The Kingmaker System
Chapter 274 - 273. Fragmented Truths (2)

Chapter 274: 273. Fragmented Truths (2)

Marvoni’s breathing was ragged, his chest heaving as the reality of his situation began to fully settle in. His eyes darted wildly, searching for an escape that didn’t exist.

"You bought a child with Dragon’s features," I repeated, my voice a cold blade cutting through the air. His eyes snapped to mine, wide with terror, but his lips trembled with resistance.

"I want the truth. If you dare lie, I’ll snap your fingers one by one," I warned, letting my words linger, heavy with menace. My Dragon’s Presence filled the air around us making it hard for him to breath.

"I-I... I don’t know—" he stammered, but his denial was cut short when I gripped his forefinger and twisted it sharply. The crack of bone breaking echoed in the cell, followed by his anguished scream. Blood trickled down his hand, staining the dirt floor.

The sight of his broken finger only served to fuel my resolve. "I wasn’t joking when I said I’d break every single bone in your body," I said, my tone as frigid as ice. "You will suffer as much as the child you tormented, Marvoni."

His body convulsed slightly, his voice trembling. "I-I... please, no more—"

I ignored his plea, my hand moving to his second finger. His panic was palpable now, his screams louder, more frantic.

"You bought that child from the black market, didn’t you?" I asked again, pressing my thumb against the base of his finger.

"Y-Yes! Yes, I did!" he cried, his head jerking forward as if confessing would lessen the pain.

"Who told you about him?" I demanded, my grip tightening. His hesitation was brief but telling.

"A man!" he finally shouted, his voice shrill with desperation. "It was a man! I don’t know who—who it was, please, I swear!"

I studied him for a moment, watching as tears mixed with the sweat pouring down his face. His broken finger hung at an unnatural angle, and his body trembled violently from pain and fear. But something in his tone still grated on my patience.

"You’re lying," I said flatly.

"I swear I’m not! I-I only saw him three times! He—he wore a hood, I couldn’t see his face!" he babbled, his words tumbling out in a frenzy.

"You expect me to believe that?" I said, leaning closer, my presence oppressive. "Do you think I care if you’re scared? Do you think your pain will end just because you beg?"

"I’m telling the truth!" he cried, his voice cracking. "I swear, please!"

I tilted my head, studying him. His pain was evident, his terror real, but lies often hid behind the guise of sincerity. I reached for his third finger, and his screams grew more frantic, his voice hoarse from pleading.

"Please! No! I’ll tell you all I know!" he shouted, his body writhing in his restraints.

I hesitated, letting the tension grow. "If I find even a shred of evidence proving you’re withholding information..." I trailed off, leaving the promise of further agony hanging in the air.

His sobbing filled the silence, and for now, I would let his words sink in. There would be no mercy, no reprieve, until I had everything I needed.

I presented my hand to Lyall and he placed the false crest on my hand before I showed it to the Pope.

"Do you recognise this?" I asked and his face grew ashy.

"Whe-Where did you get this?" He asked breathlessly and I narrowed my eyes.

"No questions, Marvoni. Only answers," I threatened.

"I-I made this false crest... To-To buy slaves from the black market,"

"Where are those slaves?" I asked.

His lower lip quivered, "I-In... the basement of the Temple..."

I looked back at Lyall who nodded, understanding the unspoken command before I looked back to Marvoni.

"And you call yourself a Pope." I spoke making him avert his eyes.

According to Marvoni, a man had randomly showed up outside the Temple one evening after everyone had left and gave him a piece of information regarding a child in the black market who would be helpful in resurrecting the power of the Temple as well as creating the Holy Nation.

Marvoni hadn’t believed him at first but after seeing the child he was sure that whatever that man had told him was the truth. He bought the child and met the man again.

"He always chose the locations for our meeting." Marvoni said.

The second time the man and Marvoni met was after the child was bought but since the child was in half Dragon’s form they couldn’t show him in front of the people. So, the man gave Marvoni the anti mana shackles which would keep the child’s real form a secret. He also instructed Marvoni as to where to put the child and how to make him obey. It was as if that man knew exactly what he was doing while giving these instructions.

He was also the one who gave Marvoni the recipe of the potion. According to that man, the blood drawn from the child would act like an elixir and it sure had such effects.

Marvoni wanted to commercialize the potion that’s why he was making those.

"He... gave me the idea that when the plague breaks out, the Temple’s miraculously potions would save lives and also put the Temple in high regard with everyone."

"That’s why you didn’t send the Healers to the small towns where the plague was spreading." I grimaced.

I was disgusted. These bastards went so low as to spread a plague in order to grow more influential. And the cost of it would be the lives of the poor and that child!

"Keep going." I spoke, containing my anger.

He further explained as how the man was the one who took care about spreading the plague and how he was the one who was going to help them commercialize the potions. They had a full plan ready but the entry of the Saintess thwarted their plans but even then the man didn’t seem so, disappointed.

"He... He told me to bring the Saintess to the Temple at all costs." Marvoni said.

"Why?" I asked.

"He didn’t tell me, but... it seemed like he wanted something from the Saintess... But now that I think of it, I think it was her fiance who was the target, he is a powerful man so-"

"I don’t want you theories, just tell me what happened in reality."

I knew nothing of it would be centred around Ace since he wasn’t a real person, whoever this mystery man was, he was definitely after either the Saintess or me.

Unlikely and ridiculous as it seemed, it was like I was lured into a trap here.

"What else?" I asked.

"After the Saintess appeared he suddenly changed the plans," Marvoni said.

"He... He said that the Saint needs to be in the people’s eye as well... And also that he-he shouldn’t be overshadowed by the Saintess’s deeds. That’s why he..."

"What?"

Marvoni pursed his lips and I narrowed my eyes.

"Don’t tell me," I started, "The thing at the market center on the day of the child’s parade, it was orchestrated by you two."

"... Yes..."

I snapped his finger at that.

I didn’t wait for his screams to stop, that day, the child would have gotten severely injured, a lot of people would have died with the amount of bombs that were placed around and these bastards were only going to do it so that the Saint could still be in the people’s eyes.

"But nothing bad happened!" Marvoni shouted, "he-he was planning to explode bombs a-and kill people but nothing of that sort happened!"

My Dragon’s Presence intensified and I glared at him tempted to rip his flesh off his bones.

"Do you even know how many bombs were placed around that place that day?" I asked making his expression to freeze.

"I’ll tell you," I said, "There were seven on then all around the center and one on the carriage that the child was riding."

Marvoni’s eyes grew wider and wider with terror as I spoke.

"I was the one who took them off in the first place and you’re giving me the bullshit that nothing happened that day?"

A wisp of air left his lips but no words came out, "Besides that, you dared to threaten the child’s life as well by putting him on that carriage and you have the gall to say that nothing bad happened."

Before he could protest, I seized his remaining fingers and snapped them, one by one. His agonized screams reverberated through the chamber, but I felt no remorse.

"I would have taken the child that day itself if I had known what kind of hell you are putting him through," I said and the man looked up atnme with tears streaming down his face.

"I-I’m sorry... I’ve have greatly sinned, please... Please forgive me... Please!"

I looked down at him, he didn’t deserve any mercy from me, but I still wasn’t done with him. There was still one vital piece of information I needed.

"I might let you live if you answer my next questions." I spoke and the light of hope flickered in his eyes.

"Yes! I will answer all of your questions!" He spoke with his desperation to live clear in his voice.

"There was some bastard who casted the spell of secrecy on the child," I spoke and his heart skipped a beat.

"Who did it?"