You'll Get Into Big Trouble Like That
You'll Get Into Big Trouble Like That
After the speech ended, Daniel followed Selvia and entered the great hall of the Imperial Palace.
Selvia, who had kept silent throughout the journey, likely conscious of her authority as Emperor, spoke excitedly the moment they entered the great hall.
"That was truly incredible! Daniel! Did you prepare for it in advance?"
"What are you referring to?"
"The speech! The sight of the citizens saluting Lieutenant General Daniel as if they had made a pact was truly a spectacle. No matter how much I think about it, this seems like an episode that will be long remembered in history."
Seeing Selvia speak with such excitement, as if it were her own achievement, brought an unbidden smile to his face.
"I also did not expect the citizens gathered in the Grand Plaza to react that way. However......."
Daniel, who had been walking while following Selvia, noticed something strange.
None of the Imperial household staff who should have been bustling through the corridors of the great hall were visible.
Now that he thought about it, even the ladies-in-waiting who had been attending to her in front of the great hall had not followed Selvia.
After a simple logical deduction, Daniel lowered his voice and spoke.
"......Seeing that you have issued a dismissal order to the people inside the great hall, you summoned me here to discuss the Vargov Project, did you not?"
Selvia nodded as if he had seen right through her.
"That's right. Worried that things would become complicated if anyone happened to eavesdrop, I sent everyone except the relevant personnel outside."
The voice that had been elated just moments ago settled down calmly.
Daniel, who had been quietly watching Selvia, soon arrived at the conference hall within the great hall.
When the door to the conference hall opened, the first thing he saw was Ref, who was wearing a Gothic-style dress.
Ref, who had been yawning as if bored, turned her gaze toward the door, spotted Daniel, and lightly waved her hand.
He decided to ignore her for now.
Apart from her, several generals, mingled with scientists, stood around the command table, exchanging words.
"Your Majesty the Emperor."
A scientist among them who appeared quite old spotted Selvia and lowered his head.
When the others also bowed their heads to show respect, Selvia waved her hand.
"Enough with the formalities. Rembador?"
The scientist who had first shown courtesy to Selvia raised his head.
Daniel remembered who he was the moment he heard the scientist's name and saw his face.
'He was the scientist who told me in the past that they had succeeded in the uranium nuclear fission experiment and could develop a nuclear weapon within a few years.'
Apparently, Rembador had underestimated his own abilities and those of his fellow scientists.
Given that they had succeeded in developing a nuclear weapon just over a year later.
Even considering that Selvia had laid all the groundwork, it was a truly rapid pace.
"Lieutenant General Daniel, sir."
Rembador, who had given a light greeting with a nod of his head, spoke.
"Since you have already heard the preliminary explanation, I'll get straight to the point. As Lieutenant General Daniel is no doubt anticipating, we scientists have completed the basic detonation tests and verified that the advanced design capable of triggering a nuclear explosion actually functions."
Keen intelligence glimmered in Rembador's eyes.
"The experiments were successful. The multiple initiation points functioned within the planned margin of error, and the shockwaves were uniform. The energy yield and stability were also beyond reproach. Of course, there was some trial and error, but we completed all experiments in a relatively short timeframe."
The intelligence in his eyes approached something akin to madness.
The two inherently held a certain resemblance, after all.
"After reporting this to His Majesty the Emperor, we were able to develop a prototype nuclear weapon with the military's assistance. We poured our efforts into manufacturing it so it could be mounted on current bombers. You may consider that we have recently reached the completion stage."
Rembador turned around and walked toward the command table.
"The name of the prototype nuclear weapon is Red Judgment. We intend to conduct a test launch to ascertain the destructive power of this Red Judgment. After much discussion regarding the selection of the test site, the most suitable location is here."
Daniel, who had approached the command table, examined the area Rembador pointed to.
"A plain with nothing in the vicinity."
"Yes. It's a barren wasteland close to being abandoned. We've confirmed there are no civilians within a 20km radius, and there are no surrounding mountain ranges or hills, so there's no concern about shockwave reflection distorting the data."
"There's a railway not too far away, which will also facilitate the transport and control of supplies."
"Precisely. Thanks to that, all preparations required for the experiment are expected to take about two weeks to complete. Once preparations are finished, we will check the weather conditions and immediately proceed with the experiment."
