LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 99
Episode 99: The Interrogation Gets Brutal and Merciless (Part 2)
Lord Hawkins and his crew froze at Lord Giorg’s words. Well, to be precise, it wasn’t the words but the clear murderous intent radiating from him that left them petrified.
“Cain, Roy, bring out Hawkins.”
“Yes, sir!!”
Clank, clank…
Upon Lord Giorg’s command, the two immediately moved, opening the cell and dragging Hawkins out.
“S-stop it!! Do you even know who I am?!”
Hawkins, now pulled out of the cell, shouted at Lord Giorg, but the fear in his voice was unmistakable. Cain and Roy exchanged wry smiles, already anticipating Lord Giorg’s next move.
“Idiot.”
With that, Lord Giorg slammed Hawkins’ left hand onto the floor and drove a knife straight through it.
“GYAAAAAAAAAH!!”
Hawkins let out a blood-curdling scream, overwhelmed by the excruciating pain. Once upon a time, he had enjoyed hearing his subordinates scream under the lash, but it seemed he wasn’t so tough when the pain was his own.
“Didn’t I tell you not to speak unless it’s to answer my questions?”
Lord Giorg grabbed Hawkins by the head, forced his face up, and mercilessly punched him.
THUD!!
The sound of the punch echoed through the dungeon.
“P-please, spare me!”
Hawkins began begging for his life, but Lord Giorg showed no sign of being moved. He pulled out another knife and swung it at Hawkins’ pinned hand, severing four fingers, leaving only the thumb.
“GYAAAAAAAAAH!!”
Hawkins screamed again, and Lord Giorg shoved the knife into his mouth.
“Guh… ah…”
“Learn something. I told you not to speak unless it’s to answer my questions.”
At Lord Giorg’s words, Hawkins finally shut up.
“Now, you were ordered by Pope Ivalk IV to spread Eald in Galvate. Correct?”
Hawkins’ eyes widened, and he shook his head. This was completely untrue, and his reaction was natural. Hawkins had been acting under Carlisle’s orders, and Carlisle had never received any orders from the Pope.
“Hmph…”
Lord Giorg mercilessly slashed Hawkins’ left cheek with the knife. The intense pain overwhelmed Hawkins, but he knew better than to scream again, lest he face more of Lord Giorg’s wrath.
“Hawkins… I’ll ask you again. You were ordered by Pope Ivalk IV to spread Eald in Galvate. Correct?”
Lord Giorg’s words made Hawkins break into a cold sweat, unable to move. After all, it wasn’t true, so he couldn’t nod.
“Can’t you say what I want to hear?”
Hearing this, Hawkins realized Lord Giorg’s true intentions.
(This man never wanted the truth. He just wants a convenient testimony to strike at the Rizerutus Church.)
With that realization, Lord Giorg seemed like a monstrous figure to Hawkins.
Hawkins’ deduction was mostly correct, but Lord Giorg’s plans were even more sinister. To Lord Giorg, Hawkins’ testimony was unnecessary—he could fabricate it however he pleased. The real reason he was torturing Hawkins was to instill fear into Hawkins’ faction.
Lord Giorg had no intention of sparing Hawkins or his men. He planned to make them meet a gruesome end, but first, he needed to bind them with terror.
“Seems like you can’t speak. Maybe if I slash the other side, I’ll hear what I want.”
Lord Giorg’s cold words turned Hawkins’ face pale.
“Y-yes!! I was ordered by His Holiness to secretly sell Eald in Galvate!”
Hawkins screamed, throwing all dignity to the wind. The fear of death made it impossible for him to deny Lord Giorg’s words. Hawkins was certain—if he stayed silent, his subordinates would be forced to take his place.
“I see. You’re a subordinate of Cardinal Carlisle Sainhal, who was also ordered by the Pope, and Sainhal is involved in the Eald trade. Correct?”
“Y-yes… that’s correct.”
“Other Cardinals are involved too, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“Think of their names. There are three besides Sainhal.”
“U-understood.”
Seeing Hawkins slump weakly, Lord Giorg turned to Cain and Roy.
“Dispose of Hawkins’ men who won’t cooperate. You can decide who to spare.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, who would make the best pawn for Lord Giorg?”
Roy and Cain glanced at Hawkins’ men without protest.
“W-wait!!”
“I-I can be useful!! I’ll say anything!!”
“Me too!! I’ll say anything!! Please, spare me!!”
Hawkins’ men began begging for their lives, realizing that Lord Giorg wasn’t bluffing—they were truly being sorted.
“Hmm, these two seem useless. What do you think, Cain?”
“Agreed. I don’t need this one. What about you, Roy?”
“Yeah, that one doesn’t seem useful either.”
The men Cain and Roy pointed out collapsed in terror, while some of the others breathed sighs of relief.
“Good work, both of you. Dispose of the second from the back, the one next to him, and the two in front.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let’s get this over with quickly.”
As Lord Giorg’s men moved, the selected individuals turned pale, trying to beg for their lives, but Cain and Roy were faster.
They slashed the throats of the two in front, then moved behind the remaining two and stabbed their knives into their medulla oblongata.
“We don’t need fools who let their guard down before the selection is even over.”
Lord Giorg’s icy words sent shivers through everyone. No one mourned the deaths of their comrades—they were too terrified of Lord Giorg’s cruelty.
“Now, as for the rest…”
Lord Giorg turned his gaze to the four prostitutes trembling in the corner.
“Eek…”
The prostitutes shook violently under his gaze.
“You were just doing your jobs, right? You’re not involved in the Eald trade, are you?”
The prostitutes nodded frantically.
“Good. Then there’s no need to harm you. But you understand what happens if you’re lying, right?”
They nodded again, fully aware of the consequences. After seeing how Lord Giorg had treated Hawkins, they knew better than to cross him.
“You’ll stay at the Zafing Residence until this is over. Of course, you’ll be cut off from the outside world, but your basic needs will be met.”
The prostitutes nodded obediently.
“This should be resolved in about two months. Once it’s over, you’ll be released, and I’ll pay you for your time. If you have families, I’ll take care of them too, so don’t worry.”
The prostitutes exchanged glances, stunned by Lord Giorg’s surprisingly generous offer.
“U-um… Lord, may I ask something?”
A prostitute in her mid-twenties timidly raised her hand.
“Go ahead.”
“T-thank you. Why are you offering us such favorable terms?”
“Simple. It’s easier to win you over than to kill you. But if you cross me, I’ll kill not just you, but your families and friends too.”
“Eek…”
The prostitute’s teeth chattered at Lord Giorg’s response.
“I won’t kill you, but don’t think I can’t.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
Lord Giorg seemed satisfied, and the prostitutes breathed sighs of relief.
“Cain, escort these ladies to the Zafing Residence. They’re our guests.”
“Understood.”
“Roy, patch up Hawkins. We still have use for him.”
“Got it.”
With Lord Giorg’s final orders, the interrogation of Hawkins and his men came to an end.
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