I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander - Chapter 114

Faced with Daniel's growling appearance, Campbell could only keep his mouth shut as if he had become mute.

He was overwhelmed by the fear that he might lose his life the moment he went against Daniel Steiner, who had come leading troops.

Daniel, who had been quietly observing the pale-faced Campbell, suddenly let out a laugh.

"I'm joking. You have the right not to comply with my demands, Mr. Party Leader."

Daniel put on the uniform cap he had been holding in his hand.

"Of course, in that case..."

Daniel, after fixing the position of his uniform cap properly, put his hand into his chest.

He took out a piece of paper from his chest and lightly unfolded it towards Campbell.

"Since you're denying that I've been granted temporary inspection authority by Her Highness the Imperial Princess, who is acting as regent, you'll have to deal with the consequences yourself."

Campbell swallowed dryly and looked at the contents written on the paper.

──────────

The Imperial family hereby temporarily grants Daniel Steiner the authority to inspect collaborators suspected of siding with the enemy for the maintenance of military order and the establishment of justice.

The inspection authority granted to Daniel Steiner is limited to those suspected of being collaborators, and he is authorized to deploy troops as needed.

If there are those who do not cooperate with Daniel Steiner's investigation, it will be considered an act of insulting the dignity of the Imperial family and will be punished.

The period of granted inspection authority is until before the coronation, and Daniel Steiner is ordered to faithfully carry out this duty for the honor of the Imperial family and the stability of the Empire.

──────────

At the bottom of the paper was Imperial Princess Selvia's signature in elegant handwriting.

Campbell, who knew it was an officially issued appointment letter, had no choice but to surrender.

"...I seem to have gotten excited. I'll cooperate with the investigation."

Hearing the expected answer, Daniel nodded and turned around.

"Conduct the search."

The troops who heard the order saluted sharply and filed into Campbell's residence.

Some moved carrying wooden boxes and metal boxes.

After they all entered Campbell's residence, Daniel also moved.

Entering the house, Daniel could see soldiers scattered throughout the house, hurriedly putting suspicious items into boxes.

As he was leisurely observing the scene with his hands behind his back, Campbell entered with military officers.

Daniel looked around at the surrounding interior without casting a glance at Campbell.

Seeing the luxurious interior, Daniel exclaimed in admiration.

"There's a lot of furniture made of cherry and mahogany! Just one of those pieces of furniture would easily surpass a year's income for an ordinary citizen. And that statue... it looks like ebony to me, am I right?"

He was asking whether it wasn't too much luxury for a politician, even if he was the leader of a political party.

"Moreover, most of them are in the expensive Art Nouveau style. It feels like a feast for the eyes to see such furniture that's hard to find even in the Imperial Palace lined up like this. Don't you think?"

Campbell couldn't answer.

It was tantamount to subtly threatening, 'Tell me who's funding you.'

Since he wasn't particularly expecting an answer, Daniel casually walked to the living room.

As Campbell followed Daniel, saliva flowed between his teeth.

The noise created by soldiers sweeping all sorts of objects into boxes was making him nervous.

Meanwhile, Daniel pulled out a chair from the dining table and sat down.

Daniel, who had taken off his uniform cap and placed it on the table, nodded with satisfaction.

"I think it would be good to have our conversation here."

Interpreting this as an invitation to sit, Campbell walked to the opposite side of the table.

As Campbell pulled out a chair and sat down, Daniel said with a smiling expression,

"I'd like to apologize in advance for causing you confusion by suddenly visiting and even conducting a seizure and search. Of course, we'll return all the items once the investigation is over, so there's no need to worry."

As Campbell nodded glumly, Daniel playfully tapped the table.

"To be honest, I want to return your items relatively quickly. Dragging this out for a long time wouldn't be good for 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, won't the investigation end quickly? Then I'll be able to return the seized items relatively quickly too."

Daniel, who had spoken calmly, raised his hand and flicked his fingers.

Then, one of the officers waiting behind approached, placed a small tape recorder on the table, and stepped back.

"Now. From now on, I intend to conduct a kind of interrogation. If you tell only the truth, we'll be able to part on good terms. Do you understand?"

Campbell quietly stared at Daniel for a moment.

He couldn't tell what kind of scheme was behind that smiling face.

Still, unable to refuse, Campbell nodded amid the tension.

