Echoes in the Shadows

7

Just as Iser was about to speak, the phone on Major Gisk's desk rang. Gisk picked up the phone and listened expressionlessly, his ability to maintain a poker face testament to his years of experience in intelligence work.

"Alright, we'll do as you say."

Major Gisk spoke calmly, the only words he uttered during the phone call, before gently hanging up.

"Lieutenant Colonel, I've completely figured out what happened with the attack on Major Klauberger of the Wehrmacht by the British forces!"

Iser's pallid face showed a faint flush of red at the mention of a name he was all too familiar with. He was eager to inform his superior about the cunning schemes of the detestable Wehrmacht Major, who had gone to great lengths to humiliate the members of the Gestapo.

"Good work, Iser. I've always been satisfied with your efficiency. Now that you have uncovered the truth, I'll leave the follow-up to you."

"No, Major, listen to me—" Iser began, his voice filled with indignant grievance, only to be swiftly interrupted by his cunning and experienced superior.

"Iser, you don't need to go into details with me. Including the time originally allocated for your investigation, I'm giving you a total of two weeks to handle this matter. Also, Major Klauberger, as the Wehrmacht officer responsible for coordinating with our intelligence work, has not yet had a formal handover with us due to the attack. You can use this opportunity to complete that as well. If two weeks isn't enough, you can request more time. Alright, you may go now.

Major Gisk's rapid-fire instructions left Iser with no room to respond. Still in a daze, Iser was tactfully but firmly pushed out of the office with a hot potato of a task.

Watching the beleaguered Captain Iser stagger out of his office, Major Gisk finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had previously seen a top-secret file on Major Klauberger and was quite familiar with his background. He had heard about the nobleman, a favorite of the empire's elite, who, while serving as an instructor at the military academy, had a minor conflict with a fellow officer. The officer, who had complained to the headmaster about Klauberger disrupting his swordsmanship class, was unceremoniously sent to the Eastern Front by his superiors. While Gisk was reluctant to lose a talented subordinate in intelligence work, he knew that compared to the cold and distant Eastern Front, even God would forgive him for this decision.

Major Gisk felt a twinge of cruelty for what he had done, but then he rationalized that Iser, being solely focused on technique and indifferent to worldly affairs, deserved this predicament for his blunt approach in a world where offending powerful figures could have serious consequences. With this thought, Major Gisk quickly alleviated his guilt and returned to his work with a lighter heart, immersing himself once again in the demanding tasks of intelligence operations.

Above a field of beautiful tulips under a clear blue sky, a Junkers aircraft soared through the heavens, carrying passengers who held the fate of the beautiful land below in their hands.

General Steiner of the Wehrmacht, sitting amidst a group of accompanying officers, was easily noticeable with the red and yellow Carthamus tinctorius on his collar, contrasting sharply with the army's field grey. Nearby, a black collar patch with silver oak leaves stood out – the insignia of SS-Brigadeführer Lütkenz.

In every German-occupied territory, it was almost inevitable for the Wehrmacht and SS generals to have subtle conflicts. However, the rivalry between these two renowned German generals, known for undermining each other, was causing headaches all the way back in the Führer's headquarters in Germany.