chapter_0217

216 – Lucy

216 – Lucy

A mansion owned by the Count Caledra family.

Temporary operations command center.

“We have received urgent news that the enemy has completely occupied the City Hall Square! Our forces are continuing to retreat! We can’t hold out any longer!”

“Are you saying we’re being pushed back so easily? We have a force equivalent to a division, and we’re supposed to lose because of just one Daniel Steiner?”

“Look at the reality! The enemy’s encirclement has become even more solid! If they push in like this, the remaining troops in the city won’t last long!”

While the desperate staff debated, Caledra paid little attention.

He simply stood by the window, looking down at the city where explosions and gunfire were rampant.

The chief of staff approached Caledra.

With a plaster bandage wrapped around his arm, the chief of staff lightly bowed his head toward Caledra.

“Count, the situation is serious. It would be wise to escape before the enemy arrives here. I have instructed vehicles to be prepared at a nearby distance, so you need not worry about being captured by Daniel Steiner.”

Normally, Caledra would have shot a sharp glance at the chief of staff for suggesting an escape, but not now.

Caledra was not foolish enough to cling to a fight in such a clearly disadvantageous battlefield.

The enemy’s bombardment was getting closer.

Caledra, who had been silent, spoke without turning to look at the chief of staff.

“What about the reinforcements?”

“Two battalions were reported to have been sent from Ravengrad, but the situation is unfavorable. According to reports, they encountered enemy light tank units while moving the troops, and the transport train was overturned. Additionally, the railway network has been damaged, making further support unlikely.”

Caledra clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.

He had suspected that Daniel Steiner’s reason for hiding his troops in the north was related to the railway network, but now that it was becoming a reality, it was causing him stress.

No matter how many possibilities he considered, he could find no chance of victory on this battlefield.

Slowly opening his eyes, Caledra spoke as if in disbelief.

“What do you think, chief of staff? Is Daniel Steiner truly a demon?”

The chief of staff, unaware of Caledra’s intentions, could only remain silent.

After hearing a few more distant sounds of bombardment, Caledra continued.

“In my view, he is human. This explosive offensive can only be explained by anger.”

Emotions were evident in Daniel Steiner’s operations.

He was not the madman who took pleasure in destroying the Allied Nations as rumors suggested.

“Even if he is Daniel Steiner, he can die if shot and be wounded if cut. As long as he wears human skin, he is never free from death.”

Caledra tightened his grip on his cane.

“But why…?”

From the sinking of the diplomatic vessel to now, Daniel Steiner had escaped the ‘death’ that Caledra had prepared and launched a counterattack.

As if he were a demon returned from hell.

Caledra had witnessed many frontline commanders attacking the Allied Nations, but he had never encountered anyone as unpredictable as Daniel Steiner.

In war, unpredictability equated to fear.

Caledra, biting his lip, turned to the chief of staff.

“…What about Lucy Emilia? She should have arrived at the mansion by now.”

The chief of staff opened his mouth with a difficult expression.

“During the memory erasure process, a critical error occurred. According to the doctor, it’s an unprecedented phenomenon, and it will take considerable time to resolve the error.”

That meant they could not take Lucy with them.

Caledra groaned as a headache surged.

“Daniel Steiner. You are indeed trying to shake the foundations of the Allied Nations.”

If Daniel Steiner, having secured Lucy Emilia, were to take Penbarch, he could not predict how far the repercussions would reach.

In his heart, he wanted to resist until the end and somehow eliminate Daniel Steiner, but being swayed by emotions would not lead to sound judgment.

Acknowledging defeat, Caledra turned his body.

“Gather a small force and issue a retreat order.”

It was a phrase he did not want to utter, but now, blocked by a dead end, there were no options left.

“From now on, we will…”

After taking a step, Caledra continued after a brief silence.

“Abandon Penbarch.”

–

Meanwhile, at the laboratory, the doctor and researchers were busy at work.

“We have confirmed an overreaction in the nervous system! Memories… memories are being restored!”

“Stabilizing sensory feedback lines! Waveform alignment! The synchronization rate of the nerves is also rising to normal levels!”

“This is unbelievable! I never thought this would be possible…!”

As the researchers raised their voices, the doctor adjusted his glasses and let out a hollow laugh.

‘This is truly absurd.’

According to the control panel’s readings, not only were Lucy Emilia’s memories being restored, but her consciousness was also surfacing.

Approaching the consciousness of another to unlock memories was logically possible, but it was a method with low feasibility.

