Seed of Titan-Chapter 210: Under Hypnosis?

In what looked like a small detainment cell, Drai was sitting cross-legged on the floor with his eyes closed. He now wore a bright orange detainee suit, and around his neck was a metal collar, presumably some kind of device.

Earlier, after the colonels found out about Christo’s pendant, Drai was inevitably detained, along with Ailem since she was suspected to have lied in her verdicts regarding Drai’s statements. The two were then sent to the detention center for further investigation and their possessions were confiscated, including Drai’s storage bracelet and pendant.

Minutes passed by as Drai remained still. He had actually wanted to train to kill time, but since the room was too small to practice his moves and calisthenics no longer had any effect on him, he decided to try meditating the way Jian usually did back in the dorm.

Moments later, Drai opened his eyes and sighed.

’This is harder than I thought. I can barely empty my mind with all that’s happening,’ he thought as he walked to the door and picked up the food tray lying there. He then sat on his bed and gobbled the cold food that hardly sate him.

Putting the tray away, Drai laid on the bed and thought of the person who unknowingly got him in this predicament.

’How did Christo not mention that his pendant is so troublesome? If I’d known it would get me into this situation, I wouldn’t have accepted it. Well, I hope he doesn’t get upset if I fail to get it back...’

Drai paused his thoughts as he suddenly had an urge to try activating his skills. But after glancing at the surveillance camera in the far corner of the ceiling, he ultimately decided against this, worried that it would land him in more trouble.

’They must have taken some precautions, otherwise captives would wreak havoc with their skills,’ he mused before resuming his previous thoughts. ’Anyway, why does Christo have what looks like the Royal Family’s emblem on him? Is he really royalty or did he find it in one of his explorations? Wait, is that thing even the real deal? It doesn’t look that intricate to me—I don’t think making a fake one should be that hard. But still, it’s not like the guys here will easily let me go even if the pendant’s not genuine. Carrying around a symbol that looks like the insurgents’ mark is still highly questionable.’

Sighing again, Drai couldn’t help but miss his wilderness life. Even though it was devoid of the conveniences of civilization, it was mostly peaceful by his standards. And most importantly, he had all the time in the world for training, and gathering essence was incomparably easier too.

’Hmm, I wonder how I’ll do without Max if I try living out there again. After all, he’s the one who had been making all our equipment and tools, not to mention I’d have to learn to start a fire on my own without that skill of his. If I somehow get a fire conjuring skill, that would certainly make things easier, but I don’t think the System will ever grant it to me since I’ve always looked down on magic and can’t even use mana. Speaking of which, I haven’t leveled up for a while now. Maybe I should just assimilate that spear guy’s essence after this whole thing is over.’

At that moment, the short beep from the cell’s buzzer startled Drai. Following that, the cell door opened.

"Private Drai Varz, your interrogation is due. Follow me," the guard standing outside ordered.

Drai quietly obeyed and got up from his bed. Upon exiting his cell, he saw that there were two other guards standing in the hall, seemingly there to escort him.

’Relax, I won’t be escaping,’ Drai silently remarked upon seeing their vigilant gazes that locked onto him.

The leading guard then walked Drai through the building until they finally arrived at an inconspicuous door. After knocking twice, the guard opened the door and ordered Drai to enter.

What awaited him was a pair of slick-looking man and woman sitting before a table, both clad in a black service dress Drai didn’t recognize.

"We’ll take over from here. Thanks," the man said.

"Then we’ll be standing by just outside, sir," replied the guard before closing the door.

Then, the man smiled at Drai and gestured at the vacant seat across him.

"Good evening, Private Drai Varz. I’m Sol and this is Luna," the man introduced themselves after Drai was seated. "We’ll be carrying out your interrogation for today on behalf of the Intelligence Corps."

Hearing this, Drai’s heart sank a little as he realized he would probably spend a night or two or even more in detention.

’Looks like I’ll need to figure out how not to waste my free time. And these guys, Sol and Luna, eh? Heh, just like my academy—those are obviously codenames. I hope they’ll be straightforward unlike their introduction and not play good cop bad cop,’ he thought while eyeing the pair.

As if reading Drai’s mind, Sol added, "Don’t worry, we’ll try to wrap this up quickly with Luna’s help."

"Just do whatever if it’ll release me quicker," Drai remarked.

"Oh, we certainly will," Sol said before signaling his partner to begin.

Luna’s fingers twirled as she released pastel peach smoke that enveloped Drai’s head, befuddling his mind. Yet, in just a matter of seconds, he regained clarity.

