The Empire Wants Peace
The Empire Wants Peace
It was the first time Selvia's gaze had felt this burdensome.
Flustered, Daniel remained silent for a moment before finally managing to speak.
"......Your Highness? A speech related to the issuance of war bonds is a matter of national importance. Therefore, I believe it would be right to seek out someone with extensive public speaking experience and eloquence, rather than myself."
He spoke as calmly as possible, but inside, Daniel was burning up more with each passing second.
Since it was a speech related to war bonds, Selvia would certainly gather a vast crowd of citizens.
If it were just citizens coming, it wouldn't matter, but it was clear that foreign correspondents and politicians from the National Assembly building would scramble to claim seats as well.
Was that all? They would also arrange a radio broadcast so the orator's voice could be heard across the entire Empire.
That was the same as engraving the name Daniel Steiner across the whole Empire while simultaneously spreading his name to distant foreign nations.
To Daniel, who wished for nothing more than to avoid becoming even more famous than he already was, it sounded like a bolt from the blue.
'So I have to change Selvia's mind somehow.'
After swallowing dryly, Daniel forced an awkward smile.
"Furthermore, I am an operations staff officer attached to the Empire's General Staff Headquarters. As you well know, Your Highness, there is an immense amount of work to be handled at the General Staff Headquarters."
"Hmm. And so?"
"If I were to step away to prepare for a speech, the personnel in the staff office would have to take on that heavy workload. I simply cannot, in good conscience, cause such a nuisance."
Leaning back slightly, Selvia gazed at Daniel with suspicious eyes.
"Cannot cause a nuisance to the staff office personnel? It is not that I fail to grasp Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's sentiments, but there is something I don't understand."
"......What is it that you don't understand?"
"It's just a simple question. How can Lieutenant Colonel Daniel prioritize the personnel of the staff office over a request from me, the future ruler of the Empire?"
Her tone was gentle, but to Daniel, it came across as a kind of threat.
"Would you only comply with my wishes if I gave an order rather than a request?"
It wasn't that it came across as a threat; it was a threat.
Was she born with the blood of a ruler?
Though she spoke playfully, a peculiar pressure weighed on Daniel.
Realizing he could refuse no further, Daniel gave a slight bow of his head.
"I have misspoken. I had briefly forgotten that the hardships of the staff office personnel are nothing compared to the hardships of the Crown Princess, who governs after long, careful deliberation."
At the sight of Daniel offering his polite apology, Selvia smiled with satisfaction.
"In that case, I shall take it that you have accepted my proposal. A public affairs officer from the State Propaganda Department will explain the detailed schedule and speech format, so heed them well."
"......."
"Ah. I will personally pass word along to the General Staff Headquarters, so you need not worry about any disruption to your duties. You only need to focus entirely on preparing for the speech for the time being."
Thanks to Selvia, who spoke so naturally as if she had prepared in advance, Daniel could be certain of one thing.
'She intended to set me up as the speaker from the very beginning.'
It was safe to say everything had been decided from the moment he set foot in the indoor garden.
Thinking he had been had, Daniel laughed to himself and looked at Selvia.
"Your Highness the Crown Princess. If it is not too impertinent, might I ask you one thing?"
"Ordinarily, I am not one to accept questions, but if it is Lieutenant Colonel Daniel, I shall make a special exception. What are you curious about?"
"I just...... was wondering why you summoned me in person. If you had conveyed your order through an intermediary without meeting me face to face, I could not have refused."
A sharp observation.
No matter how much of a war hero he was, a mere lieutenant colonel could not possibly defy the Crown Princess's command.
Yet Daniel was asking why she had gone out of her way to deliver the message in person.
To Selvia, that question came across as slightly displeasing.
'Is he lacking in perception? Or is he pretending to lack perception?'
Selvia had been saved by Daniel twice.
The first time hadn't actually been that dangerous, but that didn't really matter.
Because what mattered was that Daniel had risked his life to try to save her.
On top of that, this time Daniel had personally stepped forward to arrest the Prince's secret organization.
In that process, Selvia had naturally come to feel affection for Daniel.
But what about the man named Daniel? From beginning to end, he acted stiffly, as if dealing with a superior.
'......Surely Daniel doesn't know that I have feelings for him?'
Dumbfounded, Selvia stared blankly at Daniel for a moment before letting out a low sigh.
"As for the reason, do try to think about it yourself slowly."
After saying that, Selvia slowly rose from her seat.
Just as she was about to leave, Selvia turned back to look at Daniel as if a thought had just struck her.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel? Once the speech ends well...... I hope we can meet more often from now on."
Offering a faint smile, Selvia fluttered her red cape and moved away.
Watching her retreating figure in a daze, Daniel made a grave expression, then raised his hand and stroked his chin.
'What the hell does that mean? Is she saying she's going to use me as her spokesman?'
They were on completely different wavelengths.
