A War Hero With No Regrets

13 – Uninvited Guest in Black Cloth (5)

Masquerade.

It is a long-standing noble tradition that has been passed down since the era of the old emperors.

As with any tradition, it was actually a pledge of friendship between high-ranking people.

In the first place, there was no time to hold a masquerade ball as the war had been going on for over ten years.

It is said that in the Eastern Military District, where the proportion of old nobles was high, this was often done even during wartime.

It was an event scheduled to be the second day and finale of this banquet, as it was a celebration of victory.

Such a finale was soon to be stained with the blood of countless people.

Werner hated these types of events, but that didn’t mean he had any reason to watch someone’s death.

“They confirmed the signs of terrorism.”

“There is no doubt about it.”

“Damn it….”

Supreme Commander Arthur Philiaf’s voice came out over the communicator.

I was sent to monitor the subversive movements of self-proclaimed nobles in the Eastern Military District, but for some reason I got caught up in a terrorist incident.

Even the supreme commander has a headache.

“Is it possible that the voice extraction was wrong? No… Yes, you have no reason to lie about something like this and you certainly didn’t handle things sloppily.”

“We have even completed cross-verification of the voice files. “What should I do now?”

Now, I am no longer Lutherus Ethan, a war hero and fortress commander.

Not only was there an absurdly small amount of manpower available, but the only decent armament was the pistol brought from the Graveyard.

Besides.

What are the terrorists’ goals?

Why did you target the commander of the Eastern Army?

Who is behind it?

It was a situation where nothing was revealed.

There is a lack of authority, armament, and justification.

“… “We have to cancel the party.”

“What reason can you give? “The Supreme Commander and His Excellency the President gave the order directly?”

“It’s not impossible.”

In fact, there is no need to prepare a scenario.

It is absolutely essential for soldiers to obey orders.

No matter how much they called themselves nobles in the Eastern Military District, it was common for them to carry out orders from superiors to cancel the party.

Unless it is a terrible war crime such as massacre of civilians.

However, Werner also knew well how tight-knit the generals and commander of the Eastern Military District, Lieutenant General Heinrich Randall, were.

The party will be cancelled.

In terms of form.

To begin with, it was a masquerade ball that was more like a social party.

In other words, if you hold a personal charity event rather than a military event, there is no reason to stop it.

At most, personnel dispatched from the Supreme Command or other military districts will return urgently.

Rendal and his commanders, who are the main targets of terrorist forces, will still be exposed to danger.

“What if they don’t listen?”

“… “Shouldn’t it be revealed?”

“The safety of the local helpers who took the effort to contact us will be in danger. “The prestige of the Security Bureau will also fall significantly.”

It is a dilemma.

If you tell us what you intercepted, the terrorist attack will be aborted and the instigators can be caught without difficulty.

The problem is the source of evidence.

The answer to why the wiretapping was conducted and who ordered it could not be revealed hastily.

If it was simply a warning measure, it would make no difference whether it was revealed or discovered.

If that had been the case, Werner would have been talking to the general as if he were showing off, or he would have been openly showing his checks.

However, the President had an intention to completely overthrow the Eastern Military District, so the moment he exposes that, it would be like showing a decisive defeat from the very beginning.

Although it is already the Security Strategy Bureau, there is no way I will have good feelings about the newly established organization.

Rather, due to this incident, there was a high possibility that the private organizations of the Eastern Military District would go into deep hiding, while establishing a proper confrontation with the President.

The end is… maybe.

It must be war.

It is not a civil war against the Titans, but a civil war between fellow countrymen and yesterday’s comrades-in-arms.

Werner closed his eyes tightly as he continued to communicate with Arthur Phileas.

This was not a victory for humanity achieved by dying forty times.

A matter that neither Arthur nor Werner can easily decide.

Furthermore, he could not just rely on the Fuhrer.

He was a political person to his core, so in the worst case scenario, he might be ordered to just stand by and watch terrorism unfold in the Eastern Military District.

Is there any reason for the President to reject the idea that those who seemed like a thorn in his eye will go away on their own?

Werner Grime was in serious trouble.

Is there really no other answer than the tragedy of the Eastern Military District and the exposure of the Security Strategy Bureau?

‘No.’

At that moment, an idea passed through Werner’s head.

The best scenario that can prevent both the Fuhrer’s useless intervention and terrorism.

“Supreme Commander, please send a telegram to the Eastern Command immediately.”

“Professional? “What do you mean?”

“The Eastern Force Headquarters alert order must be revised.”

Werner recalled the content of the voice.

After the banquet, guns and ammunition were stolen from the underground armory?

I was able to come up with a hypothesis.

As soon as I intercepted the suspicious conversation, my first thought was why he didn’t immediately commit terrorism.

