{Chapter 73} Interrogation in the Dungeon
Dark, damp, and uncomfortable.
These were perhaps the defining characteristics of every prison Anna had ever seen.
She had never encountered a prison that lacked any of these features.
The underground dungeon beneath Louise's estate was no exception.
If there was one thing that set it apart from other prisons, it might be the fact that it was "almost entirely devoid of prisoners."
The knights who had been recruited by Philsey were either dead or imprisoned in a jail outside the city.
After interrogation, Alphonso, who had nothing more to reveal, was also transferred to the same prison.
In other words, this dungeon was now Philsey's "private prison."
Although Philsey wasn't receiving any special treatment.
Led by the old butler, Anna descended into the underground dungeon and soon arrived at Philsey's cell.
The cell was no different from the ones Anna had seen before, equally filthy.
Philsey's bulky, obese figure sat on a small stool.
The fine silk garments he once wore were gone, replaced by a tattered, patched-up cloth prison uniform.
His hands were shackled, and a heavy iron ball was chained to his feet, making him look like a death row inmate.
But these precautions were necessary... especially when dealing with someone like Philsey, who was at least an E-rank or possibly even a D-rank knight.
Without such restraints, Philsey could easily bend the prison bars with his bare hands and stage a dramatic escape.
However, though only a few days had passed, Anna thought Philsey seemed to have lost some weight. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.
Sensing Anna's arrival, Philsey slowly raised his head and glanced at her with dull, lifeless eyes.
"Anna Garland."
He uttered Anna's full name in a flat tone, then fell silent again, his emotionless gaze fixed on her.
"Philsey Bill..."
"I'm curious, why have you come to see me now?" After staring at Anna for what felt like an eternity, Philsey finally spoke again.
"I... just wanted to know why you tried to assassinate me."
"...Hah." Philsey shook his head and slowly shifted his body, lying down on the pile of straw. "What's the point of asking me that now?"
"..."
"But, I suppose there's no harm in telling you."
"Whether it was recruiting knights or trying to assassinate you, I was just following 'orders from above.' I did what I was supposed to do."
"In other words, I was just carrying out orders."
"Orders from above..."
Anna fell silent for a moment, then asked:
"Was that 'above' referring to Theodore?"
"...Yes."
Philsey's expressionless face suddenly twisted into a strange, eerie smile, as if he had thought of something amusing. He answered Anna's question without hesitation.
"Or rather, the person with the most power and control in the Pure Blood faction of the kingdom is Theodore Caolius."
"Wait, what..."
Anna had only asked casually, but she hadn't expected Philsey to confirm it so readily.
The smoothness of his response, combined with that unsettling smile, made Anna wonder if Philsey was just messing with her.
"I was just saying it offhand. You don't have to take it seriously." As if sensing Anna's doubt, Philsey's smile remained unnervingly creepy.
"But then again, I'm going to die sooner or later, so there's no harm in telling you."
"After all, Theodore is trying to pin all the dirty work on me. So, why shouldn't I just expose him?"
"This..."
Anna was genuinely confused about what was going on.
"If you have more questions, go ahead and ask." Philsey rolled over indifferently, causing the wooden bed frame covered with straw to creak and groan, as if it might collapse at any moment.
"Do you know why your Pure Blood faction targeted me for assassination?"
"I... know." Philsey turned back to look at Anna, his eyes scanning her before he continued, "But I don't want to say it now."
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. What, can't you understand plain speech?"
‘I understood you perfectly, which is why I don't get what you mean!’
"Alright, let's change the subject..." Anna nodded. "Did you recruit so many followers because you really wanted to stage a rebellion?"
"It's not a rebellion. We were just trying to overthrow a tyrant... at least, that's what Theodore said." Philsey grinned, revealing his uneven, yellowish teeth.
"As I said earlier, I was just following orders from above."
"Alright, I see..."
Anna thought for a moment and realized she didn't have any more questions to ask.
"Then, I'll take my leave."
As Anna turned to leave, Philsey's eyes flickered.
"...Anna."
"Huh?"
Anna turned back, puzzled.
"I'm curious how long someone as tenacious as you will survive. I wonder if you'll be able to bring Theodore down."
"What?"
"Never mind, just consider it the ramblings of a madman."
You say it's rambling, but that just makes it even more unsettling!
What do you mean I'm tenacious? I don't feel tenacious at all! I died over and over again in the simulator...
As Anna walked away, Philsey rolled over again, facing the wall smeared with some unknown substance.
"How boring, Theodore. You want to hide so much, to clean up everything, and you even promised to take care of my family and compensate them... But I don't remember having any family."
"Unless you're referring to that worthless clan as my family? If so, your definition of 'family' is way too broad."
Muttering these words in a voice only he could hear, Philsey's face twisted into a sneer.
"My only family is myself. Since you've ignored all the dirty work I've done for you and the tributes I've paid, and now you want to kill me to silence me, don't blame me for striking back."
"Anna Garland... Hahaha... Hahahaha..."
As Anna climbed the stairs, she heard Philsey's slightly deranged laughter echoing from the cell behind her. She couldn't help but shiver.
"Has he really gone mad?"
Feeling a chill run down her spine, Anna shook her head and quickly made her way up the stairs.