chapter_0076

75 – A Difficult Decision

75 – A Difficult Decision

The Permanent Member of the United Nations, Edria.

Count Caledra’s office.

“Hmm…”

Caledra, sitting in front of his desk, furrowed his brow as he read through the contents of the report.

In front of Caledra, Beck, the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, stood rigidly, tense.

No one could predict what kind of reaction Caledra would show after reading the report.

The ticking of the wall clock resonated loudly in the silence.

After meticulously reviewing the report, Caledra closed his eyes and spoke.

“Deputy Director. Is everything written in this report true?”

His cold voice sent a shiver down Beck’s spine.

Taking a deep breath, Beck replied in the calmest tone he could muster.

“It is a verified document. I believe there are no falsehoods.”

At Beck’s words, Caledra bit his lip and let out a sigh.

The situation was not looking good.

The report detailed “The Empire’s Changes Following Daniel Steiner’s Total War Speech.”

Naturally, all figures related to the Empire, including the military industry, were rising positively.

While he had anticipated this outcome when he first heard Daniel’s total war speech, seeing the quantified data made his head throb.

“I underestimated him…”

When he heard the news that Daniel had perfectly succeeded in the invasion of Nordia and had subdued the Foreign Minister of the Eldresia Kingdom at the negotiation table, he had merely dismissed it as the emergence of an exceptional strategist in the Empire.

However, witnessing Daniel’s ability to put an end to the succession struggle occurring behind the scenes and successfully deliver the total war speech filled Caledra with a sense of dread.

“…Daniel Steiner intends to manipulate the Empire.”

From Caledra’s perspective, it appeared that Daniel was preparing to take control of the Empire and mold it to his liking.

Thinking this way, he even felt a sense of kinship.

It was similar to the steps Caledra had taken to seize Edria.

“However…”

Unlike Caledra, Daniel had no funding or background; he was rising solely on his own merits and was now wielding significant influence.

That was nearly impossible unless one possessed a will and insight that transcended human limits.

“This is dangerous.”

Caledra could not allow Daniel to grow any larger than he already was.

“The moment he becomes the only unique existence in the Empire…”

It was clear he would become a more formidable opponent than the Emperor.

Having made all his judgments, Caledra slowly opened his eyes.

“Deputy Director. From now on, elevate Daniel Steiner’s threat level within the core leadership.”

“To elevate him within the core leadership means… you intend to designate him as a threat level equivalent to that of a head of government?”

“Do you have any objections?”

Beck hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“While Daniel has accumulated numerous achievements and caused political repercussions in the Empire with this total war speech, I find it unnecessary to be overly cautious of a mere lieutenant colonel…”

Beck stopped mid-sentence, as Caledra was looking at him with a chilling gaze.

That was an unspoken pressure not to raise any objections.

Realizing he had crossed a line, Beck quickly lowered his head.

“I will convey your words to the Central Intelligence Agency and all government departments.”

Caledra, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Beck, quietly spoke while suppressing his anger.

“…Also, inform Lucy, who is infiltrating as Daniel Steiner’s aide.”

Beck, sweating coldly, cautiously raised his head.

“What do you mean?”

Caledra, taking a moment before responding, placed his arms on the desk.

Slowly raising his hands as if caught in a net, Caledra clasped them together and opened his mouth.

“I mean it is time to make a decision.”

–

Late evening.

As Daniel stepped out of the headquarters at quitting time, he savored the cool breeze.

Having spent the entire day in his office to avoid encountering anyone, being outside felt like an inexplicable sense of liberation.

“It feels refreshing.”

As Daniel smiled contentedly, Lucy, who had followed him, exhaled softly.

The breath that escaped her lips spread like a faint chill, then vanished.

“…Isn’t it a bit cold rather than refreshing?”

“Listening to my aide, it does seem cold. After all, winter is coming.”

“Winter…”

Rolling her crimson eyes to survey the trees around the headquarters, Lucy could only nod.

Most of the leaves that had clung to the branches had fallen, leaving the trees bare.

“Just as the lieutenant colonel said, winter is indeed coming.”

It seemed like she had joined as Daniel Steiner’s aide before spring had passed.

Now, as she regained her senses, she realized she was experiencing two seasons at once.

Just as she thought time was passing more quickly than expected, Daniel casually remarked.

