Let's Not Curse
Let's Not Curse
Daniel was not the type to live off a reputation born from misunderstandings.
In fact, he was someone who was extremely averse to his fame growing any further than it already had.
So, Daniel desperately explained that the hotel lobby incident was not his doing.
When the police, feeling a sense of awe, asked a few questions to write up the report, Daniel denied it frantically.
"Didn't I say I didn't do it! I'm telling you, I didn't do it!"
But Daniel's claim was not accepted.
It was because, circumstantially, anyone would agree it was Daniel Steiner's doing.
Later, when the thirty corpses were revealed to be Allied Nations spies, the city mayor personally sought out Daniel to express his gratitude.
Even then, Daniel suppressed his rising anger and explained to the mayor.
"Mr. Mayor. If it really was my doing, why on earth would I deny it? I am a neural acceleration ability user, but I don't have the physical prowess to win against thirty people. Please, at least you recognize that I didn't do it."
He had hoped the mayor would take the lead in clearing up the misunderstanding, but what came back was an appreciation plaque.
The plaque even contained the grandiose epithet, 'Savior of Erestiom'.
Daniel, feeling like he was going crazy, decided to reveal the whole truth at the speech venue the mayor had prepared.
"Citizens! You are all mistaken about me right now! I am not an excellent soldier capable of defeating thirty Allied spies!"
At the speech venue crowded with Erestiom citizens, Daniel frantically made it known that he hadn't done it, and the next day, the local newspaper featured a front-page article titled, 'The Humble War Hero, Daniel Steiner'.
The article mainly consisted of praise for Colonel Daniel Steiner, who did not show off despite his tremendous achievements.
In the end, Daniel decided to give up on clearing up the misunderstanding.
On the day he left the city, when the time came,
"Colonel Daniel Steiner! On behalf of the city, I thank you once again!"
"What on earth did I even do...."
"Hahaha! I hope our citizens will also learn from your humility, Colonel!"
"No, seriously. What did I do...."
"I understand! You seem to be feeling burdened, so I shall stop here."
Daniel, having shaken hands with the mayor, boarded the train amidst the cheers of numerous citizens.
Some time later, inside the train cabin, Daniel, who had been watching Erestiom grow distant through the window, turned his head.
Since Frien had momentarily vacated her seat, Lucy was now sitting alone across from Daniel.
When their eyes met, Lucy blinked her eyes innocently.
"Colonel? Did you have something to say?"
For some reason, that pure reaction felt infuriating.
It was because Daniel was vaguely aware that it was Lucy who had massacred the thirty spies.
'But why?'
He couldn't understand why on earth Lucy would massacre Allied spies who were on the same side as her.
Daniel, thinking it was dangerous to ask directly, pretended to make small talk.
"Does my adjutant tend to believe what I say?"
"I tend to believe you, for the most part."
"Then, do you also believe that I am not the culprit who staged that massacre in the hotel lobby?"
"If you insist so, I will believe it."
"Good. Then, what were you doing at that time?"
Her red eyes slowly closed and then opened.
"As I mentioned, I was using the hotel lounge."
"Unrelated to the hotel lobby incident?"
"I can say that is the case."
Lucy, trying to pass the buck, became even more irksome.
Daniel tapped the table and then spoke.
"Whoever it was, I ended up taking the blame. Since it was in the local newspaper, it's only a matter of time before it reaches the capital. Don't you think so?"
"I think it's more of a meritorious deed rather than a dishonor."
"...You really aren't going to give an inch, are you?"
"It is closer to stating facts."
Look at that indifferent face.
How could she pin what she did on someone else and not feel a shred of guilt!
Daniel was appalled, but it wasn't that he couldn't understand Lucy's attitude.
'The Allied spies' goal was to kill me, after all.'
Objectively, the only person in that hotel the Allied spies would have targeted was Daniel Steiner alone.
'I don't know exactly why, but Lucy stopped them.'
Thinking that, Lucy started to look a little different.
Daniel, who had been staring at Lucy, quietly opened his mouth.
"I want to thank you."
A flicker of disturbance passed through Lucy's consistently emotionless red eyes.
Daniel looked at the silent Lucy, who gave no reply, and smiled faintly.
"Because I thought I should express my gratitude, even if I don't know who it was."
While Lucy hesitated over her answer, the train entered a railway tunnel.
The warm sunlight disappeared, and in the cabin filled with shadow, the yellow light of the incandescent lamps flickered past from time to time.
"......."
"......."
Even in the shade, Lucy's red eyes glinted with a faint light, making them strikingly visible.
No, perhaps those irises stained with blood could only shine when in the shade.
But Daniel did not want Lucy to live in the shade.
It was because he wanted her to become a little more honest with herself and reveal her true feelings to others.
Thinking that, Daniel unknowingly mocked himself.
'I've gone soft. Thinking such things about an enemy spy...'
Maybe he had unknowingly felt sympathy for the fact that Lucy was a test subject.
