Chapter 56: Favor (3) Somewhere in the Genen Autonomous Region. I stood in a back alley behind a building identified as a hideout for revolutionary cells.
"Move in."
At that moment, Schatz and the investigators stormed inside. It wasn't the chaotic, noisy rush of the past. Based on the floor plan we had secured in advance, they moved with surgical precision from all directions, leaving no room for escape.
Soon, the sound of dull thuds was followed by outbursts of screams.
A short while later, the subversives were dragged out of the building.
"Transport them."
I didn't take them to the Knights' headquarters, but to 'The Annex.'
The evidence collected included numerous forbidden books, correspondence exchanged with the Revolutionary Group, and protest plans written in code.
A total of thirteen people were taken into custody, but not one of them was Izenheim. This meant interrogations were necessary.
"They're likely the type dying to be used by the Revolutionary Group. We call them the Youth League," Investigator Zendo said.
I nodded at his words.
"Usually, in a situation like this, what do you all do?" I asked, fiddling with my leather gloves.
"..."
"..."
They simply stared at me without a word.
"Speak honestly."
"Well... the interrogation..." Zendo began, cautiously gauging my reaction.
"Interrogation?"
"We use torture... to squeeze more out of them. No matter how much you threaten them with words, they never open their mouths. They're a stubborn lot."
I fell into thought for a moment.
"If torture is necessary, so be it."
Torture itself is actually an inefficient method of interrogation. This was a fact proven to some extent by the book The Art of Interrogation, published after the fall of the Empire.
However, since 'technical interrogation' takes time, I would use torture if it was needed. These hot-blooded youths might know something about Izenheim.
"However."
I didn't trust the investigators' methods at all.
The thirteen people caught today were all in their late teens to early twenties. Their discussions of revolution were limited to protest plans. They were literally just 'youths stained by the ideology of revolution,' not high-ranking officials.
"We need a new manual for interrogation."
"A... manual, sir?"
"Yes. Your methods are too crude."
It shouldn't be life-threatening, but it must be effective.
Suddenly, a suitable person came to mind. A heinous criminal who truly loved his craft. A madman who, purely for his skill in torture, would later be pardoned to join the military, only to be assassinated by the Revolutionary Group.
I left The Annex and got into the car.
"Run a background check on 'Yamilia Cohen' and head there. He should be in prison."
"Yes, sir."
The administrative officer checked the identity through the Knight vehicle's terminal and set the destination.
"Heading to Taran Prison."
I never imagined in my life that I would be creating a torture manual, but it couldn't be helped. These Youth League members probably had no idea what kind of being 'Izenheim'—the one they were desperately trying to protect—really was.
*
Yamilia Cohen.
I went to see him. He had long, curly hair and eyes that seemed to take up his entire face. This man, whose very appearance felt eerie, stared at me blankly.
"What business does a Knight have with me...?"
I asked him about torture, and his eyes sparkled like stars.
"However, there is a condition. It must never be life-threatening."
"Of course, Sir Knight. That part is my specialty."
"Also, it must not leave any serious aftereffects."
At that, his expression darkened slightly.
"There's no such thing as 'considerate' torture..."
"I'm talking about efficiency, not consideration."
"Well, anyway, if it's not just for the sake of inflicting pain but for extracting information..."
He pulled his chair closer and sat tight against the table.
"First, the interrogator must never have personal feelings. If personal spite gets mixed in, they'll fail to control their strength, which could eventually threaten the subject's life. Also, the method of torture must be chosen differently depending on the person."
He licked his lips and continued.
"The weak ones who can't stand pain itself will talk if you just touch them. Honestly, many amateurs use waterboarding or just shock them with electricity, but that's incredibly stupid. It's a bizarre and senseless act that shows zero understanding of human psychology!"
His large eyelids glistened with madness.
"Torture that pushes someone to the absolute limit is extremely inefficient. Their mind becomes hazy, their consciousness clouded, and they end up not even knowing what kind of torture they're undergoing. Information squeezed out like that isn't accurate. They'll say anything, even lies, just to escape the reality for a moment. And they might even die from brain damage."
"...So. The conclusion?"
"If you want to extract information most efficiently without threatening their life, you only need these two things."
Cohen leaned forward and whispered like a snake.
