Chương 66: Revealed Intentions

"Ranway Staggard?" he asks, looking up thoughtfully.

"Yup."

"Why does that sound like someone I know?"

"Do you think it's… you know…" He stares blankly at me, then gasps.

"That has to be who the teleporter was hooked to!"

"That's what I thought." I nod. He zips away from the fridge and plants himself in front of me.

"Let's go." We leave the kitchen and slip back into the corridors. Guard corpses litter several bends, remnants of my first visit. Brax grimaces as he tiptoes over the bodies.

"Was this you?" Nervousness is clear on his face.

"Yeah." He falls silent, and I notice him glancing at me every now and then. It saddens me, but I understand it. Carving is something that probably doesn't involve killing things on a regular basis. If someone walked over bloody corpses so casually while I was still on Earth, I would be as apprehensive as Brax. After a few minutes of walking, I speak again.

"I don't think your master and this guy were good friends."

"Huh? Why do you say that?"

"This guy is rude. Like, really rude. Called me a fucker the first time I met him. And not in the nice, old friend type of way." He looks down and thinks.

"Why would Master Straff want to find someone like that?"

"Beats me, but I don't think it was to have a drink. I almost let him out, and the system told me he was a criminal." He chews on his lip.

"Argh! I swear I know this guy! It's on the edge of my mind!" A few more turns, and the door to the prison room comes into view. I stop Brax before we get close and take him into a nearby room before closing the door. It might be overkill, but the guy's highest stat was perception, so I don't want to take any chances.

"Do you have any truth-detecting magic?"

"What? Why would I have that?" He looks at me questioningly.

"Does it exist, at least?"

"Well, there's a few different kinds. They measure things like heartbeat, eye movement, and other things. They're useless though. Most nations just use them to screen their spies and make sure they're good enough to send into the field." Sounds just like a polygraph machine.

"Really? None of them are reliable?"

"Technically, soul magic does it well, and is incredibly hard to evade, but that's outlawed."

"What? Why?" He narrows his eyes.

"Do I really have to spell out why manipulating souls is against the law? The main classes with soul manipulation are necromancers and flesh-melders." I smile.

"Perfect!"

"Perfect?" he asks with concern.

"Just trust me." I open the door and lead us both into the jail room. Brax glances at the dead hobgoblin warden.

"Kevin! You fucker! At least give me some food before you leave!" My mood sours immediately. Both of us walk to the cell, the source of the noise. Staggard leans against the bars with both arms hanging out. He looks confused when his gaze flicks to Brax. I sigh.

"Hi again, Staggard."

"Aren't you supposed to be alone in the tutorial?" Staggard asks, turning to me. I open my mouth to speak, but Brax interrupts.

"Ah!" He points at Staggard.

"You're on the wanted poster!" He turns to me.

"Kevin! This guy is a terrorist! He tried to kill the king and slaughter the guard corps!" The reveal hits me like a truck. Staggard, in his ragged and torn cloak, along with those calculating eyes. It all comes out in a new light. Honestly? I kinda expected it. Piercing infiltrator as a class, as well as his flighty nature. Killing the king where Brax lived, though? That's brutal.

"And who the hell are you?" Staggard asks.

"I'm Master Straff's apprentice." Brax steps forward, full of confidence. Now that shocks him. He gapes and steps back.

"That bastard had an apprentice!?" He hollers, laughing loudly, and falls onto his cot. He throws back his head, laughter shaking his shoulders.

"There's no way!"

"It's true!" Brax says, reaching into his satchel.

"Look, this will prove everything." He holds out a rock and walks to the bars. I stick my arm in his way, causing him to look at me questioningly.

"I wouldn't get too close. This guy's a bit jumpy. Tried to grab me a few times." Staggard rises from the bed and holds out his hands placatingly. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Maybe we should start over. We had a bad introduction," he says casually. God, I really hate this guy. His voice is like a snake slithering wherever it can fit.

"I have a better idea." I say, turning to Brax.

"Still have that truth-detecting rock?" Confusion covers his face before he realizes it.

"It's a rune, not just a rock. But yes." He takes out a rune I haven't seen before and holds it out.

"Ha! Go on. I have nothing to hide." He says, exuding pure confidence. I smile.

"Even against soul magic?" His brow twitches almost unnoticeably. Almost. My smile grows wider.

"You must think I'm a fool. That little pipsqueak doesn't know soul magic." I start to speak, but Brax beats me to it.

"You're right, I don't know soul magic." Staggard's worried look turns into a smirk.

"But Straff did." Brax turns sly.

"Now I know you're lying! That bastard would never practice soul magic! He despised it!" Staggard points at Brax accusingly.

"Then maybe you didn't know him too well." Staggard's facade cracks, his expression darkening. Now's my chance.

"Here's the deal. I'll ask you some questions, and if you lie… I'll kill you." Hesitation seeps into my voice. The bounty on his head is high. I'm not afraid to admit to myself that I'm nervous about actually killing someone. But I might be willing to, given how evil he is. Staggard brightens at my words. He probably thinks he can take me. I turn to Brax.

"Can I have that one rune that you used as a weapon before?"

