"Comforting Ram now would be counterproductive," Ayanokoji told Emilia, his voice devoid of heat. "Grief of that magnitude cannot be quelled by platitudes. Silence is the only appropriate response for now."
Though he didn't "feel" Ram's pain, his study of psychology told him that unsolicited empathy often triggered resentment in the bereaved. Emilia hesitated, then nodded. She trusted his judgment implicitly—a dependency Ayanokoji was carefully cultivating.
"Did Elsa reveal anything during your questioning?" he asked.
"Nothing," Emilia sighed.
"Then I will speak with her. There may be... different angles to explore."
Ayanokoji had already connected the dots. Meili had been in the village for a month. If she were Elsa's partner, her inaction was strange—unless she was a "fail-safe." If Elsa failed the direct assault, Meili would dismantle the camp from within. This meant the target wasn't just Emilia; it was the entire Roswaal influence.
"I'll go with you," Emilia insisted. "She's too dangerous to face alone."
"No. You need to stay here. With Roswaal gone to fix the barrier, you are the ranking authority. Act like it." He looked at her, his gaze piercing. "Felt and Rom exhausted themselves searching the village on my orders. Go to them. Praise their effort. Secure their loyalty. A leader who cannot inspire her followers is just a figurehead."
Emilia looked startled, her hands fidgeting. "But you're much better at leading than I am..."
"You are the Candidate, Emilia. Not me. Go."
By sending Emilia away, Ayanokoji achieved three goals: he built her confidence, he rewarded his village scouts, and most importantly, he cleared the room.
The Cellar
Ayanokoji entered the dim basement. A birdcage sat on a nearby table, the bird inside watching him with unnerving intelligence. Ram's 'eyes', he noted. He calmly draped a heavy cloth over the cage, severing the link.
"You look busy today~" Elsa purred from behind the bars, her smile as sharp as her blades. "The blue maid is dead, isn't she? The half-elf was radiating such delicious despair earlier."
She leaned against the bars, her eyes scanning Ayanokoji's face for a crack. "You, however... you still smell of nothing. You don't even care that she's gone, do you?"
"Perhaps I'm just confident in my results," Ayanokoji replied flatly. "We've captured your partner."
"Using the same trick twice? How droll," Elsa laughed.
"A girl. Barely a teenager," Ayanokoji continued. "She controls Mabeasts. That was her mistake."
Elsa's smile didn't waver, but internally, a cold spike of alarm went through her. Meili's ability was a guarded secret of the Guild. If this boy knew about the Mabeasts, he hadn't just guessed—he had seen. Did he really catch her?
"Is that so? I've never heard of such a thing," Elsa lied smoothly.
"She's being 'processed' as we speak," Ayanokoji said, his voice dropping into a clinical, rhythmic tone. "The death of a manor maid is a serious offense. We'll spend the night extracting what she knows. I believe the executioner starts with the fingernails... one by one. Perhaps later, you'll get to see her 'insides' after all."
For a fraction of a second, Elsa's eyelid flickered. It was a microscopic tell, but to Ayanokoji, it was a confession. Meili wasn't just an associate; she was a weakness.
"How tragic," Elsa said, tossing her hair. "But what does a failed child have to do with me?"
"Indeed. We'll finish the interrogation by dawn. If she's still alive then, she won't be by noon."
Ayanokoji watched her carefully. Elsa was playing it cool, but her response time was too fast—she had pre-calculated her indifference.
"Now, a different question," Ayanokoji pivoted. "If you fail a mission, what is the penalty? Do you fear 'Mother'?"
Elsa froze for a heartbeat. "The client keeps the gold, and I might get a scolding. I rather enjoy Mother's scoldings, actually~"
Mother. A leader, not a biological parent. Ayanokoji filed the name away.
"And if I were to hire you privately?" Ayanokoji asked. The question was a hand grenade in the quiet room.
Elsa's eyes narrowed into slits. "That is a very dangerous thing to say. How much could someone like you possibly offer?"
"Gold is irrelevant to someone like you," Ayanokoji said, stepping closer to the bars. "You don't kill for money. You kill for the sensation. You are a predator looking for a forest."
He looked into her crazed purple eyes with the dead stare of a man who had seen worse. "I can provide you with all the 'intersections' you desire. I can give you targets that deserve to be opened. If you become my blade, you will never be bored again."