chapter_0141

140 – Hunting Tonight

140 – Hunting Tonight

Hearing the words of the commander, Daniel went to the nearby city of Erestiom to find a way to contact the headquarters.

Although there was a radio operator in the company, the limited transmission range forced him to use the city’s communication network.

So, he stopped by the city hall, and fortunately, the mayor of Erestiom recognized Daniel, allowing him to borrow a telephone without much difficulty.

After contacting the headquarters through the phone, Daniel explained the situation, and the headquarters granted him permission to stay for a certain period.

Upon hearing this, Daniel outwardly formed a disappointed and dismal atmosphere, but inwardly he was cheering.

“I can rest for a few more days!”

After all, the front lines and the afterlife were better the later one arrived.

“What should I do to spend my time joyfully…?”

As Daniel was thinking of ways to entertain himself after leaving the city hall, Lucy interrupted.

“Colonel. If it’s alright with you, I would like to spend the day with you.”

Daniel’s body stiffened at Lucy’s gentle smile.

For Daniel, who wanted to spend his time leisurely alone, the presence of “Allied Nations spy Lucy” was not particularly welcome.

“Your aide? I doubt spending time with a superior would be very enjoyable.”

Daniel tried to shake her off with those words, but Lucy was resolute.

“Still, I want to be with you.”

Having found no further justification to refuse, Daniel reluctantly nodded.

“Then let’s start with a meal.”

Taking Lucy to a nearby restaurant (recommended by the mayor), Daniel had a plate of steak and was about to part ways with her.

He planned to say he had something to do nearby, very naturally.

“Colonel? Don’t lie.”

However, Lucy was more persistent than he had anticipated today, so they had no choice but to stay together.

In the end, Daniel ended up accompanying Lucy to a dessert shop (also recommended by the mayor).

A waiter approached Daniel and Lucy, who were sitting by the window in the cozy shop.

“Here are the Begenheim Wine and tiramisu you ordered.”

The waiter placed the plate with the tiramisu alongside the wine glass.

As the waiter poured the wine, Lucy tilted her head, looking at the dessert she had never seen before.

“What is this…?”

“This is one of the famous desserts from Erestiom. Erestiom is known for producing creamy yet light-textured cheese due to its warm and humid environment. This tiramisu made with that cheese boasts an exquisite taste.”

Lucy swallowed hard after hearing Daniel’s explanation.

Seeing that she was impressed, Daniel raised his finger and continued.

“Moreover, Begenheim Wine is a fortified wine produced in the southern region of the Eldresia Kingdom. It features a unique caramel flavor. Thanks to that, it’s optimized for pairing with tiramisu. However, it has a high alcohol content, so it’s best not to drink too much at once.”

The waiter, who had been listening, finished pouring the wine and smiled at Daniel.

“Just as you said. I don’t need to explain any further.”

“You’re too kind. I’m just casually knowledgeable about it.”

“In my opinion, you know more than my wife does.”

“Oh my. How does an officer speak so beautifully…?”

The waiter, who had let out a pleasant laugh, raised a hand to cover his mouth.

“Ah, I’ve been talking too much. I hope you have a wonderful time.”

As the waiter bowed and left, Lucy stared intently at Daniel.

While preparing to eat the tiramisu, Daniel became aware of Lucy’s gaze and felt puzzled.

“…Why? This should increase the chances of receiving good service.”

“Is that the reason?”

“Aide, stop looking at me as if I’m a strange person. I don’t mess with those who are taken. Moreover, I swear to God that my romantic pursuits are as blank as a sheet of paper.”

It was obvious that he was lying.

Lucy, who was about to mention Kelly, shook her head.

She didn’t want to ruin the mood unnecessarily.

As Daniel, who was observing Lucy’s demeanor, cut the tiramisu with a knife and put it in his mouth, a soft and sweet taste began to fill his mouth.

“Yum! Yes, this is the taste. You should try it too, aide. You’ll probably be surprised.”

Though it was an exaggeration, she decided to humor him.

Carefully taking a piece of the tiramisu with her fork after cutting it with a knife, Lucy took a cautious bite.

“…!”

And she was unexpectedly taken aback.

The violent softness and peripheral sweetness were paralyzing her brain.

It was so moving that her body tingled and resonated.

After swallowing the tiramisu, Lucy opened her mouth slightly in admiration.

After a moment of daze, she raised her glass and took a sip of the wine, only to be overwhelmed.

“Ah…!”

The caramel flavor gently enveloped the cream left in her mouth, dancing together.

Then, the acidity of the wine cleaned up the sweetness, compelling her to eat the tiramisu once more!

It was truly a perfect hostage situation unfolding in her mind.

“What do you think? The combination I recommended…”

Daniel, resting his hands on the table, leaned his chin on his hand and asked arrogantly.

