chapter_0229

228 – No Joke

228 – No Joke

Have I ever been terrified by a Black person in my life?

The situation of being threatened by someone I had always thought of as part of the lower labor class felt unreal to Malb.

Yet, the fear that gripped him was not a lie.

Malb swallowed hard as he glanced around nervously.

“…What do you want from me?”

“It’s simple.”

The eye behind the monocle stared at Malb as if it could pierce through him.

“Make a correction to the article. Say that the rumor about Daniel Steiner’s aide being an experimental subject of the Allied Nations has not been confirmed.”

“If I do that, the Labor Union Party won’t let us off easily.”

As soon as Malb finished speaking, laughter erupted from all directions.

As if they wanted him to hear it.

Just when the bizarre laughter began to feel chilling, men in suits pulled out their guns.

The muzzle of the gun was aimed at Darren’s temple.

“Ugh!? Ugh!”

Darren, with wide eyes, trembled as Hamtal quietly spoke.

“Life is a series of choices. It’s no different now.”

It was a choice between dying miserably here or correcting the article.

The moment the man with the gun placed his finger on the trigger, Malb shouted urgently.

“I understand! I’ll do as you say, so let him go!”

Upon hearing Malb’s response, Hamtal raised his hand and nodded once.

Only then did the man lower his gun and push Darren forward.

“Cough!”

Darren, kneeling, was breathing heavily.

As he gasped, thinking he had narrowly escaped death, Hamtal picked up the fedora from the table.

“It would be best not to publish any negative articles about Daniel Steiner from now on. Next time, we won’t play such childish tricks.”

It was a warning that if they ignored this one, they should be prepared for the consequences.

With his legs giving way, Malb slumped into a chair.

After catching his breath for a moment, Malb muttered with his gaze downcast.

“…It was true. That Daniel Steiner has a shadow organization.”

Hamtal let out a low chuckle.

“A shadow organization, you say. To be precise, we are not exactly a shadow organization of Daniel Steiner. We are acting voluntarily, even though he has never asked us to. For instance…”

Hamtal dusted off the fedora and continued.

“You could say we are a shadow.”

Hamtal placed the fedora on his head and turned to Malb.

“I’ll cover the tab. Enjoy yourself.”

Malb wanted to escape this place immediately, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Nodding, Malb watched as Hamtal left the bar with the men.

As he listened to their footsteps fade away, Malb exhaled the breath he had been holding.

He raised his hand to his forehead.

‘Damn…’

He felt deeply that he should not touch Daniel Steiner.

–

The next day at noon.

In the office of the Central Ethnic Party leader, Elkar.

“Ugh…”

Elkar, who was reviewing the newspaper published today by the Independent Newspaper Company, looked flustered.

“They’ve changed their stance. Just in one day.”

The day before, the Independent Newspaper Company had attacked Daniel Steiner’s aide, but today they were completely refuting their previous report, calling it “groundless rumors.”

“This absurdity indicates that external pressure has been applied, doesn’t it?”

At Elkar’s question, the secretary-general nodded.

“Yes. It seems that Colonel Daniel Steiner has moved quickly.”

“Then the fact that he wanted to see us today…”

“It probably isn’t a mere coincidence. It’s likely meant to convey a direct message to our party.”

Elkar, folding the newspaper, let out a low sigh.

“I don’t know what that message is, but I have a bad feeling about it.”

The secretary-general felt the same way.

As they both sat there, worried, a knock sounded at the office door.

“Leader! Colonel Daniel Steiner has arrived!”

Already? Elkar exchanged glances with the secretary-general, pushed the newspaper aside, and stood up.

“Let him in.”

Before long, the door opened, and Daniel Steiner entered.

The first thing that caught the eye was the three medals pinned to the chest of Daniel Steiner’s uniform.

“To receive three medals of such caliber, which one would consider an honor to receive just one in a lifetime…”

Moreover, his tall stature and sharp yet calm gaze overwhelmed those around him unknowingly.

There was a firmness in his eyes that could only be gained by someone who had experienced war and battle.

