Stir! O Empire!
Stir! O Empire!
Amid the cheers and shouts swirling ecstatically through the space, Daniel felt paradoxical terror.
'A speech I definitely meant to provoke the anti-war activists with...'
When he came to his senses, he had swayed the anti-war activists and turned them into war advocates.
Of course, not all of the anti-war activists agreed with the content of the speech.
A few had merely stood up, swept along by the atmosphere, and were still glaring at Daniel with expressions of displeasure.
The problem was that their numbers were so small they could be described as 'a few.'
Daniel, wondering where it all started to go wrong, reviewed the speech's content and let out a low groan.
'Damn. I got too into the warmonger act...'
The problem was that during the speech, when the roar of the crowd reached him, he had unconsciously gotten swept up in it.
Additionally, placing too much blind faith in the statistics had also been the cause of Daniel's defeat.
Since the anti-war activists were the majority, he had thought they would unconditionally oppose such a radical speech calling for total war.
'But...'
Far from opposing it, they had thrown down the anti-war placards they were holding and risen to their feet.
The result of that was the scene now before Daniel's eyes.
─ Daniel Steiner! Daniel Steiner! Daniel Steiner!
The sight of nearly ten thousand citizens standing and chanting a single man's name was verging on the surreal.
But this was very much reality, and a phenomenon created by Daniel.
Unable to deny it, Daniel merely gritted his teeth and gripped the podium.
As Daniel was receiving the citizens' adulation like that, Hans, the public affairs officer for the State Propaganda Department behind the stage, let out a cheer of delight.
"Done! This is... this is a speech that will go down in history!"
The excited Hans turned to his subordinate.
"Contact the press bureau chief immediately! Tell him to make this speech into articles and distribute it all across the Empire! So that Imperial citizens who couldn't hear it over the radio can also know Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's speech!"
"Yes! Understood!"
The subordinate picked up the telephone without a moment's hesitation.
Other staff members were also noisily tapping away at the telexes installed behind the stage to report to their superiors.
Everyone kept their mouths shut as they focused on their duties, but the heated atmosphere was palpable.
It was because Daniel's speech had stirred national pride to such a degree that even the Propaganda Department, which planned everything, was elated.
Hans also did not hide his excitement and clenched his fist tightly.
'Lieutenant Colonel Daniel didn't read the speech draft we prepared, but...'
Since he had succeeded in the speech beyond expectations, they would be able to avoid the blame of Crown Princess Selvia.
If their luck held, the Propaganda Department personnel might even receive commendations in turn.
Just as Hans thought he could breathe a sigh of relief and smiled, the sound of clicking footsteps came.
Hans, turning around, saw Daniel descending the stage steps.
Even though Daniel had disappeared from the stage, the audience was still chanting his name.
As if it were a symbol of the ideology that they must fight against the Allied Nations.
'But...'
Despite having finished a successful speech, Daniel showed no emotion.
Usually, speakers who succeeded were joyful or elated, but Daniel was merely surveying the Propaganda Department personnel gathered behind the stage with emotionless eyes.
Hans felt a sense of awe at Daniel's appearance.
He could not shake the feeling that he was seeing a man of steel who had transcended human limits.
His eyes, lost in deep thought, also seemed to be looking toward the future without settling for the present.
With that thought, it was almost impossible to easily strike up a conversation.
Meanwhile, Daniel was simply spacing out, thinking about the mess he had made.
'This is crazy...'
He couldn't get a handle on how he should act from now on.
Just as his mind grew complicated and he blinked blankly, Hans crept up to him.
"Um, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel?"
When Daniel turned with a sharp gaze, Hans flinched and flashed an awkward smile.
"Ah. It seems the speech draft was not to your liking after all. Had you informed us beforehand, we would have revised it. It is entirely the fault of the State Propaganda Department."
Daniel, having heard Hans's words, let out a low sigh.
"...I'm tired, so I would like to return to my quarters."
"Ah. Yes! Of course! There is a vehicle waiting outside, so you just need to get in and go!"
Daniel nodded once at Hans's words and slowly moved his feet.
