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[PR: Ash]

An office stood on the second floor of Mayena’s penitentiary, the light of its dim lamp shining on a bald man with a beard as thick as the fur of a boar. Ritt—deputy of security affairs of Mayena—leaned against the steel window, looking down at the pedestrians on the street. In a mere five minutes, he saw a few citizens spitting in the direction of the encampment outside the fortress, their eyes filled with disgust and contempt.

He could understand them. The refugees were like parasites sucking all the nutrients from Mayena, bringing the already malnourished city down with them. Things got worse after Ainz’s disappearance. Food shortage was rife, or to be precise, the shortage of cheap food was rife.

Foltest paid a lot of compensation after the war, and yet with the influx of refugees, Mayena’s treasury was running out of coins. The lord was panicking. He was enraged, and yet he had no avenue to vent that fury. Ritt was worried he might be out of a job at this rate. He had a family to feed. Fortunately, he found the ‘culprit’ of the kidnapping to appease the lord.

Ritt slammed his hand on the wooden table beneath him. In two days, I’ll parade the merchant and the witcher around, then I’ll sentence them to death. That’ll calm the lord down. That’ll answer the people’s questions as to who stole their food. But that’s just a stopgap measure. Without more coins coming in, Mayena is headed for damnation.

***

Sounds of footsteps and metal clanging came from the corridor, and a fully-armored soldier knocked on the office’s door. “Sir, someone wishes to have an audience with you.”

“Working hours. I will not see anyone but the ambassador, though he’s missing, isn’t he?”

“It’s the encampment’s doctor. She has with her Mateo, the servant of Ainz,” said the soldier, adamant. It was thanks to Visenna that his knee was still intact, and he wanted to help her. “She claims to have new clues about the ambassador’s disappearance.”

“She knows where he is?” Ritt rubbed his head, his face quivering, and he suddenly got into a dilemma. Druids were not bound by any law. Should they commit a crime, all they had to do was scurry off into a random patch of woods, and no one could catch them. Not to mention this particular druid was respected by the people of Mayena and the refugees. She had lent her helping hand to all those in need, after all. I can’t cross her. “Very well. I’d like to see what she can bring to the table.”

***

Ominous clouds trudged across the sky, and the sunlight that shone into the room was cut off. Roaring thunder blasted across the skies, and blinding lightning bolts arced through the air like winding snakes. The first drop of rain fell.

Roy looked away. Mateo, Visenna, and he were sitting on the pew leaning on the wall. Hanging behind them was a portrait depicting the ever-burning flames of the Eternal Fire.

The bald deputy slowly paced around his desk, staring at his guests. “Milady, and… you two. The truth is indisputable. One week ago, Yurga, a merchant from Rivia, conspired with his bodyguard, a witcher named Geralt, to kidnap the ambassador and kill him in the woods. And they burned his body. There are many eyewitnesses who saw them leaving the city together, and they came back looking panicked and hurried. They must be the killers. No other explanation can be accepted,” said the deputy. “To confirm, we are at an agreement about this story, yes? And that’s the narrative on which our negotiations will be resting.”

“Ritt, the innocent must not be punished for crimes they did not do.” The druid looked at the deputy with determination, and she spoke firmly. “We have a witness who can debunk your story.”

“That is correct.” Mateo stood up. He had changed into a fresh set of clothes. He looked gaunter than he was, and his cheeks were sickly red. The poor man was down with a fever. “I served Ainz for ten years. One week ago, I went for negotiations with him, and I saw everything that happened. I swear I’m telling the truth.” He held his hand up, the look in his eyes genuine and fervent. “Yurga never abducted or killed the ambassador, and the witcher wasn’t in the woods at the moment of his death. There was no possible way for him to harm my employer. Ainz was killed by something else. He—”

“Silence! Know your place, Mateo!” Ritt grabbed Mateo by the collar, glaring at the servant almost ferally, and he held Mateo up in the air. “You dare besmirch the name of the gods with slander? Are you not fearful of their retribution?” The deputy was spewing drool all over Mateo’s face. “Don’t forget that you’re a fugitive. You’re Yurga and that white-haired bastard’s accomplice. Your word carries no weight.”

