chapter_0061

60 – The Conditions of a Loyal Subject

60 – The Conditions of a Loyal Subject

The next morning.

“This is the place the man mentioned.”

Daniel, accompanied by police officers, stopped in front of a storefront.

He had come to investigate because the man who introduced himself as Morten in the worship hall yesterday confessed that he had “attempted to incite a rebellion in the Imperial City with the help of the Prince.”

To be honest, Daniel had dismissed it as the ramblings of a madman, but given that a report had come in regarding a rebellion, he had no choice but to investigate.

So, as soon as morning broke, he requested assistance from the local police station and arrived here.

“On the surface, it looks like an ordinary storefront, but…”

Inspector Baretti tilted his head in confusion.

Daniel shared his sentiment, but one could never be too careful.

“If that man really was the leader of a secret organization, disguising the building and his identity to avoid suspicion would be a basic tactic. So we should be cautious; it might not just be the ramblings of a lunatic.”

Seeing Baretti nod in agreement, Daniel moved inside the storefront.

The door was open, but for some reason, there were no staff to greet customers.

Only bloodstains splattered across the display racks were visible.

Upon confirming the bloodstains, Daniel instinctively drew his revolver from its holster.

“Damn it. It seems that man’s words were true. Everyone, arm yourselves!”

Hearing Daniel’s shout, Inspector Baretti and the investigation team drew their guns.

In the tense atmosphere, Daniel crouched down and surveyed the surroundings.

‘Footprints…’

Footprints that appeared to belong to someone wearing military boots led in one direction.

As he cast his gaze that way, he noticed a steel door leading to the basement wide open.

Judging by the carpet and a few pieces of furniture strewn about, it seemed they had been hidden from view when not in use.

“Lieutenant Daniel? Did you find something…?”

As Baretti approached with the police officers, Daniel raised his hand to stop him.

After carefully examining the surroundings once more, Daniel straightened up.

“It seems that some sort of armed group has infiltrated the basement. They must have been guarding it for a while and recently emerged.”

“What? How do you know that, Lieutenant Daniel?”

“From the footprints. The military boot prints leading inside seem to have gathered dust, indicating they were made some time ago, but the footprints leading outside are fresh.”

Taking Daniel’s words into account, Baretti looked around and remarked with admiration.

“That certainly makes sense. Then…”

“A dangerous situation could arise. Request backup from headquarters.”

Nodding in tension, Baretti picked up the radio.

“This is Inspector Baretti. We need additional support. Request immediate assistance at the red-roofed storefront by the riverside in Zone 13 near the village of Pianmari.”

A response came back over the radio, confirming they understood.

Hearing that the request for backup had been accepted, Daniel moved toward the basement.

He needed to confirm what had happened here.

Reluctantly, Baretti had no choice but to follow Daniel into the basement.

After descending a rough staircase for a while, a fairly spacious area opened up.

“This is…”

Turning on his flashlight, Baretti discovered numerous desks and telex machines.

Burnt documents were scattered haphazardly across the floor.

As Daniel picked up one of the documents lying nearby, he frowned.

“It seems that the man who introduced himself as Morten was telling the truth.”

The document outlined operations to threaten politicians and journalists and incite citizens.

At the moment it became clear that they were guilty of rebellion, a commotion could be heard from somewhere.

Turning his head, he noticed sounds coming from a room blocked off by partitions.

Raising his hand, Daniel signaled to Baretti and the police officers before moving toward the room.

With his finger on the trigger of the revolver, Daniel flung the door open and was taken aback.

“Uh, what!?”

Numerous people, bound and gagged, were groaning in distress.

Some of them, upon seeing Daniel’s face, recoiled in terror and crawled backward like caterpillars.

Baretti, who had entered the room a moment later, was stunned by the scene.

“What on earth is this…?”

“I don’t know either. For now, let’s remove their gags. We need to hear what happened.”

Nodding, Baretti put his gun in his back pocket and removed the gag from the mouth of the man closest to him.

The man then shouted in a terrified voice.

“Please, spare me! Lieutenant Daniel Steiner! Please save me! I won’t get involved in anything like this again! Please…!”

Daniel was taken aback by the man’s overreaction.

‘Why is he asking me to save him?’

Baretti was equally bewildered.

Thinking that perhaps the panicked man was rambling, he removed the gags from others as well.

Then,

“Lieutenant Daniel! Please spare me! I beg you! I have a family to support! Please forgive me!”

Another person was also pleading for forgiveness from Daniel, terrified.

Seeing this, Baretti looked at Daniel with a suspicious expression.

Feeling Baretti’s gaze, Daniel broke into a cold sweat and spoke.

“Inspector? I understand what you’re thinking, but I swear to God, I didn’t do this.”

However, Baretti’s suspicion showed no signs of dissipating.

The surrounding police officers also began to feel a certain fear toward Daniel, slowly backing away.

“…Everyone? I really didn’t do this. Please believe me.”

Daniel pleaded earnestly, but his words did not reach the police.

In the silence that followed, Baretti swallowed hard and said.

“For now, I will write in the report that Lieutenant Daniel knows nothing.”

“Inspector? I’m telling you again, I really didn’t do it.”

“Yes. Of course, Lieutenant Daniel didn’t do it. I will keep that in mind.”

Baretti, removing his police cap, bowed his head toward Daniel.

