Even a cathedral empties out at midnight, and when it came to choosing the setting for his interrogation, Ailn had his pick.

Why not the chapel of the sun? Seemed fitting for dragging a reincarnator kicking and screaming into daylight. Sometimes mood setting went a long way in getting suspects to talk. Bright lights created discomfort, giving the sense that there was nowhere to hide. The dissonance between the actual time of night, and the illusion of dawn would disorient them.

Plus, it would help Ailn wake up a bit.

All eight suspects sat scowling in the pews like good churchgoers. Their hands were tied in front with rope, but that would just help them pray.

Ailn stood ready to sermonize, while Renea stuck awkwardly behind.

There was the merchant Geoff, and his friend the stone mason. There were the five guys who’d attacked Ailn and Ceric: which included the curly-haired man, the tall man, and the small man. Finally, there was the one woman.

“Hold on…” Ailn looked right at her. “You’re kidding me. My favorite waitress?”

It could’ve just been the exhaustion, but Ailn felt a twinge of disappointment. He’d always found her pretty cute.

“Looks like I left an impression,” the waitress said, sounding a little wistful. Then she gave a soft smile—perfect, really. It would have been off-putting if she’d acted more coquettish. “I always knew you’d look handsome under the cloak, you know?”

Ailn glanced at the rope tied around her hands. “And I always thought you’d look good…” He hesitated, remembering Renea was behind him. “...Acting more piously.”

The waitress just scowled.

“Ailn, is it? The second eum-Creid son?” Geoff the merchant asked. He arched an eyebrow skeptically. “The knights already have the gist of our scheme. Is this a gambit to earn favor within your family?”

He sure knew how to condescend like a big shot. Ailn just shrugged.

“Could be. Here’s the deal. The family…” Ailn glanced at Renea as if he were affirming it with her. “We have our reasons for trying to figure out who the ringleader of this operation was. The real head honcho.”

Geoff gave a disbelieving, scoffing smile. “Why? To do business? The eum-Creids’ treasury is so bare they wish to sell their honor?”

“Well, my fri—” Ailn started, even lifting a finger in lecture.

“Speak of my family’s honor again, and your mouth will be bare of your tongue,” Renea spat.

Finger still raised in mid-air, Ailn flinched. He forgot Renea had these… feudal moments. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “The eum-Creid family doesn’t do business with criminals, Geoff. We don’t need services from a two bit thug.”

He paused for a moment, to let the gibe sink in. Clearly it got under Geoff’s skin, given his subtly clenching jaw and thin lips, but to Geoff’s credit he stayed silent.

“...If you want me to be completely honest, coming clean as leader won’t reduce your punishment,” Ailn shrugged. “You won’t get a lighter sentence. You won’t get better treatment in prison. I’m asking because Renea and I have been tasked with keeping a chronicle of the duchy for posterity.”

“So we are,” Renea nodded.

“What sort of overeducated, meaningless noble purs—”

He pointed at Geoff. “Given the extraordinary nature of your operation—digging these extensive tunnel networks, judiciously intertwined with the catacombs, targeting and actually breaking into the cathedral—this might go down as one of Varant’s most ingenious crimes.” Ailn let the moment hang, as well as the implications. “...Or as the greatest heist to ever hit the empire.”

“So tell me,” Ailn hung close to Geoff’s face. “Do you want to be remembered as a nobody who couldn’t even scale? Or as a mastermind?”

“You must… believe we’re complete dunces,” Geoff said. And yet he was beginning to sweat. “No one here wou—”

“I was the leader,” the curly-haired man blurted out. “I ran the whole thing. Geoff’s nothin’ but an angry prick with a sinful pile of coin! I’m the idea man! It was all me!”

“Learn your lot, Carlin,” Geoff growled through gritted teeth. “None would believe for a moment that you were a mastermind.”

A rift was forming between the merchant and the loan shark crew. The curly-haired man, apparently named Carlin, seemed to be the leader of the loan sharks. And it looked like he and Geoff had been having bad blood for a while now.

“Oh yeah? No one likes you, Geoff!” Carlin snarled. “We’re moneylenders, mate. And every last one of us thinks you’re an asshole!”

