Shirogane Ushida sat down on the couch opposite to Mr. Pike and Rose. Crossing his legs, he interlocked his fingers and placed his hands on his lap, smiling all the while.
"First question." He said, his voice calm and unhurried. "Was this audience your goal for choosing to stay in Blue Ember?"
Rose glanced beside her, allowing Dante to see Mr. Pike as he prepared to answer. He seemed to contemplate for a couple of seconds before letting the corners of his mouth rise.
"Though I’m a rather ambitious man, I’m nowhere near the position that would allow me to aim for something like that."
"That is quite peculiar." Said Ushida. "You seemed to have the perfect gift prepared in advance."
"To be a successful businessman, one needs to be prepared for all the possibilities, no matter how small." Mr. Pike replied. "Mr. Klaus’s interest in ancient history is a well-known fact. I won’t deny that I have obtained the item with the goal of using it to form a bridge with Mr. Klaus, but never did I think that the opportunity would present itself so soon."
Though he wasn’t the one being questioned, Dante felt cold sweat roll down his back. The man who calls himself Shirogane Ushida was the same guy who interrogated him a while back, but that was the least of their problems, since he was also the head of the Shirogane branch in the Radmir Union.
Viktor found little info on him, but just knowing that he used to be a high-ranking member of the notorious sorcerer clan was enough to instill fear into Dante and the others.
Their biggest problem at the moment was the Art that allows him to draw out truthful answers to the questions he asks. The interview Rose and the others were undergoing could turn completely sideways if they got hit with the wrong question.
Thankfully, knowing about it in advance should allow them to find a workaround, and Mr. Pike seemed to be especially equipped for something like that.
"I have heard that Ken over here has provided you with some help." Said Ushida, glancing at the young man standing behind him before turning his gaze to Rose. "Did you seek him out from the start?"
Though he couldn’t see her face, Dante had an inkling that their purple-haired seductress was currently smiling.
"Our meeting was entirely coincidental." She said, her gaze turning to the blonde man. "And I certainly never sought him."
A perfect answer. Though he represented a great opportunity, Rose never actually went to the blond bodyguard. She didn’t have to, since the bastard was a playboy who wouldn’t be able to resist making a move on an alluring woman such as herself.
"Were you aware of his position when you chose to get close to him?" Ushida asked.
"It wasn’t too difficult to guess." Said Rose. "After all, if he had the freedom to move around while on the job, he couldn’t possibly be someone with a low position."
The head of security went on, alternating between Rose and Mr. Pike, asking each increasingly more difficult questions. They had several close calls that left Dante on the edge of his seat, but thankfully, his crewmates knew what they were doing and managed to answer without exposing themselves.
"Alright, only one more question remains." Said Ushida. "This one is a standard question we ask anyone who is having a first-time audience with Mr. Klaus, which is why I expect your companions to answer it as well. I hope that you would be understanding that it is an absolute requirement, and that we mean no offence by asking it."
"Mr. Klaus is a very important individual." Said Mr. Pike. "Still, there is something that has been bothering me for some time now."
"Oh, may I ask what that is?" Ushida raised an eyebrow.
"Though you have asked us many questions, not even once did you did you scrutinize our answers or show any doubt toward them." The smile on Mr. Pike’s face disappeared and his expression darkened. "As I find it highly unlikely that those questions were pointless, I find myself leaning toward the idea that you are asking questions based on info you have already obtained in order to confirm whether we would lie or not. There is a slight problem with that, however." Pausing, Mr. Pike stared at the sorcerer across from him for a few seconds. "Some of those questions suggest that you have done a lot more than a simple background check on us."
As he stared back at him, the smile Ushida wore through the entire interview slowly widened.
"That is correct." He said. "I hope that you understand that it is a price you have to pay, Mr. Pike. From our perspective, you are a relatively unknown individual, and a lot of time, danger is born from that which is unknown."
Mr. Pike’s identity as a rising businessman wasn’t fabricated, which is what made him the perfect candidate for this exact plan. All his assets and companies were real, and the wealth he gathered through them, although far from being on the same level as that of the Stahlwölfe, was all real. With everything about him being real, performing a background check on him would only reveal that he was clean.
Ever since he learned about him from Viktor, Dante had been wondering why such an individual would bother aiding a bunch of thieves with a heist that could ruin everything he had worked for. Unfortunately, the answer wasn’t for him to know.
"I believe that I understand." Mr. Pike nodded. "One has to pay a price to get ahead, and if that price was my privacy, it is still something I’m willing to pay."
"Your spirit is admirable, Mr. Pike." Said Ushida. "Now, to my final question." The smile suddenly disappeared from his face. "Do you harbor any malice or ill intent toward Klaus Stahlwölfe?"
A tense silence fell on the room, and for what seemed like an eternity, no one dared to say anything. Mr. Pike’s expression became grave once more. As he glared at the head of security, he answered with a slight sharpness to his tone.
"No, Mr. Ushida. I do not harbor any malice toward Klaus Stahlwölfe."
"Neither do I." Said Rose.
"And the same goes for me." Said Kirk.