“Don’t trust this evil, cunning monster,” the harp-wearer spy said, his heart as hard as black iron.
He drew a short sword and pressed it against the doppelgänger’s hairless, pale, soft neck.
Richard waved a hand.
“We need information.”
A pale blue field of truth spread out, enveloping the two men and the creature.
“Please…”
The doppelgänger’s blood flowed, dripping from her swollen, misshapen head.
Richard guessed that this rare creature’s head was supposed to be octopus-like, but now it resembled a potato—a potato smashed hard against a wall, assuming it didn’t shatter into pieces.
Her voice was as faint as a candle in the wind; no one doubted her next breath could be her last, taking valuable information with her to the grave.
She continued, “…At least stop my bleeding.”
The harp-wearer spy said, “She’s definitely faking it.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” Richard said.
“If you tell us everything about Thousand Crows’ Eye—everything we need to know—and you know what we need, I’ll let you go. At most, you’ll be held for two or three months until the dust settles. Thousand Crows’ Eye won’t know you betrayed him, and you can take a new face and live well.”
“Thou… Thousand Crows’ Eye?”
The doppelgänger’s mouth bled, her two pale yellow eyes fixed on Richard.
“I don’t know what that is.”
The blue field of truth turned red.
Richard said, “You’re lying.”
The doppelgänger replied, “Even if… I say I don’t know Thousand Crows’ Eye, you won’t believe me.”
“How about considering my deal?”
Richard said.
“Otherwise, your blood will keep draining, your veins will dry up, and you’ll feel the slow journey from life to death.”
The doppelgänger’s voice was low, as if she might stop breathing any moment.
“Are you… paladins so cruel?”
“You’re twisting words.”
“Is mercy… different for us than for humans?”
Richard countered, “Why wouldn’t it be?”
The harp-wearer spy, tugging at his black beard impatiently, said, “I say we give her a few kicks and ask about my companion’s whereabouts. Damn it, she served the harp-wearers for thirteen years.”
The doppelgänger’s mouth opened, filled with blood, her crooked white teeth looking like they were floating in it.
“I… I…”
“What’s that?”
Richard removed his helmet, pressing one hand on her neck and leaning down to listen.
The harp-wearer spy said, “You’re too cautious.”
“It’s in the interrogation manual.”
The doppelgänger suddenly let out a laugh, blood frothing at her lips.
“She’s poisoned, haha, she’s poisoned, she must be poisoned.”
“What?”
Richard looked up, checking the field of truth—it was still blue.
“Your dragon,” the doppelgänger said in a venomous tone.
“That savage dragon—I tricked her into eating wyvern venom poison. Just two drops can make a grown bull foam at the mouth and pass out. She was greedy, ate the whole pouch. I was worried she’d die and ruin my escape… hehe… hehe… with that much poison, even an adult dragon should be unconscious by now.”
“You tricked her?”
Richard’s fingers tightened.
“Paladin,” the doppelgänger’s potato-like face twisted into a smug expression.
“Looks like our bargaining chips are even now. Heal me first, and I’ll promise you a clue to the antidote.”
“Verbal promises won’t do,” Richard said. “You need to sign.”
“Look at my hands… do they look like they can move?” the potato-faced doppelgänger said.
“…Heal me, or you’ll watch your dragon die slowly in a coma… hehe… If she were a male dragon, I’d worry you’d sacrifice her for the greater good, but she’s a cute little girl, hehe…”
The harp-wearer spy said, “Don’t make promises—she might not even know the antidote’s clue. Listen, monster, we have plenty of tortures to crack your mouth open and see what secrets are hiding in that octopus head.”
“Paladin, doppelgängers are notoriously selfish—they don’t even raise their own young, luring women to birth and raise them instead.”
The potato-faced doppelgänger mocked, “I… could pull out my lungs for display, hehe… If I want, I feel no pain. I’ve been through the harshest torture training… Blackbeard, you’re scared, you’re terrified, I can feel it. You’re afraid you’ll give in… let me escape… you fear your own weakness.”
“Heh,” the harp-wearer spy said.
“I’ve been at this for years, and I still don’t know how to spell fear.”
As soon as he spoke, the blue field of truth turned red.
Richard stared into her pale yellow eyes.
