Thirty Days of Classes, part 11 (before battle)
... Atten-tion!
Today's lesson...
... will cover intelligence acquisition. In other words, men, you will learn how to gain information from people.
Hey, I'm pretty good at that.
You just have to turn them to your side. By being generous with my spending, by setting a good example as a superior... they'll eventually open up.
Foolishness!
Eh?!
That is among the worst strategies I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. Do you not see how wasteful it is to spend the limited military budget, how wasteful it is to spend so much precious time trying to butter them over?
The most efficient means of obtaining intelligence is...
... torture.
... T-torture?!
Hah! I'd say that's the worst strategy I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. I'd rather not waste my clan's strength on something so utterly useless like that. Besides, if you end up accidentally killing them -
Foolishness, foolishness!
Jeez! Can you stop saying that word?!
How simplistic... and disappointing.
Your imagination falls short! If that is all you can think of when you hear the word "torture"...
... then, this unit!
Uh, this isn't exactly a military unit -
Ahem, then, this Hongyuan may indeed be beyond your ability to lead!
…….
W-well, I'm waiting. Get on with your lesson.
The mention of Hongyuan seemed to put Xichun in a thoughtful mood, as she stopped arguing and began focusing on class.
The most effective method of torture isn't physical - things like waterboarding... electrocution... are all inferior.
Today, you will learn the torture of language. With this method, you will always find the answer you want.
Use speechcraft to entrap their minds, slowly constrict around them...
Gulp.
... and let them take brief sighs of relief every time they give you an answer.
That, cadets, is what you will be learning today.
To your positions, cadets.