try begging

<Episode 143>
It was a night when songs were supposed to be sung to celebrate the last day of the year. But in Witherridge Asylum, only creepy screams echoed through the halls late into the night.

"I'm bored. I'm bored."

One of the officers sitting around a round table in the first-floor lounge playing cards stood up and turned up the volume of the radio. Only when the singer's throat-rending voice drowned out the screams did the four officers' expressions become much more relaxed.

All officers who were on duty because they could not return to their hometown due to the sudden declaration of emergency during the holiday season were from the Northern Command. The officers from the Western Command occupied the break room on the first basement floor where the investigation room was located.

These days, there is a war of nerves between the two commands, and there is a secret uncomfortable atmosphere among  the officers.
The Northern Command was worried that it would be criticized for failing to properly control even its own jurisdiction, as the rebels' strongholds had been hidden in the North for decades.

Meanwhile, the Western Command was reluctant to allow the North to actively intervene. It was wary that the North would take the credit.

It was a typical story.

Soon after, the music on the radio stopped and a current affairs talk show began.

[To our listeners across the country, as well as to the Royal House of Rochester, there could not have been a more touching Christmas present.]

[Of course not.]

Camden's vampire becomes a Christmas hero.
It was a week to praise the Savior, but there was only praise for Winston. This was as boring as screaming.

Camden's vampire becomes a Christmas hero.
It was a week to praise the Savior, but there was only praise for Winston. This was as boring as screaming.

No one stood up because nothing changed even if you changed the channel. Not only on the radio, but in newspapers and magazines everywhere, the extermination of the Blanchard rebels was covered in great detail for over a week.

Today's newspaper on the table even had a large picture of "Little Jimmy" in prison uniform on the front page, with the headline "The Devil's Face Has Finally Been Revealed." In fact, that was his face right after his arrest, and civilians would not know that he looks completely different now.

The officer, looking down at the captain's stern face standing next to him, snorted.
"If this continues, a movie will come out in a few months."

"The poster is already vivid in my mind. The title is 'The Miracle of Christmas' or something like that."

While the officers were shuffling through their packs and chatting absentmindedly, the conversation on the radio continued.

[Then I think the royal family will prepare a gift for Captain Winston. What do you think, Professor, who was a reporter covering the royal family?]

