Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, with another chapter of my fanfic The One Who Came Back.

Renner seeks guidance from those who know best about lies.

I would like to thank everyone who is reading and take the opportunity to respond to some comments because I don't know if private messages are arriving.

For Kharaki Takan:

Thanks for the corrections.

Yes, Oni uses Westling and judo moves.

There are "firearms" in the New World, but they all come from Yggdrasil, like those from CZ and Azuth Aindra.

To Sorey:

Thanks for the review, I loved your analysis.

To everyone who sent messages:

Thanks! comments feed my soul.

With you

The one who came back

Chapter 66: Do Not Sweeten the Truth

06 hours before the meeting

"Lord Demiurge, there's a visitor waiting for an audience."

"Let her in, Pulcinella. I think I know who it is."

The person entered the archdemon's office, approaching with a genuflection.

"Miss Renner, there's no need to kneel every time, just a bow will do, like everyone else."

"Thank you, Lord Demiurge. I came to request help with a problem that has arisen."

"Let's see...", Demiurge lift up his index finger, "Ainz-sama asked you to accompany him to the meeting with the Council of the Argland City-State."

"Yes, I believe he wants me to..."

"Wants you to testify about the situation in the former Kingdom of Re-Estize."

"Yes, but I fear they won't ask simple questions. I believe they..."

"They'll use mind control magic, or at least lie-detecting spells."

"Yes, Lord Demiurge. I am a good actress, good enough to deceive all humans..."

"But not to deceive a spell."

"You are beyond my mental capabilities, anticipating this whole situation. So, could you help me?"

"With mind control, there's no need to worry; they'll already be hesitant to use such a spell on a sovereign. If they still insist on it, a little manipulation will make them forget that option quickly."

"But what about the lie-detecting spell? I'll never pass it, not even with anti-clairvoyance amulets. These would be quickly identified by any spellcaster."

"In that, I cannot help."

"But, my lord, we are demons, you as the strongest should be...", Renner fell to her knees, cutting off the sentence as she saw Demiurge's stern gaze, "... I APOLOGIZE FOR MY WORDS!"

"Miss Renner, just because we are demons, do you think we are liars?"

"N-n-no, Lord Demiurge, I apologize for speaking such things, but the tomes you recommended for me to read..."

"They say demons are liars. It seems you're still in the religious records; they speak more of superstitions than actual studies."

"Y-yes, Lord Demiurge. I decided to start by reading what our main opposition would have to say about us."

"A good decision, but you need to be aware of your own new nature. Look, we'll start with the basics: I don't mean we don't lie; we do it like any species. However, we prefer manipulation and deception, offering exactly what we'll give, letting humans confuse themselves, entangle themselves with their own assumptions and mistakes. Look at yourself; did you lie a lot when you were still human? And now?"

"Well, yes, Lord Demiurge, most of my old conversations included blatant lies, but upon reflection, since I became a demonic being, I find myself concealing the truth more when speaking with Climb or Lakyus. Half-words or with sentences with double meaning do the trick; I only lie as a limited resource."

"Yes, that's part of our own satisfaction, manipulation. But using half-words, double entendres, being evasive, or vague won't completely avoid discovery."

"I imagined as much, which is why I came seeking help. I don't understand why our lord made such a decision; he simply informed me that I would go along, without any concern."

"That, my dear, is because our lord Ainz-sama has full confidence that we can overcome this obstacle. But he won't give us the stones to pave the way; we'll have to carve them ourselves."

"Lord Ainz truly is the wisest ruler. So, Lord Demiurge, the problem remains. How can I lie well enough to deceive a lie-detecting spell?"

"For that, you should seek out the person who knows the most about lying in all of Nazarick!"

"Who?"

...

*knock, knock*

"I'm coming! Who could it be at this hour in the morning? Oh! Hello."

"Good morning, Mr. Wild. I need your help," said Renner.

The princess now stood at the door of a cabin built on the edge of the lake on the sixth floor.

"Well, of course, Miss Renner, please come in, sit down, and tell me what this is about. Why do you need my help?"

"Well, summarizing the situation, I will be attending the meeting with Lord Ainz in Argland. They will probably use lie detection. Lord Demiurge helped me as much as he could, but he suggested I speak with you about how to lie."

