Killing the Sprout (2)
"Aigoo, please spare me!!"
The moment Werner uttered those words, the revolutionary Dien Schmidt threw himself flat on the ground. His courage had frozen over so completely that if he hadn't emptied his bladder beforehand, he might have wet himself on the spot. Tear the entire Revolutionary Front to pieces and kill them. That meant he would be torn apart and killed as well.
Dien prided himself on being better at reading the room than anyone else. There had been whispers among the big shots of the underworld about how the soldier he had dared to oppose was none other than the war hero Lutus Edan, who had changed his name. He had no idea why Brigadier General Lutus Edan had altered his name and even his rank to appear here, nor did he wish to know. People who died from pointless curiosity existed everywhere. Now that he knew the truth, only two paths remained for Dien: die without anyone noticing, or prove his worth endlessly to survive. And Dien was someone who valued his own life dearly.
"I've told you everything I know. But if that's still not enough, then use me—use me as a guide!"
"...A guide."
Werner stroked his chin as he murmured. His blue eyes, cold enough to freeze the air itself, pierced through Dien. Even the Grim Reaper who guided souls to the afterlife wouldn't have looked so lethal.
"The Revolutionary Front operates on a strictly compartmentalized cell structure! But since this operation failed so suddenly, they'll definitely try to investigate what happened on their end!"
It was a reasonable assumption. The wiretaps originally planted to dismantle the Eastern Army Command had instead allowed them to uncover the Revolutionary Front's plot in advance. Thanks to that, Werner had been able to wipe out every member of the Revolutionary Front who had infiltrated the banquet hall before they even sensed something was wrong. The military police had also cleaned up the executive-level personnel waiting at the rear entrance, so the other side must be losing their minds right now.
"I'll step in at that moment!"
Dien, still prostrate, raised his head and shouted. Werner found his resolve rather acceptable. At the very least, it was honest. This wasn't a lie told to escape the situation. Even as his voice trembled, the excited tone carried a heavy mix of fear and reverence. Rather than trying to hide his emotions, this approach was far more comfortable for Werner.
"Are you sure? If you're discovered, you'll die all the same."
"I'll die either way. Besides... the people here are all well-known figures in the underworld."
Dien Schmidt slowly rose to his feet.
"I've already grabbed hold of the lifeline. Who knows? This might be the opportunity of a lifetime."
"An opportunity?"
"The truth is, I have no family! You already knew that! Joining the Revolutionary Front was just something I did to survive!"
He couldn't afford to back down even an inch. He couldn't hesitate for even a second. Without thinking, he had to bare every last bit of his wretchedness. The reaper before him had already given him several chances. If he missed this one too, only a miserable death awaited him ahead.
"I don't think there's anything particularly wrong with doing whatever it takes to survive! Isn't that how everyone lives? The Revolutionary Front is doing the same thing—just trying to survive!"
"...Oh?"
At Dien's words, Matheus tapped the floor twice with his foot, looking intrigued.
"In the end, whether you live or die depends on what you do! So I'm going to bet my worthless life big on Director Werner!!"
After saying that, Dien prostrated himself on the floor once more. Werner did not reply. Instead, he simply shifted his gaze toward the other Foundation Stones.
"If he's going to come out like this, he's more trustworthy than the others. As long as you feed him properly, he won't get any strange ideas."
Matheus grinned as he spoke.
"I don't know. Plenty of men have said the same thing before. Men are natural liars, after all."
Dorothy shrugged, clearly uninterested.
"...He's perfect for getting his hands dirty. That's about the extent of his value."
Regorodo, who hadn't spoken a single word since arriving, added in a small but clear voice.
"Well, in life, eating well and living well is all that matters! The more informants, the better, and the more insiders, the better!"
Saloka, who had already copied Dien's voice at some point, cheerfully concluded.
"...Fine. Dien, prove it yourself then. This is an order."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!!"
That night, Dien Schmidt returned to the nearest Revolutionary Front branch. To prove his loyalty, he personally embedded a tracking device in his right shoulder and even stitched it up himself. He planned to claim he had barely escaped the massacre at the armory. The die had been cast. Werner Grime's gun was now aimed at the Revolutionary Front—and beyond that, at every reactionary force daring to sow chaos in the nation. The Security Strategic Agency had found its first prey worthy of its name.
***
A room filled only with heavy silence. Time had grown late, and the world outside the window had darkened completely. Click. Werner wordlessly placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it. As he exhaled, the acrid smoke scattered before his eyes. These were connections he had intended to sever along with his military retirement. Though they were called Foundation Stones, they were ultimately a criminal organization. As their direct employer, he wouldn't disparage them outright, but it was true that he never felt good about it.
He rose from his seat and approached the window. When he opened it, a large building marked with a red cross came into view. Branberg Hospital of the Eastern Army Command. The hospital where Leah Gilliard was hospitalized. He had been there until yesterday, but after hearing that Arhen and the rest of the former Graveyard personnel were coming, he had slipped out in a hurry. Arhen was probably clinging to Leah and sobbing right now. She looked cold on the outside, but inside she was more fragile and gentle than anyone.
Werner felt as though he could picture the scene in the hospital room. That only made it harder to bear. After all, this came right after meeting the people Arhen despised.
-If that's what you insist, then I suppose there's no helping it... but I find it a little—no, very unsettling, Lutus.
-In the end, they were criminals. People without even a cause like ours. I'm worried you'll be tainted by them, Lutus.
Of course it would look that way. Even in the midst of fierce battles, Arhen would never approve of her superior holding meetings with criminals. Still, at least until then, her trust had been solid. Arhen had been Lutus's lover and held a clear advantage over his other fiancées. The deeper their trust and relationship grew, the more Arhen supported Lutus's decisions to the fullest. But in this regression, after he had blocked every approach and ultimately earned her hatred, Arhen's reaction was the worst possible.
-Why on earth should we accept help from criminals, and for what reason?
-If you, the commander, consort with criminals, doesn't that trample the honor of those of us fighting on the front lines with our lives on the line?
-It's humiliating. It's shameful. No matter how much you claim it was unavoidable, the fact that you're the fortress commander and my direct superior breaks my will!
In truth, that was precisely why they had grown closer than in any other regression. Neither Arhen nor Charlotte would have had anything good to say. He had been especially careful with Leah. There was no need for her to know. And so Lutus Edan had wielded the Foundation Stones with ruthless efficiency, allowing him to control the entire front even as a brigadier general. Regional gangs, guerrillas, even drug addicts. In exchange for minimizing the bloodshed at Graveyard, he had paid with their lives.
If all of this was karma, then so be it. But even if he had to pile more karma atop this karma, he could not stop now.
Crackle. Werner flicked the burnt-out cigarette butt out the window. Tomorrow, he would have to return to Forbidden Lake anyway. There was still much to investigate about the Revolutionary Front, and just as much preparation needed to dismantle an organization of that scale.
'Besides... there were new recruits.'
It was about time to start deploying them in the field. Now that the Security Strategic Agency had new members, he couldn't neglect them either. There was much to be done. Even if his heart felt nothing but emptiness.
The next day, Werner Grime and Karin Maven boarded a helicopter from Supreme Command and returned to the Security Bureau. It was two weeks later that news arrived of Dien Schmidt successfully infiltrating the Revolutionary Front.