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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Conditions of a Loyal Subject
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The next morning.
"This is the place that man spoke of."
Accompanied by police officers, Daniel stopped in front of a commercial building.
The man who had introduced himself as Morten in the chapel yesterday had confessed that he 'intended to help the Prince incite a rebellion in the capital,' so they had come to investigate.
To be honest, Daniel had dismissed it as the ravings of a madman, but since a report concerning rebellion had come in, he couldn't avoid investigating.
So, as soon as morning broke, he had requested assistance from the local police station and arrived at this location.
"Outwardly, it looks like a typical commercial building…"
Inspector Baretti, head of the detective division, tilted his head in bewilderment.
Daniel agreed, but there was always the possibility.
"If that man truly was the leader of a secret organization, disguising the building and their identities to avoid suspicion would be a basic tactic. It might not be the testimony of a madman, so it's best to be careful."
Seeing Inspector Baretti nod, Daniel stepped inside the commercial building.
The door to the building was open, but for some reason, no staff were visible to greet customers.
Only bloodstains splattered on the display shelves.
Upon seeing the bloodstains, Daniel instinctively drew his revolver from its holster.
"Damn it. It seems that man's words were true after all. Everyone, arm yourselves!"
Hearing Daniel's shout, Inspector Baretti and the police officers of the investigation team all drew their pistols.
In that tense atmosphere, Daniel crouched down and surveyed his surroundings.
'Footprints…'
Footprints, seemingly from military boots, led straight in one direction.
When he cast his gaze that way, he saw an iron door leading to the basement standing wide open.
Seeing carpets and a few pieces of furniture casually tossed around, it seemed they had usually kept it hidden from plain sight.
"Major Daniel? Have you found something…?"
As the inspector approached with the police officers, Daniel raised a hand to stop them.
After carefully examining the surroundings once more, Daniel straightened up from his crouch.
"It seems some kind of armed group has infiltrated the basement. It looks like they were guarding the basement for a while and have come out relatively recently."
"Huh? How do you know that, Major Daniel?"
"The footprints. The military boot prints leading inside seem quite old, covered in dust, but the prints leading out are fresh, as if just made."
Taking Daniel's words as advice, Baretti looked around and secretly admired him, saying:
"You're certainly right. In that case…"
"A dangerous situation could arise. Request backup from headquarters."
Nodding in tension, the inspector picked up his radio.
"This is Inspector Baretti. We need additional support. Send immediate backup to the red-roofed commercial building by the river in Sector 13, near Pianmari Village."
A confirmation was heard from beyond the radio.
Hearing that the backup request had been accepted, Daniel moved towards the basement.
It was to confirm what had happened there.
Though reluctant, Inspector Baretti also had no choice but to follow Daniel into the basement.
After descending the rough stairs for a while, a considerably spacious area unfolded before them.
"This is…"
Inspector Baretti, turning on his flashlight, discovered numerous desks and telex machines.
In addition, half-burnt documents were scattered haphazardly across the floor.
Just as he wondered what kind of place this was, Daniel picked up one of the scattered documents nearby.
Daniel's brow furrowed as he saw it.
"It seems the man who introduced himself as Morten was telling the truth after all."
The document outlined a plan to threaten politicians and journalists and incite citizens.
The moment the charge of rebellion became clear, a noisy commotion was heard from somewhere.
Turning his head, he heard sounds emanating from a room partitioned off.
Daniel, raising a hand to signal Inspector Baretti and the police officers, moved towards the room.
Daniel, with his finger on the trigger of his revolver, pushed open the door and was taken aback.
"Mmph, mmmph!?"
"Ughhh…"
This was because numerous people, bound hand and foot, were groaning with gags in their mouths.
Some, upon seeing Daniel's face, were startled and crawled backward like caterpillars.
Inspector Baretti, belatedly confirming the scene inside the room, turned pale.
"What in the world is this…?"
"I don't know either. First, please remove their gags. We need to hear what happened."
Nodding, Inspector Baretti put his pistol in his back pocket and removed the gag from the mouth of the man closest to them.
At that, the man cried out with a terrified expression.
"P-please save me! Major Daniel Steiner! Please save me! I'll never be involved in such things again! Please…!"
The man's overreaction flustered Daniel.
'Why are they asking me to save them?'
Inspector Baretti was equally perplexed.
Wondering if the man was just rambling in a panic, Inspector Baretti ungagged another person.
And then.
"Major Daniel! Please save me! I beg you! I have a family to feed! H-huhuhu… Please forgive me!"
Another person, terrified, was also begging Daniel for forgiveness.
Seeing that, Inspector Baretti looked at Daniel with a suspicious expression.
Aware of Inspector Baretti's gaze, Daniel broke out in a cold sweat and said,
"Inspector? I know what you're thinking, but I swear to God, I didn't do this."
However, Inspector Baretti's suspicion showed no signs of disappearing.
Even the surrounding police officers felt a certain dread towards Daniel and subtly backed away.
"…Everyone? I truly didn't do this. Please believe me."
Daniel, feeling wronged, pleaded with sincerity, but it didn't reach the police officers.
