Chapter 44: The Empty Sanctuary

Fran, filled with apprehension, followed Quidar and his group to the tavern.

The middle-aged man, with characteristic brutality, kicked open the tavern door. He bellowed at the patrons inside, “Nobody move! Everyone, hands over your heads, squat down!”

The customers, seemingly accustomed to the old man’s erratic searches, complied without hesitation.

After all, how many times had they been searched? Even the most foolish suspect would know not to frequent this place or carry incriminating items.

This time, however, Quidar was not merely content with searching for contraband.

He issued a direct command to his soldiers: “Arrest everyone in this room!”

Only then did panic ripple through the crowd. They had no idea what was happening, but with Teutonic soldiers brandishing guns, no one dared to risk their lives.

Moreover, many present were ordinary civilians; how could they possibly confront the Teutons?

Having apprehended most of the people in the building, Quidar grinned triumphantly.

He then approached the counter, grabbing one of the servers. “Hey, where’s your manager?” he demanded loudly.

The server, eyes wide with terror, waved their hands frantically. “I… I don’t know! The manager went out today, told us to mind the shop, and hasn’t come back since!” they stammered.

“Went out?”

Quidar pondered this, half-believing, half-doubting. He then nodded with a cold sneer, speaking with derision: “They were probably caught, haha! Alright, go on, search this tavern from top to bottom, leave no stone unturned.”

Fran watched in horror as the group began their thorough search of the tavern, his heart immediately tightening once more.

But… thankfully, Quidar and his men hadn’t searched the back room. They were merely rummaging through the bar area, a futile effort that would yield nothing.

However, Fran’s relief was short-lived, as his anxiety soon surged again.

Lyon, who had remained silent until now, suddenly moved, heading directly towards the back room.

How… how could this be?

Why would Lyon notice the inconspicuous back room?

That place was…

‘Could my teacher be there?’

Fran quickly hurried after him. Behind him, Yuli blinked in confusion, not understanding Fran’s sudden tension.

Yet she, too, swiftly followed. Soon, Quidar also noticed the three departing figures and jogged to catch up with them.

Lyon walked straight to the back, tapping lightly along a wooden wall. Listening to the echo, he traced his hand along the wall until he found a hidden door.

He pressed the mechanism. It was at this moment that Fran reached him, watching in terror as the secret door activated. A whirring sound filled the air, and the door slowly revolved. By the time the new world behind it was revealed to everyone, Yuli and Quidar had also arrived.

Everyone was clearly astonished by this secret door. It was a true hidden gem, a place with a secret passage! The mere existence of such a mechanism almost confirmed that this tavern was involved in something illicit.

Lyon stepped inside. It was a passage, leading to another hidden room…

He drew his pistol, slowing his steps, preparing to enter the hidden room.

Fran felt his breathing grow heavier, his heart pounding faster and faster. A frantic sense of panic spread throughout his body, simply because the path before him was far too familiar.

That hidden room was precisely his teacher’s office.

He had walked this path countless times, yet he had never imagined he would one day tread it in such a manner.

Still, he refused to abandon hope. He quickened his pace, his shoes thudding loudly on the floor, hoping to warn his teacher, who might still be in the office.

After all, if his teacher were captured, everything would be lost.

He now only regretted not having devised more ways to warn his teacher of this danger and trap in advance.

There was no more time, for Lyon had already drawn his gun, kicked open the door, and rushed inside.

Quidar, behind him, also drew his weapon and swiftly followed Lyon.

Fran took a deep breath, quietly pulled out his sidearm, and charged in, aiming at the backs of the two men in front of him.

‘No, if it comes to it, I’ll fight them, hijack Yuli, and escape with my teacher and Yuli!’

He burst into the room with a desperate resolve, only to freeze in place, just like the two Teutonic agents who had entered before him.

The hidden room was empty. There was no sign of his teacher, no documents, no books, no papers, not even a table or a chair.

The room was even covered in a thick layer of dust, making it appear as though it hadn’t been used in a long time. For a moment, Lyon even suspected it was merely a cluttered storage room.

This…

Fran was equally bewildered. The three exchanged confused glances, leaving only Yuli, who had entered last, to frown, cover her nose, and wave her hand as she spoke to the others: “Why do we have to inspect this dusty old shack? There’s nothing interesting here. Let’s get out.”

“Oh… alright, Sister Yuli.”

The group awkwardly exited, returning from the secret passage to the tavern’s front desk. The Teutonic soldiers had already apprehended most of the patrons, and several soldiers stepped forward to report.

“Hmm…” Quidar was about to speak when Yuli suddenly stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Quidar. She addressed the special task force directly: “Escort all the arrested individuals directly to the special task force headquarters. Detain them for now, and interrogate them one by one.”

“Yes!”

The soldiers nodded, then led a line of people out of the tavern. Yuli turned back to the remaining few and suggested, “This plan was quite successful. I think it would be best to interrogate the arrested rescue team members first. What do you all think?”

“Heh, that depends on what Station Chief Yuli’s secretary, Mr. Fran, thinks.”

Quidar cast a sinister glance at Fran, then chuckled. “Secretary Fran, aren’t you going to offer a proper explanation for this matter?”

Fran, his emotions tightly reined in, looked at him coldly. “Captain Quidar, if you intend to use such a fabrication to obtain your desired answers, then I tell you, you will still receive nothing but lies. I don’t know those who came to rescue, and they only came because they believed your words.”

Quidar couldn’t help but sneer. In his eyes, Fran was merely being stubborn.

‘You clever boy. While I can’t definitively say you’re part of the anti-imperial organization yet, once I interrogate these arrested individuals, I refuse to believe I won’t uncover your true background.’

“Enough!” Yuli stepped forward, warning Quidar, “Don’t resort to torture or forced confessions, or arbitrarily accuse Fran of a crime. There’s no evidence now to prove Fran is a villain. You can’t say that just because you caught a fish, the bait must be in league with the fish, can you?”

“Of course, I can’t say that, but…”

Quidar sneered, “Otherwise, let’s interrogate them together, Station Chief Yuli. I just hope… if Secretary Fran truly has some hidden background, that you won’t… shield them?”

“Of course I won’t!”

Yuli frowned, pulling Fran to walk quickly ahead. Quidar snorted coldly, walking in the middle.

Behind them, Lyon’s expression was complex as he contemplated his next course of action.

But Fran was the most anxious of them all.

He didn’t know, he wasn’t clear, or rather, he feared…

‘Why aren’t the manager, my teacher, here?’

‘Could they… already have been captured?’