It's Dangerous, So Let's Do Nothing for Now
It's Dangerous, So Let's Do Nothing for Now
Half a month later.
Daniel had been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, but his actual duties hadn't changed much.
Except that the number of classified documents he could handle had increased from usual, his role as an operations staff officer remained the same.
For Daniel, who had been worried about getting caught up in some strange incident, this was a great relief.
Inwardly relieved that the peaceful days were continuing, Daniel thought:
Let's just live like a dead mouse for the time being.
But as if to mock Daniel's resolve, word came from the Imperial Household.
To be precise, it was a message from Selvia, the next Emperor.
『If you find yourself with time to spare, do come visit the Imperial Palace.』
When his duty hours ended, a lady-in-waiting from the Inner Court Office personally came to deliver a letter bearing that message.
It was absurd, but since it seemed she had something important to discuss, Daniel expressed his intention to visit right away and followed the lady-in-waiting.
Stepping out of General Headquarters, Daniel saw a luxury sedan parked.
It was an Imperial Household vehicle sent by Selvia, who knew Daniel wouldn't be able to refuse.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Daniel got into the sedan, and it headed for the Imperial Palace.
Arriving at the Imperial Palace, Daniel got out of the sedan and followed the lady-in-waiting into the Detached Palace, but the building was as large as the main palace, so he had no choice but to move under her guidance.
After winding through the corridors several times, they arrived at a massive indoor garden.
In the indoor garden where warm air circulated, foliage plants and flowers bloomed profusely, showing off their full spectrum of colors, and herbs like lavender and rosemary gave off a subtle fragrance.
It was, so to speak, a paradise on earth created by pouring in manpower and money.
Thinking once again how formidable the power of the Imperial Household was, Daniel moved further inside and stopped short.
It was because he spotted Selvia kneeling in a clearing in the garden, playing with a dog.
"That's it. Good job."
Selvia lightly stroked the head of the dog, which had sharp eyes.
The dog was a Doberman, impressive with its glossy black fur and sturdy build.
Did Selvia raise a dog? As Daniel approached, the Doberman turned its head.
Geureureung─
Then it bared its teeth and became wary of Daniel.
At that, Selvia glanced aside and spotted Daniel.
Selvia, a thin smile on her face, said as she stroked the Doberman's head.
"Don't be wary. He's my friend."
Then the Doberman stopped growling, as if it had understood her words.
Finding that inwardly fascinating, Daniel spoke.
"It listens very well, doesn't it?"
"Because it's a breed with high loyalty. Moreover, compared to other dogs, its intelligence is high, and its sleek, handsome appearance is quite popular these days. So I brought one home myself."
Selvia, letting out a low laugh, lightly pinched the Doberman's cheek.
"This child probably doesn't dislike being sold to the Imperial Household either. Of course, food is plentiful, and it's being fawned over by countless ladies-in-waiting every day. On top of that, you could say it's overwhelmed with blessings, given that its owner is the person who will become the Emperor of the Empire."
Letting go of the Doberman's cheek, Selvia rose from her spot and turned around lightly.
Thanks to that, Daniel could see.
The red shoulder cape Selvia was wearing on her left shoulder.
The red cape, which at a glance looked to be made of high-quality fabric, bore an eagle pattern embroidered with gold thread that flaunted its presence.
That shoulder cape was a kind of ceremonial dress and a symbol of power bestowed upon the person who would become the next Emperor.
Selvia, conscious of Daniel's gaze, gently narrowed her eyes.
"What do you think, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel?"
"......What do you mean?"
"I'm asking whether you think this Doberman is satisfied with its situation."
From Selvia's question, Daniel got the feeling she was somehow testing him.
'Like father, like daughter, is this how it is...'
Feeling that it was similar to the attitude the Emperor had shown, Daniel replied with a sour taste in his mouth.
"I think that would depend on what the Doberman pursues or its personality."
At the meaningful answer, Selvia was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Then she pointed to a nearby table.
On the table, two cups of hot coffee were prepared along with expensive pastries.
"Shall we leave the puppy talk at that and have a cup of coffee?"
"I shall gladly accept your kindness."
Expressing his gratitude by placing a hand to his chest, Daniel walked to the table with Selvia.
After Selvia sat down in a chair first, Daniel took a seat opposite her.
Daniel, who had unnecessarily straightened his attire, observed Selvia's face.
'She's wearing makeup...'
It was makeup so light that it was barely noticeable, but Daniel could see the difference.