"Uh, sure." He pulls it out, but is hesitant.

"Please, don't activate it," he asks. I take it without a word and hold it out for Staggard to see.

"And just to be sure, I'll slip this little thing between the bars. Don't want to take any risks, now do I?" My heart races. I'm like an actor in some reality-cop show.

"That's Straff's rune, isn't it? Do you intend to take out the entire cell block?" I look to Brax for confirmation, and he nods. The small stone in my hand suddenly feels a lot larger. Carefully, I make sure never to let a wisp of mana enter it.

"Anyway, you get the point. Do I need to think of more creative ways to kill you safely?" His eyes narrow, and a deep, tingling sense of danger spreads over body.

"I'll take that as a yes. First off, why did the system bring you here?" I demand. He stands silently, glaring daggers. I hold up the rune and wiggle it. Rolling his eyes, he speaks.

"The system gave me an offer. Take a chance and go to a newly integrated galaxy's tutorial. If I'm able to kill you, I'll be sent anywhere I please." That surprises me. I thought the system took a mostly hands-off approach, but I guess not.

"What if I do nothing and just leave you there?"

"I'll starve to death." I roll my eye.

"And if I feed you and leave you in there?"

"I'll be sent back to where the system took me."

"Why take the offer?"

"I would have died if I hadn't. If you keep me alive, I'll be sent back and die anyway." I raise an eyebrow.

"What? Why?"

"I was on Thaddius."

"What?" Brax interjects.

"Thaddius is a prison planet. They dump a bunch of criminals with the death sentence there and have them all kill each other."

"Why go through the trouble?" I raise an eyebrow.

"When they kill each other, some grow strong. The different planets collect them and use them as free levels for royalty and such." The idea is appalling, but makes sense. It's exactly what I would expect from the higher class in the wider universe. Brax sighs and turns to Staggard.

"He's still tier two. Unless he's lucky, he'll just be free food for the tier fours and fives they send there." Guilt flows into my heart, but I wipe it away.

"And why were you sent there?" I turn back to the cell Staggard smiles sadly.

"I poisoned the winery that supplies the palace." … … …

"Damn," I whisper. Brax ignores me and steps forward.

"Then you're the one who killed Straff!" Brax screams. He slips his hand into his satchel and takes out a rock. His arm pulls back to throw. I lunge forward and clasp his hand closed.

"Woah! Let's slow down for a second!"

"Don't stop me! He needs to die!" He tries to yank out of my hand.

"Straff is… dead?" Staggard collapses onto the ground, eyes unfocused. Brax stops struggling, watching him.

"You… didn't kill him?" he asks, tears pooling in his eyes. He chuckles listlessly.

"Kill him? He worked with me."

"Wh-what?"

"You think two hundred crates of poisoned wine can get into the palace without someone to reconfigure the detection equipment?"

"No, no." Brax pales.

"Once the appointed poison specialist was taken out, and documents forged, there was nothing left."

"No! You're lying! Straff wouldn't do that!" I stand back and watch the confrontation. I really have no clue how something so big got into my solo tutorial. Solo. One. The drama is growing deeper. Honestly? I just wanted Staggard to give me a reason to not feel bad about killing him. I didn't think it would turn into this whole mess. Brax yells and screams with tears in his eyes for a few minutes as they converse about the details. Eventually, Brax quiets down and steps back with a hollow look.

Staggard seemed distraught, but it didn't take long for him to go back to normal. I step in during Brax's silence and speak.

"So, you attempted to poison the palace… Why?" He shrugs.

"Money." Wow, he really said it.

"Really? Who wanted them dead?"

"Different nation," he casually sits on the cot and kicks his feet up. I open my mouth to speak, but close it without saying anything. He clearly doesn't give a shit about morals. It's pointless to argue.

"So you're dead if you don't kill me?" He nods. I take a deep breath. The events of the day repeat in my mind, and I make a decision.

"Well, better food in my stomach than in some random prisoner on death planet." He looks at me, aghast.

"You're going to eat me?"

"It's a metaphor," I roll my eye. Brax continues to stare at the ground, his head in a jumble. I place a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, buddy. You alright?"

"Uh-huh." He doesn't look up.

"We good with killing this guy?" I point a thumb at Staggard.

"Uh-huh," he says in the same tone. I sigh and direct him to the stairwell.

"You go ahead, I'm going to block up the area so he doesn't slip away." He nods, and lifelessly trudges to the stairs.

"I'm right here, you know? A little respect would be nice." Staggard hangs his arms through the bars. I ignore him, walking to the door on the opposite side of the room. This time, it only takes two pillars before I position one in front of the door. I really need to practice that. Turning, I go to block the stairwell somehow, and see Brax already there. His eyes are shut, and he pulls his arm as if closing an invisible sliding door.

From the side of the staircase, a ten-foot wall of stone grinds out of the wall and shuts off the area. I nod appreciatively at his skill and place myself back in front of the cell.

"Since you were so cooperative, I've decided not to blow you up with an exploding rock. If you can win, you'll get what you want." He says nothing as he rises, a sly smile crossing his face. I meet his eyes and adopt the same expression. This is going to be fun.