The dim light of the late afternoon filtered into the small room where Leon had decided to confront Jerik. The once-arrogant overseer sat slumped in a chair, his hands bound in front of him, his face drawn and pale. The bruises from his capture still marked his skin, but the real toll had been taken on his mind. Jerik's eyes darted around the room, as if searching for an escape that wasn't there.
Leon stood over him, his expression calm, though his presence was heavy with purpose. The room was bare, save for the single table and the chair Jerik occupied, giving the air a sense of confinement—an intentional choice. This wasn't just an interrogation; it was a test of Jerik's will, and Leon knew that breaking it would require more than brute force.
"Tell me about the other lords," Leon began, his voice low, steady. "And the kingdom. I need to know who supports the king, and who might be vulnerable."
Jerik's eyes flickered with fear, his lips trembling. He shook his head slightly, his voice weak. "I—I can't. They'll kill me. You don't understand—"
Leon leaned in closer, his voice growing colder. "You think they're going to kill you? Jerik, you're already dead. Whether it's me, or Rourke, or one of the mercenaries, your life is in my hands now. The only way you leave this room alive is if you give me something useful."
Jerik flinched, his whole body tense. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed stuck in his throat. Leon could see the wheels turning in Jerik's mind, the fear clawing at him, making him hesitate. But Leon wasn't going to wait. He couldn't afford to.
He took a step back, crossing his arms as he studied Jerik. "Look at you. A man who once had power, now reduced to this. You betrayed me, you betrayed the people you were supposed to control, and now you're sitting here, helpless. I know your kind, Jerik. You've been playing both sides your entire life, haven't you? But this time, you've run out of sides to play."
Jerik's breath hitched, and his eyes welled with desperation. "Leon, please… I didn't have a choice. I was trying to survive—"
"We're all trying to survive," Leon cut him off sharply, his tone biting. "But you chose the path of least resistance. You betrayed your own people. You sold them out for what? A little more comfort? A little more time?"
Leon's gaze bore into Jerik, and the overseer's shoulders sagged under the weight of it. The silence in the room stretched, thick with tension.
"I can help you," Jerik finally whispered, his voice trembling. "But they'll kill me if they find out."
Leon crouched down, bringing himself to eye level with Jerik. His voice softened, but there was no warmth in it. "Who's going to kill you? The king? The other lords? They don't care about you. You're nothing to them. The only person who can save you now is me."
Jerik swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he tried to find his words. "The king… he controls the lords through fear. Some of them, they don't want to follow him, but they're too afraid to act. Others… they're loyal, but only because the king rewards them with land and gold."
Leon nodded slowly, encouraging Jerik to continue. "And who are the ones that fear him? Who are the lords we can turn against the king?"
Jerik hesitated again, but Leon's eyes never left his, and the weight of the question pressed down on him. "Lord Edran… he controls the southern territories. He's afraid of the king, but he's been gathering forces quietly, preparing for a day when he might need to rebel. But… but he's not strong enough to move yet."
Leon absorbed the information, his mind already working through the possibilities. "And the others? Who stands with the king?"
Jerik's face tightened, his voice barely a whisper. "Lord Harvek. He's loyal to the king to a fault. His forces are well-armed, and he's ruthless. Anyone who opposes him is crushed. He controls the eastern lands, and the king relies on him to keep the border secure."
Leon stood, his expression unreadable as he processed the new information. It was what he needed to know—the cracks in the king's power, the lords who might be persuaded to rise against him. But it wasn't enough. He needed more.
"You think telling me this will save you?" Leon asked, his voice cold again. "You think giving me scraps of information will earn you your life?"
Jerik's eyes widened in panic. "I—I told you what I know! I told you about Edran, about Harvek—"
Leon shook his head slowly. "You've told me the bare minimum, Jerik. But I need more than that. I need details. What are the king's weaknesses? How does he keep control over the lords? How do his forces move?"
Jerik's hands shook in his lap, his breath coming in shallow gasps. "The king… he has spies everywhere. He rewards those who bring him information, those who can root out dissent. That's how he keeps control. No one dares to speak against him because they're always being watched. If someone rises against him, they disappear—no one hears from them again."
Leon narrowed his eyes. "And how does he control his military? Where are his strongest forces?"
Jerik's voice grew quieter, his fear more palpable. "The king's forces are concentrated in the capital. His personal guard—men who are loyal only to him—are some of the best-trained soldiers in the kingdom. They protect him, and they're used to crush any rebellion before it can spread."
Leon paced the room slowly, the pieces falling into place. He had what he needed now—names, weaknesses, potential allies. But Jerik had given him this information out of fear, not loyalty. And Leon knew men like Jerik didn't change.
"Thank you, Jerik," Leon said, his tone almost pleasant. "You've been helpful."
Jerik blinked, surprised at the sudden change in Leon's demeanor. "So… so you'll let me go?"
Leon's smile was cold. "No. I won't."
Jerik's face drained of color, and his body went rigid with panic. "But I told you everything! I told you what you wanted to know!"
"And you think that makes you trustworthy?" Leon asked, his voice hardening again. "You betrayed me once. You betrayed the people you were supposed to protect. You think I'm going to let you live, knowing that you'll do it again the moment it benefits you?"
Jerik's eyes filled with terror. "Leon, please! I can help you! I can be useful—"
Leon leaned in close, his voice low and dangerous. "You've been useful. But now? Now you're just a liability."
Jerik's body trembled violently, his eyes wild with fear as the reality of his situation sank in. "What are you going to do with me?"
Leon straightened, his expression cold and unfeeling. "I'm not going to kill you, Jerik. But you're not going to live freely either. I'll find a use for you—whether that's as a prisoner, or as leverage, remains to be seen."
Jerik's shoulders sagged in defeat, the weight of his inevitable fate crashing down on him.
Leon turned to leave, his voice trailing behind him. "For now, consider yourself lucky. You'll live, but not by your own choice."
As Leon stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him, he felt no satisfaction. Jerik had been broken, but there was no victory in it. He had the information he needed, but the game was far from over. The real enemy was still out there—the king, the lords, and the forces that kept them in power.
Jerik was just one piece of a much larger puzzle. And Leon had every intention of putting that puzzle together, no matter how long it took.