章 5: Chapter 4
Nyle went inside room number 35-A, half expecting to find in front of him a sobbing family completely surrounded by an impenetrable wall of elves. The reality, however, wasn't like that.
While there was a group of elves that was surrounding in a circle the victim's family, which by some strange motive was more composed than he thought, it wasn't anything as big and overwhelming as he had imagined. Only four lieutenants, the lowest officer rank in the hierarchy of the Civil Order, and a single senior officer were closely guarding them while an elven elder was offering some kind of relief to the widow, who was looking at the walls with the emptiest of stares that Nyle had ever saw.
One of the senior officers, a fellow inquisitor, if Nyle's eyes weren't wrong, turned his head the moment he heard the door hinges croaking in protest. He initially looked angry, as if Nyle and Avron had interrupted him in whatever task he had been busy. But when his eyes met with Nyle's, something strange happened: he seemed to relax. "Inquisitor Nyle. Come in." said that mysterious elf in such a tone of familiarity that even Nyle, who had grown accustomed to almost every oddity during the years, was taken aback.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Nyle confused.
That elf laughed. "No, no. Don't be ridiculous. How could you? This is the capital of the Imperium, one of the largest cities in the entire continent! You can live a whole life in this city and not even get to know all the people that live in your neighbourhood."
"Then how do you know my name?"
This was getting stranger by the minute.
"Inquisitor, your actions in the brief time you've joined the Order have no-"
"Brief? It's been fifteen years, you know…"
"Well, in our eyes…" said the man in a calm voice, leaving his sentence hanging in mid-air. However, Nyle quickly picked up the thin veil of arrogance that this elf was traying to hide behind that tone. "It's a barely perceptible time frame. Our long lifespans make us view the world in a different way than the short-lived races. I'm sure you know, but you people tend to have a limited und-"
"Sorry to interrupt, but can we get this over with? I would like to hear the family's testimony before the Magisters arrive, which can be at any time." said Nyle, trying all his best to remain calm and unaffected by such an attitude. Time was the essence, and it was running thin by the minute.
"Ah. Of course, of course." A punchable smile appeared on elf's face. "Anyway, stories about your temperament and willingness to go any length to resolve a crime are known through the entire city. Though, were it not for them, you would have already advanced in your career. Wouldn't you, inquisitor?"
"…I've never cared for such things, and I never will. Crimes should be our top priorities. Not career climbing and social events." Then, before hearing the remark that elf was sure to say to him, he added. "It's not like I don't like the power that a higher rank would give me. I have tried many times to rise mine, but it has never worked. But, who knows. Maybe now's the charm?"
"Yeah, I can respect that." said the elf, this time looking utterly sincere. "But I advise to not overstretch. Politics are something we all must learn to deal with, I'm afraid."
As the conversation came to a null, the elven inquisitor, whom Nyle still didn't know his name, turned around and ordered his fellow officers to prepare the family to release their statement. By the way the all immediately jumped in action, it was clear to Nyle that they either deeply respected that man, or they deeply feared him. Most of the times, those two things were hard to distinguish.
"…sitor. Inquisitor!" a voice called out. So Nyle turned around, only to find that rookie right beside him.
"What are doing…?" Nyle whispered back, trying to understand what was going on.
"Shouldn't we wait Captain Villamor? Didn't th-"
The circle of elven officers that surrounded the widow, who looked like a woman in her thirties with deep dark black hairs and blue eyes, and her son, a young man that was as tall as his mother, escorted them to the pristine table that was near the right wall. A glass inkwell and a pen were immediately taken from the nearby desk, where the transcriptionist usually sat, and placed in front of them as they sat down.
Then, the other senior officer, who looked way too young to be in that position, signalled the elven inquisitor that they were ready to begin. "Inquisitor Eldrin, we're to begin."
"Good. A minute and we'll begin." said Eldrin. Huh. So that was his name. good to know. But first he had to finish that debate with Avron.
"Things have changed. We cannot wait." said Nyle as he smiled towards Eldrin to mask his feelings.
"What? What is-"
"Don't worry. It's not like I'll keep all the information to myself. We'll just begin on our own. That's all."
