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59 – What on Earth Are You Talking About?

59 – What on Earth Are You Talking About?

Emerging from Jack’s restaurant, Morten felt a surge of unease, quickening his pace.

Daniel’s cryptic words had planted a seed of anxiety, making his breath come in ragged gasps.

‘That bastard had no intention of talking. Cooperation? Daniel himself must have known it was absurd…’

Yet, Daniel had somehow coerced Morten into seeking him out, using veiled threats in the monastery’s dining hall.

What on earth was Daniel’s motive for doing that?

Morten’s steps slowed as he mentally calculated, trying to deduce the reason.

‘He never intended to cooperate from the start. Then perhaps…’

His slowing steps came to a complete halt.

‘…the goal was to lure me away from the Dawn’s Twilight headquarters?’

A chilling realization flashed through his mind.

This was a tactic to incapacitate the leader of an organization before moving to dismantle it entirely.

‘I’ve been had…!’

Anxiety turning into certainty, Morten pulled out his radio from his coat and switched it on.

Tuning the frequency, Morten pressed the transmit button and spoke urgently.

“Headquarters! Do you hear me!? Anyone, answer! This is an emergency!”

But no one responded.

Sensing something was wrong, Morten checked the frequency and pressed the transmit button again.

“Headquarters! Answer me! We need to evacuate immediately…”

Morten stopped mid-sentence.

He thought he knew why no one was answering.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, he removed his finger from the transmit button, and a ‘beep’ sounded.

Immediately after, eerie laughter echoed through the radio.

Morten froze as the laughter from beyond the radio slowly subsided.

─ Are you listening, Morten Blackmore?

It was a voice he had never heard before.

That meant the Dawn’s Twilight headquarters had been seized by the enemy.

─ You were up to some rather interesting things down in the basement. Unfortunately, you won’t be enjoying them any longer.

The hand gripping the radio weakened.

The thought of everyone at headquarters being defeated was almost too much to bear.

Even as he struggled, the voice continued from the radio.

─ Morten Blackmore. This is your first and last warning.

After a brief pause, a chilling yet serious voice continued.

─ Do not dare to oppose Daniel Steiner.

With those final words, the transmission ended.

Morten stared blankly at the radio before suddenly feeling dizzy and staggering.

His heart pounded erratically, and he felt a wave of nausea.

Clutching his chest, Morten stumbled towards a nearby wall, leaning against it and bowing his head.

“Hah, hah…”

Morten gasped for air, his eyes trembling slightly.

‘His Highness’s… my grand plan…’

Had been utterly crushed by a man named Daniel Steiner.

“Ah, ah…!”

Morten let out a sound that was somewhere between a scream and a groan, then suddenly began to sob quietly.

He could no longer deny it.

‘I was just…’

Being played in the palm of Daniel Steiner’s hand.

*

After finishing his meal, Daniel headed towards the monastery instead of returning to his lodgings.

Morten’s rudeness had made Daniel feel unpleasant in more ways than one.

Arriving at the monastery, Daniel immediately sought out the Abbot.

He found the Abbot, Hieroni, walking along the cloistered courtyard with a candlestick, and Daniel strode towards him.

“Abbot!”

Hieroni startled and turned around.

Seeing Daniel, Hieroni couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion.

“Daniel? Weren’t you going to Jack’s restaurant?”

“I did go… but that’s not important right now.”

Hieroni blinked, taken aback by Daniel’s seemingly angry demeanor.

“Did something happen at the restaurant? Why do you seem so upset?”

“It did. I met someone from the City Council.”

“A City Council member?”

“Yes! A truly rude person. Has the City Council been so overbearing with you and the children as well?”

Power usually stemmed from money.

And Daniel knew all too well how shameless a person drunk on power could be.

If the City Council had been constantly harassing the monastery under the guise of allocating donation funds, Daniel would not be able to forgive them.

That was why he had come to hear the full story from the Abbot.

However, Hieroni was simply puzzled, as he had never seen the City Council members behave rudely.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. The City Council members have all been polite and courteous. Moreover, they said that they would not cut the donation budget this time, even though the City Council is facing financial difficulties.”

“…They said they wouldn’t cut the donation budget?”

