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  Note 1; Book sequel notice; Last Mage in Minnesota Book 3 submitted to Amazon Saturday night. Excited to post this as news. Also I've worked hard on it and put every trick I could into making it amazing. It will have approximately 485 pages. (I like to give readers plenty so that when they finish the book they don't get this feeling like, damn I wish that were longer... too short.) Tons of work and goodies put into this. I think its going to be one of the best works I've put out yet.

  Note 2; Because of above that's why release of chapters slowed a bit the st 5 days. I was trying to make the deadline. This week shouldn't have any issues.

  Note 3; This story is getting a major face lift! I'm re-editing and redoing all the early chapters. I can only handle doing so many per day. But it will make it more enjoyable and smoother without compromising the old cssical fvor from when the story was first written in 2016.

  Chapter 222 Part C4

  Shun POV

  The fae officers noticed me and Sylvie instantly as they took us away from the inn's guest rooms. Down they went down to the Inn's floor levels. And then they went into down to where the agents were interviewing people.

  They seem to like to do interviews in the field before taking people to their headquarters. Its a cultural thing, but I don't know why they do it that way. We can also see the whole inn dining area from here where we came out by the stairs.

  "Wow. Busy day? You have everyone from this street in here practically," Sylvie remarked seeing how many people were being interviewed. Then the agents began prodding us forward again from stopping by the stairs to look around. We hadn't meant to but that's just how it is when you see something big going on.

  There's like 5 agents surrounding us now. The numbers have increased. Almost all of them are some kind of suited intelligence agents with the funny red coats. These ones don't have the tri-corn hats that the city guards and soldiers have though.

  "You'll forgive us if we take your weapons and ask you to not make any sudden moves," one of the agents asked Shun. And also Sylvie, but Sylvie looked too beautiful to be a killer in their eyes.

  I frowned. I didn't like being disarmed. It bothered me and made me feel naked. Although Sylvie can use fox beastkin skills and abilities so she hardly even notices. It made me nervous as they took our weapons... although those were mostly for show anyway. I handed over a dwarven sword (my staff artifact is put away).

  "Eh? Dwarven steel? You can afford that?" one of them is giving me a stink eye.

  The others are frowning as they look over my dwarven steel sword.

  "Its a fake isn't it?" one of them frowned leering at it, and holding it up for the others to inspect.

  "Let me see," one said.

  "No. That's not a fake. That's the real thing. Nice piece too. Very expensive," one said.

  Huh? That trash? I got those in a battle in that dark dwarf town...

  "This is indeed a true dwarven weapon," one of them with some kind of appraisal skill confirms.

  "See told you."

  "But that means... too expensive for a lowly human adventurer to get on their own," one said.

  The others attention snapped straight to me with wolf like eyes as they think they are smelling weakness.

  What gives? Its just steel. Its not even a weapon I like to use much. I'd only brought it out this time as a prop!

  "So he somehow has weapons beyond his ability of his own income to produce?" one of them asked.

  The fae team leader gave an odd not then. "What have you got to say for yourself Shun?"

  "There's nothing wrong with dwarven steel. Its ideal," I said.

  "Dwarven steel is expensive. No normal person can afford it," a fae agent is looking me over like a thief.

  "We have enough money for our needs," I told him.

  "Shun does pretty well. Getting a dwarf sword isn't that big a deal for us. He's had several dwarven business clients over the st year," Sylvie told them.

  "And are they in this town to vouch for him?" one guy asked.

  Sylvie frowned. "You know very few dwarves live in this town. That's a trap question."

  "Not any adventurer could buy dwarven steel weapons. You know that thing costs more than some houses? And do you have a permit for that?" the fae asked.

  Huh? Permit? What is this?

  I thought this was a friendly interview.

  "Shun is a licensed adventurer. He has a right to hold weapons and carry them. Its necessary to do his job," Sylvie said.

  There's like 4 agents with us now. They have my dwarven sword also. Actually I have a whole pile of these in my inventory slots from when we rescued that dwarven town underground a number of months back. I collected them from the dead when that town was invaded. I didn't realize how much they were worth!

  It turns out this is like having sacks of gold in my inventory slots! Are you telling me I'm sitting on a stack of gold bars?! WOW...

  And I'm also curious why the fae are so interested in dwarven weapons... Why do they think that's a big deal?

