Daniel Steiner's Day Off
Daniel Steiner's Day Off
Autumn.
The season of harvest and plenty.
A time when the sight of golden wheat fields brought an involuntary peace to the heart.
It was safe to call it a period of reflection — when not only students but working professionals were seized by sentiment and looked back on their lives.
Thus, in the fall, people generally did not attempt to start new ventures unless ordered to do so by a superior.
That was the spell the season of autumn cast over human beings.
But there were always stubborn souls who refused to play within the bounds of the ordinary.
"...You're going to cover Brigadier General Daniel Steiner?"
Coramin, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Record Fear, stared at the reporter in front of him — Saldome — with bewilderment.
"Hey. Did I hear you right?"
He asked again, genuinely concerned, but Saldome was resolute.
"That's right. Editor-in-chief, haven't you ever found it strange?"
"...Strange in what way?"
"The fact that the brute Arno committed suicide in front of Daniel Steiner. Frankly, wasn't he the sort of scoundrel who'd never have taken his own life? And the military police who moved Arno's body just kept parroting 'suicide' — that's suspicious too."
Coramin was horrified by Saldome's words.
Not only was he dropping the honorifics and referring to a member of the royal family by name, he was also dredging up a case the police had closed. It was terrifying in more ways than one.
'If an agent from the National Security Surveillance Bureau overheard this conversation...'
Not just Saldome, but Coramin, who was talking with him, would be hauled off for interrogation.
Overcome by dread, Coramin grabbed Saldome by the collar and cried out in a low voice.
"Saldome! Lower your voice! Watch your mouth!"
Saldome, collar in hand, looked bewildered but also wore an expression of not understanding.
"...It's just the two of us here anyway — the editor-in-chief and me."
That was true.
Still, unknown threats lurked everywhere, so you couldn't let your guard down.
Because Coramin was the cautious type about everything.
"Don't let your guard down just because it's the two of us. You never know where Brigadier General Daniel might be listening in. You're well aware of the rumors that his private organization operates throughout the Imperial Capital."
"...I know that perfectly well. One of the reasons I'm setting out to cover him is precisely to find out whether a private organization following Daniel Steiner really exists."
He just didn't get it.
Sensing he couldn't talk this hot-blooded young man around, Coramin released his collar.
"Saldome. I understand your intentions, but I have no intention of greenlighting this coverage."
"What? I'm not even asking for field support, but isn't it a bit much to deny me outright? How many scoops have I brought Record Fear so far?"
That was a fact.
Because Saldome was, in name and in fact, Record Fear's star reporter.
Newspapers published on the strength of the information he dug up were always popular.
Saldome was an expert at investigating and exposing the misdeeds of corrupt politicians and entrepreneurs who expanded their power through illicit means.
It was only natural that a public hungry for justice showered such articles with praise and acclaim.
But when the subject was Daniel Steiner, it was a different story.
Fundamentally, Daniel Steiner was a war hero championed by the people.
He was also a great war commander with such brilliant achievements that he had monopolized the trust of the soldiers.
On top of that, the Security Bureau and the National Security Surveillance Bureau practically served as his arms and legs.
In this climate, reporting negatively on Daniel Steiner was tantamount to suicide.
"...Saldome. I'm refusing to greenlight this because I'm genuinely worried about you. Do you remember the independent newspaper Belbelbel running a negative article about Brigadier General Daniel Steiner, only to retract it within a day? And how it went completely out of print after that?"
Saldome understood perfectly well what Coramin was saying, but he had no intention of backing down.
"Editor-in-chief. My life doesn't matter to me if it's for revealing the truth. It seems your priorities are different. If that's the case, I won't look to you for any more help."
Saldome bowed his head deeply, turned around, and walked out of the editor-in-chief's office.
Watching him go, Coramin was so dumbfounded he could only click his tongue in disbelief.
'What were you even planning to do if you caught Daniel Steiner's misdeeds? If the private organization actually exists, you'd be dead before you could reveal anything, you idiot...!'
