chapter_0131

130 – Daniel Steiner’s Toy

130 – Daniel Steiner’s Toy

Life sometimes presents unexpected situations.

There are times when a store you thought was thriving suddenly closes down when you decide to visit.

Or when a celebrity, once immensely popular, suddenly announces their retirement.

For Daniel, a comparable situation was when he arrived at work and found that Lucy was missing.

Entering his personal office in the headquarters, Daniel felt puzzled for a moment before shrugging it off.

“Something must be going on.”

No matter how punctual someone is, there can’t be a day without incidents.

“Still, Lucy being late is surprising…”

Just as Daniel thought this, he set down his briefcase and hung his coat on the chair.

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack—

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.

“It sounds like someone is running.”

Just as he wondered who it could be, the door to his office swung open.

There stood Lucy, panting and gripping the doorknob.

She was holding a thermos in her hand.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t sleep well last night…”

It was rare to see Lucy apologizing without being asked.

Her breathlessness made the scene even more precious.

Daniel considered teasing her, but he held back, knowing it might provoke her unnecessarily.

“You don’t need to apologize. It’s close, but you’re not late. More importantly, it’s surprising to hear you couldn’t sleep last night. Did something happen yesterday?”

He subtly probed, but instead of answering, Lucy just shook her head.

Perhaps it was because she had rushed to avoid being late, but her flushed face showed signs of embarrassment.

As Daniel observed her closely, he pointed to the thermos.

“What’s that? Did you bring tea?”

“Oh.”

Taking a breath, Lucy stepped closer to Daniel and offered him the thermos.

“I made some beet soup. It should help with your hangover.”

“…You made it for me?”

“You remember when you brewed chicken broth soup and served me chamomile tea at my place before? I thought it would be nice to return the favor.”

Even as she said this, Lucy’s ears were subtly flushed.

Daniel accepted the thermos, wondering if her blush was due to her breathlessness.

“Thanks. But how did you know I drank last night?”

Lucy flinched slightly, but it seemed she was not caught off guard by the question, as she quickly regained her composure.

“I just thought you would enjoy it, considering you like drinking.”

“Is that so?”

He decided to refrain from digging deeper, sensing it might upset her.

“Seems like the only one thinking of me is my aide. I appreciate it. By the way…”

After a moment of contemplation, Daniel spoke.

“You might already know, but in two weeks, I’ll be appointed as the chief of staff for the 7th Division on the Eastern Front. It’s a direct order from His Majesty the Emperor, so I can’t refuse.”

“Yes, I’ve heard.”

“Since you’ve heard, it’s easier to talk. If you want, you don’t have to follow me to the Eastern Front. As you know, it’s a dangerous place.”

Even though he would primarily work in the rear command, it was not a safe location from enemy attacks.

In fact, the enemy would likely be devising ways to strike the command, making it paradoxically more dangerous.

It was truly a perilous battlefield where one could lose their life.

Yet, instead of refusing, Lucy answered immediately.

“I will go.”

Her red eyes were filled with determination.

Daniel, taken aback, cleared his throat.

“You might die.”

“I know.”

“Just because you work at the command doesn’t mean it’s safe. Do you understand that the command might actually be more dangerous?”

“I’m aware.”

“If the situation worsens, we might not even be able to get proper food, let alone dessert.”

“I’m used to it.”

He didn’t ask why she was used to it, knowing she was a former test subject.

“But why do you want to follow me? To keep an eye on me?”

Though Daniel felt uneasy about it, he couldn’t outright refuse, so he nodded.

“Alright. If you want it that much, I won’t stop you.”

Perhaps it was the approval that brightened Lucy’s eyes with a glint of determination.

Just as she was about to express her gratitude, familiar footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Curious about who it was, Daniel looked towards the door, and soon a robust middle-aged man appeared.

He seemed unable to shake off his hangover, raising a hand to his forehead.

“Colonel?”

Daniel called out, worried, and Ernst looked up.

He didn’t look well.

“Daniel, no, Colonel Steiner. Are you alright? I feel like I’m dying here.”

“I have a slight headache, but it’s not too bad.”

“Is that so? Being young has its advantages.”

“Rather than being young, it’s because I drank in moderation… But what brings you here?”

“Huh? Oh. I just came to have a cup of coffee.”

Coffee. Daniel had no reason to refuse, so he nodded.

“Let’s go down to the lounge for a cup.”