Was it really necessary to set the date of the assassination on the day after the masquerade ball?

I was able to infer it from the documents I read on the helicopter coming to Branberg.

‘Uninvited outsiders, including aides, can also attend the masquerade ball.’

Terrorist forces that had infiltrated the banquet hall until today – the number of members of the advance team was very small.

As more people come in from outside, the size of the party will increase, so naturally there will be holes in security.

Who on earth would even think of causing terrorism during a ceremony commemorating the end of the war with the Titans?

Furthermore, what they were ultimately targeting was the empire itself.

We only take the Eastern Military District as an example.

“The masquerade ball starts at 18:00. Please change the rotation of the sentries in charge of armory and facility security between 17:00 and 19:00.”

In order to break into the banquet hall with the weapons secured, the cooperation of the security personnel was necessary.

Otherwise, there is no way the security forces that identified the suspicious armed personnel would remain silent.

“I see. “I understand.”

Arthur Phileas spoke in an agreeable voice over the communicator.

“I think the Eastern Command will accept that without much doubt.”

There are too many excuses.

Since the only thing we can do is change the patrol time, there is no reason to feel much dissatisfaction internally.

“Director Werner Greim.”

“Yes, Supreme Commander.”

“You are under the direct command of His Excellency the President, but you are also my subordinate. So this means that my authority also applies.”

Arthur adds more seriously than ever.

“Everything that happens on the field will be left to the responsibility and judgment of you, the field commander. “I will take full responsibility for that.”

“That alone is enough. Then, I will contact you as soon as the work is completed.”

Werner terminated communication with the High Command.

Then I put on the clothes I had roughly packed.

Since Werner was not particularly well-versed in fashion, most of his civilian clothes were solid colors close to black and dark gray.

As it happens, it was the perfect outfit for infiltration.

Put on a tactical vest over your dark civilian clothes and check the magazine of your pistol.

3 Magazines for 16 rounds, a total of 48 rounds.

It would have been great if there was an attachable silencer.

Werner completely covered the rest of his face with a black mask, thinking that he would definitely have to wear a silencer from the next mission.

I also don’t forget the tactical knife that is in his thigh sheath.

The only thing that sparkles in this pitch-black portrait is the sharp blue eye.

“… Let’s go.”

After muttering to himself for the last time, Werner left the Safe House.

—-

After the banquet, the Branberg headquarters was eerily quiet.

In fact, a true banquet begins after all schedules have been completed.

At the banquet, people gather in groups of two or three and go to a nearby bar or hotel for a second meal.

Some like-minded male and female officers even found separate lodgings.

Higher-ranking figures moved to a much more luxurious and secret place than the headquarters and started their own banquet.

Besides, it is a victory.

There is no reason to suddenly wake up to the warning of a titanic air raid, nor is there any reason to be alert to the situation on the front line.

As a result, it naturally unfolds from the commander to the lowest soldier.

There was a commander in charge of formal night duty, but he disappeared immediately after completing the handover and never returned.

The soldiers patrolling the hallways were either openly dozing off or giggling and chatting.

He was not even carrying a firearm.

‘I never thought it would be this much of a mess.’

This way there was no need to wear camouflage uniforms.

Perhaps wearing only dark green regular military uniforms would have been a more reliable camouflage.

There is no proper security force, so if you walk around openly and confidently, no one will know.

Werner arrived at the armory located in the basement of the headquarters, lamenting the miserable reality.

And there.

From what anyone could see, men dressed in sloppy military uniforms were taking out weapons from the armory.

“Move quickly, quickly. Because I don’t know where the duty went. “Now is your chance.”

“You probably planted a bomb, right?”

“Of course.”

The conversation overheard close to the wall was clearly related to terrorism.

Even the last bastion collapsed.

Since Lieutenant General Randall’s name had already been mentioned in their mouths and talk of assassination had begun, there was no need for any more evidence.

Werner, who was convinced that this was an actual criminal, immediately pulled out a knife.

The number is four.

Among them, two are armed.

Sneak, he reveals himself from the shadows and naturally approaches them.

As I approached with almost silent steps and minimal signs of presence, I made eye contact with a sentry who was yawning.

“… ? Wait, since when have you been here?”

The panicked soldier immediately aimed his gun, but he neither pulled the trigger nor dared to finish his sentence.

Puuk, the knife passes through the carotid artery, and the sentry falls on the floor, blood spraying out.

“What!?”

“Dafrin! “Who are you, you bastard?!”

When a colleague suddenly turns into a corpse, the gangsters scream in panic.

Werner decided that it would be okay to kill everyone except for one person who was trembling on the floor, probably because his legs had lost their strength.

The time was not long.

A blade like moonlight flashed in a basement full of stale, musty smell.