  And now I'm worried I might want to consult with some fae people now that know more about their ws and culture...

  I can't tell them how I got all that though. It might even cause doubts if they knew I was at a dark dwarf town instead of... the good dwarves' town. Especially if people covet dwarven weapons here. But its weird that I thought I was going in for an interview about demons, and instead dwarven gear could cause a red fg.

  "OK guys split them up. We need to interview them separately," one of them said.

  Shit. That makes me nervous. IF they split us up I can't make sure my story agrees with Sylvie's. Plus, I don't want to tell them everything about my life.

  Sylvie is so tall that when they brought her to a different table I can already tell where she's at since she's like half-ogre height. Its also obvious the guy interviewing Sylvie is going to try to flirt with her with how goofy his smile is. (She won't go for it but its annoying still).

  The other 3 agents brought me to a different table, separate from Sylvie. They are looking at me like wolves would a sheep. Then they brought me to a dark corner. I'm getting bad vibes from this...

  "So name please?"

  "You know my name," I said.

  "Just cooperate with us," he sounded tired.

  "Shun."

  "And job?"

  "Err... adventurer. And I guess your government wants me to be an advisor on the side sometimes. But I'm trying to avoid that. Mostly I work as an adventurer," I said.

  They frowned. "Why avoid it?"

  "I'm busy. My time is precious. I don't need money. So why make myself work to death? And there's always going to be problems to solve," I wanted to shrug but its hard when they are sitting too close.

  "So you think you're a hero?" he gave me a smug look. Its a trap question.

  "NO way."

  "Oh? You don't like heroes?" he probed.

  "I don't like the expectation that 1 guy is supposed to give up everything for a bunch of others to be their serf to do with as they will. Heroes seem to be short lived also and unappreciated," I shrugged.

  "Walk us through your time line of how long you've been at this inn for us," the other one said.

  Ah man. I can hardly even remember that stuff. The fight with that incubus really exhausted us.

  "Do I have to?" I frowned.

  "Yes you do."

  I tried to be as vague as possible.

  "Where were you st night?" they asked.

  "For what time st night?"

  "Everything from say 11 PM onward till morning," the one said.

  "I can't tell you that without someone OK-ing it from the Fae Military Citadel. Intelligence could be compromised," I said.

  This part was mostly true. I don't know if they'd want word out that they had about 50 incubi in here st night that we'd fought.But they took it the wrong way. They clearly reacted negatively.

  "So you do have a title in the citadel?" they asked.

  "Well I've kind of been skipping going into my office. I only met with that secretary girl, Ness like once or twice. So that's assuming they aren't tired of me and have cut me lose," I shrugged.

  I felt overworked honestly. Any hours I do at the fae citadel took about the same amount of time from my harem. And tely they'd been needy.

  "Sounds zy," one of the fae agents whispered to the other, too loudly.

  "Noted in the report," the other said giving me a gring look.

  I can't expin that too them so why bother.

  "So if we talk to your boss then maybe they could order you tell us where you've been and your whereabouts," one of them said to me ftly. But the way he said it was kind of in your face and like he was challenging me.

  "Go ahead. Nothing to hide."

  The other agent spoke up then. Meanwhile I caught that they have a runner going out to probably force someone to give them the OK to make me talk. "So uh... Shun. You know you have a lot of magic power. Its about the simir magic strength of what an incubus might need while sughtering girls here. What do you have to say about that?" a nose in a book gsses type fae agent asked.

  Huh? Where did they get that question from? Its closer to comfort than I like. He's probably a mana detection skill user, I frowned.

  "I have nothing to do with that," I said.

  The other agents are giving me weird looks now. Unfortunately that one guy was a bit too close for comfort with what he'd said about my magic power readings.

  (Author Note; Magic power and Max Mana aren't the same stat in this world. Power registers strength or M.ATK. There's more than 1 stat for this.)

  "What do you have to say about your timing of when you came to this inn seems to fit exactly when the killings began?" one agent asked.

  My eyes widened a bit. Wait, if he's right that means that Nero guy was targeting us for days before we even met him!

  Several other agents are leering at me now more than before. Asking a question like that feeds enmity. They think its a clue too."Shun? Please answer me," he said again.

  I shrugged. "Its not me that did that. You are looking at the wrong man."

