By Zephyria The Magic Stone handcuffs that Leonardo Blaine wore during his detention in the Council were manufactured through a meticulous process.
This was because the problem of existing old-fashioned Magic Stone handcuffs causing Magic Power control instability had been constantly raised.
The situation truly surfaced about 10 years ago. It started with an incident in which an S-Class Mage, who had been released from a prison under military control, blew away an entire remote village due to control instability.
This was considered one of the worst disasters among the high-ranking officials of the institution at the time, and an investigation was conducted not only within the military but also at the national level, but the specific causal relationship was concealed.
The reason was simple. If it became known that the cause of the catastrophe that had devastated an entire region was a defect in the restraints used by the institution, the prestige of public authority would plummet.
Furthermore, at that time, the three military organizations under the Council, the Imperial Army, and the Royal royal guard were already receiving about half of their weapons and equipment from the same supplier. In other words, similar accidents, though on a different scale, must have been frequent.
The anxiety that they might have to bear the responsibility for the same problem grew, and eventually, starting with that incident, the three military organizations each separately designated military supply companies exclusively for weapons and restraints.
Among them, the Council established a subordinate organization called ‘Workshop’ to periodically change the material composition used in restraints, and eventually developed the optimal state to reduce the impact on Magic Power control. As a result, they announced new handcuffs after 5 years, largely solving the problem of control instability in prisoners who had been wearing restraints for a long time.
In addition, they announced that all outdated handcuffs would be discarded, indirectly showing off their achievements to other organizations, and gaining great support by seizing the image of being at the forefront of change. However,
“You already know that the old-fashioned handcuffs were not completely discarded.”
Based on Leonardo’s statement that ‘the handcuffs felt strange,’ it was revealed that his control instability in the peninsula may have been a planned incident under someone’s intention.
“I know.”
Hugo stared silently at the suspect, whose gaze was uneasy.
The man who finally opened his mouth after a long investigation was Castiel Bain, a lower-ranking commander belonging to the 9th Company of the 11th Battalion of the Council’s Central Branch.
And he was currently claiming that he had replaced the S-Class Mage handcuffs that Leonardo Blaine would wear.
“Immediately after Leonardo Blaine was taken to headquarters, I began smuggling old-fashioned handcuffs stored in the Workshop into the equipment management office under the orders of the Company Commander. After his Magic Power property test was completed, it would have been exactly around 9:53 Zodiac time. I approached the escort personnel and made arrangements to have him wear the old-fashioned handcuffs during the process of temporarily detaining him in the underground prison. That was probably the first time.”
Hugo recalled the time Bain mentioned. The image of Leonardo lying on the bed in the Magic Power extraction room immediately came to mind.
The interior, which had been completely messed up by the energy he had emitted during the extraction, his panting breaths, and his pale face were still vivid in his mind. As was the voice that had declared, ‘I’ll kill you,’ while staring straight at him with ominous eyes.
Hearing that, he had instructed the members to transfer Leonardo to the prison in preparation for him going on a rampage.
Of course, he didn’t really think that the guy, who was limply stretched out with only his eyes fierce, could really kill him.
‘I wanted him to get away from the commotion for a while. But it turned out to be the opposite.’
Hugo’s eyelids grew heavy with guilt for having provided the excuse.
“Did you deliberately aim for that time?”
However, the emotions in his blue eyes could not be read by the person he was facing. Bain swallowed hard at the cold question and replied.
“…I had been looking for an opportunity all along. I judged that the moment when the Legion Commander’s gaze didn’t reach was the right time.”
“There was an accomplice among the escort personnel?”
“I don’t know about that. But I think Company Commander Servan may have hinted at it in advance.”
“How did you know that the old-fashioned handcuffs that were announced to be discarded were in the Workshop?”
“That too, Company Commander Servan…”
According to the statement, Marcus Servan, the Company Commander of the 11th Battalion, seemed to be the main culprit and key information provider in this case.
The materials that made up the old-fashioned handcuffs contained expensive ingredients used to develop other Magic Tools and restraints. This was already a well-known fact among the researchers working in the Workshop, and it was revealed that some of them were secretly taking out the handcuffs scheduled for disposal to make profits.
The suspect said that Company Commander Servan had been friendly with them from before and often mentioned related knowledge to his subordinates. Everything in detail, including the specific timing and the amount of money obtained through embezzlement.
In fact, he was also a direct subordinate of the 11th Battalion Commander, who was in charge of the equipment management office for the three months prior to the time when Hugo summoned the Battalion Commanders to address the issue of the old-fashioned handcuffs. In other words, he had legal access to the Workshop and the equipment management office within the Council, and was in a position to manipulate the ledgers if necessary.