[Actually, it was a long time ago, but Major Richard Winston. Oh, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, so he must be a Lieutenant Colonel. I remember that there was public opinion that it was a shame that Lieutenant Colonel Winston was not given a title when he died.]
[Everyone is on edge as to whether the Winstons will be able to get their titles back this time. Even today, the station was flooded with postcards and phone calls from listeners. It goes without saying that everyone was talking about special promotions and titles.]
[This time, I heard through royal sources that it is certain. I was thinking of keeping it a secret, but this is the first time I am telling you this here...]
[Oh, I'm looking forward to this.]
[Rumors are going around that His Majesty the King has hastily revised his New Year's speech tomorrow to include this incident. Everyone is expecting a surprise announcement of a title.]
"It's faster than I thought...."
"I can't help but think about public opinion."
"It's a New Year's speech... It's also a great stage to put on a great show."
Everyone smiled bitterly. It was obvious that the King coveted the attention focused on Captain Winston. Until today, it had been Winston's week of praise, but from tomorrow, Winston and the King would share the media's praise.
The award of the title was not a done deal until just now, but the promotion was already a done deal within the military.
"You're still young even for a captain, but you're already wearing the rank of major."
Rumors were going around that Western Command had requested a one-rank promotion for Captain Winston, and that Army Headquarters had approved it, even though the investigation had not yet been concluded.
Just clearing out the base and capturing the leader was enough to warrant a special promotion. So there would have been no disagreement even in that difficult headquarters.
"By the way, you're conducting an operation during Christmas week."
When everyone was on vacation and going back to their hometowns, it couldn't have been anything but a huge disaster.
"When I first heard about it, I thought, 'Are you in your right mind?' The guys below are complaining, but the people above allowed it? It was ridiculous."
But then I found out that it was the week when everyone was on vacation and going back to their hometowns, so they started the sweep operation during that time.
"They already knew it was a village. They calculated that all the rebels who were out of town for Christmas would come back."
Thanks to this, they were able to arrest all the key rebel figures at once, leaving behind only the dregs at the bottom of the power pyramid who had no ties to their home base.
"I heard he was a scary person to begin with, but the more I get to know him, the scarier he becomes."
One officer nodded and placed his cards on the table, then asked as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him.
"So what happened to that double agent?"
I looked around at my colleagues, but they all just shrugged their shoulders as if they didn't know anything.
"Since I have achieved great things, shouldn't they have exempted me from punishment?"
"By the way, how did you convince him?"
Every time a rebel was captured, I tried to persuade them, but most of them didn't know where their base was. Even when a big shot was captured, they would raid and take them away during transport or in the camp, or they wouldn't open their mouths until they were dead. They were terrible bastards in many ways.
"Who knows? Actually, I wanted to ask, but the atmosphere in the West was so tense that I couldn't bring myself to say anything."
"Anyway, since that woman betrayed her allies so blatantly, she'll have to live in hiding for the rest of her life, right?"
"That woman, I don't know if her husband is also a rebel, but my guess is that she sent her family after guaranteeing that their identities would be washed away..."
The chatter suddenly stopped as the sound of tires scraping the ground outside the window was heard. The officer walked over to the window and looked out toward the main entrance of the building and muttered.
"Here you go again."
Late this night, Captain Winston came to the camp again. One of the officers put down his card, stood up, and clicked his tongue.
"If I were Winston, I would leave this dreary camp to my subordinates and party all day long. I would rent an entire cabaret, pour the most expensive champagne, and have beautiful women at my side."
These days, the captain practically lives here. He still has some commanding duties to perform in the field, so he goes back and forth to Blackburn Village every day.
"A workaholic. That's why he's scary. He's both capable and hard-working."
How hard it must have been for the officers under the author. However, since it meant that there was a chance for promotion, they all secretly went out into the hallway to get a glimpse of the captain.
The moment we lined up in the hallway, the captain who came in through the main door turned towards me. The look in his eyes beneath his deeply pressed hat was fierce again today.
While everyone else was in a festive mood, the person who organized the festival looked like he was at a funeral.
On the first day, someone congratulated the author and was met with that murderous glare. After that, no one congratulated him.
It was a reaction that was simply incomprehensible. He had achieved the greatest feat since the Restoration of the monarchy and had even avenged his father, yet he continued to act as if he had botched the operation miserably.
Speculations were rampant about the captain's mood.
Some people said that it was like a cliché ending from a popular novel where revenge does not bring back the dead father, while others believed that it was because it was revealed that Patrick Pullman, the newly revealed accomplice in the case, was already dead.
'The eye stamp failed again this time.'
The captain walked forward without looking back, and without even glancing at those saluting him, he headed straight for the basement.
Only Lieutenant Campbell, who was following him, kept looking at him.
'Don't talk to the captain.'
Campbell gave a warning to the senior officers of Northern Command with his eyes and followed the captain down the stairs.
Captain Winston was having the best of times and the worst of times. No, maybe not the best of times at all. He was looking at a woman who had killed hundreds of enemies and then lost them all.
As a result, this operation was a disaster for the captain.
Campbell watched the captain's back as he rounded the corner of the basement without hesitation. He looked stronger and more solid than anyone else, but Campbell, who had been watching him since his days at the military academy, defined the captain differently.
Nitroglycerin explodes on contact with a feather.
It was the most unstable state he had been in since he had been aide to the captain. That was why he was more alert than usual and especially careful with his words and actions.
As the security area with iron bars came into view, the soldiers standing guard in front of it opened the iron gate without even giving a command. They probably knew how the captain felt, having experienced it many times.
Without stopping for a moment, the captain headed towards the room where the fallen rebel commander was imprisoned.

