Matapju rose from her seat as if she had been waiting. Picking up the rope binding the man’s limbs from the floor, she grinned with a sinister smile.

Only then did Gelroks hastily open his mouth.

“Ah… Ah… If you spare me, I’ll give you information about the culprit that just came to mind.”

“Information?”

“Yes, if you spare me!!”

“Fine.”

Matapju surprisingly nodded her head easily.

“What?”

“I said, go on.”
“Ah… Th-that… Are you saying you’ll spare me?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Are you saying this with Matapju’s name on the line, promising to spare me?”

“So she says.”

Matapju locked eyes with Sessenia. Sessenia’s expression had changed from before.

“What’s that information you’re talking about?”

“T-that person was someone who wielded a sword. It had been a long time, and there were lots of calluses that had hardened. He was clearly different from ordinary thugs who just beat people. Those wounds… they seemed like they were from a knight.”

“Go on.”

“M-more?”

Sessenia bowed towards him.

“How many people in the empire do you think use a sword?”

“Uh… well…”

“Tell me more. Anything. If you want to live.”

“Uh… well… He had scars on his hands. It’s been 20 years, so they might have faded a lot… but there were definitely scars. I saw them when giving him money. He was about my height, with a broad shoulder.”

But the information wasn’t that remarkable. Knowing that he was a knight was quite useful, but it wasn’t enough to deduce the culprit.

Seeing disappointment in Sessenia’s expression, he hastily rolled his eyes and nodded as if squeezing out his memories until the last moment, like he was revealing something that had just come to mind.

“Ah…! A-and he mentioned a wife.”

“Wife?”

“Yes. But it seemed inappropriate to refer to his own wife. It was something like… ‘The wife commands prudence and perfection, saying there should be no incidents of hair coming loose.’ He seemed to have mentioned the family name before that…”

“Family name?”

“Yes, yes!”

“So, what’s the family name?”

“Well… I can’t remember… It’s been too long…”

But Matapju seemed unsatisfied.

“Think hard. Should I help you remember if you can’t recall?”

He moved his hand threateningly once again.

“It’s been too long…! But, but it’s not certain, but it had a ‘ㅊ.’ That’s the only thing I remember… Please… I only said this much…”

“This should be helpful. Sessenia.”

“It’s better than nothing.”

“She says it’s a pass. Congratulations. Still, you were a bit helpful compared to your actions.”

“Are you going to spare me…?”

“I didn’t say from the beginning that I would kill you, did I?”

Looking at Matapju speaking casually as if nothing had happened, Gelroks’ face turned pale.

“What?”

“I told you that you should have made a better request. Like ‘please release me.’ Well, even if I had released you, you would have been caught again soon.”

“Ah…”

“So, you were supposed to ask for leniency and not to question my crimes. That’s what you should have said. You’re really stupid.”

“Was that… possible?”

“No. Even if you had said that, I wouldn’t have done it.”

Watching Gelroks despair, Matapju chuckled as if finding it amusing. Meanwhile, Sessenia shifted her gaze towards Teddy.

“Teddy.”

Sessenia lowered her head towards Teddy.

“Yes.”
“Is it okay to let that man go like this? What he did to you, Matapju will surely inquire about it properly. Still, you’re the victim. So……”

In response to those words, Teddy, lifting his head with difficulty, managed to put on a sad smile.

“Just make him go. I don’t want to see him anymore.”