*
A request from the Crown Princess, who was acting as regent, was, in a broad sense, no different from an order from the Emperor.
After all, it was Emperor Bertram who gave the final approval for the Crown Princess's governance.
Thus, Daniel faithfully carried out Selvia's not-quite-a-request to 'prepare a speech.'
He had, after all, spent the entire week collaborating with Hans, the public affairs officer sent from the State Propaganda Department.
Even today, the very day of the speech, Daniel was still conversing with Hans.
"As I have repeatedly told you, we must not provoke the anti-war activists. As the war drags on, the people's fatigue has reached its peak."
"......Is it that bad?"
"Yes. Here is the latest data. Please take a look, Lieutenant Colonel."
Backstage at the outdoor performance hall that served as the speech venue, Hans pulled out one of the many document files he was holding and handed it to Daniel.
Taking the document file, Daniel read through the survey statistics.
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《War Support and Opposition Public Opinion Survey Statistics》
Sample Group: 1,000 citizens of the Empire's major cities
Number of Respondents: Approximately 18,000
Question: What are your thoughts on the war the Empire is currently waging?
• Frequency Analysis
1. The war should continue - 8,208 people (45.6%)
2. The war should stop - 8,298 people (46.1%)
3. Not sure / No response - 1,494 people (8.3%)
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As Hans said, those who believed the war should stop held a slight lead.
"As you can see, this is the first time the anti-war activists have beaten the war supporters. Of course, there may be Allied spy elements among those crying for peace, but the fact that the ratio came out this high can be seen as the will of the people."
Certainly, with this kind of ratio, it was impossible to claim the anti-war faction was simply a group incited by spies.
As Daniel nodded, Hans checked his wristwatch once and then handed over another document.
It was the speech script containing the content to be delivered in this address.
"Therefore, we must explain the reasons for continuing the war without touching the nerves of the anti-war activists. Please keep firmly in mind that we must not provoke them."
"Understood. Then......."
Just like Hans, Daniel lifted his wrist to check the time, then turned his head toward the stage.
"It seems it's about time for me to go up and deliver the speech."
Hans nodded.
"The State Propaganda Department will place its full trust in you, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
Hearing Hans's words, Daniel gave a single nod and moved toward the stage.
As Daniel climbed the stairs and appeared on stage, the lights turned on, and simultaneously, cheers erupted from all directions.
Turning his head at the deafening cheers, Daniel could see a crowd that filled the audience seats completely.
'It's absurdly packed.......'
The seats of the performance hall, which was said to hold ten thousand spectators, were completely full.
It was thanks to a week of relentless promotion by the State Propaganda Department that this important speech by war hero Daniel Steiner had drawn such a crowd.
Even though the occasion was burdensome, Daniel had no choice but to carry it out since the order had been given.
Walking up to the podium amid the cheers, Daniel tapped the pre-installed microphone a few times.
As the sound spread through the large speakers, the cheers quickly died down.
Smiling once before the massive crowd, Daniel unfolded the document Hans had handed him.
Glancing at the speech script, which he had seen several times already and was familiar with, Daniel spoke.
"Esteemed citizens. I am Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner of the General Staff Headquarters."
A small cheer rose from the front seats.
Waiting a moment for them to settle down, Daniel continued.
"Before I begin my speech in earnest, I will make my intentions clear so as to avoid any unnecessary confusion. I, Daniel Steiner, ...... on the subject of war."
Unable to recall the next words, Daniel glanced down at the script once.
『I do not advocate for war. If one were to call me an anti-war activist, then an anti-war activist I would be. However, I know better than anyone why war is necessary.』
It was a text written from a neutral perspective to satisfy both war supporters and anti-war activists.
If he delivered it as written, the speech for selling bonds would achieve a tepid success.
'If that happens, I.......'
It was clear he would become Selvia's closest confidant and be dragged around here and there.
Then, when Selvia became Emperor, Daniel's fame would rise even higher than it was now.
Which fit perfectly with the rising odds of being assassinated and dying young—no war crimes tribunal necessary.
For Daniel, who wished to live thinly and longly, it was one of the most terrible futures imaginable.
Was there no way out?
Desperately racking his brain, Daniel spotted the anti-war activists occupying a portion of the audience.
Seeing them holding picket signs opposing the war, an ingenious thought occurred to him.
'If I massively ruin this speech by provoking the anti-war protesters.......'
He would grow distant not only from Selvia but from the world's attention altogether.
After all, no one would be wary or fearful of a guy who couldn't even deliver a single speech properly.
Having made up his mind, Daniel closed the document containing the speech script.
Then he turned to boldly face forward, where countless cameras were flashing.
"I, Daniel Steiner, on the subject of war......."
Narrowing his eyes sharply, Daniel raised both hands and gripped the edges of the podium.
And then, acting the part of a warmonger, he thrust his right hand high into the air.
"I want a total war, the likes of which history has never seen!"