“Sounds good. Today, I’ll make it for you. I should show my respect to our Empire’s hero, Colonel Daniel Steiner!”

“That’s quite the compliment.”

Daniel responded jokingly to Ernst’s banter, but then hesitated, stopping in his tracks.

Lucy had been subtly signaling him.

Aware of this, Daniel grabbed the thermos.

“Oh. I’m going to have some beet soup instead of coffee.”

At that moment, Lucy’s expression softened, and Daniel felt relieved.

‘What on earth is she thinking…?’

It was a mystery he couldn’t quite grasp.

–

While Daniel was in the lounge having coffee with Ernst, discussing trivial matters…

“We need to come up with a plan immediately! We can’t just sit back and take it!”

The Palentia branch, located in the heart of the Empire, was facing an unprecedented emergency.

Having halted intelligence gathering and espionage activities, the staff gathered in the conference room under the leadership of Theobalt, engaging in heated debates.

“We need to request support from the Allied Nations immediately! If we contact Count, he will surely find a way!”

“What foolishness! Are you suggesting we inform our homeland of our incompetence? Even if we let them know we’re in danger, Daniel Steiner will act before we receive any help!”

“Then are we just going to do nothing and let it happen? We don’t even know what he wants from us!”

Right after Hamtal’s visit, the staff at the Palentia branch concluded that the orders given to Hamtal came from Daniel Steiner.

The prevailing opinion was that the traitor Lucy had passed information to Daniel Steiner, or that an insider had colluded with him.

The discovery of the branch’s location meant that enemies could strike at any moment, causing the agents to be on high alert, racing against time.

“First, we need to find out what Daniel Steiner wants from us! There must be a reason he spared us when he sent his private organization to kill us!”

“Are you suggesting we listen to Daniel Steiner now? Do you know what he wants from us?”

“Then are you saying we should just sit back and die? If you want to think of excuses, do it alone! Being foolish won’t earn us any recognition from the Allied Nations—”

Bang! A man slammed his fist on the table and pulled out a gun, aiming it at the opposing side.

“You bastard! You’re the traitor! You’ve been colluding with Daniel Steiner!”

The man standing opposite him, sweating profusely, raised his hands.

“Calm down. This isn’t going to be resolved by throwing accusations.”

“Accusations? You’re the only one here insisting we listen to Daniel Steiner! Does this still seem like an accusation!? Branch Chief! Don’t just sit there, say something!”

Theobalt, seated at the head of the conference table, let out a low sigh.

He thought the atmosphere in the conference room was too heated given the crisis at hand.

“Enough. Levem has a point. We need to know what Daniel Steiner wants from us to even negotiate.”

“But…”

“Shut up and lower your gun. If you don’t, I’ll make another hole in your head.”

At Theobalt’s threat, the man stepped back and lowered his gun.

As Theobalt rubbed his temples, a voice suddenly came through the radio.

“Branch Chief! The Blue Wall is here! He has arrived!”

The news was like a much-needed rain in a drought, awakening Theobalt’s senses.

The only person who knew Daniel Steiner’s intentions was Platt, who had failed the assassination.

As the conference room buzzed with activity, Theobalt picked up the radio and pressed the transmit button.

“Tell him to come in immediately.”

Thinking that the puzzle would finally be solved, Theobalt placed the radio on the table.

Before long, Platt opened the door to the conference room and stepped inside.

Though it was unclear what had happened to him, his clothes were torn and covered in filth, making him look like a rag.

As everyone fell silent, Platt, panting heavily, scanned the room until he spotted Theobalt.

Platt slowly walked towards Theobalt and knelt down.

“I… I’m sorry, Branch Chief. I failed the mission.”

The fact that he had failed was already known.

Rather than scolding him, Theobalt thought it was more important to gather information, so he grabbed Platt’s shoulder.

“What did Daniel Steiner tell you?”

After catching his breath, Platt spoke.

“He told me not to waste my time with trivialities. He also said that the whiskey laced with poison suits you, Branch Chief…”

The conference room fell into silence at Daniel Steiner’s suggestion of suicide.

As Theobalt swallowed hard, Platt continued, his voice low and trembling.

“Branch Chief, he doesn’t want to negotiate. Daniel Steiner is just toying with us. If the branch does not submit to him…”

Platt looked up, his face blank as he gazed at Theobalt.

“…he will kill us all.”

Author’s Note

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