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6:12 p.m.
Basement floor 1, Temple of Priests Building, She'kel Village
Wind, Vivian, Pablo, Ronan, Zola, Janis, Manuel, and a dark-skinned Defense Councilor named Humaid, who was in his early 40s with red afro and wearing a brown-colored scholarly robe, were walking down a windowless and maze-like hallway that only had a handful of doors and plain white walls. They were being escorted by a Guard Captain in his early 40s and a Red Cloak Priest in his late 30s.
The Red Cloak Priest was none other than Marcus, one of the High Brothers of the External Unit.
At the end of the hallway, there was a large and closed double door made out of steel engraved with Runes and was guarded by 2 Guards who were both in their early 30s. And when the 2 Guards saw Marcus and company coming, they immediately opened the door, and then saluted as Marcus and company passed by.
Marcus and company continued walking through another windowless maze-like hallway with only a handful of doors and plain white walls.
After walking around for about 5 minutes, the Guard Captain accompanying them approached a door.
Click.
He took out a key made out of Origin Crystals from his pocket, inserted it through the keyhole, and then twisted it. But instead of opening the door, he turned to a plain white wall several feet away, which revealed a hidden door.
Marcus and accompany headed for that door. And upon entering, they found themselves inside a wide and spacious room that had 6 doors with 4 males in civilian clothing, but had a Priest Class Crystal around their necks, and 8 Guards.
The 4 Priests went over to meet them halfway.
The first one who spoke was a half-black and half-white black-haired man in his mid-30s.
"Brothers and Sisters, and Lord Councilors, welcome and may the God of Light always watch over you. I am High Brother Sonny," he said with a Luxenian accent and smiled.
The second one was a blonde-haired man in his mid-30s.
"I am Brother Dan," he said with a Holinian accent.
The third one was a brown-haired man in his early 30s.
"I am Brother Sirion," he said with a Holinian accent and smiled.
And the fourth one was a blue-haired man in his early 30s.
"I am Brother Duncan," he said with an Orionian accent and smiled.
All 4 Priests were from the External Unit and Sonny was the Gray Cloak of their unit.
In the External Unit, there are a total of 15 members who would then be divided into 5 sub-groups:
• 5 from the Holy Chapter Temple
• 5 from the Orion Chapter Temple
• 5 from different Chapter Temples
And within those 15 members, they would choose 2 Red Cloaks and 1 Gray Cloak among them.
In the case of the External Unit assigned in She'kel Village, Marcus was the Red Cloak and the representative of the 5 Holy Chapter Temple members. Meanwhile, Sonny was the Gray Cloak and the representative of the 5 different/mixed Chapter Temple members. And as for the other remaining Red Cloak, unfortunately, there were no other Gold Cloaks among them, so they chose Isla to be the second "honorary Red Cloak" and the representative of the 5 Orion Chapter Temple members.
Wind saluted.
"May the God of Light also watch over all of you, High Brother and Brothers. I am Brother Inquisitor Wind and we're here to interview Brother Jeremiah regarding the True Death Murder Case that he's involved in."
***
6:20 p.m.
Wind, Vivian, Pablo and Humaid were inside a windowless white room that only had a rectangular-shaped table in the middle and 5 chairs.
Wind and Vivian were at the bottom side of the table, Pablo was seated at the right side, and Humaid was seated at the left side.
Ka-cha!
A door opened and it was Sonny and Dan, escorting a stocky black-haired man in his mid-20s with black hair. Apart from the metal collar around his neck that was engraved with Runes and the chains on his wrists and ankles, he was wearing a plain white shirt, brown pants, and a pair of black sandals.
After Sonny and Dan escorted the chained man to his seat, which was located at the top side of the table, instead of leaving, they stood behind him, but on each corner of the room.
Wind turned to Pablo.
"Shall we begin?"
Pablo nodded, and then Wind turned to the chained man and the Councilor.
"Thank you for answering our summons. I am Brother Inquisitor Wind," he said and then gestured his hand to Vivian. "And this is Sister Inquisitor Monad. May I ask you both to introduce yourselves?"
"My name is Jeremiah S. Hortus," the chained man replied with a lifeless tone and a blank stare.
"And I am Councilor Humaid from the Heisen Kingdom, representing Mr. Hortus as his Defense Councilor," Humaid said.
Wind knitted his brows behind his mask and secretly glanced at Sonny and Dan for a moment before returning his gaze to Jeremiah.
"Are you feeling okay?"
Although Jeremiah was the main suspect of a True Death murder case, that doesn't mean anyone has the right to torture him. And if it turned out that he was being tortured, not only would it affect the case, but the ones who tortured him would also face serious consequences.
"I'm perfectly fine."
"May I ask how long you and Sister Bithiah have been a couple?"
"3 years."
"When did it start?"
"Aurgus 23, 3000."
"During all that time, have you and Sister Bithiah faced any relationship problems?"
"Yes."
"Like what?"
