The Former Demon Queen Faces Interrogation

Shortly after the orc raid, Regiment Commander Elizabeth Strongheart pulled Mary aside to question her on the impossible thing each and every one of them had just witnessed.

"So... what you're saying is, because you saw your friend in danger, coupled with the adrenaline pumping through your veins in the moment, you somehow found the strength inside you to turn a twenty-ton, hardened oak dinner table into matchsticks?"

"Yes!"

"And you weren't hurt in the process?"

"No. I-I mean, yes. I mean—"

Following Mary's frantic responses, the woman just sighed, placing her gloved gauntlet over her face.

"Look, are you sure you're not some kind of monster or wild demon in disguise? Pretending to be a human?"

Mary's blood instantly ran cold, her eyes widening in horror.

"Because those are the only kinds of species that possess strength to that level."

Mary couldn't speak. Her breath was stuck in her throat from shock. A demon? How did the woman know? How did she come so close on her first guess? No, it was just that, a guess. The commander wasn't fully certain. All Mary needed to do now was continuously lie through her teeth while she stayed calm.

She was certainly no monster or wild demon, but if the commander kept up her interrogation at this pace, she might soon narrow down her way to the truth.

"No, ma'am! I assure you... it was just in the moment, you know? The table might not have even been that strong. May-may-maybe termites had already eaten through most of it, I-I'm sure?" Mary desperately rambled, trying to cover her tracks.

"It's Mary, right?" the woman cut in, raising an eyebrow.

Mary nodded.

"Look," the commander continued, letting out an exasperated sigh. "It has been an eventful day, and I want to keep this short. As regiment captain of the knights of Blendingbrook, I make it my job to know the ins and outs of this town. The security of these good people falls squarely on my shoulders and the shoulders of my troops, as you saw today, no doubt."

She paused, gesturing all around them at the unconscious orcs being gathered up by the soldiers. "As you can see, it is my duty to handle things that would potentially pose problems to the good citizens of Blendingbrook. Which brings me to my question."

The black-haired armored lady narrowed her eyes at Mary.

"I haven't seen you before. I'm only seeing you now, and you just did something that, well, it raises alarms. So I must ask: are you a potential threat? Are we going to have a problem?"

As she glared at her with an intense look, Mary noticed the woman's hand creeping toward the sword tucked at her waist.

Was that it? Mary wondered. Has it really gotten to this point already? Will I have to avoid her attack and skip town forever?

"Well, answer me!" the woman shouted, spittle flying from her lips. "Are we, or are we not going to have a problem here?! Who are you, and what is your purpose in my town!?"

"...!"

Mary remained quiet, unsure how to respond in a way that would de-escalate the situation. Her knees shook, not from fear of the blade. She was pretty sure she could disarm the commander before she even drew her weapon. She was only nervous that she might have to leave her new life behind and go into hiding once more. Also, her legs were still trembling as a side effect of overusing the void skill. Her entire body was screaming in pain, protesting the exertion and punishment she had put herself through.

However, before things could heat up even further with the commander...

"Hey, what gives?" Lydia jumped in, stepping between Mary and the woman. "It wasn't that big of a deal. Yeah, the girl is freakishly strong, so what? Same goes for a handful of adventurers in this very town, who can do things you hardly see anywhere else, guaranteed to blow your mind."

Mary blinked, taken aback. Lydia was standing up for her. But why?

"Also, in case you didn't notice," Lydia added, lifting Gustav to show the commander, "she literally just saved my life, and the life of this little Mr. Kitty right here. You should be trying to figure out how to stop the orcs permanently, not interrogating random people who only wanted to help. Come on, Mary, let's go."

Lydia ended the conversation, cutting the commander off and dragging Mary away. But why had she helped her? It wasn't like the elven girl knew her secret or anything like that.

Mary risked a glance over her shoulder. The regiment commander was still glaring at them.

Once they were far enough from prying eyes, Lydia turned to her. "Look, Mary, you should know something. Most of the girls who work at the Adventurer's Guild work there for a reason. Some, like me, just want a change of scenery. Others are running away from their past. From who they used to be."

Mary stayed silent. The protective look in Lydia's eyes, paired with her words, told her everything she needed to know. The girl meant no harm, nor had she figured out her secret. She had only helped because she genuinely wanted to.

A warm, calming sensation began spreading throughout Mary's chest at the realization. She was safe. At least for now.

"What you just did was incredible, borderline impossible," the elven girl continued. "To be honest, I'm still struggling to process it myself. But it's obvious you don't want to share anything right now, otherwise you would have said something back there."

"Just know that we'll always have your back, okay? Whatever you might be hiding, you can come out in your own time and tell us about it. We'll be here for you. Unlike Miss Grumpy Pants over there, we won't force you to admit anything. I just want you to know that, alright?"

Still slightly nervous, but also coming down from all the adrenaline, Mary simply nodded.

"Good," Lydia responded. "Now, let's go meet up with the others. This has been one very long day."