episode_0033

“Thud!”

As water splashed on their faces, the unconscious subordinates of Duke Orleang woke up one by one.

“What… what’s going on?!”

They looked around frantically at the sudden turn of events.

“Huh?! We’re tied up!”

“What is this…?!”

It was like waking up sleeping chickens in a coop in the middle of the night.

“Pfft…!”

Unintentionally, I burst into laughter at their varied reactions.

“Who goes there behind us, causing this commotion?!”

“Hmm…! Hmm!”

To suppress my laughter, I cleared my throat.

“Who is behind you?”

“I am Count Raspore, the right-hand man of Duke Orleang, the best swordsman of Elangs!”

“Oh… Raspore…”

I nodded deliberately, even though I expected that response.

“Now, do you understand the situation?”

“Let’s begin.”

Clap clap

As I clapped my hands, Rotus and Aramis brought the necessary tools for interrogation.

“Whether Count Raspore is behind you or not, it doesn’t matter.”

“What… what?!”

He stared at me wide-eyed in response.

“In fact, that’s why you were kidnapped.”

I picked up the heated iron rod.

I had done this a lot during the 30-year war.

Capturing enemy spies and interrogating them until they spilled the information we needed.

Of course, they all had poison capsules in their mouths, so we started by breaking their jawbones… but why would they carry poison in their mouths?

I thought that if we just warmed them up a bit, like pouring warm water from a leather water bag, they would talk smoothly.

With everyone present, showing unnecessary courage and unity, I grabbed the chair of the man in front.

“Keep an eye on him.”

Swoosh

After asking my friends to make sure they didn’t do anything foolish, I dragged the man to another room while he was still tied to the chair.

“Let me go! Where are you taking me?!”

Thud!

“Ugh!”

When I pushed the back of the chair, he fell backward.

“Ugh…”

He groaned as he hit the ground.

I helped him up.

“Who are you! Who sent you to do this?!”

He yelled at me.

I remained silent and picked up the iron rod.

“Pr… profit…!”

He stiffened at the sight of the glowing end of the iron rod.

“Let’s begin.”

I slowly brought the iron rod to his thigh.

Sizzle…

“Ughhhhh!!!”

He screamed with wide eyes and veins bulging in his neck.

The scream was so loud that I winced slightly.

“Ugh…! Ugh…!”

He gasped for breath as I removed the iron rod.

“How do you feel now?”

“You… crazy bastard…!”

He cursed at me, saliva dripping from his mouth.

Sizzle…

“Ughhhhh!!!”

I struck him with the iron rod again, and he screamed with veins popping in his neck.

“Now… let’s ask some questions.”

“Ugh… do you think I’ll answer?”

“Well… usually, they all do.”

The spies I had interrogated during the 30-year war had faithfully revealed everything.

There was no reason to think this man would be any different.

“Why is Duke Orleang distributing Orange Sapphires across the continent?”

…”

He glared at me with a deadly look.

Clang

As I picked up the iron rod, he flinched slightly but continued to stare at me with a defiant gaze.

“What… I already knew you wouldn’t answer right away.”

I grabbed the pincers and stabbed his shoulder.

Squelch…

“Aaargh!!!”

He threw his head back and screamed in agony.

“Ugh… the smell…”

I removed the pincers from the putrid, burning smell.

“Cough cough! Ugh… ugh!”

He groaned in pain, making strange noises.

I grabbed his back and dragged him to the room where the others were gathered.

“Huh?!”

Drenched in sweat, his eyes lifeless, his comrades swallowed hard at his pitiful appearance.

Thud!

“Next.”

I threw his chair back and grabbed another one.

“…!”

He looked determined, showing me that he wouldn’t reveal anything no matter what.

Courageous, but…

“Aaah!!!”

“My question wasn’t about that. Why is Duke Orléans distributing Orange Sapphires?”

“Ugh! Ugh!!!”

In the end, he chose to suffer the burning pain.

Thinking they might answer if pressured by their peers, I took them all for individual interrogations.

But it seemed Duke Orléans had trained his subordinates well, as they all just screamed and gave cliché responses like “I don’t know,” “Why would I tell you.”

I looked around at them, all broken by torture.

Despair, determination, defiance, a variety of reactions were on display.

“Hmm… everyone’s tight-lipped.”

Aramis muttered, stroking his chin.

“This one won’t talk either. They’re tough nuts to crack.”

Rotus tried to interrogate one by hitting his neck, but he only vomited without saying a word.

“Then we need to change our approach.”

“How?”

“Watch.”

At Rotus’s question, I gave him a pat on the shoulder and approached them.

“No one’s talking. Duke Orléans definitely trained them well.”

“Don’t bother… even if you kill us, we won’t say anything.”

The one in front of us murmured, bowing his head deeply.

“Let’s change tactics. Those who answer my question honestly won’t be interrogated next time.”

