"Oh?"
"Even now, you're still lying?"
Sunday did not believe a word Aventurine said. He turned to Dr. Ratio:
"Thanks to your perceptive friend, I can add one utter failure to your career."
"..."
Aventurine said nothing. He simply stared into space.
From what he could tell, the head of the Oak Family could not actually force him to tell the truth.
If Sunday could look directly into his memories like a Memokeeper, that would be one thing.
But this seemed more like a lie detector.
An outright lie would be caught, but an ambiguous answer might not be.
Aventurine had no time to puzzle out Sunday's ability. He looked up and glared at Dr. Ratio:
"Ratio, you bastard...!"
Dr. Ratio glanced at him without a word.
Sunday laughed at the sight.
"There's your true face."
"Incidentally, you have 'only' seventeen system hours left to live. For now."
"Treasure that time. Savor the taste of failure."
"What?" Aventurine was taken aback.
"...You'd better explain what you mean," Aventurine said grimly.
Sunday gave a faint smile.
"What I performed on you just now was Harmony's Holy Baptism."
"You should have shown your loyalty beneath its light. Instead, you persisted in lying and turned your baptism into a judgment."
"I have no reason to lift it."
Sunday's explanation only made Aventurine angrier.
"Hmph."
"So this is your precious Harmony?"
"Built on imprisonment and coercion?"
"You misunderstand." With one hand behind his back, Sunday spoke as though delivering a decree from on high:
"Mr. Aventurine, punishment is reserved for the irreverent. But I have seen your indomitable spirit, so I shall grant you a chance at a new life."
"For these seventeen system hours, you cannot leave the dream, nor can you contact any of your companions."
"You have only two paths. Which