"Arg! Damn those miscreants!" Inquisitor Muneto complained as he clutched his chest in pain.
During their last escape attempt, Kenji, utilizing his new aura-based transformation had left a giant burn mark across the inquisitor's chest, which still has not fully recovered as of yet. However, the stinging pain of his chest wound is not the reason for his resentment.
"I heard he is into *Whispering*."
"Doesn't he have a wife and concubine?"
"I heard, they were the ones who caught him *Whispering* with that creepy interrogator too."
"Really? I pity them. I can't imagine a worse way to find out their husband was*Whispering*"
The real reason why he was currently turning as red-faced as a tomato was because of the rumors currently being whispered by the people looking at him as he walked down the street. A false rumor about his sexual preference for men that had spread all over the city after an incident where he had been restrained and strung up with a coworker against his will.
Some countries are more progressive than others and are more open to things that are a considered a bit controversial in others, like gay rights, racial equality, gender equality, and so on. In this world, where giant monsters roam the land, sky, and seas, and much knowledge about human biology is scattered amongst a minority of experts, such places are rare and far between, and the Nishi Empire, is not one of them. When it comes to sexuality, it's not the most regressive and intolerant country in the world, however, that's also taking into account that there are places in the world where swinging the wrong way could get you burned at the stake. In the Nishi empire, many people believe sexuality to be a choice, and so homosexuality is essentially treated as a perverse fetish rather than something one cannot control. There are no prohibitions or policies by the nation that directly punishes being into men, so the most you could expect is that their reputation might take bit of a blow. However, in the Nishi royal court, reputation means everything, especially under the rule of the current emperor.
The current emperor of the Nishi Empire is known for two things, rash judgments, and stubborn denial. If he forms an opinion based on a rumor, even if that rumor turns out to be false in the end, he will stubbornly refuse to change his judgments or attitude towards them later. As such, every time someone whispers a word of him being gay, the more likely he is to be suddenly demoted or transferred into some far-off place with a dead-end job should the emperor feel uncomfortable around him. Inquisitor Muneto knew this well, as slandering those he wished to remove was how he got rid of people he disliked in the past to climb into the position of 'supreme lord inquisitor' which is the over-the-top title that means he is the most trusted informant of the emperor himself, giving him free rein to steer the emperor to eliminate any political enemies who might have tried to tear him down.
Unfortunately, this rumor was not started by a political rival so his usual methods won't work if there is no one fanning the flame he could get rid of or expose to make it blow over. Of course, he had another method for handling such rumors, like orchestrating an even bigger scandal that would overshadow his own and make someone else the talk of the town, lowering the chance of the rumor reaching his superior. Unfortunately, it would be difficult to create a scandal big enough to overshadow his own within a reasonable time. He could also try explaining the truth ahead of time to give some context, however, when doing so, it would be best if the subject came up organically, else just the fact he'd feel the need to bring it up would create suspicion. Unfortunately, the subject of gay sex is not exactly something the emperor is frequently known to bring up in casual conversation.
No matter how hard he tried to think of something, nothing seemed like a good idea. He knew denying it would never work. He knew from experience that responding in any way without hard evidence would only fan the flames.
"I swear once we have what we need, I will give them a fate worse than death!" he grumbled as he walked towards the dungeon.
Unfortunately for Muneto, he needed to keep the culprits for the stain on his reputation alive for the time being as he has been ordered by the emperor to investigate the intruders. Specifically, he was supposed to get information about Aiko's ancestral inheritance and negotiate over a matter regarding Alex's fires of plague slowly killing their only immortal. This meant he couldn't go too far with any of them as they needed Aiko and Alex alive and should either Shinji or Kenji die and the word somehow reached the mad mage, they would risk losing their nation's trump card. Of course, it's not as if he would know since he has been placed in a separate, specially prepared holding cell, but one could never have enough bargaining chips.
"Sup! Here to ask more useless questions! Ouch!" Shinji asked as a hot nail was pierced through his hand.
