Several hours had passed, and the moonlight was already beginning to shine. Meanwhile, a woman stared thoughtfully at the floor. She waited impatiently, walking in circles, her hands clasped together—a clear glimpse of the worry visible to the naked eye. Her eyes showed a certain tension hidden by her hair. She seemed distant until the sound of a door opening drew her attention.
— Lady Valemortis — said one of the guards of House Valemortis.
— Have you found her? — asked Altheria, who was clearly far from her usual calm.
— ...Not yet, but we captured the suspects you saw in the market — said the guard, stepping aside from the doorway as other guards brought in four restrained men. They were placed side by side and stared at Altheria with serious eyes. — None of them have opened their mouths to say anything at all, but we suspect they are residents of the outskirts.
Altheria walked toward the group and looked each of them in the eyes. She took a chair with golden ornaments and sat down in front of the four men, her eyes becoming more serious.
— I will be direct... Where did they take my daughter?
The men remained silent and stern, until one of them broke the silence.
— You won't get anything from us... Valemortis. Don't think we're easy people to tame. And to be honest, the pretty little face of a former priestess doesn't scare us at all. You're not your husband, so spare us this little act.
The others ended up laughing at that remark while Altheria and her guards remained serious and silent.
— Violence and fear... the old Valemortis had a rather frightening reputation, so to speak. I have had to reprimand my husband a few times when he resorts to that — said Altheria, glancing toward a corner as though recalling somewhat unpleasant things. — I had to learn much about Valemortis customs before marrying. This is not the sort of thing I willingly do either, but you have committed a grave mistake. The kidnapping of a Saint can be classified as a serious crime of heresy by the Church. But I am no longer a priestess, so I will not hand you over to the Church.
After finishing those words, Altheria rose from the chair and walked to the first man on the left side of the line. She stopped face to face with him and looked him in the eyes.
— ...The child you took is my daughter. — Altheria's gaze now became severe, a look that even the guards felt as a threat. — I will ask once more... Where is she?
The man stared back at her, and even after feeling the pressure of that woman, he remained silent.
— I understand. — Altheria then looked at the guard beside him. — I hope the Goddess has mercy on you.
Altheria nodded, and one of the guards seized the man by the shackles and dragged him outside. He shouted, asking what was going to happen. None of them answered him. Altheria merely watched him being taken away. That situation left the other three surprised and frightened.
— Very well... — Altheria walked to the second man. — Where is she?
— You... You can't do this, we're people. If we disappear like this out of nowhere, someone will notice. Many people saw the guards of House Valemortis capture us...
— And what can they do? — Altheria slowly brought her face close to the man's, her eyes only inches from his. — Do you truly think your disappearance will cause some kind of scandal? Or do you think we will be investigated? Perhaps you think this situation will shake our relations? — Altheria extended her hands and held the man's face with both of them, then spoke again. — What an innocent soul you have.
The man was stunned, his eyes wide open, and then Altheria stepped away from him.
— I already said it... I am no longer a priestess. — The woman then looked at another guard and nodded. — No matter what you think, there is only one ending to this story, and it depends solely on you.
The guard grabbed the second man by the shackles and pulled him while he struggled to break free and screamed, but the difference in strength was obvious, and he was taken outside, still shouting. The others, seeing that, entered a state of fear. Meanwhile, Altheria moved and stopped before the third man.
— Where is she? — said the woman, staring the man in the eyes.
— ...I know the Valemortis reputation. I know very well that before becoming this high-class military house, you were nothing more than assassins of the Empire. But after Vaelric took over the house, things changed. Even in the outskirts, your soldiers are seen as heroes. Do you really expect me to believe you would have the courage or authority to act like this?
— You are another innocent soul, sir. — said Altheria, placing a hand on the man's head and adjusting his hair. — House Valemortis is a house responsible for military affairs, but it was also once a house of Imperial assassins. Vaelric changed that after taking over the house, but as you yourself said, Valemortis was a house of assassins. Do not think your end will be quick.
— If you kill me... you'll never discover where the girl is...
Altheria then showed a smile. She grabbed the man's hair and pulled him close to her face. The man then saw it: her eyes seemed to look into his soul.
— Poor thing, do you really believe you are that important?
Her words sent a chill up the man's spine. He now saw a dark expression emerge upon the woman.
— Your help only benefits you. Sooner or later, we will find her, but whether you are alive until then or not... well... that only depended on you.
Altheria released the man's hair, and before he could say anything, two guards of House Valemortis seized him by the arms and dragged him away. Like the others, the man screamed that he could help.
Altheria then looked at the last man, a thin fellow. His black clothes covered much of his body, and his hair hid part of his face, yet even so, Altheria could see the panic in his eyes. Slowly she moved and stopped in front of him.
— ...Where?
— ...Would you happen to have a map of the outskirts? — said the man in a trembling voice.
Altheria then gestured with one hand to one of the guards. Before long, he returned carrying a handful of maps. He placed them open on the table. Observing the variety of maps, the man searched for a specific one, and within a few minutes he pointed to one of them.
— On this one, this part of the outskirts is the most structured. I can't say exactly where, but we were hired to collect some people with earrings, then we were instructed to leave them there.
— That does not seem convincing. I need a reason to believe you.
— This... was not the first time we carried out this work — said the man, turning his face aside.
— I understand. — Altheria then looked at one of the guards and nodded.
The man, realizing he would not be released, began to fall into despair while staring at the woman. Even so, he was still subdued, and the guards began taking him outside. As he was dragged away, he saw Altheria's face; she looked at him with a psychotic gaze as he was removed from the room.
— That wasn't the deal! I showed you what you wanted. Why are you doing this?
— Only after she is free will you be free. Otherwise, you will end up like your friends — said Altheria, looking him in the eyes.
Those simple words sent the man into shock. He fell silent and stopped struggling as he was taken away. The doors then closed, and Altheria sat back down in the chair she had placed earlier.
— You did very well, Lady Valemortis — said the guard who had remained behind.
— ...I do not like acting this way. I nearly lost my composure.
— Rejoice. We obtained Lady Elyandra's location.
— We are not certain. For now, the psychological pressure approach seems to have worked. They must fear that the others were executed or something similar, so we only need to follow the pattern and extract other points of view from them using that false idea that the others met worse fates. We will compare the information, searching for lies or similarities.
— It impresses me that you devised this lie and still acted in such a way. It was remarkable.
Altheria sighed for a moment while covering her face with her hands.
— In any case, inform the others not to go too far. We are not degenerates, and House Valemortis is no longer an organization of assassins. — Altheria restored her usual composure. — While the others try to extract more information and possible new places where she may be, gather a squad, and let us go to where the last one informed us. We need to begin somewhere, and quickly.
— We need to? Do not tell me you plan to go as well?
— I am going. My daughter may be there.