chapter_0233

232 – Let Me Know?

232 – Let Me Know?

Selvia, realizing that resisting Daniel could backfire, lowered her eyes and fell silent.

The atmosphere, akin to raising a white flag, darkened the faces of the council members.

As the tension grew heavier, one of the members raised his voice.

“Are you trying to pass the National Crisis Resolution Unification Act like this!?”

When Daniel turned around, the member hesitated for a moment but did not back down.

“The committee’s review has been unusually fast, and now the motion is being brought directly to the plenary session, which I found suspicious! But now I understand! Brigadier General Daniel Steiner! You’ve been planning everything from behind the scenes!”

Despite the member’s outburst, Daniel remained unfazed.

Instead, he merely gazed at the member with a sharp look.

“I’m sorry, but I’m only following the Emperor’s orders. Please cease such nonsensical slander.”

“…The Emperor is trying to expel us? That can’t be!”

“Can’t be? Why are you so sure of that?”

Daniel slowly walked toward the member.

“Councilman Kendref, may I make a prediction?”

Kendref’s eyes trembled at the mention of his name.

“I found out that you accepted your first bribe from a corporation three years ago, under the condition of representing their interests. At that time, Councilman Kendref, while taking the money, must have been tormented by guilt and anxiety.”

Daniel was closing the distance between them.

“However, as time passed, your confidence grew. Why? Because the Security Agency didn’t come to investigate, and the world continued to turn normally. No one held you accountable, Councilman Kendref. So you began to think this.”

Daniel stopped just a short distance away from Kendref.

“Isn’t it alright to keep accepting bribes?”

There was a certain disgust in Daniel’s gaze as he looked down at Kendref.

“Emboldened, you continued to accept bribes from various sources, representing their interests. Recently, you’ve taken bribes three times, even accepting dirty money from criminal organizations, all while being unaware that the Emperor is watching.”

As Kendref was unable to refute, Daniel sighed and raised his head.

“Other council members are the same. If anyone here wishes to assert their innocence, please step forward. If you are truly innocent, I will personally apologize and help you leave this place.”

Daniel continued with a fierce tone.

“However, if you claim innocence and it differs from what I know, be prepared. At that moment, you will never be able to show your face in the Empire again.”

None of the members dared to step forward after hearing the threat.

They all knew.

They had committed various crimes under the name of council members.

Regardless of the severity of the crimes, the fact that they had committed them made no one willing to step forward.

From the beginning, they had been entangled like a spider’s web, accepting various sums of money under the pretext of representing others’ opinions.

Daniel, looking down at the trembling members like frightened mice, turned to the chief of police.

“Since they have confessed to their crimes, arrest them all and transport them without delay.”

“Understood!”

The chief of police saluted Daniel and shouted to the officers stationed nearby.

“From now on, we will begin the arrest procedures! Move quickly!”

Hearing the command, the officers took out handcuffs and approached the council members.

Believing they had no way out, the members accepted their fate.

As the police placed handcuffs on the members’ wrists, Daniel approached Selvia.

He noticed that someone who should have been there was missing, just as he had expected.

“Chairman, where is His Highness Arno?”

Selvia flinched slightly at the question.

“Why are you asking me that…?”

“It would be best not to try to evade, as I already know everything. You’re not thinking of adding more crimes here, are you?”

Selvia, hesitating, let out a low breath.

“…I don’t know exactly. All I know is that he left with a servant, claiming there was a way to turn the situation around, and went to the old town.”

The old town?

“What was the purpose of going to the old town?”

“I told you I don’t know. His Highness Arno has never properly shared his plans with me. No, he’s the kind of person who lives without making plans.”

“Is that all you know?”

“Do you think I’ve been living a lie? Do you think I would lie in this situation? What benefit would I gain from that?”

Indeed, with the evidence being so clear, there was no future for them once caught by the police.

Adding lies here would only increase their crimes, so it was better to consider it the truth.

Thinking that things had become a bit troublesome, Daniel clicked his tongue and turned to the chief of police.

“Chief, contact the head of the Security Agency and inform him to deploy all available personnel to the old town. I will report separately to the Emperor.”

“…To the old town?”

“Yes.”

Brushing off the dust from his clothes, Daniel narrowed his eyes.

“It seems His Highness Arno is pleading for someone to find him.”

–

Upon receiving Daniel’s orders, the head of the Security Agency immediately deployed personnel to the old town.

Emperor Selvia, upon hearing Daniel’s report, also deemed it urgent to find Arno and issued a search order to the military police.

A day had passed since the military and police stormed the old town.

─ This is a ghost. Confirmed screams in the western collapse area during the search of old town sector 8. The location appears to be inside the cathedral. Estimated distance about 50 meters. Standing by. Awaiting instructions.

Walking nearby, Daniel heard the report coming from the portable radio.

‘Screams.’

In the old town, which was practically in ruins, mostly inhabited by criminals and homeless people, hearing screams was a common occurrence.

However, hearing screams while the military and police were conducting a large-scale search was clearly unusual.

It would be the criminals and homeless who would be most wary of being discovered by the military and police.

For those trying to hide from the military and police, it made no sense to scream out loud.

‘Of course, not everything in the world goes according to common sense…’

Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to check, Daniel picked up the radio and pressed the transmit button.

“Surround the cathedral. I will go personally.”

–

When Daniel arrived at the cathedral with his escort, the military police saluted.

“Brigadier General Daniel Steiner. You have arrived.”

They seemed quite tense, perhaps not expecting to see a general on the scene.

After returning the salute of the squad leader, Daniel casually looked at the cathedral.

It appeared to have been long neglected, covered in vines and moss.

“Is this the place where the screams were heard?”

“Yes.”

“Were there any individuals who left the cathedral?”

“None. As soon as we received the orders, we completely surrounded the area around the cathedral.”

“Good. Then let’s proceed.”

Nodding, the squad leader gestured to the nearby soldiers.

The soldiers kicked the cathedral doors open and entered inside.

Daniel also stepped through the open door into the cathedral.

However, he had to stop after taking just a few steps.

“Ah.”

As the dim light filtered through the stained glass, a man sitting at the altar raised his head.

With blond hair and blue eyes, the man was smiling, covered in blood.

“You’ve come?”

In front of him lay the corpse of a servant, mutilated beyond recognition.

Daniel couldn’t even comprehend what had happened.

As Daniel remained silent, Arno raised his hand and scratched his head.

“I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that. You’ve killed quite a few people on the battlefield yourself, haven’t you? Ah. Are you curious why this guy died? If that’s the case, I don’t mind telling you.”

Arno tossed the dagger he was holding onto the servant’s corpse and spoke.

“I clearly told him not to eavesdrop, but he was listening secretly. When I opened the basement door, this bastard fell over. So I killed him. The garbage couldn’t even understand what I was saying.”

As Arno spoke, it felt as if he was talking about killing an animal rather than a person, and a sense of disgust instinctively rose within Daniel.

“Your Highness, claiming that you killed someone for not listening does not justify murder.”

At Daniel’s words, Arno let out a low laugh.

“If you hear the information I’ve uncovered, you’ll understand why I killed this bastard. This is a truth that would be troublesome if it became known to the world.”

Suddenly, Arno’s smile turned sinister.

“What do you think? Don’t you want to hear it?”