“Patience,” said Visenna, her voice laden with the magic to soothe hearts. Like a breeze, her words cooled down the deputy, and he let go of the suffocating Mateo.

Roy’s eyes glinted. Huh, that’s a lot more subtle than Axii, that’s for sure.

“Let the witness finish his testimonial, Ritt.”

“Then speak.”

Mateo clutched his chest and heaved a sigh. “Ainz and Yurga’s negotiations broke down.”

Ritt harrumphed. That gives the merchant a reason to kill the ambassador.

“We went by the woods on our way back, and then … and then a blinding red light burst forth. Dangerous and beautiful light shone from within the woods.”

“That delusional story again? Do you take me for a fool?” Ritt interrupted harshly. “No one has seen that red light you claim to be the killer.” When Ritt told the fortress’ lord about this story, the lord flew into a feral rage and roared at him like he was a puppy. He was a hair’s breadth away from losing his job.

“I can testify for him.” Visenna stood up and looked into Ritt’s eyes. “I am not just a doctor; I am also a druid. Nature is my friend. Every change that takes place in the woods beyond Mayena is under my supervision.” She raised her voice. “I’ve looked into the story. There is a distortion of nature’s energy field in the place this man claims the death of Ainz took place. The animals and plants nearby have undergone a most abnormal change. In the name of druids, I promise that the red light did manifest. Even though it is gone now, the remnants of its energy remain. It’s as conspicuous as tracks left by the murderer in a murder scene. If anyone wishes to question me about it, I’m more than willing to answer them.”

***

Ritt gulped. He was put between a rock and a hard place, and he couldn’t yell at the druid. She was far too respected. “Milady, I trust you are telling the truth. I have, after all, received your help. But it matters not. The lord and his people will never believe this far-fetched story, not even if you’re the one backing it up. Not without proof.”

“I have the proof right here.” Roy waved his hand, and a bloody corpse of a wolf the size of a calf appeared out of nowhere, shocking the deputy.

“What in gods’ name is this supposed to be?”

“That, Ritt, is the animal that the red light had shone upon. Thanks to the light, it has mutated.”

Ritt crouched and patted the monster’s head carefully, then he slid his hand down the corpse’s furry back, and then the deputy checked its claws. He looked astonished. “This contradicts your story. You claim that the red light incinerated the ambassador, and yet these beasts grew stronger because of it. They, like humans, are life forms, are they not?” Ritt smiled at Roy and Visenna smugly. “Druids think that all life forms, be it plants, humans, and animals, are supposed to be treated with the same respect. Which brings us to this question: why did Yurga and Mateo escape unscathed, and yet Ainz was killed?” Ritt clapped his hands and shook his head, sighing.

“Next time you make up a story, make sure it’s a coherent one. You have holes all over the place.”

***

“Equality among life forms is an undisputed right, and yet you cannot deny that there are differences between humans and everything else,” Visenna answered without missing a beat.

“And I have an answer for that, sire,” Mateo added quickly. “You’ve not seen that light, but it’s not normal. It’s … it’s sentient. It picks and chooses its target. Unbelievable, but you’ll know once you see it.” Mateo sobbed, his face shivering, and fear crept into his eyes. “It was divine retribution. It burns those who have sinned heavily.”

Ritt stopped breathing for a moment.

“Beasts are not sentient. They, by all accounts, have primitive minds,” said Roy, his eyes glimmering under the light. “They live for nothing but survival. The concept of sin does not apply to them. And plants are even more primitive than beasts, so the red light did not harm them. Instead, it gave them strength. Humans, however, are different. Some are allies of justice, like Visenna, Mateo, and you.”

Ritt reddened a little. He was not an ally of justice by a long shot.

“And some have lost their souls to the path of evil, deriving pleasure from the suffering of the people. Ainz was one of them.”

