It's Only Natural to Get Angry When Framed
It's Only Natural to Get Angry When Framed
Morning broke.
And with morning came the time for Daniel to throw himself into his duties.
Today, that duty was to report directly to His Majesty the Emperor in the Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace.
So from early on, he was riding in a military vehicle bound for the Imperial Palace.
Sitting in the back seat, Daniel admired the scenery passing outside the window and let out a low sigh.
'Back in the Imperial Capital, and not a moment's rest. It feels even busier than before.'
As he voiced his dissatisfaction inwardly, the sound of flipping paper came from beside him.
It was Lucy, opening a binder and reviewing documents.
After looking over the documents for a while, Lucy turned to Daniel and spoke.
"Chief of Public Security, how much time do you intend to devote to the newspaper and the investigation period?"
It was a question that required no great deliberation.
"I'll wrap it up as quickly as possible. I've already found out everything I need to know, so I plan to conclude the investigation and formally indict them within a week."
"Understood. Do you have any thoughts on the format of the trial?"
"To re-establish the authority of the Imperial Household, it will have to be a public trial. We need to propagandize the corruption of the nobles so that power is concentrated in His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty will agree with this point as well."
Lucy nodded, pulled a notepad from inside her jacket, and jotted down Daniel's words.
Because Lucy was acting as Daniel Steiner's adjutant, she was often bombarded with various questions in the course of her work, and she appeared to be taking notes in order to answer them later.
Essentially, she was acting on Daniel's behalf, as Daniel was not fond of stepping into the public eye unless necessary.
'She's probably wearing out her shoe leather in other ways for my sake, too.'
Thinking that, he felt an unwarranted pang of guilt.
As Lucy returned the notepad to her jacket and went back to the documents, Daniel let a remark slip casually.
"I'm proud of you."
Lucy's shoulders flinched.
Daniel, who had been watching her playfully, let out a low laugh.
"It can't be easy assisting me when I get tangled up in all these incidents and accidents, yet you've stayed at your post without a single complaint."
"......I'm only doing my duty."
"I'm sure you are. I hope you'll continue to remain my adjutant without harboring any other intentions."
It was his way of saying, 'Even if the Allied Nations issue an assassination order, let it slide just this once.'
Lucy, on the other hand, felt that Daniel's remark was an extension of the confession she had received before.
"I have never, not even once......."
Lucy, who had been hesitating, forced her voice out as if it were crawling away.
"Harbored any other intentions."
Her expression and voice were even, but both of Lucy's ears were flushed red.
Her breathing also felt slightly unsteady.
Daniel, wondering why she was acting this way, looked at her with puzzlement, and Lucy let out a dry cough.
"More importantly, there is one piece of news I need to inform you of, Colonel Daniel."
Daniel found Lucy's sudden change of subject suspicious, but he didn't bother pointing it out.
"News? What kind?"
"Having confirmed that the Imperial Capital has stabilized, Bellanos has downgraded the Empire's status. It is no longer classified as a high-risk nation. Currently, the Empire is a 'nation requiring caution' in Bellanos, and they say diplomatic relations will resume shortly."
"Is that so? That's good news to hear."
Given the Empire's situation, where they had to rush nuclear development to end the war, the resumption of diplomacy with Bellanos was something to be wholeheartedly welcomed.
'Somehow, the war needs to end so that I, too, can live a bucolic life.'
Just as he was having these thoughts, the military vehicle slowly came to a halt.
Once it had stopped completely, a soldier got out of the driver's seat and opened the back door.
"We have arrived, Chief of Public Security!"
Daniel thanked the saluting soldier and got out.
What greeted him was the massive main palace, which looked like several mansions put together, and the maids of the Inner Court Office who had come out to the entrance to greet him.
Seeing Daniel step out, the maids approached and bowed in an old-fashioned manner.
"Welcome, Colonel Daniel Steiner. We will guide you to the Grand Conference Hall."
The extremely lavish treatment was burdensome to Daniel, but these people were only doing the job Selvia had given them, and refusing would have been discourteous.
Daniel nodded and followed the maids into the main palace. After walking down a long hallway, he arrived at the Grand Conference Hall, whose doors were open.
He could see brilliant, distinguished figures seated at the command table in the Grand Conference Hall, engaged in conversation.
The atmosphere was slightly different from when he had stormed in to arrest Duke Belvar.
Daniel was tensing up without realizing it, when the maid who had guided him bowed politely.
"You may enter now. His Majesty is scheduled to arrive a little late."
"Ah. Thank you for guiding us."
"We are all the more grateful that you gave us the opportunity to guide a hero of the Empire."
The smiling maid stepped back.
Watching that, Daniel walked toward the Grand Conference Hall.
As the distance closed, he could hear the imperial executives gathered in the hall talking.
