chapter_0179

178 – Normalization of Daniel’s Empire

178 – Normalization of Daniel’s Empire

Late evening.

Count Opilo’s mansion.

“Honey? What on earth is going on?”

The Countess Opilo, filled with anxiety, watched Opilo standing in front of the telephone by the window.

Nearby, Opilo’s hastily packed luggage lay scattered about.

“Honey? Please, answer me!”

The Countess pleaded, but Opilo only held the receiver and dialed the phone.

It was the third attempt already, but only an ominous ringing tone echoed; no one answered on the other end.

Opilo groaned and muttered something as he dialed again.

“Honey! I have a right to know what’s happening! Why are you doing this?”

The ringing tone continued for a long time, but again, no one answered the phone.

“Damn it!”

Opilo, gritting his teeth, threw the receiver down in a fit of pique.

The Countess, startled by the violent action, flinched as Opilo took a breath and frowned.

“I bribed someone in the Imperial City guard, but they’re not answering the phone! I thought they might be off-duty, so I called home, but it’s the same! That son of a bitch is deliberately avoiding me!”

Opilo, with trembling hands, touched his forehead.

“Damn it all. That beastly bastard…”

The Countess, who had been watching him from the side, said in a barely audible voice.

“…Why do you need the guard’s help?”

“Because Daniel Steiner will be blockading the Imperial City! He’s hell-bent on arresting anyone associated with Duke Belvar! What do you think will happen if we try to leave the Imperial City in this situation? It’s only a matter of time before we’re arrested!”

“Duke Belvar said he wouldn’t talk. So why…”

Opilo, lowering the hand that had been on his forehead, bit his lip.

“Daniel Steiner has captured Duke Belvar’s family. Considering that Duke Belvar hasn’t revealed any secrets because of his family, it’s only a matter of time before a list is drawn up. That’s why I was trying to get out of the Imperial City, but…”

The unfortunate incident of not receiving a call from the guard had occurred.

He had expected it, but as reality approached, he felt as if his only escape route had been blocked.

Opilo, grinding his teeth in annoyance, calmed himself by taking a low breath.

The situation was turning against him, but this was a matter of survival, and he couldn’t give up easily.

“Remira. Pack your bags.”

“Yes? But you just said the guard is deliberately not answering…”

“Still, we have to try! If I go to the guard directly and show my face, maybe they’ll let our family through. They’ve taken our money, so they won’t be able to refuse easily.”

With that, Opilo began to pack his bags one by one.

Opilo, carrying bags in both hands, was about to rush out of the room when he stopped.

‘I clearly told her to pack her bags…’

His wife, Remira, was blankly staring out the window, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

She occasionally showed a lack of awareness of reality, but even in this urgent situation, she was just standing there blankly, which frustrated him.

“Remira! Didn’t I tell you to pack your bags! Go get the children too…”

Opilo’s voice trailed off as he approached the window.

The sound of a vehicle’s exhaust was faintly audible from outside the window.

“Could it be…”

Opilo, filled with an ominous premonition, dropped the bags he was holding in both hands.

Remira, turning to look at Opilo, opened her mouth with a faint sob.

“I think it’s starting.”

His strength drained from his body, and dizziness washed over him.

Opilo, struggling to catch his breath, walked to the window and looked outside.

He could see soldiers getting out of military vehicles that had entered the mansion’s courtyard.

Among them, someone who appeared to be an officer was raising his voice.

─ Hurry! Seize the collaborator Count Opilo before he leaves the mansion! If he ignores the order and tries to escape, you are authorized to shoot him! This is an order from above! I repeat! Seize the collaborator Count Opilo before he leaves the mansion…!

Opilo’s body swayed.

“Honey!”

Remira supported Opilo.

Opilo, supported by Remira, stood awkwardly and opened his mouth blankly.

“This isn’t the beginning. It’s just the end of the current situation. In the end, Daniel Steiner…”

His pale eyes, as if looking at the future, lost their vitality.

“Has swallowed the empire whole.”

*

At the same time, the plenary hall of the National Assembly.

“We must stop the creation of the National Security Surveillance Agency!”

Kadem, the new leader of the Liberty Socialist Party, passionately spoke from the podium.

“All the members here know! The creation of the National Security Surveillance Agency will infringe upon the freedom and rights of the people and create the evil of concentrating power in a specific individual!”

Kadem raised his voice as the Speaker of the National Assembly looked down from the head table.

“I understand the purpose and principles of creating the National Security Surveillance Agency! No member disagrees with the idea that collaborators like Duke Belvar should never appear again! But is this the right way? Do you really think this is the only way!”

Most of the members remained silent in response to Kadem’s appeal.

Even to other members, the creation of the National Security Surveillance Agency was too radical.

Many believed that it should be organized under sufficient review and legal rationality.

Kadem, noticing that the members were wavering, shouted after a brief silence.

“Honorable Speaker. And members gathered here. If an agency called the Surveillance Agency is created, can you be sure that its scope will be limited to collaborators or terrorists? I don’t think so. It means that whoever takes the position of Director of the Surveillance Agency could frame innocent people!”

Kadem looked around at the members.

