So, is the "paperwork" mentioned in the random task actually recording the content of Bennett's confession?
That makes much more sense, but who will be in charge of the interrogation?
Is it Xilǐ'er, who once killed the Count, or Gray, who has a deep-seated grudge against the Blood Corpse for "losing his virginity"?
Just then, there was a knock on the study door, and [ Zhong Lele ] looked shocked when he saw who it was.
Willow?! She's an interrogator?!
While mentally criticizing the Lich Lady's social anxiety persona for completely collapsing, [ Zhong Lele ] also began to wonder if the other party was just superficially socially anxious but actually a deeply hidden sadist or something like that.
Silently turning on the recording function, [ Zhong Lele ] waited for the plot to provide an explanation, only to discover that Willow seemed to have no idea what she was there for either.
Although the two were talking in hushed tones, she could clearly see Willow waving her hands in front of her chest, looking like she couldn't do it.
But it was clearly impossible for Ed not to do it. Ed looked at Bennett, who was already somewhat dead, and with just one sentence, he made Willow obey his orders:
Have you already forgotten what happened in the Demon Realm?
Willow's hands, which had been swaying in front of her chest, froze instantly, and the awkward smile on her face gradually disappeared.
She glanced at Ed, then turned to Bennett, and slowly uttered a sentence:
"Tell me, how do you want to conduct the interrogation?"
Ed looked at Willow's serious face and felt that she suited the intellectual look of glasses very well.
"Simple. I remember you said you knew a special spell called... Call Lightning?"
"Um."
The ethereal chanting echoed throughout the study, and a flash of electricity crackled at the tip of Willow's cane, inlaid with a pale blue gemstone.
The arc of electricity danced back and forth at her fingertips, like a silver ribbonfish that was constantly growing.
As the chant ended, the arc of electricity from her hand sliced through the air and struck Bennett on the wicker chair. Ed had been prepared and severed the connection between himself and the chair, but he could still feel a slight tingling sensation.
The vampire on the wicker chair, who had been half-dead just moments before, suddenly sat bolt upright, his muscles tensing, silver-white lightning flashing in his crimson eyes, and emitting a truly electrifying sound:
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh."
Ed looked at the old man, who was numb from the electric shock, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably twice.
He looked at Willow beside him:
"Take it easy, don't electrocute me. I didn't let you use ' Disorder ' or ' Imbalance ' because I still have a use for them."
Willow continued working, turning her head slightly to look at Ed, her face showing an unprecedented calmness:
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Ed's words stuck in his throat for a long time, but he finally whispered a hint:
"In principle, I trust you, but he seems a bit suspicious..."
Willow reluctantly withdrew her hand. As a native of this other world without a game system, she indeed couldn't see Bennett's current health bar like [ Zhong Lele ].
But since the electricity is already smoking, maybe I really did go a bit too far. Anyway, let Ed ask him first.
After the electric shock ended, Ed looked at Bennett:
"I'll repeat the question: the Territory Secret Pact of Aduolin Province, its appearance, its whereabouts, and all the information you know."
Bennett tilted his head to one side and coughed incessantly, seemingly having no intention of answering the question.
After a long while, he coughed up a clot of blood, raised his head again to look at Ed, and revealed a contemptuous smile:
I can't tell you...
Ed waved:
"Electricity."
Willow sang briefly, then:
"Crackling."
Bennett's body was tense:
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
Ed raised his hand:
"Stop! Tell me the whereabouts of the Territory Secret Pact."
"I can't..."
"Electricity."
"Crackling."
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Stop, Territory Secret Pact."
"I don't..."
"Electricity!"
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"Stop, tell me... never mind."
Halfway through his sentence, Ed suddenly waved his hand dismissively:
"I feel like he doesn't want to talk, just call him."
"Crackling."
"Aaaaaaahhhhhh, I'll talk, I'll talk, okay? Aaaaaaahhhhhh, please, please stop shocking me!"
Upon hearing that the other party was about to confess, Willow immediately stopped the spell, and the lightning flashed a few times before disappearing from her fingertips.
The lich looked at Ed, trying to see a satisfied smile on her boss's face, but Ed looked at her with a puzzled expression at that moment:
"Why is the power off?"
"Wasn't he going to confess?"
Ed looked shocked:
You believe him just because he says so?
"I..."
"That old guy is probably up to something, and besides, I didn't say stop. You have to listen to my orders, not his. The old man might just want to catch his breath, not actually want to confess."
"Oh..."
Just a few cycles of electric shocks gave Willow a new understanding of her boss's style of doing things.
Ed thought about it and also felt that this was a good opportunity to get closer to his employees, so he asked Willow:
How are you feeling?
How does it feel?
"Electric Blood Corpse, don't you find it cool and stress-relieving?"
Willow's mind went blank for a second. She thought about what had just happened, then nodded slightly, her tone tinged with uncertainty:
"... It seems, perhaps, a little."
"If you keep having fun, he's being a bit unreasonable, so I don't really want to ask anymore."
Ed left those words behind and turned away.
The Son of God is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see pitiful people in his castle, so he simply chooses not to look.
[ Zhong Lele ], sitting behind a separate notepad, repeatedly wanted to put down his charcoal pencil, but didn't know what to write, just like an online author struggling to type.
As a part-time recorder, she only needed to record Ed's questions and Bennett's instructions; it wouldn't be good to leave everything unrecorded.
But if I were to write everything down, these few sheets of paper in front of me wouldn't even be enough to write "ah"...
However, this part of the story is quite interesting. The characters of Ed and Willow don't break character and are quite funny. Apart from Bennett being a little uncomfortable, everyone is quite happy. With a little editing, it can be released.
As for Bennett... the indifferent [ Zhong Lele ] suddenly remembered a very apt colloquialism—"Whose son is he, whether he dies or not?"
Five minutes later, when Ed felt the visibility in the study had decreased slightly (due to the cigarette smoke), Willow finally withdrew her hand, satisfied.
"Boss, I think he's willing to talk."
"Did you enjoy it?"
"... Um."
"Alright, then it's my turn to ask."
Ed stretched and turned around again, sniffing the burnt smell in the air and laughing:
"It feels about medium-rare."
The vegetative state patient, the lich, and the Soul Returner all burst into laughter. Amidst the merriment, Bennett's head lolled to one side, and he continued to mutter:
"I'll talk, I'll talk..."