The Interrogation Afterward

My Sister Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend Author: Fourfold Never Cooks Today

Synopsis:

As Mizuki's older sister, Miss Skadi was extremely proud of him.

Her Mizuki was so cute, so well-behaved, so talented, and so sensible. He was an amazing cook and incredible at video games—he was practically the pearl of the Aegir seabed! The best boy on Terra!

"Miss Skadi, your brother ran off with another woman again."

"Specter, I'm going to fucking kill you!"

Well, if there was one thing about Mizuki that truly worried Miss Skadi, it was how other women were always hitting on him.

"I regret it so much now. I really do. Why did I have to bring my precious little brother here back then?"

Faced with Eureka's interview, Miss Skadi finally couldn't hold back her tears.

"I thought the Doctor was the threat. I never imagined the family thief would be even harder to guard against. If I'd known, I would've strangled Specter on the spot. I've never even touched my Mizuki, not once! Not once! She's eaten him up completely!!!"

"Ever since I came to Rhodes Island, I feel like the whole world is full of people trying to steal my brother from me!"

What best friends? What teammates? Exusiai, Specter, Muelsyse—they're all romantic rivals! She'd become Skadi the Corrupting Heart and take out everyone who wanted to steal her brother!

Prologue: Penguin Logistics Gets Into Big Trouble

At night in Lungmen, a small delivery truck drove along the highway. Exusiai rolled down the window and breathed in the slightly chilly night air to wake herself up a little.

"This package is huge, and it's just fruit? They're making us deliver it so far, too. Is there nothing to eat in Columbia?"

Exusiai glanced at the metal refrigerated container in the cargo bed and couldn't make heads or tails of it. It was just a box of fruit. Was it really necessary to have them deliver it all the way from Lungmen to Columbia? Penguin Logistics' delivery fees weren't exactly cheap.

"Who knows? We just have to deliver it."

Texas was speeding along the elevated highway at night, but since she had only one point left on her license, she kept the truck below the speed limit.

Was a box of fruit worth a journey of more than half a month? Give her a break. There had to be something else going on. Otherwise, why go to all this trouble and use a refrigerated container? Columbia wasn't suffering from a famine.

Penguin Logistics had one rule, though: as long as a shipment didn't violate their principles, they wouldn't ask questions. But if they caught the client pulling any tricks, it didn't matter who the client was—their fate wouldn't be pretty.

"Come to think of it, are we going to Rhodes Island after this?"

"That's what I heard from the boss. The company signed a long-term cooperation agreement with them."

Texas wasn't the sort of person who disliked talking. She just often felt there wasn't much to say. But when she had something to say, she didn't keep quiet.

"Then we won't have to deal with Officer Chen handing us tickets all the time?"

"Yeah. They'll also pay us separately."

Everything sounded so wonderful that Exusiai had already started planning how to spend her days. She'd eat two apple pies at a time—one to eat and one to look at. If she couldn't finish them, she'd feed the leftovers to Croissant.

"Quiet. We're at the checkpoint."

Texas' words silenced the other three. The checkpoint up ahead was obviously their final hurdle, and also the toughest one to handle. Tonight, it was being guarded by the hardest person in all of Lungmen to deal with: Ch'en Hui-chieh. She had a serious grudge against Penguin Logistics and always held them up for ages. Several times, she'd even tried to open their cargo.

"Good evening, Officer Chen. Have you eaten?"

Exusiai immediately tried to butter Ch'en Hui-chieh up. She even took out one of Texas' chocolate bars and tried to bribe her with it, but Ch'en Hui-chieh wasn't falling for that. She slapped Exusiai's hand away and glanced at the cargo bed behind the truck.

"It's pretty late to be heading out of the city, isn't it?"

"Yeah, well, you know how hard life is these days, Officer. We work from dawn till dusk, and after paying all those fines, we can barely afford to eat."

"Hmph. That's what you get for causing trouble for me all the time. What's in the back?"

"Just fruit."

As she spoke, Exusiai couldn't help glancing over. They had checked the cargo; it really was fruit. But the client had insisted that the shipment remain strictly confidential, so there was no way they could let the Guard Department inspect it.

Of course, Ch'en Hui-chieh didn't believe a word Penguin Logistics said. What could possibly be so ordinary that this bunch would be hauling it in the middle of the night?

"Where are you delivering it?"

"Uh... to... to Chernobog."

"Don't lie to me. The underground black market in Lungmen has been unusually active lately, and we've uncovered contraband five times in a row. I have every reason to suspect there's something wrong with your cargo. Or do you think I have nothing better to do than personally guard a checkpoint?"

Ch'en Hui-chieh's words reminded Texas of the looks on the people's faces when they'd handed over the cargo earlier. She frowned, ready to step on the gas and make a run for it. But when she saw the green-haired Sarkaz standing in the middle of the road, holding a triangular shield, she knew it was hopeless. Even at full throttle, the truck might only make her take a few steps back. And if they offended two senior officers—or the people behind them—that would be even worse. In Lungmen, they'd run into each other sooner or later.

