"...Alright, you take over then." The officer, seeing that Esdeath wanted to handle the interrogation, readily stepped aside. After all, he was from a field army background and wasn't particularly skilled in interrogation. Aside from whipping and branding, he had no other methods.
"Watch closely—this is what interrogation is all about!" Esdeath's excitement was palpable as she approached the captured rebels, a faint smile playing on her lips. Her boots made a rhythmic tap, tap on the ground as she walked.
One of the rebel spies involuntarily swallowed as the blue-haired officer drew closer, smiling. Although he felt a shiver down his spine, he reminded himself that he was a warrior of the Revolutionary Army. How could he fear an imperial dog? "You little brat! You think you know how to interrogate? Don't wet yourself, go home to your mother!"
"You'll find out soon enough." Esdeath's smile remained as she spoke.
...
Snap!
Under the soldiers' guidance, Selene quickly arrived at the interrogation site.
As she looked at the deceptively "peaceful" camp, Selene found herself deep in thought. Sigh, this was supposed to be bait I set up outside the city. How come no one took the bait?
It was a small tent camp set up outside Patrypol City, guarded by only a platoon of fifty men. Despite the seemingly minimal security, it was actually part of Selene's trap—there were far more soldiers hidden in the shadows, and Selene herself could provide immediate backup if needed.
But, unfortunately, it seemed like another bust. Sorry, fellow "fishermen," I've let you down.
"AAAAHHHH—!"
"Just kill me! Kill me!! AHHHHH—!!!"
...
Selene's thoughts were interrupted by the piercing screams coming from the camp.
"It seems Esdeath has already started..."
She quickly made her way to the scene. By now, such gruesome sights no longer fazed her.
"General!" The officer in charge of the interrogation immediately set aside his whip and bowed upon seeing Selene approach.
"How's it going?" Selene asked calmly.
"Their lips are sealed tight. I've been beating them for hours, but they won't say anything." The officer began to sweat, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke.
"Esdeath is in charge now. She didn't ask them anything—just went straight to the heavy torture," he added, glancing nervously at Esdeath.
At that moment, there was a squelch.
A wicked smile played on Esdeath's lips as she gripped a dagger and plunged it into the eye socket of the eldest rebel, gouging out his eyeball.
"AHHH! AHHHH!..." The old rebel's scream was sharp and filled with terror, his eye socket a bloody mess, with blood streaming down one side of his face.
The Imperial Guard captain standing nearby stiffened, swallowing hard.
She just gouged out his eye like it was nothing. Terrifying. Good thing she's not our enemy—just imagining that happening to me makes my scalp tingle.
Esdeath crushed the fallen eyeball under her boot, her expression as cold as ever.
"This feeling underfoot... it's fantastic. There's still another eye left. How about I dig it out and crush it too?" she said, her tone disturbingly playful.
"You... you're a demon!" The old rebel hissed through his blood-stained teeth, his remaining eye glaring defiantly at Esdeath.
"I hate it when people look at me like that," Esdeath sighed, then swiftly raised her blade, which gleamed with a cold light, and slashed the old man's throat. "...So just die."
With a single motion, she gripped his windpipe and tore it out, spraying blood everywhere. The old rebel's death was as gruesome as it was swift.
Esdeath looked at the lifeless body with indifference. To her, killing was no different from hunting dangerous beasts—just another task.
Tap, tap.
Esdeath moved on to the next prisoner, a young, frail girl. Smiling, she lifted the girl's chin with her finger.
"Do you want to end up like him?" Esdeath's voice was sweet, but to the rebel girl, it was more terrifying than a demon's whisper.
The girl, no older than fourteen or fifteen, was drenched in sweat, her face streaked with blood and tears.
Her lips quivered as she looked up at Esdeath in abject terror. "I... I..."
"That's enough. No need to interrogate her further." Before the girl could finish, a gloved hand with finely crafted silver armor rested on Esdeath's shoulder.
"General? What do you mean?" Despite her strong personality and rebellious nature, Esdeath was surprisingly obedient and respectful in Selene's presence, like a well-behaved "good girl."
"Are you planning to spare her?"
At Esdeath's question, Selene couldn't help but chuckle. "Not a chance. She doesn't have the potential to be of any use to me, and as a mere pawn for the rebels, she likely knows nothing of value."
"Then what do you mean? Release her..." Before Esdeath could finish, Selene swiftly struck with a "Dark Star: Blade."
Thud.
"Take her to the prison and have her executed with the others tomorrow." Selene ordered, withdrawing her hand from Esdeath's head.
"Yes, ma'am!"
Hearing this, the girl seemed almost relieved, as if death was a release.
As the girl was led away, Selene's mind was already plotting. I'll use a small escort—one last chance to see if any fish take the bait.
"Alright, Esdeath, the remaining two are all yours. It's fine if you don't get any information—just do your best."
Esdeath, still slightly dazed, quickly stood to attention when she heard Selene's command. "Yes, General!"
...
The Next Day, Patrypol City, Market Square
Countless citizens had gathered in the market square, summoned by imperial soldiers to witness a "trial."
Imperial soldiers stood in concentric circles, maintaining order.
On the execution platform, two rows of prisoners knelt, twenty in total, dressed in white prison garments. Behind them knelt a much larger group of convicts, easily numbering over a hundred.
In the meantime, Selene sat on a wooden chair atop a high building overlooking the square, sipping tea as she watched the proceedings.
Behind her, several officers from the Imperial Guard stood at attention, including Esdeath and the Governor of Patrypol Province, waiting for any signs that their "big fish" had taken the bait.
"Hehe, what do you think? Will any of the rebel spies who escaped capture in Patrypol risk coming to save them?"