Chapter 65: The Dagger and the Deception

Fran arrived at a desolate plot of land, where a single stone stood, serving as a tombstone for the nameless dead.

He took a deep breath, his eyes closing. From his embrace, he drew a blood-stained dagger and gently placed it before the gravestone.

‘Should I feel fortunate?’

He still had a place of rest.

The silent Purburg citizens would collect the bodies of him and the rescue team members.

And he himself could console their souls with the very dagger that had pierced the traitor’s throat.

‘Or was it… unfortunate?’

Fran stood before the grave, the setting sun illuminating his pale, delicate cheeks. His arms crossed over his chest, he stared silently at the tombstone, not uttering a single word.

He stood there like a statue, his body trembling slightly as if suppressing a torrent of emotions. Yet, his pretty face was already streaked with tears.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind him. Fran turned his head, looking at the approaching figure.

Borg appeared behind him, gently patting his shoulder.

Standing before the grave, Borg closed his eyes in silent tribute. After a long moment, he slowly spoke.

“Fran.”

“Teacher Borg…” Fran wiped away his tears, raising an arm to gently dry his cheeks.

“My condolences. Some things are beyond our control, and some sacrifices are inevitable. I know you might be blaming yourself, but this is not your fault.”

“Mm.”

Fran dried his tears. Borg looked around, confirming the area was deserted, before continuing with his arrangements.

“The radio and codebook you intercepted from Ella are of great significance. Perhaps we can allow Ella to ‘remain alive,’ impersonating her identity and codename to continue maintaining contact with Lyon.”

“Continue… contact?” Fran blinked in confusion, then asked, “What… what good would that do?”

“It would be incredibly useful. Primarily, this method allows us to transmit false intelligence to Lyon, disrupting his information gathering. Of course, to continuously earn his trust, we’ll also need to occasionally provide him with some innocuous true intelligence.”

Teacher Borg continued his analysis. “If ‘Firefly’ achieves a sufficiently high level of trust with Lyon, the false intelligence we transmit in the future could very well spell the end for the Teutonic Army Intelligence Department!”

“I see…” Fran nodded.

Originally, he had interrogated Ella to obtain the radio codebook and telegram archives simply to gather intelligence from their past communications. While he had considered using the ‘Firefly’ identity to continue stealing intelligence, it had always seemed somewhat unrealistic.

‘What if Lyon demands to meet ‘Firefly’? Oh… perhaps I shouldn’t have killed Ella?’

Fran momentarily regretted his actions, but Borg smiled and shook his head, indicating it was fine. “There’s no need to keep her alive; it’s impossible. We have other methods.”

“Other methods?” Fran found it hard to believe. Could the organization conjure up another Ella to meet Lyon?

“With the Patriot Alliance’s retreat, ‘Firefly,’ the Teutonic agent lurking within the alliance, also withdrew from Purburg, relocating outside the city. Future meetings will be inconvenient, and messages will continue to be provided to Mr. Lyon via telegrams and letters. There’s also a possibility of joining the Lorraine Party later; please send activity funds to the new location…”

Teacher Borg proudly explained his cover story to Fran, who couldn’t help but smile upon hearing it. Good heavens, they weren’t just avoiding meetings with Lyon; they were also planning to extort funds from the Teutonic Army Intelligence Department.

“But the crucial question is, will Lyon believe such a story?”

Fran remained somewhat uneasy, but Teacher Borg looked optimistic. “It’s not a big problem. Whether he believes the intelligence transmitted by the ‘new Firefly’ or not, no one would object to an additional intelligence channel. Our only goal is to sow confusion.”

“Mm…” Fran nodded. Since the channel he’d found through Ella could be put to use, he was more than willing to proceed.

“To prevent exposure, we will handle the telegrams. However, Fran, this incident has reminded me of something.” Borg handed a codebook to Fran.

“From now on, if you need to contact us via telegram, this will be our encrypted codebook. It’s very simple; you should understand it easily. As for the radio, we could provide you with one, but that might raise suspicions about its origin.”

“Mm…” Fran took the codebook, thought for a moment, and then said, “That shouldn’t be necessary. There are plenty of radios at the Purburg station.”

“Indeed. I imagine it won’t be difficult for you to procure a legitimate radio in the eyes of the Teutons. I’ll leave this matter to you. However, unless absolutely necessary, continue to use the bookstore for contact. Telegrams always carry the risk of being deciphered, and if intercepted and broken by the enemy, the risk is too great.”

“Understood. Oh, by the way, will Ella’s codebook be very useful?” Fran blinked, and Teacher Borg nodded.

“Yes, it will be very helpful for us in deciphering Teutonic telegrams. Also, Fran, you can listen to the broadcasts every evening. They will contain certain announcements, which may include instructions for you. Use the codebook to decode them.”

“I understand…”

With the instructions given, Fran and Borg fell silent for a moment. Then, Borg turned, ready to lead Fran away.

“It’s not safe to stay here for long. Return to the mansion as soon as possible. Your frequent movements recently might arouse suspicion. The situation is quite urgent right now, and the organization requires you to lie low for a while. There’s no need to come to the bookstore for exchanges for a short period. The priority is to further gain the Teutons’ trust.”

“Alright, I understand.” Fran nodded. Teacher Borg continued to remind him, “The usual rule applies: only come when you see the ‘New Arrivals’ sign hanging on the storefront. There’s no rush.”

He paused, then pondered for a moment. After confirming there was nothing else, Borg instructed Fran.

“Alright, we should go.”

Teacher Borg turned to leave, taking a couple of steps before looking back to see Fran still standing motionless. Fran watched Teacher Borg’s retreating figure, then turned his gaze back to Colonel Raif’s tombstone. His legs felt weak, and an indescribable surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

He turned, sighed, and then bowed again before the gravestone.

He could no longer see Colonel Raif, and for the time being, he couldn’t see Alina either. Although Teacher Borg was a comrade, he felt more like his superior. Fran suddenly felt a profound sense of loneliness, unsure what to say.

After a long moment, he clenched his fists in silent resolve.

If…

If they could not defeat their enemies, if darkness were to shroud the entire Western Continent, and the world were to succumb to the Teutonic eagle’s talons and blades…

How could those who loved him, loved their country, and loved their people, rest in peace?

He needed to defeat their enemies, for his family, friends, and compatriots.

Quidar, Lyon, or even the Teutonic leader, Adelie…

He, one day, would bring them to the judgment seat; he would send them to hell!

Fran believed this with unwavering conviction. However…

There was one figure, one person standing among the enemy ranks.

Only for that figure, he felt utterly lost on what to do.

He offered a bitter smile, then bent down, gazing once more at the dagger before the grave.

‘Now…’

‘Can I be considered Francian’s man, Colonel Raif?’

****