With interrogation clearance secured through Ernst, Daniel headed to the nearby military police station after work.

Upon presenting his clearance to the administrative staff and stepping into the interrogation room, he was greeted by a startled officer.

“A-Ah! Captain Daniel Steiner, sir! I’ve been expecting you!”

Sergeant Wendelin, the interrogator, hastily stubbed out his cigarette and saluted.

Though his posture was slightly stiff, his entire body seemed frozen with tension, prompting Daniel to tilt his head in mild confusion.

“Why are you so nervous…?”

For Wendelin, nervousness was inevitable.

Who was Daniel Steiner, after all? A monster who had earned two consecutive promotions within six months of his commission.

In the General Staff, such rapid promotions practically guaranteed advancement to field officer ranks.

Naturally, as a mere sergeant, Wendelin felt compelled to show the utmost respect to this future high-ranking officer.

However, from Daniel’s perspective, the sergeant’s rigid demeanor seemed excessive—almost like watching a recruit in training camp.

Daniel clicked his tongue and gestured dismissively.

“At ease, Sergeant.”

“Yes, sir!”

Wendelin snapped to attention, then stepped aside with crisp precision.

It was his way of silently yielding his position as the interrogator now that Daniel had entered with proper clearance.

Daniel cast a brief glance at the overly formal sergeant before turning to the one-way glass that separated the observation room from the interrogation chamber.

Inside, sitting at a table with his wrists cuffed, was the prisoner—Reginald Harrington.

The man’s disheveled appearance and worn-out glasses gave him a haggard look, but Daniel knew better than to underestimate him.

Reginald was an elite officer from the Allied Nations, formerly assigned to their intelligence division during his junior officer years.

‘Which means…’

He likely had knowledge of contact points and operatives within the Empire.

Daniel’s plan was straightforward:

1. Build rapport with Reginald to break down barriers of distrust.

2. Once trust was established, hint at his desire to defect to the Allied Nations.

3. Use Reginald’s network to establish escape routes and contacts within the Empire.

4. Escape to the Allied Nations with Reginald, earning a cushy position and living a comfortable life.

 

It was, in every sense, the perfect plan.

With confidence, Daniel nodded to himself and turned to Wendelin.

“Sergeant Wendelin, any progress so far?”

“Sir? Oh. No, sir. The man’s tight-lipped. Won’t say a word no matter how we try—whether through persuasion or threats.”

“I see. Mind if I give it a try?”

Wendelin immediately nodded.

“Of course, sir. You have clearance. I’ll open the door for you.”

Wendelin retrieved a key from his belt and unlocked the steel door to the interrogation room.

After nodding his thanks, Daniel stepped inside.

As soon as Wendelin shut the door behind him, Reginald slowly raised his head at the sound.

Upon recognizing Daniel, his eyes widened in rage.

“You… you bastard!”

Clank!

Reginald strained against his cuffs, nearly lifting himself out of his chair.

But Daniel remained calm, raising a single finger to his lips in a silencing gesture.

He dragged out a chair and sat down across from Reginald.

Mindful of Wendelin watching from the other side of the glass, Daniel pulled out a file from his briefcase.

The folder contained Reginald’s profile, courtesy of the Empire’s intelligence department.

“Name: Reginald Harrington. Rank: Major. Battalion Commander of the 107th Assault Battalion of the Allied Liberation Front. Origin: Eldresia Kingdom, specifically the southern province of Vembaryl. Am I correct?”

Reginald glared at Daniel without answering.

Unbothered, Daniel shrugged and extended his hand toward the file.

“Fine. In that case, I’ll proceed with my own method.”

Daniel emphasized “my own method” deliberately, then reached over to turn off the microphone installed on the table.

It was against protocol to disable the mic during an interrogation, but his earlier statement should keep Wendelin from barging in to protest.

“There. The mic’s off. No one outside can eavesdrop on this conversation now. So, how about we have a more relaxed chat?”

“Relaxed?” Reginald scoffed. “You expect me to relax while I’m cuffed? Is this some kind of Imperial joke?”

