A War Hero With No Regrets – Chapter 24

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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62km southeast of the Eastern Military District Branberg Command, airspace.
02:00 AM.

“We will arrive at the target point in 5 minutes. Each team, report after checking equipment.”

“1st team, no abnormalities.”

“2nd team, no abnormalities.”

“3rd team also has no issues.”

“Good.”

It was a dark dawn without a single moonlight. Five stealth helicopters advanced at a fast speed, cutting through the now completely chilled late autumn air.

Operation name: Marionette.

The objective was to simultaneously exterminate the high-ranking members of the Revolutionary Front spread throughout the Eastern Military District and completely seize control of the organization.

The war between the Empire and the Titans had lasted for over 10 years. Werner had also enlisted as an officer after turning 18, after the war began.

The national territory was already devastated, and in front of the overwhelming forces of the Titans, the President, the Revolutionary faction, and the Imperial faction had no choice but to unite in order to survive.

And when the war finally ended, people had lost more than they thought.

It wasn’t just about macroscopic things like precious people or property-like assets. The individual thoughts and beliefs that had once been rampant everywhere had become half-hearted.

The wisdom and knowledge based on failures and experiences had faded, and the elders who should have led the young people on the right path had disappeared into a handful of dirt.

The values that pursued constant change disappeared. The courage to say what was wrong was buried in reality.

Such changes were inevitable even for the Revolutionary Front, or rather, the remnants of the Revolutionary faction. Why did the Nationalist faction and the Imperial faction, who had been growling at each other before the war, join hands and execute the Revolutionary faction?

It was because the Revolutionary faction had a stronger cohesion than the others. They possessed the democratic ideology advocated by the Nationalist faction, the united nation advocated by the Nationalist faction, and the stable society advocated by the Imperial faction.

Of course, it couldn’t be said that the Imperial Labor Party, which was virtually the predecessor of the Revolutionary faction, was without problems, but who would care about such things when the entire Empire was faltering?

However, the people who should have carried on their will properly all died on the battlefield against the Titans. The average number of deaths per day, aggregated from all fronts, was about 2,500.

Even based on 10 years, about 10 million people died. Everyone was killed equally, so the genealogy of the Revolutionary faction was also completely sentenced to death along with the war.

Even if their hearts suddenly started beating after the end of the war, their arms, legs, and even their brains were already necrotic. The Revolutionary Front was one of the necrotic right arms of such a Revolutionary faction.

Then, wouldn’t emergency surgery be necessary? Replace all the rotten brains, arms, and legs, and reorganize the Revolutionary faction into a faithful ‘cooperative’ organization of the SSA.

“Director.”

At that moment, Karin’s voice was heard on Werner’s communicator. It was a private communication channel.

“Are you sure you can entrust such an important operation to me…?”

“I’ve already told you once. No one is more suitable than you, Lieutenant.”

Werner cut off her worries, anticipating roughly what she was going to say.

“If you insist, this is a test. Lieutenant Karin, it’s a test to determine if you are a suitable person for our SSA.”

Although Werner Grimm was accompanying them on-site, the personnel who would actually engage in combat was Lieutenant Karin Maven, the security platoon leader.

She had ended up taking on such a heavy responsibility by chance, so Karin couldn’t help but be flustered.

Of course, judging by Karin’s experience and pure combat skills, it was also natural. In the first place, it was Werner who had entrusted Karin with the position of security platoon leader.

Reaper Karin Maven. Even when she adapted to the Emerald Lake Fortress with the help of her close friend, that nickname didn’t leave her.

She changed from a reaper who drove her allies to death to a reaper who drove Titans to death. It wasn’t that other people were killed because of her.

It was that she ‘survived’. The orphanage was invaded by Titans. At the age of not even 16, she beat two Titan entities to death with a meager weapon.

Even though they were small entities about the size of a human, it was an unbelievable feat. It was the same afterward.

When the training camp she enlisted in after finishing her life in a military protection facility was attacked, she succeeded in killing Titans without even receiving proper firearms training.

It was the same in the replacement unit. She quickly evacuated from the replacement unit that had suffered severe bombardment damage due to friendly fire.

The reason why Werner had marked her as a combat officer as soon as he read the combat report related to Karin when he first arrived at the SSA. Even Werner Grimm, who was the commander of the Graveyard in his previous life, had heard of her name, so it goes without saying how her actual status was.

The Karin Maven he met in person like that had an excellent innate sense of combat. She was born to be a combatant.

Werner Grimm knew a few such people in the Graveyard as well. At first, they may hesitate, but once properly pushed, they definitely shine.

Didn’t she properly do her part even in Branberg, where he took her as a test? Werner’s personnel selection ability, honed through numerous regressions, was still effective in the new environment of the National Security Strategy Agency.

