Chapter 401 – Questioning.

“I apologize for not being able to visit sooner but as you know, we had a little situation.”

“That’s fine, I bet you had to deal with the Golden Order locking down the city.”

“Quite so.”

Roland nodded at Arthur, who had come to visit him at the clinic. A day had passed since he had awoken, and his body was feeling much better. Most of the debuffing effects that had been affecting him were now gone, and he could be released. However, there was one small problem – the Golden Solarian Order of Paladins. They still wanted to have a chat with him and were adamant about not letting him out of their grasp before that. Even Arthur couldn’t do anything about it, as they could invoke the Kingdom laws to override his status. Perhaps if the Duke stepped in, it would be possible, but his son didn’t have that kind of power.

“How far have they gone?”

“They blocked off the city and are going through every home, I assume they have some sort of magical device to detect cultists?”

“That could be possible…”

Roland pondered the situation. The church’s thorough investigation wasn’t unexpected, considering the recent attack on his home. However, he needed to be cautious about how much information he shared. His knowledge about creating divine runes posed a problem, and then there was also the matter of Agni. He had to assume that the Golden Order had already conducted their research on him, leaving little room for evasion.

If he started lying and didn’t cooperate, there was also the possibility of him getting captured and held as a heathen. The Inquisition was notorious for torturing suspects, as healing magic could easily mend physical injuries, they didn’t worry about making mistakes. However, the mental scars endured from days or weeks of such torment were usually irreversible. It was better to tread carefully as even the position of Head Knight would not protect him if he was deemed to be a cultist.

“Did they try to interrogate you?”

“Oh they did, luckily thanks to my disguise I have a sound alibi, you on the other hand…”

“I’ll have to speak to them before leaving, I should probably get it over with…”

Roland let out a sigh, receiving a reassuring pat from Arthur. Throughout the entire cultist attack, Arthur had been in disguise, sparing him from scrutiny. Unfortunately, Bernir, Elodia, and all the others weren’t as fortunate; they would have to endure the Golden Order’s interrogation. They hadn’t done anything wrong, but Roland could foresee some of them unintentionally revealing information. Armand was known to be talkative, so details about the holy runes might eventually slip out. Moreover, there was the matter of the massive sun-like spell that Roland had created, which had spilled out into the open when it detonated.

‘Should I pretend that I have some type of blessing from Solaria? They probably have some way to test for divine classes and blessings though, probably not the greatest idea…’

The prospect of facing the Golden Order was daunting, but Roland realized he couldn’t delay it any longer. He needed to tread carefully, and perhaps withholding information was not the best approach in this situation. In reality, he needed the Golden Order as much as they needed his knowledge about the relic.

Though it was his trump card, he actually wanted to present it to the Church. Anyone who could help keep the cult at bay was a potential ally, and releasing the knowledge would eliminate any reason for further pursuit. Nevertheless, it was still something that he could get a good price on and there were some things that he wanted from this exchange.

As he prepared to face the interrogation, the door to the clinic room opened, and a stern-looking paladin entered. The paladin was clad in shining armor adorned with the emblem of the Golden Solarian Order. His gaze was sharp, and Roland could sense the aura of authority emanating from him. Even without using his analyzing skill Roland was aware that this person was a tier 3 class holder, probably above level two-hundred. The room fell into a tense silence as the paladin surveyed the occupants.

“Knight Commander Wayland, follow me, we need to have a discussion regarding the recent events, Sir Gideon and Dame Loreena are waiting.”

His tone was cold and to the point, something that a close by resident caught on and decided to comment about.

“Hey, that’s no way of talking to a Knight Commander!”

It was not Arthur and not any of the soldiers that Roland commanded, instead it was his brother-in-inlaw, Armand. He along with Lobelia had awoken as well and both were still suffering from some cursed after effects. They weren’t that injured to begin with but their stats could not compare to his and the guild masters.

“Hey you idiot, stop!”

“Why should I? Who does this shiny asshole think he is?”

Lobelia started pulling him back, while Armand shot a menacing glare at the Golden Order Paladin. The man in shining armor took the threat seriously and reached for the longsword strapped to his side. His opponent, however, was still a tier 3 class holder who didn’t require weapons to fight. Even if Roland were unarmed, he posed a threat and was also potentially involved with the cult.

“Are you trying to resist the Golden Order inquiry?”

“Hold on, Armand. Let’s not escalate things here. We can cooperate and sort everything out without unnecessary confrontations, just leave this to me.”

Roland interjected, placing a calming hand on Armand’s shoulder. The tension in the room eased slightly, but the paladin remained vigilant, eyeing Armand and Roland with suspicion. Only after Armand started backing away did he move his hand away from that magical sword.

“If they try something, just start shouting, I’ll back you up, you can count on me!”

“… That’s reassuring, now get some rest.”

Even though Armand was puffing up his chest, his legs seemed a bit wobbly. He would not be capable of beating the knight if it came to a full-on fight but the sentiment didn’t go unnoticed. It was a strange feeling to have people on your side for a change and he would need to think about a way to return the favor later.

“Come with me, Knight Commander Wayland. We don’t have time for unnecessary delays.”

The paladin stated, emphasizing his authority but also performed a courteous bow in Arthur’s direction. The noble didn’t go unnoticed but his status was relatively low and not something these golden paladins would worry too much about. Finally, Roland followed the paladin out of the clinic room that he would probably not be returning to anymore.

Outside, Roland noticed other armored men stationed who didn’t carry themselves like the Paladin. Their armor wasn’t as pristine, but they still bore the symbol of the sun. All of them were armed and stared in his direction the moment he stepped out. Roland, currently without his armor and prohibited from carrying weapons, felt the weight of being treated as a political prisoner. However, he wasn’t expecting to be held captive for much longer. Soon they moved through the clinic and towards the main building where another higher golden order knight was waiting for him.

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‘I wonder where that woman is… will she be the one interrogating me?’

He was not aware of the names of these two paladins, but they had been present when Loreena and Gideon approached him. On the surface, it seemed that she was on his side, and that the man disliked him. In the past, he had saved the woman’s life, so she owed him something, but he couldn’t trust anyone too much. These people had their own agenda, and so did he; it was just up to him to secure a more favorable deal before revealing what he knew. Soon, he was led to an underground area inside the church that he wasn’t fully aware of. There, before a large wooden door, he spotted Loreena, who for some reason was waving in his direction.

“Don’t worry, this won’t take too long.”

“Is that so?”

Loreena was also wearing her own full suit of armor but had removed her helmet. The other two Paladins moved to the side while she pushed the door open to reveal Gideon already waiting for them inside. The room was dimly lit, with candles casting flickering shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with an air of authority and a touch of sanctity. Loreena moved to stand beside Gideon who wore his usual stern expression.

“Please take a seat, Knight Commander Wayland… or should I call you Knight Commander Roland of House Arden instead?”

While sitting down he kept a passive expression. Just as he had assumed his real name had been exposed during the treatment. As he continued to sit down, Gideon continued his monologue which clearly tried to probe for some answers.

“You are far away from home, Sir Roland. Can you tell me what a person from the central region is doing here? In enemy territory no less…”

“I see that you are well informed about me but I have my own reasons to be here, I’m not a part of that ‘family’ anymore.”