The crowd of loan sharks—every single one of them—started shouting and nodding vigorously in agreement.

“Sod off, Geoff! You always made Group A feel like pig shit!” one of them shouted. “SIR Geoff, you’re as much of a knight as I am! If you’re so ashamed of bein’ a merchant, go train with the knights you insecure ass!”

The loan shark kept getting louder and louder, and his eyes turned teary. “My whole life I’ve been pickin’ pockets and burglin’ empty homes, and beatin’ up on debtors! How’s it I feel the most shame when I went workin’ for you?! Sir this, sir that! No one gives a good god damn! You got all that coin, don’t you?! How about you purchase some manners and decency, Geoff?!”

He began to sob loudly into the ropes tying his hands, while the members of the loan shark clique awkwardly cleared their throats.

“You’ve changed, Geoff,” the old stone mason said, shaking his head.

“Uhh…” Ailn just stood there. This was getting a bit off the rails, so he took a moment to recalibrate. “What I’m hearing here is, Carlin’s the real mastermind.”

“It’s the sad truth,” Carlin sighed. “Only now, sittin’ properly in this beautiful chapel do I see it. An idea man like me could’ve been a right proper pillar of society. Instead, I’m in stuck with the likes of that sod over there.”

Geoff snorted.

“Got somethin’ to say?” Carlin glared.

“Carlin is a buffoon who does what he’s told,” Geoff said, looking completely fed up. “Better than a mule but worse than a horse. The fool just parrots phrases he hardly understands. If you’re looking for the man who organized that entire complicated operation, it was me.”

“Geoff can scale, sure enough,” the small loan shark said wistfully. “But he can’t make his lot smile. Carlin’s got dirt for brains, but he’s got a heart of gold.”

“Right. Uhuh,” Ailn just nodded along with the emotionally sensitive, allegedly noble loan sharks. It was pretty obvious a certain pair in the chapel was being way too quiet. He took a different tack, and turned to the waitress. “Guess you were just a pretty face then, huh?”

“Guess I was,” she said, fluttering her eyes right back.

“...Miss, I’ve got the theory,” Ailn said, kneeling in front of her, “that you’re special.”

“Me?” she snickered. “Keep talkin’.”

“But my sister caught sight of you all being escorted back to the cathedral, and well…” Ailn made a face as if he just heard something tasteless, “...She’s got a lower opinion of you.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“...What.” The waitress’s smile disappeared.

“Wha—” Renea balked, but Ailn held a hand up.

“She said a few unkind words,” Ailn admitted. “Unlike her, I don’t think you’re just some ‘minx.’ I think you’re the real brains of the operation.”

“That trollop?” Geoff asked, in disbelief.

“Shut your mouth, Geoff!” Carlin snarled. “Dollie’s too fine for a worm like you!”

“You call her ‘Dollie?’” Geoff asked. He gaped for a moment, he was so incredulous. But his shock disappeared, and gave way to a quiet, mean smile, and he chuckled wryly. “The honorless noble thinks she’s clever, and the brainless jackass thinks she’s noble. The ‘sunrise strumpet’s’ truly outdone herself.”

Surprisingly, Dollie the waitress ignored Geoff. But when the tall man laughed, she instinctively kicked him.

The tall man had been with the loan shark crew earlier when Ailn was attacked—why was it that he and Dollie now seemed to form their own separate pair? What exactly was their relationship?

If Ailn remembered right, they’d called the tall man ‘Tuck’ in the tunnels.

Right now, though, Geoff's snide implication seemed to be hitting Carlin the hardest. He was starting to pale.

“‘Sunrise strumpet?’ W-what the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Carlin's voice got right.

“Ask your friends!” Geoff grinned.

Carlin gave his cadre of loan sharks a panic-stricken look.

“Well, b-boss…” the small loan shark muttered, glancing away, “I… I couldn’t bring myself to say it… I know you bought that ring for Dollie—”

“He what?” Dollie blinked.

“She and Tuck… well, they always came to the catacombs together, first light each morn,” the small loan shark admitted. “The two of ‘em are courtin’.”