  But now I recalled the Scarred Fae's st words st night before she left us. "Fae Security has a mole. Try to dey telling them what happened as long as you can when they come interview tomorrow." This was why I couldn't just cough up Neros burnt skull to them to prove my innocence. It would leak that one of the enemy agents is dead. Plus, a skillful necro or other magic user could try to re-vivify it, or use it. And that would be worse.

  She obviously had looked into the future. I'm sort of wondering if maybe a cirvoyance mage trumps everything now. Because its clear that the Scarred Fae is super powerful.

  But what can I tell them? As I looked around at the flood of fae intelligence agents and guards here its very likely one of them is the mole. And the mole probably works for the demons.

  "Shun? Answer the question please," one agent said.

  "What's your question?"

  "You heard me!" he raised his voice.

  I felt calm. But I hoped to avoid feeding the mole. "I'm innocent. I could tell you that over and over and it would be true. I don't have anything to say other than that. And... at some point ter on I'll be able to prove my innocence. With more than words. But I was told to wait as long as possible before telling you by someone with higher authority than mine or yours."

  One of the agents gasped in shock. The others looked at him strangely. And then I realized that was a problem. Because they were paying him more attention than to me.

  Uh oh... he used a skill didn't he? But which one...

  "He's not lying. Wow. He just said something really important," the agent who gasped said.

  "Damn it," one of them swore.

  "What is it, Van'Del?" one asked.

  "Well you know how my [detect lie] spell works?" Van'Del asked.

  "Yes. It tells you when some worm of a man, a coward is lying," the team leader agent said back.

  I think he tried to bait me to take a swing at him just then. I didn't fall for it.

  Suddenly the conversation has changed. Now I'm not in the limelight now. I liked that. They are looking at this Van'Del fellow, the lie detector.

  "What did you find out Van'Del?" one of them asked.

  "When you cast Detect Lie spells, did you know that there's more than 2 ways it can fg a statement?" Van'Del asked.

  "I thought it was only 2 ways, just true or false no?" one of them asked.

  "Its more complicated than that. Especially if someone has used the spell for many years and has leveled it up enough," he said.

  "Please expin," an agent asked.

  "When you get detect lie to above level 5, it can instead of fgging for lies only then also cause a type of burning in the heart of mind when something really important was said. Like a confirmation of truth. And to redefine truth and merit. Its extremely valuable," Van'Del said.

  "Like a burning of the bosom?"

  "Yeah like that. Its not a fire burning but like a spirit tingle," he said.

  They frowned.

  "And you are saying he said something and triggered that...?" one asked frowning.

  "Exactly that," Van'Del said.

  "Someone get him out of here. Or our whole case will go up in fmes. He's supposed to be helping us not him," one of them whispered to the team leader. But I heard it.

  "But he's our only lead. And our only potential match to something that could be as strong as the enemy that caused this," the team leader agent frowned.

  But then there's a new voice by us that had snuck up behind me, behind my left shoulder. Its that Ness secretary girl. And she was coming up behind me and standing very close now. I then noticed her and she nodded to me.

  (Author Note; Ness'ryn'dyl became Shun's secretary in Chapter 218 2nd half.)

  "I reserve the right to give legal counsel for Shun. I have military rank that allows me to do so. You must allow him a legal counsel," Ness stated.

  "Dang it, more problems," one of them frowned at Ness.

  "Didn't she just consult with us earlier?" I heard someone in the back ask someone.

  I better ask what Ness was doing earlier.

  "I thought you were just a secretary?" one agent frowned.

  "A very high level secretary. And I do have several degrees. One in w," Ness said.

  "He's the only one with magic power in this area strong enough to do those things to those people. He has a lot of evidence against him," one agent said.

  Ness gred at him. "You have to allow me right to see my client and give counsel before you interrogate him further."

  "Fine. But we've got evidence on him," the team leader said very confidently.

  HuH? How can he have evidence against me when I'm innocent?? Did they find something.

  "Come with me to the celr. There's none of them there. We can talk for a bit unobserved. But what I found out about their evidence scares me," Ness'ryn'dyl said.

  "We do?"

  "I need to warn you about what evidence they have on you. And then we have to pn a defense," she said.

  My heart sank with worry. How?!

  She's tugging me along behind her.

  If they have evidence on me... did they somehow determine I wasn't human? I'm now nervous.