As expected, opening with friendliness hadn’t worked.

It was time to switch tactics.

“Reginald, I hear the Northern Front offered you several generous deals, yet you rejected them all. That must mean you’re still determined to return to the Allied Nations.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

“Good. In that case, I might be able to help you.”

Reginald’s eyes narrowed.

Daniel leaned in slightly, lowering his voice.

“If you cooperate, I can make arrangements that might just let you see your wife and daughter back home.”

Sweat formed on Reginald’s forehead.

Daniel had meant his words as an offer to collaborate, but to Reginald, it sounded like a threat against his family.

Reginald took a shaky breath before speaking in a trembling voice.

“…Do you know where my family is?”

Daniel nodded.

“Of course. I know where they live, what they do—and even the name of their dog. ‘Archie,’ right? A golden retriever?”

As Daniel casually listed off the details obtained from Imperial Intelligence, Reginald’s eyes widened in shock.

“How… how do you know all that?”

“There’s no need to be surprised. Just like the Allied Nations gather intelligence on the Empire, we do the same to you.”

Suddenly recalling another tidbit, Daniel added smoothly,

“Oh, and one more thing—your eldest daughter, Sophia, recently started taking piano lessons, didn’t she? Her dream is to become a pianist, isn’t it?”

Daniel, having learned from Ernst, figured that talking about family was a good way to establish rapport.

‘It’s working.’

Daniel could see that Reginald’s anger was starting to subside as he listened intently.

Wanting to reinforce the sense of connection, Daniel smiled faintly and said,

“I hear you’re a devoted father. I wish I’d had a father like that. I’m an orphan, you see. I know all too well how hard it is to grow up without a father.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Reginald’s temple.

To Daniel, it was just a passing remark meant to build camaraderie.

But to Reginald, it sounded like, “Do you want your daughters to grow up without a father?”

And the fact that Daniel said it with such a calm smile made it even more terrifying.

“I… I…”

Reginald stammered before raising his trembling hand to wipe his forehead.

After taking a moment to steady his breathing, he swallowed hard and said,

“Give me… give me some time to think about it. Please.”

What? Already?

Daniel blinked in mild surprise. He had hoped to build more rapport before getting to this point.

Still, Reginald was going to be here for the foreseeable future. There would be plenty of opportunities to talk again.

Deciding to give him some space, Daniel stood up.

“Alright. We’ll talk again later. Is there anything you’d like to eat in the meantime?”

Reginald shook his head.

Shrugging, Daniel turned and walked toward the door.

Outside, Wendelin was already unlocking the door.

Before stepping out, Daniel turned back to Reginald as if he had just remembered something.

“Oh, by the way, Major Reginald—your daughters look a lot like your wife. They’re very beautiful.”

Daniel had meant it as a compliment, but Reginald’s face drained of color.

‘What is he planning to do to my daughters?’

Overwhelmed by dread, Reginald felt his heart pounding out of control.

But completely unaware of Reginald’s terror, Daniel simply waved with a smile.

“See you next time. I hope you’ll be more cooperative then.”

Before Reginald could respond, the steel door closed.

Left alone, Reginald began hyperventilating, his entire body trembling.

‘A… a demon…’

Tears welled up in his eyes as he silently screamed in despair.

‘That man is the devil sent straight from hell!’

*****

The Next Day

While having lunch with Ernst in the officers’ mess hall, I paused mid-bite.

Wendelin had entered the hall, glancing around as if searching for someone, before walking straight toward me.

Setting down my utensils, I watched as he saluted sharply.

“Thank you so much, Captain Daniel Steiner!”

I stared at him, speechless.

Ernst, too, looked puzzled, staring intently at Wendelin.

Sensing the attention, Wendelin lowered his hand and explained.

“After your interrogation yesterday, Reginald Harrington agreed to cooperate with the Empire! He said he’d share all the information he knows!”

“Oh! Is that true?!”

Ernst’s face lit up, but I felt my mind go blank.

‘…What?’

I was sure things had been going well yesterday.

I couldn’t make sense of it at all.