"But-"
"Don't…worry."
Then the conversation really stopped.
As everything around him kept on moving. Nyle stopped and thought for a second, trying to recall even the most distant memories in a desperate search that would have helped him reorganizing his mind. That name, though not that common between elves, was not new to him. He vaguely remembered reading, or maybe hearing something about a certain elven inquisitor who had the same name. But what it was exactly, he just couldn't remember.
Eldrin's voice broke him out of such thoughts. "I have a proposal, inquisitor Nyle. A proposal that will not doubt benefit both of us, in the grand scheme of things."
"What kind?" asked Nyle in a straight face that didn't leave even a trace of emotion seep through. In negotiations, he too had learnt to hide behind a mask of stoicism, even if he hated doing it. His was a fiery temperament, driven by such a strong sense of pursuing justice that sometimes it had earned him some punishments. Over time, however, he too had learned to be more…cautious in those sorts of things.
"Let's share the statement. You and I can work together to obtain the most that we can out them. Let me be the first to share things: I don't know the specifics of the case. The young man that has contacted us only told us about a murder that has occurred and the relatives of the victim. We don't know anything else."
"Then why propose such-"
"Because the family isn't in a stable enough mindset to closely collaborate with a human."
Nyle almost let that information crack his façade, barely managing to recompose himself. No way that shit was going to get in his way.
"I'm also an inquisitor. Surely they can trust me."
"Really? After all the riots that took place in this town after the last forced recruitment to the army, can you really believe they'll talk with a human? No."
In the last month, news about the ongoing war had become harsher. The few soldiers who had been released due to injuries spoke about slow and continuous battles that costed a lot of lives and prolonged the conflict to unnecessary lengths. Lengths that were costly.
A possible end to that madness was nowhere near in sight. So, the great Ministry of War, in all its wisdom and willingness to please the emperor, who without the shadow of a doubt would have richly rewarded those who quenched his thirst for victory over that hateful enemy who had so cowardly attacked without any kind of warning, had given orders to conscript new soldiers. Sadly, that also meant taking most of the men from the already on edge minorities. To Nyle that was the greatest bullshit that the Ministry of War had ever come up.
What the fuck were the thinking? But maybe that was exactly the problem. No one in their right mind would even think such a fucked-up plan. They couldn't have expected that those men would quietly obey without revolting, did they?. Even if more than sixty percent of the armed forces, whatever Navy or Army, was composed of human soldiers, that was no excuse to proclaim an order like that. The chaos that had erupted after was just a confirmation of that.
Nyle scoffed. The more he thought about those riots that had just recently took place, the more that proposal seemed to make sense. A grief-stricken elven family would have rather talked to an inquisitor, or any other for that matter, of the same kind than to a human one. That was the harsh reality. A reality, however, that Nyle didn't like in the least.
"Alright." said Nyle after a minute of silence. "Let's do that. But I warn you. I'm not going to sugarcoat my questions, if that's what you're thinking."
"Surely the situation will benefit if we offer some kind of…sympathy, don't you think?"
"…Maybe. Or maybe not. We'll see how it goes."
Inquisitor Eldrin clapped his hands as the barest hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Good! Now, before we begin, might you tell me who's he?"
Nyle looked past his shoulders, gazing at the immobile sight of Avron. He stood there, his eyes fixed on the family that was sitting on the table, completely ignoring the two senior officers that were in front of him.
"He's new to this." said Nyle. "For the moment, he's going to work with me."
"Ah! The so renewed lone wolf is showing the way to a recruit? Now that's something unique."
"No, no. I'm not-"
"Anyway, better get to it, right? Surely we don't want a certain captain to arrive right now?"
Nyle nodded absentmindedly. But when those words had settled in, his eyes opened wide. There was no way that-
The smile that elf threw at him was the only confirmation the he needed. "Damn it…" said Nyle dejected. All that effort and he knew about the captain. "…Me and my damned luck."
However, it was too late for regrets. Now it was time get some answers.