If the subject were to meet death in their memories, it could lead to a kind of ‘deletion process,’ resulting in a coma.

That was why the doctor had warned Daniel that it was a dangerous method.

However, Daniel had disregarded his own life and saved Lucy Emilia.

‘Though Daniel Steiner may be from the enemy nation…’

His desire to save his subordinate, even at risk, was noble.

The doctor, harboring brief reflections, manipulated the control panel to deactivate the consciousness-sharing state.

He then stopped the operation of Daniel Steiner’s makeshift chamber.

With Lucy’s memories and consciousness returned, there was no longer a need to keep Daniel locked inside the chamber.

As he pressed the release button, the chamber door slowly opened, and Daniel opened his eyes.

Blinking several times with his graphite-like black eyes, Daniel stepped out of the chamber.

The company commander approached Daniel.

“Brigadier! Are you feeling alright?”

He couldn’t possibly be fine.

Although only a few minutes had passed in reality, a long time must have passed in the realm of consciousness.

Daniel, feeling dazed and struggling to walk properly, did not show it.

“How much time has passed?”

Reassured by Daniel’s usual tone, the company commander reported the time.

“Exactly 3 minutes and 30 seconds have passed since you entered the chamber.”

“Is that so? It seems the doctor’s words were not false.”

Receiving Daniel’s gaze, the doctor felt a twinge of tension but bowed his head.

In the meantime, footsteps were heard nearby.

“Congratulations on your safe return.”

Turning his head, Daniel saw the soldier who had received his revolver and coat standing there.

Thanking him, Daniel took the coat and draped it over his shoulders as the company commander spoke.

“Brigadier, may I ask what the next plan is?”

“If we have taken control of the city center, we must advance to the enemy’s temporary command post. But before that…”

Daniel holstered his revolver and turned around.

Following Daniel’s gaze, the company commander could see Lucy Emilia trapped in the central chamber.

With a somewhat nostalgic smile, Daniel opened his mouth.

“First, we should go greet our lady.”

Our lady? The company commander felt somewhat puzzled, but the doctor understood what that meant.

Daniel must have lived a long time within Lucy’s consciousness.

He must have experienced countless events and incidents there.

“I will open the central chamber.”

As the doctor said this and manipulated the control panel, the entrance to the central chamber began to open.

As Daniel adjusted his attire, the central chamber fully opened.

Lucy, placing her feet on the floor, slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing Lucy saw upon waking from her long slumber was Daniel Steiner.

Daniel looked at Lucy, who was unaware of reality, and smiled softly.

“Subordinate. Why are you staring blankly as if seeing your superior for the first time?”

At the mention of “subordinate,” tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes without her realizing it.

“Ah. Ah…”

She wanted to respond, but her voice was dry and cracked, keeping her silent.

As their gazes crossed, Lucy took a step forward.

At the same time, dizziness overwhelmed her, but she endured it.

All she could think about was that she needed to approach Daniel.

Taking two steps, then three, Lucy eventually could not hold back and ran toward Daniel.

Daniel was momentarily taken aback but soon opened his arms to embrace Lucy.

Their bodies pressed together.

Lucy, holding Daniel, sobbed as if seeking comfort.

It was a natural reaction, having miraculously returned to reality after facing Daniel’s death.

Lucy wanted to confirm one thing.

That Daniel was alive and well.

‘Lucy…’

Watching her with a mix of pity and affection, Daniel quietly spoke.

“Let’s go see the sea together someday. This time, without anyone’s interference.”

Holding back tears that threatened to spill, Lucy nodded.

She tightened her grip on Daniel.

Lucy had come to dislike humans.

She believed that humans were designed to inflict pain on others.

Her worldview had naturally formed from being blamed and coldly treated by everyone in the mansion.

However, due to one man she met in the Empire, Lucy’s thoughts began to change.

She started to think that perhaps humans could also be beings that bring happiness to others.

In her childhood memories, that thought became a conviction.

In the world of memories, Daniel had risked his life to protect her.

Lucy knew he had willingly chosen to sacrifice himself without expecting anything in return.

Thanks to that, Lucy could now like people.

She no longer had to view life as suffering and act cynically.

The one who showed her that there was indeed color in a world that had been monochrome was right in front of her.

Thus, Lucy vowed to no longer hide her feelings.

The emotions she had desperately suppressed due to being a spy for the Allied Nations suddenly blossomed.

Only then did Lucy realize.

‘I love Daniel Steiner…’

That she loved the one man in this world.