“Sign or die. Sophia can resurrect you—a few diamonds’ worth. I bet after tasting the journey from life to death once, you’ll cherish your second life.”
Blood dripped from the doppelgänger’s mouth and head as she said, “What if I say no?”
Richard met her with a resolute gaze.
“Try me.”
The potato-faced doppelgänger tried to read his mind, her innate ability to silently probe shallow thoughts.
But Richard’s mind was like a copper pea—impenetrable.
No matter how she tried, she couldn’t pierce it to glimpse his thoughts.
Does he mean it, or is he just bluffing?
Under this agonizing deliberation, the doppelgänger felt her life slipping away.
She spoke, “I… I’ll give a little.”
Richard’s spirit lifted, like a commander seeing a breach in the enemy line, a chance for a breakthrough.
Just as Richard opened his mouth, Sophia’s voice came from the corner.
“Slow down! Slow down! Ahh, I’m going to fall, Lord above!”
Looking up, they saw Sophia riding a chair, which, upon closer inspection, Aurina was carrying by its legs, running with her, cheeks flushed, brimming with mischief, showing no sign of poisoning.
“Quick! Quick!”
Aurina set Sophia and the chair down.
“Use your wonderful fiancée incantation!”
The two men and the creature stared at the two women.
“Huh?”
Sophia, coming to her senses, was about to greet Richard when she saw blood splattered on the ceiling, walls, and floor.
She cried, “Blood, so much blood!” and instinctively raised a hand.
“Sophia, no—”
Before the word was out, a white light flashed over the doppelgänger, stopping her wounds’ bleeding and instantly scabbing them over.
“Phew.”
The potato doppelgänger exhaled.
“Feeling much better. Oh, I didn’t agree to your oath. I’ve heard not to make promises to paladins lightly. Hehe, that’s your ability, right?”
“What happened?”
Sophia blinked innocently at Richard.
“Did I mess something up?”
Richard slapped his forehead, sighing.
“I was negotiating with the doppelgänger. It’s not your fault—you can’t stand the sight of blood.”
“No worries,” the black-bearded harp-wearer spy said, his face dark, wiping his cold short sword back and forth on the doppelgänger.
“I can cut new wounds to keep the blood flowing. You can experience it again.”
“Too late,” the potato-faced doppelgänger smiled at Richard.
“Thanks to your teammate’s healing, I just swallowed a paralyzing drug. For a long time, you can do anything to me, and I won’t make a sound.”
“The drug will wear off.”
“If I don’t send the signal on time, they’ll know I’ve been exposed,” the doppelgänger said.
“I bet Thousand Crows’ Eye is itching for an excuse to slit the throats of his minions’ families. Hehe, he hasn’t done it yet because he’s waiting for a reason to avoid breaking the hearts of those working for him, hehehe.”
“You can try, paladin. When the assassin sent to kidnap your foster mother learns his daughter’s been turned into a whore, his old mother defiled and dead, and then thinks of the oath you gave them… will they still testify for you? Trust me, no man would.”
The black-bearded harp-wearer spy thrust his sword toward the doppelgänger’s face.
“But I can kill you!”
Richard raised a hand, blocking the sword. “Don’t be rash!”
“You know you can only let me go,” the doppelgänger laughed.
“In this bargaining game, I’ve won. A cheap deal is better than no deal. I can give you a sliver of information if you make me happy.”
Richard looked at the doppelgänger’s smug smile.
After Sophia’s healing, her face was less grotesque, more human-like.
But that only made her victorious grin all the more infuriating, tempting one to punch it off.
She was a seasoned spy, masterful at the bargaining game.
In this game, Richard had lost most of his chips, while she still held plenty.
Richard couldn’t help but sigh.
He should’ve anticipated Aurina’s actions.
She must’ve gotten greedy and tried to rob, accidentally exposing the doppelgänger.
But she has no sense of good or evil, and fearing a beating, she hurriedly dragged Sophia over.
Since slaying the dragon, Sophia’s hemophobia—or rather, her fear of seeing blood—had grown worse.
As Richard pondered his next move, Aurina’s head popped out from behind Sophia, tilting as she looked at the two men and the creature.
