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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Zaped
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As a rule, all operations and intelligence were reported “upward.”
This was especially true for matters concerning the Elza independence movement.
With complex interests at play and differing approaches from various government branches, someone had to coordinate.
To prevent them from getting in each other’s way.
The previous commanders had completely dropped the ball.
Subordinates like Leticia were doing the work the Special Task Force Commander should have been doing.
And those rigid, by-the-book elite officers reported every single detail of their operations to their superiors.
The “Weak Link Strategy,” the operation to turn Hoot, was no exception.
‘This leak didn’t come from below. It came from above.’
They said Hoot had spent a week in the human unprotected zone.
That meant this pursuer had also been there for over a week.
Agents capable of tracking Hoot, securing food and water, fighting off zombies, and avoiding infection were rare.
An information broker?
No way.
Why would they risk their neck in a place like that when there were safer ways to make a living?
Then there was only one answer.
The information had been leaked from ‘above,’ and an agent from another government branch had snatched it up.
But simply taking it would be too obvious, so they were pretending to be an information broker.
Virginia clenched her fist.
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A heavy silence blanketed the intelligence department.
Everyone was stealing glances at their department head’s empty chair.
It would be strange if the atmosphere wasn’t this heavy, given the circumstances.
‘Why isn’t she back yet?’
Leticia, who had stormed out of the Commander’s office, was still nowhere to be seen.
The intelligence personnel were left to imagine what kind of ordeal she was going through.
The atmosphere was stifling.
They would have preferred it if Leticia had stuck to her guns this morning when she passionately argued, “Even if the Commander told me not to, it’s my duty to report such a critical incident.”
She wasn’t wrong, even if it was a bit too straight-laced for their liking.
The non-commissioned officers and officers who had worked with Leticia for a long time couldn’t help but think, ‘If only she had been a bit more flexible…’
Leticia wasn’t the most beloved leader, but she wasn’t one to let her emotions dictate her actions.
If she was upset, she’d go on a drinking binge after work, but she never took it out on her subordinates.
‘She’s a decent soldier, just cursed with terrible superiors.’
And now, that same person had been dragged away by a parachuted Commander who glared ‘like that.’
The rumors that followed were unsettling, to say the least.
They heard the new Commander, unable to contain her rage, had demolished a steel desk with her bare hands.
They couldn’t make out the exact words, but they heard yelling.
And then Leticia stormed out, practically kicking the door down.
‘…She doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment.’
Just as one of the officers, unable to bear it any longer, was about to get up…
Click
Leticia returned.
‘…?’
Something was different. She seemed incredibly calm.
No, she seemed even more at ease than when she had arrived for work this morning.
“Um, Intelligence Officer…”
“Operations Officer.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“You know that file we have on information brokers? Make sure it’s up-to-date and send me the list. Categorize them by the type of information they usually deal with and prioritize them based on their survival skills.
Control Officer, I need a report on all government agency and allied unit activities within a 40km radius of Mini Bell. Make sure it’s updated as of this moment.
If you need to coordinate with the administration, let me know immediately.
Operations soldier.
Didn’t the Redneck squad go on patrol last night?
Is the squad leader asleep?
Wake him up and bring him here.
Tell him it’s urgent.
And is Hoot available for questioning?”
The department sprang into action, following her flurry of orders.
It was all part of their usual duties, just at a much faster pace.
“Hoot is still sedated.
The doctor had to administer a strong sedative because he was in shock.”
“Leave him be for now. Everyone, listen up! We’re going to contact V. Connect the secure operation phone to the main screen. Proceed as usual, but the moment we receive a response from V, I want all resources dedicated to gathering information on V and their surroundings. Understood?”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Thankfully, the Leticia who had returned was the superior they knew.
A sense of relief washed over them, as if the universe had righted itself.
Only the non-commissioned officers and officers who had worked closely with Leticia noticed the subtle change in her demeanor.
A certain lightness, a sense of purpose that came with knowing you were about to accomplish something important.
But only Leticia knew how she had pulled herself together.
‘I am a Römer.
I am a master.
As long as I act like one, I am a soldier of Römer.’
The sense of defeat that had clung to her like a shadow her entire life had vanished with a single, powerful epiphany.
She would not let this go.
Not this time.
Leticia picked up Redneck’s report.
Double-checking the number written on the neatly typed document, she sent a message.
She used an ID that hinted at her military background without explicitly revealing it.
8qawsed8:
「I hear you’re selling a briefcase? 」
The reply came after a while.
Ding.
The loud notification sound echoed through the room.
Everyone turned to the main screen. It was a message from the briefcase seller.
V:
「Yes. And just so you know, I’m planning to pass through Lambert Village and head towards the outskirts of Hampton City. 」
“Deploy all resources!”
The department focused on their assigned tasks.
Leticia sat down and cracked her knuckles.
Just then, the Control Officer approached her with a report.
It contained the latest updates on incidents in the area. And it was related to Lambert Village.
“…Control Officer, what is the meaning of this?”
“I’ll look into the details immediately, ma’am.”
Leticia nodded.
If the Control Officer’s report was accurate, Lambert Village was a powder keg waiting to explode.
But first, she had to reply.
8qawsed8:
「I see. Are you currently on the move? If you tell me your location, I can come to you. Or we can arrange a meeting point if that’s more convenient. Preferably somewhere away from Lambert Village. 」
The reply was almost instantaneous.
V:
「That’s going to be difficult. I’ve already agreed to meet the other interested buyer on the outskirts of Hampton City. But if you offer me a good price, I’m willing to sell it to you before I get there. 」
“Can we pinpoint their location?” Leticia asked.
