I'm Scared
I'm Scared
After the banquet hall terror, also known as the "Etherium Shift Grenade Assassination Incident," the Imperial Household mobilized the Imperial Guard and the capital's soldiers, succeeding in shooting dead or capturing the terrorists in the Old Town.
The terrorists who were not killed were handed over to the Military Police for interrogation, and in the process, Deputy Chief of Staff Cedric Bendel, who sat in on the interrogations for intelligence-gathering purposes, heard an interesting story.
"It's because of that son of a bitch. The reason we failed the mission......."
Lacal, the leader of the terrorists, who was being tortured in the Military Police's basement, suddenly opened his mouth.
Judging by his unfocused, dazed eyes, he didn't seem to fully realize what he was saying, but what mattered was that he, who had endured torture in silence until now, had spoken for the first time.
As the interrogators murmured among themselves, Cedric spoke up.
"Interrogator. Give this man some water."
Bendelin, who answered with a deep bow of his head, brought a cup of water, opened the mouth of Lacal who was tied to the chair, and poured the water in.
Lacal, who hadn't had water for days, panted and tried to drink the water the moment it touched his tongue.
"Stop."
At Cedric's command, Bendelin pulled the water cup away.
Lacal unleashed a torrent of curses, but bound to the chair by his limbs, it was nothing more than meaningless defiance.
Cedric, who had been watching the agitated Lacal for a while, smiled and spoke.
"I'd like to hear more detailed information. For instance, about who this 'son of a bitch' is. If you do, I see no reason not to give you a cup of water."
Only then did Lacal snap to his senses and look straight ahead.
Lacal's eyes widened as he confirmed the identity of the man who had spoken to him.
【Deputy Chief of Staff, Imperial General Staff Headquarters / Brigadier General Cedric Bendel】
A gaunt appearance and eyes verging on dusky white.
He was a key figure listed as the top assassination priority in the Kingdom's intelligence department.
Lacal ground his teeth and shook his hands, but a defeated and captured agent had no power to kill his opponent.
Abandoning resistance and going limp, Lacal let out a low chuckle.
"Seeing as you don't know, it must not have been a matter for which separate orders were issued. The whole thing went awry because of one man's personal suspicions? It's absurd......."
His laughter was close to self-deprecation.
"......Daniel Steiner. That son of a bitch saw through our plan. So we had no choice but to change the operation. That's why we decided to wait in the Old Town instead of attacking the banquet hall."
Daniel Steiner. Cedric was very familiar with that name.
After all, he was the very man who had not only achieved brilliant feats recently but also saved Her Highness the Princess, which made it impossible not to know him even if he wanted to.
But to think that the first person to detect signs of the terror that would occur at the banquet hall had also been Daniel Steiner.
Furthermore, according to the words of Lacal, the leader of the terrorists, they had discarded the original operation and launched one disadvantageous to them specifically to avoid Daniel's suspicion.
'Remarkable.'
Combat, logistics, operations, espionage, counterintelligence.
He had seen countless young men who distinguished themselves in one field.
War makes heroes. So it was only natural for a man to display his abilities during wartime.
But Daniel Steiner was unequivocally the first he had seen who distinguished himself in every field.
'They say you can tell the value of a precious gem just by looking at the rough stone.'
He still needed to observe a bit more, but Daniel's ability was beyond doubt.
'Perhaps.......'
Daniel Steiner might be the spearhead who would lead the Empire to victory.
*
After unintentionally saving the Princess, I was dragged around here and there for a week.
Even when I sent a polite refusal, they would call me in almost by force, so I had no choice.
So I took pictures with all sorts of politicians and dined with members of the Imperial Family.
Only after exchanging greetings with so many people I couldn't even tell who was who could I return to headquarters.
I thought I could finally take it easy.......
"I'm looking for Captain Daniel Steiner. Could you tell me where he is?"
This time, a group of individuals wearing the uniforms of the Imperial Guard burst into the Operations Staff Office.
At their head was someone bearing the golden wing insignia on his shoulder, the symbol of the Chief Bodyguard of the Imperial Guard.
A familiar face. He was the one who had come first to rescue Selvia and me when we were at the waste collection site in the Old Town.
"C-Captain Daniel is over there......."
The people in the staff office all looked shocked and taken aback.
Thinking I had needlessly caused trouble, I rose from my seat and said,
"I am Daniel Steiner. What business brings you here?"
Oh. The old veteran let out a playful exclamation and walked over to me.
"Pleased to meet you. Captain Steiner. You may not know me, but I am Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, in charge of the Imperial Guard's Chief Bodyguard."
"How could I not know a living legend of the battlefield? Thank you again for the other day."
