Chapter 43: The Trap is Sprung

Late at night, near a Teutonic Army Garrison outpost, the special operations team members, lying in ambush, leaned wearily against the wall. They kept a cautious eye on their surroundings.

Yet, this vigilance was almost entirely eroded by the prolonged silence.

For many days, there had been no sign of anyone attempting the so-called “rescue of arrested personnel.” The prolonged wait had the special operations team members questioning everything.

‘Was the intelligence from above accurate?’ they wondered. ‘How could this be?’

Frowning, most had given up hope, wishing only for their leader to end this cursed mission soon.

Just as a Teutonic soldier, bored, closed their eyes in quiet contemplation, a rustling sound suddenly echoed from a nearby alley.

The soldier jolted awake, their eyes snapping open. They watched as a team of people stealthily approached the garrison.

The now alert Teutonic soldiers immediately melted into the shadows, hiding themselves as they discreetly observed the approaching figures.

‘This…’

‘Someone has finally arrived.’

‘Has a fish finally taken the bait?’

‘Indeed, waiting was not in vain. Here come the Francians, rushing to rescue their “captured comrade”!’

Each Teutonic soldier meticulously observed the team’s movements. They saw the group conduct a cursory search of the surroundings before immediately prying open the door. The lock quickly gave way.

The team then surged forward, pouring into the garrison.

From their hidden positions in the shadows, the Teutonic soldiers could barely suppress their laughter. ‘What outpost are these people trying to raid?’ they mused. ‘Who breaks into a prison like this? If this weren’t a trap, and the garrison were heavily armed, they’d be riddled with bullets the moment they stepped inside.’

But alas, they had to capture these Francian rescuers alive.

Still, it mattered little.

Now that these individuals had entered the encirclement, there was no escaping.

Inside the garrison, the hidden Teutonic soldiers patiently waited after detecting the intruders. Only when the entire team had entered and began searching for their target did the Teutonic soldiers sound the alarm.

The rescue team continued to search cell by cell for their comrade, Fran, but after a long while, they found no one. Moreover, there wasn’t a single guard in the entire garrison.

‘This…’

‘Something is wrong!’

One of the rescue team members slowly realized the truth. Even then, the chilling realization sent shivers down their spine.

They quickly turned, intending to shout to the others that it was a trap, but…

The Teutonic soldiers already had their guns aimed at them.

****

In the dim light, black muzzles spat dazzling flames. Over a dozen rescue team members crumpled to the ground, blood gushing from their thighs, arms, and other non-fatal wounds.

Among them, some with fierce willpower attempted to retaliate, but caught off guard, the few remaining individuals were merely fighting a losing battle. Soon, gunshot wounds rendered all members of the rescue team unconscious.

The two rescue team members standing guard at the entrance were startled by the gunshots. The chaotic sounds immediately signaled that something was amiss, and they quickly rushed outside.

However, almost instantly, the Teutonic soldiers positioned outside the garrison swarmed them, forming a tight circle.

The two were stunned, retreating in panic. All their escape routes had been blocked.

The Teutonic squad leader, in charge of this operation, stepped forward and brazenly declared to the two men before him:

“Drop your weapons immediately and surrender!”

Facing the enemy, the two men clearly diverged. One, trembling with fear, obediently placed his weapon at his feet and raised his hands in surrender.

The other, an older man, tried to swiftly raise his pistol and aim it at the Teutonic squad leader, hoping to use a threat to escape danger.

But he wasn’t fast enough. The moment he raised his gun, his arm was shot through by the surrounding Teutonic soldiers.

He instinctively fired two shots, but they harmlessly struck the ground. It was futile. He could only fall into a pool of blood, filled with resentment.

The squad leader looked at the “foolish” man, a sneer of disdain on his face. He shook his head, then instructed the person beside him:

“Tell the boss that all the fish are in the net. Ask him to come dispose of them.”

“Yes, sir!”

****

Inside Yuli’s mansion, everyone was attending the routine morning meeting.

Though meetings had been held for several days, nothing else had transpired. Everything revolved around one matter: Quidar’s fishing plan.

Initially, Quidar had been brimming with confidence, believing his plan to be foolproof.

But…

For several consecutive days, there had been no activity from the garrison. This unsettling silence had also permeated the meeting hall.

‘Could it be that no one understood my Teutonic in the tavern? Was the message inaccurately conveyed?’

‘Or perhaps… Fran is truly innocent, not a spy at all?’

‘Or maybe those anti-imperial organizations don’t believe Fran is worth the risk of rescue?’

Regardless, failing to catch anyone would mean the plan’s failure.

Yet, he couldn’t wait indefinitely.

Fran, after all, was still confined and constantly wished to go out. Especially in recent days, with no sign of rescue, even Yuli, that little girl, had started urging him to abandon the plan.

But…

Quidar was unwilling; he wanted to wait a little longer. However, if there were no results soon, he likely couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Just as he was frowning in worry, suddenly—

A special operations team member rushed into the meeting hall and shouted to everyone present:

“Boss, Station Chief, they’ve caught the people who tried to break into the garrison!”

“Wh-what?!”

Everyone was taken by surprise, especially Yuli, who had previously been certain no one would come, believing in Fran. But…

“They caught them!” Quidar exclaimed, standing up excitedly. He shouted, “Excellent work!” then grabbed the subordinate’s shoulders, pulling them towards the exit.

“Good, now that they’re caught, don’t worry about them for now; just keep them locked up. Immediately send people with me to that tavern. That place is definitely problematic! Let’s go! Time to make arrests!”

Fran broke out in a cold sweat from the sudden turn of events.

‘This…’

‘How could this happen?’

Fran nervously gripped the corner of the sofa, listening incredulously to the conversation unfolding before him.

‘No…’

‘I didn’t mishear, did I?’

‘Did I hear wrong?’

‘How… how could this be? It’s been days, I thought I was safe, but now something else has happened?’

‘This…’

‘How is this possible?’

Quidar suddenly turned, let out a cold snort, and then stared at Fran. “We’re going to seal off that tavern. I think, perhaps Secretary Fran should accompany us?”

Meeting Quidar’s gaze, Fran truly understood what terror felt like. He tried to calm his emotions, but…

The other man’s meaning was already clear: he was in grave danger.

Yet…

“We’ll all go,” Yuli suddenly stepped in front of Fran, looking up and seriously retorting to Quidar. “I, Lyon, and Fran. We’ll go together.”

“Heh, my pleasure. Thank you for personally attending, Station Chief.”