Confession
Confession
Seeing Daniel growl, Kembal could only shut his mouth as if struck dumb.
A fear washed over him that if he crossed Daniel Steiner, who had arrived leading troops, he might lose his life in an instant.
Daniel, who had been silently watching the dumbfounded Kembal, suddenly let out a laugh.
"It's a joke. After all, you, Party Leader, have the right not to comply with my demands."
Daniel put the uniform cap he had been holding onto his head.
"Of course, in that case......."
After adjusting his cap neatly, Daniel slipped his hand into his inner pocket.
Daniel took out a sheet of paper from his pocket and lightly unfolded it toward Kembal.
"That would mean denying that I was granted temporary inspection authority by Her Highness the Princess Regent, so you would have to take responsibility for the consequences yourself."
Kembal, swallowing dryly, looked at the content written on the paper.
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The Imperial Household hereby temporarily grants Daniel Steiner the authority to inspect collaborators suspected of siding with the enemy, for the sake of maintaining military order and establishing justice.
The inspection authority granted to Daniel Steiner is limited to those suspected of collaboration, and he is authorized to command troops as necessary.
Should anyone refuse to cooperate with Daniel Steiner's investigation, it shall be regarded as an act of contempt against the dignity of the Imperial Household and will be punished.
The granted inspection authority remains in effect until the coronation, and Daniel Steiner is commanded to faithfully carry out this duty for the honor of the Imperial Household and the stability of the Empire.
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At the bottom of the paper, Princess Celvia's signature was written in an elegant hand.
Kembal, well aware that it was an officially issued letter of appointment, ultimately had no choice but to raise the white flag.
"......I seem to have gotten carried away. I shall cooperate with the investigation."
Daniel nodded at the expected answer and turned to look behind him.
"Conduct the search."
At the order, the soldiers snapped a salute and filed into Kembal's residence.
Some moved carrying wooden crates and metal boxes.
Once they had all entered the house, Daniel also stepped inside.
Entering the house, Daniel could see the soldiers scattered throughout the residence, busily stuffing suspicious items into boxes.
As he watched the scene leisurely with his hands behind his back, Kembal entered together with the military officers.
Daniel surveyed the interior decoration without casting a glance at Kembal.
Admiring the luxurious interior, Daniel exclaimed.
"There are many pieces of furniture made of cherry wood and mahogany! A single piece like that would easily exceed an ordinary citizen's annual income. And that sculpture over there...... it looks like ebony to me, is that correct?"
He was essentially questioning whether, even as head of a political party, a politician ought to be indulging in such luxury.
"And most of it is in the expensive Art Nouveau style. Furniture that is hard to find even in the Imperial Palace is lined up here—it's a real feast for the eyes, isn't it?"
Kembal could not answer.
Because it was as if Daniel were implicitly threatening him: 'Tell me who is providing you with funds.'
Since he hadn't particularly expected an answer, Daniel strolled leisurely into the living room.
A low groan slipped through Kembal's teeth as he followed Daniel.
The clatter of soldiers sweeping all manner of items into boxes was setting his nerves on edge.
Amidst this, Daniel pulled out a chair from the dining table and sat down.
Daniel, having taken off his uniform cap and placed it on the table, nodded as if satisfied.
"It seems like a good place to talk."
Kembal, interpreting it as an invitation to sit, walked to the other side of the table.
Once Kembal had taken a seat, Daniel spoke with a smile.
"I apologize in advance for the seizure and search, especially since I must have caught you off guard by coming so suddenly. Of course, once the investigation is over, all your items will be returned, so you need not worry."
When Kembal nodded awkwardly, Daniel playfully tapped the table.
"To be honest, I would like to return your belongings relatively quickly. Dragging this out won't benefit either of us, now will it?"
"......What do you mean by that?"
"Literally. If you give truthful answers to my questions, won't the investigation be over quickly? Then the seized items can be returned to you relatively quickly as well."
Daniel, having delivered these words nonchalantly, raised his hand and beckoned with his fingers.
Thereupon, one of the officers waiting in the back approached, placed a small tape recorder on the table, and stepped back.
"Now then. From this point on, I intend to conduct a sort of interrogation. If you tell me nothing but the truth, we can part amicably. Understood?"
Kembal stared at Daniel in silence for a moment.
He could not tell what kind of scheme was hidden behind that faintly smiling face.
Nevertheless, Kembal, unable to refuse, nodded in a state of tension.
