chapter_0057

56 – The Black Swan Moves Secretly

56 – The Black Swan Moves Secretly

About ten days later, the higher-ups approved the leave that Daniel had applied for.

Considering the complicated and stringent procedures for leave in a country at war, the approval came relatively quickly.

Receiving his leave certificate, Daniel boarded the first-class carriage of the luxurious train, the ‘Royal Express,’ through the train station.

Normally, even officers would not be given first-class tickets on luxury trains, but the headquarters made an exception for Daniel, who had accumulated numerous military achievements.

“Let’s see. My room is….”

Walking down the corridor adorned with a red carpet, Daniel stopped in front of the room marked CA8.

Confirming that it matched the room number on his ticket, Daniel opened the door.

The large window revealed a bright view of the outside scenery.

Entering with a sense of admiration, he saw the plush beds on either side of the room.

In the center, a luxurious table and chairs were set up, and the expensive refreshments on the table made him feel that it was worth the name.

After placing his luggage on the nearby wall, Daniel approached the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

He then took off his uniform cap and placed it on the table just as the train began to rattle and move.

After adjusting his attire, Daniel leaned comfortably against the back of the chair and gazed out at the scenery.

The landscapes changed with the train’s movement, but the glow of the leaves and the fields remained unchanged no matter where the train ran.

It was truly a continuous display of idyllic and peaceful scenery.

A smile naturally appeared on Daniel’s lips.

“Yes. This is what I wanted.”

A peaceful life without any worries or concerns.

A moderately sufficient amount of money to maintain a rich life.

Plus, a small amount of power that would prevent him from being looked down upon by others.

Hadn’t he entered the Maudo Military Academy for the trifecta of life that every ordinary citizen desired?

“But….”

Since awakening memories of his past life, his life had become tangled in real-time.

If one were to summarize Daniel’s life now, it would be this:

An unstable life where he had to worry about being assassinated while struggling not to die on the battlefield.

A burdensome amount of money received from various rewards due to his continuous military achievements.

Power that not only prevented him from being looked down upon but also instilled fear in others.

He had drifted far away from the long and slender life he aspired to.

It was a situation that made him sigh, but for today, he could laugh it off lightly.

“Because it’s my leave.”

For the next month, he wouldn’t have to face the suffocating daily routine of the Allied Nations’ spy, his aide.

He had no worries about getting caught up in the succession battle between the princess and the prince, nor did he need to fret about what kind of operational support the headquarters might send next.

“This is troubling. Is it okay to be this happy?”

Daniel chuckled softly as he basked in the sunlight pouring in from outside.

“Come to think of it, am I returning home after almost two years?”

This was his first time going down south since he used his regular leave to visit his hometown during his time as a cadet at the Maudo Military Academy.

“I wonder if the abbot is doing well. I wrote a letter thinking he might be surprised by my sudden visit…”

He was worried whether the letter had arrived properly, given how isolated the place was.

As Daniel continued to ponder various thoughts and recall memories from his hometown, a sudden sound interrupted him.

Creak—

The sliding door of the room opened, revealing a Black man.

Upon spotting Daniel, he took off his fedora and placed it over his heart.

“Oh! I didn’t realize there was a guest. I should have knocked.”

Standing up, Daniel smiled and extended his hand.

“It’s alright. Since it’s a shared room, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m Daniel Steiner.”

“Ah! So you’re Colonel Daniel Steiner. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Hamtal, from Nordia.”

The Black man’s identity was Hamtal, the leader of the secret organization Black Swan.

Of course, Daniel had no way of knowing this.

“From Nordia, huh? What a remarkable coincidence. I used to serve as the garrison commander there.”

“Thanks to you, I’ve heard that Nordia has become a much better place to live. But first, why don’t we sit down and have a chat?”

Nodding pleasantly, Daniel took his seat.

Hamtal also sat down across from him and adjusted his tie.

Then, as if he had just remembered something, he casually opened the conversation.

“By the way, Colonel Daniel. I’ve heard that radical urban planning has been implemented in Nordia. Is there a special reason for that?”

He was testing Daniel one last time, wanting to know if Daniel had improved Nordia for the Empire or purely to create a more ideal world.

After a brief silence in response to Hamtal’s question, Daniel shrugged his shoulders.

“To be honest, I thought I might get scolded by the headquarters and the citizens of Nordia for what I was doing. But the results turned out unexpectedly well.”

Hamtal was inwardly impressed by Daniel’s words.

‘He went ahead with it even while considering the potential backlash from both the Empire and the citizens?’

This was akin to being a true prophet.

“Did you perhaps raise your voice for us Black people and other colored races…?”

“Raise my voice? That’s only natural. Racial discrimination… isn’t that a terrible sense of superiority? I merely told those insane people not to do insane things.”

Daniel’s serious voice carried sincerity.