"Open the container. Let me have a look."

"Not to be rude, Officer Chen, but you know the rules at Penguin Logistics, right? If a client says a shipment is confidential, how could we possibly open it for you?"

"And you should know the rules of the Guard Department, too."

Anyone could see that Ch'en Hui-chieh was in a foul mood. Exusiai immediately realized it was because of last night's smuggling explosion. That incident had killed fourteen people and injured fifty-three, leaving them Infected. Most of the victims had been Guard Department personnel. The severity of the case spoke for itself, so it was no wonder Ch'en Hui-chieh was so angry.

"Officer Chen, we really aren't transporting any contraband. Look, it's not like we'd have the guts to do something like that."

"I haven't yet found anything you wouldn't dare do."

"Really! If we were transporting contraband, I'd call you Mom."

(Croissant, that's an awfully big sacrifice you're making.)

Everyone gave Croissant a strange look. They hadn't expected her to be willing to make such a sacrifice. When it came to shamelessness, she really was the best.

"Fine. I'll give you two choices."

"We'll take the second one!"

Exusiai immediately raised her hand. There was no need to think about it: the first choice would obviously be to open the container themselves, which would damage Penguin Logistics' reputation.

"You certainly know yourself well. The first choice is indeed for you to open it yourselves. All right, someone, open that container."

"Huh? Didn't we pick the second choice?"

"Right. The second choice is for us to open it."

For once, a sly expression appeared on Ch'en Hui-chieh's usually heroic face. Exusiai looked at Texas in despair, but Texas only shook her head. They'd have to take the loss this time. There was no point in asking whether they could escape. They still had to work in Lungmen, so they absolutely couldn't openly make an enemy of the Guard Department. Otherwise, it was anyone's guess who'd end up dead.

"Hey, be careful! The stuff inside is really valuable!"

"Didn't you say it was just fruit?"

"Ah... please, go ahead."

As the Guard Department officers roughly dragged the container down, Sora couldn't help worrying about what would happen if the cargo was damaged. Having it opened was one thing; it would still have to be delivered in the end. If it was damaged, there'd be no room for discussion.

"It's sealed pretty tightly."

Looking at the refrigerated container in front of her, sealed shut with tape, Ch'en Hui-chieh drew her black sword. With a few casual strokes, she cut through the lock and the tape without damaging the container at all. Texas put a chocolate bar between her teeth. She'd realized Ch'en Hui-chieh was in a terrible mood, which was why she'd decided not to resist. No one had ever seen Officer Chen this furious. For some reason, Lungmen's criminal underworld had become unusually active lately. People had even started openly attacking patrols in the streets. She'd heard that Ch'en Hui-chieh's squad had been ambushed on the night of the explosion.

"Open it."

"Yes, ma'am."

Everyone's eyes focused on the container. Exusiai and Croissant lamented that their pay would be docked again as they watched a Guard Department officer pull out a crowbar, pry open the nails, and lift the lid.

The instant everyone saw the cargo inside, they felt a murderous aura radiating from Ch'en Hui-chieh. The temperature around them dropped to freezing in an instant. The four members of Penguin Logistics went deathly pale, and even Hoshiguma, who had seen her fair share of trouble, was taken aback.

"You call this not contraband?!"

There was a person lying in the container—or rather, "lying" wasn't the right word. He'd been stuffed inside, brutally shoved into the cramped, freezing compartment. The blue-haired Aegir boy's body was twisted, his limbs bent out of place.

Cold air seemed to drift out of the refrigerated container, swirling around everyone and filling them with an indescribable chill. Several Guard Department officers couldn't help shivering.

"Um... Mom, let me explain."

Croissant really did get down on her knees this time. This was way beyond ordinary contraband. Penguin Logistics was definitely going to be investigated, and Emperor was sure to blow his top.

"Old Chen, calm down. They like to cause trouble, but they wouldn't do something like this."

"Hoshiguma... you're right. Sigh. Take them away!"

Ch'en Hui-chieh signaled her subordinates to move, then glanced at the officer who had opened the container. He looked awful, as if he was about to throw up.

"What's the situation?"

"Reporting to you, Officer Chen. The boy has no pulse. Being... put in like that, and with the container sealed, there's nothing we can do."

Ch'en Hui-chieh hadn't expected much, but hearing the news still made her heart sink. She'd seen plenty of bloodshed, so it wasn't enough to break her. She was just furious that the boy had been treated that way.

"Wait, Old Chen... I think he just moved."

Hoshiguma's keen eyes had caught it. Just now, the blue-haired Aegir boy's finger had twitched.

"How could that be? He wasn't..."

"It's true, Officer Chen! His heartbeat's back!"

The officer who had just checked him cried out in surprise. Then he noticed something in the boy's arms. It looked like an ID card.

"This is... a Rhodes Island operator, Mizuki?"

Chapter 1: The Interrogation Afterward

"Name."

"Exusiai."

"Occupation?"

