My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger

”I see. It is a pleasure. I wish I could say I bring glad tidings,” Emilia said, looking at Linga.

He remained still, but there was a slight tremble in his hands. He quickly clasped them together beneath the table, trying to hide it.

She was quiet for a moment before asking.

”What do you know about Godric Ravenscroft from your time in the military?”

Linga’s hands trembled again. Then, as if he had swallowed a stone, he forced himself to speak.

”He was a good man. Someone I had deeply wronged.”

His voice became quieter toward the end.

Emilia frowned. She couldn’t understand. Wasn’t this the man who had been discharged in disgrace because of Godric?

”Care to elaborate?” Terra asked, a frown appearing on her face.

Linga drew in a deep breath.

”I am ashamed to say this, but I accused him of something terrible years ago. I wish I could fall to my knees and apologize for wronging him.”

His lips quivered as he spoke.

Abellona knew he was disgusted with himself for saying those words. After all, she knew how deeply he hated Godric.

Linga raised a trembling hand and rubbed his palm against his knee before looking toward Emilia.

”My squad was under his command during the Demon Wars. At the time, we were attacked by lesser demons, and everyone in my squad died. Overcome by grief and delirium, I accused him of being the cause. But he wasn’t. We were simply incompetent.”

He lowered his head slightly and fell silent.

Emilia watched him quietly.

Was that really all there was to it?

What about Godric’s secret? The one he had hidden from the world?

What about that?

”Tell me, what was the name of your squad leader?”

Linga raised his head, his gaze subconsciously shifting toward Abellona.

”Our squad leader was called Noctis.”

”I have reason to believe he had a surname. What was it?” Terra asked.

Linga bit his lip.

He wasn’t sure whether he should tell them or whether doing so would reveal something he couldn’t afford to reveal. Cold beads of sweat began forming along his forehead.

”I don’t remember. It was years ago, and we didn’t refer to him by his last name.”

”What did you refer to him as?” Abellona asked, joining the questioning.

”We called him Squad Leader Noctis.”

”And what do you know about your squad leader? His name, his homeland, his background?”

”I don’t know much. I only met him when I was assigned to his squad. I don’t know anything beyond that. Anything you seek should be in his military file.”

Linga already knew those files no longer existed. Godric would have been foolish to leave them behind.

”What was your original accusation against Godric, and who conducted your military trial?” Emilia asked.

”I didn’t receive a formal trial. I was simply discharged. In fact, I was supposed to be executed, but my sentence was changed, and I was discharged instead.”

Emilia narrowed her eyes, dissatisfied with his answers.

There was something wrong.

Not only was he lying about some things, but his supposed admiration for Godric was clearly false. She didn’t need a magical artifact to see that.

Why was he lying?

What was he hiding?

Emilia began firing questions at him one after another, and Linga answered each of them as carefully as he could.

More than half an hour passed.

Finally, Emilia crossed her arms, seemingly prepared to give up.

”Tell me, you lost your limbs in the military. The potion that allowed you to recover is far beyond anything you could afford. How did you manage to regain your limbs?”

Linga answered as he had answered most of her questions.

”I met a benefactor, and he gave me a potion.”

”Who was this benefactor, and how did you meet him?”

”I met him on the road.”

His answer came briskly, but sweat was already running down his forehead.

”What road? Where? When? And why would they give you a potion capable of regenerating your limbs?” Emilia pressed.

”It was on the road here, a few years ago. As for why, I don’t know. He simply gave it to me. Perhaps he found my condition pitiable.”

”Really?” Terra said coldly. ”Now, who can corroborate your story?”

”No one can. I was alone,” Linga answered.

”You said it happened on the way here, but you were traveling with a caravan at the time. So how could you have been alone?” Abellona asked before Emilia could respond.

Linga’s expression stiffened.

”I... I met him alone,” he replied.

”If there was a caravan, then there must have been other people who saw you before and after your miraculous recovery,” Terra added, subtly pressing her aura against him.

Linga’s breathing became strained. The pressure made his chest feel as though it were being crushed.

He took a deep breath, lifted his head, and finally broke.

”I don’t understand! What is it that you people want to know? What have I done wrong to deserve this?”

His voice cracked.

”Please, I don’t know anything more. If I offended House Ravenscroft years ago, then I beg your forgiveness. Just... please. Please let me go.”

Tears streamed down his face, and his composure completely collapsed. He wiped at his nose with a trembling hand, but more tears continued falling.

Emilia was taken aback.

She opened her mouth to speak.

Then a small voice came from the doorway.

”Daddy.”

Linga’s head snapped toward the door.

When the little boy saw his father crying, his eyes widened with shock and fear. He immediately rushed across the room and threw himself into Linga’s arms.

”Daddy!”

Linga instinctively wrapped both arms around his son, pulling him tightly against his chest as the boy buried his face in him.

The child looked toward Emilia with tears gathering in his eyes, as though he couldn’t understand why these strangers had made his father cry.

Emilia’s heart sank.

The boy had auburn hair.

For a moment, she could almost see her own son standing before her.

Her lips tightened, and she lowered her head.

”Let’s go.”

She stood slowly.

”This is a dead end.”

She glanced at Linga one last time.

”Thank you for your time.”