Chapter 226: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Prisoner Interrogation 2

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What happens if you pour alcohol into an empty stomach?

The answer was simple. In no time at all, you ended up completely smashed and utterly wasted… That was how it went.

“Those old folks keep calling me a youngster, saying I’m just a brat, and making fun of me, but I wish they’d at least acknowledge me a little, you know…”

As a result, Lady Rike had become thoroughly dead drunk in less than twenty minutes. Elves were generally said to be strong drinkers (though they didn’t seem accustomed to high-alcohol beverages), but once things reached this point, she was nothing more than a carp on the cutting board. Even a complete amateur like me, who had never received training as an interrogator, could easily draw out all sorts of information.

I also managed to gather a fair amount of Lady Rike’s personal information. She was seventy years old, and apparently born after the eruption of Mount Rana. By traditional elven values, that was still an age treated as a mere youngster. B our standards, it felt like someone in their late teens to early twenties.

However, over the past hundred years or so, the elves had been in the midst of a rapid population decline. Most of the active generation—those around one hundred to two hundred years old—had been wiped out by death in battle or starvation. As a result, present-day Elfenia supposedly had only the elderly and the young.

“I don’t know about that. I don’t really understand how the elven elders think, but… Your way of fighting was magnificent. No matter what the old folks say, I think you can hold your head high.”

Saying that, I poured wine into Lady Rike’s cup through the iron bars. The wine bottle was already the second one. I had drunk a little myself, but most of it had disappeared into Lady Rike’s stomach. Considering she had suddenly taken in this much alcohol while in a state of starvation and was still only this disordered, elven toughness was no joke. A regular human would probably have lost consciousness long ago.

“I-I see… Is that so?”

“Yeah. Especially that surprise attack from the trees… It was impressive. I survived by sheer luck, but one wrong step and I would’ve been done for.”

In truth, elven warriors were indeed absurdly formidable. They didn’t quite measure up to Dragonewts or large beastmen, but their physical specs were still very high, and they excelled in magic as well. On top of that, they had technique and creativity to match. Simply put, they were completely unmanageable. Honestly, I didn’t want to seriously fight people like this.

Well, that was precisely why I was trying so hard to pull them firmly onto our side. Even if it came to an all-out confrontation with the elves, I wanted to draw at least some elves and bird-folk into our camp. Otherwise, if we fought anywhere other than flat terrain, we’d be utterly defeated.

“…You’re the first one who’s ever said something like that to me.”

Saying that in a slightly damp voice, Lady Rike gulped down her wine. I hadn’t said it as empty flattery. Her combat skills really were at a level worthy of admiration. Maybe elves didn’t really have a culture of “praising to nurture.”

“People’s abilities are often evaluated more accurately by enemies than by allies.”

“That might be true…”

As Lady Rike groaned, I handed her a cloth bag filled with roasted beans as a snack. At first, she had shown resistance to accepting things from us, but before long she was taking them without hesitation. That was a relief. If she’d gone on a hunger strike, it would’ve been a real problem, and I very much wanted her to continue accepting proper meals going forward.

She said she intended to disembowel herself, but of course I had no intention of allowing that. When it came to devising countermeasures against elves, having a typical elf sample on hand made a world of difference. 

Those who control information also control war.

“Still… It’s a shame.”

That being the case, I decided to break her resolve to commit suicide.

“What do you mean?”

“That a superb warrior like you would take your own life.”

I let out a sigh and took a sip of wine. This was honestly how I felt, so I didn’t need to consciously act.

“I have no intention of disparaging suicide undertaken to protect honor and pride. I can understand the idea of a beautiful death over a disgraceful life, but…”

“…”

“It’s just a shame. Simply a shame. Drinking with you is actually quite enjoyable. To think that someone I might even become friends with would be cold and lifeless tomorrow… How could that not be a terrible shame?”

“B-but… I…”

“Would you hold out your hand?”

Cutting off Lady Rike’s words, I said that while looking straight into her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then extended her left hand through the gap in the iron bars. It was a hand covered in sword calluses, ill-suited to her fantastical appearance. I grasped that hand tightly with both of mine. Lady Rike’s shoulders trembled, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Her cheeks were flushed with a redness that wasn’t due solely to alcohol.

“This body heat… This warmth will be lost from the world forever. I think that’s a terribly, terribly sad thing.”

“…”

“I’ve seen many comrades off to their deaths. Hands that were once warm and strong… gradually growing cold and stiff. There’s nothing that makes you feel worse than that. If you die too, I’ll surely feel the same way.”

“…That’s true.”

Lady Rike replied in a trembling voice. Before I knew it, tears were spilling from her jade-colored eyes.

“Dying means becoming cold. When my father died, he was terribly cold too.”

“…”

“My parents, you see, starved to death. Their bodies stopped moving, their heads stopped thinking, and in the end they couldn’t tell whether they were sleeping or awake… And then they were gone.”

Streaming tears, Lady Rike spoke in a wet, broken voice. It was a truly tragic story. Before I realized it, tears had welled up in my own eyes as well. I had heard that my great-grandfather in a past life had starved to death on the battlefield, during the time of the Pacific War. My grandmother had told me that story many times when I was a child. That was why I loathed hunger so deeply. Seeing someone starving made it unbearable for me.

“Dying like that… That’s not how a person should die. I’m scared of dying like that. Th-that’s why I try to run toward death in battle or by seppuku. I’m a coward, a weakling, so even if the youngsters mock me, it can’t be helped…”

Clutching my hand tightly, Lady Rike sobbed aloud. 

…I see now. 

I was starting to understand what lay at the root of the elves’ hearts, especially the young. What they truly feared was fear of starvation. If they were going to starve to death, any other way of dying was better. That mindset likely drove them toward reckless, self-destructive actions. After all, food aid for the elves was essential. If we left them hungry, we wouldn’t even be able to negotiate properly neither with the “new” faction nor the “legitimate” one. I should carefully draw up plans for procuring and transporting food.

“A hero isn’t someone who knows no fear. A hero is someone who knows how to overcome fear.”

I spoke to Lady Rike in a deliberately gentle voice.

“There’s no need to be ashamed of feeling fear. Life is long. If you keep living… I’m sure you’ll learn how to handle that fear.”

“…”

“Hey, Rike-kun. Would you wait a little before dying? I have no intention of letting you go hungry. Fill your stomach, let your body and mind rest… And then think it over slowly. Death is the conclusion of life. And conclusions aren’t something you should rush into, right?”

“…Alright.”

Lady Rike nodded faintly, but unmistakably. It seemed the persuasion had worked. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.

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