“…!”

They all looked at me.

“And those who don’t talk will be excluded from further interrogation.”

I made a throat-slitting gesture with my thumb.

“Don’t fall for those tricks!”

The one in front shouted.

“Get a grip! Do you really think they’ll do that!”

“If they really do!”

“Nonsense!”

He dismissed my words as nonsense.

“Let’s start the interrogation, starting with you.”

I dragged the one in front to another room.

This time, I left the door slightly open so screams could be heard from across.

Knowing what would happen when I grabbed the pincers, he hunched his shoulders and screamed at me.

“Ugh…! No matter how much you torture me… you won’t get anything out of me!!!”

He said there’s nothing to be gained from torture.

I’ve been through torture myself, and it’s really tough.

But there’s something even more painful than physical torture.

I removed the pincers and brought in another guy to continue the interrogation.

One by one, some of them became terrified.

I smiled at the one who was trembling in fear.

“What… what are you planning to do?!”

He trembled and glared at me.

Yes, this kind of guy becomes the catalyst of fear among them.

“What… what’s with that smile?!”

I pointed the pincers at him.

He screamed and twisted in agony.

I dragged the half-conscious man back into the room.

“Next.”

I grabbed the back of the next man’s chair and led him to another room.

As we entered the room, the man closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself for torture.

But I did not torture him in any way.

When I didn’t torture him, he glared at me.

“W-what’s your intention?”

“What, do you want to be tortured?”

“I-I never said that! But…”

“But why do you ask for torture?”

“That’s right!”

“Didn’t I say I would change the way I torture?”

At my words, the man widened his eyes.

“Someone who was tortured before you answered my questions…”

“Ugh…!”

He turned his head and let out a groan.

“So, I won’t torture you.”

After giving him some time, I dragged him to the room across the hall.

“You filthy bastard! Couldn’t withstand torture and spilled the beans!”

As soon as we entered the room, the man began cursing at the person who had been tortured before.

“W-what did you say?! When did I?!”

“Then why wasn’t I tortured?!”

“S-stop talking nonsense! When did I?!”

Their voices began to rise.

“Rotus.”

“Got it.”

At my command, Rotus took the man accused of the crime out of the room.

“Now, one has confessed.”

My words made the Duke of Orléans’ subordinates gulp nervously.

“Next.”

I grabbed another man and led him to the room across the hall.

As more and more people came out without being tortured, finally, someone answered my questions truthfully.

When I raised the pliers, he trembled all over and shouted, “I-I’ll tell you everything! P-please spare me!”

‘Bingo…!’

I silently cheered and set down the pliers I had picked up.

Certainly, mental terror could make a person crumble faster than physical pain.

“Alright, you can answer truthfully, right?”

He vigorously nodded his head in response to my question.

“O-of course! Ask me anything! I’ll tell you everything I know!”

I smiled and brought out paper and pen.

“So… why is the Duke of Orléans distributing the Orange Sapphires?”

“It’s for funding.”

“Funding?”

“Yes, the Duke is raising funds.”

“Why does he want to raise funds?”

“He says it’s for justice…”

“What kind of justice?”

“He only says it’s to correct the center of Elangs, and nothing else…”

He stammered and trailed off.

“Where does the Duke of Orléans get the Orange Sapphires from?”

“I heard they are imported from Turkey.”

“Turkey?”

“Yes, but I’m not sure if they really come from Turkey. If they do, they would most likely be brought in from the southern port of Elangs, but most of them seem to come from the north like Kale.”

“Mainly from Kale…”

I wrote down his statement on the paper.

“How does the Duke of Orléans sell the Orange Sapphires and how do the funds come in?”

“I don’t know, it’s not my area of expertise.”

Clang

When I picked up the pliers, he panicked.

“I’m telling the truth! Why won’t you believe me! I really don’t know because it’s not my job!”

He looked at me with a pleading expression, and I set down the pliers.

“How is the imported drug distributed?”

“Mainly through maritime trade in the North Sea.”

“Any other methods?”

“It’s also transported by carriage, but on a small scale.”

“Alright, you’ve answered truthfully, so I’ll spare you.”

“Phew…!”

I placed him in another room and continued to interrogate him, comparing his statements with others.

Most of the testimonies seemed to match each other, indicating that they were likely true.

We watched as the subordinates of Duke Orleang, who had become a torture victim, were being interrogated.

“Hmm… Mari, isn’t this a bit dangerous if we get caught?” Laurent scratched his head and asked.

Well, it is indeed dangerous. But don’t we have our backs covered as well?

“Lea.”

“Yes.”

Lea nodded in response to my call.

“Bring Duke Razul and Viscount here right away. I have gathered witnesses and testimonies.”

“Understood.”

Lea went up to the surface, and we waited until Duke Razul arrived, locking the door to the underground chamber tightly.