Between Protest and Riot
Between Protest and Riot
The next morning.
Glory's Holy Flame Cathedral chapel.
"Even in the Old Testament, God commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is one of God's guidances we can find in our lives..."
While Pastor Belaph delivered the sermon, Frien and Daniel sat in the chapel chairs and quietly exchanged words.
"Are you truly planning to deal with those shameless people who don't even know gratitude?"
It was Frien who spoke.
Daniel let out a dry laugh and nodded.
"Yes. No matter how small the flame, putting it out early is what matters. If they grow into a wildfire, by the time we regret it, it will be too late."
"But Lieutenant, your plan is too dangerous. What will you do if they turn into a mob..."
"A mob."
A thin smile tugged at the corner of Daniel's mouth.
"Lieutenant Frien. Those people are not a mob. They are nothing more than a flock of sheep roused by a shepherd. No matter how many sheep gather, they cannot tear a wolf apart."
Even knowing that the anti-war protesters were closing in, Daniel's expression remained composed.
Frien, who had been quietly observing Daniel's profile, could not contain her curiosity and asked.
"...Do you have some kind of plan?"
"If I didn't have a plan, I wouldn't be sitting here in the first place."
After a brief pause, Daniel continued.
"Listen carefully, Frien. What sheep fear most is the blood of a wolf. Because they cannot know what an injured wolf will do to them."
"When you say blood?"
"I've placed one of my people among the protesters. When the protest starts turning violent, that person will throw a brick at my head."
Daniel spoke of such a shocking fact so casually that Frien's mouth fell slightly open.
Frien glanced around anxiously and whispered toward Daniel.
"A brick? Lieutenant, you'll be seriously injured."
"Don't worry. It's a brick with a reduced clay ratio and an increased sand ratio. Also, the firing temperature was lowered, so it's a fake brick that breaks easily."
"Lieutenant, even if it's fake, it's not safe. You'll definitely get hurt."
"I hope so."
I hope so? Unable to understand, Frien found herself at a loss for words.
Daniel glanced sidelong at Frien and then offered a meaningful remark.
"Didn't I just say it a moment ago? What sheep fear most is the blood of a wolf."
*
Meanwhile, outside the entrance of Glory's Holy Flame Cathedral, around a thousand people stood holding pickets and shouting slogans.
"Glory's Holy Flame Cathedral, cease your acts of idolizing warmongers!"
"We do not want war! Only slaughterers want war!"
"Daniel Steiner, who denies peace, step down!"
Different voices rang out, all carrying a single purpose.
"Those who deny peace!"
"Are nothing but slaughterers!"
After some time, a few individuals led the protest, shouting the slogans repeatedly.
Perhaps in answer to their voices.
The cathedral doors opened, and from within, Daniel Steiner and Frien emerged.
The sight of them walking out, the coattails of their officer uniforms fluttering, carried an indescribable sense of intimidation.
But as if refusing to be cowed, the protesters raised their voices once more.
"It's the warmonger!"
"The slaughterer approaches!"
"Get lost right now!"
The agitated protesters began pulling out rotten vegetables and fruits from the baskets they had brought and throwing them.
They were, in effect, offering the maximum resistance possible without causing bodily harm to their opponent.
However, there was no way the fruit being thrown so recklessly could touch Daniel's body.
Amidst the barrage of fruit, Daniel continued walking slowly.
Peok─
A tomato struck him, but it could not halt Daniel's advance.
Having closed to within about ten paces of the protesters, Daniel stopped in place.
Rotten fruit was still being thrown, but the frequency had noticeably decreased.
Seeing this, Daniel put on a troubled expression and raised both hands.
"Protesters, I have not come here to fight with you. I only wish to clear up misunderstandings and find common ground through dialogue—"
"Dialogue my ass!"
A middle-aged man at the front of the protesters stepped forward.
"My son died in this war! My son, who was going to inherit the family business when he grew up, turned into a corpse out there, I tell you!"
As if in sympathy with the man's outcry, voices of agreement were heard from all around.
"Go away, you demon!"
"You are leading everyone to death!"
They began throwing fruit once more.
Now that the distance had closed, more fruit struck Daniel's body.
As the fruit burst, spreading a sour smell, Daniel raised his hands desperately.
"Citizens! Please calm down! I have not come to fight you!"
At that moment, a brick flew out from among the protesters.
Daniel noticed the brick coming but did not dodge.
There was no need to dodge.
Being hit by the brick was part of the scenario, after all.
Pak─
The brick, flying in an arc, struck Daniel on the forehead.
