Ch.413Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

It had already been ten days since the operation began.

Starting with the weapons deal, Sheikh Nasir al-Hassan began to show me his trust.

In the Mauritanian continent, “Sheikh” is a term referring to a leader. Earning his trust as the head of the Hassan faction essentially meant the entire faction trusted me.

I had sown enough seeds.

Now all that remained was harvesting the crop.

Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

Nasir is a cautious man.

Before being the leader of a faction, he is a politician, businessman, and operative.

Considering that caution is one of the factors intelligence officers look for when selecting operatives, Leoni must have had reasonable grounds and purpose for training Nasir as an operative during her active days.

It was a good sign that he, who had been wary of me with his cautious attitude, was now actively engaging in conversation. I judged that this was the appropriate timing to bring up the core subject.

If I continue to skirt around the issue while the other party is showing an attentive attitude, they might lose interest in the topic.

So I needed to push forward before he changed his mind.

“If Sanya and Asen directly clash, two situations are likely to occur.”

This was the venue for dialogue arranged by Nasir. I had approached him with a new business proposal.

The subject of the business was the conflict between Asen and Sanya.

It was a program to instigate conflict between Group 1 and Group 2 factions, block the activities of the Kiyen Empire’s intelligence agencies, and support the friendly Group 3 faction.

“Once the conflict begins, Asen, which maintains a decent relationship with Hassan, will likely demand that you either stay out of this clash or refrain from dealing with Sanya. They might even request your support.”

Nasir nodded silently.

“On the other hand, since Sanya has clashed with Hassan several times in the past, they will be wary of Asen and Hassan cooperating. They might threaten to punish you if you cooperate with Asen, or they might even contact you to propose a ceasefire, at least until they resolve their conflict with Asen.”

“I am not afraid of their threats,” the leader of the Hassan faction dismissed Sanya’s threats in a resolute tone.

I gestured to calm him down and persuaded him in a composed voice.

“But it would be troublesome. You don’t install window screens because you’re afraid of bugs, do you? But they are certainly annoying.”

I continued.

“To summarize, both tribes are sensitive to Hassan’s movements. This means Hassan’s influence is significant and can have a crucial impact on the conflict between Asen and Sanya.”

I deliberately praised Hassan’s authority. It was to make Nasir, the leader of Hassan, feel at ease.

Praise can make even a whale dance, and no one dislikes flattery.

Though it might have been mere lip service, it wasn’t unpleasant to hear. Nasir’s expression, which had slightly hardened when I mentioned the possibility of conflict with Sanya, improved considerably.

“Hmm… That’s true. So what should we Hassan do? When such communications come from Asen and Sanya.”

“Looking at it simply, it might seem beneficial to cooperate with Asen to attack Sanya.”

I paused briefly to focus his attention.

“But even if we eliminate Sanya, Asen might absorb them, resulting in an imbalance of power.”

The actual ruling entities in this country are the three major factions represented by Asen, Sanya, and Hassan.

Although a government exists, the president who seized power through a coup has no interest in matters outside the capital, and the main forces of the government army have rarely ventured beyond the capital region.

It’s a kind of mutual non-interference.

Just as a well-fed lion doesn’t actively hunt.

The government only rules the capital region and plays king, without deeply intervening in the factional conflicts occurring in the provinces. Of course, they occasionally mobilize regular troops to attack factions, but there are few instances of attempting full-scale suppression.

In other words,

This conflict will revolve entirely around Asen, Sanya, and Hassan.

An intense three-way battle between factions.

Recalling this point, I spoke again.

“If you join hands with Asen, Hassan will also benefit. However, Asen, being the direct party to the conflict, will claim a much larger share than Hassan. Then Asen will absorb Sanya. If Asen then targets Hassan…”

I deliberately didn’t finish the sentence. But Nasir would have understood.

I continued.

“For Hassan to gain the most benefit, Hassan must maintain a stronger position than the other two factions when the balance of power breaks. In the current situation, joining hands with Asen will only result in Asen growing larger. A two-way confrontation won’t be established.”

“That’s obvious. But is it possible?”

Nasir asked me for a solution. I presented my plan with a confident tone.

“It’s simple. We need to intensify their conflict with each other.”