It felt as if the entire atmosphere shifted with the arrival of just one person.

As Elkar, tense, found himself unable to speak, Daniel smiled.

“Oh! You must be the leader of the Central Ethnic Party! It’s truly an honor to meet you.”

With that, Daniel approached with a confident stride and extended his hand.

There was something almost disarmingly natural about his smile.

Elkar, relieved of his tension, took Daniel’s hand.

“It is also an honor for me to meet you, Colonel Daniel. You are a hero of the Empire, after all. I have heard much about your great achievements in Penbarch.”

“A hero? That’s too much. It’s embarrassing to hear such things. Well, how about we sit down and talk?”

“Yes, that would be best.”

Nodding, Elkar gestured toward the sofa.

Daniel smiled in gratitude and sat down on the sofa.

Elkar, sitting across from him, requested coffee from the staff and then turned to Daniel.

“By the way, what brings you to our party, Colonel Daniel?”

“Oh, I came to discuss something simple. It might be a bit heavy, though…”

Daniel shrugged as if it were unavoidable.

“I thought someone had to step up for the Empire, so I shouldn’t hesitate.”

“…Is it a matter of great importance?”

“It’s probably not a small issue.”

Sensing that it would be a difficult conversation, Elkar signaled to the secretary-general.

The secretary-general nodded and gestured for the staff to leave.

The staff nodded and began to put down their work and exit one by one.

In the meantime, a staff member who had been sent for coffee placed a cup on the table in front of Daniel.

Hearing a thank you from Daniel, the staff member bowed and exited the office.

Thus, only Elkar and Daniel Steiner remained in the office.

Daniel, playfully glancing around, let out a low laugh.

“There’s no need to go this far, but I appreciate the consideration.”

“I merely did what I had to do. More importantly, what is this matter for the Empire?”

“I’m trying to resolve one issue. It’s probably a problem you’re aware of as well.”

“A problem I know of?”

“Yes. Haven’t you ever thought about it?”

Daniel took off his uniform cap and placed it on the edge of the table.

“Why are there so many parties in this country?”

A moment of silence fell.

Elkar’s eyes widened in surprise, but Daniel merely adjusted the position of his cap calmly.

“There are far too many parties in the Empire. Perhaps due to the proportional representation system, there are dozens of parties. Among them, there are even parties that support unwholesome ideologies, which is quite absurd.”

“Colonel Daniel? What are you saying…?”

“I wonder if the late Emperor, in respecting the parliament, granted more freedom than necessary. After all, it’s not normal to leave parties that undermine the Empire unchecked, is it?”

Daniel, having straightened his cap, dusted off his hands with satisfaction.

“So, what I’ve thought of is a single party. Wouldn’t it be better to keep only the party that serves the nation and the people, excluding personal opinions? If so, which party would be suitable as the single party?”

Turning his head, Daniel looked at Elkar.

“Thinking about it, the Central Ethnic Party, being the first party, seems fitting. Since it originally has a large number of seats, it would have an advantage in proposing a single party bill and would be much easier to persuade the public. Isn’t that right?”

Elkar could not understand what Daniel was talking about at all.

“…Are you saying you want to deny the parliamentary system established by the late Emperor?”

“I’m not trying to deny it. Rather, I’m saying we should improve it in a better direction. The path may be difficult, but I will support you in every way. What do you think? A future where you become the leader of a single party and serve His Majesty the Emperor.”

It was sweet.

Yet it looked like a fruit that should not be eaten.

Moreover, it was unclear whether seizing the parliament with a single party was for His Majesty the Emperor or for Daniel Steiner.

After a long moment of contemplation, Elkar finally opened his mouth.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner. To be honest, I’m quite taken aback. I understand why you’re making such a request, but…”

Elkar trailed off, closing his mouth.

This was because Daniel was looking at him openly, his smile gone.

Cold sweat trickled down.

Facing Daniel’s eyes, which were like an abyss, sent a chill down his spine.

“Elkar.”

After staring at the frozen Elkar for a while, Daniel spoke.

“Do you think I’m making a request right now?”