The murder

I ride through Navapohoysk to Ianii hill, where Queen Anne unites all the tribes and forms Cryspus. Although there is still discussion about what Cryspus calls: "Spring on the Ianii Hills." It is considered the day when Cryspus was founded and is the pride for many people. Stepping out of the car and going up the hill, I can feel the chilly wind on my cheeks. At the top of the hill, I could see the entire city. Not that big because Navapohoysk doesn't have a higher building than the hill. An empty field once witnessed an outstanding event of a nation. It's hard for a Cryspus citizen not to be proud of this. They are proud of their achievements, proud of their heroes. But I'm afraid that pride won't last long:

-"Beautiful right? The green crystal."

An older man spoke calmly. I look at him and smile, nod.

-"Over the years, blood has been shed on this small land, so many skirmishes, so many slaughters, leaving nothing but blood, chaos, and tears."

-"Sometimes we have to keep the peace by taking up arms."

-"That's what we're doing. Better sacrifice an entire battalion, division, or even a company, all but not letting the next generation become slaves."

-"Or even this generation."

The man smiled and nodded. His face has many wrinkles. Under the beret is grey hair, but his eyes are still bright, like a fervent hope and desire for something. He looked at me with those eyes, as if he wanted to know something from me, a choice I made:

-"Did you tell him about Vlaeva?"

-"He was not happy about it."

-"I can tell."

-"At least we brought Vlaeva back home with no touch from the outside."

-"That is a good thing."

-"I got a report from Bartos hospital. They found Parabellum at the back of his skull."

-"Bartos, that far?" He raised his eyebrows.

-"It's closer to his hometown."

The older man looks down and takes a deep breath, humming a song before raising his voice again:

-"How did they find him?"

-"A man just walking through the garage, then saw blood coming out of the car. He got panicked and called the police."

-"Where was he going?"

-"We still don't know the exact cause. But the time the body was revealed was 9:33 pm."

-"Vlaeva and his colleagues had nothing to do at the embassy after 9 o'clock."

-"In fact, the embassy is closed after 2 pm."

-"Did he forget something at work? Something important?"

-"The local authorities only examined Vlaeva's body outwardly and made hasty and impractical conclusions. We are not sure why Vlaeva left his residence."

-"An ordinary murder does not require special forces unless there is a shady story behind it. The local force can send the evidence to the provincial central government at most. Beyond that, it is not possible."

-"I'm not sure about this, but we can't ignore FCD, the enemy's most suspicious force."

-"... How many special forces are there on the other side?"

I looked at the man and thought for a long time, took the notebook from my vest, and flipped through pages. The words scribbled on the papers have gradually faded. But I can still read, and I slowly look through the notes. Isn't this a bit much for a developing country? Federal Counterintelligence Directorate FCD, 237th Red Dirt commando brigade, 42th White Snow division, National Chemical Weapons Defense Directorate NCWDD:

-"Most of the special forces on the other side are comparable to a single force on our side, VSIU." He raises his voice.

It doesn't matter whether it is split. Because sustaining Cryspus special forces costs a lot. VSIU accounts for 51,6% of the budget for defense since it has to maintain and upgrade equipment. Although Cryspus does not have a force against chemical attacks, the VSIU and the military still take on this role. It's unbendable to reduce costs because it's about the safety of people's lives, not about the state-of-the-art equipment, uniforms, or prestigious badges that make many children fascinated:

-"Maybe for the honour. An individual's mistake can cause an organization to receive criticism from the public."

-"Security forces that can't stand a bit of criticism? Say you're joking, Ivan." He chuckles.

-"The honour of the Ostrians differs from ours, Wojtek. We don't mind if our pride damaged for a bit, but for the Ostrians, it is better to die than to live in shame."

-"Most feats of 42 belonged to Ostrian, isn't it?"

-"Two-thirds of the Royal forces are fighters from the east, which is understandable."

Wojtek chuckles and nods:

-"Speaking about forces. I still have one thing to ask you."

I looked at him. Once again, a bright hope appeared in Wojtek's eyes:

-"It has been 2 months, hasn't it?"

-" 58 days, 18 hours and 10 minutes."

-"Haha," he chuckles before continuing. "I think it's time to restart the project again."

I frown and look at him with an uneasy feeling. Why does he want to restart it again? I have heard no one talk about it since the day it was forced to stop:

-"You know it failed. That's why we abandoned it."

-"The project is started when it is not needed. It also fails when no one needs it. I still don't understand why you all in the Parliament gave it a deployed year that couldn't be more cursed, 2019."

-"I don't understand why it was deployed either... The project started without trumpet or drums which is understandable since it's not for everyone to know. Yotsuba thought it was the right time... While its purpose was overshadowed by VSIU and other forces."

-"Yotsuba is a good man, that is for sure. Yet he is still terrible in time and moments. Since Raihen left Parliament for health reasons, Yotsuba has been late in meetings and made poor decisions. Avoiding the terrorist incident in 2015 because of the establishment of VSIU 1 year ago was also the comprehensive work of the two. It is a pity that Raihen died of lung cancer."

-"I can't blame it...."

-"But what do we do now, prime minister? Wearing wreath and orgy party in Parliament to wait for the enemy to come and slaughter every one of you?"

I looked at Wojtek. What did I expect from him? A big hug or a poor consolation? He took a serious look at me. The project was a disaster. If it got restarted, 100% of the delegates in the National Assembly would be bitterly opposed. I was also against the project. But he's right. The enemy is standing in front of the door, and they will not be obediently waiting for us to open the door to overthrow the authorities. The balance is tilting, and we have a responsibility to balance it at all costs or else it will spill.

-"If Raihen is still there... What would he say?"

-"... I can't answer that question. The power is in your hands. Make the right decision, Prime Minister. Don't rely on others."

He gives me a thick folder and walks away. I glance at the folder and Wojtek before looking out, far to the city.