“Why you…” Ritt pointed at the witcher, stammering, yet he couldn’t argue. He was a believer of the Eternal Fire, so he couldn’t say anything that was too far from the truth. He knew that Ainz was no saint. He tampered with the food for the refugees, but so what? The food he provided was cheap. As long as the refugees had something to eat, it was better than dying, even if their stomach got upset because of it. Not even the fortress lord was cracking down on this. What Ainz did was just a minor crime. Nothing big.

“Ainz’s crimes did not stop at that. He did not just sell expired and tampered food.” Mateo’s face was red and contorted with pain, still he continued. “He had also lured many of the more beautiful women in the encampment into his honeyed lies. Those women were kind and innocent. Made a living by washing clothes for the people, but Ainz, in all his lust, coerced and threatened the women to sleep with him.”

Mateo took a deep breath. He was in a lot of pain, but still he held that down. “Spied on them, tracked them, lured them with food and clothing and jewelry. Promised he’d take them into the city and marry them. I … I was involved with one of his dealings in this matter.” Mateo covered his face, sobs escaping his lips. “I saw how he played with their feelings. How he treated them like toys. How he dumped them after he was tired of the women. He killed a woman who was pregnant with his child, drove two to madness, and turned two into prostitutes.”

Ritt did not look too disturbed by that. If the refugees didn’t prostitute themselves, they would never survive in this environment. They were just doing business with Ainz. Bah, this isn’t even serious. It’s the women’s fault. They’re naive and greedy, thinking they could get a good life by sleeping with Ainz. “Any more sins?” The deputy yawned, starting to get bored.

“H-He…” Mateo started stammering, unable to form a coherent sentence. He clutched his chest, his breathing ragged.

“Are you alright?” Roy held his shoulders.

Visenna touched his forehead, and it almost scalded her hands. “Alright, that’s enough. Take a break.”

“I can still go on. Let me finish.” Mateo shook his head. “H-He’s a murderer. A bandit. For the last ten years, he’d connived with the bandits outside the city walls, robbing the wealth of small merchants to enrich himself. First, he’d pick a target and promise them a lucrative contract. The target would come to Mayena and give him what he wanted. When the target left the city with payment, the bandits would attack them, taking the cargo and money before killing the merchant. That was how he got rich. That was how he grew from a small merchant to an ambassador.”

Finally, Ritt looked serious. Criminals who would attack merchants were public enemy number one of Mayena. It would make trading hard and lose the city a lot of taxes. That crime alone would warrant a death sentence for Ainz. The lord himself would rain down his fury on the dead ambassador.

“And Yurga was one of his targets?” Roy asked.

“That was the first time Ainz saw someone rejecting the temptation.” Mateo nodded, respect filling his eyes. “Ainz realized war was brewing, and he thought consumables would be profitable. It was at the same time he started the trade of expired food products, and that too made him a lot of coins.” Mateo started retching, much to everyone’s shock.

Visenna held his shoulders and pulled his eyelids back, revealing wriggling blood vessels underneath.

“Any proof?” Ritt asked, not caring whether Mateo was fine or not. “You can’t accuse an honorary ambassador of that level of crime with no evidence.”

“Ainz had a habit of recording all his transactions. Every single one of them, every single day. He’s done that for more than ten years,” Mateo warbled. “There must be clues hidden in his ledgers. Search his estate, and you will find it.” The servant gurgled and hacked, veins throbbing along his neck, and his face was red as blood.

Then he heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m done.” His contorted face eased up.

Roy stopped casting Axii.

“The crimes of Ainz were many, and so the red light incinerated him.” A hundred thoughts swam through Ritt’s mind, and then he found a contradicting point. “You were his accomplice, and you confessed to the oppression of the refugees, so why are you fine?”

“Didn’t you notice? I too was affected. The red light is within me, torturing my soul, yet my sins are not severe enough for it to burn me up. I have a feeling the gods are giving me a second chance. A chance to atone for my sins, so I came to you today.” Mateo peered at the deputy, his eyes filled with devotion and determination to atone for his sins. Even Ritt was moved by it.