“According to your statement, all of this was done under the instructions of Marcus Servan. What was his reason for trying to make the victim wear old-fashioned handcuffs? Was it an attempt to put the subjugation party in trouble by using someone else’s hands?”
“……”
“Or was the purpose Leonardo Blaine’s Magic Power control instability itself?”
“That, I don’t know. However, it’s quite a famous story among our 9th Company that many of Company Commander Servan’s relatives died in the Turandos War 10 years ago. The Company Commander usually had a negative perception of Leonardo Blaine and other key figures in that battle, and he seemed very excited when he was arrested. Not only I, but all my colleagues will know this. He didn’t participate directly in Leonardo Blaine’s trial, but he said that he would finally be judged…”
As if looking for a hole to shift responsibility, the man’s answer became noticeably faster. In addition, he added that he had faithfully followed his instructions because he was afraid that there would be disadvantages in promotion, and that he had kept his mouth shut because he was afraid of bearing a heavy responsibility after the matter became serious.
Hugo did not miss the man’s facial muscles, eyes, and stable voice.
Although not openly visible, the man’s two hands, clenched under the table, were noticeably tense. It would be strange if he wasn’t nervous, but he was also trembling more than necessary. The subtly scattered water vapor in the air secretly conveyed the vibrations.
Hugo pressed the inside of his mouth with the tip of his tongue.
His neck, strangled by the tie, was stuffy, but his head was colder than ever. His chest was blocked, but he couldn’t sigh. He knew himself that it was a reaction that came out when he was very angry.
Was it because he heard the truth from his trusted subordinates directly? Or was it because he had to admit the fundamental reason why Leonardo’s freedom was inevitably incomplete?
Or was it because he was disgusted with his past and present ignorance for not being able to protect him properly?
Hugo tried to relax his clasped hands as much as possible, but it seemed to crush the skin on the back of his hands. As his large hands stiffened as if to suppress his emotions, his blood vessels bulged.
The sight was quite threatening to the person sitting across from him.
The statement-taker quickly lowered his eyes and fixed his gaze on the desk. Even so, he rolled his eyes in a narrow radius or blinked his eyelids.
Hugo, who had been watching, finally uttered a word after enduring.
“Was everything you did truly the Company Commander’s will?”
The man’s eyes stopped at one point and slowly raised his head.
“Yes?”
“Can you be sure that there was not even an inch of selfishness or agreement?”
When Hugo asked again clearly, Bain’s neck rippled greatly and nodded his head quickly a couple of times.
“Yes, of course.”
A silence flowed in the desolate interrogation room for a while. Hugo only watched the other person for quite a long time.
His voice and tone were calm, and his reaction was quite smooth. However, it was too smooth, and a defense mechanism to avoid emotional responsibility was revealed in his tone.
Just as the statement-taker’s breathing, which had been even throughout, finally became disturbed, Hugo, who had unclenched his hands, grabbed the armrest of the chair.
“If you had remained silent, it would have been passed over as a simple accident even if it took some time. Why are you stating this now? Even if you only followed instructions, anyone involved in this will not escape punishment.”
Around that time, an awkward smile that did not match the situation crossed the man’s lips. It seemed bitter, but also relieved. However, as he raised his hand and touched his lips, his expression quickly hardened.
“Anyone would have guessed that the Legion Commander would not let this matter pass.”
It was a meaningful statement. Especially the fact that he ended with the speculative ending ‘would’ until the end was very annoying.
It seemed like he was expressing his own thoughts, but it also sounded like he was conveying words he had heard through someone. Throughout the statement.
“Is that also your thought?”
“…Yes? Yes, that’s right.”
“Then do you think that the person behind this is only Company Commander Servan? An accomplice or someone who backed him up? For example, the highest commander of the unit you belong to.”
“I don’t know if there are any other accomplices, but our Battalion Commander would not be involved. If you ask me why I think so… Logically, wouldn’t the person who would be suspected first when an incident occurs be the person in charge of the equipment management office at the time? I don’t think he would have planned the work in a situation where he could be a strong suspect. That’s what I think.”
This time, Bain looked straight into Hugo’s eyes and conveyed it. After the voice was finished, his gaze was lowered again.
Hugo’s fingertips tapped the table regularly, then stopped at some point.
He raised his upper body and gestured with his chin.
“Okay, thank you for answering. Rest here for a while. Come back in 20 minutes.”