A few hours earlier, Jeanne came to the hospital to visit Keiko, but since Keiko was still deep in sleep, she didn't want to disturb and accidentally wake her up, so she left as quickly as she arrived.
Her first stop was the Grandenburg Military Prison in the northwest of Trudheim, commonly referred to as Grandenburg for short.
This was the detention facility for military criminals charged with felonies.
The prisoners here were all soldiers who had committed a serious violation of the Military Discipline Law and were investigated and arrested by the city guards.
Under the judgment of the military court, these people needed to stay in prison for at least 20 years, and many people would never get out of this prison for a lifetime.
Glendenburg was one of the five most terrifying prisons in the Federation, where most of the military criminals of the Western Army spent time being punished.
Aside from the fact that the prisoners here would experience harsh living conditions and cruel treatment, the greatest horror of Glandesburg was that, in this place, the public execution system that disappeared more than 200 years ago was being implemented once again.
The outer south wall of the prison was the 200-meter section closest to the residence area, commonly known as the "execution wall". Since the prison was completed 80 years ago, countless criminals have been shot in public before the execution wall.
The walls were dark, speckled, and full of craters, which could not be cleaned no matter how hard they were cleaned. The blood of the deceased had completely penetrated the walls.
Jeanne came to the prison in an armored vehicle with a ten-centimeter-thick deck, under the escort of five mecha.
She was accompanied by Sistine, who was also trapped in Trudheim, and a government representative sent by Frode, Colonel Park Si-Won. He is a very rare pure-blooded Korean officer: male, 38 years old, and one of Frode's right-hand men.
It was a joint presence of the three parties' representatives to do a joint interrogation of the key person in this swarm tide attack—Rajeev Shanker.
A matter this important was usually handled personally by General Frode, but because the situation on the frontline was getting more and more disadvantageous for the human side, he couldn't attend the meeting and delegated the duty to Colonel Park Si-Won.
Jeanne was seated in the passenger seat with Sistine beside her while Park Si-won sat in co-pilot seat.
Sistine had tried to strike up a conversation with Jeanne several times but got ignored by her while Colonel Park Si-Won minded his own business.
The awkward silence persisted inside the car until they reached their destination.
After getting out of the car, the warden personally greeted them and led the three of them into the eerie Glendenburg.
Inside, Jeanne looked around and found that the interior looked antique, mostly influenced by the Gothic style.
The inside wasn't well-lit, dark, and damp; the corridor was long and narrow with low ceilings, which easily gave people an uncomfortable and uneasy feeling.
The courtroom was located on the southeast side of the first floor.
When Jeanne and the others entered the courtroom, Rajeev was already sitting behind the glass, waiting.
They immediately sat in their respective positions, and Park Si-Won, as the representative of Frode and the presiding judge, presided over the trial.
Although Jeanne participated in the interrogation today, she didn't plan to say anything because she had a hunch that Rajeev would be a tough nut to crack.
Furthermore, she knew that Rajeev was determined not to speak today, and no matter how intimidating they were, he would never say anything.
Therefore, the interrogation would be pretty much pointless.
To convict that person, other channels of evidence need to be found.
What Jeanne wanted to know the most right now was what kind of relationship Rajeev had with the mastermind and when he became that person's spy in Trudheim.
He had been in the Trudheim region for at least fifteen years. Since he first joined the army, he had been assigned to the Western Army, and his subsequent transfers had never been within that person's sphere of authority.
Therefore, Frode trusts him very much, and he could sit in the position of the colonel of the garrison army, all relying on Frode for promotion.
Rajeev and Park Si-Won, the two colonels, were Frode's most trusted subordinates, but even so, Rajeev still decided to betray Frode and sided with the other person.
Only General Frode himself knew how disappointed and furious he was when Rajeev's betrayal was exposed.
Of course, if Jeanne could figure this out and find evidence, there'd be no need to worry about Rajeev not confessing. Therefore, another breakthrough has to be found.
Just as she expected, despite having exhausted any means of cruel and tormenting investigation method, Park Si-Won and Sistine still failed to pry Rajeev's mouth open.
Jeanne knew that this person had a very important handle in that person's hands, most likely a loved one.
Maybe, in Rajeev's mind, if he could keep his mouth shut, that person would treat his family well, and if he revealed even the smallest clue, then his family would likely suffer a fate worse than death.
Anyway, he was already aware of the consequences of his action, so it was easy to keep his calm.
Saving a lot of energy, Jeanne didn't say a word all morning.
At noon, she was hungry, and the warden brought them meals: two sandwiches and a bowl of vegetable clear soup.
It was a rare thing for them to have such a lunch with their status.
But this is wartime, an extraordinary period.
The Trudheim region was currently locked down without any clear sign of when the ban would be lifted, so the food and vegetables in the city were limited, and everyone's ration has begun to be calculated precisely.
Jeanne ate it without complaining, and when she finished, she said her farewell to Colonel Park and Sistine.
"I'm going back first. If you want to continue the trial, go ahead and don't mind me."
"Where are you going?" Sistine asked.
"I guess reinforcements are coming soon. I have to make some preparations."
After Jeanne finished speaking, she left the interrogation room, leaving Sistine in a confused state.
Park Si-Won touched his stubbled chin and said, "Miss Jeanne probably knew the news that the 180th Airforce Division was coming to help. I just got the new news from the old general last night."
The old general he mentioned was referring to General Eric Heisenberg, General Frode's father, one of the Seven Star Generals.
"The 180th Division of Air and Land?! Is that the 'Steel Wing Devil Legion'?" Sistine was shocked.
"The old general is very angry about this incident. It is not surprising that he sent one of his most trusted troops to deal with the problem. I heard that Lieutenant General Judas is going to lead the team personally this time, and it is estimated that he will arrive today."
"Judas? The Cold-Blooded Demon Judas Escarte from the Devil Legion?"
Sistine's expression turned pale in fright.
###
Author's note:
Hello reader.
This chapter is one of the Golden Tickets bonus chapters upon reaching the 50's mark. Another chapter will be published soon. Thanks for your support and please enjoy it.
Another thing that I want to say, the end of the second arc is just around the corner! I plan to write several side stories before entering the third arc. I already got some ideas so let me share them with you here:
1. Daily life of Death Reaper Fans (feat. Keiko, Connie, and Lilian)
2. Let's go shopping! (feat. Keiko, Seol-Hyun Ae, Leah, Sarah and Diana)
3. Who is the best in Third Squadron? (feat. Keiko and Captain Amanda)
4. Every day is training day! (feat. Keiko, Antonio, Lu Diyun)
If you have a request for someone to be given airtime or a scene you particularly want to see, just leave a comment in this chapter or join my discord server at https://bit.ly/bigmarch8897.. I'll make 5 side stories this time.