Endless Debt-Chapter 860 - 12: Division and Preparations for War

Order Bureau, Crow's Nest.

Among the many departments of the Field Operations Department, the atmosphere of Crow's Nest is undoubtedly the most oppressive and stern. As an important Intelligence Department, it enforces strict protocols, with every door and hallway divided by different levels of access.

Silence is the theme here, the only noise, the faint sound of footsteps. The employees responsible for intelligence, known as Iron Whistle, move like ghosts, executing various orders in silence, allowing this complex machinery of rules and personnel to operate seamlessly.

But today, amidst this silence, there was a bit of dissonance, the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. The person seemed hurried, impatient.

Ivan tucked a file bag under his arm, gaze somber, swiftly walking down the hallway without any hindrance. With his arrival, all seals and restrictions activated, clearing the path ahead for Ivan.

The cold hallway seemed endlessly long, Ivan stopped at a certain point, raised his hand, and pushed open the door that matched the wall's color completely. The door was so well hidden within the corridor.

As soon as Ivan opened the door, he smelled a faint scent of blood in the air, messy boxes piled on the side, the lights emitting a cold, pale white, and from within the room, there were suppressed groans of a man in pain.

Ivan intentionally made some noise, indicating someone was coming, then he entered the room, seeing the man sitting in the corner.

The man was bare-chested, opened a medical box, took out alcohol and cotton, wrapped layer after layer around his bloodstained abdomen, the blood quickly dyeing the cotton red, coagulated together, thankfully no further blood was seeping.

Heaving breaths arose, the man's bloodshot eyes glanced at Ivan, silently opening the medicine bottle, swallowing several painkillers.

After finishing this, he leaned back, his tense muscles and spirit relaxing all at once, his whole person slumping down like a wound-up toy that had run out of energy.

Sweat covered his forehead, his eyes tightly shut, utterly exhausted.

"Are you okay?"

Ivan brought a chair, sat opposite the man, his impression of the man a bit vague, but as he saw the face clearly again, the vague impression came back into focus, bringing many nearly forgotten pieces of information to his mind.

"Do you think I'm okay?"

Church took a deep breath, the taste of rust in his throat, "It's good to be back alive."

"Do you need me to send you to the Border Sanatorium?"

"No... no," Church resisted going to the hospital, fearing the doctors would uncover his secrets, "My injuries aren't serious, it's no problem."

"Just a bit tired, and the feeling of ether depletion is tough."

Church took in his surroundings, seeing the familiar gray-white bricks, and felt an indescribable sentiment.

"It's good to be back."

Church realized for the first time his attachment to this place, even though he couldn't present his true self here.

"This mission was really long, wasn't it?"

Others didn't know what Church went to do, but Ivan did, it was he who sent Church out.

"More than just long," Church rubbed his temples, "Dancing with wolves every moment, several times I almost got discovered."

Ivan joked, "At least you're alive now, back successfully."

Church showed a bitter smile, then nodded forcefully in agreement, "Yeah, couldn't die in that place."

The joke ended, both fell silent naturally, until not long after, Church broke the silence again.

Since the Wind Source Highlands incident, Church was assigned to the Seventh Group, as an invisible Infiltrator, participating in a top-secret infiltration mission, with the destination being the Kagader Empire.

With his Secret Energy power, after months of lurking, Church successfully infiltrated the King's Secret Sword, and after investigation and brutal questioning, obtained the information he wanted.

Church began recounting past history, "In Rhein Calendar 1217, within the Pillar of Royal Authority, the Night of Blood erupted, King of Slaughter Austin slaughtered almost all his blood relatives and descendants, except Xilin."

"These are not secrets to us," Ivan said, "Did you find out the truth after the Night of Blood?"

"No, it's said all intelligence related to this part was destroyed, and those who knew were also all killed," Church said, "I tried to infiltrate the Pillar of Royal Authority, but it was completely sealed, Triumphal Avenue is the sole entrance, and that pathway is controlled by the King's Secret Sword."

"Nothing gained?"

Ivan felt a bit disappointed, but Church coming back alive was good, he knew intelligence gathering wasn't easy.

"No, I discovered other things, which might validate the deputy director's intelligence and clarify the purpose behind the sudden negotiation by the King's Secret Sword."

The current situation seemed calm, yet everyone's nerves were strained, with Red Dog's visit, the King's Secret Sword's scheming, the bloody past...

Everyone smelled the scent of sulfur and blood.

Church further added, "I couldn't bring back any documents, so these pieces of intel are conveyed through my memory, no evidence to verify their authenticity, whether to believe is up to you."

Ivan nodded seriously, "Continue." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"The inner details of the Night of Blood remain unknown, but what can be known is that the Night of Blood was initiated by King of Slaughter Austin, together with the second seat of the King's Secret Sword."