Over his years of presiding over the affairs of security, only one kind of person would have that kind of look: death row inmates during the last moments of their lives. The look in their eyes spoke of nothing but repentance.

And he trusted Mateo.

“Gods above, hear my confession!” Mateo broke free of Roy and Visenna’s grasp, and he went on his knees, staring at the rug on the wall with the portrait of Eternal Fire embroidered on it. He put his hands together in a prayer and prayed loudly like he was having an episode of fits. “I shall take your lesson to heart. I confess my sins, and I acknowledge their weight. I shall repent, and so, deliver me from this suffering. Prithee, grant me mercy!”

He was hoarse, loud, and almost hysterical. “Grant me release! Deliver me from the flames and agony!”

“You have saved yourself, mate. You have achieved salvation.” Roy took a deep breath and patted his shoulder. “If the gods above can hear you—”

“But there’s still so much pain in me. So much heat. Wait for me, Ririn.” His eyes turned red, and he rasped quietly, “I’ll marry you once I get back, I swear.” Tears streamed down his cheek. Crimson tears. Tears as red as the flames.

And then a wave of incinerating heat undulated around the room. Visenna, Ritt, and Roy took a step back, looking grim. A moment later, slivers of crimson flames slithered out of the eyes and mouth of the fallen Mateo. Like vipers, they swam down his body, enveloping him in a cocoon of flames.

It was but a split second, but the red flames were already dancing around, casting eerie shadows onto the wall. Before anyone could do anything, the top half of Mateo’s body was turned to a ball of crimson gas, leaving only the lower half of his body burning quietly as it fell to the floor with a thud. Just as Yurga had told Roy, the flames could burn, but it would not produce smoke.

“T-That’s the fire?” Ritt looked flabbergasted, and he leaned against the wall, shivering in fear.

Visenna pointed at the fire and shot out a serrated stream of light. Streams of water rained down on Mateo, but they couldn’t put out the flames. “The fire is showing no mercy. This is not something a god would do.”

If it infects its victim, it will not stop until it burns the flesh of the possessed. It’s a constant hazard. Realization hit the witcher, and his face contorted. The Elder Blood was screaming out to him, and he cursed in silence. You’re not taking anyone away again, bastard. “I don’t care what you are, but you’re not killing Mateo.”

Ritt was still quaking with fear, and Visenna was focused on her spell, while Roy pointed a finger ahead. A ball of light illuminated his fingertip, and it quickly ballooned, covering the room and its inhabitants. The Elder Blood writhed and boiled, unleashing the power of time upon the room.

Flesh and blood returned to the fallen corpse, reforming his chest, neck, head, and even clothes, bringing him back to life. The crimson flames disappeared, and a breath of life came back to Mateo. His eyes were bright, and he was muttering under his breath.

Once again, his hysterical confession rang in the air. It was the same scene that happened twenty seconds ago. “Ainz had a habit of recording all his transactions. Every single one of them, every single day. He’s done that for more than ten years. There must be clues hidden in his ledgers. Search his estate, and you will find it.”

Oblivious to the reversal of time, Ritt and Visenna were listening in silence, forgetting the scene where Mateo was burned away. Their memories had disappeared along with the reversed time.

Roy quickly cast Axii on Mateo, cutting him off. The servant closed his eyes and fell with a thud, snoring.

“What is the meaning of this, witcher?” Ritt questioned.

Roy did not answer. Twenty seconds later, Mateo was still asleep, the red flames silent. Roy wiped the sweat off his forehead and heaved a sigh of relief. “Don’t you see? He’s in a bad state. If he had kept talking, we’d have a mess to settle. Let him rest.” Roy smiled at Visenna and Ritt. “I’ll handle things from now on. I’ve known what I needed to, and it’s thanks to him. Deputy, I’ll deal with your problem if you’ll clear the names of Geralt, Yurga, and Mateo.”