<Episode 143>
It was a night when songs were supposed to be sung to celebrate the last day of the year. But in Witherridge Asylum, only creepy screams echoed through the halls late into the night.

"I'm bored. I'm bored."

One of the officers sitting around a round table in the first-floor lounge playing cards stood up and turned up the volume of the radio. Only when the singer's throat-rending voice drowned out the screams did the four officers' expressions become much more relaxed.

All officers who were on duty because they could not return to their hometown due to the sudden declaration of emergency during the holiday season were from the Northern Command. The officers from the Western Command occupied the break room on the first basement floor where the investigation room was located.

These days, there is a war of nerves between the two commands, and there is a secret uncomfortable atmosphere among  the officers.
The Northern Command was worried that it would be criticized for failing to properly control even its own jurisdiction, as the rebels' strongholds had been hidden in the North for decades.

Meanwhile, the Western Command was reluctant to allow the North to actively intervene. It was wary that the North would take the credit.

It was a typical story.

Soon after, the music on the radio stopped and a current affairs talk show began.

[To our listeners across the country, as well as to the Royal House of Rochester, there could not have been a more touching Christmas present.]

[Of course not.]

Camden's vampire becomes a Christmas hero.
It was a week to praise the Savior, but there was only praise for Winston. This was as boring as screaming.

Camden's vampire becomes a Christmas hero.
It was a week to praise the Savior, but there was only praise for Winston. This was as boring as screaming.

No one stood up because nothing changed even if you changed the channel. Not only on the radio, but in newspapers and magazines everywhere, the extermination of the Blanchard rebels was covered in great detail for over a week.

Today's newspaper on the table even had a large picture of "Little Jimmy" in prison uniform on the front page, with the headline "The Devil's Face Has Finally Been Revealed." In fact, that was his face right after his arrest, and civilians would not know that he looks completely different now.

The officer, looking down at the captain's stern face standing next to him, snorted.
"If this continues, a movie will come out in a few months."

"The poster is already vivid in my mind. The title is 'The Miracle of Christmas' or something like that."

While the officers were shuffling through their packs and chatting absentmindedly, the conversation on the radio continued.

[Then I think the royal family will prepare a gift for Captain Winston. What do you think, Professor, who was a reporter covering the royal family?]

