Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 91

“What did you say, Major? Cross-dressing?”

When Ezekiel first suggested cross-dressing as a means of infiltration, Feder frowned like he’d heard something outrageous.

“No matter how you look at it, you don’t suit women’s clothes. Forget the face, how do you plan to hide that build? Anyone could tell it’s a man in a dress.”

“We have to consider the possibility that things won’t go according to plan. If the doctor has to fall into their hands, we can’t hand over the real one. I’m guaranteeing her safety in my name and asking for cooperation. Depending on how things unfold, I’ll either subdue them or get ‘abducted’ for the sake of the operation.”

“But how are you going to hide that height and build?”

“Luckily, the doctor is tall. Put her in high heels and several layers of thick winter clothing, and even if we swap later, it’ll be enough to fool them at a glance. I’m not planning to deceive them for long—just enough to catch them off guard.”

“Let’s say you deal with the build. What about the face?”

“…We’ll explain the mission thoroughly and ask the doctor to wear a veil.”

While the entire capture operation relied on Paulina’s efforts, this was the part Ezekiel felt most sorry for. Forcing a veil on Paulina, who wasn’t even concerned about her facial burns.

But it was the best method for Ezekiel to naturally take her place.

Thankfully, Paulina accepted all of Ezekiel’s requests. Wearing high heels, layering clothes to bulk up her figure, donning a red wig and black veil, she set off on the journey.

Worried that spies might be watching his movements, Ezekiel deliberately didn’t join the escort party and sent Montcalm ahead. He remained in Claris to make public appearances and deal with backlogged tasks during his long absence, then finally left the capital.

Since the necessary luggage had already been loaded onto the carriage, he only packed the bare minimum and traveled at full speed. As a result, it was easy to catch up to the advance party, whose movement had slowed due to the large number of people.

Under the cover of night, he quietly joined Paulina and Montcalm. Disguised as Paulina, he waited for the enemy at a point where an ambush was expected. Meanwhile, Paulina hid inside a secret compartment built into the carriage.

But in the end, all their ambushes failed. Not a trace of the enemy was seen. Ezekiel gathered his disappointed subordinates and called an emergency meeting.

“They don’t seem to have noticed the trap and backed off. More like they never intended to ambush us on the road at all.”

“Even if Akenaus joined their side, with that level of skill he wouldn’t even be worth one person. Maybe on their own turf, but they wouldn’t dare provoke us openly on foreign soil. It’s not wartime, after all.”

“Right. Just as we tried to catch them off guard, they’ll try to do the same to us.”

They were in agreement.

Ezekiel revised the operation. If there’d be no battle outside the city, they’d need to consider the city itself part of the danger zone.

Through Montcalm, he ordered that Paulina always be assigned a room on the top floor whenever they booked an inn. Then he personally led the reassembled subordinates, constantly going back and forth between both groups. He sent teams out to scout the surrounding area and returned to mimic Paulina. He’d climb the wall to hide on the roof, and when Paulina opened the window at the signal, they’d switch clothes. He would check the food and sleeping arrangements in her place, then slip out again.

And at last, they caught the enemy’s tail here.

Ezekiel personally sampled the food and wine and detected the trace of Laudanum with his tongue. As planned, the subordinates and hired staff stirred up complaints to distract the enemy, while Feder slipped away from the dining hall, climbed to the bedroom, and escaped through the roof carrying Paulina.

Still, even if Paulina alone could be evacuated in secret, the hired staff suddenly fleeing the inn would draw attention. So Ezekiel placed subordinates in each of the rooms used by Valdemaira staff to prepare for the expected assault.

As expected, a spy infiltrated Paulina’s room. Ezekiel pretended to be asleep, holding his breath, then blocked the spy’s vision with the blanket and lunged.

The strangled spy rolled his eyes back and passed out.

A war hero credited with many victories is ultimately just a butcher who’s mastered the most efficient way to kill. Ezekiel picked up his rifle and shot a bullet into the spy’s temple. A motionless target could be hit even with eyes closed. The spy’s unconscious body convulsed once, then went limp.