Unfortunately, they all seemed to have grasped the reluctance to kill them which has made the interrogation move at a snail's pace. What's worse is that none of them seemed to give much of a response to any of the torture methods they have used so far.
"What is your relation to miss Aiko?"
"I met her on my way to your mom's house!" Shinji replied
"Who asked you to kidnap her?"
"Your mom!" Shinji replied.
"WHAT! Is your relationship to the mad mage?"
"Ask your mom." Shinji replied.
"pft! *Chuckle*"
Unable to hold it in, Kenji let out a chuckle. Kenji had been remaining silent while half-naked and strapped to a rotating table with a variety of knives and surgical tools sitting on a small table adjacent to it. He and Shinji had been separated from Aiko, but their cells were currently placed next to each other to monitor their responses and conversation. However, whenever questioned, Kenji will always remain silent, while Shinji would usually just mock him with nonsense answers. However, according to the experts they have hidden in this room to monitor their talks when no one is around to hear, the only one that seems to speak is Kenji, while Shinji remains silent.
"So! You think this is funny?!" Muneto said as he walked into Kenji's cell.
"…!"
"ANSWER ME!" Muneto shouted as he kicked him between the legs.
*Bang*
"Ugh!"
While it did get a groan out of him, Kenji remained silent otherwise.
"SAY SOMETHING!"
*Bang*
"Ugh!"
"OR MAYBY YOU'ED RATHER BECOME A EUNUCH NEXT!"
*Bang*
"Ugh!"
With an evil glint in his eyes, Muneto then grabbed a scalpel from the table and pressed it against his skin, just enough to draw blood, but not enough to deal any serious injury. Seeing Kenji was spacing off looking into Shinji's cell, Muneto grabbed his face and forced him to look as he slowly dragged the blade down his torso, starting with the clavicle, to his stomach. However, just as he was about to reach his nether regions.
*Moan*
"Harder daddy!" Kenji moaned.
"huh?"
Not getting the reaction he was expecting Muneto flinched, poking the knife a little farther in than he planned, but not in a way that would be lethal to a nascent soul.
"Oh, yeah! That's it! Harder!"
Put off by Kenji's less than appropriate reaction to a knife in his gut, inquisitor Muneto backed away.
"Hey! Why'd you stop? Keep going! I was almost there!" Kenji said.
"YOU LITTLE-! ARE YOU GETTING OFF TO THIS?!"
"Pft! HAHAHAHA! OF COURSE HE IS YOU, DUMBASS! WHY ELSE DO YOU THINK HE'S BEEN KEEPING QUIET ALL THIS TIME! HE WANT'S TO BE PUNISHED!" Shinji laughed out.
"Sh-shut up! Don't tell him that?!" Kenji stuttered out.
"Y-you! GOD DAMN IT! SOMEBODY HAVE MINORU TAKE CARE OF THIS ONE! PERVERTS ARE HIS SPECIALTY!" Inquisitor Muneto ordered.
"Sir?!"
"I AM TAKING A BREAK!" Inquisitor Muneto shouted in frustration as he turned to leave.
Another issue with the rumors spreading about him was the person he was rumored to be having relations with. Minoru happens to have a certain reputation already, due to having a bit of a kink for his place of work. He prefers women of course, but his fetishes and methods tend to be a bit extreme at times. Out of all the people he could have ended up getting matched up with in the public's eye, there is no one worse than his subordinate Minoru should he wish not to be seen as an even worse degenerate. Hence, until this rumor dies down, he actively avoid being in the same room with the man whenever possible, which is why he tried to leave the dungeon after giving the order.
Unfortunately, the moment he turned his back, there was a loud sound behind him as a familiar scorching sensation hit his back. Soon after he lost consciousness. When he awoke next.
"NOBODY MOVES OR THIS GUY GET'S IT!"
He was chained up half-naked, inside a tiny cage barely large enough to fit inside, with a blade held to his throat. Meanwhile, outside the cage, on one side, Kenji was seen holding the blade to his throat, while Shinji was making demands to the Nishi royal guard that surrounded them.
"Why me?!"