"Infidelity."
"On whose part?"
"She committed infidelity."
"You've never committed infidelity?"
"No."
"How many times has she committed infidelity?"
"So many times, but I just ignored them."
"With who?"
"Too many to count."
"So you were aware that she was not loyal to you?"
"She never crossed the line."
"What do you mean?"
"Before she cheated with Emmanuel, I didn't mind the previous ones because it was never on my face. But with Emmanuel, she… they… he's my first cousin…"
"So you personally caught her and Emmanuel cheating on you?"
"No, but I confronted her about it and she admitted to it."
"When?"
"Last Septus."
"What date?"
"I can't remember, but it was Day of Sunar."
"How did you find out?"
"I received an anonymous letter."
"Where and how did you confront her?"
"I went to her family's home, morning, and I asked her if she was cheating on me with Emmanuel, and she admitted."
"What did you do after that?"
"I went home."
"You didn't confront Brother Emmanuel?"
"I confronted him a few days later."
"Where and when?"
"It was night, at a restaurant."
"What happened?"
"I asked him if he was in love with her and if she plans to marry her."
"What did he say?"
"He said no."
"What happened next?"
"I left and went home."
"When you confronted Sister Bithiah, were you with someone else?"
"No."
"How about when you confronted Brother Emmanuel, were you with someone else?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Wind looked at his notes.
"That's strange. Based on the reports we collected, that night you confronted Brother Emmanuel, there were 3 other people," he said and then returned his attention to Jeremiah. "Are you saying these reports are false?"
Humaid turned to Pablo.
"Objection, Lord Councilor. Honored Priest Inquisitor Wind is accusing my client without any concrete evidence."
"Overruled. You client is free to answer yes or no," Pablo said.
"I will repeat the question," Wind said. "Based on the reports we collected, on the night you confronted Brother Emmanuel, there were 3 other people present. So my question here is: Are you saying that these reports are false?"
"Yes," Jeremiah said.
"Brother Micaiah, a Sister from the Verglas Chapter Temple, and a coachman to coach Brother Emmanuel and the Sister from the Verglas Chapter Temple weren't present when you confronted Brother Emmanuel?"
"Yes."
Wind checked his notes for a moment.
"Let's go back to your relationship with Sister Bithiah. You mentioned that you and her have been in a relationship for 3 years. In those 3 years, you never physically attacked her?"
"No, but we sparred for training."
"How about verbal abuse?"
"No."
"So you're saying you've been a perfect lover for her all this time?"
Humaid turned to Pablo.
"Objection, Lord Councilor. Honored Priest Inquisitor Wind is not only mocking my client, but the entire interview process."
Pablo turned to Wind.
"Priest Inquisitor Wind, please act accordingly during the interview process."
Wind nodded.
"Yes, Lord Councilor," he said and then returned his attention to Jeremiah.
"If you haven't physically and verbally abused Sister Bithiah, then how come she hasn't been faithful to you, not only once but multiple times? There has to be a reason for all of that, right?"
"I don't know. All I did was give her all my heart and love."
"You mentioned that Sister Bithiah has been unfaithful to you multiple times. When did it start or when did you first notice her being unfaithful?"
"The first time was on the first year of our relationship. I've heard rumors that she was spotted being 'too close' with a Brother at the Exploratory Division."
"What was the Brother's name?"
"I can't remember."
"You can't remember or you don't know?"
"Both, because I simply ignore it."
"So it's just rumors then?"
"You can go ask the people at the Exploratory Division. They can confirm it."
"What's the second time you thought she was being unfaithful?"
"It was the same year. I found out that she was exchanging letters with a Brother from the Infantry Division."
"His name?"
"Brother Edvin from the Verglas Chapter Temple. I didn't confront him about it, but word spread around the Barracks that we were both exchanging letters with her, so Brother Edvin approached me, told me he didn't know that she and I were a couple, apologized for it, and then stopped exchanging letters with her."
"What's the third time you caught or suspected Sister Bithiah being unfaithful to you?"
"On the second year of our relationship, while I was training here at She'kel Village, she, Sister Cassiphia and Sister Irene went to the Azatea Kingdom to take a vacation. It was about a month later when they returned, Sister Cassiphia and Brother Barman, the elder brother of Bithiah, got into a huge argument. The reason behind it, while Bithiah, Sister Cassiphia and Sister Irene went to the Azatea Kingdom, mainly at Azatea City, they met and spent their days with Brothers from the Azatea Chapter Temple."
"Is there another fourth time or is it finally Brother Emmanuel?"
"No, Brother Emmanuel is like the ninth or tenth. The fourth one is --"
Wind held out his hand.
"Hold on, I think I'm starting to get the picture now."
Jeremiah didn't say anything.
"But I'm curious. Given that Sister Bithiah has been unfaithful to you several times, why did you not leave her?"
"Because I love her."
"Enough to commit True Death?"
Humaid turned to Pablo.
