[Raul's POV]
The first day of the exam has ended, and the students are now on their way back to the city of Murcia.
I am currently at the bow of the ship, watching the breathtaking sunset bleeding across the horizon. Next is the second stage of the exam, which will take place in the only desert region of the Empire: the Tiamat Desert. This territory shares a direct border with the land of Kuwalid to the northwest of the Aragon Empire.
The students will have to survive the harsh desert climate and the monsters that inhabit it. For those who lack survival experience or an understanding of the terrain, it is certain they won't last long.
Twenty teams failed the first stage, meaning 140 students remain to face the second.
While I was lost in thought, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind.
"Can we talk?"
The voice belonged to Scarlett. She stepped up beside me, facing the horizon and watching the sun dip lower.
"I've heard stories from the other students about what happened during the exam after we parted ways," Scarlett began, addressing the events that concluded yesterday.
"You were actually capable of defeating them all, weren't you? Why did you yield like that?" she asked, clearly having seen through my actions. "Given your abilities and the guerrilla tactics you used, you could have easily slaughtered them all."
I wanted to laugh at her choice of words.
Me? An adult in mind and spirit, bullying school children like them? Only a petty man would bully those younger and more naive simply because of their instability. What would I gain from it? An adult's role is to teach them the realities of the world so they are prepared when they truly face it.
It's true, they were annoying, arrogant, and incredibly "cringe." But that's no different from how adults in my original world viewed the youth. To the eyes of the old, the antics of the young are always seen as disruptive or wrong. I was young once too. We argued over trifles and did stupid things that frustrated our elders.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Scarlett," I lied. "I did what I could during the exam."
I turned toward her. Her beautiful face was illuminated by the golden rays of the setting sun. Our eyes met, and it was clear she had something else to ask.
"Hey, earlier you said I knew nothing about my own strength, right?" Scarlett asked, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Do you know how I can use my power better?"
Hmm... Scarlett wants me to teach her how to use her power correctly, huh?
"Why should I help you? What's in it for me?"
Hearing my response, Scarlett took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"I will be joining the Disciplinary Committee upon returning from this exam," she said with a look of firm resolve.
Scarlett, huh? Someone of her caliber would make the team I'm building significantly stronger if she truly joined. The awakening of Scarlett's Blessing would be invaluable in the battles to come.
"Why do you want to join?" I asked, curious about her motivation.
"I don't know... I think watching you from up close will give me a clue as to why my magic didn't work when we fought."
Her attitude was correct. She needed to discover for herself how her power worked, its weaknesses, and how to utilize her Blessing effectively. I intentionally didn't tell her the nature of her power. One of my methods is to avoid "spoon-feeding" these talented students. They must grow, struggle, and realize their own flaws. I won't always be there by their side. They must evolve before the time truly comes.
We reached the city of Murcia that night. The students were directed back to their respective lodgings, as we would be traveling to the next exam site tomorrow.
I made my way to the hideout where Karl Johnson and the others were located. Previously, I had ordered the intelligence unit led by Karl to operate in Murcia to gather information on Count Juan.
Before long, I arrived at a large warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Two men were smoking in front of the entrance.
"Ah, Boss, you're here."
The dark-skinned man noticed my arrival. If I remembered correctly, his name was Black, and the large man beside him was Big.
"Yes, we just finished the exam," I said, walking toward them. "Where is Karl and the other fair-skinned man?"
"Ah, you mean Fork. He and KJ are currently torturing the envoy we captured to get information on the faction that hired him," Black replied, quickly extinguishing his cigarette.
"Call them both out here."
At my command, Big went inside and returned with KJ—who had bloodstains on his hands—and Fork, who looked nervous, clearly unaccustomed to torture.
"What are the results?" I asked KJ.
"M-my apologies, Boss. The man is quite tough," KJ said, looking regretful. "We've been at it for twelve hours, but he refuses to talk. Currently, he's unconscious from exhaustion."
"What methods did you use?" I asked.
"Well... we beat him and broke a few bones to make him speak," KJ answered.
Hearing this, I blamed myself slightly. I suppose I should have established a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for forced interrogation.
"Hah... You two, find the items and tools I need. I'll interrogate the envoy myself," I said, stepping toward the warehouse door. "And pay close attention to the process I use, understood?"
KJ and the others nodded in understanding. After detailing the tools I required, KJ and Fork rushed off into the city to find them.
***
[??? POV]
Ugh... how long have I been out...
I had been tasked by my superiors to assist Count Juan, who was in trouble. He was one of the nobles belonging to the faction of the person I serve. However, the moment I met with the people who were supposed to be Count Juan's informants, the four of them captured and imprisoned me here.
A muscular man with a buzz cut had been torturing me to force me to reveal information about my master. I am just a commoner... My master forced me to work for him, threatening to ruin my life and my family if I refused.
—Click.
I heard the warehouse door open. My vision was blurred from the injuries inflicted by the buzz-cut man. A man with black hair, dressed entirely in black, walked toward me as I sat bound to a chair.
