chapter_0049

48 – The Most Difficult Mission in the World

48 – The Most Difficult Mission in the World

Military Security Department under the Corps Headquarters.

Temporary Record Storage Room, first floor underground.

“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner has been inside the record storage room for ten hours now. Shouldn’t we check on him? I’m starting to get worried.”

Corporal Salodam, stationed at the entrance, shook his head at the soldier’s words.

“The lieutenant colonel said so himself. He needs to look around the record storage room alone, so we must not enter. Don’t even think about disobeying orders. I don’t want to die because of you.”

“W-what do you mean, die?”

“This idiot doesn’t understand anything. The reason Lieutenant Colonel Daniel can roam freely in the security department is that the Corps Commander personally granted him that authority. Do you understand what that means?”

In short, anyone who disobeys Daniel Steiner’s orders here is treated as if they are disobeying the Corps Commander’s orders.

Thanks to that, the soldier’s face turned pale, and he broke into a cold sweat before suddenly standing at attention.

Corporal Salodam chuckled at the sight.

“Look at this coward. Do you think you can fight against the Kingdom’s army like this? Of course, we probably won’t have to go to battle anyway…”

“C-Corporal!”

The soldier glanced nervously at Salodam.

Wondering what was causing such a fuss, Salodam turned his head and paled just like the soldier.

Colonel Kalpren, the Corps Commander’s aide, was watching them from a short distance away.

Salodam instinctively saluted.

“C-Colonel! What brings you here…!”

Kalpren stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a friendly smile.

“I came to check on Lieutenant Colonel Daniel to see if he’s doing well during his surprise patrol. I apologize if I interrupted your pleasant conversation.”

Though Kalpren’s words and demeanor were gentle, the meaning behind them was sharp.

To put it directly:

Are the guards at the entrance to the record storage room so oblivious that they can’t notice a person walking toward them?

The soldier had relaxed, thinking Kalpren had come to encourage them, but Salodam, sensing Kalpren’s true intent, froze without even thinking of lowering his salute.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t come to bother you. More importantly, where is Lieutenant Colonel Daniel?”

Only then did Salodam regain his composure and stammer out a response.

“Ah. Well… he’s been inside the record storage room for ten hours now, saying he wants to look around alone.”

“Again today? Didn’t he practically live in the record storage room yesterday?”

“Yes. He said he has only four days to prepare for the negotiations, so he’s in a hurry…”

Kalpren felt a sense of admiration upon hearing Salodam’s words.

He had thought that the Corps Commander’s demands would be seen as a form of “passing the buck,” and that Daniel would either refuse or just pretend to comply, but he was surprised to see him preparing so diligently.

‘The rumors say he gives his all in everything, and it seems they weren’t wrong.’

If a capable individual puts in effort, their potential is limitless.

While Kalpren was pondering about Daniel Steiner, a light knock echoed from the iron door that Salodam and the soldier were guarding.

It was a signal that someone wanted to come out. Since the inside was designed to prevent opening from within, it was a necessary procedure to go through.

“Please wait a moment!”

As the soldier held the iron door and opened it, Daniel Steiner emerged.

He looked tired, but his wolf-like eyes were fixed straight ahead.

It was the gaze of a seasoned staff officer, not that of a rookie just promoted to lieutenant colonel, causing Kalpren to flinch.

After staring at Kalpren for a while, Daniel saluted politely.

“Colonel, what brings you here?”

His tone was firm, but respect for his superior was evident.

Kalpren returned the salute and answered amidst a certain tension.

“…I came to ask if you need anything to proceed with your work, as per the Corps Commander’s orders. Are you alright? You look like you haven’t slept well.”

“I’m fine. More importantly, could you step aside? It’s time to draft the negotiation plan.”

Only then did Kalpren realize he was blocking the way and stepped aside.

Daniel, bowing his head slightly, passed by Kalpren and ascended the stairs.

As Kalpren watched Daniel’s retreating figure, he let out a sigh of relief.

‘What a determined individual. He’s showing a spirit that he will succeed in the negotiations no matter what…’

However, due to the Emperor’s unilateral decisions, reaching an agreement was nearly impossible.

‘Could he have found a way to overturn that?’

Though he wasn’t sure, Kalpren saw a spark of hope in Daniel’s relentless efforts.

Perhaps he might secure the negotiations and save countless lives.

–

As Daniel walked down the corridor, he confirmed that no one was following him and let out a sigh of relief.

‘…I thought I was caught.’

When the iron door opened and he saw the Corps Commander’s aide standing there, Daniel felt his heart drop.

He thought he had been caught for secretly jotting down classified information in the notebook he had taken into the record storage room.

‘If the aide had noticed any attempt to smuggle out classified information, things would have gotten quite difficult.’

