Jinrai didn't respond right away. He sat still, arms crossed, watching Shio with narrowed eyes.
"Listen," he finally said. "You're just wasting your time trying to twist this. It's just a matter of time until we are certain it was you."
Shio flinched slightly at the accusation. He lowered his eyes to the table and spoke more weakly this time. "It wasn't me… really."
Jinrai stared at him for a moment longer, then slowly pushed his chair back and stood up. He didn't take his eyes off Shio as he moved toward the door.
"I see," he said, his tone colder now. "You don't want to cooperate. That's fine. I just want you to know this is a mistake."
Shio's voice rose in protest, desperate this time. "I'm telling the truth."
Jinrai stopped. He turned his head slightly, looking at him over his shoulder.
"I never hurt anyone," Shio continued.
Shio added quietly, his voice cracking, "…At least not in this town."
Jinrai turned back fully, his arms now hanging loosely by his sides.
"I… I met Bavio by accident," Shio said. "I was traveling after… after killing someone in a different town."
Shio looked down at the table. He couldn't meet Jinrai's eyes. His fingers trembled.
"I made a mistake," he said, voice hoarse. "I… my cravings for blood… they were too strong. I couldn't think straight. I just needed to feed. And I killed someone."
He paused, then clenched his jaw tightly and spat, "And I fucking hated it."
Jinrai stayed silent.
"Do you know what it's like," Shio said, looking up now, his eyes shining with moisture, "to hate yourself for what you need to survive?"
He laughed bitterly. "We ask for blood willingly, and we're treated like monsters. And when we don't ask — when we give in — we are monsters. There's no winning. There's no… place. Just constant guilt."
Shio shook his head slowly, as if trying to shake off a memory.
"When I met Bavio, I didn't mean to stay. I saved him from a pack of wolves, and in that moment — that rush of blood and fear — I drank from him."
His voice dropped lower.
"I hated myself more than ever. I tried to leave. But he stopped me."
Tears now welled in his eyes and began to slip down his pale cheeks.
"He thanked me. Thanked me. For saving him. And he told me… he said it must be hard for me. That he couldn't imagine what I go through. He offered me a place to stay. Said I could drink from him willingly. That he trusted me."
He wiped his eyes clumsily with his shoulder.
"I never wanted to hurt this town. I liked it here. I felt… normal, for the first time in years. Maybe I didn't like the idea of a road being built. Maybe I worried I'd have to leave again. But I made peace with that. I was going to leave when the time came. I wasn't going to hurt anyone."
Jinrai's expression softened just slightly.
"And now here I am," Shio whispered, his voice nearly breaking, "chained up like a criminal… just for trying to live my fucking life."
The room was still. Only the sound of Shio's quiet sobs filled the space.
Jinrai approached the table again. He sat down slowly, folding his hands in front of him. "Now I know everything I need to know," he said.
Shio looked up at him, blinking through tears, unsure what he meant.
"You'll be held under arrest until we solve the mystery," Jinrai said. "If the incidents stop, it's a strong sign it was you. In that case, you'll be held accountable. But if they don't… then you'll be released once we find the real criminal."
Shio nodded slightly, still breathing heavily.
"Bavio will be allowed to visit you," Jinrai added.
Shio looked down, nodding again, quieter this time.
Jinrai rose once more, but before he turned away, he said something else. "And what I said about towns for vampires — places where you can live without hiding — I wasn't lying."
Shio's eyes slowly lifted, wide and disbelieving.
"They exist," Jinrai said. "Still very few, and sometimes hard to reach. But they exist. I've seen them. Places where people like you… are treated like you should be. Like God's people."
Hope returned to Shio's face.
Jinrai gave a short nod. "You'll find your place," he said.
Then he turned and walked toward the door, leaving Shio sitting alone, the tears still drying on his cheeks — but no longer with despair.
As Jinrai stepped out of the interrogation room, the air shifted around him. His shoulders had stiffened just slightly.
Tharion was waiting just outside the door, arms crossed. He studied Jinrai for a moment, then asked, "So? Is he guilty?"
Jinrai didn't answer right away. He glanced at the door behind him, then down at the floor. "I… I don't know," he admitted.
That caught the attention of everyone nearby.
"What he said… it didn't seem like he was lying," Jinrai continued. "There was no hesitation. He didn't try to shift blame. No fake outrage, no arrogance. Just… pain."
"But then…" Jinrai sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Vampires live in deception. That's how they survive. Shio could have fooled me. It's not impossible. They're trained by the nature of their existence to hide."
He turned to Amukelo. "I guess we'll have to rely on what you found from now on. That parchment — that's our best lead. And it means we need to speak to the merchant himself."
Rhan, who'd been standing nearby, spoke up. "I don't know if that will be possible. He's still in recovery."
Jinrai nodded grimly. "I know. But we have to try. Even if we only get a few words from him. If we're lucky, he remembers something useful."
Rhan gave a reluctant shrug. "Alright. I'll let the hospital staff know you're coming."
Then he hesitated before asking, "What about Shio?"
Jinrai looked off to the side, conflicted.
"Put him in the prison cell," he said eventually, "but treat him with respect. Let Bavio visit him. Don't isolate him like a criminal. From all he said, it's hard for me to believe he's the one behind this, but I can't dismiss the possibility entirely."
Rhan gave a single nod. "Understood."
Without wasting time, the group left the outpost and made their way through the winding streets of Ashvale toward the town's infirmary.
The hospital sat near the northern part of the town, close to the edge of the inner wall. It wasn't large, just a three-wing building with a tall oak tree growing outside and a small herb garden to one side.
Inside, nurses were tending to patients, and soft murmurs filled the hall. The group waited for a moment before one of the nurses stepped away from speaking with another patient.
Jinrai approached her. "Excuse me. Is there possibly a patient named Ulhem? He's a merchant."
The nurse blinked, then glanced toward the left corridor.
"Yes," she said, her tone immediately guarded. "But what do you need from him?"
Jinrai spoke calmly. "We're conducting an investigation regarding his attack. We need to ask him a few questions. Nothing invasive. Just a conversation."
The nurse's face hardened. "That man nearly died. He's been through a lot. He's not in a state to be questioned or 'troubled' right now."
Jinrai didn't argue. He nodded with understanding. Then, after a moment's pause, he reached toward a small pouch fastened to his belt. "What if I had a healing potion?" he asked.
Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "Sir, no. He's already been treated with one. Should I list for you what an overuse of healing potions can lead to?"
Jinrai nodded. "I know very well. Believe me. I've seen it."
Then he pulled a small bottle from his pouch and held it out gently.
"It's not a typical potion," he explained. "High-grade, rune-stabilized. It won't deplete his mana. It's safe. No backlash. I wouldn't risk it otherwise."
The nurse eyed the bottle with skepticism at first, but after examining it more closely her expression shifted.
She was silent for a long moment, weighing her options.
Finally, she spoke. "Alright. I'll let you use it. But understand this — if he says he doesn't want to speak, that's the end of it. You don't get to pressure him, and you certainly don't get to say he owes you just because you gave him a potion. Understood?"
Jinrai nodded once. "Completely. That's all we're asking for."
She sighed, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and motioned for them to follow her. "Alright then. This way."