chapter_0181

180 – Daniel Steiner’s Warning

180 – Daniel Steiner’s Warning

After finishing the large-scale arrest of collaborators, Daniel Steiner was finally able to return to the Central Security Agency at dawn.

He was accompanied by numerous nobles whose wrists were bound with ropes.

The sight of many nobles, who had been active in politics and business, being dragged in as criminals was undoubtedly shocking to anyone who witnessed it.

As the Chief of Public Security and the police under him watched in disbelief, Daniel quietly issued orders.

He would have them all detained underground, and if there was a shortage of space, he instructed to request assistance from the military police.

The Chief of Public Security, who harbored a certain fear towards Daniel, bowed deeply and complied with the orders.

Afterward, Daniel entered the Superintendent General Office and fell into deep thought.

He was troubled by the fact that a few quick-witted nobles had managed to escape capture.

Upon receiving a detailed report, it turned out that the number of escapees was not significant enough to warrant serious concern, but it still left a lingering discomfort.

‘Among the nobles captured today, there must be those connected to the ones who escaped…’

Collecting information to conduct a search wouldn’t be difficult, but the problem lay beyond that.

‘The moment I perfectly conclude the arrest of collaborators, I will step down from the position of Emergency Security General.’

From that point on, he would have to return to being an ordinary soldier, following the orders of the military leadership, rather than wielding the omnipotent power granted by the Emperor’s special decree.

‘Of course, they won’t be able to handle me as they did before…’

The fact that he would have to obey the decisions of the military leadership was a shortcut to an uncertain future.

In blunt terms, now that the internal cleanup was complete, there was a possibility he could be sent back to the Eastern Front to engage in external operations.

Daniel remembered.

He recalled the battles he had experienced while serving as the chief of staff of the 7th Armored Division.

Amidst enemy bombardments, the sounds of gunfire and shouting echoed, and the occasional explosions sent dirt flying, making it difficult to even secure a clear line of sight.

There was even the threat of snipers, turning it into a living hell.

‘It was sheer luck that I survived…’

Had the main force arrived even slightly later or if the enemy’s bombardment had been more precise, Daniel might not be alive today.

In short, the battlefield was the place furthest from the survival Daniel sought.

Not wanting to return to that horrific place, Daniel ruminated and tapped his fingers on the desk.

‘No matter how I look at it, Selvia and the military leadership seem to think of me as some kind of omnipotent being.’

Unintentionally, Daniel had successfully completed every order that had come down from above.

Moreover, by leading the 7th Armored Division and eliminating the collaborators who had caused chaos, he had shown his loyalty to the imperial family, leaving him seemingly with no way out.

‘But…’

Whether it was good luck or bad, during this large-scale arrest of collaborators, some nobles had successfully escaped capture.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a minor mistake.

It was a mistake that could easily be rectified with time.

‘However, in politics, what matters is not the severity of the mistake but the mistake itself.’

The more someone appears close to perfection, the more likely a single mistake can become a critical flaw.

‘If this is reported on a large scale…’

It was certain that not only the military leadership but also Selvia would have their illusions about Daniel Steiner slightly shattered.

Excessive expectations can be deadly.

Thus, for Daniel, who yearned for survival, their expectations were akin to poison rather than a blessing.

If he could dilute that poison this time, he would not hesitate.

With his resolve set, Daniel immediately picked up the telephone receiver and dialed.

He was calling Wölm, the editor-in-chief of the Imperial Daily.

After a few rings, a voice came through on the other end.

─ This is Wölm, editor-in-chief of the Imperial Daily. What can I do for you?

His voice dripped with arrogance.

Daniel tilted his head in confusion as he opened his mouth.

“This is Emergency Security General Daniel Steiner. Am I speaking with Editor Wölm?”

After a moment of silence, a sound of something crashing to the ground was heard.

It seemed to be a chair.

─ C-Colonel Daniel Steiner! What can I do for you? Is there something in the recent newspaper that you found unsatisfactory?

Wölm, back to his original voice, was flustered as he answered the phone.

He was worried that he might have made some mistake.

Daniel, who hadn’t called to scold Wölm, chuckled softly and shook his head.

“That’s not it. I’m calling to discuss an article to be included on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper.”

─ Ah, I see. If it’s an article for the front page tomorrow, I’ve already drafted a preliminary version. The title would be something like ‘The Night of Purge Has Passed! Divine Punishment for Collaborators!’

“I see. While I respect the Imperial Daily, could you modify the content or title of the article?”

─ Modify? Of course, that’s not a problem. Please let me know which part you find unsatisfactory, and I will guide you accordingly.

“Thank you. In that case, could you focus on the collaborators I was unable to capture? A title like ‘The Emergency Security General Draws His Sword, But the Collaborators Remain Missing!’ would be good.”

A long silence followed on the other end of the line.

Wölm had no way of understanding Daniel’s intentions.

After a while of deep thought, Wölm cautiously spoke, trying to gauge Daniel’s reaction.

