Free Web NovelChapter 300: Reporting Back
Lucas knew it. As he went to the cave and pavilion before others and inspected the area ahead of them, he already knew that death would come. Hence, Lucas didn’t waste any more thoughts and just agreed with them as he went to the face of the death door.
"The expedition team used their warning talisman to send a message to the capital. It was already an emergency for them; that is why they needed help." An officer said in front of an audience in a hall, then shifted his attention to Lucas, who was currently being interrogated, sitting at the center of the hall with his hands tied behind his back.
Apparently, the expedition didn’t end as others expected. It was a total disaster, with only one person surviving. Hence, making the only survivor suspicious. And right now, Lucas was in front of plenty of people, acting as the jury to judge Lucas’s actions and what he did to survive.
"Then, if you already needed help, what does that mean? How did you survive?"
There were three Order Leaders, among them, Perpas Shin was present. They would be serving as the main judges of this interrogation, and there were the squad leaders of the military, who would ask the questions to him as if they were the words of the Order Leaders.
It was supposed to pressure Lucas. This interrogation and judgment on him should have made him nervous, but he was acting calm and nonchalant, which irritated the person who was questioning him.
"Does every surviving person from a dangerous place get interrogated like this? It is as if I am already a suspect in their death. Should it be better that you ask me first before you pressure me like this?"
Perpas’s eyes squinted as well as others’. What Lucas said was reasonable, but he had no place to question their decision. It was already obvious that something was suspicious about him as he was safe with complete limbs and no injuries were present.
"It is needed. So why don’t you answer the question first?"
Lucas sighed, then answered what he had thought reasonable and acceptable. "I was watching the items we kept." freewebnoveℓ.com
However, no matter how reasonable it was, it wasn’t enough as it was lacking some foundation. The person who asked him, who was also a squad leader, clenched his fist as he saw how Lucas nonchalantly and arrogantly dodged the question.
"You are a squad leader of a combat squad. Why are you watching over the items? That doesn’t make sense, right?"
Perpas stared deadly at Lucas. Feeling excitement in his heart, he wanted to see how Lucas would answer the questions the squad leader would lather at him. Nevertheless, he didn’t care about the deaths of those people. He only wanted Lucas, as the day that he saw him, there was as if a string pulled him to him.
He was undeniably beautiful, but it wasn’t the main reason why there would be a huge number of people that would go over heels with him, or just similarly. Lucas’s charismatic approach to people was the unreasonable pulling force that he had on those people who had their interests piqued because of his presence.
"Indeed, I am a squad leader, but what can you do? I insisted on taking that task. I am just a lazy squad leader." Suddenly, Lucas’s face started to change into one that was saddened. "It was a wrong decision, however, for me to remain there. I should have died with them, as a squad leader and a proud warrior. It was a mistake!"
The audience started booing at Lucas as they were dismayed by his acting. The mockery and ridicule started flying at him nonstop, as this audience acting as juries continued doing it until they feel like so. However, what came into Lucas’s mind was the real nature of these people. They were privileged, that was why they were a little ignorant about how to sympathize.
’Ah... It was a bad choice to act pitiful, huh.’ Lucas thought while swallowing each hard mockery from the audience.
"Imbecile! How dare you act so cunning in front of the three Order Leaders! Know your place, cunt! You arrogant bastard!"
"Enough with the tricks and just tell us what happened there. Your fate will depend on what you answer."
"Such a trick! No one will ever believe you, trash-like commoner! It was a good decision that the 11 Elders chose an expedition team to see if it was really dangerous there, now, we are sure that it was indeed dangerous there and we need extra vigilance to study more."
"If this person doesn’t answer, it is better to kill him before he could spread the failure of the expedition team."
As Lucas listened to those different words coming out of their mouths, he smirked as he heard something important to the mystery he had been holding since the examination day. The jury gave him the answer, which gave him confidence in what he should do.
The jury was indeed privileged, making it reasonable that they knew the purpose of the expedition team’s creation. They would benefit from it, for sure, and also, since these juries were surely officials or supporters of the 11 Elders that helped to spread their influence as well. Coming from huge families, their contribution to the 11 Elders might be huge for them to have the audacity to speak nonchalantly about the lives that they had lost. Instead, they wanted to know what they should be aware of.
"Do you know that your existence right now is suspicious, Lucas Wei? Everything you’re doing right now, everything you’ve said, is suspicious. That is why you are here. What do you think?"
The eyes of the squad leader shouted determination to break the shell that Lucas had. He was resolute on taking the answer from his mouth, and furthermore, punishing him for what he did. If not for him being the only survivor, unscathed, he wouldn’t have suspected Lucas of doing something unworthy of being part of the expedition team. Who knew, he might have trapped them to die, or maybe a part of a mysterious rebellion that was still being formed.
"I know that, but what can I do? I was just lucky."
The jury hissed again. They ridiculed Lucas with their faces turning red with a few wrinkles and suspicion. What Lucas just said was something unbelievable, not only because talent didn’t mean being lucky. He was one of the strongest warriors on the expedition team, yet his claim was just because of his luck. It was still irritating and suspenseful about what could possibly be the reason behind their deaths. They were more worried about the cause of death than the loss of their lives.
"You will not answer properly? How did you survive?" Now a threatening tone came from the interrogator. From the previous irritated expression, he was willing to put his aura around his body just to overpower Lucas’s confidence and intimidate him.
"As I said, I was guarding the items." Lucas insisted, holding on to the alibi he had thought of.
The interrogation in the hall was supposed to be Lucas’s judgment. He was present here to be a person in question, yet he seemed to be still confident that he could still survive in case they wanted to just kill him.
The whole judgment started with being calm. They were irritated, that was obvious as Lucas sounded too sarcastic from the beginning. However, it was not supposed to be this chaotic in which other squad leaders that were sitting lower than the Order Leaders from their seats were now shouting from the uncontrollable rage they had for Lucas for dragging the whole scene into somewhat of a fool’s play.
The squad leader sympathized with other squad leaders; hence, the combat squads and the scout squads were important to them as well. The sense of justice they had, held from within, was significant for them to continue the formidable structure of the military. Therefore, if someone like Lucas thought of it as just a joke, they wouldn’t stand still and let him be.
The jury, on the other hand, only wanted to learn what waited beyond there. They all put their efforts into this as they wanted to get something from that place. Unbeknownst to everyone, something about the pavilion on the peak of Great Ming Mountain and the cave was left behind by the people who discovered that place. However, the squad leaders, who were lower than them, didn’t know this either, and they just acted as the jury in this interrogation.
’The jury, they were still serious about knowing what I knew. So... they know something about it as well, which is a reason why they sent the expedition. And looking at the squad leaders, they still hold onto their sense of justice. They were concerned about the death, not about the things beyond there. So, this means that the 11 Elders and the jury are in collaboration.’ Lucas thought.
"Enough with that, Lucas. For every question you dodge in this hall, in front of everyone, you will be punished. Understood?" The squad leader roared, then sighed as he looked at the two great doors of the hall. His face was still calm and anticipated something to come.