'Well, since the Regency has begun, she'd have to engage in external activities...'
It would be beneficial in many ways for her to appear in public wearing at least minimal makeup.
But contrary to Daniel's expectation, the fundamental reason Selvia wore makeup wasn't that.
Pretending to savor the coffee's aroma while observing Daniel's face, Selvia was inwardly dissatisfied.
'I got dressed up for today...'
She had asked the head lady-in-waiting to do her makeup in a style popular with men, and had even worn earrings to stand out without being too excessive, but Daniel didn't seem to notice.
'Well...'
It didn't matter much, since the purpose of today's meeting wasn't to gain Daniel's romantic favor.
After taking a sip of coffee, Selvia put her cup down and spoke.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel. Are you quite interested in international affairs?"
Daniel, who had also taken a sip of coffee, put his cup down.
"Due to the nature of my profession, I'm always interested."
"Then you must also know that recently, the Republic and the Federal State have been aligning with the Allied Nations to criticize the Empire."
"Yes. Unfortunately, that is the case."
Ever since Count Kaledra declared his position half a month ago that they must fight against the Empire, the international community had been slowly turning its back on the Empire.
In a way, it was only natural.
No nation in this world wanted the birth of a hegemonic power that overwhelmingly surpassed them.
Moreover, the Empire, which had the potential to become that hegemonic power, was even in the middle of a war. They had no choice but to conclude that if the Allied Nations fell, they would be next.
What fear gives birth to is precisely war.
The great powers couldn't help but take up arms to suppress the Empire before it grew any larger.
"The Empire will not be able to avoid a world war."
By now, not only the Empire's military leadership, but also the ministers of the Imperial Household and the ministers in every field would have noticed that the global currents were strange.
This wasn't just a story for the upper class.
The citizens of the capital had also heard the news through reports that the Empire was slowly being isolated.
It was highly likely that everyone had been unable to escape the shock of having to wage war against the world.
However, Selvia, who would become the next Emperor, was able to maintain her composure amidst all these currents.
It was because she had known in advance that a world war would arrive, thanks to Daniel.
"Then......"
Selvia looked at Daniel with earnest eyes.
"We must begin preparations for a world war from now on. Preparing after the Republic and the Federal State enter the war would be too late."
"Do you have a sharp strategy in mind?"
"There is no sharp strategy. But we still have to do everything we can. First, we need to raise the tax rate to secure the budget... but we can't raise it excessively."
As it stood, with the war dragging on, the fatigue felt by citizens was gradually increasing.
If the tax rate was raised excessively at this point, distrust in the nation was likely to grow.
In the worst case, a riot could break out or a civil war could erupt, so they had to be as careful as possible.
"There is a limit to the tax rate, so I intend to issue war bonds. The problem is that it won't be easy to get the private sector to purchase these war bonds."
"Because there are many citizens who don't want the war to continue any further than it already has."
"That's right. So what I'm considering now is, simultaneously with the bond issuance, to put forward an orator who can explain to the citizens why we must continue the war. What do you think, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel?"
Daniel nodded without any particular disagreement.
"That's a good method. In terms of needing to gain public trust, bond issuance and oration inevitably have a close relationship. Then the selection of the orator will be important."
"I'm worried about that too. Who would be good to put on the podium?"
"If I may dare offer advice, look for a person who has relatively recently achieved military or political accomplishments. It should be someone whom citizens can easily recall when their name is mentioned."
Selvia nodded.
"And?"
"A person with a handsome countenance would be good. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to be good-looking. It should be an impression that can give a favorable feeling to the majority of people. People have a tendency to rely on what they see, so they trust the words of someone with a neat appearance more than the words of someone who doesn't have one."
Selvia leaned forward and placed her hands on the table.
"Hmm. Any other conditions?"
"To utilize authority and charisma, putting forward someone affiliated with the military would also be a good method. It would be even better if they actually had combat experience. Even if some falsehoods are mixed in to sell the bonds, the citizens won't think what he says is a lie...."
Feeling something strange as he spoke, Daniel closed his mouth.
It was because after laying out these valid arguments, he thought he realized who the most suitable person for the orator role was right now.
'No way...'
Had Selvia told him to come visit with this intention from the beginning?
It was around the time when Daniel felt Selvia's gaze become somehow persistent and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
A sticky voice made him doubt his ears.
Selvia, eyes half-open, spoke with an intrigued expression.
"As I see it, you seem to fit all the conditions."
Thanks to that, Daniel felt like screaming.