Once convinced that there was a traitor among us, I dedicated myself to investigating people. Of course, I didn't act too much like a detective. I just casually wandered around during breaks or when we were camping, striking up conversations. He knew that if he wasn't careful, the traitor could run away and hide.
«Please wait and explain so we can understand what's going on too!», exclaimed one of our squad members as all the team leaders ran forward to capture Pyke Neldine.
«Explicate, eh?»
There's no reason I can't. It will also help untangle this mess.
«It was thanks to Milburn Naria that I first suspected Pyke Neldine».
«Maria ... »
«The summoner from Miss Akurava's team?»
I assumed the summoner was shy because she jumped and seemed startled when everyone turned to look at her.
«Uhh, huh? Because of me?»
«Yeah. When I went to ask you some questions, you mentioned that Trolls are getting tired pretty quickly».
«Ah, to. Fruit compete, pero...»
Hey, why are you so hesitant? Are you worried about ending up under fire? If so, it is a useless concern. In no way would it harm the person who has contributed the most to solving this case.
«Anyway! That's how it started.»
You could say that conversation became a catalyst that changed my entire thought process. If I previously assumed that the ground had cracked thanks to magic or skill, my thoughts on the matter were different after that. I started focusing on the Trolls themselves and not the ground.
«Thinking something was wrong with the Trolls, I started checking to see if anyone had approached them before or after the incident.». I recounted my deductions to the crowd in what would thereafter be called Barbarian Detective Mode. «Until then, I was suspicious of Akurava's equipment and the wizards who always waited near the sleighs to cast preservation spells. But after investigating, I discovered that there was only one other person approaching the Trolls». I pointed to the guy tied with a rope on the floor. «It was Pyke Neldine. This guy came up with all kinds of excuses to casually come into contact with the Trolls, and then magically stopped doing so after the collapse.»
Just then, the captured Pyke Neldine objected. «That's just circumstantial evidence! Would you do all this to someone just for that?».
Haha, I'm not done talking yet.
Paladin Jun tried to gag him, but I stopped his hand with a look. There's no need to stop this guy when he was digging his own grave.
«Tests! So you're saying you have no proof after all!»
Yes, I had no proof. That's why I had to use this annoying plan instead. Because people only want to believe things they see for themselves.
Without even needing to take a step forward, Akurava entered the fray. «The skill you just used was Overload».
«E-So! What about her?»
«Why have you been hiding that ability until now?».
«C-Everyone has their own trump card!»
«Hmm, is that the trump card of a warrior like you? Range seven overload?»
Neldine fell silent at Akurava's sour tone. In exchange for temporarily increasing the user's weight and reducing their movement speed, Overload increased the damage of long-range attack abilities. It was not a useful skill for a warrior. «Don't obfuscate the point! Overload is a skill that only applies to the user». As expected, he tried to find a way out.
«Yeah, wait, I've seen him use Overload before».
«You're right... it's not a skill you can use on other people».
«What, so he's innocent?»
The crew began to murmur again, fooled by their logic.
«This man is trying to go after an innocent member of his team with flawed and ridiculous reasoning! Help me everyone. If you don't, you can be next!». Neldine screamed louder.
Thank you so much.
In fact, I was waiting for him to take that out. The argument he had just used to protect himself would end up trapping him in its place. From now on, he couldn't escape no matter what he did. It was time to take out the knife.
«Hey, can you lend me your knife?» I forcibly borrowed a knife from another squad member and approached Neldine.
«W-What are you trying to do... A-Someone, help-»
«Everyone stay where you are!»
Attack!
Grabbing the man tied by the back of the head, I picked him up so everyone could see him. The crew shuddered, hesitant. They seemed to be debating whether they should join together and stop me.
Before they made a unanimous decision, I was quick to shout: «A skill that only applies to yourself? That's definitely true for Overload. However». Who was this asshole trying to fool? Did you know how many years I spent playing Dungeon and Stone? «It's a different story if you have Grant, a conversion type ability».
At that moment, I stabbed the knife deep into Neldine's forearm. Not, to be more precise, in his vein.
