Interrogation

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The news of the pirates being repelled spread throughout the town of Alden, and residents took to the streets, gathering in the central square to celebrate.

The next day, Lord Earl ordered a victory parade. Units marched in formation by companies along the main street into the square. A temporary reviewing stand was erected to the north of the square, where Paul, along with senior officers Schroeder and Bryce, reviewed the troops.

As each unit passed the reviewing stand from west to east, they swiftly switched from marching to a formal step at the command of their respective officers. The young men marched with heads held high, chests out, faces filled with pride yet seriousness.

Onlookers gasped in amazement, followed by waves of applause and cheers. The elderly knights on the reviewing stand nodded approvingly. This unique marching style conveyed an unstoppable momentum, showcasing the discipline and quality of the troops. Even Paul's previous military service couldn't achieve this level without prolonged training.

Following the troops were the pirates captured in the battle. Unlike the earlier flowers and applause, they were greeted with rotten eggs and vegetable leaves. Because of them, the residents of Alden Town had endured a difficult period, with farmers and even fishermen afraid to venture far from shore.

Given the significance of this victory, on the afternoon of defeating the pirates, Paul and the senior officers hastily devised a temporary system of rewards and compensations, announced during the parade:

All those temporarily promoted would be confirmed in their ranks. Based on their performance in this battle, those who sacrificed their lives in combat would be awarded the First Class Medal, those severely injured the Second Class Medal, and nearly a hundred others for outstanding performance would receive the Third Class Medal. Different levels of material and monetary rewards were given according to the rank of merit.

For those who died or were seriously injured and disabled in combat, their families could claim a sum of 5 gold coins or equivalent currency from the Lord's Manor. For civilian families in the Northwest Bay area, this was a considerable amount of money.

...

"You noble bastards..." The bearded man, his hands bound behind his back, struggled and cursed as he was led into the hall, where two soldiers forcibly pushed him to the ground.

"So, you're the 'great' Quik the First?" Paul looked with interest at the defiant pirate leader. In the previous battle, the bearded man had been knocked unconscious by his fleeing subordinates. Just thinking about it gave Paul a sense of satisfaction in avenging a great wrong.

"That's me..."

"Let him speak properly."

The sound of slaps echoed in the hall as a soldier struck him on both cheeks, causing Quik's cheeks to swell.

"You... you..." The pirate leader's curses gradually faded.

"Tell us everything you know. How many men do you have? How much did you loot? Where are the other pirates?"

"Even if you kill me... I won't... divulge... a thing," Quik muttered through his swollen nose and bruised face, struggling to speak clearly.

"His bones are quite tough. Any ideas on how to make him talk?"

The participants in the interrogation brainstormed various methods of intimidation, and soon the spectacle began in the hall.

First came the whip and the clamp stick, followed by the wooden horse, chili water, and water torture, thoroughly tormenting Quik. What's that? Still won't talk? Since tough methods didn't work, they tried softer ones: tickling, scratching the soles of his feet, and a series of other tricks.

"Ah! Ah! Ah... Haha... Haha... Ah... Oh!!! Hahaha!!!"

From soft to hard, the bearded Quik was tossed between heaven and hell.

"I confess... I confess..." After half a day of torture, Quik finally gave in.

"It's like giving a toast, if you won't drink, you'll be forced to drink penalties. It would've been fine if you spoke up earlier." The young earl smirked sinisterly, like a villain in a movie.

"Soldiers, continue interrogating the other prisoners in the dungeon. Have you recorded the interrogation methods used just now? Let's see if their leader is as stubborn as these lackeys."

"Yes, my lord." The two soldiers saluted with a recently adopted hand salute, eager and excited as they left.

After a moment of grim amusement, Paul slowly said to Quik, "So, great Lord Quik the First, tell us everything you know. If there are discrepancies with what your subordinates said, our town of Alden is always hospitable. You'll receive even more 'kindness'."

The bearded pirate lying on the ground trembled.

...

After consolidating all the pirates' testimonies, Paul finally understood the enemy's situation.

The invading pirates were divided into three groups.

The first group was Quik's gang, who had just suffered a major setback in Alden Town.

The second group was the Shark Gang, led by someone named Shark. They ambushed old Earl and his crew during the battle.

The third group was the Mudfish Gang, led by Gaden, who had just come ashore. They were the suspicious ones who showed up in the battle, saw Quik's gang crash, and quietly slipped away, truly living up to their nickname of "Mudfish."

The Shark Gang was the first to land, and after plundering extensively along the coast, their luck soared when they defeated the incoming forces of old Grayman. Learning that the Grayman family only had one young child left, their arrogance grew, and they directly occupied the coastal town of Fulan, coercing the local residents to build defensive fortifications, intending to stay long-term.

Following them, Quik's gang arrived, finding most of the coastal area already plundered by the Shark Gang. They then headed inland, looted some villages, and decided to aim big, heading straight for Alden Town—where they promptly crashed.

As for the third wave, the Mudfish Gang led by Gaden, Quik had only just met up with them and knew little else.

But what worried the people of Alden Town the most was that while these three pirate groups were small, they all belonged to a larger, powerful force—Edward Walker, the pirate king who ruled the North Sea.

Twenty years ago, Edward Walker suddenly rose to power, gradually absorbing smaller pirate gangs on the North Sea. This unified force of pirates caused headaches for the lords of the Northwest Bay, who united in attempts to eliminate Edward.

However, the process did not go as planned. The pirates operated with hit-and-run tactics, appearing and disappearing on the water's surface. Whenever the noble coalition retreated, they would raid the coast; when the coalition's main forces arrived, they would retreat back to the sea.

The nobles attempted to build ships to venture out and eliminate them, but their newly formed fleets were no match for these seasoned sea dogs, resulting in repeated failures.

Eventually, the nobles couldn't endure it anymore. They negotiated with Edward, paying a hefty sum as protection money. They also ceded a stretch of coastal land (including part of the Paul family's territory) where pirates could "replenish" every few months. In return, Edward restrained his pirate gangs from venturing too far inland or entering the capitals and nearby areas of each lord's domain.

Thus, for twenty years, the lords and the pirates "coexisted peacefully," while the coastal "replenishment zones" endured dual exploitation by both nobles and pirates.

When Quik reached this point in his confession, the Earl flew into a rage, slamming down the water glass he had just picked up. "You noble bastards!!!" The exact same curse Quik had used earlier burst from his lips. Not only did Quik, kneeling in the hall, freeze in surprise, but everyone else involved in the interrogation looked at each other in astonishment.

The steward leaned in and discreetly reminded Paul, "Ahem... My lord, please be cautious with your words. Your grandfather was also involved in those negotiations. Most lords of the Northwest Bay agreed at the time, including a few dissenting families like the Graymans who couldn't do much but had to agree."

Paul asked coldly, "So you're saying, if the pirates hadn't overstepped this time, would you all have continued turning a blind eye?"

The room fell into an eerie silence as everyone bowed their heads in silence, only the old knight Schroeder sighed deeply...

(End of the Chapter)