[Actually, it was a long time ago, but Major Richard Winston. Oh, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, so he must be a Lieutenant Colonel. I remember that there was public opinion that it was a shame that Lieutenant Colonel Winston was not given a title when he died.]
[Everyone is on edge as to whether the Winstons will be able to get their titles back this time. Even today, the station was flooded with postcards and phone calls from listeners. It goes without saying that everyone was talking about special promotions and titles.]
[This time, I heard through royal sources that it is certain. I was thinking of keeping it a secret, but this is the first time I am telling you this here...]
[Oh, I'm looking forward to this.]
[Rumors are going around that His Majesty the King has hastily revised his New Year's speech tomorrow to include this incident. Everyone is expecting a surprise announcement of a title.]
"It's faster than I thought...."
"I can't help but think about public opinion."
"It's a New Year's speech... It's also a great stage to put on a great show."
Everyone smiled bitterly. It was obvious that the King coveted the attention focused on Captain Winston. Until today, it had been Winston's week of praise, but from tomorrow, Winston and the King would share the media's praise.
The award of the title was not a done deal until just now, but the promotion was already a done deal within the military.
"You're still young even for a captain, but you're already wearing the rank of major."
Rumors were going around that Western Command had requested a one-rank promotion for Captain Winston, and that Army Headquarters had approved it, even though the investigation had not yet been concluded.
Just clearing out the base and capturing the leader was enough to warrant a special promotion. So there would have been no disagreement even in that difficult headquarters.
"By the way, you're conducting an operation during Christmas week."
When everyone was on vacation and going back to their hometowns, it couldn't have been anything but a huge disaster.
"When I first heard about it, I thought, 'Are you in your right mind?' The guys below are complaining, but the people above allowed it? It was ridiculous."
But then I found out that it was the week when everyone was on vacation and going back to their hometowns, so they started the sweep operation during that time.
"They already knew it was a village. They calculated that all the rebels who were out of town for Christmas would come back."
Thanks to this, they were able to arrest all the key rebel figures at once, leaving behind only the dregs at the bottom of the power pyramid who had no ties to their home base.
"I heard he was a scary person to begin with, but the more I get to know him, the scarier he becomes."
One officer nodded and placed his cards on the table, then asked as if a thought had suddenly occurred to him.
"So what happened to that double agent?"
I looked around at my colleagues, but they all just shrugged their shoulders as if they didn't know anything.
"Since I have achieved great things, shouldn't they have exempted me from punishment?"
"By the way, how did you convince him?"
Every time a rebel was captured, I tried to persuade them, but most of them didn't know where their base was. Even when a big shot was captured, they would raid and take them away during transport or in the camp, or they wouldn't open their mouths until they were dead. They were terrible bastards in many ways.
"Who knows? Actually, I wanted to ask, but the atmosphere in the West was so tense that I couldn't bring myself to say anything."
"Anyway, since that woman betrayed her allies so blatantly, she'll have to live in hiding for the rest of her life, right?"
"That woman, I don't know if her husband is also a rebel, but my guess is that she sent her family after guaranteeing that their identities would be washed away..."
The chatter suddenly stopped as the sound of tires scraping the ground outside the window was heard. The officer walked over to the window and looked out toward the main entrance of the building and muttered.
"Here you go again."
Late this night, Captain Winston came to the camp again. One of the officers put down his card, stood up, and clicked his tongue.
"If I were Winston, I would leave this dreary camp to my subordinates and party all day long. I would rent an entire cabaret, pour the most expensive champagne, and have beautiful women at my side."
These days, the captain practically lives here. He still has some commanding duties to perform in the field, so he goes back and forth to Blackburn Village every day.
"A workaholic. That's why he's scary. He's both capable and hard-working."
How hard it must have been for the officers under the author. However, since it meant that there was a chance for promotion, they all secretly went out into the hallway to get a glimpse of the captain.
The moment we lined up in the hallway, the captain who came in through the main door turned towards me. The look in his eyes beneath his deeply pressed hat was fierce again today.
While everyone else was in a festive mood, the person who organized the festival looked like he was at a funeral.
On the first day, someone congratulated the author and was met with that murderous glare. After that, no one congratulated him.
It was a reaction that was simply incomprehensible. He had achieved the greatest feat since the Restoration of the monarchy and had even avenged his father, yet he continued to act as if he had botched the operation miserably.
Speculations were rampant about the captain's mood.
Some people said that it was like a cliché ending from a popular novel where revenge does not bring back the dead father, while others believed that it was because it was revealed that Patrick Pullman, the newly revealed accomplice in the case, was already dead.
'The eye stamp failed again this time.'
The captain walked forward without looking back, and without even glancing at those saluting him, he headed straight for the basement.
Only Lieutenant Campbell, who was following him, kept looking at him.
'Don't talk to the captain.'
Campbell gave a warning to the senior officers of Northern Command with his eyes and followed the captain down the stairs.
Captain Winston was having the best of times and the worst of times. No, maybe not the best of times at all. He was looking at a woman who had killed hundreds of enemies and then lost them all.
As a result, this operation was a disaster for the captain.
Campbell watched the captain's back as he rounded the corner of the basement without hesitation. He looked stronger and more solid than anyone else, but Campbell, who had been watching him since his days at the military academy, defined the captain differently.
Nitroglycerin explodes on contact with a feather.
It was the most unstable state he had been in since he had been aide to the captain. That was why he was more alert than usual and especially careful with his words and actions.
As the security area with iron bars came into view, the soldiers standing guard in front of it opened the iron gate without even giving a command. They probably knew how the captain felt, having experienced it many times.
Without stopping for a moment, the captain headed towards the room where the fallen rebel commander was imprisoned.