"Colonel Daniel Steiner has raised the curtain on a new order. Is there any need to criticize this?"
"I too was imprisoned by them! How could I not know of their tyranny? But what value can there be in an order raised upon countless corpses?"
"Director of the Intelligence Bureau. Those corpses belong to collaborators. Are you now trying to defend the collaborators who instigated the military rebellion?"
"That's not what I meant! I am simply saying that massacre must not become a tool of politics! Everyone seems unaware of what truly happened at the Abandoned Station yesterday......."
The Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Keltrak, stopped mid-sentence and shut his mouth.
It was because he had spotted Daniel Steiner entering the Grand Conference Hall.
The ministers and generals, who had been following Keltrak's gaze, all composed their breathing and straightened their postures.
Everyone gathered in the Grand Conference Hall held higher office and rank than Daniel Steiner, but paradoxically, they were all walking on eggshells around him.
This was because his background — the Emergency Security Chief and a war hero favored by the Emperor — more than surpassed the achievements of those assembled here.
In wartime, achievements were strength and power.
Thus, everyone was maintaining silence so as not to get on Daniel Steiner's bad side.
Director of the Intelligence Bureau Keltrak was not pleased with this situation.
Because it looked exactly as if Daniel Steiner was acting like the Emperor.
While Keltrak glared at him, Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down, making a fuss.
"Hmm? What were you all talking about? It seemed like my name was floating around......."
But no one answered.
Thanks to that, the atmosphere grew awkward. As Daniel was fidgeting his fingers for no reason, Keltrak opened his mouth.
"You heard right. We were talking about you. Colonel Daniel Steiner."
Daniel, whose gaze had been wandering around their faces, looked at Keltrak.
"Is that so. What story were you sharing?"
"Originally, we were going to discuss it in your absence, but I don't suppose it matters now. Colonel Daniel Steiner, information has come in that you mass-executed the nobles listed in Duke Belvar's roster at the Abandoned Station in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital."
Daniel blinked blankly.
Then he shrugged once and let out a low laugh.
"That's the first I've heard of it. I mass-executed the nobles? Me?"
Daniel's laughter grew longer.
Daniel, who had been waving his hand dismissively as if he'd heard a poor joke, gave a faint smile.
"I think you're mistaken about something. I'm not sure where the joke starts, so shall I just accept it as a falsehood from the part about the nobles being massacred?"
Because of Daniel's glib talk, Keltrak broke out in a cold sweat.
The ministers and generals gathered in the Grand Conference Hall also looked at Daniel with a mixture of expressions.
Keltrak, who hadn't expected Daniel to act this way, was momentarily at a loss for words before barely collecting himself.
"......This is no joke. A massacre actually took place at the Abandoned Station. And in an extremely organized fashion. Aren't you the only one who could pull off something like this?"
Having confirmed the seriousness of Keltrak's expression, Daniel reined in his laughter.
"So right now, you're saying that I......."
Daniel raised his hand and pointed at himself.
"Am the main culprit of the massacre."
An unidentifiable weight of intimidation hung in the air, but Keltrak did not back down.
"Yes. Circumstantially, it cannot be explained unless it was you."
"Do you have evidence."
Keltrak could not easily answer Daniel's question.
Because absolutely no evidence had been found at the crime scene.
"If you are slandering me without evidence, you must be prepared for the consequences."
The air in the Grand Conference Hall grew heavy.
"As Chief of Public Security, I received a special order from His Majesty the Emperor to eradicate collaborators. If you interpret the word collaborator broadly, it corresponds to rebellion. This category of rebellion also includes slandering an innocent person."
Daniel paused for a moment.
So that Keltrak could understand his situation.
It was only after the wall clock had ticked several times that Daniel continued.
"Director of the Intelligence Bureau."
A cold voice pierced through Keltrak's ears.
"I believe you are aware that the position of Deputy Director of the Intelligence Bureau is currently vacant."
He was referring to the deputy director of the Intelligence Bureau, Feliston, who had sided with Duke Belvar and was currently imprisoned.
"As someone who serves the security of the Empire......."
Daniel lightly tapped the command table with his fingers and leaned back against the chair.
"I have no desire to create chaos in the Empire by making the position of Director of the Intelligence Bureau vacant as well."
Keltrak's eyes widened.
At Daniel's threat, Keltrak swallowed dryly, his hands trembling.
Watching Keltrak, Daniel smiled to dispel the tension.
"Of course, I'm joking. Since you, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, were merely making a poor joke at my expense, too. It must clearly be nonsense that I massacred nobles at the Abandoned Station."
Letting out a low laugh as if dumbfounded, Daniel stared directly at Keltrak.
As if this was the last chance, Daniel silently moved his lips.
"Isn't that right. Director of the Intelligence Bureau."