CHAPTER 17: INTERROGATION - ALPHONSE AND DANIELLE

XENON WINGATE

PRESENT DAY - INTERROGATION

My breathing became more stable, as well as my blood pressure and my heartbeats. Just a slight glimpse of my memory with Serena would keep my mind at peace as if I’m not in the middle of a torturous interrogation right now. The electric chair I’ve been sitting for half an hour feels a lot more comfortable than before. I no longer feel irritated even if I’m drenched with sweat.

[Emperor Sirius Elkyria offered you an application for the Dragon Knight Academy, and you accepted it, together with you dragonoid slave Serena Maizono. Why did Serena go with you? Why did she support you?] The interrogator said.

“She has nowhere to go. If she wanders in Alterra all by herself, she’s afraid that she might get a cruel master again. That’s the only logical thing I can think of. I don’t know why she supported my goal of revenge towards Eldritch.” I said.

[You applied to Alterra’s Dragon Knight Academy even if you’re an Elysian. How did the people treat you when you enrolled in the Dragon Knight Academy?]

“Dragon knights… they all had their eyes with distrust. The fact that I’m a soldier that is supposed to serve Elysia was spread around the school, and because of that, most people avoid me. Since I'm branded traitor on Elysia, they are afraid to trust me." I scoffed. "That doesn’t matter to me since I don’t trust anybody. I had this reserved personality, never caring about people that comes and goes. I was betrayed, and I had no intention of experiencing that thing again.”

[What happened on your first year of stay in the Dragon Knight Academy? How did you and Serena do during those times?]

“Serena and I trained, studied, and worked. I had Serena train an ancient sword dance arts under a well-known sword instructor. I studied to sharpen my magical abilities on the library of the Guardian’s Haven and trained on a crusader’s course since I had a shield as a preferred primary weapon. Dragon Knight Academy only has three-day-lecture per week, so the rest of the free days are spent on getting stronger and smarter on our own and doing side-missions approved by the academy. Since we had free time on our hands, Serena decided to work as a commercial model and sidelined as a vocalist on the band Alteria, which earned her lots of money. I didn’t stop her because I want her to continue her career just like back when we were in high school. While me, I just stay on my home on my free days, practicing my magic and formulating my ultimate plan of vengeance against Cheng, Trystgade, and Eldritch. Serena and I rarely get together on free days, but on missions, she’s with me the whole time.”

[If she’s always with you the whole time, does she knew about the Psychic Amplifier?]

“She has nothing to do with this!” I cried. Hearing this mysterious interrogator question about Serena makes me snap. “Where is she!? Let her go! Release her at once!”

[We will. As soon as you give us the location of the Psychic Amplifier, then we will release you two.]

“I am trying to help you! What the heck do you want! I don’t know anything about the Psychic Amplifier, and neither did Serena! You’re just pulling our asses!”

[You knew, Xenon! You were there! You’ve seen it! All you have to do is remember again!]

“I don’t fucking know, dammit!” I cried. I’ve been shouting so hard that I already strained my vocal cords. My voice cracks every time I speak.

There was a half-minute silence. It gave me time to wheeze and rest my own self from stress. After that tiny break, the hologram globe flashed a picture of a man and a woman. I know these people. 

[Alphonse Faradeiss.]

Alphonse Faradeiss is a white man with blue eyes, long blonde hair in a man bun. He’s especially elegant, like a man you can see on a fairy tale. At first sight, you would be confused if he’s a man or a woman because his charismatic beauty would affect either or both sexes.

[Danielle Keine]

Danielle Keine is a woman with chocolate complexion and delicate eyes, snow blonde hair, and thick charming lips. She is an exotic beauty with the same level of elegance and charisma as Alphonse because she always wears daring princess dresses.

[They are your closest friends in the Dragon Knight Academy. Both are dragon knights, the same as you. Do you remember them?]

“Alphonse, Danielle… I remember them.” I smiled as I unlocked some memories with them inside my brain. “I don’t remember them being friendly with me though, not at least in the first quarter of my stay in the Dragon Knight Academy.”

[Tell me about them, Xenon.]

“Alphonse…” I scoffed. “Mister Tsundere is my freaking rival. He’s like a sea urchin; spiky on the outside but soft on the inside. He’s quite intimidating but once you get along with him, he’s a nice person after all. All you have to do is to get used to his loud potty mouth.”

[How about Danielle?]

“Danielle is a girl with aristocratic tendencies. She’s always choosy on everything, and it’s understandable for she is a well-sheltered girl. She always mixes her western languages whenever she talks, which makes her hard to understand sometimes.”

[Alphonse Faradeiss and Danielle Keine are with you on almost every operation you made until you dragon knights reached First Class. Does that mean they know about the Psychic Amplifier?]

“I don’t know!” I cried. “Why are you flashing pictures of the people I know in the academy?”

[We are checking if anybody else knows the location of the superweapon. This would be a lot easier if you can remember the Psychic Amplifier.] The interrogator said. 

Darn it. This mysterious interrogator is pissing me off. I’m still too weak to break free from this chair, but this is no time to rest. Serena is in danger. These mysterious bastards have her. But all I can do for now is to catch my breath.

There was a thirty-second silence until the interrogator asked again.

[Operation Arcadia Annihilation. That was the first five-star ranked mission you had, together with Alphonse and Danielle. Do you remember?]

“I…don't…” I muttered.

Hearing the title of the mission made my head hurt. There must be something I’m forgetting about it, and I need to recover those things asap.

[Let’s make a step back. The training. Five days before the Operation Arcadia Annihilation, you fought with a dragon knight for a shallow reason. Do you remember who is it?]

“That… I remember.” I smiled. “I remember who challenged me that day.”

[Who?]

“Alphonse Faradeiss and his Elemental dragonoid. It was a battle I wasn’t able to fight back.”

Suddenly, the hologram globe in front of me started to spin rapidly. Sparks fly as it went to its maximum speed of rotation until it gave a blinding flash of light, giving me a sight of my lost memory.

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