It was a gesture indicating that he would not let any harm come to Lieutenant Daniel, so there was no need to worry.

It was a political maneuver to avoid offending someone capable of such actions.

However, for Daniel, who truly had no involvement in this incident, it was nothing but unfair.

Raising his hand to wipe his face, Daniel let out a low sigh.

“I just wanted to enjoy my vacation…”

He was filled with resentment at being caught up in such nonsense.

–

Late at night, in the office of the Imperial Palace.

‘They have taken control of the Imperial City…’

Princess Selvia was looking down at a map of the Imperial City spread out on her desk.

Red X marks were drawn on the map, indicating the locations where politicians and journalists aligned with the princess had been threatened by armed groups.

‘Collecting the data was good, but…’

The problem was the inconsistency.

If their base was located within the Imperial City, there would surely be overlapping areas of activity.

Yet, the armed groups appeared in completely unexpected directions, almost mocking the princess’s pursuit.

‘If the armed groups are operating like a decentralized organization…’

It was more accurate to assume that their headquarters was located elsewhere, not within the Imperial City, as Selvia had initially suspected.

‘But how do I find it?’

The Empire was vast.

It was impossible to survey the entire expanse of the Empire.

Moreover, Selvia estimated that the armed groups had likely established themselves quite some time ago.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to operate so systematically and organized.

At the very least, they must have set up their headquarters and begun their activities three years ago, making the search even more difficult.

As a result, the range of activities for the princess’s aligned politicians and journalists was gradually shrinking.

They were being cautious, fearing the possibility of being threatened or harmed by the armed groups.

‘I have to find them somehow.’

But there were no suitable methods.

With her hand on her forehead, Selvia was deep in thought when her eyes suddenly opened wide.

‘If only that person were here with me…’

Daniel Steiner.

The man who had taken Nordia with his brilliant tactics and strategies.

If that talented individual were by her side, he might have been able to uncover the prince’s secret organization.

But now, Daniel had left the Imperial City after requesting a long vacation.

As if he had no interest in the war among the heirs.

Thus, Selvia could not call Daniel back.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

In the limousine heading to the Imperial Palace, she had thought he was finally becoming her ally, but now he had abruptly taken a vacation at the most crucial time.

Just as she was about to absentmindedly tap her desk in frustration, a knock sounded.

Straightening her posture, Selvia cleared her throat and said.

“Come in.”

The door to the office opened, and Colonel Hartmann, the chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard, entered.

Hartmann saluted lightly and approached Selvia.

“Your Highness, you have been working late into the night.”

“It’s a matter of life and death. But what brings you here?”

“I apologize for the rudeness, but I have something urgent to report.”

Something urgent? Selvia nodded as if to encourage him to speak.

“Then I will speak. The leadership of the secret organization the prince has been pursuing has been apprehended all at once.”

Selvia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

As if she couldn’t believe it, she jumped up from her chair.

“Is that really true? I’m asking if it’s confirmed information.”

“It is a matter reported directly from the police station in the Barony of Betargen in the southern part of the Empire. According to the documents they sent, there is no falsehood.”

If they had apprehended them, it would mean gaining a tremendous advantage in the struggle for succession.

Selvia, who was overjoyed by the sudden stroke of luck, inadvertently raised her voice.

“Who is it? Who has achieved such a great feat?”

“That is…”

Bowing slightly, Hartmann whispered to Selvia.

“Although he claims he is not involved, circumstantial evidence points to Lieutenant Daniel Steiner.”

Selvia was left speechless.

“…Daniel?”

Hadn’t Daniel requested a vacation and gone back to his hometown?

No, thinking about it the other way, it didn’t make sense for him to take a long vacation at such a crucial time in the Imperial City.

‘Considering his various activities, it seems Daniel is eager for promotion.’

Would a capable aide, hungry for promotion, take a vacation at a time when the next emperor might be decided?

It was absurd.

‘Then Daniel must have been…’

Clearly, he had been “performing his duties under the guise of a vacation” for Selvia.

‘Come to think of it, he had said before that I would become the emperor.’

She remembered Hartmann’s words when he had disguised himself as a war correspondent and gone north.

Even surrounded by assassins targeting the prince, Daniel had maintained his belief that “the emperor would be the princess, not the prince.”

‘The fact that he took a vacation while hiding his true intentions from me…’

It made sense when considering the military strategy of deceiving even allies to mislead the enemy.

Now that she finally understood all of Daniel’s actions and words, a faint smile appeared on Selvia’s lips.

‘He risked his life to protect me before…’

This time, he was going above and beyond to make her the empress, even without being asked.

Unconsciously growing fond of Daniel, Selvia’s lips curled into a smile.

“He’s truly an irreplaceable person. Daniel Steiner…”

To Selvia, Daniel was not only a capable aide but also a true loyal subject.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Thank you to AlphaMail for the 20 coin support! I will do my best to continue writing good works! Thank you!

Thank you to RyovonGrechaff for the 50 coin support! I appreciate your encouragement! I will strive to make today and tomorrow good works! Thank you!

Thank you to Xot_934 for the 11 coin support! Oh my… if you write such grateful words, I might just cry from the emotion…? I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying it! Thank you!

Dear readers!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Also, as the year is coming to an end, I hope everyone wraps up the year well!

I will go back to writing diligently to be with you all next year.

Thank you for always reading.

See you again tomorrow!