─ If I understand correctly, you’re asking for an article that highlights your mistakes to be placed on the front page?

“Depending on how you look at it, yes.”

─ Colonel? Why would you make such a decision? If you could explain the reason, I believe I could understand and proceed with the work.

There was no way Daniel could explain his reasoning.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to give a vague answer.

“Because I need that article for myself.”

Long explanations would only raise unnecessary questions.

─ It’s something you need, Colonel.

Thinking that Daniel must have some intention behind it, Wölm nodded on the other end of the line.

─ Understood. Then I will set the guidelines for the article accordingly.

After hearing Wölm’s confirmation, Daniel expressed his gratitude and hung up the receiver.

With a low smile, Daniel felt a sense of relief, thinking that things were going according to plan.

‘Once the article is published tomorrow, everyone’s illusions about me will be shattered.’

While it wouldn’t be enough to clear away all the misunderstandings piled up, Daniel believed it would at least alleviate some of them, and he smiled with satisfaction.

–

The next evening.

At the entrance of the Abandoned Station on the outskirts of the Imperial City.

“From the fact that they’re wearing clothes adorned with family crests, these must be the private soldiers of the nobles. Though they’re all dead.”

Major Aborian, the commander of the guard who had arrived at the Abandoned Station after receiving a report, frowned.

His adjutant beside him wore a similarly grim expression.

“The post-mortem spots are distinct. Given the state of decay of the bodies, it seems they’ve been dead for at least a day.”

“Indeed. And looking at these fellows…”

Aborian picked up a nearby gun with his gloved hand and removed the magazine.

“The magazine is fully loaded. Not a single shot was fired.”

“That means…”

“They were ambushed by those who had infiltrated here beforehand. Their shooting skills are impressive. All the corpses have bullet wounds to the head.”

“Certainly, they’re not amateurs. Could they be professionals?”

“Yeah. They shoot better than most soldiers.”

Coughing from the stench, Aborian turned to the soldiers behind him.

“You all stay here! Make sure no one else approaches!”

“Yes! Understood!”

Hearing the soldiers’ response, Aborian entered the Abandoned Station with his adjutant.

As the two navigated the station relying on their flashlights, they let out a sigh as they entered the Signal Control Room.

“Oh my…”

“It looks like a massacre.”

Taking out a handkerchief from his pocket, Aborian covered his nose as he stepped inside.

Nobles were seen slumped over the tables, each with a bullet wound to their foreheads.

One seemed to have failed in an attempt to escape, lying at the entrance with a gaping hole in the back of his head.

Approaching a noble seated in a chair, Aborian slowly removed the mask.

What he saw was a blank stare with eyes rolled back.

“…It’s Baron Tekbolamvol. I suspected his recent behavior was suspicious, and it turns out he was involved with Duke Belvar.”

“Isn’t Baron Tekbolamvol the one who runs the glass processing company?”

“Yeah. I heard his business hasn’t been doing well lately, and it seems he took a wrong turn.”

The adjutant, looking incredulous, turned to Aborian.

“Commander, the others here also appear to be nobles based on their attire and the symbols on their clothes. That means…”

“All of them are collaborators. Given that they gathered in this remote place, they must be among the key figures supporting Duke Belvar.”

“And yet they’ve all been slaughtered. Who could have done this?”

Aborian sighed deeply and replied.

“There’s only one person who could have done it. Colonel Daniel Steiner.”

“Excuse me? But today’s morning newspaper states that the collaborators are missing…”

“That’s a deceptive article meant to evade responsibility. They’re trying to claim that the nobles who died here have no connection to the Central Security Agency.”

“…Why would they do such a thing?”

“You fool. Think about it. No matter how much these guys are collaborators, they’re still nobles, and you can’t just kill them easily. If they don’t resist, they must be arrested and put on trial.”

During the trial, most of them would avoid the death penalty, except for a few whose crimes were particularly severe.

If all the captured nobles were executed, it would undoubtedly cause significant social and political repercussions.

“So Colonel Daniel used a private organization to cleanly deal with them. He didn’t want to leave any loose ends.”

“I understand. He killed them all, but Colonel Daniel won’t take responsibility. After all, he’s made a big deal out of not being able to find a few collaborators.”

The act of killing them had nothing to do with him.

How many people could refute Daniel Steiner’s claims?

There was no evidence revealed about his private organization, making it a perfect crime.

Moreover, by openly killing them, Daniel was sending a warning to everyone.

Dare not to oppose me.

That violent intent seemed to linger throughout the entire space.

“Commander.”

Swallowing hard, the adjutant gazed at the nobles who had met their deaths in unison.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner is truly a terrifying person…”

Aborian could not bring himself to refute that statement.

‘If…’

Had he decided to cooperate with Duke Belvar in the past, it would have been Aborian himself sitting in that chair, dead.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Thank you to the anonymous sponsor for the 5 coins! I appreciate the cool support! I will take it as a motivation to write harder! Thank you!

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I hope all of you have a week filled with joy and happiness!

See you again tomorrow!