EEBT CHAPTER 3: First Encounter
by Scarlet
*Rustle. Rustle.*
“Hold.”
Alex raised his hand and spoke in a low voice. Everyone behind him came to an immediate halt.
They were on the outskirts of the city, hiding in the hills of an area where farmland and urban sprawl mixed. About 300 meters ahead, they could see an inn.
The inn wasn’t small, but it wasn’t particularly large either. Yet, it had an unusually high number of guests. Based on the footprints and carriage tracks, there were roughly 100 people inside—far more than the inn, which could comfortably accommodate maybe 50, should have.
“Swafford, make sure Sergeant Lake is taken care of.”
“Understood.”
Swafford, one of the few among them carrying a musket, nodded. He was dressed in the same deep green uniform as the others.
Sergeant Lake was crouched in the grass, his rifle barrel poking out. His pants were stuffed with bandages and gauze, making them lumpy, but he had insisted on coming, determined to be of help.
“Current time, 00:49. Sync up at 50 minutes. We move in at 1:00 sharp.”
Alex checked his pocket watch, reading the hour and minute hands. The squad leaders followed suit, adjusting their watches and waiting for his signal.
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 50 minutes.”
*Tick. Tock.*
A brief silence followed as six watches, including Alex’s, were reset to the same time.
“Make sure your weapons are ready. Slow and steady until we open fire, then shock tactics.”
“Understood.”
“To your positions.”
“To your positions.”
As the squad leaders dispersed, Alex glanced at his team. They were exhausted, but they understood the importance of this mission. Some were chewing on tobacco leaves to stay awake.
51 minutes… 52 minutes… 53 minutes.
The minute and second hands continued to move, and the hour hand twitched slightly.
Alex pulled back the flintlock hammer on his rifle.
It was a tense moment. The only sound was the faint chirping of birds from the camouflage whistles each squad used to mask their presence.
54 minutes… 55 minutes.
Was this mission a mistake? Should they have waited a few more days and moved in during the new moon?
Doubt, regret, and counterarguments swirled in his mind.
But the die had been cast, and the first step had already been taken.
“Weapons check.”
“Weapons check.”
Everyone held their breath as they performed a final check on their weapons. A single misfire could mean the difference between life and death.
56 minutes… 57 minutes.
Was that the sound of hooves in the distance, or just his imagination? Could it be Inspector Whitaker’s reinforcements? No. Whitaker, a former Army major, wouldn’t make the mistake of bringing horses this close to the operation zone.
“Captain, Captain.”
Swafford tapped Alex’s shoulder.
“What?”
“It’s the Duke’s daughter.”
Swafford pointed in a direction and handed Alex a telescope. Through the lens, Alex saw Adelaine riding toward them on horseback.
Alex lowered the telescope, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. There she was, unmistakably Adelaine. Why was she here? It made no sense to him.
But reality was reality. Alex folded the telescope and turned to Swafford.
“You brought the crossbow, right?”
“Yes.”
“Shoot the horse. Jackson, take your squad and secure the young lady, then return here. The operation is on hold until then. Relay that to all positions.”
“Understood.”
* * *
“Almost there…!”
Thanks to the novel’s detailed geographical descriptions, Adelaine had successfully located the inn.
The Asterios Information Guild. Disguised as an ordinary inn called the Red Rose, it was a secret hideout that had suffered a major blow a year ago at the hands of the male lead, the Crown Prince.
Of course, she didn’t know the specifics, but based on the novel’s timeline, she estimated that the guild would be hit hard around this time. She planned to use this information to win over Seyd, one of the sub-male leads, to her side.
As she spurred her horse forward, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air.
“Neigh!!”
Suddenly, Caroni, who had been running smoothly, lost her balance, sending Adelaine tumbling to the ground.
“Ahhh!”
She screamed as she rolled across the ground, pain shooting through her body. For a moment, she thought she might black out.
Soon after, she heard footsteps approaching.
“What’s with this woman?”
“Let’s take her to the Guild Master. She doesn’t seem dead.”
Adelaine struggled through the pain and opened her eyes. Two men in plain clothes, each carrying a sword, were walking toward her.
“That’s a highbred horse. Looks like some noble lady. You’d better come quietly.”
One of them grabbed Adelaine, who was pretending to be unconscious, and slung her over his shoulder.
‘Alright. The plan’s gone off track, but at least I’ll get to meet Seyd.’
She continued to feign unconsciousness, thinking to herself.
Then,
*Thud. Thud!*
“Ugh….”
The man carrying Adelaine let out a low groan before his breath stopped. As she fell to the ground again, the pain made her wince. Through half-closed eyes, she saw the other man being silenced and his throat slit by a soldier in a deep green uniform.
The soldier wiped his knife on the dead man’s clothes and issued orders.
“Targets neutralized. Gag her and blindfold her. Bring the rope.”
“Yes, understood.”
Before Adelaine could process the sudden violence and scream, they gagged her, blindfolded her, and tightly bound her arms behind her back.
“Polly, Grosh. Hide the bodies and come back.”
“Understood, Sergeant.”
Two soldiers dragged the bodies to a ditch and covered the bloodstains with dirt.
“Damn it. I’d love to just bury her here.”
The man who had slung her over his shoulder gritted his teeth and hid in the bushes.
“Laimi, go report that we’ve secured the VIP.”
“Understood.”
Adelaine heard the sound of Laimi running through the grass. With her vision blocked and her body restrained, fear began to overwhelm her.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!”
“Keep quiet. Unless you want to be buried in these hills.”
At his threatening words, she trembled but clenched her mouth shut. She was terrified. And miserable.