“Won’t they fight anyway because of Jamila’s incident?”

By “Jamila’s incident,” he meant the clash between Asen and Sanya.

Jamila, the niece of Asen faction’s leader, extorted money from a merchant from the Sanya faction, and Sanya retaliated by attacking Asen’s gunpowder production facility.

I spoke calmly.

“There’s the gunpowder incident, but the conflict between Asen and Sanya was bound to erupt eventually. What I want to say is that we need to advance the timing and trigger it when we want.”

“How?”

His sentences were getting shorter.

The shortening of his speech meant he was focusing on my words, analyzing them, and trying to absorb them into his mind. This was truly the core now.

“First, I need three things: information, troops, and supplies.”

I held up three fingers and showed them to Nasir.

“Explain.”

“I’m curious about how well Asen understands Sanya, and how well Sanya understands Asen. Particularly, I need information about what Asen knows about Sanya first.”

Then.

“I also need detailed information about Asen’s main facilities and leadership structure. As detailed as possible.”

Nasir touched his full beard and shifted his gaze to the right.

“I can provide information about Asen’s main facilities and leadership structure right now. I acquired it recently. However, to know how well Asen understands Sanya, we would need to directly infiltrate Asen’s intelligence department.”

It seemed Hassan hadn’t figured this out either. Or perhaps he was reluctant to share the information.

But I had at least learned one thing: the Asen tribe operates its own intelligence department.

Nasir, who had been sipping his tea, paused briefly before bringing up a topic.

“By the way, what do you plan to use the troops and supplies for?”

“I plan to strike at Asen and Sanya.”

I pushed my teacup with my finger and continued my explanation.

“Hasn’t Sanya provoked Asen multiple times already? They have some justification because of Jamila. If we disguise ourselves as one of Sanya’s subordinate tribes and attack Asen, Asen will prepare to strike Sanya. Then, if we immediately disguise ourselves as one of Asen’s subordinate tribes, attack the Sanya tribe, and appropriately leak to Sanya that Asen is preparing for war, they will start fighting each other.”

In short, let’s stir up trouble.

“Isn’t there a risk of failure?”

“That’s why I’ll move personally.”

There’s always a significant risk when an intelligence officer operates directly in the field. However, this level of risk is manageable.

Of course, I’m not entering enemy territory without any thought. In dangerous situations, insurance is not an option but a necessity.

“In return, I’d like you to provide troops. Two squad-sized forces of elite soldiers. Please select soldiers with extensive combat experience who can keep their mouths shut.”

“Hmm…”

Nasir fell into contemplation at the request for troops. He was probably concerned about the backlash if the operation failed and Hassan’s involvement was exposed.

It was a perfectly reasonable concern. I empathized with and understood his position.

So I proposed.

A sweet offer he couldn’t refuse.

“If we attack Asen and Sanya and withdraw immediately, even if the operation fails, there will be no trace of Hassan.”

Meaning there’s minimal risk.

Nasir seemed to be in deep thought, closing his eyes and crossing his arms.

People differ, but when someone is in contemplation, there are those whose decisions can be swayed by encouragement, and others who might react adversely. Usually, when someone is easily influenced or when there’s a deep friendship, encouraging the contemplating party can yield good results.

What kind of relationship did Nasir and I have? Was the cautious man showing me unlimited trust?

I wasn’t sure, but it was worth trying. I began to gently persuade Nasir, who was deep in thought.

“If this operation succeeds, Hassan can take over all the core facilities of both Asen and Sanya.”

The Hassan tribe has facilities for producing ammunition, gunpowder, and firearms. However, all three facilities are smaller in scale compared to Asen’s.

The situation is similar for drug cultivation facilities. The Mauritanian continent is the origin of high-quality poppies. The poppies grown here become raw materials for synthetic drugs mixed with magical reagents like Devil’s Whisper, Succubus’s Kiss, and Angel’s Tears. While Hassan cultivates these poppies, the faction with the largest poppy cultivation facility in this country is not Hassan but Sanya.

Nasir, aware of this fact, was focusing on expanding various facilities. But as the saying goes, when your cousin buys land, your stomach aches. Competitors wouldn’t just stand by and watch Hassan grow.

Hassan is a sufficiently large faction, but Asen and Sanya are on a different level.

