Daniel's growl made Campbell shut his mouth as if he had become mute.
A sense of fear suddenly overwhelmed him, knowing that any moment he might lose his life if he upset Daniel Steiner, who had come with his army.
Daniel, who had been quietly observing Campbell’s shock, suddenly let out a laugh.
"It’s just a joke. You, sir, have every right to refuse my request."
Daniel placed the uniform cap he had been holding on his head.
"Of course, if that happens..."
With the cap neatly positioned, Daniel reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of paper.
He lightly unfolded it and directed it toward Campbell.
"If you're denying that I’ve been granted temporary inquisitorial authority by Princess Selvia, the regent, then you'll have to deal with the consequences yourself."
Campbell swallowed dryly and stared at the contents of the paper.
──────────
The imperial family hereby temporarily grants Daniel Steiner the authority to investigate collaborators suspected of aiding the enemy, in order to maintain military order and establish justice.
The investigative authority granted to Daniel Steiner is limited to those suspected of collaboration, and he is authorized to use military forces as needed.
Any individual who refuses to cooperate with Daniel Steiner's investigation will be considered an insult to the imperial dignity and will face punishment.
The authority granted to Daniel Steiner will remain in effect until the coronation, and he is tasked with fulfilling this duty with integrity, for the honor of the imperial family and the stability of the Empire.
──────────
At the bottom of the paper, there was an elegant signature, clearly in Princess Selvia's hand.
Knowing that it was an official decree, Campbell could do nothing but raise the white flag.
"...I must have gotten carried away. I will cooperate with the investigation."
Hearing the expected response, Daniel nodded and turned around.
"Conduct the search."
Upon hearing the command, the soldiers saluted sharply and entered Campbell’s residence in an orderly line.
Some carried wooden and metal boxes as they moved.
Once all the soldiers had entered Campbell's house, Daniel followed them inside.
Inside the house, Daniel could see soldiers scattered around, packing suspicious items into boxes.
With his hands behind his back, Daniel leisurely observed the scene, when Campbell entered with the military officers.
Without looking at Campbell, Daniel began to inspect the surrounding decor.
Upon seeing the luxurious interior, Daniel couldn't help but exclaim.
"Lots of cherry wood and mahogany furniture! Even a single piece would easily surpass the annual earnings of an average citizen. And that statue... It looks like ebony to me, am I right?"
Even though Campbell was the leader of a political party, Daniel was subtly questioning whether a politician should be indulging in such excessive luxury.
"Moreover, most of this is in the expensive Art Nouveau style. To see such furniture, so rare even in the imperial palace, it's quite a treat for the eyes, don’t you think?"
Campbell could not respond.
This was practically a veiled threat, asking him to reveal who was funding his lavish lifestyle.
Not really expecting a response, Daniel calmly walked toward the living room.
Following him, Campbell’s irritation was evident, as the noise from the soldiers packing things into boxes frayed his nerves.
Amid the noise, Daniel took a chair from the dining table and sat down.
Removing his uniform cap and placing it on the table, Daniel nodded with apparent satisfaction.
"I think it’s better if we talk here."
Campbell, interpreting this as an invitation to sit, walked around the table to the opposite side.
When Campbell pulled out a chair and sat, Daniel spoke with a smile.
"I must apologize for arriving so suddenly and for the search. But of course, once the investigation is over, we’ll return everything, so there’s no need to worry."
Campbell reluctantly nodded, and Daniel playfully tapped the table.
"To be honest, I’d like to return everything as quickly as possible. Prolonging this won’t benefit either you or me, don’t you think?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
"I mean exactly what I said. If you answer my questions truthfully, the investigation will conclude quickly, right? Then, the seized items will be returned to you relatively sooner."
Daniel casually raised his hand and gave a slight motion with his fingers.
One of the officers waiting behind him approached, placed a small tape recorder on the table, and then stepped back.
"Now, I’m going to conduct a sort of interrogation. If you tell the truth, we should part on good terms. Do you understand?"
Campbell silently stared at Daniel for a moment.
He couldn’t tell what kind of scheme Daniel was planning behind that smile.
But unable to refuse, Campbell nodded with tension.
"Alright. Then, let’s begin the recording."