’Huh? Was she trying to use a mental skill on me? Then what canceled it? Titan’s Fortitude? Hmm, I also somehow broke free from Tamara’s skill back then,’ Drai mused.

Meanwhile, Sol and Luna hadn’t realized that their hypnosis wasn’t working, so Sol proceeded to question Drai.

"Are you part of the rising insurgent group?"

"No," Drai flatly replied.

"Well, that was quite unexpected. Alright, let’s try another approach—do you admire the insurgents?"

"No." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Do your goals align with theirs?"

"No."

"What do you think of our current political system?"

"Nothing."

Hearing Drai’s answer, Sol and Luna glanced at each other, thinking this was the kind of sentiment they were looking for.

"So you think nothing of our nation’s governance? Why is that?" Sol continued. "Do you despise the ideology behind it? Or perhaps you also think nothing of the populace’s opinions and would rather have a select elite few one-sidedly determine the course of our country."

"You’re reading too much into my answer. I’m simply not interested in politics," Drai replied, still without much of an expression.

Drai’s response stunned Sol, who leaned closer to Luna and whispered, "Your skill is working, right?"

"It should be. Why? It’s not like you don’t know that only those with defensive mental skills or absurdly high intelligence can escape my hypnosis without struggling. This guy is only an early second stager and isn’t even a mage, I doubt he has either of those," Luna whispered back.

"He sounds oddly lucid for someone under hypnosis."

Eyeing the blank look on Drai’s face, Luna disagreed. "I think you’re just being too sensitive. Have you eaten yet?"

"...No. Maybe you’re right, let’s just continue for now."

After straightening himself, Sol said, "Looks like you’re wrongly accused then. So, that incriminating pendant of yours—why are you carrying that?"

"It was handed to me by a friend back in the academy on the night of the invasion before we separated. He said it’s a good luck charm that I should keep with me at all times."

"Good luck charm, eh? What a load of bull. What’s your friend’s name then? He sounds suspicious."

After a brief pause, Drai replied, "I don’t remember his full name, I simply know him as Christopher Maglan."

"Christopher Maglan, let’s see..." Sol mumbled as he ran the name through his comm-like device. Shortly after, he accessed Christo’s dossier.

"What is this?!" he exclaimed in shock upon reading the details, much to Luna and Drai’s surprise.

Luna wanted to get a look too, but since Sol was too engrossed with the dossier to share it with her, she decided to search for it by herself. Soon, she too gasped in astonishment.

’What the hell? What do they have on Christo?’ Drai thought upon seeing the two interrogators that were increasingly absorbed in their devices, completely ignoring him.

Eventually, the pair put down their wrists and turned to Drai again. Their faces now looked complicated, seemingly a mix of bafflement, intrigue, and apprehension.

"Do you seriously not know what kind of person your friend is?" Sol asked with furrowed brows.

"Not much aside from him being a sociable and smart guy. I only know that he has a complicated family. Oh—Natalia also mentioned that he comes from Crown’s Passing."

Regardless of whether Drai was under hypnosis or not, Sol felt his answer was genuine, so he said, "Do you know that place is the former capital?"

"Yeah, Natalia told me."

"What about it being the base of operations of the Monos Faction?"

"I think she mentioned that too, but I completely forgot about it until you brought it up."

"Well, your friend seems to be a core member of the Faction."

"Doesn’t surprise me. He got a long ass name, his family must be one of those abolished aristocratic ones."

"What about him being near the top of the Demos Faction’s watch list?"

"They’re opposing sides, of course he’s gonna get monitored while he’s in the capital."

"It’s not that simple. He’s suspected to have royal blood."

"I bet many others do too. The male royals must have multiple wives, right? Their descendants must be everywhere."

"Yet no one else is protected around the clock from the shadows by a sixth stager, supposedly a peak one at that."

This time Drai had to pause before replying. He knew Liam was strong, but not that strong. The old guard was basically on par with Zar level-wise, a level range so rare in Rivideria that the few who attained it could be counted with one hand, or at least that was what circulated among the public.

"So what does that mean?" Drai eventually asked back.

Yet, instead of a reply, he received a forceful grab on his arm.

"I know it. You’re not under hypnosis," Sol grimly remarked, gripping Drai firmly.

"Never said I was, but how did you realize? You’ve been so oblivious this whole time," Drai said, not looking particularly concerned.

Instead of Sol, it was Luna who answered.

"Simple—those under my skill never ask questions."