"Sankta, an employee of Texas' team at Penguin Logistics, and a Rhodes Island partner operator on the side... By the way, Officer Chen, don't you already know all this?"

Inside the Lungmen Guard Department's interrogation room, Ch'en Hui-chieh stared sternly at Exusiai, who was clearly feeling uneasy. As a Laterano native, she didn't need to worry about Ch'en Hui-chieh bypassing the Laterano Papal Basilica to pass judgment on her. But that wasn't the problem here!

"All right, then. Suspect Exusiai, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Ch'en Hui-chieh slapped both hands on the table with a bang, making Exusiai jolt so hard that the iron chair beneath her nearly tipped over backward.

"Ah, Officer, hear me out—I mean, let me explain! He really is my little brother! My little brother by different fathers and mothers!"

"Do you think our Lungmen officers will believe that nonsense?!"

A few black question marks appeared above Ch'en Hui-chieh's head, but she still managed to keep her emotions in check.

"Stop fucking trying to fool me. He's an Aegir, and you're a Sankta. You're siblings by different fathers and mothers, you Lungmen profanity? Would you stuff your little brother in a place like that?!"

She reached for Scarlet Sky at her waist and slammed it onto the table. Ch'en Hui-chieh was just short of drawing her sword. She thought that kind of lie wouldn't fool even a dumb dog, much less her. After all, she was Ch'en Hui-chieh, a senior officer of the Lungmen Guard Department. She wasn't that stupid.

"Eek!"

Exusiai was so frightened that the halo above her head flickered a few times. As a Penguin Logistics employee, she couldn't avoid dealing with the Guard Department. And Texas' team was infamous even within Penguin Logistics. They ended up at the Guard Department once every so often, either to pay a fine or to bail someone out.

After running into each other so many times, they'd grown fairly familiar with the people in the Guard Department, especially Ch'en Hui-chieh. She was the one who arrested them eight times out of ten. The officers had even begun to wonder if they were deliberately helping Ch'en Hui-chieh pad her record.

Usually, things were fine. Everyone knew each other, and Ch'en Hui-chieh knew they didn't deliberately cause trouble in the city. Even Lungmen's governor, Wei Yenwu, turned a blind eye to Penguin Logistics and tacitly allowed the gray-area company to operate. But this time was different.

"Hurry up and talk! Are you telling me Penguin Logistics thinks it can get away with trafficking people?!"

To be honest, Exusiai was starting to wonder if Ch'en Hui-chieh could breathe fire. She looked ready to tear someone limb from limb.

But Ch'en Hui-chieh was right. This wasn't something they could brush off as casually as they did speeding or a minor explosion downtown. Oh, did a city-center explosion count as minor? To Penguin Logistics, incidents like that were as routine as eating.

Penguin Logistics had managed to flourish in Lungmen without the Guard Department coming down on them, despite all the trouble they caused, because they always followed Lungmen's rules. If they did something wrong, they paid the fine. If they had to sit in jail, they did their time. They followed the procedure and went on with their business.

That was why Ch'en Hui-chieh had never deliberately given them a hard time over the years. It was just that whenever Penguin Logistics got into trouble, she happened to be the one who caught them. Even Ch'en Hui-chieh herself had begun to wonder if those troublemakers were padding her record.

"No, Officer Chen! I really didn't know there was a person hidden in our container. I checked it myself. There was nothing in there but fruit!"

"Do you think I'm blind?"

Ch'en Hui-chieh slammed her hand down on the table. She'd gone out to check a checkpoint in the middle of the night, only to run into something like this. How could she not be angry? Even if the Aegir boy was alive, Exusiai and the others had still broken Lungmen's laws.

But Ch'en Hui-chieh also knew that while Penguin Logistics didn't always follow the rules, they still had a bottom line. They wouldn't do something like this. And yet their statements didn't add up. All four of them said they'd checked the cargo, and all four said the container held frozen fruit. But apart from the person, there was nothing else inside.

Were the Penguin Logistics crew lying? It didn't seem likely. The question wasn't whether they'd dare to lie; it was that lying wouldn't help them in this situation. Wei Yenwu would put pressure on Emperor, while the Guard Department investigated the client. Lying would only confirm their guilt.

"Officer Chen, believe me! I, Lemuel, may not be the most law-abiding citizen of Lungmen, but I'm definitely a law-abiding one!"

"Your list of violations at the Guard Department is thicker than a Great Yan high schooler's summer homework."

"..."

Exusiai had lived in Lungmen for a few years, so she knew exactly how thick a Great Yan high schooler's summer homework could be. But she also knew how many times she'd been to the Guard Department, and what Ch'en Hui-chieh said... probably wasn't an exaggeration. After all, she'd been arrested for illegal entry on her very first day.

"Anyway, this is far too serious. Penguin Logistics won't get out of this one."

"I understand."

Like a wilted eggplant, Exusiai lowered her head. This time, she wasn't pretending. She'd have to find Emperor and explain everything. They should add a new rule to Penguin Logistics' code: "Always verify the cargo and confirm the sender's identity."