Chapter 197 – An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth
Things that are embarrassing enough to make you kick the covers just thinking about them will be forgotten over time.
Contrary to the prejudice caused by his unique rugged appearance, he was Wolfgang, who had spent only exemplary days of killing and destruction without committing any deviations until he was in his mid-twenties.
He said that the fact that he was drunk and behaved indecently by himself gave him quite a big mental shock.
It took less than two days for the incident to be buried in the far side of memory.
In the first place, he’s not the type to hang on to a trivial mistake for a long time.
It was because he was faced with a matter so serious that he would soon forget about it.
The first historic mission you will face after being promoted.
Wolfgang, who responded to the commander-in-chief’s call with a mixed feeling of 10% expectation and 90% concern, doubted his ears the moment he heard his order.
“Did you tell me to send… To the north?”
A long sword trail running diagonally across the forehead and the bridge of the nose trembled in astonishment.
Somehow today, the head of the double-headed eagle flag looked at me and seemed to smile.
Wolfgang swears inwardly for a moment.
“That’s right.”
In the Imperial Army, the duties performed by high-ranking officials of the rank of general or higher are handed down only face-to-face without leaving any paperwork. This was to prepare for an unexpected security incident.
Although it is a method that boasts a fairly long tradition, it guarantees a fairly certain effect, but such a system only guarantees physical safety.
“…Maybe the headmaster heard it wrong.”
“Are you already old enough to be deaf? Or are you already going to try a ghetto just because you’ve got a few stars on your shoulders? I don’t think I’m going to pass you over, but it’s still early.”
The poor soldier faced with an unreasonable order without even having time to prepare his mind was the only thing he had to endure.
I tried pinching the inside of his thigh to see if he hadn’t woken up, but it just hurt.
Wolfgang’s face contorted terribly.
A subtle arc is drawn around the wrinkled eyes of the commander-in-chief looking at Wolfgang.
It’s as if he’s saying ‘I’ll hit you hard’ with his expression.
Considering the fact that Wolfgang, who has had as many accidents as he has made great achievements, was one of his main headache triggers, the intention behind that smile is quite meaningful.
“If you have any questions, ask them. Just looking at them, they seem to have a lot of questions.”
“Yes, sir. I’m embarrassed, but what is the purpose of this mission?”
When the commander-in-chief allowed the question, Wolfgang asked as if he had been waiting.
The commander-in-chief took a cigar out of the drawer, lit it with his finger behind the door, and after taking a deep breath in the smoke, he replied in a very satisfied tone.
“Whoa… To sum it up, I’d say an eye for an eye.”
“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying.”
“There is nothing difficult. In the meantime, the empire has suffered countless times from the machinations of the enemies. Is it not spreading disquieting ideology, is it not carrying out localized terrorism, or is it not organizing and working with anti-government groups. The war is seemingly over, but in fact Under the surface, it’s as if we’re still at war.”
“…I’m sure it is.”
The commander-in-chief took another sip of the smoke and offered Wolfgang some value.
“Will you smoke one too? There’s nothing like this when you have a headache.”
“Sorry. It’s a caution not to burn tobacco.”
“Really? Too bad.”
But Wolfgang politely declined.
Smoking, which takes away the life of plants for the sake of fleeting pleasure, was an act that Master did not like very much, so he was forced to become an anti-smoking artist. If he knew, he probably wouldn’t even kiss me.
In addition, cigarettes were also an object that had painful memories for him.
Wolfgang recalled the old memories for a moment and shook his head gently to clear his thoughts.
Instead, he decided to focus on the current situation.
“To sum up what you said, can you understand that we just need to carry out some kind of guerrilla operation to counter the machinations of the northerners?”
“Hmm. That’s a 60 out of 100 answer, but it’s not entirely wrong.”
It’s a 60 point answer.
Although it is a bit disconcerting that the score was suddenly scored, the curiosity about the remaining 40 points is more advanced. They said an eye for an eye, what else should I do?
