chapter_0051

50 – The Commander Karl Peter is Embarrassed

50 – The Commander Karl Peter is Embarrassed

As soon as the negotiation ended, Daniel returned to headquarters and reported to the Corps Commander as protocol dictated.

In the process, the Corps Commander asked Daniel if the negotiation had gone well, and Daniel replied that he had done his best, but it was too early to predict the outcome.

After spending a day in the hotel provided by the corps, Daniel woke up early in the morning and headed to the hotel restaurant.

He had come to have breakfast, and the restaurant was crowded with people despite the early hour, suggesting that the quality of the hotel food was not bad.

Looking at the people talking while eating, most of them were field grade officers.

There were a few non-commissioned officers and company grade officers, but not many.

Hotel accommodation was only allowed for key figures in the corps among the officers.

Compliments about the delicious food were occasionally heard among them.

‘Well, compared to field rations, even the lowest-grade hotel food would taste like heaven…’

It was a luxury to be able to eat hotel food on the battlefield, though it shouldn’t be.

Daniel sent his heartfelt condolences to the soldiers who were suffering outside and walked to an empty table with a few items on his buffet plate.

Then, Sergeant Glendy and Lieutenant Mckell, who were already eating, turned their heads at the sound.

Upon discovering Daniel, they both quickly rose from their seats.

“Major Daniel, you’re here!”

“Good morning!”

Daniel was startled and turned around at their shouts.

Both of them were sending him admiring glances, which was quite burdensome.

Feeling awkward, Daniel deliberately placed his plate a little away from them.

“…Good morning. More importantly, why do you two look so excited?”

As Daniel took off his overcoat and asked, Sergeant Glendy spoke first.

“Well, we were originally assigned to a lower unit of the corps, and now we’re eating hotel food on the battlefield? It’s all thanks to you, Major Daniel.”

“I agree with the Sergeant. Thanks to you, Major, we were able to build up our achievements, and above all, I feel honored to be able to dedicate myself to the Empire.”

Daniel felt a little guilty because of the two men who were talking with excited expressions.

‘You won’t feel honored, will you? You’re probably going to be court-martialed…’

Daniel was full of thoughts of escaping the Empire with the help of the Kingdom.

If Daniel, the commander of the company, defected to the enemy, the officers under his command would be suspected of treason and subjected to all sorts of investigations before being brought to trial.

He could almost see the two men’s happy smiles turning into despair, but Daniel, who was in no position to reveal his true feelings, nodded vaguely and sat down.

As Daniel sat down, Sergeant Glendy and Lieutenant Mckell also sat down and continued their meal.

Daniel also ate while planning his escape from the Empire in his head.

‘The Kingdom will try to contact me in some way soon.’

The easiest way would be to use their intelligence agents, but they might not be able to move easily because they thought the headquarters’ security was tight.

‘Then I’ll have to wait until the 3rd Corps’ full-scale attack.’

When the corps’ full-scale attack begins, the front lines will be partially broken down.

All available personnel inside the headquarters will be deployed for the full-scale attack.

Moreover, it was safe to say that almost no one could maintain their sanity while shells were flying and tanks were constantly scraping the ground.

Snatching one person out of that chaos would be a piece of cake.

‘When that time comes…’

He would pretend to participate in the war and go to the front lines, then contact the Kingdom’s agents and defect.

If he succeeded in entering the Kingdom, everything would be smooth sailing from then on.

‘The Kingdom is only a bridge for the final defection.’

The goal of this plan was to make a deal with the Allied Nations inside the Kingdom, using the fact that there were more undisclosed secrets as bait, and sneak out.

‘When I arrive in the Allied Nations through a safe route, I’ll meet with the higher-ups there…’

He was planning to propose a deal based on the information he knew about the Empire.

In exchange for handing over the information, all Daniel wanted was permanent residency, a new identity, protection, and a little money, so there was no need to worry about the deal falling through.

‘Let’s see. Which country should I get permanent residency in, Edria?’

Edria was a leading country in the International Alliance and a permanent member of the Security Council, wielding enormous power.

It was currently the safest country from the ravages of war.

‘Kaledra, who actually rules Edria, is a quick-witted and calculating person.’

