"What do you think, should we keep going?"

Rudy asked with a smile, to which Raven sighed.

"Let's stop."

"Hmm?"

"You're right. I am a rebel."

Rudy was puzzled by Raven's straightforward confession.

Despite admitting to being a rebel, Raven lacked the will to resist.

"What were you making here?"

"Can't you tell? It's related to magic engineering."

"There are so many magic engineering items. What exactly were you making?"

Raven smiled at Ian's question.

"Do you think I would just tell you that?"

Ian frowned and looked around.

When he had searched the room earlier, he couldn't find any research materials.

Most of the stored materials were too ordinary.

They were not weapons or any special devices, just mundane, everyday items.

The important materials were no longer there.

It felt as if someone had anticipated their arrival.

Rudy walked up to Ian's side.

"It seems we won't find anything else here."

There was no sign of the mana stones created by necromancy, nor any documents on their use.

The items had already been passed to the rebels, and the documents had been burned.

This raised an inevitable question.

Why was this guy still here?

If he knew someone was coming, it would make sense to flee beforehand.

Yet, Raven stayed.

"Hmm…"

Ian quietly observed Raven.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

"Let's take him with us."

Ian used spatial magic to open a subspace.

A pair of white handcuffs appeared, and he secured them on Raven's wrists.

Rudy and Ian took Raven outside the building.

They joined the soldiers and handed Raven over to them.

"What will you do now?"

"Hmm…"

Ian pondered for a moment then looked at Raven.

So, it ends this easily...

It left him feeling uneasy.

To hand over someone who could be part of the rebel leadership so easily?

Ian stared at Raven, then turned to Rudy.

"What about you?"

"I suppose I must return to the Empire using spatial magic."

"Then stay here for a while."

"What?"

"I have a plan."

Ian said this and headed towards a carriage.

"A plan?"

Rudy, puzzled, followed Ian.

"Just as planned."

Raven smiled as he was being taken away by Ian and Rudy.

The rebels' plan was for Raven to be taken all the way to the capital.

After completing all the magic engineering devices, Aryandor had told Raven something.

"They'll be coming here soon."

The Empire had obtained information on necromancers.

So, they would realize that the mana stones created by necromancers had also fallen into rebel hands.

They needed to prepare for it.

"Rudy Astria and Ian are going to make a move. You need to be ready for them."

"Prepare, you say?"

"Get caught by them on purpose. Don't resist. And then infiltrate the capital."

Instead of avoiding capture, the plan was to get caught deliberately.

That was their strategy.

To make this happen, Raven intentionally made his disguise sloppy.

He acted in a way that invited capture because being too obvious would have raised suspicion.

Rudy and Ian fell for it nicely.

Without any doubt, they were taking him to the capital.

Since they got nothing from the building, they would likely interrogate him for information.

This meant there would be no danger until they reached the capital.

But then.

Raven lifted his head and looked around.

Several Royal soldiers and Ian and Rudy were with him in the carriage.

Everything had gone according to plan, but something felt off.

The carriage window opened, and Ian called one soldier over.

Raven saw this but couldn't hear their conversation from the back of the line, tied up as he was.

"Don't worry. We'll get you out as soon as we reach the capital."

Raven mulled over Aryandor's words.

Everything would be a success once they reached the capital.

"Why do I feel so uneasy?"

"We'll take a break up ahead! Everyone, slow down!"

The soldier talking to Ian shouted to the others outside.

The distance between the Empire and where Raven was captured is quite long.

It made sense to rest occasionally, but the timing for this break seemed too soon.

They had just rested after coming down from the mountain, and now, an hour later, they were resting again.

"What are they trying to do?"

The soldiers stopped their horses and settled down nearby.

Raven, still tied up, sat down on the ground.

"Where is this?"

Raven quietly surveyed his surroundings.

It was hard to figure out where they were since it wasn't a proper road.

The question was why they stopped here.

Raven cautiously watched as Ian approached him.

Ian looked Raven over and spoke.

"Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

"If I say it's uncomfortable, will you unlock these handcuffs?"

"Of course not."

Ian said that and then grabbed Raven by the nape.

"What?"

"Come with me."

"What? Where are we going? What is this..."

"If you don't move, I'll force you."

"Ugh..."

Raven tried to move his legs as best as he could, but he couldn't walk properly while tied up.

Ian dragged Raven, who was almost lying down, across the ground.

Ian threw Raven onto the ground.

"Ugh...! What are you trying to do?"

Raven, thrown onto the ground, glared at Ian.

Ian then kicked Raven.

"Ugh!"

"Who told you to open your eyes like that?"

Raven glared at Ian in pain.

"Let's start the interrogation."

"What... what?"

Thump!

"Ugh..."

Ian kicked Raven in the stomach again.

"From now on, answer only the questions I ask."

Raven had thought the interrogation would happen in the capital.

He never expected to be interrogated on the way there.

Ian pulled a dagger from his belt.

Raven chewed his lip, pondering.

What should he do?

He was wearing mana control handcuffs, but there was a way to escape here.

He could use a magic engineering device hidden inside his body to blow off the handcuffs.

But doing so would ruin Aryandor's plan.

While Raven was thinking, Ian finished preparing and approached him.

"Let's start with a question. Where is Aryandor right now?"

"…What?"

Thrust─

"Aaaagh!!!"

Ian stabbed Raven's thigh with the dagger without hesitation.

"Answer only the questions I ask."

"Ugh... How would I know where the leader is…"

"You don't know?"

Thrust─

"Aaaaaagh!!!"

Ian stabbed Raven's thigh with the dagger again.

"Then we'll continue until you talk."

Raven truly didn't know where Aryandor was.

He guessed Aryandor might be near the capital, but he wasn't sure.

Aryandor had said he would come to the rescue, but he didn't know if Aryandor would personally come.

"I'll ask again. Where is Aryandor?"

"How would I…"

Thrust─

"Ugh..."

Ian was relentless.

He stabbed the thigh of his opponent, who claimed not to know, with the dagger, showing no pity or remorse.

After repeating this several times, Raven's thigh was a bloody mess.

"Heal."

Ian used healing magic on Raven.

Once the wound was somewhat healed, Ian called a soldier.

"Take care of him. We're moving out again."

"Understood."

"We'll keep repeating this until you talk. I hope you'll tell us before we arrive."

"Ugh…"

The soldier helped Raven to his feet.

'Is he insane…?'

Raven would have understood if Ian had questioned him about magic engineering devices or related matters, but Ian only asked where Aryandor was, with no other questions.

And to conduct such an interrogation in the middle of nowhere...

Raven was dumbfounded.

'Continuing like this until I talk?'

Raven had spent his life moving from one research position to another.

He had never experienced such pain in his life. His spirit was breaking.

'First, I'll watch the situation. And…'

If the torture becomes too severe...

No...

Should he follow Aryandor's wishes?

Raven's spirit was breaking under the torture, a new experience for him, but remembering Aryandor's orders, he couldn't fall apart here.

'I must... endure as much as I can...'

If he kept enduring, Aryandor would come to rescue him.

If he endures the painful torture and holds on, Aryandor will surely come.

No, he must come.

"Ugh..."

Raven spent the night biting his nails.