chapter_0189

188 – Ah, your family?

188 – Ah, your family?

Three days later.

Morning in the Imperial City.

Vroom—

The deep, low rumble of a limousine’s exhaust lightly blankets the roads of the Imperial City.

On the flagpole at the side of the limousine, a small flag symbolizing Bellanos fluttered proudly.

It was said to be the ceremonial limousine of the diplomatic envoy from Bellanos.

Yet, there was hardly a crowd to welcome them.

The fact that a diplomatic envoy had been dispatched from Bellanos was classified information, unknown to the general public.

Even if they had known, there wouldn’t have been much enthusiasm for a welcome.

Today was the day of execution for Duke Belvar, the leader of the collaborators, so all attention was focused in that direction.

Inside the limousine, a girl resting her chin in her hand muttered, “…When are we going to arrive? Is it still far?”

Woline, the diplomatic envoy sitting next to her, smiled subtly.

“We will arrive shortly. Since we agreed to meet at the square, it should take about ten more minutes.”

The reason he responded politely, despite the girl speaking informally, was simple.

The girl before him was Leff, the daughter of the Prime Minister of Bellanos.

“Really? But this hat is so uncomfortable. It’s annoying.”

Leff, with her beautiful long black hair, wore a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a long lace veil.

The outline of her face was visible, but one could not fully grasp her appearance without a closer look.

This was a hat specially arranged by the Prime Minister of Bellanos, who worried for his daughter’s safety.

“Miss, even if the hat is a bit uncomfortable, it was specially prepared by the Prime Minister, so I hope you can endure this minor inconvenience.”

“I know. I get that old man is doing this for my sake. But isn’t this overprotective? If it’s going to be like this…”

Leff sighed softly, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Forget it. This outfit isn’t so bad today. If I keep my head down, Daniel… no, that bastard Daniel won’t recognize me, right?”

“Unless you reveal your identity first, that should be the case. But is there really a need to hide your identity in front of Colonel Daniel Steiner?”

“Yeah. He hid his identity in front of me before, so I’m just returning the favor. Of course, there are other reasons for hiding my identity.”

Leff released her chin and turned to Woline.

“Hey, who do you think will hold the real power in the Empire in the future?”

“…I think it’s too sensitive a matter for a mere diplomatic envoy like me to determine.”

“Boring. Then I’ll share my insignificant opinion. I already think the Empire is somewhat in the grasp of Daniel Steiner.”

“That’s an interesting perspective. It could certainly be interpreted that way.”

“Don’t play coy; you think so too. Either way, if Daniel Steiner holds the real power in the Empire, we need to keep tabs on him.”

Leff narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Whether that guy can truly lead this war to victory.”

Woline nodded, somewhat agreeing with Leff’s words.

“The Republic has completed its war preparations. They will soon declare war and invade the Empire. When that happens, the situation will become precarious, not just for the Empire.”

“Right. Because of that bastard Daniel, we’ve effectively found ourselves in the position of allies with the Empire. Just words from a powerless nation. But this could also be an opportunity.”

“You mean when the Empire isn’t a sinking ship?”

If the Republic intervenes, the Empire will certainly find itself in a disadvantageous position.

However, the Emperor of the Empire did not accept this disadvantage and fought back.

He convinced the Prime Minister of Bellanos that the moment the Empire developed the atomic bomb first, the tide of war would turn in an instant.

While a secret scientific and technological agreement was underway, a civil war broke out in the Empire.

Trust in the Emperor, who could not prevent the civil war, plummeted, and Bellanos planned to reconsider its relationship with the Empire and break the agreement.

At that moment, Daniel Steiner appeared like a comet.

Like a predator waiting for an opportunity, Daniel Steiner maneuvered the 7th Armored Division to seize the Imperial City, swiftly eliminating the collaborators and stabilizing the Empire.

Thanks to this, Bellanos could not find a justification to break the agreement and proceeded to send a diplomatic envoy to the Empire as planned.

Having witnessed all of this, Leff thought.

As long as Daniel Steiner was in the Empire, it might not be defeated.

“To be honest, the Emperor of the Empire is too soft. If it were me, I wouldn’t even think about fostering harmony with the nobility. I would have manipulated a justification to eliminate anyone who defied me.”

“Miss.”

Woline wore a troubled expression, but Leff continued speaking.

After all, there was no one else listening besides Woline, so there was no need to hold back.

“Why? It’s fine to spout ideals, but if you lack the ability to execute them, you’re unqualified as a ruler. It’s thanks to Daniel Steiner that we’re in this position; if he weren’t here, what would have happened? Duke Belvar would have delivered the Empire to the Allied Nations himself.”

Woline, who had been flustered, exhaled deeply as if he had given up.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“We need to bet on Daniel Steiner, not the Emperor of the Empire. Let’s see if he’s a man with a good hand or not.”

“From a macro perspective, you’re not wrong. However, I would appreciate it if you could refrain from extreme remarks. It could tarnish our dignity…”

As Woline spoke, the limousine gradually came to a stop.

“It seems we’ve arrived at the square.”

Leff nodded.

As Woline adjusted his attire, the driver, who had gotten out first, opened the back door.

After expressing his thanks and stepping out of the limousine, Woline could see the multitude gathered in the square.

It was fortunate that soldiers, presumably from the Empire, were preventing the crowd from crossing a certain line; otherwise, they would have been swept away by the throng.