However, one thing that worried him was that Lucy was also from Edria.

He didn’t know how Lucy, who hated traitors, would react if she found out about his defection.

‘Maybe another country would be better…’

Daniel, who was seriously considering it, shrugged his shoulders once.

He thought that escaping the Empire was the first priority, so he could solve these minor worries later.

Of course, in the worst case, the Kingdom might just take the secrets and pretend not to know, but he wasn’t worried about that.

‘From the Kingdom’s point of view, I’m like a VIP who has given them countless secrets unconditionally. They’ll think I’m still valuable in the future.’

Daniel, who had peeled a shrimp and put it in his mouth, smiled.

‘Maybe Ivan, the Foreign Minister, is treating me like an angel right now.’

Even putting aside the image, it was natural for them to covet an officer from the enemy’s General Staff who was friendly to their country and want to take him in.

‘Now everything is just a matter of time.’

Daniel, who thought things were going according to plan, smiled contentedly and continued his meal.

*

Meanwhile, Corps Commander Karl Peter Krau was working at his desk without even having breakfast.

If the negotiations failed, he would have to launch a full-scale attack, so he was reviewing the numerous plans he had made from beginning to end once again.

It was tiring and painful work, but it was the best way to reduce the casualties of the soldiers even a little.

‘Of course, it would be best if the armistice negotiations were successful…’

Karl Peter did not think the negotiations would be successful.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to trust Daniel, the man recommended by his Chief of Staff, Cedric, but Karl Peter also thought that the Empire’s demands were absurd.

Moreover, weren’t these the negotiations that even the so-called elite military advisors had failed to bring to fruition?

The possibility of placing hope in Daniel was too low.

‘As long as the Kingdom’s determination to fight to the death is firm, we will have no choice but to resort to force.’

He felt sorry when he thought about the many sacrifices that would follow, but it couldn’t be helped.

It was when Karl Peter was leaning back in his chair with complex emotions.

Knock, knock─

Karl Peter, who had raised his eyes at the sound of the knock, opened his mouth.

“Come in.”

Then the door opened and his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Kalpren, entered.

He wondered if he had brought him a meal, but Kalpren’s hands were empty.

“What is it? I’m busy, so just tell me what you need to…”

Karl Peter, who was frowning and speaking out of annoyance, stopped talking.

It was because Kalpren’s expression was somehow filled with shock.

“…Aide-de-camp?”

He asked, wondering what was wrong, but he remained silent.

Only then did Karl Peter understand the situation and let out a low sigh.

“It seems the Kingdom has sent a telegram saying they will not agree to the negotiations. It can’t be helped. Emperor’s order is to launch a full-scale attack if they do not listen to the third recommendation-”

“That’s not it.”

Karl Peter’s eyebrow twitched.

He felt strange that Kalpren had interrupted him.

“That’s not it? Could it be…”

Karl Peter, who was making guesses in his head, wore a rare look of surprise.

“Daniel succeeded in the negotiations?”

Kalpren, who swallowed hard at Karl Peter’s question, nodded.

“Yes. According to a telegram sent by the Kingdom this morning, they will agree to all of the Empire’s demands. They even offered to cede Nordia and Wegenheim.”

What? Karl Peter’s mouth hung open blankly.

They would accept the existing conditions, and even hand over Wegenheim, a city adjacent to the Empire?

‘That Kingdom that was insisting on fighting to the death?’

The Kingdom, which had been baring its teeth and growling, was now a docile dog wagging its tail, so Karl Peter couldn’t understand it.

‘Isn’t this completely terrified and taking a posture of submission?’

Karl Peter, who had been dumbfounded, finally regained his senses and looked at Kalpren.

“What on earth happened at the negotiation table? Do you know anything?”

“No one heard the conversation, so I don’t know the details. However, Ivan, the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister, recalled the conversation at the time and said…”

Kalpren, who was watching Karl Peter’s reaction, continued in a small voice.

“…It was like having a conversation with the child of Satan in human skin.”

A heavy silence fell between them.

Karl Peter, who had heard Kalpren’s words, was unknowingly sweating.

‘Major Daniel… what on earth did he do there?’

It was the first time he had ever felt so afraid of his own side’s achievements.