Open field 5 km west of Villa Hagel.

2105, 19 Jul 2025

A Chinook was hovering to secure the perimeter while another one landed smoothly. As soon as the landed Chinook's ram door opened, Sgt. Liam and eleven STA personnel trotted out and formed a defensive position covering 360 degrees.

While keeping his knees and observing his sector, Sgt. Liam pressed the PTT button. "Green Raccoon, Sleepy Panda, communications check, confirm."

[Sleepy Panda, Green Raccoon, loud and clear.]

"Green Raccoon, Sleepy Panda, visual check, confirm."

[Sleepy Panda, Green Raccoon, twelve IR Strobe lights up and are clearly visible.]

"Roger, Green Raccoon, over and out."

Sgt. Liam then turned his head towards the landed Chinook cockpit with a thumbs up, and the Chinook pilot replied with a small nod.

A moment later, the two Chinooks left the insertion point and Green Raccoon split into three four-men sub-teams. With Sleepy Panda's guidance, the three sub-teams approached the observation points around the target villa.

Green Raccoon's mission was to gather as much intel as possible and confirm the location of the hostages. Once the hostages' location was confirmed, TF Pollux would immediately launch a Hostage Rescue Operation at dawn, with high precision fire support from Green Raccoon.

Swiftly, Green Raccoon sub-teams took their positions. Then, they deployed the long-range eavesdropping device. Green Raccoon personnel wasted no time digging foxholes, as the only options they had were to provide fire support for TF Pollux or be completely withdrawn before dawn.

The eavesdropping device used a laser as the base. A laser beam would be emitted to the window of the targeted room, and any sound waves received by the glass surface would be sent back to the listening device.

According to intel from Sleepy Panda, all rooms in the targeted villa had glass windows. So the laser-based long-range eavesdropper would be a perfect fit for the mission.

And fortunately, not a single window was covered with curtains. As no matter how sophisticated a laser-based eavesdropper was, it would be useless if there was a curtain between the source of the sound and the window, no matter how thin the curtain was.

Sgt. Liam and sub-team one got the task to eavesdropped on every room on the east side of the villa, and he immediately frowned as the eavesdropping result from one of the windows on the first floor entered his ear.

---

Villa Hagel's living room

2218, 19 Jul 2025

Rhaver enjoyed a glass of wine while not far from where he sat, his subordinates raped the five Amethyst Merchant workers who were lying helplessly on the mat.

Rhaver secretly mixed a stimulant into Amethyst Merchant workers dinner, and not long after that the sex party begins. The turn was set according to the highest rank, and Rhaver tasted each Amethyst Merchant worker 2-3 times before he was satisfied, then spent the time drinking wine.

This afternoon, Rhaver received orders from Baron Eslei to remove all trails that could link Liqua Region to the incident on Berril Plain. Baron Eslei also informed him that Lassac would not return to Villa Hagel and he was appointed to take his place.

"You sure won't ask them to stop. Amethyst Merchant workers will die of exhaustion if they keep being raped without any rest, and Lassac will skin us if that happens."

Rhaver turned his head towards his colleague who was trying to advise him before shaking his head.

"If they die then all we need to do is cremate their bodies until there are no remains. We also don't have to worry about Lassac."

Rhaver's colleague was silent for a while before saying, "Then I will enjoy their bodies for another round."

---

Baron Eslei's residence, Okko City, Liqua Region.

Baron Eslei enjoying a glass of wine silently in his study room. This afternoon he was forced to silence Lassac, one of his most loyal followers.

Without hesitation, he rejected Lassac's idea of ​​returning Amethyst Merchant workers, because he could not predict whether Amethyst Merchant would quit after punishing Lassac or continue to investigate thoroughly until the number of rolling heads could satisfy their hearts.

Even though Baron Eslei was a fundamental figure in the Warhawk Faction, he was the first to decline the invitation from Tarai Region to attack Tuscan Region.

He repeatedly insisted that an envoy must be sent to Magwurt City to establish contact with Amethyst Merchant. Because, if Amethyst Merchant were willing to cooperate with a dying Region, then there was a chance that they would also be willing to cooperate with Liqua Region.

Although the conditions they put forward might be quite heavy, Liqua Region didn't have many options. Especially, after the agricultural Maester they sent failed to save the farmland in Liqua Region, Makai Royal Family completely ignored Liqua Region.

In addition, Liqua Region's food reserves were far past the safe limits. Even though the invasion plan had a 70% chance of success, it could still become a tough situation for Liqua Region if Tuscan Region and Amethyst Merchant managed to turn the conflict into a protracted war.

However, the leaders of the Peace Dove faction continued to insist that they should not show weakness in front of their two allies. And Baron Eslei's comrades from the Warhawk Faction in the end fell under the influence of the Peace Dove Faction. Not long after that, the invasion of Tuscan Region was launched.

Baron Eslei was aware that the intentions of Peace Dove Faction leaders, which were dominated by politicians and traders, were not based on rational thinking, but on greed after hearing about the food, wealth, and technology brought by Amethyst Merchants. Unfortunately, he was powerless to stop the invasion.

And when the invasion failed, Peace Dove Faction leaders unhesitatingly refused to purchase food staples. Instead, they were preparing to secretly leave with the remaining assets of Liqua Region.

That's why, in his despair Baron Eslei ventured into a drastic high-risk action. Even though he knew that for the action he had to pay a heavy price by losing his most loyal follower.

Kling-kling!

Not long after Baron Eslei rang the small bell on his desk, an old butler immediately walked into the study room.

"Ser Baron, is there anything you need?"

Baron Eslei nodded before asking, "Has Maester Rig fully understood the farming techniques sent from Villa Hagel?"

"According to Maester Rig, he has mastered it by 80%. The rest will be mastered in a few days. However, he continues asking to meet with the agricultural expert who created the technique."

Baron Eslei casually replied, "Tell him the agricultural expert is from Roumstell Continent and he is not willing to meet with him. Also, sent order to Captain Ureg to start the final step. "

"Understood."

After giving a small bow, the old butler left the study room.

*****