The Sanya faction, which follows a pro-imperial line, receives massive funding and weapons from the imperial intelligence agency. The Asen, which supports Mauritanian continental centrism, goes without saying. Domestic and international believers of the same ideology generously provide funds and supplies for “revolutionary comrades resisting foreign powers.”

On the other hand, Hassan doesn’t have a good backer. Abbas only supported Hassan in the past, but has essentially let go for the past 20 years. Leoni, who trained Nasir as an operative, terminated her relationship with the operative as soon as her deployment ended and moved to another region.

Therefore, for Hassan to avoid falling behind in competition and to grow, they must seize this opportunity.

I didn’t mention this fact explicitly. It would be like scratching a wound. So I waited for Nasir to think about it himself.

“…”

Seeming to have organized his thoughts, Nasir unfolded his arms and suddenly asked a question.

“I understand about the troops. What kind of equipment do you need?”

“Among the tribes following the Sanya tribe, there’s one with a militant tendency. This tribe serves as a guard within the faction. Looking at the information about this tribe… I noticed something peculiar.”

I took out several photos from my pocket and placed them on the table.

In the photos were soldiers with automatic rifles equipped with optical devices, wearing white bands on their heads inscribed with Sanya faction’s propaganda phrases.

Pointing to the weapons held by the soldiers in the photos, I said:

“These are rifles from the Kiyen Empire.”

While Nasir examined the photos, I added an explanation for him.

“Among the defense industry companies in Kiyen, there’s one called Grom. It’s a military supplier that provides optical scopes, ergonomic grips, stocks, and so on. The empire’s special forces, counter-terrorism units, airborne troops, naval infantry, and light infantry all favor their equipment.”

“Are these items made by this company called Grom?”

“Yes. I heard they received quantities through an agreement with the Empire’s Ministry of Defense.”

The source of this information is Viktor, a current arms broker. He sells military supplies to the Sanya faction here.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that Sanya faction’s guard is an elite force comparable to the empire’s special forces. In terms of training and equipment quality, the imperial special forces managed by the Reconnaissance Command are an overwhelming force that can’t even be compared to mere “factions.”

The issue is that they have equipment that would be used by imperial special forces or Abbas special forces. This fact implied that the imperial intelligence agency was systematically supporting them.

“It seems they received support through the imperial intelligence agency.”

“Is it the Imperial Guard Agency? Or the Reconnaissance Command?”

“It’s more likely the Reconnaissance Command.”

In the Kiyen Empire, there are two intelligence agencies that conduct foreign operations: the Imperial Guard Agency, which is the national intelligence agency, and the Reconnaissance Command, which is the military intelligence unit.

The Reconnaissance Command, a military intelligence agency, has been promoting projects to nurture overseas guerrillas, rebels, and factions for decades.

And as far as I know, or more precisely, according to the double agent from the Imperial Guard Agency recruited by Klevins, the Sanya tribe’s guard was receiving direct support from the Reconnaissance Command.

Of course, what caught Klevins’s attention wasn’t the information that the Reconnaissance Command was supporting a faction, but the movements of the imperial intelligence agencies.

The double agent said that the movements of the Imperial Guard Agency and the Reconnaissance Command have been unusual lately. The overseas department of the Guard Agency was cozying up with the nobility and making foolish moves, while the Reconnaissance Command brought special forces into the imperial capital without a word.

That special force referred to the 35th Independent Special Operations Regiment that Kamila had discovered just before being dispatched to the north. The Reconnaissance Command’s forces that entered the imperial capital months ago are still staying in Petrograd.

Even the double agent from the Imperial Guard Agency didn’t know why the Reconnaissance Command moved its forces.

Some speculated it might be an attempt at a coup, but the Military Intelligence Bureau, which gathered intelligence through various routes, dismissed the coup hypothesis.

Since the imperial family didn’t react to the sudden movement of the Reconnaissance Command’s forces, the interpretation was that the entry of forces into the imperial capital itself must have been the emperor’s will.

After confirming this intelligence, Leoni opined that something must have happened within the imperial family. Klevins, for once, agreed with her.

I was called to the conference room where this topic was being discussed a few times, but I kept my words to a minimum. After all, the important thing wasn’t the movements of the imperial intelligence agencies.

