"Brother, let's start a rebellion. I'll be your hammer."
"Keep that idea. It's a good thought, but let's try what we can do first."
I still had a day left. If I didn't sleep, I'd have 24 hours.
"Brother, she's a human lady knight famous for her nobility. How will you make someone who didn't open her mouth even under torture talk?"
As Brug said, the lady knight had endured terrible torture. Whether thanks to the unique specs of knights in this world, she stubbornly endured torture from weak goblins and demons that should have cracked her skull.
"Who knows. We gotta try first, right?"
"I see. Then how will you make her talk? Will that human lady knight really betray her own kind?"
"Of course. You think all humans are like you?"
If all humans were like Brug, Demon King Solomon would've been conquered long ago and we'd all be goners. But I knew more about humans than anyone.
"The torture's too weak. Dismember her arms and legs and she'll talk from the pain."
"We already pulled out all her fingernails and she didn't even blink."
"...."
That's because it's a primitive torture method. I thought of other methods I'd only seen in movies. I found the prison where a few humans had survived, and Brug—who survived by presenting boar roast to Forneus—followed me around like a puppy.
"Mmph."
A sickening smell of blood stung my nose. The human lady knight locked in the cell hung her head with bruises all over her body. The blonde hair that had shone brilliantly at the dungeon entrance was now matted with dark blood.
"What's your business?"
A skeleton guard blocked my way, and I told him of Forneus's order.
"Tsk, poor bastard. Go in."
Even if Forneus hadn't given specific instructions, everyone in the legion probably knew the rumors about me. Since I was also the one who captured the lady knight, my name was fairly well known.
"Only one day of fame though."
"Brother, don't lose hope. That fame could be the first step toward your brilliant future. They say a hero's childhood is always hard and difficult. Come, let's talk about the saga of the Red Wolf—"
"Shut up and just take out what I asked for."
"Here it is."
Brug handed me a book he'd found in the humans' belongings. The paper quality was shabby and the contents were some crappy romance novel, but what mattered to me was the paper itself.
Clank.
I approached the lady knight. She—whose name I didn't even know—was restrained in an X-shape on the wall, her head hanging down. Her armor had already been stripped long ago, and she wore the brown burlap prisoners wore.
"The key."
"Here."
I took the key from the guard and removed her gag. Through her disheveled bangs, fierce blue eyes glinted, and the lady knight twisted her head to bite my neck.
I tucked the gag into my waist, then lifted the lady knight's chin.
"So you were awake after all."
"Grrrr!!"
The lady knight bared her teeth trying to tear at my neck. But my skin was too tough, and the lady knight's counterattack, weakened by torture, was just a small tantrum.
"What's your name?"
"Ptooey!"
The lady knight spat a mixture of blood and phlegm at my face.
Whoosh—!
Brug threw a punch past the lady knight's face. I was startled by how fast it was, but the lady knight's pupils trembled at Brug's fist grazing her cheek.
"Brug."
"Brother. How dare a mere human insult you like this...!"
Brug was as furious as if he'd been insulted himself because I got spat on. I didn't care at all, but the lady knight seemed terrified of Brug's fist.
Trickle.
A yellow liquid began flowing down the lady knight's thighs. She'd pissed herself from one punch by Brug. The sour stench mixed with the smell of blood.
"Tsk. Your name?"
"...."
"Didn't my brother ask you, human. Say your name."
Brug raised his fist threateningly. The lady knight glanced between Brug and me, then parted her blood-dried lips.
"E, Eila."
"Brother, this human's name seems to be E Eila."
"It's 'Eila.'"
I corrected Brug's misunderstanding, and the lady knight—Eila—started cautiously watching me.
"Well then, shall we start extracting information? Eila, what knight order are you from?"
"...You think I'll tell you?"
Eila glared at me viciously. Though she'd pissed herself, Brug's fist still scared her, so she didn't spit at me again. Instead, she just opened her mouth with a resolute expression, eyes squeezed shut then opened.
"...Kill me."
"...."
I never thought I'd hear that line here. My head spun, and Brug was furious.
