chapter_0075

74 – Do You Really Think You Used Daniel?

74 – Do You Really Think You Used Daniel?

The entire Empire was buzzing with excitement over Daniel Steiner’s total war speech, but the man himself felt utterly despondent.

“……”

In the staff headquarters’ break room, Daniel stared out the window, holding a paper cup filled with coffee.

In the distance, he could see citizens standing outside the entrance of the headquarters, holding placards.

The placards bore slogans like “We want total war!” and “Empire’s hero! Daniel Steiner!”

These were citizens who had gathered, moved by the speech they had heard on the radio, eager to see Daniel in person.

Among the crowd were reporters with cameras, which made Daniel sigh involuntarily.

“Looks like I won’t be getting off early today…”

The moment he stepped out of the headquarters, he would undoubtedly be bombarded with praise he didn’t want and a barrage of questions.

For the record, this was not just Daniel’s prediction; it was based on experience.

Just a few days ago, he had tried to ignore them, and a commotion had ensued.

Thinking back to the two hours he had spent surrounded by the crowd, answering all sorts of questions, still made Daniel shudder.

“I can understand why idols dislike their obsessive fans.”

With a disgruntled look, Daniel lifted the paper cup and took a sip of coffee.

It was then that he began to contemplate how he should conduct himself moving forward.

“Oh! Who do we have here!”

At the voice coming from behind him, Daniel turned his head slightly.

It was Colonel Ernst, the chief of operations.

As Ernst approached Daniel, he wore a friendly smile.

“Aren’t you our hero, Daniel Steiner? I was worried because you’ve been holed up in your office since you started working, not wanting to step out, but seeing your face…”

Ernst paused as he looked at Daniel, who seemed to have darker circles under his eyes.

“…You don’t look so good. It seems you haven’t been sleeping well lately?”

“I’m troubled by various issues,” Daniel replied.

“What kind of troubles? From what I see, it seems like a smooth road lies ahead of you. Even the higher-ups are praising your total war speech.”

Ernst was unaware that this was one of Daniel’s concerns.

The impact of the total war speech was beyond what Daniel had imagined.

It was not just a matter of the Empire’s citizens cheering; it was drawing positive effects regarding the war from various sectors of society.

Foreign reporters were covering this daily, making Daniel feel like he was in a living hell.

If the difficulty of seeking asylum before the speech was like passing through the eye of a needle, the difficulty afterward was akin to breaking through a concrete wall.

In short, it had become nearly impossible.

“So, the choices now are…”

Either to make the Empire a hegemonic power or to escape abroad by laundering his identity through a trustworthy broker.

However, both options had significantly reduced feasibility.

While the total war speech had accelerated preparations for the world war, the Empire faced three enemies, all of whom were great powers.

Moreover, they were geographically encircling the Empire, forcing it to fight under the disadvantageous premise of having to block three fronts with both hands.

“Unless the Empire miraculously wins consecutively…”

The outcome of becoming a defeated nation would not change significantly.

Then, what about laundering his identity and fleeing to another country through a trustworthy broker? That was even more absurd.

“As long as they know I’m alive, both the Empire and the Allied Nations will come looking for me.”

Unless he could disguise himself as dead, it was nearly impossible.

“Is there really no way…?”

Daniel shook his head, lost in thought as he tried to escape a grim future.

He thought it was inappropriate to be deep in thought with his superior beside him.

“I think, as you say, a smooth road has opened up. However, I believe the bridge supporting that road was built poorly, making it extremely dangerous.”

At Daniel’s words, Ernst paused.

‘Poorly built? Is he saying the Empire’s leadership is incompetent?’

Sweating coldly, Ernst opened his mouth to gauge Daniel’s reaction.

“Are you perhaps thinking of finding the cause of the poor construction and eliminating it?”

That statement strangely sounded to Daniel like, “Will you find another way to escape the Empire?”

‘Ernst probably thinks this is just anxiety about rapid promotion…’

Thinking it was odd that they understood each other, Daniel let out a low chuckle.

“Yes. If possible, I intend to eliminate it.”

Ernst’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Daniel’s calm assertion about the incompetence of the Empire’s leadership and his intention to seek them out and eliminate them felt frightening.

“This isn’t just a simple joke. Daniel might actually carry it out.”

Swallowing hard while glancing at Daniel, Ernst spoke in a creeping voice.