"Hahaha! Thanks? Nonsense. I'm the one who should be thanking you! It's thanks to you that Her Highness the Princess was able to keep her royal person."
His voice, fitting his build, was very loud.
Because of it, Ernst, who was working in the Deputy Chief of Staff's office, slipped out and was startled.
"Aren't you Chief Bodyguard Hartmann? What brings you here?"
Though Hartmann's rank was lower, it was Ernst who was walking on eggshells.
I understood. If the Imperial Guard suddenly stormed into the staff office, even I would be sweating bullets from worry.
"Ah. Colonel Ernst! I came to carry out His Majesty the Emperor's orders, nothing more."
At the mention of His Majesty the Emperor's orders, the color drained from Ernst's face.
The notion of the Imperial Guard coming to carry out the Emperor's orders didn't sound good to him.
"Surely... there isn't someone in our staff department who has incurred the Imperial Household's disfavor?"
Hartmann blinked, as if wondering what that meant, then soon burst into hearty laughter.
"You wound me with such talk! That's not it at all. Quite the opposite, you could say. I have come to confer the National Service Medal upon Captain Daniel on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor."
......The National Service Medal? To me? As I stood there dumbfounded, Ernst relaxed and nodded.
"I see. I thought he would receive it soon, but isn't this timing early?"
"The sooner, the better. Is 'reward merit, punish failure' not the foundational creed of the Empire? Well, His Majesty the Emperor was supposed to bestow it directly, but as you know, Colonel, His Majesty is quite busy these days preparing for the northern advance."
"I understand. Then please proceed."
Ernst gave me a thumbs-up as if to congratulate me, then stepped back.
While I couldn't grasp what was going on, Hartmann pulled an Imperial Edict from his chest pocket.
It was shaped like a cylindrical scroll and looked of high-quality material even at a glance.
With practiced hand movements, Hartmann untied the cord and unfurled the edict.
"Thus speaks the Master of the Empire. Captain Daniel Steiner, hearken!"
As Hartmann's resonant voice echoed, the personnel inside the staff office simultaneously knelt on one knee as if by prior arrangement. I did the same.
"According to the testimonies of the Central Intelligence Department and the Military Police, you detected the banquet hall spy at an early stage, conversed with them, and did not relent in your suspicion. As a result, they altered their operation, which is deemed to have removed a potential calamity from the Empire in advance."
Me? When did I do that?
"Furthermore, protecting my daughter Selvia von Amberg, who is akin to the Empire's radiant light, at the risk of your own life makes you a paragon among loyal subjects and deserving of praise. Therefore, I shall award you the National Service Medal, the 2nd Class Patriotic Medal."
A chill ran down my spine at the mention of the National Service Medal.
As far as I knew, no warrant officer had ever received the National Service Medal.
That meant I was the first, and that all eyes would be on me.
Moreover, even among field-grade officers, the number of recipients could be counted on one hand.
That was just as good as the Allied Nations' intelligence agents placing a higher value on my neck.
I glanced sideways at Lucy nearby, and she wore a blank expression.
Scared, I averted my gaze again.
"Raise your head and stand. Captain Daniel Steiner."
I rose to my feet at Hartmann's words.
Then, one of the Imperial Guards approached, carrying a case of high-quality material.
When the guard opened the case, the medal, ribbon, and gold badge were revealed.
Hartmann picked out the nail-sized gold badge and affixed it to the left breast of my uniform.
"Wearing this gold badge during peacetime will let everyone around you know you are a recipient of the National Service Medal. It is a great honor, so consider it a source of pride."
I wasn't proud in the slightest, but I nodded for now.
Hartmann, having patted my shoulders like that, casually remarked.
"By the way, do you have any interest in joining the Imperial Guard? Given your skills, you would likely rise to Chief Bodyguard in no time."
The moment I entered the Imperial Guard, escaping the Empire would become nearly impossible.
Absolutely not wanting to join, I offered an awkward smile.
"I do consider the Imperial Guard to be an honorable post, but I do not believe the Imperial Guard is my place in the Empire during wartime."
Hartmann, who had been silent for a moment, nodded as if he understood.
"Is that so. A capable young man like you would be better suited to the battlefield than the Imperial Guard."
It felt like my words had been misinterpreted. The moment I tried to correct myself, Hartmann stepped back a pace from me and grinned.
"Congratulations! National Service Medal recipient Captain Daniel Steiner!"
As he signaled the end of the informal investiture, Ernst and the other staff officers rose from their seats and gave me a round of applause.
Cheers erupted from all around, but I couldn't feel happy at all.
"......."
It was because Lucy, watching me silently from within the crowd of personnel department staff, was deeply terrifying.
A cold sweat trickled down.
'Somehow.......'
It felt like I had to get out of the Empire as soon as possible.