Seeing Richard unmoving, she ran to him, waved her hand, then jumped back, as if expecting him to whip out a belt and spank her.
“Don’t bother me,” Richard said. “I’m thinking.”
Aurina exclaimed, “The wonderful incantation worked!”
Richard’s heart was exhausted.
He had no energy to correct Aurina’s misconceptions—she never listened, letting his words pass like a breeze.
Just as Richard’s frustration peaked, Aurina stepped forward, grabbed the doppelgänger’s arm, rubbed it, sniffed it, and said, “Soft, should taste pretty good. Beast of burden, roast it quick.”
“No time.”
“Then I’ll try a bite.”
Aurina lifted the doppelgänger’s hand, opening her mouth to reveal her shark-tooth grin.
The doppelgänger flinched.
In Aurina’s eyes, she saw only the word “food.”
Suppressing her fear, she said, “Eating or killing makes no difference. Paladin, do you allow her to eat humanoids?”
Richard stopped Aurina, asking, “Are you scared?”
The doppelgänger laughed. “Just curious.”
“You didn’t answer directly.”
Richard withdrew his hand.
“Aurina, if you want to eat, go ahead—just don’t swallow it whole.”
“Yay!”
Aurina toyed with the doppelgänger’s fingers.
“Let’s start with the crispy fingers.”
The doppelgänger said, “Wait! She’s eating a person!”
“You’re a monster.”
“Right, right, a monster,” Aurina nodded.
“Richard only said I can’t eat humans or goblins, but you’re neither.”
“But I’m humanoid!” the doppelgänger said.
“Letting a dragon eat a person—doesn’t that violate your oath and purity?”
“Oh, I know this,” the black-bearded harp-wearer spy said.
“For justice, breaking an oath is nothing. Worst case, take a vengeance oath—evil must be slain, kill, kill, kill. I’ve seen it—clad in black, detecting alignment, chopping anyone glowing red.”
Richard said, “Slaying evil is a deranged, evil act. I’m not that far gone.”
The doppelgänger said, “So, eating people is fine?”
“No! It’s a self-walking crispy octopus head,” Aurina said, licking her lips.
The doppelgänger transformed before her eyes into Aurina’s cute form, speaking in her voice. “Can you bear to see me die?”
“Gah!” Aurina grew even more excited, her eyes gleaming.
“This king’s slim and tiny, so cute—no wonder it’s me. One bite must taste top-notch!”
“I can’t watch this cruelty,” Sophia said, picking up her chair. “I’m leaving.”
“Wait,” the doppelgänger called.
“Can you resurrect someone eaten? Even if they’re… a pile of dung? I’m just asking.”
Sophia shook her head and left quickly.
“Richard, can you let go of my horn?” Aurina said.
“This king’s been dying to taste what I’m like.”
“No! If I die, I’ll revert to my ugly form.”
“Then I’ll start with the toes,” Aurina said.
“Don’t worry, this king’s skilled—you won’t die, trust me. Keep that form. Beast of burden, let go of my horn!”
The black-bearded harp-wearer spy said, “No problem, out of sight, out of mind. I’ll keep watch. Go take a walk with your fiancée. This isn’t your fault—I’m sure you didn’t swear to ‘stop a heinous doppelgänger murderer from being eaten by a dragon.’ Oh, and honestly, I want to give her a few kicks and cuts myself.”
“No!” the doppelgänger said. “I’ll give you a riddle for information—just solve it.”
“I’m done!” the black-bearded spy said.
“Forget information or the big picture—I want to chop you into mincemeat and feed you to the dragon.”
“Richard!”
Aurina’s head was still held, and despite her struggles, she lunged toward the doppelgänger, her mouth snapping just shy of her.
The doppelgänger trembled in fear, certain that Aurina’s immense strength could bite off a chunk of her bone in one go.
“Make sure to gag her,” Richard said.
“Cutting her tongue might still make noise.”
“Are you even a paladin?!”
“For today’s actions, I’ll pray to the God of Justice for guidance,” Richard said solemnly.
“Oh, and find a room and spread ashes on the floor to avoid dirtying it. I don’t want to traumatize a third person.”
The doppelgänger’s cold sweat dripped onto the floor.
“I’ll talk! I’ll tell everything!”