Seeing Daniel like this, Hamtal could cast aside even the smallest doubts lingering in his heart.

‘Indeed, Daniel Steiner is someone worthy of our loyalty.’

Expressing his respect internally, Hamtal stood up.

“I apologize for interrupting our conversation, but I need to step out to the restroom for a moment.”

When Daniel nodded, Hamtal put his fedora back on and left the room.

After walking a few steps down the corridor, Hamtal took out a radio from his pocket, turned it on, and pressed the transmission button.

“Report if there are any unusual situations in each area.”

Not long after Hamtal spoke, reports began to come in through the radio.

─ No issues in the dining car. I will continue to monitor.

─ No issues in the lounge car either.

─ No issues in the connecting corridors.

Currently, members of the Black Swan were stationed throughout the Royal Express train.

The best time for Daniel Steiner to be ambushed was now, as he was on leave alone without any military support.

Thus, Hamtal, the leader of the Black Swan, had brought a significant number of members of the secret organization to secretly protect Daniel.

─ A suspicious individual has been spotted in the VIP room. It has been confirmed that they are communicating with someone via a wristwatch radio.

At that moment, the report from the VIP room made Hamtal frown.

Narrowing his eyes coldly, Hamtal pressed the transmission button on the radio and spoke.

“Continue monitoring. If he gets off the train, follow him and locate him.”

Hearing an acknowledgment from the other side, Hamtal turned off the radio and tucked it away.

‘If there are forces trying to undermine Daniel Steiner…’

He would use all the skills he had honed over the past ten years to crush them utterly.

Of course, Daniel, who was completely unaware of any of this, was leisurely enjoying the scenery inside his room.

–

Meanwhile, at St. Michael’s Monastery.

“There are so many weeds… Just wait a moment.”

In the garden located within the cloister surrounded by walls, the abbot, Hieroni, was pulling weeds and transferring them to a nearby basket.

Approaching Hieroni was the vice-abbot, dressed neatly in a clerical robe.

“Abbot, may I have a moment to speak with you?”

Hearing the voice from behind, Hieroni paused his weeding, stood up, and turned around.

“Oh, Vice-Abbot. What brings you here?”

“It’s about Daniel. He said he would arrive tomorrow.”

“That’s right. I’m proud that he sent a letter saying he would visit his hometown during his leave. But why does your expression seem… Are you not happy that Daniel is coming?”

The vice-abbot quickly shook his head.

“That’s not it. It’s just that I find the rumors I’ve been hearing a bit strange.”

“Rumors, you say?”

“You know Colonel Daniel, don’t you?”

“Ah, of course. He’s a hero of the Empire. So?”

“I suspect that the Daniel we’re talking about might be the one from our monastery…”

The monastery strictly prohibited the entry of external items.

It was a place where even newspapers and simple magazines were banned.

The rules were strictly enforced because it was a place dedicated to serving God, and they should not be connected to the secular world.

However, even in such a monastery, the name Colonel Daniel was well-known.

Wealthy individuals and politicians who came to donate to the orphanage run by the monastery occasionally shared news of the world.

Perhaps that’s why some people, like the vice-abbot, wondered if this Daniel was the one from our monastery.

The abbot, Hieroni, merely laughed.

“How many times have I told you it’s likely a case of mistaken identity? Have you already forgotten what kind of child our Daniel was?”

“That’s not it. Daniel was definitely… a kind-hearted child.”

“Yes, that’s true. He also loved to ponder and draw, and he was mature and responsible enough to help us with baking.”

Hieroni snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered something.

“Oh, and remember when the puppy we raised at the monastery got sick and died? Daniel cried for three days and nights. After that, he made a grave for it and brought a flower to its grave every day.”

As he listened, the vice-abbot nodded in agreement.

“Indeed, Daniel sometimes showed a level of coldness that surprised us, but fundamentally, he was a lovely child of God with a good nature.”

“Right. It’s hard to believe that such a Daniel led the invasion of Nordia and subdued the kingdom.”

Hieroni chuckled softly.

“Putting everything else aside, Daniel has only been commissioned for nine months now. And yet, he’s a colonel? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”

That was true. The vice-abbot chuckled and nodded.

“I see. I think I’ve said something unnecessary. Then I’ll take my leave. I should make some of the bread he likes when Daniel arrives tomorrow.”

As Hieroni smiled and slightly bowed his head, the vice-abbot turned and walked away.

Hieroni knelt down again to pull weeds and couldn’t help but smile.

‘Our Daniel is that colonel who is called a hero of the Empire…’

The abbot sometimes let his imagination run wild.

Logically, he should know that such a thing could not happen.

A word from the author (Author’s note)

Today is Christmas! I hope all my readers have a happy and joyful Christmas!

To me, my readers are like Christmas presents! Thank you for always reading!

Then, I’ll see you again tomorrow!