"Ugh...!"
As Daniel momentarily staggered, Frien let out a scream.
Quickly supporting Daniel, Frien turned back toward the protesters as planned and cried out.
"What on earth are you doing!? Are you trying to kill Lieutenant Daniel!?"
At Frien's outcry, the protesters could only look around at each other, terrified.
Throwing rotten fruit and throwing a brick were entirely different things.
Everyone knew that inflicting injury upon an Imperial officer during wartime would result in severe punishment.
Even injuring a mere officer constituted a serious crime, and now the protesters had injured Daniel Steiner, who was being hailed as a hero of the Empire.
"Who on earth..."
"Why would someone throw a brick..."
Thanks to this, the protesters now regarded each other with deep suspicion.
Daniel, who had been quietly observing the scene, raised his hand and touched his forehead where the brick had struck.
Pain flared, and his brow furrowed.
When he let out a low breath and lowered his hand, he saw his palm, now smeared with blood.
'Good.'
Now the protesters could not deny the fact that they had 'committed violence against an Imperial officer.'
Believing he had fully seized the initiative, Daniel moved Frien aside and raised his head.
"...Citizens."
Unlike moments before, the citizens were now listening to Daniel's words, however unwillingly.
"You all called me a warmonger and, at the same time, one who denies peace. That is half right and half wrong. Me, denying peace?"
Blood trickled down his forehead.
"I am a person who desires peace more than anyone. More than anyone else here!"
As Daniel shouted, the tension among the protesters deepened.
Daniel examined each and every one of those citizens before furrowing his brow.
"If peace is simply a state of being without war, then yes! I am indeed one who denies peace! Is that what you want?"
Daniel raised his hand and pointed east, toward the Allied Nations.
"I asked whether you wish to surrender to those Allied Nations and live as their slaves! If that is truly what you all desire, I will take off my uniform right here and withdraw! Just as you wish!"
But no one among the protesters could tell Daniel to withdraw.
It was not only because they had been cowed by the sight of Daniel, bleeding and speaking so passionately, but also because even those advocating for an end to the war did not, at their core, wish to become slaves to the Allied Nations.
"My dear citizens."
Having outwardly reined in his anger, Daniel lowered his voice as if in sorrow.
"War is something we carry out to protect the value of peace that we pursue. If going to war to protect an ideal peace makes me a warmonger, then I will not raise any objection."
Daniel lowered his hand and, after a brief silence, continued.
"If you can find peace of mind by condemning me, then I would tell you to do so. But you must not deceive yourselves by advocating a false peace."
Some of the citizens, moved by Daniel's words, lowered their heads.
But for others, they were merely frightened and still refused to accept what Daniel had to say.
The man at the front opened his mouth as their representative.
"False peace? Can you say the same to my son, who went out to the battlefield and came back a corpse!?"
Daniel shifted his gaze to the man, only moving his eyes.
Under that sharp gaze, the man felt intimidated but did not retract his words.
Daniel gazed at the man a moment longer before speaking.
"I can say the same."
"On what grounds—"
"Do you know how many battles I have been through?"
The man shut his mouth.
"Do you know what those on the verge of death said to me on the battlefield?"
Daniel slowly walked toward the man.
"I have seen the deaths of countless allies. Some of them breathed their last in my arms. Do you think their final words were truly anti-war?"
Daniel stopped right in front of the man.
"Just before they drew their last breath, the soldiers all told me, their commanding officer, the same thing. They asked me to continue this war. So that the Empire, having achieved victory against the Allied Nations, might enjoy an eternal and everlasting peace."
"I..."
"Your son would not have been much different."
The man's mouth was open, but he could not force the words out.
Because the man did not know his son's final moments.
If Daniel Steiner was truly going out to the battlefield bearing the last wishes of soldiers like his son, then insulting Daniel Steiner was no different from trampling on his son's wishes.
Amidst a quiet realization, the man recalled his son's face and slowly hung his head.
The moisture welling up in his eyes blurred his vision.
"I'm sorry..."
The man could not hold back any longer and closed his eyes.
"I'm truly sorry..."
As the man began to sob, Daniel let out a long breath.
Then he embraced the man and lightly patted his back.
"It's alright. I understand completely."
Daniel, having closed his eyes just as the man had, listened to the sounds around him.
The sound of protesters dropping their pickets one by one.
The murmuring of those reflecting on their actions in joining the protest.
Voices muttering, consumed by guilt.
'Amidst all of that...'
The sound of a camera shutter clicking rang out from afar.
It was the moment a carefully staged play drew its curtain.