Or perhaps he had grown fond of her after spending nearly a year together.
Deolkeong─
The noise made by the train wheels passing a rail joint echoed stubbornly.
Perhaps that resonance had shattered her thoughts, as Lucy lowered her gaze.
Lucy, her ears reddened, opened her mouth after a brief silence.
"If the person who helped you hears that, Colonel Daniel......."
While Lucy trailed off, the train emerged from the tunnel.
As the sunlight poured in, the foliage and fields spread out picturesquely.
With that scenery as a backdrop, Lucy raised her gaze and looked at Daniel.
"Surely......."
Lucy, who had hesitated for a moment, soon gave a smile that came from the heart.
"I think they would be happy."
With the shade gone, Lucy's eyes no longer shone.
But the smile that bloomed in the place where the light disappeared was more beautiful than ever.
*
Eastern Front, 7th Magitek Armored Division Field Command.
"Sir! We've received a report that an infantry brigade has joined the enemy armored division. Furthermore, according to intelligence acquired through communication interception by the Intelligence Bureau, the enemy plans to advance here soon!"
Division Commander Mordon, who was receiving a situation report from his staff officers in the command tent, frowned.
'This isn't good. Not at all....'
If the enemy armored division joined forces with an infantry brigade to push the front line, he wasn't sure if they could hold out sufficiently.
In addition, the Chief of Staff, with whom he had led the army together, was currently bedridden, unable to overcome a chronic illness.
In the current pressing situation, he couldn't get a handle on how to respond.
Mordon, who had been frowning and fiddling with his command baton for no reason, opened his mouth irritably.
"When on earth is the new Chief of Staff that the General Headquarters sent supposed to arrive? Originally, he should have arrived here two days ago, shouldn't he!"
At Mordon's outburst, the Intelligence Staff Officer answered.
"......According to reports, his arrival was delayed because he got caught in a landslide while traveling by train."
That was something Mordon already knew.
Yet, the reason he was getting angry for no reason was because, deep in his subconscious, he had a desire to keep Daniel Steiner, who was revered as a war hero, in check.
"Pathetic. Perhaps it's because he's nothing more than an orphan."
Mordon was a division commander from a noble family.
Therefore, he disliked the fact that Daniel Steiner, an orphan, was not only rising through the ranks at a young age and reaching the position of Colonel, but also acting as the Chief of Staff on the front lines.
Beyond dislike, it was even oddly unpleasant.
Mordon, a frontline commander, wasn't well-informed about the news from the capital, but he was well aware of all the major incidents.
Those major incidents naturally included the things Daniel Steiner had caused.
'The arrogant bastard is knowingly or unknowingly antagonizing the nobles.'
In Mordon's eyes, Daniel Steiner was a fellow who didn't know his place.
Mordon, who had been clicking his tongue openly, spoke up with the intention of finding fault with Daniel.
"He's quite lucky. We're going through this hardship on the field while he must have been eating and playing in the city, using the landslide as an excuse."
But no one agreed with Mordon's words.
Just as he thought the atmosphere felt somehow different than usual, the Intelligence Staff Officer opened his mouth.
"Sir. According to recently received news, Colonel Daniel Steiner was caught up in an assassination attempt by Allied spies in Erestiom."
This was the first he had heard of this, so Mordon let out a dry cough.
"Assassination? Surely he wasn't killed, right?"
Apart from disliking him, Mordon didn't want Daniel Steiner to die.
It was because they needed at least one more competent staff officer here right now.
"Well...."
The Intelligence Staff Officer paused for a moment before speaking.
"It's said he killed all of the roughly thirty Allied spies."
Mordon and the staff officers inhaled sharply and blinked blankly.
It was astonishing that not just one or two, but thirty people had carried out the assassination operation, and it was disconcerting that Daniel Steiner had handled them all.
However, judging it wasn't completely impossible, Mordon tried his best to act arrogant.
"It seems his escort company put in some work. They say they're capable people...."
It was a remark meant to deny Daniel's achievement, but the Intelligence Staff Officer shook his head.
"No. As far as I know, Daniel Steiner faced the thirty or so spies alone. According to the local police inspector, the lobby floor was covered in blood from the thirty corpses, and Colonel Daniel Steiner was standing alone among them."
The commotion that had pervaded the command tent disappeared.
Amidst an unknown fear, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Among them, the Intelligence Staff Officer, gauging Mordon's reaction, slowly continued.
"Furthermore, it's said that Colonel Daniel Steiner sustained no injuries while facing the thirty people. In addition, according to the investigation, some of the spies were so consumed with extreme fear toward Colonel Daniel Steiner that they lost their will to fight and committed suicide."
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Mordon unknowingly raised his hand and stroked his neck.
"That...."
Mordon, whose eyes were trembling slightly, swallowed hard and then spoke.
"About me insulting Colonel Daniel Steiner today. I beg you, could you keep your mouths shut about it?"
It was because protecting his life came before his pride.