“We’re what?” Tuck gagged.

“Dollie I—” Carlin’s face crumpled. “I thought you loved me…”

“I never said I did,” Dollie groaned. She looked uncomfortable. “That’s on you, Carlin!”

“But you’d always…stare into these eyes of mine, askin’ whether there was some special lass in my life. Then you’d caress my shoulder and say you could fall for a gent with curly hair!” Carlin was tearing apart at the seams.

“I-I was speaking hypothetically,” Dollie sputtered.

“You called me marriagin’ material!” Carlin wailed.

“In a general sense!” Dollie whipped her head around at all the reproachful head shakes.

“You said that real gents give foot rubs…” Carlin whispered. “You let me—”

“Carlin, stop talking, I’m sorry! Just shut up!” Dollie blushed, while Tuck gave her a nauseated look. “It was only once!”

Renea’s eyes scrunched up as she looked away. “Dollie’s not a sheep… she’s a vixen.”

“Carlin,” Ailn said wearily. “Come on, man.”

“Love is… painful,” the old stonemason said somberly. “In both the bowels of the earth… and the cruelty of sunlight.”

Staring up into the glare of fake sunlight streaming from the dome, Ailn deeply regretted his choice of setting. It was working way too well. Every light prod on the ribs led to shouting and sobbing.

New tack: go for Tuck, who’d been keeping quiet this whole time next to ‘Dollie.’

“Alright Geoff. Sounds like you’re the real mastermind here,” Ailn said. “Anything to say for yourself?”

“I suppose there was no helping it,” Geoff scoffed, lifting his chin. “None of these pissants has the mind or mettle.”

Carefully watching Tuck, Ailn noticed the smallest wrinkle around the brows. He had self-control, that was for sure.

“...Geoff didn’t do jack!” Dollie spat. She’d evidently lost her cool from being thrust into the spotlight of the soap opera, and could no longer handle Geoff's condescension. “Sir Geoff here made all his fortune selling monkeys to old noble ladies who thought they were too good for cats!”

Geoff squinted at her with utter disdain. “And what in the blazes is wrong with that, you daft harlot…?” His voice started as a contemptuous whisper, before escalating to a furious roar. “I saw a gap in the market and I filled it!”

“Yeah?” Dollie cackled. “Where’d you learn that jargon? The baby thinks he’s in charge ‘cause we take the spoon and ch—OOF! What’s your freakin’ problem?!”

Tuck elbowed her hard. He was silent, but his brows had been creasing deeper since she’d started talking, his grimace twisting more and more.

“Listen, Tuck. Dollie’s trying to stick up for you,” Ailn said.

“Yeah, I am!” Dollie agreed angrily. Then when Carlin started to moan sadly, she started stammering in a fluster. “I-I’d stick up for you too, Carlin! Jeeze!”

“...I don’t give a damn if Dollie defends me,” Tuck growled.

“Well screw you too,” Dollie sneered. She looked like she wanted to spit on the chapel floor or Tuck himself. “And God, could you not call me ‘Dollie?’ It’s disgusting.” Then, after a moment. “...No, Carlin! I didn’t mean you!”

“I can tell you don’t care about making the history books,” Ailn acknowledged. Seeing no change in Tuck’s expression, he let out a defeated sigh. “I get it. It’s a hard job, carrying the world without ever taking the credit. But that’s the only way things ever get done, isn’t it? Everything would fall if you just… shrugged.”

The scowl that had set deep across his face flickered with real indignation for a moment.

“A whole vertical integration scheme… between the hostel owners, the debtors, the loan sharks, the artisans, and the merchants. It’s something else, isn’t it?” Ailn asked. “You got the labor. You got the capital. You managed the inventory and the workers without anyone ever noticing.”

“Who the h—” Geoff started.

“Shut the hell up, Geoff,” Tuck said. He wasn’t looking at Geoff or Ailn. “...I need to hear this.”

“Hear that, Geoff?” Dollie cackled.

“You can shut your trap too, Dollie,” Tuck growled, finally turning his glare on someone specific. “You were the worst one. You were supposed to wrap everyone around your finger and make it easy… but all you did was shove that finger in my face! I would’ve been better off without your dumb ass!”

