"We were ambushed on the return trip."
As Philip's voice fell, Sauros visibly froze for a moment—then his face twisted.
Without warning, he lashed out and kicked Philip again.
This time, with far more force.
Philip was knocked off his feet, crashing onto the ground and bouncing slightly on impact.
Sylphy glanced toward Allen, who had remained unusually silent throughout, then hurried over to cast a healing spell on Philip.
Philip waved her off with a shake of his hand, silently picking himself up without a word.
Sauros lowered his leg and stared long and hard at Philip. Then his eyes swept over the others, finally settling on Allen. His gaze lingered, a flicker of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
Everyone stood frozen in silence.
As if the morning sunlight had grown too harsh, Sauros squinted slightly.
Then, suddenly—he spoke.
His voice boomed like a war drum.
And the words that followed made Sylphy, Rudeus, and Eris all go stiff.
"A tutor is fine. Those two brats can stay—Eris does need a magic instructor, that much I know."
"But—"
"That tall one over there? No. As for a sword instructor, Ghislaine alone is enough!"
"And the assassination—we'll investigate that later!"
"Grandpa!! I said Allen can be my tutor!!"
Eris turned in a panic, glancing at Allen as her body struggled against Sauros's iron grip.
"Grandpa!!"
"He saved me! I want Allen to be my tutor!!"
"Silence!"
"Grandpa!!"
Sauros shot Allen a glance, then turned on his heel, ready to march off toward the manor.
Thomas, who had been standing respectfully at his side, swallowed hard—so subtly only someone watching closely would notice. His gait faltered slightly as he moved to follow.
Still on the ground, Philip raised his head, casting a glance toward Thomas and opening his mouth to speak.
And then—
Allen moved.
He casually reached out to ruffle the returning Sylphy's hair, then turned to Ghislaine.
"The thing I asked earlier—thanks in advance."
Without waiting for a reply, he stepped forward.
In a blink, he was beside Sauros.
The morning sunlight caught in everyone's eyes—
A flash.
Blood burst into the air.
"AAAHHH!!"
Two hands—both severed at the wrist—landed with a sickening slap on the ground, spewing fresh blood.
Allen and Sauros passed by one another, their gazes locking briefly.
Surprise flickered across Sauros's face.
Allen's, in contrast, was expressionless.
Their eyes broke contact.
Allen's arm shot out. He seized Thomas by the hair—his screams ringing out—and in front of everyone's stunned eyes, slammed the man to the ground.
Like dragging a mangy street dog, he hauled the upper-tier swordsman across the stone, blood trailing behind them in a thick red line, staining the white marble courtyard.
They stopped by the fountain.
Thomas's legs kicked wildly, smearing blood across the polished stone.
Allen turned his head slightly to glance at the rest of the group.
Then, in a voice calm and soft, he addressed the struggling Thomas:
"Come on now, deep breath."
Thomas's face twisted in horror. He opened his mouth to curse—
"You little—!"
But he didn't get the chance to finish.
Allen shoved his head straight into the fountain.
Thomas flailed violently as their auras clashed, bursting against the fountain edge, sending sprays of water in all directions.
Yet Allen's arm didn't so much as tremble.
Amid the splash and churn of water, his voice rang out—unhurried and crystal clear in the silence:
"To uncover someone's secrets—is it hard? Not really. In fact, it's simple."
"All you need is to place death in front of them. Let them stare at it. Let them feel fear."
"And the secret will come spilling out."
"But here's the problem."
"If the consequence of revealing that secret is worse—say, the lives of their family are at stake—then the fear of death loses its edge. Because they know death is quick."
"Just a moment, and it's over."
"With that in mind—why not grit their teeth, say nothing, and gamble on survival?"
"So… what do we do?"
"The answer is simple."
"Keep them hovering at the edge of death."
"Make them stare into it. Feel it gnaw at them. Let the fear build—unstoppable, constant, and inescapable."
"And when the mind finally breaks… a 'secret' is no longer a secret."
Allen turned slightly, meeting Sauros's stare dead-on, unflinching.
"This—this is the purpose of torture. Simple. Efficient. Perfect for this era."
With those words, he yanked Thomas up from the water.
The man gasped desperately for air. Though Allen had only spoken briefly, Thomas had already inhaled water—choking from the moment he'd opened his mouth.
Now coughing and gagging, rage burning in his eyes, he turned his head to shout—
Only to be shoved back down.
Hard.
Allen's aura burst forth, holding Thomas's face flush against the surface of the fountain.
No amount of flailing could lift him free.
A storm of bubbles burst from the water, popping one after another. Thomas's legs scraped violently across the marble. His fine trousers tore at the seams, blood mixing with water and cloth in a grim, repetitive pattern.
Under the sunlight, the rising mist stained orange-red.
Everyone stared in numb silence, their eyes drawn to Thomas's legs.
That raw, thrashing desperation seared itself into their pupils.
Helplessness. Suffocation. No resistance. Darkness. Numb senses.
Hovering on the threshold of death—
Lingering. Endless. Unbearable.
Unable to die.
This...
Was water torture.
Sauros narrowed his eyes as he watched. He stared directly at Allen, and Allen, sensing it, looked right back.
With calm.
Then—he hauled Thomas up again.
The man gasped frantically, face ashen, entirely forgetting the pain of his severed wrists.
"Wh—what are you doing…?! What do you want?! Stop this!!"
Allen could feel it—Thomas's aura, once sharp and coiled, was now utterly limp.
He smiled slightly.
Then bent down, face to face with his captive.
He spoke slowly. Clearly. Firmly.
"I just want to ask a simple question."
"Who did you leak Mayor Philip's travel plans to?"
Thomas froze.
His eyes darted—one quick glance toward Sauros in the distance.
And then, without a hint of hesitation, he snapped:
"I didn't!"
Allen stared straight into his eyes.
"Lying."
A burst of pressure fell from above—
And Thomas shrieked.
"Wait!!"