"The first is a drug. I have a formula that only I know so far. It's a drug that amplifies the sensory organs themselves dozens of times over, while keeping the mind clear and alert. You have to adjust the dosage very precisely. You need the perfect golden ratio. After administering it, you pull out the fingernails and toenails. Even pulling just one will have an immediate effect. There's no need to pull more than two. Because..."
He wore an ecstatic expression for a moment.
"Ah..."
"Just say it."
"My apologies. It's because... it hurts much more after you pull the nail out. Try sprinkling salt on the wound. Then their expression will be... you'll feel their pain vividly. Because of the drug's stimulant effect, their consciousness won't cloud, and they won't go into shock. If it's a tough guy who can endure pain well, then you have to test their patience. Don't let them sleep for days—"
"That's enough."
I handed him a blank notebook and a pen.
"Write it all down here."
"Write what, sir?"
"Your knowledge of torture. Including the ingredients and the formula for the drug you just mentioned."
Cohen suddenly asked back with a blunt face.
"...Is there any compensation for my trouble?"
My brow furrowed.
"Are you trying to strike a deal with me right now?"
"No, no. It's not like that, but... this is what you might call my intellectual property..."
"I'll put a generous amount into your prison account."
"..."
He looked like he wasn't particularly interested. I scowled, and Cohen flinched.
It was a hassle, but even in negotiations like this, you have to tailor it to the person.
"Later, when it's time to execute a death row inmate, I'll let you pull the lever yourself once. How's that?"
"!"
Cohen's eyes, nose, and mouth widened. His curly hair seemed to puff up as if he'd been hit by static electricity.
He quickly snatched the notebook and pen.
"A promise! You must keep that promise!"
Laughing like a madman, he began to write down his knowledge.
* * *
The Annex in Genen.
Zendo received the manual. He returned to the interrogation room with the book, which was bound like a neat textbook, tucked under his arm.
"..."
A Youth League member was tied to a chair.
If possible, Zendo wanted to beat the kid's head in, but such haphazard venting of anger was no longer permitted.
Zendo first picked up the drug placed on the tray.
Exactly 2.39mg of clear liquid in a syringe. To prevent using too little or too much, it was standardized like this from the start.
Zendo removed the revolutionary's hood. A terrified young man flinched as he opened his eyes.
"Pursuant to Article 3, Paragraph 13 of the Special Measures Act on Imperial Security, investigative agencies may exercise limited physical force for the purpose of obtaining information from subversives against whom evidence has been obtained. In other words, all force applied to you from this moment on is legal."
The notification of Imperial law. This was written in the 'Mandatory Procedures' section at the very beginning of the manual.
"Now, you only need to give me two names. Without lies. Then this legal interrogation will end."
"...Like I'd do that."
These Youth League bastards were always like this. They were young and full of vigor, making him want to beat them to death sometimes, but he couldn't do that anymore.
The most important thing was the procedure. All personal feelings had to be excluded. The entire investigative body was now under the control of Ebenholtz.
"You dog. Do you like being kept on a leash?"
"Tsk."
Zendo first covered the man's eyes with a blindfold. After injecting the prepared drug, he pulled out a fingernail with pliers.
"—Guh!"
The man tied to the chair suddenly arched his back and convulsed. He twisted his entire body, unable to even let out a scream.
Zendo turned to the next page of the manual.
After pulling the nail, leave them alone for a moment. Until the pain subsides.
"..."
When they seem to have calmed down, slap their cheek to bring them back to their senses.
"Hey. You just need to give me two names. Without lies."
"Kgh... hhh..."
If they cannot steady themselves, they haven't escaped the pain yet, so give them more time.
Zendo checked the time on his terminal.
There were no clocks in The Annex, and investigators were strictly forbidden from wearing wristwatches. It was a command that bordered on a quirk of Maximilian's.
"Kgh... ugh..."
Just then, the Youth League member let out a ragged breath. Zendo asked him:
"Are you back with us? I repeat. Just two—"
"—Fuck you!"
"..."
Zendo's eyebrows twitched.
No matter how much this brat acted out, he had to stick to the established standards. He must not commit any act that exceeded the procedure.
The next step in the manual: fine salt.