A staff member watching this approached Hans's side and opened his mouth.
"Incredible. It's the first time I've seen someone frown, let alone smile, after successfully finishing a speech. What could the reason be?"
"How could we understand the ego of a genius? There's just one thing that's certain, though..."
Hans, who had been watching Daniel's retreating figure, smiled with a feeling of respect.
"As long as that man is alive, the Empire will never fall."
*
Two weeks later. Imperial State Propaganda Department.
Office of the Minister of Propaganda, Schiller Daines.
Tok-tok─
Schiller, who had been reviewing documents, looked up.
Seeing the wall clock above the door pointing to noon, he could guess who had knocked.
Public Affairs Officer Hans.
It was because he had been told to compile materials and come to report at noon.
"Come in."
No sooner had Schiller's words fallen than the door opened.
Hans was clutching a pile of documents in his arms. Grunting, he approached and thudded them down onto Schiller's desk.
"...What on earth is this?"
At Schiller's bewildered words, Hans wiped the sweat beaded on his forehead and spoke.
"These are materials investigating all the changes that occurred in the Empire after Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's speech, as you ordered, Minister. Shall we start by looking at the most important statistics?"
Hans pulled a statistical document out of the pile of papers and handed it over.
Schiller, having received the material, checked the statistics and widened his eyes.
────────────
《War Support/Opposition Opinion Poll Statistics》
Sample group: 1,000 citizens of major Imperial cities
Number of respondents: Approximately 18,000
Question: What are your thoughts on the war the Empire is currently engaged in?
• Frequency analysis
1. The war must continue - 14,166 (78.7%)
2. The war must stop - 2,376 (13.2%)
3. Don't know / No response - 1,458 (8.1%)
────────────
More than half of the anti-war activists had changed their opinions to supporting the war.
Now those arguing against the war were nothing more than a small minority.
In just two weeks.
It was a change that had occurred in the two weeks since Daniel Steiner's speech.
Schiller, who had been frozen in bewilderment at the enormous repercussions, looked up.
"Is this true? Did this many people really switch sides?"
"Yes. Those moved by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's total war speech are changing their minds. Even now, the proportion of those supporting the war is rising in real-time. And furthermore..."
Hans pulled out several more documents and handed them to Schiller.
"If you look at these documents, you'll see: after Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's speech, the number of military volunteers has exploded. The training centers can't accept this many people at once, so the enlistment dates for volunteers are being postponed to the year after next."
"Huh... "
"Additionally, military supply production has surged. We'll have to keep watching, but at the current trend, they say it will show roughly a 43% additional production volume compared to the previous month."
Schiller blinked and asked.
"Military supply production? Why?"
"The laborers working in the factories volunteered to work even when told they couldn't be paid overtime allowances. It's a miracle brought about by patriotism. Also, thanks to a flood of support for the munitions industry from various corporations..."
Hans pulled out one more document and handed it to Schiller.
"Funding has been secured to build roughly two more large-scale munitions factories. Thanks to that, there won't be a situation where major military supplies fall short for the increased number of enlistees."
"...What about war bonds? How much have the bonds sold?"
"The bonds..."
Hans, who had paused for a moment, spoke excitedly.
"Are selling at an astonishing rate! Not only among civilians but corporations are buying them up as well! In these two weeks alone, bonds worth 27 billion have already been sold!"
27 billion was an amount three times the original estimate of 8.5 billion.
It meant they had sold three times the target amount in just two weeks.
'This tremendous feat being the repercussion of a single speech by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel...'
After standing blankly for a moment, Schiller let out a hollow laugh.
"Perhaps... we might be standing at a historical crossroads."
Since Daniel's total war speech, the Empire had been stirring violently.
It would not be an exaggeration to say it was breaking its shell to flap its wings toward the world.
Amid the countless materials, Schiller could see it.
A future where the Empire was once again reborn as a great nation.
Feeling the flame of hope blossoming in his heart, Schiller clenched his fist tightly.
'Indeed. Daniel Steiner might just be able to create it...'
A new era, an empire that would remain forever great!