It is dangerous to say you will help someone.
Especially in aristocratic society.
Help becomes protection, protection becomes speaking on someone’s behalf, and speaking on someone’s behalf comes to look like possession.
Trying to protect someone, only to take away their voice.
We had already seen that happen several times.
The words meant to protect Liana had turned Liana into a shield called a Saint Candidate.
Eveline’s concern could easily become a sword.
Seria’s precise sentences could create someone else’s silence.
Adela’s observations tried to pass judgment even on people’s reputations.
And I...
Under the name of teaching, I had made the four of them look to me.
So the next training was simple.
No, it was harder precisely because it looked simple.
I wrote a new sentence on the blackboard.
`Do not answer for someone else. State only what you saw.`
Eveline read the sentence and frowned.
"This will be hardest when it comes to Liana."
Liana looked at Eveline.
"I think it will be difficult for me when it comes to you, too, Lady Eveline."
Eveline looked a little flustered.
"Me?"
"Yes. If you are attacked, Lady Eveline, I think I will try to explain you in a favorable light."
Eveline fell silent for a moment.
She looked like she did not know whether she should be offended or pleased.
Seria spoke quietly.
"I believe it will be difficult for me with both of you."
"Why?"
Eveline asked.
Seria answered in an utterly calm voice.
"Lady Rosette has impulsiveness, while Miss Bell has a self-sacrificial impulse. I will want to explain both of them."
Eveline’s eyes sharpened.
Seria immediately added,
"If that wording was excessive, I will revise it. Instead of the word ‘impulse,’ I will call it a recurring risk."
"That’s a little better."
Adela spoke.
"It is difficult for me with all three of you. Because I observe too much."
"Are you bragging?"
Eveline asked.
"I am identifying a risk."
Adela meant it sincerely.
Which made it even more troublesome.
I wrote a second sentence beneath the first.
`I will not speak for the person concerned about their intentions. I will state only the facts I saw.`
"This is today’s fundamental sentence."
Martin wrote it down immediately.
Clarisse said,
"It may also be used in a formal interrogation. However, the word ‘facts’ must be confined to the scope of one’s own observations."
I nodded.
"That is why there is a third line."
I wrote:
`Within the scope of what I saw.`
Adela said,
"A good limiting phrase."
Seria added,
"It is not a phrase to lessen responsibility. It is a phrase to prevent exaggeration."
Liana repeated it softly.
"Within the scope of what I saw."
Eveline sighed.
"Aristocrats must spread out a ledger before they speak."
"The people who speak that way live longer."
"I don’t like it, but I understand."
The training proceeded through cross-examination.
Kaiden and Arsene served as interrogators.
Martin kept the record.
Clarisse guided the procedure.
Once again, I stood outside the candidates’ field of vision.
Only this time, farther away than before.
This time, I needed to make my presence less noticeable too.
The first pairing was a question to Eveline about Liana.
Arsene spoke.
"Candidate Eveline Rosette. Do you believe Candidate Liana Bell is unrelated to the clue involving the disguised sleeve at the Cathedral Wing?"
Eveline’s eyes immediately turned fierce.
She tried to look at Liana.
Then stopped.
This time, she did not look at me either.
"I will answer after confirming the scope of the question."
Good.
Arsene nodded.
"Confirm it."
"Are you asking what I believe, or are you asking about the facts I saw?"
Arsene’s eyes moved ever so slightly.
"Both."
"I will answer them separately."
Eveline took a breath.
"I do not believe Candidate Liana Bell is someone who would deliberately harm another person. But belief is not evidence. Within the scope of what I saw, I have not seen Candidate Liana Bell directly handle the clue involving the disguised sleeve. The comparison of the Cathedral Wing ceremonial robes must be confirmed through procedure."
Good.
Really good.
Liana’s eyes trembled slightly.
Eveline had not spoken for Liana.
But she had not abandoned her either.
She separated belief from evidence.
Martin wrote:
`Candidate Eveline Rosette: Personal trust and observed facts separated. No speaking on behalf of Candidate Liana Bell’s intentions.`
A system window appeared.
`[Eveline Rosette: Successfully turned protective impulse into testimony]`
`[Risk of speaking on another’s behalf decreased]`
The second was a question to Liana about Seria.
Kaiden asked,
"Candidate Liana Bell. Is Candidate Seria Blanc someone who has made remarks harmful to Candidate Eloise Berhardt?"
Liana’s expression stiffened.
It was a difficult question.
If she wanted to protect Seria, she could blur the facts.
If she condemned Seria, she could hurt her.
Liana clasped her hands.
"I will answer after confirming the scope of the question."
"Confirm it."
"Are you asking about words I heard directly, or about Candidate Seria Blanc’s intentions?"
Kaiden said,
"Can you answer both?"