Though she didn’t want to admit it, lying would be an insult to the dessert in front of her.

Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, Lucy had no choice but to concede defeat.

“…It’s delicious.”

Only then did Daniel break into a playful smile and lean back.

“Then feel free to eat as much as you want. I won’t interfere. If you want, you can even have mine?”

She wanted to eat it, but for some reason, she felt a bit resentful and bit her lip.

“I don’t want to eat your portion…”

Just as Lucy was about to refuse, her shoulders trembled slightly.

She felt someone’s persistent gaze.

Casually picking up a napkin, Lucy wiped her mouth and scanned the interior of the shop reflected in the window.

In that moment, she spotted a man who quickly turned his head away after watching them.

‘Just as I suspected…’

Indeed, Daniel had surveillance following him.

The implication of having surveillance in an unfamiliar city was clear.

Assassination.

–

After leaving the dessert shop, Daniel entered the largest hotel in the city (also recommended by the mayor).

The problem was that Lucy had followed him to the hotel.

Though it made Daniel somewhat uncomfortable, he didn’t express much dissatisfaction and walked over to the hotel desk staff.

The staff recognized Daniel and greeted him with a polite smile.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner, I presume? I received prior notice from the mayor. But who is this beside you?”

Daniel was about to answer, but Lucy jumped in first.

“I am Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, the direct aide to Colonel Daniel Steiner, who has been assigned to the 7th Division on the Eastern Front.”

“I see. Then after verifying your identities, I will arrange for an additional room…”

“I would like to request the same room.”

“What?”

Both the staff and Daniel were taken aback by Lucy’s words.

The same room? For a man and woman who had just shared a meal and drinks? The staff, wondering if they were in a romantic relationship, looked puzzled as Daniel turned to Lucy.

“Aide? Sharing a room? There seems to be a misunderstanding…”

“There is no misunderstanding. I must stay in the same room as Colonel Daniel.”

Lucy’s mind was filled with the thought of “I must protect Daniel.”

For the protection of a key figure, 24-hour close protection was essential.

Thus, she couldn’t find anything strange about a man and woman drinking together and staying in the same room.

On the other hand, from Daniel’s perspective, who was unaware of the risk of being assassinated, Lucy’s words and actions seemed abnormal.

After pondering for a while about why Lucy was acting this way today, Daniel came up with one possibility.

‘…It might be part of a seduction tactic.’

If he rejected this, Lucy might think the tactic had failed and harbor ill intentions.

Realizing that refusing was not a good approach, Daniel raised his hand and wiped his face.

“Since you say there is no misunderstanding…”

Turning to the staff, Daniel forced an awkward smile.

“It seems I will have to share a room with my aide. Please arrange for the same room.”

–

“The wolf has entered the Lampremp Hotel. With a woman who seems to be his lover.”

Bilbosel, sitting on a bench pretending to read a newspaper beyond the hotel entrance, whispered into his radio.

As he released the transmission button, a reply soon came through.

─ Confirmed. We will carry out the operation tomorrow, so prepare accordingly. Do not act recklessly.

Hearing the response from the radio, Bilbosel scoffed.

‘Waiting until tomorrow to kill an unguarded fool?’

From Bilbosel’s perspective, it was nonsense.

‘Those cowardly bastards are pathetic. Daniel Steiner will die today, not tomorrow.’

Bilbosel was not boasting.

He was an assassin specialized among spies.

The number of people Bilbosel had killed exceeded a hundred, including those with Neural Acceleration Abilities.

Thanks to this, Bilbosel was confident that he was the second most capable among the Allied Nations’ spies.

The only person he acknowledged as the first was an unidentified agent known by the codename Hongsa.

Only that person had killed more people than he had.

In other words, to Bilbosel, agents other than Hongsa were merely half-baked trash.

No matter how strong their abilities were, they meant nothing without practical experience.

‘Those who pride themselves on being strong will ultimately beg me for mercy. Daniel Steiner will be no different.’

Bilbosel let out a sinister laugh as he pulled out a dagger from his pocket.

The clean blade reflected the corpse-like, gloomy figure of Bilbosel.

‘By the way, the woman beside him was quite a looker…’

Bilbosel licked his lips with his tongue.

‘I wonder what kind of voice she will make before she dies…’

With the dagger tucked away, Bilbosel walked toward the hotel, chuckling softly.

He thought tonight would be a good hunt.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Hello, readers! This is the pet author!

I was considering making an announcement, but I thought more people would see the author’s note, so I’m saying it here instead!

I have made some revisions to the prologue for the sake of story development…!

–
Three divisions -> Division

–
Correction of Selvia’s speech

–
Deletion of tyrant description

Other than that, everything remains the same, so there’s no need to revisit it!

Anyway, thank you for reading today as well!

See you again tomorrow!