The important fact now is that the Sanya tribe’s guard is receiving support from the Reconnaissance Command.

I decided to mess with this guard.

“The optical equipment possessed by Sanya’s guard is not available to Hassan. But the automatic rifles that Sanya’s guard has are now also in Hassan’s possession.”

“Yes, we imported them through you. You mean we should move with those rifles.”

Indeed. As they say, after three years in a temple, even a dog can recite poetry. He gets it immediately.

“Asen won’t focus on minor characteristics like optical equipment. They’ll only focus on the fact that Sanya’s guard attacked them.”

“What about the uniforms?”

“It’s sufficient to change into the uniforms used by Sanya’s guard. It would be perfect if we could get armbands too.”

“That’s not difficult. Any other support needed?”

“Please find the route from Hassan to Sanya that has the least surveillance. I would appreciate it if you could bribe the surveillance personnel or help make the security lax.”

Normally, an intelligence officer should do this personally, but it’s fine to delegate to a local helper if available. That’s why I spent expensive money on weapons deals, isn’t it?

Nasir accepted readily. He seemed to have the mindset of paying off the balance for the weapons he had received.

“As for bribes, we have people already planted in Sanya, so there’s no problem.”

“You have informants planted in Sanya?”

“In Asen too. You have to see the enemy first to shoot first, don’t you?”

Perfect.

Nasir and I sat around the table and continued discussing the operation. Although the conversation flowed smoothly, at some point, Nasir began to have difficulty understanding the situation.

This was a natural phenomenon. The documents I created while planning this operation amounted to hundreds of pages, and how many reference documents did I consult? It wasn’t easy to understand an operation plan compiled from materials produced by various intelligence agencies through just a 30-minute conversation.

Eventually, after continuing the conversation for a while, he seemed to have a headache and stopped asking questions.

“I understand for now. When will you start?”

Of course.

“Would tomorrow be possible?”

The sooner the better.

“Come back after Fajr tomorrow morning. Fajr tomorrow is at 5 o’clock.”

Fajr refers to the prayer of Al-Yabd.

Having set the appointment, Nasir waved his hand, signaling me to leave.

Following the guidance of the guard waiting outside, I went out of the building. Nasir’s female secretary gave a polite greeting and saw me off.

*

The negotiation was over.

I got the information I wanted and secured support. I drove back to my lodging.

Nasir suggested I stay overnight since there was a distance to travel, but I politely declined his offer. I had already obtained sufficient information, and staying longer in Hassan might lead to me providing information in return. Since I couldn’t keep refusing questions as a guest, it was appropriate to sleep somewhere far away.

In fact, I also wanted to rest.

I turned off the SUV’s engine, entered my lodging, organized my plans, wrote an interim report, and transmitted it to the Military Intelligence Bureau. Then I turned on the surveillance and eavesdropping equipment to detect communications in the surrounding area.

I couldn’t monitor all communications, but it was a measure to prepare for any leaks of this operation or unforeseen situations. While I slept, I entrusted the task of analyzing encrypted communications to the signal intelligence analysts at the Military Intelligence Bureau, along with some basic information.

I placed a pistol at my bedside and closed my eyes. I could sleep for about 4 hours.

When I woke up and checked my terminal, there was a message saying there were no unusual signs. It was still dark outside.

Since there was still plenty of time before the morning prayer began, I went down to the kitchen, partly to wake myself up. As I was slowly descending the creaking stairs to get a glass of water.

“Are you awake?”

Kamila suddenly appeared and greeted me with a welcoming expression.

She smiled brightly and asked about my well-being.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Nothing happened overnight, right?”

“No.”

Kamila, whom I met in the kitchen, twisted her stiff neck and let out a yawn.

“I went out briefly yesterday, and when I came back, you were sleeping like a corpse. I thought it would be better not to wake you, so I left you alone. You must have been very tired.”

“A little.”

I moistened my throat with lukewarm water and sat at the table to have breakfast with Kamila.

The morning menu was lasagna. Not freshly baked, warm lasagna from the oven, but just reheated canned food.

Kamila opened the boiling pot and pulled out the canned lasagna. As if the steam wasn’t hot, she grabbed the heated can with her bare hands and shook off the moisture.