That wasn't courage — it was reckless bravado.
Thinking this, Coramin frowned and let out a groan.
*
Leaving Coramin's worries behind, Saldome found out which day Daniel would be going out and waited in front of the General Staff Headquarters.
After killing time for a while pretending to read a newspaper, he spotted an officer in a uniform adorned with numerous medals at the entrance.
The officer exchanged a few words with the soldiers guarding the building entrance before stepping outside.
'It's Daniel Steiner.'
Having identified his target, Saldome folded the newspaper and began tailing Daniel.
'The fact that he went out of his way to leave the base probably means he's going to do something away from military eyes. Like contacting his private organization...'
A smile naturally tugged at his lips.
Catching the scent of a scoop, Saldome followed Daniel to a clothing store.
Just as he wondered why they were here, Daniel entered the store.
Startled by Daniel's appearance, the shop owner bowed repeatedly.
Daniel smiled and said something, and the shop owner, as if understanding, snapped their fingers and brought out several pieces of clothing to recommend.
After changing into the recommended outfit, Daniel left his uniform with the owner and walked out of the store.
Perhaps because he was also wearing sunglasses and a mask, his face was unrecognizable.
At this, Saldome grew convinced.
'Seeing that he's in disguise, he really is on his way to meet his private organization. It'd be troublesome if someone recognized him.'
Today he would finally expose Daniel Steiner's misdeeds.
Believing that no one was without a single blemish, Saldome kept tailing Daniel.
After walking for about twenty minutes, they arrived at a pet store.
'...Huh?'
Just as he questioned it, Daniel entered the pet store.
Then, after listening to the clerk's kind explanation, he carefully started stroking a puppy.
His expression wasn't visible, but he seemed absurdly happy.
'What's this? Is this also part of the disguise?'
He watched for an hour in an inexplicable state of mind.
After examining and stroking several puppies, Daniel bowed his head deeply to the clerk.
Perhaps feeling sorry for just petting the puppies and leaving, he didn't forget to pay a small amount of money.
The clerk acted as though they wouldn't accept it, but when Daniel insisted again, they ended up taking it.
After exchanging friendly farewells, Daniel walked out of the store.
Daniel checked his watch once and, looking slightly startled, strode off briskly somewhere.
Saldome, who had been leisurely observing Daniel, grew hurried as well.
Just as he quickened his pace, wondering where he was going in such a rush, Daniel vanished into an alley.
'An alley?'
Come to think of it, wasn't a gloomy, dark alley the most suitable place for giving orders to a private organization?
Convinced he had finally caught the tail of Daniel Steiner's private organization, Saldome turned into the alley — and stopped dead in his tracks.
A cold sweat broke out involuntarily.
'This is....'
The alley was packed with people.
And Daniel was simply standing at the very back of the line.
Wondering why he was standing there, he looked toward the end of the alley and saw a vendor selling freshly baked waffles with ice cream spread on top.
'These places do exist sometimes....'
There were cases where a shop tucked away in some gloomy spot you'd think no one would ever visit would suddenly draw crowds after getting word-of-mouth buzz as a "hidden gem."
'...But Daniel Steiner, who holds the Empire in the palm of his hand, is actually standing in line just to eat a famous waffle?'
It was incomprehensible, but Daniel Steiner was clearly waiting his turn, quiet as could be.
After about thirty minutes, Daniel's turn came. The vendor smiled, took the money, and handed over the waffle.
Waffle in hand, Daniel came straight out of the alley and headed to a nearby park.
Daniel sat on a bench in the park by a fountain, removed his mask, and bit into the waffle.
Then his shoulders quivered, and he clenched his fist tightly.
As if to say, this was the taste.
'He eats it deliciously, too....'
He was eating it so deliciously that Saldome's mouth watered involuntarily.
After leisurely finishing the waffle while gazing at the fountain, Daniel stretched and rose from his seat.
Then he glanced around cautiously, took off his sunglasses, and pulled a pair of glasses from inside his coat.
