When Volcan told him that they were about to face a bunch of wizards, the first thing that came to Dante’s mind was the usual spells, such as fireball or lightning bolt. He never expected his opponent to come at him with something as insidious as a truth compulsion spell right from the get-go.
It didn’t feel like something one could defend against, at least not without using one of Volcan’s anti-magic suits. Of course, Dante couldn’t just put on an armor and expect the interrogation to continue, and even if he had a different way to protect himself against the mental attack, he was sure its caster would quickly notice that his powers weren’t having an effect.
Cornered, Dante almost chose to drop everything and try to escape, but then his strained mind led him to an unlikely answer: he just had to say the truth. At first, he suspected that it was just another effect of the spell, but after testing it, he realized that it didn’t matter what truth he told so long as it wasn’t a lie.
When the person behind the chair asked why he sought employment at the hotel, Dante answered that he needed the money. That answer was indeed the truth, even if by money he was referring to the pay from the heist and not the meager salary he got from washing dishes.
The question of whether he had an ulterior motive for choosing to work at the hotel was much more difficult to dodge, since the only reason he does indeed have ulterior motives. The way it was worded gave him a way out, however. After all, he never chose to work as a dishwasher.
’This is... crazy...’
Having to find ways around the obvious truth was a strenuous mental exercise, especially when coupled with the pain inflicted upon him by the Aetherion’s powers. He hoped that the interrogation wouldn’t last long, considering the chances of him slipping increased the more time passed.
Denying that he had any ulterior motives should have cleared any suspicion they might have had, but it seems that the interrogator still had a few questions he wanted to ask, including one that was as sensitive as its predecessor.
"Your productivity report shows that you took an extended break around 12:00. May I ask what you did in that time?"
Dante was tempted to answer ’You may not’, but he quickly held back.
"Yeah, about that..." He rubbed his neck, acting a little embarrassed. "The spicy food I had the previous night wrecked my stomach, you see. I ran to the bathroom as soon as lunch break started. You could say all the alcohol only made it worse."
That was also the truth. His stomach was acting up thanks to the extra spicy noodles he ate at the Bowl of Fortune, and he ran to the bathroom as soon as his lunch break started. That didn’t necessarily mean the two matters were connected.
Once again, the pain decreased, and the wait for the next question started.
"What else did you do in the bathroom?"
’Whoa there, buddy. Aren’t you reaching a bit too far with this one?’
[This is a clear privacy violation.] Volcan commented.
Indeed. Blue Ember had already proven to be one of the most oppressive workplaces out there, but even this was going a little too far.
’I wonder if I can sue them...’
As annoying as it was, the pain assaulting Dante’s head kept increasing the longer he refused to answer the question. Eventually, the compulsion got so strong that his mouth started moving on its own.
"I... I texted some buddies of mine." Just then, an idea came to him and he began rambling. "It should’ve been fine, right? I mean, it was lunch break. I’m not getting fired for that, right? Right? Please! I need this job! A lot of things depend on my keeping this job! I can’t afford to lose it!"
Not a single lie. Dante had a habit of telling partial truths, only revealing the things he could safely reveal, indirectly painting a different image of the truth. Some might argue that not revealing the complete truth or misrepresenting it was still a lie, but Dante begged to differ.
He had no control over how others would interpret what he says, and even if he were to tell the full, objective truth, whether the other party believed him or not is entirely up to them. That’s why, in his opinion, the only thing that mattered was that he himself knew that he wasn’t lying.
That said, his methods weren’t foolproof. All it would take is a more specific question to get around them, and even if he tried to be careful the entire time, it was obvious that he would eventually slip up. That’s why he wished for this interrogation to end, but unfortunately, that, too, was something out of his control.
"Who do you work for?"
And that was a more direct question, the kind he was hoping the interrogator would avoid. Dante was still able to find a workaround, but he wished that it would be the last.
"Whoever is paying me? I’m not very familiar with how things are run in this place." He paused for a moment then fired back with a question of his own. "Um, is it okay if I ask what this is about? I... I don’t think I did anything wrong... besides arriving late this morning..."
Unfortunately, he didn’t get an answer. But that was okay.
"What is your objective for working here?"
"To get paid. Sorry, but that’s all I care about, really."
"What are you hoping to achieve by working here?"
"As I said, I want to get paid. Well, I’m hoping to get promoted, too. It would be great if I got a bonus or something."
Little by little, Dante switched his nervousness with annoyance, hinting that he didn’t like being asked all these questions. He was going to complain, but before he could have the chance, the interrogator spoke again.
"That will be all." He said, his voice still as calm as it was at the start. "You may leave."
The door opened following the last word and light flowed into the dark room. Dante was stunned for a few moments. The ringing in his ears seems to have stopped at some point, and though the headache had yet to disappear, he felt that it was slowly fading away.
Eventually, he got up to his feet and left just as he was told.
’That’s...that’s it?’ He thought.
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For the months of May, June and July 2025, the first and only Privilege tier will cost only 1 Coin! Please read the latest Chapters as they come out!