"Good. Then I'll start recording now."

Saying that, Daniel pressed the record button on the tape recorder.

After confirming the tape rotating at a constant speed by the motor, Daniel cast his gaze at Campbell.

"The person I'm talking to now is Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party. Is that correct?"

"...That's right."

"Then, I'll now ask questions to you, Mr. Party Leader, who is suspected of being a collaborator. Have you ever leaked Imperial secrets to help the Kingdom of Velmore?"

Campbell drew in a sharp breath.

It was natural to be flustered as the first question was to admit the charges.

'Wasn't he here to negotiate?'

Cold sweat began to form on Campbell's forehead, who had thought he could escape if they found a suitable compromise.

After racking his brain in silence, Campbell gritted his teeth.

He judged that if Daniel had come to threaten rather than negotiate, there was no need to comply.

"You're talking nonsense. Me leaking secrets to help the Kingdom of Velmore? You'd better stop such insulting remarks."

As I thought, huh?

Thinking it wasn't particularly unusual, Daniel pressed the pause button on the tape recorder and then turned around and said,

"It seems the search is almost over, so have the soldiers wait outside with you. Freyen? You stay here and draw the curtains."

The officers who heard the order nodded and immediately took action.

As the officers who returned to the soldiers gave the assembly order, the soldiers, with boxes full of items, left the residence one by one.

Only after the officers had left through the front door did Freyen begin to draw the curtains in the living room.

As darkness began to fall in the living room, Daniel opened his mouth.

"I clearly told you to tell the truth, but you keep lying, Mr. Party Leader."

Daniel, clicking his tongue as if it were regrettable, took out the revolver he was wearing at his waist.

Daniel opened the cylinder, took out a bullet from his chest, and loaded it.

Then, closing the cylinder and spinning it once, Daniel looked at Campbell with his smile erased.

"I think you've judged that it's advantageous to lie. So I'd like to propose a game to you, Mr. Party Leader."

"...A game, you say?"

"It's simple. Every time there's a discrepancy between the information I know and your answers, in other words, every time you lie, I'll pull the trigger."

Is he crazy? Campbell was filled with dismay, but Daniel's expression remained consistently calm.

"Don't you think you'll tell the truth if you think you might die from lying? So I'd appreciate your cooperation with your life on the line."

Freyen, who had drawn all the curtains, approached Daniel's side and stopped.

Campbell, alternately looking at the two people engulfed in shadows, clenched his fists.

'This is ridiculous intimidation. He won't shoot me...!'

Even Daniel Steiner wouldn't be safe if he arbitrarily shot someone who only had suspicions against them.

So Daniel's current behavior was close to empty threats.

Campbell, judging that Daniel was bluffing, frowned.

"Ha! It's fine to suspect me, but you can't silence me. As I just said, I have never leaked secrets to the Kingdom of Velmore!"

Thinking that could be the case, Daniel nodded once and raised the revolver.

"Since you lied, you should receive punishment."

Campbell swallowed as he looked at the gun barrel pointed at him.

Although he was trembling with the gun barrel in front of his eyes, he was able to maintain his composure because he knew Daniel couldn't pull the trigger.

'This is just simple intimidation.'

So there was no reason at all to be played by Daniel Steiner.

"Daniel Steiner! You'd better stop this silly intimidation..."

Just as Campbell was about to raise his voice.

Click─

As Daniel pulled the trigger, the cylinder rotated.

Seeing this, Campbell's eyes widened.

'He... pulled the trigger?'

Campbell had clearly seen Daniel load a live round into the revolver's cylinder.

Yet Daniel pulled the trigger without hesitation.

There was only one thing this meant.

'He intends to kill me. This guy is really trying to kill me...!'

Cold sweat began to flow down Campbell's forehead.

As the fear of death ran down his spine, his breathing became rough.

Moreover, as his mind turned blank, his body trembled intermittently.

Daniel, who had been staring intently at Campbell gasping for breath as if he was having difficulty breathing, put down the revolver on the table.

Daniel, pressing the record button on the tape recorder again, leaned back in his chair.

"I'll ask once more. Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, by colluding with the enemy..."

Towards Campbell, who was gripped by the fear of death, Daniel whispered benevolently as if giving him one last chance.

"Are you indeed a rat who betrayed the Empire?"