But Karin still showed signs of anxiety.

“What if I don’t pass the test…?”

“I believe in you. So Karin, you need to believe in yourself too. Don’t even think such thoughts.”

“…”

“I won’t allow excuses either. Finish the operation cleanly and return.”

With those words, Werner ended the communication. The scenery of a small village not far beyond the helicopter window began to come into view.

The cradle of the revolution and the manor of the revolutionaries where their seeds would grow in the future. The headquarters of the Revolutionary Front, commonly known as the Hornet’s Nest.

“SSA, raise the torches. It’s time to burn down the beehive.”

With those words, the helicopters flying in formation with the one Werner was riding on simultaneously broke formation.

***

The curtain had risen on Operation Marionette. The outline was simple.

Catch and crush all the leading forces of the Revolutionary Front, and hand over their positions to the executives contacted through Dane.

Dane Schmidt faithfully fulfilled his role as a messenger and guide, and Werner Grimm was naturally able to emerge as a key figure in the Revolutionary Front that the SSA would newly lead.

When appropriate carrots and rewards were promised like that, internal information from the Revolutionary Front began to pour in like a burst dam. The ideology of the existing Revolutionary Front had already faded long ago.

As it was the most extremist and violent group among the Revolutionary factions, they had no pragmatism or rationality. Naturally, discontent had been accumulating internally as well.

In the first place, what kind of terrorist group would recklessly attack a military command where a banquet was being held? To put it nicely, it was an unwavering determination and drive.

To put it badly, it was recklessness without thinking about the consequences. They carried out the operation even though they knew that the Eastern Military District would not collapse just because they assassinated the Eastern Army Commander.

Moreover, while the lower ranks of the organization were thoroughly managed as a cell structure, the leadership was clustered together in one village. The strategic vision of the Revolutionary Front could be said to be truly hopeless.

Thanks to that, the security platoon led by Werner – the strike team – was able to successfully infiltrate the Revolutionary Front’s stronghold. They had obtained all the information through an insider and thoroughly analyzed it.

Operation Marionette was already half successful before it even began.

Pew pew pew!
Boom, bam!

As if to prove that, the headquarters of the Revolutionary Front was suppressed in less than an hour. The underground passages that twisted and turned between the houses in the village were also immediately mapped out using the map provided by Dane.

Those who panicked and tried to escape after realizing that intruders had come were helplessly caught in the booby traps that had been set up in advance. Of course, Werner Grimm’s proper command and Karin Maven’s quick on-site reporting also contributed to the success of the operation.

“1st team, move together to the wall where the bicycle is parked at the red-roofed house.”

“Headquarters, this is 1st team leader. Observing a small shed behind the target point. The door is open about 5cm, there may be an ambush.”

“Heavy weapons use authorized. It’s fine to burn it down.”

“Message received, we’ll go in flashy.”

“3rd team, currently deployed in the line of fire of our forces. Move quickly in the 320 direction.”

“2nd team, enemy snipers and machine guns are expected to be deployed in the multi-story building ahead. Permission to use our attack drones. Report after preemptive annihilation.”

Furthermore, in order to respond to the threat of enemy anti-aircraft weapons, Werner directly converted the helicopter from an unmanned control system to a manned control system. He stayed in the airspace above the operation area and directly observed the scene with the naked eye.

He even issued detailed orders to each team. Even the security platoon members, who had been boasting before joining the SSA, had no choice but to stick out their tongues at the overwhelming command that was second to none.

“The director piloted the helicopter himself? While also observing the battlefield situation?”

“He’s crazy. There’s a reason why a war hero is a war hero.”

“Shh, you bastard. The director told us not to talk about it! Get in the habit of being careful with your words even when we’re alone.”

“But where did the director go?”

“Ah… that’s…”

Right after the official operation ended like that.

Ratatatatata!!!

Werner lined up those who had surrendered in several zones and mercilessly shot them dead with the weapons looted from the Revolutionary Front. He couldn’t leave any loose ends.

Moreover, the reason for killing them with looted weapons was to fabricate evidence that a ‘rebellion’ had occurred by some reactionary forces in the process of the insiders who colluded with the SSA cleaning up the scene.

A thorough yet ruthless action. “Whew.” After finishing off even the last prisoner, Werner exhaled and put a cigarette in his mouth.

No matter what, it was too late to regret killing those who had surrendered as an inhumane act. He had already come too far to regret his decision.

Once decided, it was his creed to always keep it. In the midst of that, in order not to dirty the hands of his subordinates, Werner silently accumulated that karma alone.

“…Director.”

Karin Maven clutched her chest and silently watched.

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