Drip.
Fresh blood came out. Since the cut I made was wide, there was not enough pressure difference for blood to gush out of it, but the amount of blood flowing from the wound was significant.
«It won't last more than a few minutes with that type of bleeding».
«...T-Treatment... P-Priest!» The squad seemed panicked at what seemed like a sudden execution.
«Everyone stay still!»
«Please trust us and wait. I know what you're thinking, but that's okay».
When the team leaders who were watching intervened, no one wanted to rush. One minute, two minutes, three minutes. Time passed slowly and some clever members of our team began to notice that something was wrong.
«...Why isn't he dying?»
«With so much bleeding, are you still conscious?»
«Look at the blood accumulated on the ground. Even if you took all the blood out of his body, you wouldn't get that much...»
Perhaps it was to be expected, since adventurers were experts at hunting and killing. They realized it much sooner than I thought.
Anyway, I think the situation should be ripe now...
«Ahem-hem.» I cleared my throat, which was hoarse from the cold. Then I screamed again so everyone could hear me. «What you just saw in action is the passive ability of the rank five Blood Roar monster: an ability called Blood Fountain!».
«...Blood Fountain?»
"¿What is that?
«I had already read about her in a book. It is a passive ability that ensures that its users never die from blood loss.»
«Wait, Blood Roar? Isn't he one of the monsters with Grant?»
«That's right. Those guys always ally themselves with other demonic beasts, which makes that ability really difficult to combat.»
«If that's true...!»
The crew began to accept my logic without further persuasion. Soon, I threw Neldine to the ground.
Burn.
Although it must have been quite a shock, he didn't even moan. He probably realized he didn't have time for that.
«It-Wait! It is true that I have the essence of Blood Roar, but that does not prove that I have Endow».
Gosh, are you going to try the 'test' angle even now?
He didn't need to take a step forward this time either. «Then use one of the other Blood Roar abilities», said a voice from the crowd.
«That is...»
«There are four. And I remember that each one was easy to identify with the naked eye».
«I admit it! I really have to Grant! But that doesn't mean I betrayed you!»
«Then why did you deny it at first?»
«W-Because I was afraid...! He was afraid of being labeled a traitor!» His last argument was uttered as he trembled all over his body. The sight of Neldine rolling on the ground tied with rope and covered in blood was horrifying, but it didn't bother me. «Why are you all doing this?! Just because I have that ability doesn't mean I'm the author».
Basically, he was arguing for «innocent until proven guilty». That would have worked if this were a modern trial. No, although Rafdonia may have been a bit barbaric, it would also have worked in a trial in the city, where laws existed.
«Pyke Neldine, how long are you going to pretend to be innocent?»
However, this was the labyrinth. And, above all, the adventurers were not stupid.
«Why do they doubt? It's obvious from his face and tone of voice that he's lying».
«True, it was strange that the ground collapsed twice. Nothing like this ever happened the last time I came here».
At this point, everyone had accepted it.
«Yeah, so it was all this bastard's fault?»
Pyke Neldine really was the traitor. And all the hunger and discomfort they had suffered over the course of this journey was their fault.
Step step.
Neldine, who had been crawling towards the crew and away from me, quickly turned around and came towards me. «A-Help me! I will honestly answer all your questions».
Okay, then let's move on to the interrogation.
***
Rank four adventurer Pyke Neldine had been an active member of all types of parties and groups, from small elite teams to large clans. So why did this guy betray our squad?
No, to be precise…
«who do you work for? Noark? The Alminus Company? Or the Adventurer's Guild?»
Now, now, say something. If you're telling the truth, I'm going to hit the happy button on the top of your head with my hammer. Hmm?
«...I don't work for anyone! I just don't like you.»
Haha, this guy hasn't woken up yet.
«Jun.» When I called him, Jun, who was waiting, mercilessly stuck a long punch under Neldine's fingernail.
«¡Arghhh!»
«A person who doesn't die no matter how much he bleeds, how strange».
«¡Ugh-guh-ugh!»