“Oh! Ambassador! You’ve arrived!”

While watching the crowd, Woline heard a deep voice not far away.

Turning his head, he spotted a colonel in a neat uniform adorned with several medals.

It was Daniel Steiner.

As Daniel Steiner approached, flanked by a few soldiers, he extended his hand for a handshake.

Woline, smiling, accepted the handshake.

“Colonel Daniel, the hero of the Empire. Thank you for coming out to greet us despite your busy schedule.”

“Please, no need for such formalities. I am not in a position to receive thanks. We should have met in a proper reception room, not in a square like this…”

“Don’t worry about it. We wanted to confirm that the Imperial City is stable.”

The choice of the execution site as the meeting place had been agreed upon by both sides, so there was no need for further discussion.

“By the way, there’s quite a crowd. I didn’t expect so many people to gather.”

“The fall of a power is more entertaining than any spectacle. Especially if it’s someone who caused a civil war and was captured. But who is this next to you…?”

As Daniel cautiously pointed to Leff, Woline shrugged it off as nothing significant.

“She is my aide. She’s quite shy, so I ask for your understanding if she doesn’t speak much.”

“Oh, I see. My apologies.”

Just as Daniel turned his attention away from Leff and put on a welcoming smile, the crowd erupted in a deafening cheer.

Waaaaah—

Wondering what was happening, Woline followed the crowd’s gaze and discovered the cause.

Duke Belvar, the leader of the collaborators, was being dragged out by soldiers.

As he climbed onto the hastily constructed wooden gallows in the square, there was no trace of his usual authoritative demeanor.

Duke Belvar, looking disheveled, walked out with a sign reading “Traitor” hanging around his neck.

—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

As the crowd shouted, Daniel opened his mouth.

“Would you like to come closer to see? Of course, it’s not a pleasant sight…”

“I would gladly do so. I need to witness Duke Belvar’s death with my own eyes and report it to the Prime Minister.”

“Then that’s good. Please follow me.”

As Daniel led the way, Leff and Woline followed behind.

Leff and Woline joined Daniel on the gallows.

As Daniel revealed himself, the crowd’s voices gradually quieted.

Looking down at the crowd from the gallows, Daniel waited for silence before speaking.

“Citizens! The person you see before you is Duke Belvar! He is the head of a respected noble family and has served three Emperors! Surely everyone here knows he was a man of great honor!”

As Daniel suddenly defended Duke Belvar, a long silence followed.

“However!”

Amidst the bewildered gazes, Daniel shouted.

“The honor that Duke Belvar built up was merely a stepping stone for civil war! Despite having fed off the state’s resources, he acted solely for his own selfish desires! He imprisoned His Majesty the Emperor and drove the soldiers fighting for the people into the jaws of death!”

Flashes from cameras exploded here and there.

As the crowd’s mood became more animated, Daniel continued.

“Now, the honor left to this man is less than the lies piled up by a homeless person on the street! Therefore, I—no! We, the citizens, demand of Duke Belvar! That the only way to cleanse your sins is through death!”

As Daniel’s words ended, a wave of cheers erupted.

—Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Seeing this, Daniel turned to Belvar.

“…Do you have any last words?”

Duke Belvar, kneeling, let out a low laugh.

“What meaning is there in leaving a last word at the point of having lost everything?”

Understanding Belvar’s feelings to some extent, Daniel looked at the soldier.

“Execute him.”

The soldier nodded and pulled out a pistol from his pocket.

Just as the soldier aimed the pistol, Belvar suddenly looked up at Daniel.

“…Colonel Daniel. Even though I am but a loser, you kept your promise, right? Is my family safe?”

“Your family, you say?”

Before answering, Daniel was conscious of the diplomatic envoy beside him.

He thought he could score points by showing a kind demeanor.

After a brief thought, Daniel smiled faintly.

“They should be in a good place by now, so don’t worry.”

He was referring to the house prepared for Duke Belvar’s family in the suburbs.

However, to Duke Belvar, it sounded like “Your family is all dead.”

Especially that sly smile felt like a horrific deception.

With his eyes wide open, Duke Belvar finally shouted.

“Daniel Steiner! You bastard demon—!”

The rest of his words were never spoken.

Bang!

A bullet lodged itself in Duke Belvar’s head.

With wide eyes, he collapsed to the ground, leaving his unfinished words unspoken as he met his end.

Watching from the side, Woline, the diplomatic envoy, was gripped by an involuntary fear.

‘Did he really kill him after promising to spare his family?’

His hands began to tremble against his will.

Shocked by Daniel’s cruelty, Woline swallowed dryly.

‘Now I understand why the Prime Minister referred to Daniel Steiner as a demon.’

While Woline broke into a cold sweat, Daniel wiped his face with a handkerchief.

Then, when Daniel turned to the side, he froze.

Both the diplomatic envoy and the aide were staring at him with rigid postures.

‘Why are they looking at me like that? I’m sure I showed a humanitarian side…’

From Daniel’s perspective, it was nothing short of bewildering.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Thank you to the supporter, for the 100 coins! I’m grateful just for you reading my work, and I’m even more touched that you’re considering my health with your support. I’ll continue to write diligently while taking care of my health! Thank you!

And thank you to all the readers who are reading my work!

Today, I prepared a hearty meal…!

I hope you enjoyed it, and I will take my leave now!

See you again tomorrow!