Feeling half-doubtful, Zendo picked up the salt jar and poured it over the bloody finger where the nail had been ripped out.
"G-gaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Zendo was startled. The man thrashed like a fish on a hook.
"Agh, aaaaaaaahhh! Agh! Aaah!"
"...What is this?"
It was absurd.
He had only messed with one fingernail and sprinkled some salt. Compared to the tortures he had performed until now, it was, in a way, the most 'gentle' method.
"Kaa, ah, aaaaaah... Aaaaaaaahhh!"
The effect was more dramatic than any other torture.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
"...Is this why they say people need to be educated?"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
He was going to lose his voice.
"Huff, huff, huff... Kghhhhh!"
Zendo opened the deposition form as he listened to the Youth League member's groans.
According to the manual, every step of this process had to be recorded without a single lie. If he violated this, it would mean he had given a false report to Maximilian himself, which would lead to...
"Purge."
One didn't need to think deeply about what a purge meant to Ebenholtz. He would likely be caught no matter where he fled on this continent.
Zendo recalled his actions and wrote the deposition as accurately as possible.
* * *
The effect was certain. With the young ones, there was no need to go as far as several nails. Most of them gave up two names by the second nail, and thanks to the Knights' identity verification system, the truth of the confessed information was quickly determined.
"...Will this be alright, Sir Knight?" Schatz asked me in the hallway of The Annex.
"What will be?"
"Releasing them just because they gave up two names."
The question itself was slightly loaded. I might have been overthinking it, but it felt like she was testing my intentions.
After all, Schatz had been part of the Revolutionary Group before my regression.
"Being a revolutionary doesn't mean they all deserve the death penalty. To begin with, they're hardly what you'd call revolutionaries. They're just intoxicated by the ideology. Especially the younger they are, and the more they think they're special, the easier it is for them to be brainwashed by leaders who exploit those feelings."
Daniel's case involved a very radical terrorist, and the other two were Izenheim. Therefore, their situation and position were very different from these Youth League members.
"Above all, they aren't Sub-species."
The people of Genen are treated as being racially close to Imperials. Of course, it's a purely political and social distinction, but I had no intention of discriminating against them unnecessarily.
My only enemies were the Izenheim.
"What if they are released and return to revolutionary activities?"
"Then they'll be caught again. Their identities have already been flagged. Besides, they'll likely be abandoned by the Revolutionary Group once they've lost their trust."
The ideology of revolution was spread like a spiderweb across the Empire, but many parts of it were merely 'students.' Those who could truly be called revolutionaries never revealed themselves easily.
"The core of the Revolutionary Group runs very deep. Torture is a means to find that core, not a punishment."
I looked out the window at the young men being escorted from The Annex.
"As they get caught and released repeatedly, they'll eventually realize. Exactly what this revolution is for."
Of course, I wouldn't release them immediately. I planned to give them at least three months in a detention center to think. That was as far as my 'manual' went.
"However, such leniency only applies to those of their level."
The true core of the Revolutionary Group wouldn't be active in a place like Genen, but Genen was certainly one of their important strongholds.
"Especially among the radical Independence Faction, there will be Sub-species mixed in. When we catch them, I intend to kill them without fail."
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
I looked at Schatz.
Her pitch-black hair and eyes that were even darker and deeper. I couldn't read any emotion from her expression. She seemed completely unshaken. It was likely thanks to the vocational training she received at the Ebenholtz main house.
But I still couldn't be sure of the extent of Schatz's loyalty. All I had done was pull her out of prison, and her status was still just a 'limited pardonee.'
She had become my person regardless of her own will.
That was why I had to make an effort.
I had to somehow win the heart of this woman whose inner thoughts were unreadable—this monster who would one day grow strong enough to face Zebestian. So that she would remain loyal only to me, without being distracted by things like revolution...
"Schatz."
"Yes, Sir Knight."
"Is there anything you want lately?"
"...?"
Schatz tilted her head blankly.
"You've worked hard lately, so I was thinking of a bonus..."
"Pardon?"
"...Never mind. It's nothing."
"Ah. Yes."
"...A bag, or something."
"Pardon?"
"Um... no. I just meant you've done a good job."
"Ah. Thank you."
...It seemed this was going to be much more difficult than I thought.
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