What are you doing? ......!

　After being captured by Iris (Rene), Diaz was forcibly dragged into an empty room nearby.
　You can find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.
　Perhaps it's not fear of Iris (Rene), but fear that everything will fall apart.

　Iris takes out the short staff she has tied to her thigh and gives it a swing.

"Silent". ...... This will ensure that no one around you can hear what you are saying here.

　All surrounding sounds are blocked out. It's a small area that encompasses just the two of you.
　It's a small area that encompasses just the two of you. Iris (Rene) doesn't need this, but it's a measure to put her partner at ease.

"First things first. As you can see from the wand, I am not your daughter, but the shadow warrior Iris.
　I'll get straight to the point. Have you given any information about the inside of this castle to Night Python?

　The question was so straightforward, without any preamble, that Diaz's eyes went black.

I'm not sure what you're talking about. ......

　I'm not sure what to say. He may have thought he was just being sickled. There's no evidence of that.
　But Iris (Rene), with her powers of emotional perception, had read the fear and guilt swirling within him.

　Iris continued to stare into the eyes of Diaz, who was too confused to fix his gaze.
　He immediately made a sound and bowed as close to 90 degrees as he could as if he was going to jump in.

'...... Yes, yes, I'm sorry!
　I was told to always find out which one of you is the real lady, and report back if asked. ......!　I'm being held hostage by my own family!

　--I knew it.

　Which of the two Master Catherine's is the real one and which is the fake? There are only a few people who can tell which of the two Katherine girls is real and which is not.
　The only people who can tell which of the two girls is the real one and which is not are the maidservants and the study and housekeeping teachers.
　If you can get into the hands of the teacher and get involved in the study scene, you can always keep track of the truth. After all, Catherine rarely misses a day of study.
　That's why Night Python suddenly turned Diaz into an academic.

　I wanted to say I don't give a d*mn about hostages, and if I wanted to, I could have tortured Diaz into submission and turned him into a double agent, but ...... that's not what Iris is allowed to say or do.
　What to do now, Iris (Rene) thinks.

　--But if that's the case, then this guy is a hired insider.
　　　...... Hmm?　I'm sure they'll choose someone in a better position for that. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what you need to do to get the most out of it.

　It is possible that there was no family member who could conveniently be taken as a hostage. ...... Was it all of them?

Why was it Mr. Diaz, I wonder?
What?
You take hostages and make them do your bidding.

　I only said it because I wondered, but at that moment, Iris (Rene) perceived a burning fear.

　This reaction is ...... something.

I don't know. ...... I don't know. ......
"Are you sure?
"What ......?
I'm asking you, do you really know nothing?

　The second one was quicker to snap.
　The second time, Diaz was quicker to snap.

I'm sorry about ...... too!　I needed the money for my family!　We were doing so well for so long, and then they suddenly ......!
I'm sure you'll be able to figure out how to get the best out of it.

　Iris (Rene) is stunned by the quirk. In other words, Diaz had been spying and selling information before the Count started working against Night Python.
　He has been feeding him and keeping him, so that when the time comes, he can find out important information. He even took hostages to make sure they wouldn't betray him.

　It would be troublesome to add a new informant, no matter how forceful. Those who are loyal would not betray their lord, and might pass on false information as double agents. It may be more rational to let those who were originally paid to distribute information do the work .......

　--But this ability can also be used as a lie detector. The fact that it won't work on people who lie without hesitation is the same as a real lie detector.

　It would be easier if I could just kill them with sword and sorcery and be done with it, but I can't say that there won't be more negotiations and brainstorming in the future. I'm sure this power will come in handy.

So, how did you know about ......?
Oh, well, ...... I was on the lookout for someone who might be trying to figure out the truth about me and the lady, and I got the feeling that she was hiding something. ......
...... I see. I'm sure you'll agree that adventurers have keen senses.

　In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to do.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure it's a good idea.　I'm not sure what to make of this.
Is that ...... enough?
I'm sure the Count will help you. I'm not sure what to make of it.

　Iris (Rene) said deceptively reassuringly.
　In the event you're not sure what to do, you'll be able to find out how to do it.

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. It's a good idea to take a look at the website to see if you can find any useful information.



　--No, no, no, I'm calm because I don't care about your life or the lives of the hostages.

　Diaz was impressed, but he kept his insignificant truth to himself.

"Until the hostages are rescued, I think we should do as we're told. If I may say so, but I don't think it's possible to target the young lady just because we know the truth.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to try.

That's right. ...... Yes, thank you. I will do that.
"Well, let's get back to work and study. Don't tell anyone about this.
I know. I won't tell.

　When Iris (Rene) released the "Silent", Diaz left the room, bowing again and again.

　As he was leaving.
　Iris (Rene) uses a simple wind spell with no chanting, and scratches off a few strands of Diaz's back hair.
　Diaz leaves the room, completely unaware of it.

　Iris (Rene) picks up the hair that remains on the floor.
　Then she grinned.

　--Okay, I got hair. If it's just your wife, there's nothing you can do, but if it's the kidnapped child, it's convenient. A child by blood can be chased.

　You need clues for your magic to find someone. An object or part of the body that is closely related to the person is often used. If you have the father's hair, you can find the child.
　Long-range detection consumes a lot of magic power, but the problem of magic power can be solved by making it a ritual magic and sharing it among several people, and the Count can probably gather that many magicians. Or rather, Iris (Rene) can do it by herself.

　The problem is when you set up a hideout in the middle of the wilderness or in a cave in the middle of nowhere, with detection-blocking magic. It would be like saying, "I'm hiding something," if you set up a hiding place in the middle of a city, but you can't tell if it's hiding unless you get close.
　In fact, criminal organizations often have hideouts in such places for emergency evacuation or hostage holding.

　...... Incidentally, this is adventurer knowledge salvaged from Iris's memories. It seems that the knowledge of the possessed person comes to mind as needed. Once the knowledge is retrieved, it is copied into Rene's head, but knowledge not retrieved by the time the possession is released will probably be lost from Rene.

　--If Night Python is careful, it won't work, but you can try ....... You'll be lucky if you can detect it.
　The hostages themselves don't matter, but if the Count is an undiscovered stronghold, we're one step ahead.

...... "Seek Person