In the worst-case scenario, he could have been branded a traitor and executed.

But contrary to his fears, the aide had simply come to check on him.

Thanks to that, Daniel was able to keep the notebook filled with classified information.

‘Now I just need to document this…’

He could hand it over to the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister during the peace negotiations tomorrow and apply for asylum.

No matter how much Daniel was treated as a hero of the Empire, if he were to smuggle out second-class military secrets, they wouldn’t doubt his sincerity.

‘I’m finally escaping this damned Empire.’

Thinking that a rosy life awaited him made his steps lighter.

Suppressing a smile that was about to escape, Daniel suddenly stopped.

Lucy was approaching from the opposite side.

With each step closer to Lucy, the strong scent of her perfume tickled his nose.

He didn’t understand why she had worn perfume until she reached him and lightly nodded her head.

“Lieutenant Colonel. I see you’ve been here.”

“…Were you looking for me? Did the Corps Commander summon you?”

“Not exactly… I just…”

Lucy hesitated.

It was fine that she had worn perfume to seduce him.

But how was she supposed to continue the conversation naturally?

What did ‘seduction’ even mean? When it came to winning someone’s heart, Lucy’s knowledge was as blank as a sheet of paper.

So she had hurriedly read a book about romance that morning.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy looked at Daniel and said,

“…Could you tell me what your schedule is for today?”

“I need to draft the negotiation plan from now. I have a rough outline, so I plan to leave early today. But why do you ask?”

“Ah. That’s…”

She needed to be confident. It was embarrassing, but this was her mission.

“If you have time this evening, would you like to….”

The rest of her words wouldn’t come out.

She didn’t know how to convey the awkward phrases she had learned from the book.

“So, just the two of us…”

When Lucy got that far, Daniel thought.

Unstable eye contact, slightly quickened breathing, a significant request to meet alone.

Calculating in his mind, Daniel reached a prediction.

‘…Could it be, an assassination?’

Had an assassination order come from the Allied Nations? He had thought such a thing would happen someday, but the timing was too soon.

‘Yeah. The timing is too soon.’

Just when he was starting to think it was a misunderstanding, Lucy seemed to gather her resolve and looked at Daniel.

‘I read in a book that to seduce a man, you should give a gentle smile…’

But what did a gentle smile even mean?

For Lucy, who had never even managed a proper smile, let alone a gentle one, it was somewhat perplexing advice.

However, since the order to “seduce Daniel Steiner” had been given by the Allied Nations, the intelligence agent Lucy had to comply.

After struggling with her feelings several times in her heart, Lucy finally managed to force a smile at Daniel.

Seeing that smile, Daniel couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Narrowing his eyes sharply and pulling up the corners of his mouth, it was literally a “murderous smile.”

It felt like he was looking at a hunter watching its prey, which was about to die.

As a result, he felt an immense pressure.

‘This is definitely an assassination…!’

Daniel, who had no idea that Lucy was trying to seduce him, cleared his throat.

He thought he needed to distance himself from Lucy as naturally as possible.

“Lieutenant? It seems I’ll have to work late today.”

“…Huh? But you just said you would leave early.”

“I suddenly remembered something I need to do. Well then…”

As Daniel was about to pass by, he suddenly turned back to Lucy as if he had just thought of something.

“By the way, did you put on too much perfume? Usually, perfume is used to mask one’s scent, but I don’t understand why you’re using it.”

“Ah. I…”

“There’s no smell coming from your skin. In fact, it’s quite fragrant. So don’t rely on luxuries like perfume.”

Daniel patted Lucy on the shoulder and moved on.

‘Good. Since we had a normal conversation, she won’t think I noticed the assassination order.’

As Daniel let out a sigh of relief after escaping danger, Lucy, who had been standing still, felt her ears turn red.

Daniel’s compliment had unknowingly embarrassed her.

She didn’t know exactly what kind of embarrassment it was.

Feeling an unprecedented emotion, Lucy leaned against the window and let out a low sigh.

‘How foolish…’

She felt like a fool for following such a strange order from her superiors.

But since the order had been given, she would have to seduce Daniel someday.

It felt like an overwhelming task.

As she bit her lower lip while looking down at her toes, Lucy tried to erase her shame and slowly moved her feet.

For now, she thought she should return to her quarters and get rid of the scent of the perfume.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Thank you to the generous supporter, Cat Lover, for the 100 coins! I’m at a loss for words that my first support is for my work…! You requested a continuation in exchange for this first experience, but… I can’t comply. I’m a bad man, after all. Well then. …Just kidding. I will try to make an effort for a continuation at some point, but I ask for your understanding as it may not be easy…! Still, I will do my best to present a quality work! Thank you so much for your support!