“In winter, there are desserts that can only be enjoyed in winter. Speaking of which, I heard that the Golden Rose Bakery is selling stollen exclusively for Christmas.”

“…Stollen?”

Curious about what kind of dessert it was, Lucy blinked quietly.

Seeing this, Daniel thought he should enlighten Lucy about desserts and puffed up his chest.

“It’s a sweet and delicious bread covered in sugar. The appearance of the sugar-coated bread reminds one of a snowy field, making it quite flavorful…”

As Daniel spoke fluently, he suddenly trailed off.

Lucy’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation at the mention of dessert.

After a moment of contemplation, Daniel cleared his throat and said.

“If you have time on Christmas, we could go together, if you want.”

“I won’t refuse if the lieutenant colonel recommends it.”

Daniel was taken aback by Lucy’s nonchalant response.

‘She was staring at me longingly because she wanted to eat stollen…’

Though he felt an urge to tease her for pretending otherwise, he decided to hold back.

‘After all, I had recently stirred her emotions with a special promotion.’

Daniel had previously persuaded Cedric, the Deputy Chief of Operations, to conduct a special promotion review based on Lucy’s capabilities.

She must have been angry at that time, and he thought that teasing her again might lead to a build-up of assassination stacks.

Glancing at the time, Daniel raised his wrist to check and then turned to Lucy.

“By the way, it’s getting late, so you should head back first.”

“…Aren’t you going, lieutenant colonel?”

“As you know, I’m quite popular.”

Daniel pointed to the entrance of the headquarters.

Even though quite some time had passed, a few people were still holding signs that read “War Hero Daniel Steiner!” and had not left.

Daniel was giving Lucy a chance to avoid getting caught up with them.

Lucy, aware of this, nodded after a moment of hesitation.

“Understood. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After bidding farewell to Daniel, Lucy walked away with her document bag.

She passed through the entrance of the headquarters, but the people only glanced at her without speaking.

Compared to Daniel, she was not as well-known, and her naturally cold demeanor made others hesitant to approach her.

Thanks to that, Lucy smoothly exited the headquarters and headed toward a nearby bakery.

She planned to buy a croissant or a baguette before returning to her lodging.

“Or maybe…”

Should she try something new today?

As she pondered this, Lucy saw a clown performing on the street.

“Dear ladies and gentlemen, come experience a new world at the Baranpalt Theater at 10 PM this afternoon! Do you seek inner reflection? Or perhaps a fantasy unlike anything you’ve ever seen? We can show you more than you can imagine!”

The man in clown makeup smiled broadly as he raised his voice, handing out flyers.

Seeing a few people gather with interest, Lucy shook her head.

She personally did not care much for such loud promotional tactics.

Just as she was about to pass by, the clown approached Lucy and handed her a flyer.

“Hey there! Pretty officer! Would you come to our theater and grace the audience with your presence? We have military discounts, so you can come at a low price!”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m fine. I…”

As Lucy was about to decline the clown’s invitation, she unconsciously looked down at the flyer and paused.

She noticed a subtly protruding part at the upper right corner of the flyer.

‘Encrypted braille…’

This was one of the methods the Allied Nations used to communicate orders to spies infiltrating enemy territory.

“Come on. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied if you come!”

The clown lowered his voice and leaned the flyer closer.

Nodding, Lucy took the flyer, and the clown laughed heartily as he moved on.

Once she confirmed that the clown was drawing attention from those around, Lucy placed her hand on the braille on the flyer.

She slowly began to read the Allied Nations’ orders.

“Elevate Daniel Steiner’s threat level to that of a head of government. Therefore, before he poses any further threat to the Allied Nations…”

As Lucy read through the entire order, her eyes trembled with instability.

Swallowing hard, she used her trembling fingertips to examine the order once more.

But nothing had changed.

Standing frozen in place, Lucy read the last line of the order after a brief silence.

“…Eliminate Daniel Steiner immediately.”

No matter how many times she looked again, the order clearly stated that.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Thank you to ssqq12 for the 3-coin support! I will do my best to write as much as you have encouraged me! Thank you!

Thank you to Byeolbyeol for the 4-coin support! I’m really glad you find it interesting! I will do my best to keep it enjoyable for you!

And thanks to all the readers who always support me!

I wish you a happy day today! Thank you for reading!