“Oh, right. I didn’t know this, but lately I can’t feel heat. I don’t get burns easily either. Is it because of magic?”

“Is that something that happens when you learn magic…?”

Although Ayla has been a magician for over 15 years, I had never heard that elemental magicians were immune to burns.

Of course, elemental magicians are often assigned to tasks related to elements, but that’s because magic is needed for the job, not because they have some kind of immunity.

I blankly stared at Kamila as she took the lasagna from the boiling pot and transferred it to a plate. She seemed amazed herself, continuously looking at and rubbing her soft hands that didn’t even have blisters.

The canned lasagna tasted like any common ready-to-eat food. Meaning it wasn’t worth buying.

To fill my stomach adequately, I was stuffing food into my mouth, and after eating about half of the lasagna, I started talking to her.

“Kamila.”

“Why are you calling me?”

“I think I’ll have to be away for a while.”

“Suddenly?”

Kamila’s head tilted to one side in confusion. It was a silent question asking what was going on.

I resolved her curiosity with a brief answer.

“Work.”

At the mention of intelligence agency work, Kamila nodded in understanding. She seemed to grasp the situation somewhat.

“Looks like you’ve got a business trip. Where are you going?”

“To the territory of another faction.”

“Hmm…”

Putting down her fork for a moment and clasping her hands together, she suddenly spoke to me in a worried voice.

“Is it dangerous?”

For some reason, the answer didn’t come immediately. After pondering while poking at the lasagna, I answered.

“No.”

“That’s a relief. Aren’t you taking me on this trip?”

“No. The location is too far.”

“That’s a shame. I wanted to see the territories of other factions while we’re here.”

My words seemed to comfort her, as Kamila sighed lightly and smiled.

Having quickly finished a bowl of lasagna, she took out an armful of new cans from the refrigerator and put them in the boiling pot.

“If you’re going far, you should eat well. Wait a moment. It’ll be ready soon.”

“…”

I silently watched Kamila’s back as she hummed a tune in front of the pot. All while poking at the lasagna I hadn’t finished.

As I poked at the cold, hardened lasagna, I suddenly found myself smiling. I put down my fork and made a joke.

“You’re not planning to eat all that yourself, are you?”

There was no response.

Instead, slender fingers pinched my thigh.

I jumped up with a scream, and Kamila stuck out her tongue as if to say “serves you right.”

It was an ordinary day that had now become routine.

*

The time when the morning prayer ended was around dawn.

I crossed the desert where darkness and light coexisted and arrived at the main base of the Hassan faction. I was about to park in the usual external parking area when a guard approached and instructed me not to park there but to go to the underground parking lot. That must be the assembly point.

In the underground parking lot, 12 soldiers were waiting for me.

They were equipped with uniforms that the Kiyen Imperial Army had used decades ago, the distinctive military gear of the imperial army, and automatic rifles. On top of that, they wore masks covering their faces, keffiyeh headdresses, and armbands with the emblem of Sanya tribe’s guard.

Looking at Hassan’s elite troops disguised as Sanya’s guard, I thought to myself: This is too obvious.

Although they were disguised, there was a need to at least attempt to hide their affiliation from the enemy’s perspective. What idiot would reveal their identity while launching a surprise attack? Even thick-headed factions don’t do such things.

“May the blessing of the Earth Mother be with you. I am Asud, in charge of commanding this operation. I look forward to working with you, and you must follow my command until the operation is completed.”

I stood before Hassan’s soldiers with my face covered by a keffiyeh and my race and status concealed by traditional Mauritanian continental attire.

They immediately returned the greeting.

“May the blessing of the Earth Mother be with you.”

“Do you have something like a black cloth?”

When I pointed to the armband and asked, one of the soldiers inquired with confusion.

“We do have some.”

“Then cover the armbands. Don’t tie them too tightly, just adequately. Revealing your affiliation too obviously will give you away.”

Shortly after, the soldiers procured some cloth from somewhere and tied it around the armbands. Meanwhile, I took out a map and spread it on the desk.

The black pen pointed to a location near the Sanya tribe.

After drawing several circles, I looked at the soldiers and explained the operation.

