Our Family Has Fallen

”It feels so quiet, doesn’t it? There’s no one on the streets, nothing like the hustle and bustle of the day,” a somewhat frivolous young man said, his lively eyes scanning the streets illuminated by the torchlight.

”No kidding. It would be a real problem if people were actually wandering around in the middle of the night.” Another patrolman couldn’t help but retort, then yawned. ”Ah~, just two more hours and it’s over. Then I can go back and get a good sleep.”

The two were patrolling the streets when, just as he finished speaking, they noticed a figure sneaking away from the camp, evidently up to something.

”Freeze! What are you doing?”

The two patrolmen called out to the figure and quickly approached, their torches raised.

Instead of struggling or running away, the person simply bent over, clasping his waist, and waited for the two to approach.

”Gentlemen, I’ve had some bad food and am just looking for a toilet,” the man said. His face twisted awkwardly in the torchlight, and his words couldn’t help but elicit a sense of disgust.

”Isn’t there a toilet over there? Why run all the way here...”

Regulations required at least a cursory inspection and recording the person’s name. The incident would then be reported to the appropriate department for a demerit to be logged. This demerit would even be noted against his team, implying the team leader’s management was lacking. The rules were very strict.

But before the man they had stopped could finish speaking, the young patrolman raised a hand, cutting off his fellow patrolman.

”Hey, man,” the young patrolman said, ”getting a bad stomach isn’t something he can control, right? Let it slide this time. You go handle your business quickly and get back. Don’t get caught again.”

The young man gestured dismissively, sending the person on his way. His companion still wanted to say something but was pulled aside by him.

”Hey! What are you doing?” Once they were some distance away, the companion couldn’t help but complain, ”Do you know that according to the rules...”

”Of course, I know. I also know there’s something off about him.”

His companion was about to say more but froze upon hearing this, his face falling instantly. ”If you knew, then why did you do that? You’re going to get me killed! It wasn’t easy for me to get promoted; I fought for it with my life...”

He was standing here today because, during the early stages of development, his team had bravely resisted an attack by Heretics, successfully holding out until the Regular Army arrived.

Thinking back on it still frightened him; out of the more than ten people with him, only five had survived.

Compared to him, however, the young man who had taken charge of the situation was much calmer, even managing a smile.

”Don’t worry yet,” the young man said. ”We’re about to earn a big merit this time.”

He began to explain, regardless of his companion’s reaction.

”That guy’s a new face, probably arrived in the last few days. But I remember he was assigned to the dormitories in Zone Two. Even if he needed the toilet, he shouldn’t have come this way. There’s definitely something wrong with him. But that area isn’t a warehouse or anything important. If he intended sabotage, why go there? There’s nothing worth destroying around here either...”

”What are you planning?” His companion quickly understood that by letting the man go, the young man was playing a long game, hoping to catch a bigger fish.

”I suspect they’re Heretics who’ve infiltrated our camp.” Saying this, the young man’s expression turned grave. ”I’ll follow him and see what he’s up to. If I’m not back in half an hour, you must immediately notify the army.”

Hearing the word ”Heretics,” his companion instinctively felt a surge of fear. However, he hesitated upon learning the young man planned to take such a risk alone.

”It’s too dangerous. Let’s go together so we can watch each other’s backs.”

”Too many people would be inconvenient. Wait for my signal.” The young man patted his companion’s shoulder and, smiling, moved past him. ”I don’t want you stealing my credit.”

The companion stood there, stunned. He understood the young man knew he was afraid and had said that to make him feel better.

Watching the young man’s figure disappear beyond the torchlight, he didn’t linger and instead headed towards the army barracks.

The young man moved unhindered. He had even participated in the construction of this place, so he could navigate easily even without a torch. He quickly caught up with the suspicious man.

He really wasn’t just going to the toilet...

From a distance, the young man watched the man arrive at a secluded corner of the camp. As time passed, more people began to gather.

In the pitch-darkness, it was hard to see faces, but the secret gathering was enough to confirm that these people were definitely up to no good.

There wasn’t much more to see. The young man returned to notify the stationed army, and soon several squads arrived to apprehend the group.

A few unhinged individuals even attempted to resist, but facing the soldiers’ organized formations, it was a suicidal act.

What could only be called a farcical battle was quickly suppressed by the army.

The army then directly entered and took control of the entire camp, commencing a thorough cleanup of the remaining Heretics.

Sleep would be hard to come by tonight...

「Meanwhile, an operation in another encampment within the northern development zone had just begun.」

The Heretics here were discovered under even more bizarre circumstances. Their meeting had successfully evaded patrols, but ultimately, they were exposed by an insider’s tip-off.

An elite squad raided a dormitory, dragging the leader from his bed and taking him into custody.

He was continuously denying everything, claiming they had the wrong person, until he was dragged out and forced down before several people.

”Is it him?”

”That’s right. He’s the leader of those Heretics.”

In the dim torchlight, the man saw the very person he had recruited just a few days prior pointing him out, and he instantly understood everything.