«It may resist bleeding, but if your organs are damaged, it will not last. Be careful».
«Don't worry. The Lord does not want this man to die yet.»
Is this guy a paladin...?
Jun's words were heartless and he was strangely skilled when it came to torture.
Who is this guy?.. Did he have a job interrogating heretics or something in the past?
It was a question worth asking. The fact that he abandoned his last name and that the name Jun was not known throughout the city... That was all a bit suspicious, wasn't it? Well, for now, I could benefit from his murky past.
«P-Stop...! I'll tell you everything...!» The guy lasted over an hour before finally breaking down and starting to confess.
«Who do you work for?»
«Illy ... »
«The Master of the Adventurer's Guild».
Mother, such a big shot?
«Tell me directly. Are you sure?»
«I'm sure! I haven't met him in person, but it was his assistant who entrusted me with this job!»
Ha, I don't think he's lying.
Leaving the matter of the Guild Master behind, I continued with the interrogation. «So what orders did you receive?».
Neldine hesitated.
«Jun?»
«I was ordered to make sure this search failed!».
«What were the exact orders?»
I got a more detailed idea of the situation. In short, it went like this: the Guild Master knew we were headed to Frozen Rock, and he sent someone to handle the food and supplies to make sure the mission failed.
«I swear, it was never my intention to hurt anyone. If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed».
«What are you saying? Two of our team members almost fell and died. If the wizard on my team hadn't stepped forward, they definitely would have».
«W-That's it...! I didn't know they would go this far to protect supplies». Neldine sounded like he was really sorry.
Tsk, this doesn't seem like a lie either...
Hit!
Once I heard everything I needed to know, I dug my fist into his jaw to put him to sleep. Then, calling the team leaders who were away, I shared this information and discussed it with them.
«Thinking he was the traitor...»
«But if he is working for the Guild Master, this is even bigger than we thought. Who knows what will happen when we return to the city...?»
«It would have been better if I was working for Noark instead.»
Although they had agreed to offer me their help in finding the traitor, I assumed they were also secretly hoping I was wrong. All his expressions were gloomy. But if their reactions differed in any way from those of ordinary members of our team, it was that they were quicker to accept reality.
«Let's discuss this first. Why do you think the Guild Master wanted the mission to fail?»
«The greatest motivation would be political. If the expedition fails, you can blame the marquis».
«Maybe the Adventurer's Guild doesn't want this war to tip in Noark's favor or the palace».
«I wonder if that's true, but... it's not completely unreal. Those who are benefiting the most from this war are the adventurers, after all.»
«Jun, what about you? Any ideas?»
The meeting was not particularly fruitful. Many theories were considered, but there was no way to know which one was correct.
«What do you plan to do with Pyke Neldine?». James Calla asked cautiously, and the other leaders contributed their grain of sand.
«It should be executed, of course. If someone who disturbed the peace is still alive and active, morale is destined to fall», said Melend Kaislan.
«I do not agree. If we return to him alive, we can use him to corner the Guild Master. Jun, why are you so quiet?», Titana Akurava asked.
«This matter can only be decided by Mr. Schuitz», said champion Jun.
Everyone looked at me.
Wow, isn't it obvious what I'm going to do?
«He will be executed.»
There is still a long way to go and I don't have the energy to bring a rat with me.
***
The execution took place that night in front of all the members of our squad. The punishment we chose was beheading, the most convenient method of execution in times of war. The gallows required a lot of preparation and I realized that everyone was craving blood.
¡Rebel!
The execution ended literally in one fell swoop. Some still seemed angry, as they even approached the body to spit on it. Well, adventurers hated traitors even more than looters.
«Where are you going...?»
«A patrols».
Once the execution was over, I immediately headed to the outskirts of our camp.
[You have equipped No. 6111: Fate Seeker.]
I put the ring back in my pocket.
[The ring has detected your destiny.]
Now that the traitor was captured, I thought the light would go out completely. But as soon as I put it on, the ring gave off a soft glow.
¡Shaaaa!
When I saw the color, I froze.
But... why is it still red?