Roy was well aware of the prying eyes of the Soma executives. He grinned; these people were the same losers he had flattened just a few nights ago.
You think I can't handle a few small-time crooks like you?
"The Inquisition—Begin!"
"Have you ever killed someone?"
"What have you done to make money?"
"Have you ever bullied the residents of Orario?"
The black sheep had to be purged from the Familia. In this world, doing so was surprisingly easy. No one can lie in front of a god. By calling the members in one by one for questioning, Roy stripped away their pretenses until they were bare.
Initially, Soma was reluctant to go along with this. Doubting his own children left a bitter taste in his mouth. But as the testimonies of their atrocities came to light—smuggling, murder, arson, fraud, rape, and looting—Soma's fury reached its boiling point. He looked like he wanted to draw a sword and execute the bastards himself.
Soma was exhausted. Was this truly his Familia? It was a joke. They were no better than the Evilus; they just hadn't been caught yet. This grand audit was exposing everything to the light.
Roy and Lili stood by, recording the proceedings. Members guilty of major crimes were handed over to the Ganesha Familia to be executed or imprisoned. Those with lighter offenses—who hadn't committed murder—had their Falna sealed and were exiled from Orario.
As for those who tried to lie or wiggle their way out? They were shown no mercy. Their Falna were stripped immediately before they were handed over or exiled. If you have nothing to hide, why lie?
It must be said that a god acting as a 100% accurate polygraph is a massive help in any investigation. However, the process wasn't entirely without incident. Several executives led a mob of three to four hundred fully armed members toward them.
Lili's expression shifted. Here they come.
"What are you trying to do?" Roy asked.
They didn't answer Roy. Instead, they looked at Soma. One of them spoke up: "Lord Soma, we can't take this anymore! Do you intend to expel everyone from the Familia?"
Soma faltered. Every member carried his divine blood on their backs. To personally expel the children he had recruited was painful. His previous apathy toward their crimes had been, in a way, a form of indulgence toward his own children.
Seeing Soma begin to waver, Roy cut in. "It's not that Lord Soma wants to expel everyone. It's that certain people conspired with Zanis to commit countless atrocities!" Roy tapped the interrogation records. "Are you telling me you didn't know about their crimes?"
"If you didn't know, it's dereliction of duty. If you did, it's complicity. Pick a charge!" Roy threw the choice in the executives' faces.
The group looked pale. They were obviously the latter, but there was no way they could admit that.
One man shouted angrily, "Sprout of Justice! You're a member of the Astraea Familia. What right do you have to interfere in the Soma Familia's business? Go back to your Stardust Garden!"
"Go back! Go back!"
"Get out! Get out!"
The members behind him took the cue, their shouts rising in a deafening chorus as the atmosphere teetered on the edge of a riot. Roy stepped forward, stopping right in front of the man.
"Sprout of Justice, I know you're strong. What? You think you can lay a hand on me in front of everyone?" the man said defiantly. If Roy even touched him, he'd drop to the ground and refuse to get up without a multi-million Valis settlement. More importantly, it would frame Roy as a violent thug in front of the crowd, ruining any chance of him controlling the Familia.
But Roy's reaction caught them completely off guard. Instead of getting angry, he acted perfectly cordial. "How could I? We're all civilized people. Fighting is bad for business."
The Soma members' faces twitched at the blatant irony. The man who had fought most brutally that night was lecturing them on peace.
"You're right. So, why don't you come over and answer a few questions for Lord Soma?" While agreeing with the man, Roy grabbed him and hauled him in front of the god.
"Have you ever killed anyone?"
"What have you done for money?"
"Have you bullied the citizens?"
Facing Soma's triple interrogation, the man's face went white. "Lord Soma, we are currently discussing the future of the Familia—"
Soma wasn't buying it. "Answer me!"
Predictably, the man was hauled away by Ganesha Familia guards to be thrown into a dark cell for eternity. Roy looked around with a smile. "Anyone else want to have a chat with Lord Soma?"
The remaining members took a collective step back, glaring at Roy. You've got the 'Soma-brand' lie detector out! Who would be stupid enough to play games with you now?
Suddenly, a robust old man with a thick white beard stepped forward. "And am I also to be interrogated by Lord Soma?"
The moment he appeared, the courtyard fell silent. The executives who had been cowed by Roy felt a surge of hope, looking at the old man with feverish eyes.
He was the former Captain of the Soma Familia—a Demi-halfling. He was a man of high prestige, known for being upright and hating evil. During Zanis's reign, he had frequently clashed with him because he couldn't stand his methods. Unfortunately, a former Captain is just that—former. If he had truly been a match for Zanis, he wouldn't have been kicked out of the inner circle. Now that Zanis was dead, many hoped he would return to power. He was their last hope to counter Roy—their sharpest spear.
The old man said sternly, "Sprout of Justice, the Soma Familia is not a place for you to act as you please. Go back to your Stardust Garden and don't come back!"
Lili looked worried. She was certain this man had nothing to do with Zanis's crimes; it would be impossible to topple him through interrogation.
Roy gave Lili a reassuring look and smiled. "I've heard much about you. They say you once fought three young dragons alone—everyone in Orario knows that story."
"Hmph, ancient history!" The old man tried to sound humble, but he couldn't hide his proud chin.
Roy's smile hid a blade. "Old Captain, Zanis must have sent you quite a bit of Divine Wine over the years, didn't he?"
"What of it? Do you think the contributions I made to this Familia don't earn me the right to drink that wine?" the old man admitted directly, his eyes glaring.
"Not at all. A senior of your stature deserves it, of course." Roy complimented him first, then shifted gears. He pulled a ledger from his pouch. "But I happen to have one of Zanis's account books. For the past four years, Zanis sent you at least ten kilos of Divine Wine every month—sometimes reaching twenty..."
While Roy was "secretly" buying wine before, he had discovered Zanis's private vault. The most important thing inside wasn't the gold, but the records of illicit funds. No matter how much people lie, the paper trail of stolen money doesn't deceive. With this ledger, Zanis's collaborators were exposed.
As expected, Roy's revelation caused an uproar. In front of a god, one cannot lie. Since Lord Soma remained silent, it meant Roy was telling the truth. The members who had supported the old man looked livid, a sense of profound unfairness boiling in their chests. They were out there risking their lives, doing anything for money just to get a few milliliters of wine. Meanwhile, this retired old man was sitting at home, effortlessly receiving dozens of kilos. How could they accept this?
The old man's face flickered with unease, but he remained stubborn. "So what? I never did anything for Zanis!"
Roy dropped the act and sneered. "You're right. You didn't do anything for Zanis. You just 'did nothing' while you watched Zanis tear this Familia apart!"
The crowd suddenly understood. The old man's "clashes" with Zanis had always been all bark and no bite. They were playing a duet! The old fossil had been bought off long ago!
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Danmachi : Starting with an Elf (378 Chapter – Ongoing)
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