"You're awake?" the black-haired man said, sitting in a chair directly in front of me. "I'm sorry for putting you through this. If my men were more competent in interrogation techniques, perhaps you wouldn't have had to experience so much pain."
So this is the master of the people who kidnapped me.
"Whatever you do to me will be in vain," I said weakly. "I won't reveal anything to you."
I wouldn't open my mouth. My family's future was at stake. I feared what my master would do to them if he found out I talked.
Shortly after, the buzz-cut man entered with the others. He brought a table and placed it between me and the black-haired man. Another man brought three buckets and placed them face-down on the table. I could faintly hear the sound of rodents inside one of them.
"Believe me, I don't hate you personally," the black-haired man said, standing up. "I am simply doing my duty."
He ordered the buzz-cut man to strip off my shirt and place the bucket containing the rodents onto my stomach.
"This is a Deephole Rat," the man said, taking a torch and standing beside me. "These rats are very prone to digging an exit if they feel they are in danger, you see."
I didn't like where this was going. He was going to do something horrific. But I would stay strong. I wouldn't give them anything.
"I won't stop until you say something," the man said, pressing the torch against the iron bucket.
Before long, I heard the rats inside the bucket squeal loudly. An agonizing pain began to spread across my abdomen.
"Aghhhhh! The-the rats are burrowing into my stomach!"
Damn it, damn it! The beasts were gnawing and clawing at my flesh.
"Stop! Please, stop! Aghhh...!"
The rats became more frantic, desperate to escape the heat of the bucket being cooked by the torch. The man finally moved the torch away. "That's enough, Karl. Put the bucket and the rats back on the table."
His subordinate did as he was told.
"Hah... Hah... Hah..."
My breath came in ragged gasps. The pain was monstrous. I glanced down at my stomach; there were three holes there, blood soaking the surrounding area. It was horrifying—had he held it there any longer, my entrails would have been shredded.
"Let's move to the next stage," the man said flatly. "Karl, put that in his ear."
What? What did he mean? Fear began to haunt my mind. The buzz-cut man opened the next bucket, revealing a terrifying centipede. He dropped the insect into my ear; a sickening, ticklish sensation crawled inside.
"This is a Petricia Centipede; it absolutely hates loud noises," the black-haired man said, handing a pair of pliers to Karl. "Try not to scream too loudly if you don't want it to bite through your eardrums."
Without warning, the buzz-cut man tore one of my toenails off. A sharp, burning pain flared in my toe.
"Aghhhh!"
I couldn't hold back. The moment I screamed, a horrific sound echoed in my ear. The centipede began to bite and sting violently.
"Aghhhhhhh!"
The man tore off another toenail. Hearing my screams, the centipede in my ear grew even more enraged. My hearing began to fail.
"I told you, didn't I? Try not to scream too loudly," the man said. "You have two choices: tell us what we want to know and we will give you a quick death, or keep your mouth shut and die in agony."
So that's it? It made no difference if I talked or not. They would kill me anyway.
"However, I will stop this if you can answer correctly," the man said, stopping Karl from pulling another nail. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "What is ten minus seven?"
What? What is he talking about? I didn't understand the purpose of this.
"Agghhhh!"
Karl pulled another nail. The centipede in my ear was driving me insane.
"I told you, didn't I? Answer correctly if you don't want to feel pain," the man said. "What is one thousand minus seven?"
I didn't know what this black-haired psychopath was thinking. But I did my best to endure.
"Nine... nine hundred ninety-three..."
"Very good. Let us continue," the man sat back down. "What is nine hundred ninety-three minus seven?"
The session continued for a long time. He kept making me calculate, and every time I got it wrong, the buzz-cut man pulled another nail, one by one. My voice was failing, my hearing was nearly gone, and my vision was blurred from the constant stings in my ear.
I had reached my limit. I couldn't take it anymore.
"What is thirteen minus seven?"
"S-six..."
I didn't care about the numbers anymore. Every nail on my fingers and toes had been ripped out because I had missed the answers. My mind was exhausted; my body was broken. This man was different—he wasn't just torturing my body, he was shattering my mind.
"Good work. Now for the last one," the man said, standing up again. He opened the final bucket, revealing a disgusting worm.
"This is a Bloodsuck Worm, dangerous if it enters the body," he said, bringing the worm toward the holes in my stomach left by the rats. "This worm will suck your blood and eat its host's flesh from the inside, growing larger as it slowly consumes your organs."
Hearing those words, my resolve finally crumbled. What did I do to deserve a fate like this? I just wanted a happy, peaceful life with my family.
Tears streamed down my cheeks as I thought of my wife and child waiting at home. I wanted to hunt with my son in the village... my wife would greet us with a beautiful smile... Ah... such happy times... I wanted to go back.
"If you speak, all of this will end quickly."
I'm sorry, Bell... your father is just an ordinary man... Winda... I hope you can raise Bell to be a successful man, not like his father...
Thinking of that, I felt something move and wriggle deep inside my stomach... A slow death by having a creature eat you from the inside out was truly horrific.