Saying this, Daniel pressed the record button on the tape recorder.
As the tape began to spin steadily, Daniel glanced at Campbell.
"The person I’m speaking with is Campbell, the leader of the Free Society Party. Am I correct?"
"...Yes."
"Then, I will begin by asking you about the allegations of collaboration. Did you ever leak imperial secrets to assist the Kingdom of Belmore?"
Campbell let out a deep breath.
Naturally, he was caught off guard by the first question, which was practically demanding he confess.
‘Wasn’t I supposed to be here for negotiations?’
Thinking he could find some compromise and escape this situation, sweat began to form on Campbell’s forehead.
As the silence stretched on, Campbell bit his lip.
Determining that this wasn’t a negotiation but rather a threat, Campbell decided there was no need to comply.
"That’s absurd. You say I leaked secrets to aid the Kingdom of Belmore? You’d better stop with such insulting remarks."
As expected, Daniel thought to himself, finding nothing particularly surprising. He pressed the pause button on the tape recorder, then turned around and spoke.
"It seems the search is nearly finished. Have the soldiers wait outside. Freyen, you stay here and close the curtains."
Upon hearing the command, the officers nodded and immediately took action.
The officers returned to the soldiers, giving the order to assemble, and one by one, the soldiers left the house, loaded with items in boxes.
After the officers exited through the front door, Freyen began drawing the curtains in the living room.
As darkness began to fill the room, Daniel spoke.
"I clearly told you to speak the truth, but you’re lying, aren’t you?"
Clicking his tongue as if disappointed, Daniel drew his revolver from his waist.
Opening the chamber, Daniel took a bullet from his pocket and loaded it.
After closing the chamber and spinning it once, Daniel wiped the smile off his face and turned to look at Campbell.
"I guess you thought lying would work in your favor. So, I’d like to propose a game to you."
"...A game?"
"It’s simple. Whenever there’s a discrepancy between the information I know and your answers, meaning whenever you lie, I’ll pull the trigger."
Is this madman serious? Campbell was stunned, but Daniel maintained his calm, unwavering demeanor.
"If you think about it, if you lie, you might die, right? So, I hope you’ll cooperate, with your life on the line."
Once Freyen had closed all the curtains, she approached and stopped beside Daniel.
As the two of them were enveloped in the shadows, Campbell clenched his fists.
‘This is insane. He wouldn’t shoot me...!’
If Daniel Steiner killed someone based only on suspicion, even he wouldn’t escape unscathed.
So, Campbell figured that Daniel’s behavior was merely a bluff.
Frowning, Campbell spoke up.
"Hah! It’s fine if you doubt me, but you won’t be able to silence me. As I just said, I have never leaked secrets to the Kingdom of Belmore!"
Daniel nodded as if he had expected this, then raised his revolver.
"Since you’re lying, I suppose it’s time for you to face the consequences."
Campbell swallowed hard, staring at the barrel of the gun pointed at him.
Although his body trembled, he remained calm, knowing that Daniel wouldn’t actually pull the trigger.
‘This is just a bluff.’
There was no reason for Campbell to be intimidated by Daniel Steiner.
"Daniel Steiner! You’d better stop with this ridiculous game of threats..."
It was at that moment.
Click—
As Daniel pulled the trigger, the chamber rotated.
Campbell’s eyes widened in shock.
‘He really... pulled the trigger?’
Campbell had seen Daniel load live bullets into the revolver.
Yet, Daniel had pulled the trigger without hesitation.
That could only mean one thing.
‘He’s really going to kill me. This bastard is actually trying to kill me...!’
Cold sweat began to run down Campbell’s forehead.
The fear of death crawled up his spine, and his breathing became erratic.
His mind went blank, and his body trembled intermittently.
As if suffering from shortness of breath, Campbell gasped for air.
Daniel, calmly observing Campbell’s panic, placed the revolver on the table.
He then pressed the record button on the tape recorder again, leaning back in his chair.
"I’ll ask you again. The leader of the Free Society Party, Campbell, is guilty of colluding with the enemy..."
As Campbell was consumed by the terror of death, Daniel leaned forward slightly and whispered with a tone as if offering one last chance.
"Isn’t that right, you treacherous rat who betrayed the Empire?"