Then what was that man talking about at Jack’s restaurant when he mentioned war?

Just as he was blinking in confusion, footsteps approached.

Turning his head reflexively, Daniel saw the Vice-Abbot coming around the corner of the courtyard.

“Vice-Abbot.”

Daniel nodded lightly, and the Vice-Abbot chuckled.

“Daniel, I was wondering what was going on when someone came looking for you so suddenly. You should have at least told us you were back.”

“I apologize. I had something urgent to discuss with the Abbot… More importantly, you said I had a visitor?”

The Vice-Abbot nodded.

“Yes. I told him that visitors weren’t allowed in the monastery at this hour, but he insisted on meeting Major Daniel Steiner. He seemed to have some urgent business, so I let him in.”

“…Me?”

He wondered who it could be, but he couldn’t rudely refuse someone who had come all this way.

“I understand. Where is he?”

“He’s waiting in the chapel.”

Daniel nodded and headed towards the chapel.

After turning a few corners in the hallway, Daniel found the chapel and opened the door.

The scene inside the chapel, visible through the open door, was still and silent.

Moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows that adorned the ceiling and walls.

In the center of the chapel, a man was gazing up at the statue of God.

As Daniel approached, the man sensed his presence and turned around.

Daniel’s brow furrowed as he recognized the man.

‘That man from Jack’s restaurant.’

Aside from the fact that his face looked much more haggard than a few hours ago, it was definitely the same person.

‘But why is he here? Could he be here to apologize…’

This was the man who had joined him without asking and then suddenly started making threatening remarks.

Daniel, still unable to forget the unpleasantness he had felt at the time, broke the brief silence.

“You must have something to say.”

Morten’s shoulders twitched at Daniel’s words.

Clenching and unclenching his fists nervously, Morten slowly walked towards Daniel.

Swallowing hard, Morten reached Daniel’s immediate vicinity and slowly knelt down.

‘No. I didn’t mean for him to go this far…’

Daniel was taken aback and couldn’t say anything as Morten spoke.

“…Major Daniel Steiner. I admit my complete defeat.”

Daniel’s bewilderment only increased at Morten’s words.

Just as he was wondering what he was talking about, Morten continued in a somber tone.

“You have won, Major. I have lost everything and have no strength to recover. You may dispose of me as you wish. But my family…”

Tears welled up in Morten’s eyes and streamed down his cheeks.

“Please, spare my family. They are innocent people who know nothing. If you spare my family, I will quietly confess that I have been working in the shadows for His Highness.”

Daniel couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

‘What is he talking about?’

He was at a loss for words, as the man had suddenly come to him and was making such nonsensical confessions.

Daniel sighed softly, feeling a headache coming on, and said,

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about at all.”

“Yes? But Major Daniel Steiner…”

Daniel sighed again and knelt down on one knee, looking at Morten.

“I’ll say it one more time.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Morten.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Morten’s eyes trembled slightly at Daniel’s words.

He understood what Daniel was trying to do by saying that.

‘He’s trying to hide the fact that he has an armed force under his command…’

It would be problematic in many ways if it became known that a mere soldier possessed a private armed group.

In Morten’s eyes, Daniel seemed to be ‘playing dumb’ to avoid outside interference.

He was lying to avoid creating even the slightest opportunity for someone to find fault with him.

It sent shivers down his spine.

He was truly a meticulous and cold-blooded individual.

‘How many steps ahead is he seeing…?’

Was the annihilation of the Dawn’s Twilight, a secret organization under the Crown Prince, just a part of a larger plan that Daniel Steiner was orchestrating?

The words of those who had told him never to oppose Daniel Steiner were now hitting home.

Feeling an unknown fear, Morten placed his hands on the floor and slowly lowered his head.

“Yes. I will keep that in mind. Major Daniel Steiner…”

In a prostrate position, Morten, consumed by fear, pressed his forehead to the floor as a sign of submission.

Tears streamed from his tightly closed eyes.

“Really knows nothing…”

Amidst faint sobs, Morten was once again certain.

This was a battle that could never have been won from the start.

A Word from the Author (Author’s Afterword)

Today is the weekend!

To all my beloved readers! I hope you have a happy and enjoyable weekend.

Then, let’s meet again tomorrow!