"That man has a fixation on me. You know I can't lie, right?"

"Yes, I received the restricted memo."

"Yet you still came to me."

"Yes."

"And you want me to teach you how to lie."

"Yes."

"With five hours left until the meeting."

"Yes."

"Now I know what a mother feels when her child asks for 'poster board' on a Sunday night for the next day."

"Sir, I don't understand, what's 'poster board'?"

"Nothing, forget it. Have you had breakfast?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Well, I haven't. I'll prepare something."

TW got up and went to the kitchen. In fact, the interior of the cabin was a very open space. Rustic on the outside and modern on the inside.

He began preparing the coffee quickly.

"Are you sure you don't want some 'coffee'?"

"What is 'coffee'?"

"Strange, when I say 'breakfast' and 'dejejunum,' what do you understand, Renner?"

"You said breakfast twice in a row."

"Hmm, I see the problem. The translation magic that permeates this world translates words from different languages with the same meaning like 'breakfast' into a common word, whatever your language is. But when I say 'coffee,' it doesn't do that, perhaps because there is no coffee, or if there is, it hasn't been discovered yet and hasn't been named in your language. I wonder how many wars started from interpretation errors."

"Mr. Wild, what is 'coffee' after all?"

"Coffee is a beverage made from the beans of the plant called Coffee. The beans are dried, roasted, and ground. Then, to prepare, they are brewed almost like tea. Try a bit."

Renner accepted the cup with the dark liquid, darker than any tea she had ever had. She took a small sip.

"Hmm, delicious!" she said with the sincerest smile TW had ever seen.

"Lie."

"What? How?!"

"You're lying, I know it because no one likes pure, unadulterated coffee, not on the first sip. Try again."

Renner took another sip, this time making a face.

"It's the most horrible thing I've ever tasted."

"That was true, a bit exaggerated, but pure truth. Coffee is the truth, now let's sweeten it a bit with sugar, just two teaspoons."

"What is 'sugar'?"

"Sugar is a white powder made from the juice of a plant called sugarcane. The juice is boiled until it becomes molasses, solidifies, and then turned into powder. It's sweeter than the fruit syrup and honey you use. Try now."

"Hmm! Better, it's good!"

"Let's sweeten it more now, sweeten the truth quite a bit. Try."

Renner again made a grimace that seemed nauseated.

"Too sweet, isn't it? It tastes awful if you put too much sugar. Let me throw this away," he said, tossing the contents over his shoulder. The stuff flew out the window and landed on a peanut bush, which temporarily developed strange superpower properties, properties that were never discovered.

"Alright, now with a bit of sugar and milk."

"Very good! I liked it a lot, it's like tea with cream, but the flavor is very different and seems creamier."

"Yes, it's good, you can add cinnamon, 'vanilla,' use different coffees, different milks, have it cold or as a 'cappuccino'."

"I imagine some of those words are ingredients. I've heard that in the canteen or at the bar, but what does all this have to do with my problem? I know it's an analogy, but I would like you to explain."

"Alright, as I said, coffee is the truth. You can sweeten it, but not too much; you can add things, improve the flavor, make it more palatable, like the truth."

"So, I should embellish and decorate what I say. I can do that, but will it evade a lie-detection spell?"

"No, it won't, and it's very easy to lose the right measure of all that, making the truth hard to swallow. Don't do that, serve pure coffee; naked truth, like coffee, is a matter of taste, some people prefer it that way, and in that circumstance, you must make your answers unpalatable. Don't hide in half-words, nor try to evade the question."

"Alright, but that won't avoid a direct question."

"Then you must seek out the least capable, and the most eager spellcaster, so that he doesn't ask the right questions, only those to which he wants answers."

"So, I should be questioned by the dragon."

...

Author's Note

As for demons lying, I really wanted to make them creatures that were honest with themselves about their deceitful nature.

About the coffee thrown into the peanuts, it's a very obscure Easter egg, I'm not going to give any tips.

Regarding the words that Renner doesn't know, I imagine that in the New World there is no coffee or sugar as we know it and the magic of "summoning spices" must only work with things they know.