Ezekiel held a bullet in his lips, poured in pre-divided gunpowder, spat in the bullet, and completed the reload by slamming the rifle’s butt on the floor. Just then, the door shook. Clearly, others had heard the suspicious shot and were about to storm in.

Bang!

The muzzle instantly burst into flame. The spy, whose forehead now had a gaping hole, collapsed backward. In an instant, he had become a corpse. Shadows leapt over the fallen comrade, rushing in. It was obvious they were using the man in front as a sacrifice to deny him the chance to reload his rifle.

But while they had numbers, he had darkness. There was a reason the shutters had been closed.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ezekiel quickly glanced sideways to confirm the positions of the muzzles aimed at him. Instinctively lowering his body to throw off their aim, he drew his thick machete and slashed at one of their thighs.

Fast, precise, efficient.

Enemies had to be killed fast, precisely, and efficiently. With a sharp gaze, Ezekiel calculated his movement. Grabbing the staggering enemy who had been slashed, he used the man as a shield and seized his rifle. With one arm, he aimed and shot another spy in the head. Immediate return fire followed.

When the gunfire ceased, the body of the spy Ezekiel had used as a shield went limp. He immediately discarded the dead man and charged at the enemy, swinging his deadly machete without hesitation.

Something strange was happening outside.

No signal had come indicating the woman had been captured, yet gunfire echoed non-stop.

This wasn’t how Levian had planned the operation. There were plenty of quiet ways to kill targets dazed or asleep from drugs. A person’s life could be snuffed out like a rotten thread with just a blocked airway or excessive bleeding.

Guns were the last resort. Firing in a luxury inn would certainly draw attention from nearby civilians, so they were ordered to use blades unless the situation called for firearms.

The guards would be dispatched only after hearing reports of gunfire. By then, they would’ve escaped with the woman as hostage. If a pile of corpses suddenly poured out of a luxury inn and many of them turned out to be from the renowned royal army, the nation would be thrown into chaotic embarrassment.

That was the expected result if everything went according to Levian’s plan.

But there were too many gunshots. Mixed with the bursts were hurried footsteps and shouts. It was no longer a covert operation. It was clearly a full-fledged battle between two sides.

Where did it go wrong?

When had they been found out?

“What is going on? I need to check.”

Clutching a loaded rifle, Levian rushed out of the temporary command room set up in the innkeeper’s bedroom.

“Wait, wait! I’m coming too!”

Akenaus hurriedly followed him. Not being a soldier, trained in combat or capable of handling guns or swords, Akenaus had no chance of surviving alone. He had to stick close to Levian.

“…Anna, something’s clearly gone wrong in their plan.”

All eyes previously monitoring the hostages had disappeared. They had let down their guard, thinking a couple of tied-up women wouldn’t be a problem.

Madam Serva made a quick decision. Flattening herself on the floor, she bit into the knot binding Anna’s ankles. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as her teeth throbbed, but she bit down relentlessly. Luckily, the thick rope had thick knots with loose gaps.

Regardless of the cuts on her face, she kept tugging until the knot loosened.

Once Anna had enough space to move her feet, she started wriggling them, helping Madam Serva. People under extreme pressure could exhibit miraculous strength, or so the saying went. She wanted to believe it.

Anna twisted her ankle with all her might, creating a gap for her heel to slip through. Her persistent struggling finally kicked off her shoe. With the reduced bulk of her foot, her heel slid through the narrow opening. Though the skin was scraped raw, both her legs were now free.

Madam Serva whispered urgently, “I can’t run anyway because of my knees. Leave me and hide somewhere until you find a chance to escape.”

Anna violently shook her head, tears streaming down her face. They had been captured together; they should escape together.

Looking around, she spotted a burning candle in the room and brought her bound wrists to the flame. It was lit by Levian after night fell to light the dark room.

The flickering flame slowly ate through the rope. It was hard to stand still in such an uncomfortable position, and her arms trembled. The candle singed her wrists, but Anna ignored the pain and held on until the rope was burnt through.

At last, the rope snapped.