Liana took a moment to steady her breathing.
"I will not speak for her intentions. Within the scope of what I saw, I have seen Candidate Seria Blanc use sharp words. Today, she also acknowledged herself that those words could hurt others. However, I cannot say whether she intended to harm Lady Eloise."
Seria did not look at Liana.
But her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
Martin wrote:
`Candidate Liana Bell: Direct observation and speaking on behalf of intentions separated. Mentioned Candidate Seria Blanc’s acknowledged statement.`
Good.
She did not cover it up with kind words.
Yet she did not take away Seria’s intentions either.
A system window appeared.
`[Liana Bell: Successfully avoided overwriting with goodwill]`
`[Shielding resistance rate increased]`
The third was a question to Seria about Adela.
Arsene said,
"Candidate Seria Blanc. Is Candidate Adela Carmion helping resolve this incident, or is she using the incident to draw attention to herself?"
The corner of Seria’s lips moved slightly.
This was the kind of question Seria would like.
An opportunity to dissect someone’s motives.
She stopped herself.
"I will answer after confirming the scope of the question."
"Confirm it."
"Are you asking about Lady Carmion’s motives, or about the function of the advice she provided?"
Arsene said,
"Are the two not connected?"
Seria lowered her head slightly.
"They may be connected. But what I can speak about is the function of the advice she provided. Within the scope of what I saw, Lady Carmion presented the structure of clues resembling Cathedral Wing ceremonial robes and the need for records of access to the clothing patterns. It is true that this served the resolution of the incident. Her motives should be asked of her directly."
Adela’s eyes moved ever so slightly.
This answer did not praise Adela.
Nor did it condemn her.
It spoke only of function.
It was a difficult answer for Seria.
She wanted to read people.
But this time, she stopped at function.
Martin wrote:
`Candidate Seria Blanc: Judgment of motives deferred. Testified only to the function of the advice.`
A system window appeared.
`[Seria Blanc: Successfully restrained the impulse to dissect motives]`
`[Trust restoration training progress: 50% -> 53%]`
The fourth was a question to Adela about Eveline.
Kaiden said,
"Candidate Adela Carmion. Is Candidate Eveline Rosette a person at high risk of violence in an interrogation room?"
Adela did not answer immediately.
She looked at Eveline.
More precisely, she looked at Eveline’s hands.
The hand not holding a handkerchief.
Her habit of clenching and unclenching her fist.
Her breathing.
Her shoulders.
Eveline spoke in a low voice.
"Judging me again?"
Adela raised her eyes.
"I will answer after confirming the scope of the question."
Kaiden said,
"Confirm it."
"Are you asking about her risk disposition, or about her current control conditions?"
"Both."
"I will answer them separately."
Adela spoke calmly.
"Candidate Rosette reacts quickly to emotion. It would be inaccurate to say there is no risk of violence. However, in today’s training, she presented control conditions: declaring her emotions, not using weapons, and requesting that it be recorded before leaving her seat. Within the scope of what I saw, there is risk, but there are also control conditions."
Eveline closed her mouth.
She looked both angry and convinced.
Adela added,
"And Candidate Rosette just reacted to my assessment, but did not leave her seat or make any threatening gesture. This is also an observed fact."
Eveline’s ears turned slightly red.
"Am I supposed to thank you for that...?"
"There is no need. It is fact confirmation."
Seria laughed very softly.
Liana laughed too.
Martin wrote:
`Candidate Adela Carmion: Risk disposition and control conditions separated. Observed no current threatening behavior.`
A system window appeared.
`[Adela Carmion: Successfully conditioned her evaluation of people]`
`[Risk of social judgment decreased]`
Four cross-examinations.
They passed them all.
But the word “passed” was always dangerous.
The moment you thought you had passed, the next trap came.
Kaiden raised his hand.
This time, he followed the procedure for requesting to speak.
"Instructor, may I make a suggestion?"
I answered from the back.
"Permitted."
"It is good that the four candidates do not speak for one another. But what if the interrogators say this tomorrow? `You all answer only that you do not know every unfavorable intention in order to protect one another.`"
Silence.
That was right.
If they only repeated, `I do not know their intentions,` it could look like evasion.
That was why observed facts were necessary.
They could not merely say they did not know. They had to say what they saw.
I wrote a new sentence on the blackboard.
`Say you do not know what you do not know, and state specifically what you saw.`
Adela nodded.
"A necessary balance."
Seria said,
"We must distinguish ignorance from evasion."
Liana spoke softly.
"It takes courage to say you do not know, too."
Eveline said,
"For me, saying what I saw is harder. I’m worried I might say it too harshly for no reason."
"That is why you use a limiting phrase."
I wrote again:
`Within the scope of what I saw.`
That sentence became one of the most important pillars of the night.