“We can’t track them on the regular network. It seems they’re using a separate transmitter. We’re working on it!”
“Keep searching!”
Leticia traced her finger across the map.
She didn’t know if they were on foot or using a vehicle.
So, she drew a wide circle around Mini Bell Village and handed it to the signal tracking team.
“Focus your search within this area! I want every signal analyzed!”
As she returned to her seat, Leticia’s mind raced.
‘The other interested buyer. It must be Hans.’
If her assumptions were correct, Hans was planning a terrorist attack in Hampton City.
He wouldn’t show his face.
He’d send an unsuspecting buyer in his place and detonate the briefcase remotely.
It was his signature move…
Ding.
A new message arrived.
V:
「One more thing. Don’t be surprised if our conversation suddenly ends. If things go south, I’ll be heading to either Lambert Village or the outskirts of Hampton City. Come find me. 」
8qawsed8:
「Is there something urgent? Did something happen? 」
V:
「Ah, this phone has spyware on it. They’re probably listening to our conversation right now. That’s why I’m telling you this. 」
“…W-what?!”
Leticia shot to her feet.
Meanwhile, at the secret hideout of the Elza Independence Movement’s Central Army…
A man with bloodshot eyes stared at the monitor.
He was chewing on almonds, as usual.
Hunger was a constant companion in this line of work, a gnawing emptiness that never truly went away.
Like a cow perpetually chewing its cud, this was the solution he, and the rest of the Central Army’s intelligence unit, had found.
His role was surveillance.
Intercepting and recording all voice and text communications transmitted through spyware was his mission.
No one liked spyware, but it held a special significance for members of a secret society.
In their final moments, when they couldn’t even leave a will, whispering into their phones was the only way to leave a last message.
Just now, another comrade had fallen.
He had heard the faint whisper, “Long live Elza,” before the signal died.
He saved the audio file, carefully noting his comrade’s name, date, and time of death.
He would find a way to deliver the deceased’s last words to their family…
“Huh?”
A warning flashed on his screen.
It indicated communication from a ‘person of interest.’
A list of phone numbers that required special attention.
He had added a note to himself next to one of the numbers: ‘Hoot.’
V:
「And this phone has spyware on it. They’re probably listening to our conversation right now. That’s why I’m telling you this.」
“Hans!”
The man jumped to his feet, knocking over a bowl of almonds in the process.
But he couldn’t worry about that now.
“I told you to call him ‘Comrade’!”
That damn fool, still hung up on titles in a situation like this.
The man fought back his frustration and yelled again.
“Comrade Hans! Y-you need to see this!”
Leticia sat back down.
‘That’s why he said phone calls were difficult! It wasn’t just to maintain silence!’
Her mind raced as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
8qawsed8:
「I understand the situation. Let’s make this quick. We’ll buy the briefcase. What price are you thinking? And if possible, could you tell me who the other interested buyer is?」
V:
「I don’t know their name, but they provided me with a ‘temporary pass’ without a birthdate, so they must be government. It had a stamp that said ‘Authorized by Virginia Helford, Commander of the 8th National Gendarmerie.’」
“That son of a bitch is toying with us, isn’t he?” Hans growled.
The man next to him nodded in agreement.
“Should we just cut him off? We can reformat the phone now.”
“No. Wait. Let’s see what he’s trying to gain by provoking us.”
Despite his anger, a chill ran down his spine.
It was true that temporary passes were supposed to include birthdates.
But it was a recent change, and many people were still unaware of it.
But more importantly, very few people were even eligible for temporary passes.
The only ones who would need to enter a human unprotected zone were those acting on government orders, biker gangs, zombies, or those who disregarded such procedures, like themselves.
“That means this guy knew about the temporary pass format. But he pretended to be fooled. Who the hell is he? What does he want?”
“…Hans, you idiot.”
Leticia let out a humorless chuckle.
This was exactly why the Elza independence movement would never succeed.
They couldn’t even get their paperwork right, didn’t know the regulations, and even got names wrong.
Virginia Helford was the ‘Commander’ of the Special Task Force ‘under’ the 8th National Gendarmerie, not the ‘Commander’ of the 8th National Gendarmerie itself.
It was a ridiculous mistake, like confusing a division commander with a squad leader.
“But how did he know about Commander Helford’s arrival?”
“…There are rats everywhere.”
Leticia shook her head.
The fact that even the movements of high-ranking military officials were being leaked pointed to a serious security breach.
But there was something more pressing. She had to focus.
‘But is it wise to point out his mistake?’
On second thought, it didn’t seem like a smart move.
If this V was telling the truth, then Hans was definitely listening in on their conversation. Correcting Hans’s error would be tantamount to aiding the enemy.
8qawsed8:
「I suppose that’s possible. But that’s not important right now. It’s more constructive to discuss a concrete reward than to dwell on the trustworthiness of an unseen entity. What do you need? What can we offer you?」
V:
「Information. What the hell happened in Lambert Village? How many zombies are there? What’s the gang situation like? 」
Leticia was willing to offer anything.
Food.
Water.
Shelter.
But why was he asking for information on Lambert Village?
And hadn’t he just told her that ‘they,’ the Elza terrorists, were listening in?
Asking for information in this situation…
“Ah.”
A spark ignited in Leticia’s eyes.
Like the elite officer she was, she finally understood what V was after.
‘Don’t tell me… this V is trying to lure both the 8th Gendarmerie and the terrorists to Lambert Village to make them fight each other?’
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