"Name."
"R-Ryan—"
"Be honest, quit stammering! Why were you trying to break into a private residence in the middle of the night?"
"I-I was threatened by those despicable cultists. I had to kill those two girls, or else, or else I wouldn't have ended well either—"
"You're not a follower of the Witch Cult? How did they threaten you, then?"
"Of course I'm not! How could I worship that kind of Evil God? Officer, please see the truth! I was really forced into it—"
"Heh—go on. How were you caught?"
"I-I couldn't beat that short-haired girl. She was terrifying. She kicked me down in one blow—"
"What level of power did you receive?"
"The power of Gift, equivalent to an Intermediate Magic Swordsman, I think. I never studied magic, Officer."
"Intermediate? Your Gift really had intermediate-level strength? That's far too weak. Are you sure it wasn't apprentice-level?"
"Huh? I was scammed? Damn Witch Cult! And here I was so devoted to the goddess!"
Standing outside the police station's joint interrogation room, listening to the sound of someone slapping the metal table inside and the terrified replies of the cultist named Ryan, Ivette and Lucia listened for a while before Parea pushed open the door and emerged, giving them both a slight nod.
"The police's interrogation skills are so-so, but that cultist was spineless. A little scare, and he confessed everything," Parea said.
There were few people at the police station at midnight. The interrogation process was nearly finished, so Parea led the two of them through the dimly lit police station lobby and into the Discipline Committee Branch next door.
The lighting here was much brighter, with magic lamps casting a warm glow. After entering her office, Parea listened to the long chime of bells outside. After hesitating for a