“Asen won’t monitor the point between Sanya and Hassan tribes. But they will be monitoring the points leading from Sanya to Asen and from Hassan to Asen.”

I drew a line along the route.

“Sanya monitors all the passages from Hassan to their territory, but the Sheikh has secured one of these passages. We will infiltrate through this point.”

This is the very route I had asked Nasir about yesterday.

“I will move separately from you. You should depart first and move to this point near the Sanya tribe. I’ll call this point A for convenience.”

The plan is simple.

Hassan’s soldiers disguised as Sanya’s guard will move to point A. After arriving at point A, they will immediately move to point B located in Asen’s territory.

Point B is the RP (rendezvous point) where the soldiers and I will meet. After gathering at point B, we will make simple preparations and move on to the next operation.

“The raid will be conducted at dawn. If we want to move comfortably, it’s best to depart right now. I will separately guide you on the communication timing, such as 10 minutes before arriving at point A, upon arrival, 10 minutes after departure, and so on. You should contact me at those times.”

One of the soldiers raised his hand and asked a question.

“Does that mean we shouldn’t communicate at other times?”

“Yes. Maintain radio silence.”

The soldiers selected by Nasir were all from Hassan’s elite forces. They were elite soldiers with military service experience and practical combat experience.

The soldiers immediately understood the meaning. I handed them a paper with the agreed times for communication. It was written simply enough that even if the paper was captured, it wouldn’t hinder the operation.

After instructing them to maintain radio silence unless in special situations, I sent the soldiers off first. The soldiers, after checking their weapons and equipment, divided into vehicles and headed towards Sanya’s territory.

I chose one of the vehicles parked in the parking lot. It was a vehicle prepared by Nasir. Being the most sold model locally, it would easily blend in with civilian vehicles on the streets.

As I drove onto the road filled with exhaust fumes, I made one last call.

Both in terms of time and situation, this was the last opportunity to make a call. After pondering for a while with the phone in hand, I pressed the numbers firmly.

And shortly after.

-“Hello?”

Kamila answered the phone.

“It’s me, Kamila.”

-“Ah, Frederik. Since you’re calling, I guess you’re safe now. Did you arrive at your destination well?”

“I’m about to go now.”

I held the phone and gripped the steering wheel. Since there wasn’t much time to talk, I got straight to the point.

“If you open the drawer in my bedroom on the second floor, you’ll find spare passports and cash. Would you go and open it?”

-“Just a moment. Hmm… Here, ah! I found it. What should I do with this?”

“…”

There was a brief silence.

Due to the suddenly interrupted conversation, Kamila asked in a somewhat serious voice from the other end of the phone.

-“…Is something wrong?”

“If.”

Really, if.

“If something happens to me, take that and return to the continent. You can either smuggle yourself or go to the imperial embassy.”

-“What are you saying all of a sudden? You’re making me anxious.”

“I’m saying this just in case. There’s a phone number in that passport. It’s the contact of a smuggling broker, so call anytime.”

I gave her a way to safely return to the continent in case of an emergency. Not necessarily death, but in case something happened to me.

However, the response was slightly different from what I expected.

-“Don’t worry.”

Kamila spoke. I thought I heard a laugh.

-“Where would I go without you, Frederik? I promised you before. I’ll help you till the end, no matter what happens.”

“…”

-“So put your worries aside for now. If you’re really anxious, just shout. I’ll come to help.”

…Always with the nonsense.

I chuckled and started the engine. The powerful engine sound filled the interior of the vehicle. It was time to depart.

“Alright. I’ll be back.”

-“Take care. I’ll look after the house.”

“Don’t eat too much while I’m gone.”

-“W-what! When did I ever eat…?”

“Whose were those snack boxes piled up in the hotel?”

-“Ah, I got it. I got it! I’ll eat moderately!”

Stepping on the accelerator, I left behind Kamila, who was shouting as if she couldn’t overcome her embarrassment.

The tires, speeding on the road filled with exhaust fumes, leave deep marks on the dirt road.

With the sound of gravel and sand rubbing against the tires,

A vehicle raises a dust storm and races towards the horizon of the desert.

Towards the distant border.

*

D-DAY 20:00. I made contact with Hassan’s soldiers at point B after passing through Sanya’s territory.