Do not conceal what you do not know.
Do not exaggerate what you saw.
Do not speak for someone else.
But do not abandon them either.
It was a more difficult balance than it seemed.
The training repeated once more.
This time, the four questioned one another.
Eveline asked Liana,
"When are you the most afraid?"
Clarisse immediately said,
"That is inappropriate as a formal interrogation question. Specify the scope."
Eveline frowned.
"Then... what question would put you in the most danger during the interrogation?"
Liana answered,
"A question asking whether I am a good person."
Everyone fell quiet for a moment.
Liana continued.
"If they say that a good person should cooperate, I will want to offer myself up. At that point, I need to ask them to turn it into a question."
Eveline nodded.
"All right. Then if they say that tomorrow, I’ll..."
She stopped.
"No. I can’t speak for you."
Good.
"But I could ask the recorder to confirm whether it is pressure without a question, right?"
Clarisse said,
"That would be restricted if it is not your turn to be interrogated. However, it is possible if you are granted the right to raise a formal objection."
Eveline looked like she found it difficult.
"Aristocratic interrogations are seriously annoying."
"Should I record that?"
Martin asked cautiously.
"Don’t."
Clarisse said,
"I will treat it as an unofficial remark."
Next, Liana asked Seria,
"What question will be most dangerous for you tomorrow, Lady Seria?"
Seria thought for a moment.
"A question asking whether people believe I speak the truth."
Liana listened quietly.
Seria continued.
"I have said many accurate things, but I said them in ways that hurt people. So even if I say something accurate tomorrow, people may hear it as poison-tongued mockery. At that point, I will become angry."
Eveline said,
"That’s a little unfair."
Seria nodded.
"Yes. That is why it is dangerous."
Good.
She knew her own risk.
Seria asked Adela,
"What question will be most dangerous for you tomorrow, Lady Carmion?"
Adela did not answer immediately.
"A question about whether I am competent."
Eveline narrowed her eyes.
"Why would that be dangerous?"
"If my competence is acknowledged, I will want to say more. If I say more, the possibility that I will assess people as well increases."
Seria nodded.
"Praise is a trap."
"Yes."
Adela looked at Eveline.
"And you, Lady Rosette?"
Eveline answered at once.
"A question asking if I’m scared."
It was an unexpected answer.
Liana looked at Eveline.
So did Seria.
And Adela.
Eveline frowned.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"Continue."
I said from the back.
Eveline was silent for a moment.
"If someone asks whether I’m scared, I want to say no. Then I start talking tougher. If I talk tougher, it turns into a fight. So... it’s dangerous."
Silence.
Good.
Eveline had turned her weakness into words.
That was a major change.
A system window appeared.
`[Four Candidates: Shared mutual risk questions]`
`[Mutual support structure formed]`
`[However, the risk of speaking on another’s behalf remains]`
At that moment, an assistant entered through the door again.
These days, the assistants brought bad news every time they entered.
This time was no different.
"Assistant Director. An additional official notice from the Secretariat."
Clarisse accepted the document.
But she did not make a judgment.
She handed it to Martin.
Martin checked the seal and read the title.
"Notice of Changes to the Preliminary Interrogation Method for Temporary Enrollment."
The air in the lecture hall immediately froze.
Martin continued reading.
"To exclude the possibility of mutual influence and coordinated statements between candidates, interrogations will be conducted individually. Candidates will be isolated in separate waiting rooms until their turn and will be unable to hear the responses of other candidates."
Silence.
Individual interrogations.
Separate waiting rooms.
No mutual support.
The structure we had just built was severed by a single official document.
Eveline said in a low voice,
"They really came prepared."
Seria looked at the notice.
"They are moving as though they have been watching our training."
Adela replied,
"Either they have been watching, or they anticipated the response we would likely make. Both are bad."
Liana clasped her hands.
"Then tomorrow... do we have to go in alone?"
Martin looked down at the official notice.
"Yes. That is what it says."
A system window appeared.
`[Interrogation Method Changed]`
`[Group interrogation -> Individual interrogation]`
`[Use of mutual support structure restricted]`
`[New task: An answer given alone]`
I looked at the blackboard.
`Do not answer for someone else. State only what you saw.`
Good.
What we had just learned was not useless.
Because tomorrow, they still would not be able to answer for one another.
But it had become harder now.
They would not be able to see each other.
They would not be able to see me either.
We did not even know who the recorder would be.
The interrogators were prepared.
I picked up the chalk.
Then I wrote a new sentence.
`Next training: Go in alone.`
Liana’s face went a little pale.
Eveline clenched and unclenched her fist.
Seria closed her eyes.
Adela was studying the format of the official notice as though memorizing it.
One night was not long.
Yet the things we had to do kept increasing.
Good.
We had no choice but to do it.
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