Rembador withdrew his hand from the map and turned to look at Daniel.
"If the final experiment ends successfully, we will have a nuclear weapon in our hands. Do you know, Lieutenant General Daniel, what this means?"
"The Empire will gain an overwhelming military advantage. However......."
Daniel, who knew the dangers of nuclear weapons, whispered quietly.
"I hope, if possible, we never have to use it. Nuclear weapons are, in theory, exceedingly dangerous."
Rembador nodded as if in agreement.
"I only hope the leaders of the Allied Nations and the Republic possess even half the intellect of Lieutenant General Daniel. I would like them to understand that resisting an Empire armed with nuclear weapons leads only to death."
Having said that, Rembador turned toward Selvia and bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty the Emperor. I have explained the experimental plan to Lieutenant General Daniel Steiner. I shall inform you again once the detailed schedule is conveyed."
"You've done well."
Selvia turned to look at those gathered around the command table.
"Then everyone, please take your leave now."
At the Emperor's dismissal order, the generals and scientists bowed their heads in courtesy and began to move out one by one.
The same applied to Ref, who had been mingled among the generals.
Because she thought it would be bad to pretend to know Daniel and incur Selvia's displeasure.
Once everyone had filed out, only Selvia and Daniel remained in the conference hall.
Selvia approached Daniel, who was looking down at the map on the command table, lost in thought.
"It's bewildering, isn't it?"
When Daniel turned around, Selvia offered a faint smile.
"When I first heard the news that the nuclear weapon development had succeeded, I felt more worry than joy. I even wondered what on earth I had ordered them to create. But......."
The smile lingering on Selvia's lips faded slightly.
"My conviction remains unchanged that this is the only way to lead the Empire to victory in the war. Yes. I still think investing in nuclear development was the right thing to do."
Although those were the words she spoke, Selvia's voice lacked strength.
Only then did Daniel realize the nature of the dissonance he had been feeling since the corridor.
Selvia was afraid.
Now that the nuclear weapon development had succeeded, the authority and responsibility for its use also rested with Selvia, the Emperor.
Unlike conventional weapons, a nuclear weapon possessed incomparably transcendent destructive power.
It would be best if the Republic and the Allied Nations, fearing that destructive power, surrendered in turn, but if they chose to continue the fight, there would be no choice but to use the nuclear weapon.
For the enemy nations, hell would surely unfold.
A single nuclear bomb would meaninglessly snatch away tens of thousands of lives, so she must have been feeling a sense of guilt, consciously or not.
As someone once said, great power inevitably comes with great responsibility.
Daniel, having understood Selvia's heart, quietly spoke.
"Your Majesty is not the only one who argued for the necessity of a nuclear weapon. I also believed it was the sole method for the Empire to win a two-front war."
The moment their gazes met, Daniel offered a gentle smile.
"Therefore, even if the time comes when we must use the nuclear weapon, that decision will not rest solely with Your Majesty. I will always be at Your Majesty's side. So please, share all that responsibility with me."
Selvia's blue eyes wavered.
She hadn't expected Daniel to go so far as to say such a thing, and so she was stirred in many ways.
His words about sharing the responsibility sounded to her like a confession of sorts, making her heart pound.
Selvia, whose face had reddened without her realizing, hastily turned her head and let out a dry cough.
"......W-well, there should be no occasion to fire a nuclear weapon, of course."
When Selvia changed the subject, Daniel nodded as if in agreement.
After that, an awkward silence formed between the two of them.
And there was one person who had been watching this entire situation from afar.
That was Ref, who had realized she'd left her handbag behind, returned to the conference hall, and unintentionally overheard the conversation.
Ref's eyes, which had been alternately observing the two through the slightly open door, narrowed.
'That bastard Daniel.......'
He didn't seem to realize it himself, but his skill at charming women was anything but ordinary.
As far as Ref knew, the women Daniel had charmed numbered three, including the Emperor.
Considering they were all exceptionally outstanding women in their respective fields, this was not something to be brushed off casually.
Because the moment the war ended, their courtship would begin.
'......Just how the hell is he planning to clean up this mess?'
At other times she might not have cared, but this time Ref was purely worried about Daniel.