She just wanted to change her fate as the villainess, but why did things have to go so wrong?
She was on the verge of tears.
Then, a man’s voice spoke, and her blindfold was removed.
“Good evening, miss. Or should I call you Lady Lopitz?”
A deep, commanding voice reached her ears. Adelaine looked up to see the man standing before her.
He was strikingly handsome, rivaling even the male leads depicted in the novel’s illustrations.
It was a shame that he was glaring at her so fiercely and that her plan had completely fallen apart.
He smirked slightly as he spoke to her.
“I’m Captain Alex Manningham, commander of the Rifle Brigade detachment.”
At his words, Adelaine’s eyes widened in shock.
The man standing before her was *that* Alex Manningham?
In the novel, he had been vaguely described as a pot-bellied, unattractive middle-aged office worker. But now, standing before her was a strikingly handsome man. She stared at him, trying to reconcile this image with the descriptions she remembered.
However, misinterpreting her reaction, he spoke to her in a firm voice.
“As of now, we are temporarily detaining you for your own safety. The detention will remain in effect until the situation is fully resolved, after which you will be handed over to an appropriate location at my discretion.”
His tone was sharp and unyielding as he delivered the message.
“In case of an emergency, your life and death are in the hands of the field commander—me. Keep that in mind and act… wisely.”
He blindfolded Adelaine again. With her vision once more obscured, she couldn’t help but tremble in fear.
Though Alex noticed her shaking, he paid no mind and stood up, turning to Swafford.
“How much time until the guard shift?”
“About five minutes. We’ll be late if we proceed at a slow pace.”
“Change of plans. We’ll use heavy weapons and snipers for suppressive fire while advancing, then execute shock tactics.”
As he spoke, he picked up a brass trumpet.
“Let’s move.”
He brought the trumpet to his lips.
Moments later, the blare of the trumpet and the roar of heavy weapons shattered the night’s silence.
Soldiers holding smoke grenades threw them into the open area between the inn and the woods, obscuring the enemy’s vision.
Meanwhile, the sentries stationed at the inn’s windows were quickly picked off by the waiting riflemen.
Alex, armed with his rifle and bayonet, charged out of the woods.
Though the sudden change in plans was unexpected, the soldiers, well-prepared for such situations, performed their roles flawlessly.
Alex cut through the smoke from the grenades and pressed himself against the side of the inn’s back door. Inside, he could hear the clatter of weapons.
“Grenadier!”
Alex signaled for a grenade and grabbed the door handle. A soldier carrying a grenade nodded in response.
The soldier lit the fuse with a match, timed it, and gave Alex a nod.
“Grenade!”
As Alex pulled the door open slightly, the grenadier quickly tossed the grenade inside and slammed the door shut.
And then, immediately after,
*Boom!!*
“Aaaah!!”
An explosion and screams erupted from inside. As soon as the sound reached him, Alex kicked the door open and stormed in.
“First Squad! Clear the path to the basement! Second Squad, secure the upper floor!”
“Understood!”
“First Squad, follow me!”
The soldiers swiftly confirmed kills with their bayonets and cleared the first-floor tavern. Alex and the First Squad headed for the stairs leading to the basement.
“The door’s locked. Should we break it?”
“Break it! Bring the crowbar!”
At Alex’s command, a soldier brought over a crowbar, wedged it into the door’s gap, and pushed with all his might.
*Crack!*
The lock on the wooden door broke, and the door swung open.
Inside, members of the organization were hastily burning documents and packing their belongings.
Caught off guard by the sudden breach, they scrambled to grab their weapons.
“Muskets!! Paul, John, Tilley!!”
*Bang! Bang! Bang!!*
At Alex’s command, the door was kicked open and shattered. Several soldiers armed with muskets fired buckshot into the basement. Following them, a grenadier tossed in a grenade, instantly turning the basement into chaos.
Thick smoke filled the basement and spilled out into the open. The soldiers in deep green uniforms pushed through the smoke, bayoneting and subduing any remaining enemies with their rifles and pistols, steadily gaining control.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
Led by Alex, the riflemen who had entered the building fired their weapons. After discharging the single shot loaded in their rifles, they advanced with bayonets fixed.
“Ugh!”
“Gah!”
“Ahh!”
“Please, spare… ugh!”
“Make sure to confirm kills!”
“Understood!”
With each gunshot, another enemy fell. The overwhelming skill of the soldiers left the basement’s occupants either subdued or dead. After some time passed,
“Clear!”
“Clear!”
After several confirmation calls, one soldier shouted loud enough to echo through the basement.
“We’ve found Seyd!”
Having already fired his rifle, Alex switched to his pistol and began inspecting every corner of the basement. He handed the task over to another soldier and pulled a portrait from his pocket.
“Where is he?”
“Over here!”
The soldier flipped over a young man who had been shot in the chest, revealing his face.
Alex compared the face to the portrait. It was a perfect match. Yet, something about it felt off to his instincts.
“…Hold off for now. Separate him. Second and Third Squads, go support upstairs. First Squad, stay with me and secure all high-value items and intel here. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
Though the situation wasn’t entirely resolved, the soldiers, believing they had captured the guild leader Seyd, began their tasks with cheerful expressions.
However, Alex remained seated on a random chair, deep in thought.
Adelaine. The sole heir of the Duke’s family.
Why on earth would she come here herself? Could the information have been leaked?
As his thoughts grew heavier, he stood up.
“I’m going to check in with the headquarters team. Make sure everything’s secured and report back.”
“Understood.”
He’d just have to ask her directly. It would also be a good opportunity to interrogate her about the black market incident.