In the ensuing silence, Inspector Baretti swallowed hard and said,
"For now, I'll note in the report that Major Daniel knew nothing."
"Inspector? I'm telling you again, I really didn't do it."
"Yes. Of course, Major Daniel wouldn't have done it. I'll keep that in mind."
Baretti removed his police hat and bowed deeply towards Daniel.
It was a gesture meant to convey that he would absolutely not harm Major Daniel, so there was no need to worry.
It was the political maneuver of someone who knew not to incur the displeasure of an influential figure capable of such deeds.
However, for Daniel, who truly had no involvement in this incident, it was simply unfair.
Daniel raised a hand, ran it over his face, and let out a low sigh.
'I just wanted to enjoy my vacation…'
He was starting to hate being caught up in such absurdities.
*
Late at night, inside the Imperial Palace office.
'They're taking over the capital…'
Princess Selvia gazed down at the map of the capital spread out on her office desk.
The map had X marks drawn with a red pen, indicating the locations where pro-Princess politicians and journalists had been threatened by armed groups.
'Collecting the data was good, but…'
The problem was the lack of consistency.
If their base was located within the capital, there would surely be overlapping areas of activity.
But they appeared from entirely unexpected directions, as if mocking the Princess's pursuit.
'If the armed groups are operating like a cell-based organization…'
As Selvia had initially suspected, it was correct to assume their headquarters were located somewhere other than the capital.
'But how do I find it?'
The empire was vast.
It was impossible to search the entire vast empire.
Furthermore, Selvia expected that they had established themselves quite some time ago.
Otherwise, they couldn't move so organized and systematically.
Even at a minimum, they would have established their headquarters and begun operations three years ago, making the search even more difficult.
As a result, the scope of activity for pro-Princess politicians and journalists was gradually shrinking.
They were playing it safe, as there was a high possibility of being threatened or harmed by the enemy.
'I have to find it somehow.'
But there was no suitable method.
Selvia, who had been racking her brain with a hand on her forehead, half-opened her eyes.
'If only that person were by my side right now…'
Daniel Steiner.
The man who had taken Nordia with ingenious tactics and strategies.
If that coveted talent had been by her side, he might have found the Prince's secret organization for her.
But now Daniel had applied for a long vacation and left the capital.
As if he had no interest in the war of succession.
So Selvia couldn't summon Daniel.
'I don't know what that man is thinking.'
She had thought he was finally going to become her person when he showed interest in the limousine heading to the palace, but then he suddenly took a vacation at the most crucial time.
As she restlessly tapped on her office desk, a knock sounded.
Selvia straightened her posture, cleared her throat, and said,
"Come in."
Then the office door opened, and Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard, entered.
Hartmann gave a light salute and approached Selvia.
"Your Highness. Have you been working late into the night?"
"It's a matter of life and death. More importantly, what brings you here?"
"I came to see you, knowing it was rude, as there's an urgent matter to report."
An urgent matter to report? Selvia nodded, as if telling him to speak.
"Then I shall tell you. It is reported that the leadership of the Prince's secret organization, which Your Highness has been continuously tracking, has been apprehended all at once."
Selvia's eyes widened.
Selvia, who had been sitting still as if disbelieving, sprang up from her chair.
"Is that truly so? I mean, are you certain of this information?"
"It's a matter directly reported by the police station in charge of the Betargen Barony in the Southern Empire. Judging by the documents they sent, there is no falsehood."
If they had apprehended them, it was tantamount to gaining a significant advantage in the succession struggle.
Selvia, overjoyed by the sudden stroke of luck, unconsciously raised her voice and said,
"Who is it? Who on earth achieved such a great feat?"
"That is…"
Hartmann, bowing slightly at the waist, whispered to Selvia.
"Although he claims it wasn't him, circumstances point to Major Daniel Steiner."
Thanks to this, Selvia was dumbfounded.
"…Daniel, you say?"
Hadn't Daniel applied for a vacation and gone back to his hometown?
No, thinking about it in reverse, it didn't make sense for him to apply for a long vacation during the most crucial period in the capital.
'Considering his activities in various fields, Daniel wants a promotion.'
A competent staff officer hungry for promotion taking a vacation at a time when the next emperor might be decided?
That was preposterous.
'In that case, Daniel, from the very beginning…'
It was clear he had 'performed a mission disguised as a vacation' for Selvia.
'Now that I think about it, Daniel also said before that I would become the Emperor.'
She remembered what Hartmann had told her when she went north disguised as a war correspondent.
Even while surrounded by the Prince's assassins, Daniel had maintained his conviction that 'it is the Princess, not the Prince, who will become Emperor.'
'Hiding his true purpose from me and taking a vacation…'
It made sense if it was adhering to the military strategy that to deceive the enemy, one must even deceive one's allies.
Now understanding all of Daniel's words and actions, a faint smile graced Selvia's lips.
'Previously, he risked his life to protect me…'
This time, he was even doing unbidden things to make Selvia emperor.
Selvia, who had unconsciously grown fond of Daniel, parted her delicate lips.
"He really is an incorrigible man, Daniel Steiner…"
In Selvia's eyes, Daniel was both a capable strategist and a truly loyal subject.