Bab 13: Truthstone
The well-dressed man before me evokes a feeling of familiarity but I need a clue to remember him. He asked if I knew who he was, but as I ponder he continues to speak. Apparently, the question is rhetorical.
"I represent Duke Fairchild."
"[False.]" The truthstone didn't glow. Normally the stone only reports the veracity of statements from a person holding the stone. The result is determined solely by the color the stone glows. With my ability am I able to notice a response in the stone despite the speaker not holding it? If so this is a great advantage. Others won't see a color change and therefore won't know I can tell if they are lying.
The man stands in place staring at me intently like he expects a strong reaction to his statement. However, I am clueless. I— of course— know of Duke Fairchild but in my previous life, his power waned in comparison to my father's. He also died in the same calamity as my father, so I know even less about him.
"Can you repeat that? What does this Duke Fairchild have to do with me?"
A smug smile appears on the interrogator's face. "As I said before, I represent Duke Fairchild and he values the information you have."
"[False,]" the truthstone tells me without changing color.
Hmm, it appears my interrogator's statements really do trigger the truthstone's reaction. The truthstone must use an invisible and inaudible form of language that my ability can interpret. But, why is he lying about his identity?
"How does Duke Fairchild know me?"
"Give it up. We both know you betrayed Duke Fairchild at Alphonso's Plain."
"[True.]" The truthstone can only tell if the speaker thinks what he was saying is true. It's not omniscient.
"I have never met Duke Fairchild at Alphonso's Plain and I didn't betray him."
The stone glows green "[True.]"
"What? You've never been to Alphonso's Plain?" The smug smile drops off the lavishly dressed man's face. I've clearly caught him unaware now.
I decide to reveal my value. It will help keep me alive. Besides, I don't want to experience torture for withholding information I don't need to keep to myself.
"I have been there."
"[True.]" The stone glows green.
"So, you can provide information to aid in Shingo's capture of the tower?" His lost expression turns to one of eagerness.
"Yes." From my previous life, I have knowledge of the plain and how the Mallory family captured it.
[True.]
"What can you tell me about Malbec?"
I don't understand where this question comes from, but I make a mental note to look into this person if I survive.
"Never heard of him."
[True.]
The well-dressed man's jaw drops. "Who took you to Alphonso's Plain?"
"I went on my own."
[True.]
"Did you go there alone every time?"
Crap! I must answer, but I've been there multiple times in my previous life. I once went there with my father.
"No," I reply. It will look worse if the stone reveals me lying here. I don't have the cultivation or soul technique required to mask lies.
[True.]
"Who did you go with?"
This conversation is steadily going in the wrong direction. I need to be less passive and focus his attention on what I want him to learn. I can probe into who he works for using my familiarity with him and the Mallory family.
I tell him, "You know, you look familiar to me. I don't think you could be a guard of Duke Fairchild."
[True.]
The man frowns. "I look familiar to you? But, I don't recognize you... No, it's not important what you think."
"[True. True,]" says the stone without lighting up.
"Tell me, who did you go to Alphonso's Plain with?" he asks.
"I went to view the plain with the Mallory Family"
[True.]
"Impossible!" The lavishly dressed man nearly drops the dagger his hand is playing with.
[True.]
"Oh, how could you know the detailed situation of the Mallory family? Perchance you serve the Mallory family?" I ask.
His eyebrows narrow. "No. I don't represent the Mallory family."
[False].
Ahh, so that's how I knew him. I vaguely remember some old servants of the Mallory family. What's his name? John, no. Guilles or Niles?
"You don't need to lie to me, Niles. I recognize you as part of my Mallory family"
[True.]
"Impossible!" This time Niles drops the dagger. Judging by his reaction my guess is correct. "Who are you to the Mallory family?"
"I used to be quite close with the Mallory family. I'll do whatever I can to help them." I answer.
[True.]
"Why would you tell me this? I am not this Niles from the Mallory family," says Niles.
[False.]
"Okay... Okay, you're not part of the Mallory family," I lie.
[False.] The stone glows red and a conflicted expression appears on Nile's face.
"But, I would like to help the Mallory family all the same," I say.
[True.]
"Guards! Bring more truthstones and a cultivation measuring tool. I need to confirm that these stones are able to accurately gage truth and lies."
[True.]
* * * * *
Niles tries a variety of measures to find a flaw in the truthstones including a full body search, testing my cultivation level, trying multiple stones, and applying soul and spirit restricting talismans. In the end, he can't find a problem with the stones. Yet, he still doesn't trust my words completely.
"But… how did you enter into the plains with members of the Mallory family?"
Hopefully, I can trick him here.
"Oh, I said I went to view the plain I didn't say I entered the plain with them. The plain is visible from outside the barrier too."
[True. True. True.] The now multiple stones on my body all lit up green.
"Oh? That could be..."
[True.]
"Alright, tell me information that can help the Mallory family be the first to take the central tower."
Yes! I got away with it. He probably knows the Mallory family has yet to enter so it's impossible for me to have entered with the Mallory family. Thus, he didn't bother confirming this point. Now I can prove my worth using the stories my father told me of his exploits in Alphonso's Plain.
"Please, I'd like some guarantee from you for my life."
[True.]
"I can promise nothing... but I'll consider letting you live and not torturing you if you can really supply me with enough useful information.
[True. True.]
"Very well, let me first inform you about the native tribes on Shingo's side of the tower... The tribes consist of the Shoe, Gray, Sky, Feather, Bear, and Rabbit tribes. The Rabbit Tribe will likely be neutral in this conflict. Especially if you offer them a bit of land near the forest. The Bear and Feather clans have a long history of enmity you can trick them into attacking each other by stealing the sacred Feather Totem. You can steal it by drawing away the priests who will go to the mountain with the tribe if they see lightning during the daytime. Simply release a lightning element spirit in the nearby hills. Planting it in one of the Bear tribe's stone circles will suffice. As for the Shoe and Gray tribe that live near the tower, you can sneak troops past them by using a cave. Bring me a piece of paper I'll draw the approximate location and write down a description on how to find it..."
[True. True. True. True. True. True. True. True.]
The more I reveal, the higher Niles' eyebrows rise. His eyes gleam in anticipation and his mouth opens in shock.
"Next let me talk about a few monsters you will encounter. A horde of troglodytes swarms this area of forest between twilight and dawn." I point at my rough map. "A minotaur clan lives in these caves... Bloodsucking giant bats roam this area..."
[True. True. True. True.]
"Now as for how to enter the tower and gain control of the mechanism... The main gate asks a riddle that will open if you answer with the word for love in the ancient tongue of magic. The passcode to the elevating platform terminal is 1342. You will likely need a twilight core matrix in the tower. Past that you are on your own."
[True. True. True. True.]
As I spoke, I left out a few key details I knew would pose a problem that my father could solve. I did this to afford my former father the chance to brag about his resourcefulness in the future.
"How do you know all this?" Niles still has disbelief plastered on his face.
"I've received this information from a man that was able to enter and scout the Alphonso's Plain."
[True]. The truthstone cements my statements with a green glow.
"This information is enough for you to succeed in taking the tower before all others. I suggest you hold on to me in case you need more information that I haven't thought of. I'm very well informed."
[True. True. True.]
"So, what will happen to me now?"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone