Chapter 134: Fifteenth Episode: Chapter 7 (1/2)

Chapter 134: Fifteenth Episode: Chapter 7

Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation

”Zoera from the Dog Biting Club?”

”You're right, that's her!”

General Figg Andrew Tibotty gathered the woman's red hair to the back of her head, ”Oh God! Zoera! It has only been one night and I already couldn't recognize you!”

Unexpectedly, Zoera had returned with a weak smile. Her attractive features were crumpled together like an old rag stained with blood. Her tall nose was crooked to one side, her left eye bulged forward, and her right eye had gotten so swollen that it appeared nothing wider than a tiny slit.

”Messier, do you really have to do this?” Figg turned to the head of Military Intelligence. It wasn't that he was sorry for the woman, he just felt there wasn't a need for such troubles.

Baron Messier shrugged nonchalantly, ”I don't see anything wrong with this. The interrogation has been going on for nineteen hours, but our lady boss here still didn't want to say a word. I think we've wasted our energy in the wrong place!”

Figg let go of the woman, and immediately Zoera's head dropped to one side weakly, ”Seems like you have the intention to continue on?”

”Of course!” Messier nodded and motioned to the hatchet man responsible for extorting confessions out of the criminal.

From the moist and muggy underground sounded several thunderous slashes of leather crops hitting against human flesh. Men shouted and scolded, while a woman's voice cried out miserably in pain. The burning flames in the fireplace made the hatchet man, who had his head covered, sweat profusely, yet it didn't weaken his strength in torturing the woman.

This prison cell built underneath the Military Court had a long history. Its dark underground had once imprisoned numerous high ranking military officers with eminent backgrounds, and this interrogation cell had also been accumulating its collection of instruments of torture and experiences of torturing.

”Hold on!” Figg grew impatient. He wasn't an abuser, and he couldn't bring himself to accept this sort of actions.

”Zoera, I beg of you, please say something at least!”

With much reluctant and difficulty, Zoera raised her head, and only then was it realized that her sight had been completely destroyed by the beatings.

”I… I'm innocent! I… I want to see the commander!”

Figg shook his head and let out a long sigh, ”Zoera, I can't help you if you don't help yourself! The commander is not going to see you unless you fully confess your crimes, and point out the person from our House who bought you off!”

”Like I've said earlier, I… am innocent!”

”If you're acting like this then I really have no ways of helping you!” Figg was slightly annoyed, he had never encountered another woman more stubborn than Zoera. In fact, they already had sufficient and concrete proofs for her crime, and right now they were just trying to force her into confessing her relations with the Ferdinand House.

”I want to see the commander!”

”Alright, alright!” Figg retrieved his own handkerchief to wipe off the blood oozing out of her mouth. ”Answer my question and I'll arrange for you a meeting with the commander, alright?”

Zoera didn't say a word. A full day and night of abuse had left her exhausted down to her bones.

”Where were you, and what were you doing, on the morning of the 20th day of 11th month, the day when Chief of Military Investigation Bureau Berkley Andrew Nedgabel was murdered?”

”I… I'm in the club!”

”Please, think properly before you answer my question!” Figg was rolling himself a cigarette to kill time.

”It's pointless!” Baron Messier walked forward. He had asked the same question countless times but it had yielded no result. ”We need to give her something more…”

”More exciting!” a person covered in a cloak suddenly appeared at the side of the door.

Messier focused his attention on this peculiar looking man in white gloves. Soon enough the man's name came to mind.

”Is that Sir Edward the diener?”

”Yes, though more precisely, I'm a doctor now,” the diener's chill and husky voice made the temperature in the room drop drastically. Like a ghostly figure, he moved silently into the terrifying cell.

”It's great to see you in back to Dulin safely. How was your journey? How are Baron Erbe and Godot? It's unbelievable! You have traveled more than two thousand kilometers over the sea to return to the empire.”

”You should visit them yourself if you want to know that! Why did you call me over? Is it for some exciting fun?” Diener Edward showed indifference to the insincere smile plastered on Baron Messier's face.

”Uh… seems like now is the perfect time for some exciting fun! But please ensure the prisoner is always clear-headed and conscious!”

Edward nodded understandingly. To him, this level of request was as easy as breathing.

With great curiosity, Figg inspected the man in the cloak. He discovered ferocious looking scars on his face, and also that a faint greenish color shone from those pair of eyes. He inferred that if Sir Edward the diener wasn't a blind person, then he must be an emotionless, cold-blooded mad murderer.

”Are you not intending on using those instruments?” Baron Messier asked and gestured to the equipment hanging on the side wall when he noticed Edward's empty hands.

”Those are for children!” Edward skimmed through the rows of instruments. He retrieved from his arms an iron needle almost nine inches in length and then revealed another glass bottle containing yellowish liquid from a leather bag.

Zoera pursed her lips tightly. No one knew what was going on in her mind at this moment. She had been disarmed, and her body and flesh were going to receive the most brutal torment. Perhaps she was determined to give up her life today, but it wasn't really her will to do so. If she was someone that could be easily contented, then maybe she wouldn't have betrayed the House.

”Her clothing gets in the way, and you all didn't secure her properly in position,” Diener Edward calmly voiced out his opinion.

Messier motioned to his hatchet men. These tall and strong guys with dense chest hair quickly tighten the straps on the woman. Not only that, one particularly lewd man even torn off the rest of Zoera's blouse, interlining, and corset from her body. All the men in the room held their breath at the sight of two full breasts hanging in front of their eyes. Feeling the men's gazes cast on her naked body, Zoera grew nervous, and her exposed skin also began to redden under influence of fear and shame.

Edward appeared all set and ready to perform. He revealed a skinny arm from within the cloak and placed his palm on the woman's belly. It moved upward slowly, as if to locate something hidden underneath the soft skin, and finally! Diener stopped one of his fingers on somewhere underneath the prisoner's right breast.

The stranger's touch didn't arouse any sexual excitement yet Zoera let out a low, weak moan as the other person traced his hand over her body. The noise was made out of terror and pain. She had no idea what he was going to do to her, and she didn't know if herself could endure this torture any longer.

The iron needle was raised high in the air, and suddenly it was stabbed into her body!

In the prison cell rose another wave of hysterical, ear-splitting scream of agony. Zoera's body hurled violently due to uncontainable intense pain. Tears, mucus and even urine gushed forth simultaneously. The sharp needle entered the woman's body with crushing force, and quickly, it pierced through the exterior of her liver.

Edward released his grip on the needle and watched in satisfaction as the poor wench's body trembled vigorously in pain.

The initial suffering was soon over. Zoera couldn't stop puffing and panting for air. She stared down at the iron needle that went inside her body, at the same time observing the diener preparing his next cruel action.

”Does this help to stimulate your memory?” Messier stepped forward and asked. His body obstructed the light and immediately the prisoner's wrecked body was overshadowed by darkness.

”I'm innocent… You've got the wrong person!”

Messier gave a weak smile as he retreated backward. Edward took the Baron's place with a bottle in hand, which he then slowly opened in front of the lady. In that instant, a highly acidic stench attacked everyone's nostrils.

”Trust me, you will not like this!” Baron warned his prisoner once more, but he noticed the stubborn lady had already clenched her teeth, waiting to brave whatever that was coming her way. The baron shook his head helplessly. He couldn't fathom what was going on Zoera's mind. Did she think that other people wouldn't take her life if she didn't confess her crimes? She worked as a secret agent, so she must've expected that a day like this would happen.

Diener attached the end of the needle to the brim of the bottle in his hand. Apparently, that the iron needle was hollow, and it looked like a badly designed and poorly produced hypodermic syringe. One drop of acid entered the mouth of the hollow needle, and the concentrated liquid rolled slowly down the needle, heading for its destination. Edward motioned for the hatchet men to press down the woman's body and limbs, in order to avoid the needle injuring her liver when she struggled later.

Once again, deafening cries of agony echoed off the four walls. In comparison to leather straps drenched in salt water and the fists of hatchet men, one drop of concentrated acid which continually eroded and burned a prisoner's organ naturally saved more labor and trouble. Beyond expectations, the screaming lasted for two full minutes, and she even managed to struggle out of the men's grasp. The hatchet men were surprised as to where this severely injured woman got her strength and endurance from.

The prison cell finally quieted down. Everyone was slightly trembling from the uproarious shouts moments before. Messier's lips quivered with fear at the sight of Zoera's twisted features.

Diener Edward waited for a while, and it seemed like no one was going to ask any question. Slowly and steadily, this sadistic man with an extreme psychopathic personality refilled another drop of acid into the iron needle. As it had already been lubricated before, this time the acid swiftly flowed into the prisoner, further eroding her liver surface. Zoera roared like a beast!

The stench of incontinence filled the entire cell, and General Figg turned his head away at the disgusting scene. He covered his nose and mouth with his hand and tried his best to restrain the urge to vomit. Although the bloody sea of death of the battlefield could emit a more ”wonderful” smell than this, this general of rich warfare experience felt the current scenario was more unbearable than anything else in the world.

Diener looked as if he was about to inject into her another drop of acid, and Zoera gave up. She didn't want the crowd to wait for any longer.

”Alright! Ask away! Ask me anything! What is it that you want to know? Quick! End this cruelty already!”

With slight disappointment, Edward glared at the woman. He thought this stubborn prisoner would at least endure three to five drips before she gave up, he thought she was full of potential! The irritated diener stepped aside to indulge in his reminiscence of that fella whose liver had burst completely. He had had ten drips of acids before he'd eventually corporated.

”That's the right choice, Zoera. Let's have a conversation now, shall we? When did you start betraying your House?” with the back of his hand, Messier wiped off the beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. He was rather frightened by the terrifying screams heard earlier.

”When the House betrayed me!”

Figg's brows knitted closely together, ”Are you kidding? Our House has never done anything that wronged you before!”

The pain caused by the needle and acid continued to wrack through her body. Sweat flowed out of her pores, and her body trembled with convulsions.

”Haha! So… Isn't it right that the fate of a woman that had been violated by Persians can only be a whore?”

Figg had no words to answer. He was reminded of Zoera's misfortune in Narcissus County.

