After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 44

Chapter 44: Unusual Interrogation

For about ten days after that, I visited the Altoner Trading Company every other day and worked hard on creating a family with Suzanna in our separate quarters. The reason for this unusually frequent visit was that Ayaka-san, being happily pregnant, had declined her “night” duties, and both Beatrice and Ayaka-san strongly recommended, in unison, that I visit as often as possible, even every night if necessary. It’s an indescribable feeling to be encouraged by my wives to impregnate another woman, but apparently, that’s how things work.

Then, one day, I received a summons from Beatrice at the royal palace, and when I arrived, I was immediately taken to the underground dungeon. For a moment, I entertained the fantasy that Suzanna and I were being punished for being too passionate, but that couldn’t be the case. In the deepest part of the dungeon, there was a scene where a muscular man in his thirties was tied to a chair, and Beatrice and Ayaka-san were coldly looking down at him.

“Beatrice, who is this man?”

“He was waiting in ambush for Lutz, so Ayaka’s subordinates captured him. We need to extract information.”

“I didn’t notice at all…”

“That’s right. Lutz is dull, but the Dark Clan is excellent. I thought they would target him if he visited Suzanna frequently, and I was right. However… as useful as he is as bait, going every other day and averaging three times a day, Lutz is almost like a monkey.”

Ugh. I knew the Dark Clan was guarding me, but did Beatrice really need to report the exact number of times? I feel like Ayaka-san’s gaze, too, is accompanied by a chilly atmosphere.

“Thief. If you confess right now, you can avoid a painful punishment. We can arrange for you to serve about five years in prison. Who ordered you to attack Lutz?”

The muscular man spat, and it landed at Beatrice’s feet. Her emerald eyes lit up with a cold light, and one corner of her mouth raised. Oh, she’s genuinely angry; this seems like a pretty frightening scenario.

“Well, I don’t like doing this kind of thing, but…”

Saying that, Beatrice began spraying water on the upper body of the man with a mist. I have no idea what she’s trying to accomplish, but I’ll just watch. Then, she sprinkled some tiny particles on the man… Are those grass seeds or something?

“Since it’s not good for prenatal education, Ayaka doesn’t need to watch.”

“What are you saying? We, who are responsible for the dark side of the kingdom, consider this a worthy education.”

“Ayaka is a scary woman. Now, let me show you a simple interrogation even a wood attribute like me, unsuitable for rough work, can do.”

After taking a deep breath, Beatrice chanted something like a very short spell. Nothing seemed to happen, and I skeptically looked at her, but the sight of a green area spreading on the man’s shirt appeared in my eyes.

“Ugh, it hurts… You…!”

The reason for the man’s sudden change in attitude became clear. The grass-like seeds scattered earlier were germinating, and as if a lawn were growing, it began to envelop his body. The roots were gradually tearing through the man’s skin.

“If you nourish it with human bl00d, it grows quite robustly. After sucking your bodily fluids dry, we might transplant you to the garden.”

This is Beatrice’s S-class wood attribute magic. She accelerates the growth of grass at an extraordinary speed, slowly but surely eroding the man’s body in visible form. The breakdown of the body, progressing slowly but steadily, is more than enough to mentally torment the victim. His arrogant attitude from earlier has disappeared, and he’s now screaming with a pale face.

“Hey, spare me, please!”

“We might consider it if you tell us what we want to know.”

“…”

“If you stay silent… well, do your best.”

“Aaargh!”

The final scream rose as the grass took over the upper half of his body, and the lower half… extending its roots toward his groin.

“Speak up quickly, or you’ll become less of a man. Well, even if you have all your functions intact, it won’t make much of a difference in the end.”

Beatrice’s expression, lacking the emotion of a porcelain doll, looks relentlessly cruel and merciless in this situation. When her lips twisted into a sinister grin, the man couldn’t endure any longer and screamed.

“I got it! I’ll tell you everything! Please spare me!”

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

“It seems the direct client was that sister’s family, but there was a mastermind.”

“We need to rectify this from the roots.”

The man, discarding his stubbornness from earlier, spilled more information than I expected. It turns out that a high-ranking noble is sponsoring the sister’s family, providing funds for their requests to outlaws. Of course, they plan to later reap the profits with interest.

“Count Bergen… a big shot in the borderlands.”

“Is he so pressed that he has to meddle in the inheritance of a merchant family?”

“Originally, the Count’s territory should have been sufficiently sustained by the profits from northern trade. If he’s facing financial difficulties, it might be because of that eccentric son-in-law.”

According to what Beatrice told me, the current head of the count’s family, who is over forty, welcomed a new son-in-law two years ago. This son-in-law is a dazzlingly handsome young man in his early twenties, and his excessively spoiled nature is widely known. However, this son-in-law often demands expensive clothes and accessories from the head of the family, quickly growing bored and desiring something new. The previously stable financial situation of the count’s territory is now in decline, and it’s rumored among the high-ranking nobility that the head of the family is scrambling for funds from various wealthy merchants.

“Lutz never asks me for anything. While it’s admirable restraint for a son-in-law, it feels a bit lonely.”

Beatrice, uttering unexpected words, blushed slightly as she spoke.