“Oh, WOULD you?” Dollie shouted, shoving a finger in his face.

“Yeah. I would. You didn’t even get Geoff to fall in love with you,” Tuck’s nostrils were flaring. “How the hell can you fail at the one thing you were supposed to do? Are you somehow bad at being pretty too?”

“...Bite me, you asshole,” Dollie gritted out, sounding a little hurt. Then, her expression scrunching up, she kicked him hard. “Take it back!”

Ailn closed his eyes to think, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, arms loosely crossed. The entire criminal ring’s lingo was so muddied up with buzzwords that he couldn’t be certain. But… he’d seen enough of their behavior that he felt pretty confident.

“You know,” Ailn sighed, “You’re plenty cute, Dollie. It really is too bad we had to meet like this.”

“Huh?” Dollie blinked. “Y-yeah. Of course I’m cute.” Clearing her throat, she flashed him a ‘come hither’ look. “If I’d known I caught the eye of a ducal son, maybe I would have stayed on the straight and narrow,” she sighed. “Maybe you could… give me another chance?”

For just a second, the thoughts in Ailn’s head turned fuzzy as Dollie’s teasing, searching eyes met his. He hadn’t lied about her being attractive. But at that moment the thought of letting her go was tempting in a way that went beyond that.

He locked his gaze with hers, and began to manifest his emerald eyes.

“Wha—?!” Dollie gaped, unable to look away. “They’re gorgeous…”

Suddenly, her eyes began to turn red. The red got brighter, and more intense, until they were revealed for what they were: ruby eyes. Then they disappeared all at once—and immediately the woman shivered.

“What the hell did you do?” Dollie shouted, turning pale. “My eyes… I-I can’t feel them anymore.”

“That’s because I took them,” Ailn said bluntly. “I meant what I said by the way. They’re gone, and you’re still cute.”

“Don’t act like wrapping it up nice makes it better, you asshole!” Dollie yelled. She was still rubbing her eyes, but there was a slight blush on her face.

“What did you just do…?” Geoff asked, eyes wide with disbelief. His stare shifted from Ailn to Dollie. “You’ve been a demon this whole time?”

“N-none of us knew anythin’ about that!” Carlin stammered.

“...Gee, thanks for the defense,” Dollie muttered.

Renea, who’d been watching in shock, tugged at Ailn's sleeve. “What are you doing?!” she whispered in a panic. “Y-you can’t just… everyone’s gonna know!”

“It’s fine,” Ailn said. He shrugged dismissively. “I haven’t read anything about an emerald stigma.”

“That doesn’t mean you should—”

“They can talk all they want in prison,” Ailn said. “I’m never gonna finish this job if I fret over every little thing.”

“Job?” Renea tilted her head.

“Yeah, a job. A long-term one,” Ailn said. Then he rubbed the soreness in his neck. “Pretty sure I’ve got two deliverables today.”

Dollie had done him a favor, trying to seduce him with her ruby eyes. The moment he felt something messing with his mind, he had as strong confirmation as he was ever gonna get that she was a reincarnator.

Now, all that was left was to determine whether Tuck was one too. It was suspicious that they were a pair—not only that, but Tuck had spent half the interrogation trying to keep Dollie quiet. Ailn had a feeling he was the source of all those buzzwords the criminal ring loved to use.

But he wasn’t quite sure what Tuck’s power would be.

Stooping down in front of Tuck, Ailn made direct eye contact.

“Gotta say, I never expected to meet two of you at the same time,” Ailn said. “Honestly, I’m still not sure of it. Could just be that Dollie taught you all those business words.”

Tuck didn’t respond. His expression didn’t even change. It seemed he’d caught on to what happened, and was adamant not to give himself away—he kept a perfect poker face.

“Well, I’m gonna give it a try anyway,” Ailn said. He paused dramatically for effect, before summoning up the most over-the-top hardboiled tone he could. “You feelin’ lucky punk?”

A derisive snort escaped Tuck—one he just couldn’t hold back.

“Gotcha,” Ailn said, manifesting his emerald eyes again.