The soldiers, who had gathered with some time to spare, were given sufficient rest. I set up my rifle and sat in the vehicle, smoking a cigarette.

D+1 01:00. Hassan’s soldiers, having completed their preparations, surrounded Asen faction’s drug cultivation facility. The place, codenamed “Kitchen,” was a facility producing cocaine in the heart of the city. The soldiers, blending into the shadows of the building, exchanged hand signals and approached the “Kitchen.” Only a few security personnel remained in the “Kitchen,” which had closed for business.

D+1 01:20. One of Asen’s guards on duty began to doze off. Whether unable to overcome drowsiness or having a habit of falling asleep at this hour, the guard sat on a chair with his rifle set aside and lowered his head.

The lowered head would never rise again.

D+1 01:24. Someone presumed to be an internal guard came outside. With a cigarette in his mouth, he fumbled with his pants and aimed at the wall. A bayonet swiftly and accurately penetrated his carotid artery, and the sticky blood was crushed under military boots. The urine and bloodstains on the dirt ground were indistinguishable.

D+1 01:30. Hassan’s soldiers, who had surrounded the area, raided the “Kitchen.” As the soldier at the front opened the door, several grenades rolled in. After consecutive explosions, screams erupted from inside, and the soldiers charged into the building, shouting.

Hassan faction’s troops were an elite force composed of former soldiers. The soldiers, former army light infantry and marines, excellently reenacted the drug facility raids they had handled during their active service.

They proved that even in the corrupt government army, there were soldiers who knew how to fight properly.

D+1 01:45. At this point, an alarm began to sound. A sharp siren shook the city, drowning out the gunfire. Support troops presumed to be from the Asen faction approached from the southeast. They engaged in combat with Hassan faction’s troops who were guarding the surroundings.

During this process, a fire of unknown origin broke out, resulting in six fatalities. Four were shot down, and two died in the fire.

D+1 02:12. The Asen faction’s troops that had approached from the southeast retreated. This was because Hassan’s resistance was stronger than expected.

It was at this point that I ordered a retreat, having achieved the goal of destroying the facility. The soldiers wanted to take the bodies of their fallen comrades, but I opposed it. Not only was there no leisure to retrieve and evacuate the bodies, but the main reason was that evidence was needed to show that the Sanya faction had attacked the Asen faction.

Four more bodies were added to those burned to death.

D+1 03:40. The Asen faction’s troops that had retreated gathered again at the “Kitchen.” The number of troops had quadrupled, and corrupt local police officers in police uniforms were also spotted. They were corrupt local police bribed by the Asen faction.

They found the bodies of the guards and six unidentified bodies in the completely destroyed cocaine cultivation facility. Although the fire made it impossible to identify them, a Sanya guard’s armband tied with black cloth was found on the partially burned arm part of the uniform.

D+1 04:18. The news spread to the Asen faction. The faction’s command interpreted this attack as Sanya’s doing. Military Intelligence Bureau reconnaissance assets, under Leoni’s orders, flew over Asen faction’s territory, collecting the faction’s communications.

D+1 05:00. According to information obtained by Hassan tribe’s informant, a meeting was convened within the Asen faction. Asen’s leadership was divided over the background of this attack and retaliation against Sanya.

Cautious staff argued that they should first confirm if it was indeed Sanya’s doing before deciding on a course of action, while hardline staff insisted on immediate retaliation. Nasir, who had obtained this information, contacted me for advice.

D+1 19:00. As a beautiful sunset descended on the desert, an ammunition warehouse located in Sanya faction’s territory was attacked.

Intruders who drove vehicles through the main gate sprayed machine gun fire at the barracks and blew up the guard post. In the process, numerous Sanya faction troops were killed. The complete destruction of the ammunition warehouse was an added bonus.

The Sanya faction, after assessing the situation, immediately launched an investigation. Shortly after, they received information from their informants planted in Asen and Hassan that Asen tribe’s “Kitchen” had been attacked by troops presumed to be from Sanya tribe’s guard.

The informants unanimously stated:

Asen’s attack on Sanya’s ammunition warehouse was a very honorable and justified retaliation.

However, the identity of the person who first reported this information was not determined.

As with all propaganda.