When the pollen of Alraune adheres to the organism's nasal mucosa, it is transformed on the spot into a substance that has a hypnotic effect on the brain. Unlike the pollen itself, this substance is not trapped by the body's immune system at all. This substance is mostly made up of magic and the particles are thought to be very small compared to the pigments in the blood, for example.

　The kind of truth serum used by the military is too much of a burden on the body, and if used on a prisoner who has lost his strength due to torture, it can be life-threatening. However, in the case of Alraune, it does not put a burden on the body of the creature, but rather activates it to some extent, as it is essentially a hypnosis to feed the creature.

　Although it's an outrageous story, the survival strategy of this beautiful flower is a frightening one. In the spirit world, the nutrients from the soil seem to be enough, but once it is summoned to this world, it becomes extremely greedy for nutrients from other living creatures.

　However, if you sign a contract right after you are summoned, those qualities of Alraune are not a threat to you. I've never once been in danger in my study of this youka's biology.

''This ...... na, what's glowing ......?''
'This is Alraune's pollen. As you can see, it is effective in small spaces. In these places, you can certainly get them to inhale the pollen ...... because if you don't get them to inhale a certain amount of pollen, the effect won't manifest itself.
'Ka, isn't pollen the stuff that makes you sneeze when you inhale ......?　It's a tough season with all that stuff out there: ......

　When we breathe in pollen, the substances produced by the body's immune response cause symptoms such as sneezing, eyes and itchy nose. Alraune's pollen doesn't cause an immune response, so nothing happens when we inhale it.

　--but not the targeted captives.

　The vacant, rag-clad woman's expression changes. Her strength has been drained, or rather, she has gone into a state of dazedness - and that's a success.

　In a hypnotic state, she is made to obey only what Arraune and I, the summoner, tell her to do. I look at Presha-san, who is watching me in silence - she nodded back with a look of fearfulness.

'I'm going to ask you a few questions now. And you will answer them without stagnation.
"...... yes ......

　The woman who had so stubbornly refused to speak nodded easily. Her expression is soft, even a faint smile is on her face - a moment that makes me think that she is doing something dangerous, as is typical for a doctor.

　I'm a prisoner of war - or rather, I instruct Mr. Rendle to take out a notebook to write down the information on the patient I'm hypnotizing. It's the one I've been planning to use since I started working in this fortress - the leather cover is foil-stamped with the words 'Medical Examination Record'.

　The stand on which the prisoner's hands are placed during torture - presumably for removing nails and such - is no longer needed now. I used the stand as a desk and spoke to the patient, observing him carefully.

'Why did you go across the border to the other side?'
"...... We have an informant in the Zirconia Empire ...... who has been working on a deal with our... ...... weapons. ...
You're telling me that ...... is the one that got a weapon into the enemy's hands?　Our country's weapons are better than zirconia. ......

　It would be an unforgivable fact for Mr. Presha - but now he had to swallow his anger and hear it all out.

'Who are your ringleaders?'
You know, I think I caught that guy earlier, and my men put him in another cell.
...... The ringleader is ......, well, a man. ......
'Huh? ......!'

　One of the prisoners they had already captured and driven into a corner was the ringleader. In other words, none of the knights had a grasp on the reality of the organization they were, and none of them had any inside knowledge of what was going on.

　Mr. Presha brought out one of the two men, but he was hypnotized and deflated. Looking at him, he was a man who was nearing his thirties and dressed similarly to the other man, which I could surmise was to prevent him from being detected as the ringleader.

...... So you're saying that the one left in that hideout was just a lowlife?
They are bandits ...... who are the head of the bandits ...... who were hired by me for this arms deal.

　We get a pretty good idea of what they were doing, largely in full view. Perhaps the Zirconia Empire had promised them a great return - the bandits were dazzled by the amount of profit they could gain, even at the risk of trading across the border, and they turned to trafficking.

'Where did the bandits get the weapons they would sell to Zirconia from?
...... It's .......
'Lord Summoner, there seems to be a great deal of resistance to this question. It is taking a great toll on this human's psyche, do you wish to continue with the question?

　A certain survival instinct is maintained even while under Alraune's hypnosis.

　This woman is more afraid of telling me what's coming next than of dying. Still, I have to move on.

...... Dear Mr. Glass, if you are distressed: ......
It's okay ......, I'll have to ask anyway.

　No matter how much it made me want to turn away from it, I had to face it.

　Ms. Presha didn't say another word, she just looked at me. I didn't ask her what she was going to do, she would know that she didn't have a choice either.

'I can't avoid this question. Where did you get the weapons from?

　Alraune's pollen grew thicker. Still, after showing a little resistance, the light faded from the woman's eyes and her lips moved.

'...... the North, the Knights ...... of the Royal Family, through humans ...... weapons, shed ......'

　--Mr. Presha looked up to the heavens, which he could not see from his prison.

　Northern Knights. To Presha-san, the knights who were supposed to be her friends, though they belonged to different affiliations, had sold their weapons to the enemy country.

　This fact would be hard for His Highness Astina, and even Raquel-san to accept - once it was corroborated, the enemy would be among those who thought they were fellow countrymen.