Chapter 372: Chapter 59, Interrogation
The uprising in the Austrian Italian Region had failed, but its impact had not yet ended. The Vienna Government was furious, and Franz immediately ordered a thorough investigation across the country.

They had no idea until they looked, and once they did, they got more than they bargained for. From Lombardy-Venetia to Hungary and the Galicia Region, traces of rebels had appeared.

Countless people who had contact with the Hungarian Independence Organization were summoned, and although no arrests were made at that time, it was enough to throw people into a state of panic.

Those implicated were now cursing Stephen and his entire family. If you’re going to revolt, then revolt, but why write us letters? They thought.

To undertake such a difficult task without any sense of secrecy? It’s no wonder that everyone knew and the revolt failed to succeed.

Many people regretted not reporting the situation when they first had the chance. They hesitated, and now the letters had been cleverly destroyed by the rebels themselves, leaving everything unclear.

Whether or not they participated in the rebellion, whether they were aware—these became the key questions. Without sufficient evidence, the police did not arrest them, but merely conducted routine questioning.

This was still a major hassle, as any connection to the rebellion made all one’s connections and relationships useless at this time.

Artisa was regretting now; he knew that the Hungarian Independence Organization would not achieve anything and had cut ties with them beforehand.

Much to his dismay, the police still came knocking at his door. Being someone who had been in contact with the rebel leaders and had corresponded with them before the outbreak of the rebellion naturally made him a suspect of interest.

In a tense voice, Artisa said, “Chief Pativat, please believe me, I am innocent. I only happened upon Stephen, the leader of the rebels, at a party once, and I am not at all familiar with him.”

He could never have dreamed that the Hungarian Independence Organization would stage a revolt in the Italian Area. Wasn’t this setting him up?

Ignoring the invitation from Stephen to join the uprising, which mentioned only the time but not the specific location, Artisa assumed the Hungarian Independence Organization was planning to revolt in the Hungarian Region. Lacking funds, he thought they intended to ask him for donations.

If the rebellion had taken place in the Hungarian Region, given the communication technology of the era, the Hungarian police would never have found out about his contact with Stephen.

Chief Pativat spoke impassively, “Mr. Artisa, there is no need to be nervous. No one is calling you a rebel, or else you wouldn’t be speaking with me.

You are merely under suspicion, and we are just conducting a routine inquiry. If you want to clear your name, please answer my questions truthfully.

Someone saw you enjoying a lively conversation with Stephen during the event at Mack Manor. Your discussion lasted more than half an hour.

This is beyond the interaction of strangers. As I understand, many of your friends were at the party too, but your conversations with them did not last nearly as long.”

Artisa quickly explained: “At the time, the rebel leader Stephen had concealed his identity; he appeared to be a colonial merchant, and I have a great interest in Overseas Colonies.

Chief, you know it. Nowadays, the easiest way to earn a title is by opening new colonial territories to gain military merits, and I am planning to form a Colonial Team to colonize overseas.”

Chief Pativat continued with dissatisfaction: “As far as I know, Stephen was recruiting mercenaries under the guise of covering for the rebels’ entry into the country.

Most of these were Italians. I apologize, Mr. Artisa, I mean no disrespect to Italians.

However, it’s a well-known fact on the European Continent that Italian mercenaries lack combat effectiveness.

Colonial Teams that have recruited Italian mercenaries in large numbers have all paid a heavy price. At present, there are over a hundred thousand mercenaries in the Austrian colonies, yet the Italian mercenaries number less than a thousand, which speaks volumes.

Right from the start, Stephen appeared as a laughingstock. It was this irregularity that allowed our police to act in time to suppress the rebels.

Yet, the rebel leaders managed to escape. It has been confirmed that someone provided them with cover to evade our search.

Don’t get nervous, Mr. Artisa. I’m not saying it was you who provided them with cover, but your answer raises questions.

If you wanted to form a Colonial Team, there are plenty of people you could consult. If all else fails, you could simply pull a sailor off the docks, and even they could tell you how unreliable Italian mercenaries are.

Even among your friends, there are those who have formed Colonial Teams. Why not consult with them? Why would you choose to discuss this topic with someone known as a fool?”

Artisa, caught between laughter and tears, explained: “Believe me, Chief Pativat, there’s no elaborate reason—it’s simply a matter of cost.

For the same conditions, the price to hire a Teuton mercenary could cover the cost of hiring two Italian mercenaries. That’s a significant personnel cost advantage.

We only need to deal with the natives, who do not require much fighting power. For the same amount of money, hiring Italians means more soldiers, giving me a competitive edge in the labor export business.”

