"Hold on. I'm very confused here. So she is a general of the Royal Knights, and you're a rookie interrogator. Now, last time I checked, putting on these friendship bracelets wasn't part of any interrogation that I heard of."
Reiji was referring to the bracelets lined with emeralds. Akihiro Sato smiled and began speaking.
"General, could you be so kind as to leave us alone?"
The general sighed in irritation before moving to the door and opening it. Before she walked through, she turned to Akihiro.
"If I find out you're bluffing, I will kill you with my own sword." "I never got your name."
Reiji spoke out before she left. The general, however, didn't respond and left the room, slamming the door behind her.
Akihiro burst out into laughter. Reiji stared at him with a confused expression.
"What's so funny, Smiley?"
"Oh, you could just feel the anger flowing out of her. Serves her right, thinking she can boss anyone around just because."
Reiji deadpanned. He wasn't expecting this at all. This person seemed rather silly.
"Can you catch me up to speed? I feel like a lot is being withheld from me."
Akihiro calmed down and leaned back. He uncrossed his fingers and rested his right hand on the table. He thought for a moment before he started speaking.
"Ok, I'm Akihiro Sato and I'm sixteen. I specialize in artifacts that can only be described as… magical."
"Wait, sixteen and magical artifacts? Magic?"
Akihiro leaned forward and whispered the next words to Reiji. Reiji felt like he was putting on a show for the sake of being dramatic.
"Oh, yes. It's not that special, it's just a big secret. That's why I couldn't tell you what these bracelets could do, because not even the sour general knows about magic."
Reiji listened to this. So far, he thought that this was a big prank, but some things suggested that it was true.
If this was a sick game, then he wouldn't bluff about being under the direct order of Lord… whatever his name is. Then again, that general and this guy could be good actors.
Reiji and Akihiro had an intense staredown. Akihiro had a happy smile on his face and Reiji looked at him like he was crazy, stupid, and absolutely insane. Guess I'll roll with it.
"What do these do anyway?"
"If you mean the bracelets, I can read your mind right now. One sends out your brainwaves and the other a receives them. It's pretty much like opening a gate to your brain, and only I can pass through. If we switch the bracelets, then you can see my mind."
"Huh? Prove it."
Akihiro slammed his hands on the table and leaned forward. He grinned ear to ear and his eyes lit up like fireworks.
"I knew you'd say that! You're thinking of how stupid all of this is!"
Reiji got annoyed by how correct his statement was and decided to do some more testing.
"Again!" "You're thinking of a random forest!"
"Again!" "Now you're thinking of a woman's butt!"
"Grr." "Now you don't know what to think because you don't perform well under pressure!"
"Fine! I believe you, Smiley."
Reiji sighed and leaned back, fully convinced and curious about what was going on. He took off the bracelet and slid it across the table back to Akihiro.
"Lord Fujioka sent out a request about two weeks ago. You see, after tests and assessments, it was deducted that the Royal knights were lacking in quality. And seeing a perfect opportunity, he requested to be in charge of handling criminals."
"Why? That seems kind of random to ask."
"The king thought so too, but it solved some problems since the kingdom is in disarray as of now. Lord Fujioka thought that if he could find talents, even in the mud, and polish them, they would become some of the greatest Royal knights."
"Well, if he can turn their insanity into loyalty, then I guess those knights won't betray their kingdom. But that's a big if."
"Precisely, Mister Kurozuma. I bet you're wondering why criminals and not some natural talents that have emerged. Well, you'd be wrong. I, for one, have been hand-picked to collect the gold and leave the trash behind."
"I can imagine why."
Akihiro smiled and continued. "And as for you, Mister Kurozuma, you have just entered a list of criminals and natural talents that will be entering the Royal knight entrance exam."
Reiji heard this and didn't really care.
"I have a couple of requests first."
They stared at each other until Akihiro's grin turned into a smile. He slid Reiji a paper, ink, and quill.
Reiji started writing. I want to act as Haruto Hishino's guardian. I also request to be with him at all times. And whatever happens, I need my bow, katana, quiver, arrows, and kimono.
The only sound in the room was the quill scratching against the paper. When Reiji was done, he put the quill into the ink and slid the paper back to Akihiro.
He read the paper and nodded. "All your requests are reasonable, good. Wouldn't want to deal with a delusional moron."
Reiji lifted his hands, making the chain rattle. Akihiro understood the gesture. "We'll get those right off of you."
Akihiro and Reiji stood up. They left the room and met the general standing in front of it.
"Please, lead our friend to this room and give this paper to Lord Fujioka. And also, those shackles won't be necessary."
Akihiro handed her the paper with Reiji's requests and a small paper with a number on it. The general proceeded to take off Reiji's shackles. Akihiro Sato went back into his interrogation room.
"So, where to, General?"
"I'll be going to Lord Fujioka now and you'll go to your room, even though you're still a criminal in my eyes."
As they walked down the hallway, Reiji felt tension in the air. Feeling awkward, he decided to lighten the mood.
"It's so chilly down here. Is that because we're still underground?"
"Be quiet."
Reiji deadpanned. He was walking first so that she could see what he was doing. This also meant he didn't know how she felt.
"Wow, you're a real charmer. I'm falling for you already, General."
He suddenly got pushed against the wooden wall and had the general right in his face.
"One more word and I'll make sure you'll die by my hands, regardless of the circumstances."
"Geez, don't say that on dates."
Reiji then got a brutal punch to the face and he fell to the ground. She grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him across the floor until they reached the end of the hallway.
She unlocked the door and opened it. Reiji barely got up and walked through. There was a staircase that turned ninety degrees to the right. He walked up the stairs only to meet another door.
"This sucks. How many doors are there anyway?!" "Silence!"
After locking the door they had just walked through, she unlocked the next door, and it finally looked like they were above ground.
There was a hallway that went straight forward and halfway down branched off to the left, and opposite of that were huge doors.
After this, the hallway continued until it ended with a door on the opposite side. Reiji remembered the path they took to get out of the dungeon.
After exiting the spiral staircase, we turned left, so if we would've gone right, maybe we would have emerged on the other side of the hallway we are in right now.
"Move it." "Alright, geez."
They walked forward, turned left and saw another long hallway. On each side were more doors.
At the end of the hallway was a flight of stairs covered with a red carpet. They walked down the hallway and up the stairs. Reiji noticed that the railings were made of high-quality wood.
It was a bifurcated staircase. Where the stairs branched off, there was a large window overlooking the front yard of the property.
After more doors and hallways, they arrived at Reiji's room. The general left to go to Lord Fujioka's office.
On the door there was a golden plate with the number one. Reiji looked at it for a moment before opening the door.