“The National Security Surveillance Agency is demanding such immense power from His Majesty the Emperor. It is also forcing the National Assembly to approve the creation of the National Security Surveillance Agency! Is this for the empire? Or is it for Colonel Daniel Steiner!”

A murmur arose among the members.

They had not expected Kadem to directly mention the name of Daniel Steiner.

Defending Kadem on such a sensitive topic was politically dangerous.

Everyone was keeping quiet, but Kadem didn’t care.

He was convinced that he could only survive by stopping the creation of the National Security Surveillance Agency.

“We are gathered here to represent the opinions of the people. The people do not want to be monitored and controlled. If monitoring and control are to take place, minimal freedom and the right to resist must also be granted. But the National Security Surveillance Agency that Daniel Steiner is currently trying to create…”

Kadem stopped speaking.

The outside of the plenary hall was unusually noisy.

At first, he thought he had misheard, but the sound of military boots was getting closer and closer.

Other members also looked at the main gate of the plenary hall, bewildered by the sound.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Could it be personnel from the Central Security Agency?”

“…Even so, the National Assembly?”

While everyone was at a loss, the main gate burst open, and Grenadiers rushed in.

As the members gasped in surprise, the soldiers quickly occupied the plenary hall.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, who had been dazedly watching the soldiers surround the members of the plenary hall from the head table, soon saw the person who had given the order.

‘Daniel Steiner…!’

Daniel, dressed neatly in a black uniform, was walking in from beyond the wide-open main gate.

As attention focused on him, Daniel entered the plenary hall and slowly stopped.

Daniel, looking around at the members with his hands behind his back, smiled and bowed slightly.

“Honorable members. And Mr. Speaker. I sincerely apologize for disturbing your late-night plenary session.”

The members swallowed hard as Daniel continued.

“I see many of you are flustered, but I hope you won’t misunderstand. I didn’t come here to oppress you. I simply came to arrest the collaborators who are hiding here like parasites.”

Kadem, standing in front of the podium, was sweating profusely.

He knew very well who Daniel was talking about.

He and several members of the Liberty Socialist Party had conspired with Duke Belvar.

Daniel had found out about it and unexpectedly occupied the National Assembly.

“I’ll make it quick, so I ask for your cooperation. I don’t want to cause any confusion, so I hope everyone will stay in their seats and not move-”

“What do you think you’re doing!”

The Speaker of the National Assembly, interrupting Daniel, jumped up from his seat.

The Speaker, coming down from the Speaker’s chair, walked towards Daniel in one stride.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner! Are you going to arrest members in this sacred assembly hall? Are you going to deny that members have the privilege of immunity from arrest!”

The Speaker, blocking Daniel’s path, glared at him.

“No matter how much you are carrying out His Majesty the Emperor’s special order, such an abuse of power cannot be tolerated! If you arrest members here, I will tell His Majesty the Emperor about your abuse of power in the name of the Speaker of the National Assembly, so be aware of that!”

The Speaker rebuked him, but Daniel didn’t bat an eye.

“Have you said everything you wanted to say? Then may I speak now?”

One of the Speaker’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What?”

“Honorable Speaker. I didn’t come here to arrest members, but to arrest collaborators. Collaborators cannot have the privilege of immunity from arrest.”

“Colonel Daniel Steiner! You’re not only mocking the National Assembly, but you’re also treating me like a fool…!”

Daniel raised his hand to stop the Speaker’s words.

“If what I’m doing seems illegal to you, tell His Majesty the Emperor. I won’t stop you. But I won’t stand still either.”

“What will you do if you don’t stand still?”

“Well, I’ll have to reveal that the Speaker of the National Assembly was trying to protect the collaborators. I wonder whose words His Majesty the Emperor will listen to.”

The Speaker hesitated at Daniel’s words.

As the anger that had risen momentarily subsided, the danger that would come in the future made his spine tingle.

As the Speaker was unable to answer, Daniel smiled and continued.

“As you mentioned, Mr. Speaker, I am currently carrying out His Majesty the Emperor’s special order. So don’t block my path. By the way…”

Daniel lowered his hand and lowered his voice.

“This is the first and last warning I’m giving you.”

It was a tone close to an order, but the Speaker could no longer object.

As the Speaker lowered his gaze and stepped aside, Daniel raised his head and opened his mouth.

“Alright. Then I will now carry out my mission. Grenadier Battalion?”

The smile that had been lurking on Daniel’s lips suddenly disappeared.

“Arrest all the collaborators who are hiding in this place, wearing human masks…”

Daniel, staring at Kadem standing on the podium, narrowed his eyes sharply.

“Arrest them all.”

Author’s Note

Thank you to the anonymous sponsor for the 10 coins! I’m glad you’re enjoying it! I’ll do my best to make sure you can continue to enjoy it! Thank you for your support!

Thank you to Heo Gong_244 for the 50 coin sponsorship! Thank you so much for enjoying it! 10 consecutive chapters… I might die if I do that…! But I will try to update diligently every day! Thank you so much for your support!

Thank you to Georgia for the 10 coin sponsorship! As you said, I will take care of my health and steadily move towards the completion! Thank you so much for your support!

Thank you to all the readers who read it!

Today is Friday! Tomorrow is the weekend! Thank you for your hard work this week!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Then I’ll see you again tomorrow! Thank you always!