“Colonel Daniel? Do you think I am incompetent?”

What was that all of a sudden? Daniel blinked in surprise and shook his head.

“No. Colonel, you are not incompetent.”

Thanks to that, Ernst let out a sigh of relief.

“…Thank you. I will do my best not to become incompetent in the future.”

Daniel looked at Ernst, who was speaking strangely, with a puzzled expression and nodded.

There was no need to deny it when his superior was trying hard.

–

Meanwhile, in the dining hall of the Imperial Palace.

In the unnecessarily spacious and grand dining hall, maidservants stood lined up against the walls, waiting.

Unbothered by any of this, Emperor Bertham sat at the long table, dining with his daughter and wife.

“Selvia, it seems your decision was correct.”

As he sat in a lavish chair, cutting his meat, Bertham spoke in a deep voice.

“Choosing Daniel as the speaker was an excellent decision. Thanks to him, the Empire is more united than ever. I don’t even need to step in.”

At his father’s praise, a smile spread across Selvia’s face.

“I merely practiced what I learned from you. It was your teaching that people should be placed in the right positions.”

“Hmm. You learned from me, did you? Then you learned it incorrectly.”

Selvia’s smile faded, puzzled by what he meant, when Bertham continued.

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have put Daniel in the position of speaker. The opportunity to speak in front of a large crowd was something Daniel Steiner would not have desired.”

“…Was it something Colonel Daniel wanted?”

“Yes. Daniel is smarter than I thought. So he must have sensed that I was keeping an eye on him at the shooting range not long ago.”

Bertham lightly mumbled as he chewed the meat he had cut.

After swallowing the meat, Bertham took a sip of red wine and continued.

“He must have thought that the old Emperor might pressure him. He would have felt a sense of crisis. What would be the easiest way to escape that sense of crisis?”

“That would be…”

“To spread his influence across the Empire through a speech. No matter how much of an Emperor I am, he would make it so that I wouldn’t dare touch him. And his plan was successful.”

Selvia’s brow furrowed as she listened to the conversation.

“Father, that’s an excessive assumption. Daniel is not that kind of person.”

Bertham chuckled softly.

“An assumption, is it? Selvia, don’t you remember what Daniel said at the end of his speech?”

“At the end of the speech…”

“He said he would represent the nation and the people under the protection of His Majesty the Emperor. As if his speech was not greatly different from the Emperor’s will.”

Bertham set down his utensils and looked at Selvia.

“Was Daniel’s speech the Emperor’s will? Tell me, Selvia. Have you ever ordered Daniel to give such a speech?”

She couldn’t answer.

What Selvia had demanded from the National Propaganda Department and Daniel was not a radical total war speech.

Though she had forgotten because the result was successful, Daniel had denied the content of the speech and continued on his own accord.

It was close to disobedience.

“Daniel did not listen to orders. However, Selvia, you cannot punish Daniel. Because the total war speech has brought a favorable wind across the Empire. If you were to punish Daniel in this situation, it would be tantamount to turning the people against you.”

Bertham took a handkerchief and wiped his mouth.

“Selvia, you are still young. You are politically immature. You are being used by Daniel while mistakenly thinking you are using him.”

Clenching her fist secretly, Selvia finally spoke with difficulty.

“Daniel rejected my suggestion to make him a speaker. I was the one who forced it. And yet, are you saying I was used?”

Bertham, having wiped his mouth clean, chuckled softly.

“The wiser a person is, the less they reveal their true intentions. Why do you think Daniel rejected your suggestion? Was it because he truly disliked it? No. It was because he knew you would force it.”

“……”

“Knowing you would force it, why did he reject it? Perhaps to have an escape route in case things went wrong, saying, ‘I didn’t want to, but it was what His Majesty commanded.’”

Bertham folded the handkerchief and placed it on the table.

“Selvia, you have made the Empire prosperous with this choice, but at the same time, you have inflated the body of the wolf named Daniel, who threatens the authority of the Imperial family. Do you understand what this means?”

Bertham narrowed his eyes sharply at the silent Selvia.

“It means you might get your throat torn out by him. So remember this. Daniel Steiner is an excellent talent that the Empire will never see again…”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

After a brief pause, Bertham spoke sincerely.

“…But he is just as dangerous, a double-edged sword.”