After putting on the glasses, Daniel removed his coat and draped it over his arm.
'He changed his appearance? Is he finally going to meet his private organization?'
Thinking that this time it was for real, Saldome stepped forward to follow Daniel again.
But the place Daniel arrived at was the same alley where he had just bought the waffle.
The line had grown to twice its earlier length, but Daniel went and stood at the back without a second thought.
From Saldome's perspective, this was deeply bewildering.
'What? He just came back to eat another waffle? Was it that good? Then what was the point of swapping the sunglasses for glasses and taking off the coat?'
Saldome, who couldn't make sense of it, was finally able to comprehend Daniel's actions after a little time had passed.
— Didn't I say it's one per person per day! I'm not selling to you even if you come again! Get going!
Because he witnessed, in real time, someone who had come for a second serving get chased off.
So Daniel had changed his appearance to eat the waffle a second time.
Dumbfounded, Saldome stared at Daniel and broke out in a cold sweat without meaning to.
'He's shaking? The great Daniel Steiner?'
It was not a mistake.
Daniel's hand, the one with the coat draped over his arm, was trembling slightly.
'...Because he's afraid of being caught on a second trip?'
The Devil of the Empire, Daniel Steiner, was trembling — just because he was scared of getting caught buying a second waffle?
It was hard to accept, but judging by the scene in front of him, there was no other explanation.
Eventually, the line thinned out, and when Daniel's turn came, the vendor looked at him curiously.
Seeing the vendor and Daniel's eyes meet, Saldome inwardly rooted for him.
'Just give it to him! Daniel Steiner waited an hour!'
He didn't want to see him leave empty-handed after waiting an hour for his turn.
Did Saldome's encouragement reach them?
The vendor didn't notice Daniel had come twice and handed over the waffle.
'Yes!'
Just as Saldome cheered internally, the vendor waved a hand at the next customer.
They were out of stock and were closing up.
At that moment, a child holding their mother's hand burst into tears.
'Oh no....'
Just like Daniel, the child had waited almost an hour and was crushed to have to leave without eating.
As he watched with regret, Daniel approached the child and knelt on one knee.
And then he offered the waffle he was holding.
'Daniel Steiner? Is he really okay with this? He waited an hour for that, you know.'
Despite Saldome's concern, Daniel held the waffle out to the child as if urging them to take it quickly.
He also gave them the drink he had bought to go with the waffle.
Thanks to this, the child stopped crying entirely and accepted the waffle and the drink, while the mother bowed her head repeatedly to Daniel in thanks.
Daniel waved a hand as if to say it was nothing and walked out of the alley.
Saldome, who had watched the entire scene, let out a deflated sigh.
'...Have I just been misunderstanding all this time?'
Contrary to the sinister rumors, there wasn't a trace of anything demonic to be found in Daniel Steiner's daily life.
As he stroked his chin, he heard footsteps nearby.
He turned his head to see who it was — and it was his editor-in-chief, Coramin.
"It really is you, Saldome! You crazy bastard! Are you seriously out here covering this by yourself?"
"Huh? Ah. Yes. As for Daniel Steiner... huh?"
He looked around for Daniel Steiner, who had walked out of the alley, but he was nowhere to be seen.
He'd slipped away somewhere while Saldome had looked aside for a moment.
Still, there didn't seem to be any need for further tailing, so he felt no compulsion to track him down.
Coramin, who had been studying Saldome — who looked as though he had reached some state of enlightenment — spoke up.
"So? What kind of person was the Daniel Steiner you saw?"
"Well, how should I put this...."
Saldome scratched his cheek and spoke as though he couldn't quite believe it himself.
"He was just an ordinary, decent person."
Saldome had stated his honest impression — but Coramin looked horrified.
"...Hey, Saldome?"
Coramin glanced around cautiously, raised a hand to his mouth, and whispered.
"If you're being threatened, tell me the truth."
Because it was only natural not to believe that Daniel was "just an ordinary, decent person" without seeing it with your own eyes.