Author's Note: I just had to write this piece first because when I saw it in the anime (as an Infantryman) it pissed me off to no end that all the grief cause in the next four episodes stemmed from this slip up that no regular soldier would make, let alone an elite group of soldiers designated to the safeguarding of an Archduchess.

Prologue

She flicked the front sight on her bolt-action rifle with her thumb before bracing it against her forearm as she took aim on the figure in gray who was desperately trying to escape the area. Judging him to be around the distance of three-hundred meters away, she adjusted her point of aim slightly higher than his center of mass. Exhaling softly, she allowed her body to fall into its natural stillness between breaths and squeezed the trigger. Her rifle barked, pushing into her shoulder as it set its deadly payload racing through the air and into the back of the running man. She watched him jerk and collapse to the ground as the bullet carved its way through his torso, most likely killing him instantly. If it didn't…well, she had no qualms about a Germanian spy suffering for the last few moments of his despicable life.

"Retrieve the body." She told her teammate evenly, working the bolt of her rifle and chambering another round while keeping the sights trained squarely on the fallen body.

"Yes, ma'am." The blonde replied before racing to the stairs that would lead her to the ground. She waited patiently as a team was gather for retrieval, almost wishing the body would move just so she could have the satisfaction of putting another round through him. Just as the thought entered her mind, her wish was granted, albeit in a surprising manner. She watched as a portly figure dressed in white emerged from the woods. He approached the body and stood over it for a moment before reaching down and rifling through the clothes for a few moments. When he stood up again, she saw two new items in his hands and that was all the reason she needed. Exhaling once more, she pulled the trigger again and watched as the figure in white met the same fate as his comrade.

"Captain." A voice sounded from the speaker in her collar. "We heard a shot. Was the target still alive?"

"Negative." She replied calmly, working the and scanning the surrounding area for any other enemies. "Another figure came from the woods and retrieved items from the body. Double-time it to the bodies for retrieval. Treat any other personnel you see out there as hostile."

"Roger, ma'am. Entering the forest outside the castle walls now."

"Copy." She replied. Not a second later, she saw five of her teammates making their way steadily through the trees parallel to the road and towards her two victims. No other figures appeared as women came upon the bodies and set up a perimeter around them before beginning their search.

"Ma'am, two items retrieved; a camera and a cut stone of some kind. One body confirmed as Germanian spy designated by Head Counselor Müller. Other body unknown."

"Copy. Bring the bodies back to the castle for further search and identification."

"Yes, ma'am."