"Objection, Lord Councilor. There is no legal and neutral Guidance Counselor present. Unless there is a legal and neutral Guidance Counselor present, my client, who is an active member of the Holy Crusade, particularly of the Infantry Division, where there is a very high case of mental and psychological trauma, should not be required to answer emotional questions."
Pablo thought about it for a moment.
"Sustained," he said and then turned to Wind. "Please avoid those types of questions, Priest Inquisitor Wind."
Wind nodded.
"Yes, Lord Councilor," he said and then returned his gaze to Jeremiah. "According to our reports, you, Sister Bithiah and Brother Emmanuel were all born and raised here in She'kel Village. Is this true?"
"Yes," Jeremiah said.
"So you all know each other since you were young?"
"Yes, but I was closer with Bithiah because we were the same age and Emmanuel rarely goes out because of how strict his parents were."
"Brother Emmanuel was abused by his parents when he was a child?"
"No. A lot of people outside of his family had an unhealthy desire for him since he was a child."
"Since you and Sister Bithiah were close the same age, how come both of you only started being a couple 3 years ago?"
"She was busy with other things."
"Like what?"
"Studying, training, Holy Missions, etc."
"Were you her first boyfriend?"
Jeremiah paused for a moment.
"No."
"Was she your first girlfriend?"
"Yes."
"Did you and Sister Bithiah get physical? I'm asking about sex."
"Yes."
"Were you her first partner?"
Humaid turned to Pablo.
"Objection, Lord Councilor. I don't see any connection as to what my client's sex life have anything to do with the case."
"Overruled," Pablo said.
"I'll repeat my question: Were you Sister Bithiah's first partner?" Wind asked.
Pablo took a deep breath.
"No."
"Who was her first partner?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know or you refuse to tell us?"
"I didn't want to know, so I never asked."
"Was Sister Bithiah your first sex partner?"
"Yes."
"Were you both aware of each other's sex history?"
"Yes."
"So let me get this straight: You and Sister Bithiah knew each other since you were kids, you're not her first boyfriend and sex partner but she's your first girlfriend and sex partner, you and her started being a couple 3 years ago, you were aware that she cheated multiple times on you during the course of you relationship but you didn't care and continued to stay, however, once she cheated with Brother Emmanuel, that's when you started having a problem with it? I get it that Brother Emmanuel is your cousin, but the logic still doesn't add up. The leap from not caring at all to True Death is just too wide."
Humaid turned to Jeremiah.
"You can just say no and ignore the question."
"Are you sure that's a smart idea?" Wind said to Jeremiah. "Remember, we are the representatives of the Holy Crusade. We hold the most neutral stance between all of the parties. Who knows, maybe you being honest to us might help you win the case, or at least reduce your sentence."
"Ignore what he says. It's only a bluff," Humaid said.
For the first time, Jeremiah's eyes regained their light, but only a bit, as he turned to Humaid.
"I would like to answer his question with full honesty, even just once," he said and then to Wind. "You want honesty? Okay, I will be honest. The truth is, I already accepted my fate. I know this is selfish, but please tell my parents and all the people close to me that I love them so much and I'm very sorry, please tell my Master that I'm very sorry for failing and shaming him for not control my emotions, and please tell Uncle Elijah and Aunt Imlah that I truly, truly loved their daughter and I swear to the God of Light that I didn't mean to do what I did but there's only so much pain and humiliation a man's heart can take. That is all. Please send me back to my cell."
***
7:41 p.m.
Holy Crusade squad's Meeting Room.
Wind, Vivian, Pablo, Ronan, Zola, Janis and Manuel were all at the long table and eating dinner. They finished their interview with Jeremiah around 6:45 p.m., arrived at this Meeting Room around 7:00 p.m. and had the staff of the building send them food here. Although there was still time for them to join the banquet, in the end, they decided not to in order to discuss something.
Naturally, Wind and Vivian changed to their half-mask. However, unlike her usual appetite, Vivian was barely eating due to her period.
Pablo ate last piece of steak on his plate before washing his throat with wine.
"Priest Inquisitor," he said.
Wind, who just finished eating the food on his plate and was enjoying his wine, turned to him.
"Yes, Lord Councilor?"
"I don't mean to rush you and Priestess Inquisitor Monad, but what do you plan to do next?"
As the Lord Councilor, Pablo and his assistant, Manuel, cannot leave She'kel Village until all of the recipients are interviewed, including for the follow-up interviews.
"I will be writing and sending at least 3 letters tonight.
"The first letter would be for High Brother Reuel. I would need his help in uncovering the identity of the Sister from the Verglas Chapter Temple that Brother Emmanuel was with during the night Brother Jeremiah confronted him.
"The second letter would be for Brother Emmanuel to come back for a follow-up interview.
"And the third letter would be for the owner and staff of the restaurant where Brother Jeremiah confronted Brother Emmanuel.
Pablo nodded.
"An excellent plan," he said and then took another sip from his glass.
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