//////
"So, did Nyvor have any known enemies or anyone who could have wanted to harm him? I know it's difficulty, but please try to remember. Anything that you can tell us now will help us in the future." said Eldrin in the same fake smile that Nyle had endured for quite some time now.
In the previous minutes the elven mother, who had pitch black hairs and light blue eyes that immediately stood out, had been introduced to them by one of the elven entourages that was carefully observing the whole room. Why were they so on edge when they were literally inside one of the safest and most guarded building in the whole capital was something that was completely alien to Nyle. Maybe they were on edge too after the mess of the last riots…
"N…No." said the widow, which was called Isobel. Her ragged breaths and cheeks wet by bitter tears were normal signs of a person who had just lost a loved one, even if she tried her best to appear strong in front of her son. Her eyes, red and consumed by the weeping, didn't show any of the weakness she was surely feeling deep inside her. "Nyvor is…I mean…was a baker, and he got along well with everybody. Everyone in the neighbourhood loved his humour, although he could even make jokes at the worst possible time."
"Could someone had taken offence with one o-"
"No. Even if sometimes he was caught in an argument, he knew how to make himself loved. He has helped so many people before…before…"
The elven elder that was sitting beside her whispered some words of encouragement to her ears, making her calm down.
"Alright, miss Isobel. So you rule out the possibility that someone within the neighbourhood might have qualms with him? I don't know, maybe even due to his job."
"No. The one did…that to him cannot possibly live near us. It's impossible. You know it, inquisitor. We elven people always help each other out."
"I know, miss Isobel." said the inquisitor in a genuine smile.
As a brief silence fell inside interrogation room number 35-A, Nyle who had remained silent since the start, pondered very quickly what to do. It was clear that Eldrin had managed to create a bridge of dialogue between him and the widow. Just as it was clear that the woman, however shaken by grief and bereavement, wanted to cooperate. But the question was: would she also cooperate with Nyle, a human inquisitor? Well, there was only one way to find out.
"Miss Isobel, I'm sorry about your grief." said Nyle as he tried to be the more empathetic that he could. "And if there's anything we can do to help you out, let us know."
Isobel looked at Nyle with a look that was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "You're going to help us? You? This is ridiculous. How can a human like you help me man-"
Damn it. She sure didn't take a liking to his words. Yet another proof that empathy was just a wa-
"He can be trusted." suddenly remarked Eldrin, surprising Nyle for the first time in…wait. How long was that? He didn't even remember the last time he was shocked like that.
Isobel and Eldrin, completely disregarding Nyle and his young companion, began to talk in elven. While the official language of the Imperium was the most spoken, the vast cultural background of its creation, which dated back centuries, had resulted in a myriad of languages and dialects being commonly spoken every day. Official elvish, which differed from the various dialects in its phonetics that sort of resembled the imperial language, was the one that the two elves Nyle had in front of him were probably speaking.
How he wished he could have understood what they were saying to each other. The best he could do was trying, in some twisted and completely unreliable way that was far off from anything that made sense, to decipher the facial expressions and the little gestures they were exchanging.
After a short while, dialogue took on calmer, more relaxed tones, until it stopped altogether. All Nyle was able to understand through all of that bickering, that he would rather have done without, was that the two had reached some sort of understanding, or perhaps agreement. It was maddening to have the answers right in front of him and lack the necessary knowledge to understand them.
"It took some convincing…" said Eldrin, turning to the right to look at Nyle straight in the eyes. "But she's willing to trust you. Still, you must tread carefully. Her interactions with your kind weren't…optimal, to say the least."
"What does that mean? Did something happ-"
"Most humans are shortsighted, vengeful, and utterly greedy when they find themselves in control of other people's fate." blurted out Isobel. Nyle barely refrained himself from verbally lushing out at that nonsense. "If you're searching for the culprit, then search your people, inquisitor. I'm sure you'll quickly find whoever did this massacre."
"Do you have any evidence that could point out the culprit? Do you possess some information that will allow me to arrest the correct person?"