"Human! If you've been defeated, answer the questions obediently!"
"Shut up. Even though I've been defeated...."
Eila threw her head back and twisted her lips.
"My spirit will never break!"
"I heard lady knights were famous for being stubborn, guess it's true."
I scoffed, but Brug pounded his chest in frustration at my laugh.
"Brother! If you can't get information from this woman, you'll die!"
"Are you trying to help me or hoping I'll die? How could you say that in front of her?"
I scolded Brug, and he staggered back as if deeply shocked.
"Br, brother.... It's a misunderstanding. I, I absolutely had no intention of trying to kill you—"
"Hah, perfect. So if I keep my mouth shut, this pig dies?"
Eila snorted at Brug and smirked.
"Great. To drag even one orc with me to the afterlife. I have no regrets now. Kill me."
"...!"
Brug's hands trembled, then he suddenly fled the prison. I laughed hollowly in disbelief, and Eila sneered at me.
"What now? You won't get any information from me. Hehe."
"Your tone seems like you're trying hard to act tough."
Flinch. Eila's restrained hand twitched. I tore the book, wet it with water, and wiped the blood off Eila's body.
"Mm, so this is your face. Pretty."
"Y, you crazy."
Whether she was flustered at being called pretty by an orc, Eila grimaced.
"I, I'm a knight! You think I'd be happy being called pretty by an orc! Fat chance!"
"Pretty face and a good body too. You'd have children real easy later."
I stuck my hand inside the burlap and lifted it. Her stomach was covered with whip marks and bruises everywhere, but the breasts perched atop her trained abs definitely made their presence known.
"Y, you bastard! Are you going to humiliate me!"
"So what? Will you give me information if I stop?"
Eila bit her lower lip and swallowed her words. I wiped all the blood off Eila's body with water-soaked paper, then unlocked the shackles on her wrists and ankles.
Clank.
The moment her wrists were freed with the key, Eila didn't hesitate to grab my neck. She squeezed with even a tiny bit of magic, but unfortunately, it didn't hurt at all.
"H, how...?!"
"Forgot? That I knocked you out. You can't kill me with that little strength."
"Th, this is ridiculous...! How can an orc who hasn't even reached adulthood...!"
Eila shook her head as if unable to accept my strength. I wanted to brag that it was the result of training hard for three years, but I couldn't say anything since Brug got even stronger than me.
Instead, it was time to show the results of that training differently. After releasing all of Eila's restraints, I placed her stomach on my right shoulder and lifted her up.
"W, wait?!"
Eila squirmed on my shoulder. I didn't care and wrapped my hand around her waist as I left the prison.
"What's going on?"
"I got permission from Lady Forneus. The prison isn't a good place to extract information from this human."
"I see. Doesn't matter. She can't escape this dungeon anyway."
The skeleton didn't think much of it. I greeted the skeleton, then left the prison carrying Eila. Eila's resistance gradually subsided.
"...."
"...."
Eila and I said nothing. Carrying Eila, I walked toward a secret spot I'd secretly prepared in the dungeon. The closer I got to the entrance, the quieter Eila became, like a dead mouse.
"Young orc, what's that?"
The gargoyle guarding the entrance eyed me warily, and I repeated the explanation I gave the skeleton guard and added more.
"It's a process to extract information from the human. The door."
"Mm.... Fine. This area is all our territory anyway. You are the guardian who protected the dungeon in our stead. We salute you."
The gargoyle guard opened the door without suspicion, and I left the dungeon carrying Eila. Eila's body began trembling slightly, and I entered the log hut Brug and I made while hunting in the forest.
Thud.
I laid Eila down on the bed. Eila looked at me with complex eyes.
"What's your intention...? You think I'll talk just because of this...?"
"No, you don't need to talk."
I took out the gag I'd tucked into my waist and covered Eila's mouth.
"Mmph?!"
Eila resisted but it was useless. I laid Eila on the makeshift bed covered with animal fur, then climbed on top of her.
"They'll probably kill me anyway if the information I get from you is useless. If I'm gonna go, I should at least do it once before I die, right?"
"...!!"