His explanation was completely true, but unfortunately, it did nothing to alleviate Chief Pativat’s suspicions. Artisa’s justification only deepened his doubts, as entrapment was not something known at Chief Pativat’s level.

Frowning, Chief Pativat said, “Mr. Artisa, you should know this is your last chance. If you still refuse to tell the truth and we find out later, the consequences will be severe.”

Artisa hastily assured, “I swear by God’s name that everything I’ve said is the truth.”

Chief Pativat asked in a cold tone, “Mr. Artisa, according to intelligence, you received a secret letter before the rebellion broke out, a personal letter from Stephen. If you two only met once, why would he write to you?

Don’t tell me it was love at first sight; you are not a beauty with such a strong charm.

As the leader of the rebels, Stephen has always been extremely cautious, minimizing contact with the outside world. Why take the risk to write to you?

Is it possible that as a wanted criminal for over a decade, he wouldn’t know that any unusual action would attract everyone’s attention, increasing the risk of exposure?”

Artisa knew things were looking bad; Chief Pativat was suspecting him. Normally, Pativat should be asking about the content of the letter, not why Stephen wrote to him.

As a major capitalist, Artisa had a very wide network. In normal times, he would not even consider a minor chief of police important.

But now it was different, the rebellion was involved, and no one dared to speak up for him.

If he said the wrong thing at this time, he could easily be charged with harboring rebels. The bureaucrats were not fools; the Vienna Government has always had zero tolerance for affairs involving rebels, a lesson from the era of the great revolution is still remembered.

Frowning, Artisa replied, “That question, you should ask Stephen. I reserve the right not to answer.”

Chief Pativat sneered, “Of course, that is your right. Now I need you to provide that secret letter, its contents are related to whether you are involved with the rebels.”

Artisa started cursing in his heart; the letter had already been burnt, how could he provide it? Moreover, if the contents of the letter were to be exposed, he wouldn’t be able to leave today.

“Sorry, I receive many such messy letters every day, I don’t even pay attention to them. They’re generally treated as waste. I can go back and look for them, but I’m not sure if it can be found.”

Chief Pativat didn’t dwell on this issue any longer but threw out a new question, “Mr. Artisa, someone has reported that you have contacts with the Italian Independence Organization.

The youth art and culture classes established with your friends are said to be propaganda agencies under the Italian Independence Organization, attempting to dismember the great Austrian Empire.

Now, please give a reasonable explanation, why does the curriculum of the training organization include content on Lombardy-Venetia independence?”

Artisa was shocked; he knew he was in big trouble. If this issue had been discovered during normal times, he could just blame the teachers of the training organization and fire them.

Now that this had coincided with the uprising, this became a reason for the police to suspect him. Being targeted by the police at this time would absolutely not be a good thing.

As a major capitalist, Artisa had too many shady affairs that should not be brought to light. Just any minor discovery could send him to prison.

In ordinary times, he could easily resolve such issues through his connections, but now they could become a death sentence.

If he couldn’t dispel the suspicions of Chief Pativat in front of him, his tragic life could be almost assured.

For those suspected of rebellion, the Vienna Government has never been soft in sending them to prison once charges could be made.

In a rush, Artisa explained, “Chief Pativat, that’s not true at all. The courses of the youth art and culture classes have never involved politics. You can send someone to investigate; our teaching materials are all professional courses.

If anyone dares to promote separatist ideas, we dismiss them immediately upon discovery. These are all slanderous accusations.”

Being accused of dismemberment of the state was something Artisa could not afford. If proven, it would mean his end.

Even if he had separatist tendencies, he could never confess that! The Vienna Government was extremely strict in this regard; just one cry for independence, and the rest of his life would be compromised.

Chief Pativat sneered, “Mr. Artisa, in light of your non-cooperation, we are unable to clear your suspicions. So I officially notify you that, as of now, you are detained.

Going forward, you may face charges of the two serious crimes of conspiracy to instigate rebellion and dismemberment of the state. Please clarify the issues as soon as possible and cooperate with the government’s actions.”

Artisa’s face turned pale; he quickly said, “I want to see my lawyer; I want to complain; this is illegal detention.”

He was truly panicked now. If he was detained by the police now, even if he was eventually proven innocent and had no connections with the rebels, just being discovered for his other crimes could lead to conviction.

Conviction according to the law, no one could find fault with that. Especially at such a crucial time, when he was also involved in the rebellion, all his connections would be nullified, making it impossible to seek help.

Chief Pativat spoke indifferently, “Of course, that is your right. However, as you are suspected of the two serious crimes of conspiring to rebel and dismember the state, we are entitled to prohibit you from contacting the outside world for the next week.”

Artisa looked ashen; one week was enough time to change many things. Without him personally overseeing things, he had no idea how many issues might come to light.