Interrogation

The doors to the royal palace's reception hall slowly opened as attendants pushed them apart.

Higashino Makoto stepped into the room, his silver-white armor gleaming softly in the candlelight.

He had already washed away the dust of the journey. His long black hair was neatly tied behind his head, and he exuded an indescribable aura that was neither that of a warrior nor a noble.

Rita followed quietly half a step behind him, her black-and-white maid uniform particularly conspicuous within the Holy Kingdom's royal court.

No one here had ever seen clothing of this style before.

The reception hall was far plainer than Higashino Makoto had imagined.

A white tablecloth covered the long table. Warm flames danced atop silver candlesticks, and the tableware was arranged with perfect neatness, without any unnecessary decoration.

Three chairs stood side by side on one side of the long table, while only one stood opposite them.

That seat had been prepared for him.

Three chairs, three people.

Higashino Makoto's gaze swept over the chairs before settling on the three people already seated.

Sitting in the middle was the Holy Queen, Calca Bessarez.

She had changed into a pale gold formal gown, with exquisite white lace embroidered around the collar and cuffs. Her golden hair had been arranged as smoothly as silk.

Her face appeared especially gentle beneath the candlelight, and her blue eyes were like lakes brimming with starlight, so beautiful that one could not look away.

Higashino Makoto noticed her fingers tighten slightly beneath the tablecloth.

Nervous? Or expectant?

Seated to Calca's right was Kelart Custodio, the temple's High Priestess.

Her light brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and a professional smile rested on her face.

It was the kind of gentle smile that made people feel as though they were bathed in spring breezes, yet upon closer inspection, one would find that it had never reached her eyes.

Her gaze slid from Higashino Makoto's face to Rita behind him, lingered for less than half a second, then shifted away as if nothing had happened.

Seated to Calca's left was Remedios Custodio, captain of the Holy Knights.

Unlike her sister, she was not wearing formal attire. Instead, she wore a suit of polished silver-white armor, with the legendary holy sword Safarlisia hanging at her waist.

Her gaze was as sharp as a blade as she assessed Higashino Makoto from head to toe, her eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny.

Higashino Makoto stopped before the chair prepared for him, but did not sit immediately.

He bowed slightly, placed his right hand over his chest, and performed a standard knight's salute.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your hospitality."

Calca's eyelashes trembled softly.

She had seen countless people salute her.

Nobles, knights, foreign envoys, temple priests.

But the way the man before her saluted was different from everyone else's. It was not a subject's submission to a monarch, nor a knight's loyalty to their master, but respect between equals.

The simple respect of one person for another, free of any self-serving calculation.

"Please, have a seat, Mr. Higashino."

Calca's voice was gentler than usual.

"You are a benefactor of our Holy Kingdom. There is no need to stand on such ceremony."

Higashino Makoto sat down. Rita took her place half a step behind him, her hands folded before her lower abdomen, her posture as elegant as a sculpture.

Kelart's gaze paused on Rita once more.

"Mr. Higashino."

Kelart spoke first, that characteristic smile on her lips.

"This lady is your...?"

"Rita Rossweisse, my maid," Higashino Makoto answered calmly.

"She is also my attendant and bodyguard."

A bodyguard?

Remedios raised an eyebrow.

A maid serving as a bodyguard?

She sized Rita up again.

That short-haired blonde woman truly did not look like an ordinary maid.

Her stance, the rhythm of her breathing, and the occasional gleam that flashed through her crimson eyes all revealed the air of someone who had undergone rigorous combat training.

Even so, the term "bodyguard" still struck Remedios as somewhat absurd.

A man capable of wiping out an army of tens of thousands of demi-humans with a wave of his hand needed a maid to protect him?

"Please, have a seat."

Calca looked at Rita.

"Since you are Mr. Higashino's attendant, there is no need for you to remain standing."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Holy Queen Majesty."

Rita gave a slight bow, her voice soft and respectful.

"But as a maid, it is my duty to stand behind my master."

Calca did not insist further.

The attendants began serving the dishes.

The first course was an appetizer soup.

It was a rich soup made with mushrooms and cream, specialties of the Holy Kingdom, sprinkled with chopped herbs.

Higashino Makoto picked up his spoon, moving as naturally as though he were dining at his own table.

The atmosphere at the dining table was somewhat delicate.

No one spoke.

Only the crisp clink of spoons against bowls echoed through the room.

After taking two sips of soup, Higashino Makoto set down his spoon and looked up.

"It seems Your Majesty has something she wishes to ask me."

Calca's movement paused slightly.

She set down her spoon, gently dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin, then raised her head to meet Higashino Makoto's gaze.

"Mr. Higashino is an intelligent man."

She took a deep breath, and her voice regained the composure expected of the Holy Queen.

"Then I will be direct. Why did Mr. Higashino come to the Holy Kingdom? And why did you choose to help us?"

Higashino Makoto looked at her and remained silent for two seconds.

"If I said it was 'fate,' would Your Majesty believe me?"

Calca blinked.

"Fate?"

"I rolled a die."

Higashino Makoto said it as casually as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather.

"The die had the names of several countries written on it. It landed on 'Holy Kingdom,' so I came."

The air around the dining table froze for a moment.

Kelart's smile stiffened on her face.

Remedios's spoon stopped in midair.

Calca opened her mouth, but for a moment, she did not know what to say.

She had imagined many possible answers.

For justice, for faith, to protect the weak, even for some sort of exchange of benefits.

But she had never imagined the answer would be this.

A die.

"Are you joking?"

Kelart's voice remained gentle, but there was now a trace of probing in her tone.

"I'm not good at joking."

Higashino Makoto lifted the wineglass before him and gently swirled it.

"I did decide to leave home for a certain purpose. But I hesitated for a long time over the question of where to go. In the end, I left the choice to fate, and fate chose the Holy Kingdom."

As he spoke, Higashino Makoto took out the die engraved with the words "Kingdom," "Dragon Kingdom," "Holy Kingdom," "Empire," "Theocracy," and "Elves."

With a casual toss, the die spun across the table before finally coming to rest with the "Holy Kingdom" side facing up.

"Like this."

Silence fell over the table. The three highest-ranking women in the Holy Kingdom stared fixedly at the die as an absurd thought rose in their minds.

Higashino Makoto was telling the truth!

"What is your purpose?"

Remedios suddenly spoke, her voice so blunt it was nearly rude.

"Sister."

Kelart reminded her in a low voice.

"It's fine."

Higashino Makoto set down his wineglass, his gaze sweeping over Remedios's face before turning to Calca.

"My goal is simple. I want to do something meaningful in this world."

"What counts as something meaningful?"

Remedios pressed.

"As a human, I believe humanity should have better lives instead of being treated as food."

Higashino Makoto's answer was brief and direct.

"That's all."

Remedios stared into his eyes for a long while, then slowly nodded.

She did not ask anything else.

Her "Wild Intuition" told her that this man was not lying.

At least, not about this.