“If I was going to order a simple sabotage or mobile strike mission, I wouldn’t have needed to employ a talented person like you. Anyone can do that.”
When I heard it, it seemed right.
Wolfgang nodded his head. Although the number of personnel is less than that of a squad, considering the actual power, the Empire’s most elite agents with destructive power of a corps level or higher are their special forces.
If you thought of sending them to the enemy’s stronghold, of course it would be more important than that.
“What you are to undertake is a kind of infiltration mission. Get in touch with one of the main tribes of the Northern Alien Alliance, preferably at the level of a chieftain or higher, to get an idea of the enemy’s movements. Do they want a second war, or something else? So that we can find out if they are scheming. You don’t have to choose any means.”
But, isn’t this a bit too much?
“…Didn’t you hear that?”
Wolfgang’s mouth fell open.
Ignoring his astonishment, the commander-in-chief waved lightly and brought him to the table.
“Now, look at this.”
On the map on the table, there were several pieces lined up, reminiscent of pieces on a chessboard.
The regions spread out on the map were of a kind that Wolfgang was very familiar with.
The land of the northern immigrants located beyond the boundary line.
“According to the information obtained by the spies so far, the Northern Immigrant Alliance is divided into two main factions. The Conservatives following the leader Angorn Sigbaldi, the heir to the Kagan who fell into a state of suspended animation, and the coalition itself, which has already been defeated in the war, are not happy with it. Radicals who want to return to their former tribal culture.”
A cursed continent that is hated by the Earth Mother and covered in snow and ice for more than half of the year.
—Tiak
The commander-in-chief murmured as he moved one of the black horses to knock down the white one.
“It would be nice if they bit each other and fought among themselves, but unfortunately, their solidarity is still the same.
“It’s such a pity.”
“However, it is certain that the transcendent Kagan is in a living corpse, so there is a slight crack in the alliance.
“Is that so.”
Although there were not one or two things I had to point out, I understood the general situation.
It must mean that you can somehow penetrate the enemy’s gaps and carry out espionage warfare.
But one question still remains.
“By the way, aren’t there people other than me who are qualified for such a job? Like Sir Randolph of the counterintelligence department. Isn’t it normal for people from the upper management to step up in this kind of work?”
“That’s a good point. You seem to have noticed that this mission isn’t going to be a simple espionage war.”
“Then, please…”
Wolfgang seemed a bit fed up with the commander-in-chief’s smile as if he were admirable looking at him, but soon he carefully expressed his opinion.
I feel like I’m back in the war for some reason.
It wasn’t a very good feeling.
“Are the branching points of the mission further divided?”
“You got it right. Now you’re getting close to 100 points. Among the radicals, there are a few tribes that the Empire has done some work in advance. If so, persuade the tribe to cooperate with the Empire. This is the ultimate goal of this mission.”
It was dizzy.
Wolfgang was in the mood to overturn the desk and scream.
‘Isn’t the difficulty too high? How the hell do you do this?’
His expression is very confident, so why don’t you try it yourself?
But the words just lingered in his throat without being able to come out.
In any case, if an order is given, it must be obeyed.
Besides, when had the commander-in-chief ever given him an impossible order?
Even during the war, he always gave Wolfgang only unreasonable tasks, but in the end he managed to somehow succeed.
Of course, he had to die in the process, though.
“…I recognized it.”
“Okay. I thought you were a brave general who only knew how to use strength without fail, but looking at it this way, you have a somewhat hindering aspect. Does experience and trials really sharpen the blade?”
I already felt like I was out of breath and my legs were getting weak, but I didn’t bother to show it.
Wolfgang sighed and trudged out of the commander-in-chief’s office.
There are so many thoughts running through my head, but there is only one conclusion.
This mission also seems to be quite daunting.
Wolfgang decided to prepare step by step, starting with what he could.
