her mouth and giggled softly.

“We treat our prisoners very well.”

“Your dungeon is much better than I imagined.” Mino straightened up, a dazed look passing through his eyes.

The dungeon in the Demon King’s Castle actually had a soft bed! A goose-feather pillow! Even a private bathroom and bathtub!

This was incomparably better than sleeping on a patch of grass at the border with nothing but a blanket wrapped around him!

Mino jerked his head to the side, rekindling the determination in his eyes. No—this was a trap designed to corrupt his spirit! He absolutely could not surrender!

“What are you planning to interrogate me about? The army’s deployment? The kingdom’s secret weapons? The Round Tower’s research? Hmph, give it up. No matter how painful the torture, you’ll never pry a single piece of information from me!”

“I swear it in the name of Mino, the Hero!”

“Really?” Cletina blinked. “I don’t believe you.”

“But since you’re so curious, I’ll reveal a little.” She opened her mouth and said, “What we want is information about the Second King Kuhl.”

“Otta?” Mino froze. Then the corners of his lips slowly lifted. “You despicable demons. Surely you know that Prince Otta and I forged a deep friendship in the training camp. At the time, he had not yet revealed his royal identity, and our bond was built step by step through assisting each other in life-or-death situations!”

“You want me to reveal human intelligence? Ridiculous! To make me reveal information about His Highness Otta, who is as dear to me as a true friend—now that is nothing but a dream!”

Mino raised his chin and declared his words with absolute conviction.

“So it really is as I thought.” Cletina could not help clapping her hands.

“Still, we will not give up so easily. The transfer of power in the Kingdom of Kuhl was peaceful, but that prince is still young. Should some major event arise that affects his state of mind, the entire kingdom’s political structure could be thrown into turmoil. That would be an excellent opportunity for our demonkind.”

“Therefore, I intend to interrogate you until you reveal what matters most to King Kuhl the Second.”

Mino narrowed his eyes, gaining an even deeper understanding of the cunning and tenacity of demons.

But it did not matter.

Ding—the Interrogation Quest has been generated.

First-Stage Quest: Endure the interrogation of Cletina, First Secretary of the Demon King, for at least thirty minutes.

Reward: Remove the internal injuries sustained during the previous battle.

With the Interrogation-to-Power System, he would no longer fight these demons merely as a hero. He would also become an unyielding prisoner under interrogation, armed with the mightiest system of all!

The Demon King’s Castle had no priests capable of healing humans, and the treatment of injuries was rather crude.

This reward was the perfect opportunity to restore his body physically and accumulate the strength he needed to escape the castle.

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The only problem was figuring out how to survive thirty minutes of the terrifying interrogation in the Demon King’s Castle…

Mino turned toward Cletina, wariness rising in his heart.

Cletina gave a soft laugh, and the roses at the ends of her hair seemed to bloom even more brilliantly.

“What will you use against me? Red-hot branding irons? Spikes driven into my flesh? Or some poison designed to cause unbearable agony?” Mino closed his eyes.

“None of those.”

A wonderfully pleasant fragrance gathered from the void. Cletina produced a uniquely shaped little jar and poured some viscous, transparent liquid into her hands. She rubbed and spread it between her palms, and soon her fair hands were permeated with an unprecedentedly rich aroma.

Cletina parted her hands, drawing out strands of silky, gleaming filaments that shimmered brilliantly beneath the lamplight.

“Hero, lie face down on the bed with your back to me. Yes, just like that.”

Mino had no choice but to cooperate. With his holy power sealed, Cletina could manipulate him with magic as easily as a doll. Thus, while he stared at her in confusion, Cletina gave a mischievous smile and spoke in a sweet, supremely confident voice.

“I am going to use the rose essential oil I have just refined to corrode your skin and seep into your flesh and bones, making your entire body feel as though it is melting.”

“In that state, you will answer whatever I ask…”

Mino’s mouth fell open.

The interrogation in the Demon King’s Castle seemed just a little too sophisticated…

You call this interrogation?

This was obviously a spa!

“For a hero with such a firm will, ordinary torture is useless! We would never insult you with such crude methods of interrogation.”

Sensing Mino’s confusion, Cletina sat up, furrowing her brows as she described it with the guileless, endearing manner of a young girl.

Mino’s lips twitched. “Why don’t you try insulting me first?”

He felt guilty accepting such an absurdly generous quest reward!

“Be quiet.” Cletina issued the command and regained the composure of the Demon King’s secretary.

Mino’s head was fixed firmly in place. A moment later, he felt a cool sensation as the cloth covering his back was lifted away.

He could feel Cletina, her hands already moistened, pouring more warm essential oil over his back.

A warm current flowed toward every part of his body. Then the soft touch of her fingertips met his skin, followed by the pressure of her palms.

Beginning at his shoulders, the force slowly slid down toward his waist and lower back, even and penetrating. Mino could feel his tense muscles gradually relaxing beneath Cletina’s kneading. Every nerve stretched out, releasing a weariness he had never even realized he carried.

“Hiss—!” Mino could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

It was the essential oil! She was using high-grade rose essential oil!

Only then did Mino remember that one of the shadow demon’s traits was the ability to extract, from various materials, the purest energy capable of acting directly upon the nerves.

Now, combined with the rose’s fragrance, the oil’s intense stimulating effect seeped through his skin with extraordinary force, creating a sensation that made it easy to lose oneself.

Mino’s eyes widened.

No, no way!

If Cletina stopped the “interrogation” in this state, his body would probably feel as though ants were crawling all over it, and an instinctive craving would arise that he could not suppress.

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This was an interrogation of the nerves! He had no way to resist.

The gentle massage continued. Enticing rose fragrance poured endlessly into his nostrils, and before long Mino could no longer even tell where the scent originated.

The warm current coursed through his body, bringing profound relaxation. Mino no longer had the energy to think about anything at all; his entire mind drifted into blankness.

His pupils gradually lost focus.

I’m—I’m going to lose consciousness…

After a long while—

“It’s over.” Cletina’s complicated voice sounded beside his ear.

Mino slowly returned to consciousness and pushed himself up from the bed. He felt refreshed in a way he never had before.

Wait. Could I have confessed?!

In the state he had just been in, he might have done anything…

Mino jolted and turned to look at the demon behind him.

Cletina was rubbing one cheek, seeming somewhat vexed, yet she still spoke admiringly.

“As expected of humanity’s strongest hero. You actually endured the entire interrogation.”

“Huh?” Mino blinked.

“I asked you several questions during the interrogation, but as expected of a hero, you were as unshakable as a rock.”

Mino let out another “huh,” then finally understood.

He had not been unmoved at all. He had simply lost consciousness from sheer pleasure! And because he had been facing away from Cletina, she had never seen his expression.

Mino lowered his head and sensed that the internal injuries throughout his body had completely healed.

If not for the power sealed within him, he could once again engage the Demon King’s officials in a life-or-death battle.

That was close… He had nearly given everything away for nothing.

Mino felt a little relieved. Fortunately, his opponent had not noticed his utter lack of resistance to a spa treatment. As he watched the defeated look on the face of this rose shadow demon, this resourceful First Secretary, the corners of Mino’s lips slowly rose.

That expression… That was exactly the expression he wanted to see!

His lips continued to curl upward.

Ding—Second-Stage Quest.

Second-Stage Quest: Cletina’s interrogation was extraordinarily effective. As the prisoner under interrogation, reveal at least one important piece of information about King Kuhl the Second.

The smile frozen on Mino’s lips suddenly stiffened.