”I was already completely desperate long before the Military Investigation Bureau assigned me to Dog Biting Club!” Zoera's features twisted together. She seemed to hold bitter enmity towards the club.

”How could you send a woman that has suffered tortuously to manage a bloody place that abuses women! God of Light! Even in my dreams, I yearn to tear that bastard who established Dog Biting Club into pieces, and roast his flesh on the post of the burning stakes! It must smell so delicious!”

”You could explain your conditions to the superiors, I believe the military department will not…”

”Forget about it!” Zoera interrupted General Figg, ”Do you think you're any different from the others? You're just the same as the upper managerial of the House! Up to this time I've already applied for my transfer for more than ten times, and each time they dismissed me with lame excuses like the interest of the House remains their top priorities! I could only leave this shit hole with my own power! That's why I choose to stand with the ones that could assist me in escaping the hands of the secret departments!”

”And that's the reason you approach Kachev Drakas Ferdinand?” Messier stated his estimation.

”Haha! That's not true! It was Lord Almodovar Godzilla who found me!”

”Sea Monster!” General Figg and the Head of Intelligence Department shouted the name at once. It was completely beyond their expectations!

”Hmm… it seems like we need more of Doctor Edward's assistance!” Messier extended his hand to the sadistic man beside him. He thought Zoera was still trying to trick him.

”Stop that nonsense! You can just kill me if you don't believe me! That's going to be my final answer no matter what!” Zoera forced a bitter smile. She knew her answer wouldn't satisfy these men in front of her, but she didn't want to bear other people's crimes now that she was put at death's door. That would be too convenient for the damn bastard!

”How do you prove yourself to be telling the truth?” Figg had already calmed down. The capital noble circles produced a variety of sly foxes and unknown monsters. Since Zoera was determined to betray the House, then indeed it seemed possible for her to lean toward someone with this power.

”There's someone called Sanjio in Almodovar Godzilla's residence. This person specializes in collecting various kinds of information for Sea Monster, and he is well known in Dulin field of information traffickers. It was him who had been my one contact, but Sea Monster sometimes visits the club to meet me directly.”

”Sanjio?” the image of a short and plump man with a mustache appeared in Baron Messier's mind, ”Sanjio who is also nicknamed Fat Otter?”

”That's the one.”

Messier held Zoera's face in his hand so she was staring directly into his own eyes, ”You know, it's not difficult to manipulate Fat Otter, and if he proves that you are only lying…”

”Why don't you just bring him back for a round of interrogation?”

The intelligence chief stared at the woman for a while as he digested what she had just revealed. He didn't want to waste any more time! The Baron called out to one of his men from outside the cell and whispered something to his ears without forgetting to mention the name of Fat Otter Sanjio.

”What did Sea Monster offered you for this sweet deal?” Figg was resolute this time around. No matter what, Zoera had already confessed to selling out their House.

”That I could have a whole new identity, and finally a chance to live on the bright side!”

Figg gave out a deep meaningful sigh. He couldn't understand Zoera's choice. Betrayal was equivalent to extermination; didn't she know that?

”Alright! Here comes the most crucial question! Was it you who revealed the confidential information regarding the rescue plan of His Imperial Highness O'Neil Andrew Morisette?”

Zoera remained silent for a long while. She felt too embarrassed to speak out until diener Edward appeared in front of her once again.

”Yes! Yes! Starting from the 12th day of 7th month of year 797, I sent out five pieces of information regarding the aforementioned event, four out of five times they were received by Sanjio, and one time Almodovar Godzilla personally accepted the intelligence!”

”And so… about the murder of Chief of Military Investigation Bureau…”

”That's none of my business!” Zoera interrupted the man abruptly, ”God! I've made myself clear numerous times for the past day and night that I have nothing to do with that! I… I had a date on that day!”

”A date? With whom?” Messier asked in astonishment. If Zoera was indeed proved to not be at the scene when that incident happened, it meant that all his estimations and investigations were on the wrong track.

”It's someone you know - Baron Thomas Aulet from the lair. We had stayed inside of a rented apartment for that whole day!”

”Doing what?” the Head of Intelligence still not willing to give up.

”Are you an idiot or what? What else can a man and woman do when left alone in a room? Of course, we made love!” Zoera stared at Messier in a mocking manner.

”Why didn't you mention this earlier? It could have saved you so much trouble!”

Zoera lowered her head slowly, ”I didn't want to bring Thomas into this turmoil! He had nothing to do with the secret service department!”

”I wouldn't have thought that you would be protecting another person when you're stuck in the prison cell,” Messier had the urge to applause for the woman in front of him. ”I have to tell Thomas that he's a man of vision. He will be delighted to learn he has fallen in love with a whore that treasures relationships but betrayed her nurturer!”

Zoera took in a deep breath but didn't defend any further.

”Let's change our topic!” Baron Messier began the interrogation again from another direction, ”In other words, you have no association with Duke Kachev Drakas Ferdinand at all?”

”Of course not!” the exhausted woman nodded with all her force. ”I've only heard of Lord Chancellor from Sea Monster, other than that I simply don't know him, not to mention having met him!”

”But how can I trust you on this??