"Very well. Then I shall begin recording now."
So saying, Daniel pressed the record button on the tape recorder.
After checking the tape rotating at a constant speed driven by the motor, Daniel cast his gaze at Kembal.
"The person I am speaking with now is Kembal, Party Leader of the Liberal Society Party. Is that correct?"
"......It is."
"In that case, I shall now ask questions of you, Party Leader, who are suspected of being a collaborator. Have you ever leaked Imperial secrets to aid the Kingdom of Belmore?"
Kembal drew a sharp breath.
He could hardly help being flustered—the very first question demanded he admit to the charges.
'He didn't come to negotiate.'
A cold sweat began to bead on the forehead of Kembal, who had thought he could slip out by finding a reasonable compromise.
After mulling it over in silence, Kembal gritted his teeth.
He decided that if this was intimidation rather than negotiation, there was no need to play along.
"What preposterous nonsense. I leaked secrets to aid the Kingdom of Belmore? You had better cease such insulting remarks."
'Just as I suspected.'
Thinking this was nothing out of the ordinary, Daniel pressed the pause button on the tape recorder and then turned around to speak.
"It looks like the search is almost finished. Have the soldiers wait outside. Frien? You stay here and draw the curtains."
The officers who heard the order nodded and immediately got into action.
When the officers returned to the soldiers and gave the assembly order, the soldiers, their boxes fully laden with items, began filing out of the residence one by one.
Only after the officers had exited through the front door did Frien begin to draw the curtains in the living room.
As darkness began to fall over the living room, Daniel spoke.
"I clearly told you to speak the truth, yet you, Party Leader, are indulging in lies."
Clicking his tongue as if in regret, Daniel drew the revolver he wore at his waist.
Opening the cylinder, Daniel took a bullet from his pocket and loaded it.
Immediately after closing the cylinder and spinning it once, Daniel looked at Kembal with a face wiped clean of humor.
"It seems you have concluded that lying is to your advantage. Therefore, I would like to propose a game to you, Party Leader."
"......A game?"
"It's simple. Whenever there's a discrepancy between the information I already know and your answers—that is, each time you tell a lie—I will pull the trigger."
Was he insane? Kembal was bewildered, but Daniel's expression remained utterly composed.
"Only when you think lying might get you killed will you tell the truth, won't you? So please cooperate at the risk of your life."
Frien, having drawn all the curtains, approached Daniel and stopped beside him.
Kembal, who had been looking back and forth between the two of them shrouded in shadow, clenched his fist tightly.
'This is an absurd threat. He can't possibly shoot me......!'
If he shot and killed someone who was only a suspect, Daniel Steiner would not get away unscathed either.
Thus, Daniel's current behavior amounted to nothing more than empty posturing.
Convinced Daniel was bluffing, Kembal frowned.
"Ha! It's fine to suspect me, but you won't be able to shut my mouth. As I just said, I have never leaked secrets to the Kingdom of Belmore!"
Daniel, who supposed that might well be the case, gave a nod and raised the revolver.
"Since you've told a lie, you must receive a penalty."
Kembal swallowed hard as he stared at the muzzle aimed at him.
He was trembling with the muzzle right before his eyes, but because he knew Daniel could not pull the trigger, he managed to keep his composure.
'This is nothing but a mere threat.'
So there was absolutely no reason to be played by Daniel Steiner.
"Daniel Steiner! It would be best if you stopped this trivial game of intimidation......."
That was the moment Kembal tried to raise his voice.
Dalkak─
At the same time as Daniel pulled the trigger, the cylinder rotated.
Kembal's eyes widened at the sight.
'He pulled...... the trigger?'
Kembal had clearly seen Daniel load a live round into the revolver's cylinder.
And yet, Daniel pulled the trigger without hesitation.
That could mean only one thing.
'He intends to kill me. This man is genuinely trying to kill me......!'
Cold sweat began to trickle down Kembal's forehead.
As the fear of death coursed down his spine, his breathing grew ragged.
Moreover, his mind went blank white, and his body trembled intermittently.
Daniel, who had been watching Kembal gasping as if suffering from respiratory distress, set the revolver down on the table.
Daniel pressed the record button on the tape recorder again and leaned back in his chair.
"I will ask once more. Kembal, Party Leader of the Liberal Society Party, colluded with the enemy and......."
Toward Kembal, who was seized by the terror of death, Daniel whispered benevolently as if granting a final chance.
"Are you the rat who betrayed the Empire?"