"No. But-"
"Then save it. I don't want to hear it." said Nyle, who was nearing his limit. He was tired, sleepy, slightly angry, and all his body craved for was a soft bed where he could comfortably lie and leave all the problems behind. "Call me heartless, bastard, demon, or whatever insult you can came up with. I don't care. My only priority is, and always will be, bringing closure to you and all the families that had been forced to deal this. So, will you help me, or not? In any case, make up your mind."
The deafening silence that followed could have shattered glass into thousands of fragments. As if that wasn't enough, the cold and angry stares that the elven entourage was now directing at them made the tension skyrocket so high that any other men in their places would have walked out with their tail between their legs. Still, it was worth it. Perhaps he could have said it in a little gentler tone and achieve the same results, but he was not like that.
For better or worse, he was true to himself and his way of being. A trait that anyone would have seen and recognized.
"…You're a strange one. Your way of doing things is unusual. I have never seen such a thing in your kind before."
Nyle shrugged. "I'm far from unique. The world is full of people like me. It's just that you won't find another man or woman who shares the same position as mine act like I do. With power, comes responsibility and etiquette. I just don't give a damn about that."
"So you're what, exactly? A dark horse?"
"An Inquisitor ready to follow the truth, whatever the price I'll have to pay. Of that, you can be sure."
Then Nyle put his elbows on the table's surface, leaning slightly over. "For the last time, will you please answer my questions? I really want to help you. But I can't if you aren't willing to trust me. I you're your help."
Isobel looked troubled. Her eyes were lost in thought, and the nervous reaction that her hands were having, twitching back and forth as the fingers intertwined together, augmented the appearance of the wrecking ball of nerves she was already displaying on her face.
Suddenly, when Nyle was going to give up, her son grabbed her right hand. While his appearance resembled that of young teenager, dark haired like his mother and eyes like his father's, he was most probably older than Nyle. "Mom…." he said in a trembling voice, holding back the tears that threatened to come out. "Help him. Dad would have done it."
At the mention of her loved one a single lone tear fell on her cheek, making her skin glisten in the light. "…You're right, little one." said Isobel in a weak smile that reached to her eyes as she untangled her hands to dry her cheek. The love for her son was so powerful that even her strong reluctance quickly disappeared in a heartbeat when faced with it.
"Tell me what you wish to know, Inquisitor. I'll do my best to help you."
Nyle, for the first time all day, smiled genuinely. While maintaining a certain detachment, he made sure to quietly mumble a thank you.
"Can you please tell me what kind of man was Nyvor?"
"What do you mean?"
"I would like to know his character. The way he used to act and make decisions."
"As I have said before, Nyvor wasn't the type of man that would go out searching for troubles. Quite the opposite in fact. In the rare nights he went out drinking with some of his friends, he was the one who tried to calm tempers in case it became necessary for him to intervene."
"So Nyvor went out drinking on rare occasions?"
"Yes."
"Did he went out yesterday night, or…?"
"Yes. He told me he wasn't going to stay out late. Even when he didn't return home, I didn't worry. He never gave me a reason to."
"Wait. Why didn't you say it sooner? This is an important piece of information."
"…I'm not in the best shape." said Isobel, who looked quite understandably exhausted and deeply affected by her grief. Nyle supposed that could explain her oversight.
"I understand. I cannot even imagine the current state you're in. But I must ask you. Do you remember where he went yesterday night, or who his friends are?"
"…There's Edward, the human carpenter, Ryo and Nym, elven hunters, and others. They usually hang out to the tavern near the monastery. The one ran by those veterans."
"…The Warrior's Rest?"
"Yes. That's the one."
Shit. Now that was going to complicate matters. The ones who ran that place had a fiery temperament in regards to the authorities, and they would never react well if they had to step inside their establishment. Not that they were mellowed with customers. They had the unshakable conviction to apply their rules to anyone who stepped inside. For those who ignored them, well, they'll soon meet the wooden planks of the floor.
"…Dammit."
"What's the problem?" asked Isobel.
"Oh, nothing. Don't worry about it."
Nyle closed his eyes briefly. He already could picture the giant chaos that was for surely going to happen the moment he set foot inside that damned place. But what other choice did he have? Refuse. No. That wasn't an option. If nothing else, he now had a lead. And that was already something.
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