Do You Really Think You Used Daniel?
Do You Really Think You Used Daniel?
While the entire Empire blazed with fervor over Daniel Steiner's total war speech, the man responsible felt utterly wretched.
"......."
In the General Headquarters break room, Daniel stood staring out the window, a paper cup of coffee in one hand.
Far beyond the GHQ entrance, citizens could be seen holding picket signs.
The signs bore propaganda slogans like 'We Demand Total War!' or messages of support such as 'Hero of the Empire! Daniel Steiner!'
These were citizens who, deeply moved by the speech they had heard on the radio, had flocked here wanting to see Daniel in person.
Journalists with cameras were mixed in among them, which made him sigh involuntarily.
'Leaving work early today is definitely out of the question...'
The moment he stepped out of GHQ, he would clearly have to endure a barrage of unwanted accolades and all manner of questions.
This, by the way, was not Daniel's speculation but experience.
A few days ago, a commotion had broken out when he tried to ignore them and walk past.
Remembering how he had been surrounded by the crowd that gathered after hearing the uproar and subjected to nearly two hours of relentless questioning still made Daniel's blood boil.
'Now I understand why idols hate sasaeng fans.'
With a disgruntled look, Daniel lifted the paper cup and took a sip of coffee.
It was just as he was mulling over how he ought to conduct himself going forward.
"Oh! Look who it is!"
At the voice from behind, Daniel turned his head slightly.
It was Colonel Ernst, the Deputy Chief of Operations Staff.
Ernst approached Daniel with a genial smile.
"If it isn't our hero, Daniel Steiner. Lately whenever you come to work you shut yourself up in your office and refuse to step out once, so I was worried. But seeing your face now..."
Ernst, who had looked at Daniel for the sake of exchanging pleasantries, hesitated.
The dark circles settled under Daniel's eyes seemed to have grown even deeper.
"...You don't look well. It seems you haven't been able to sleep at all lately?"
"Various problems have been weighing on my mind."
"What sort of troubles? From what I can see, the path ahead of you seems paved smooth and straight. Even the higher-ups are all lavishing praise on your total war speech."
That very thing was precisely one of Daniel's troubles, a fact which Ernst did not realize.
The ripple effect of the total war speech had exceeded anything Daniel imagined.
It was not simply a matter of the Empire's citizens cheering and leaving it at that; it was driving positive effects for the war across multiple facets of society.
Foreign correspondents were reporting on it day after day as well, so from Daniel's perspective, it was hellish.
If the difficulty of defecting before the speech had been like threading a needle, the difficulty of defecting after the speech was like passing through a concrete wall.
In short, it had become nearly impossible.
'In that case, my options now are...'
Either make the Empire the hegemonic power, or launder his identity through a trustworthy broker and flee to a foreign country.
However, the viability of both was markedly low.
Though preparations for a world war had accelerated thanks to the total war speech, the enemies the Empire had to face were three nations, and all of them were great powers.
What was more, they geographically formed an encirclement, so the Empire would have to fight a war under the disadvantageous premise of plugging three holes with two hands.
'Unless the Empire miraculously achieves victory after victory...'
The outcome of being defeated and becoming a war criminal state would not change significantly.
Then what about laundering his identity through a trustworthy broker and fleeing to another country? That was even more absurd.
'Because as long as they know I'm alive, both the Empire and the Allied Nations will try to find me.'
Unless he could completely fake his death, it was close to impossible.
'Isn't there some way...'
Daniel, who had been racking his brain to escape the dreadful future, shook his head.
He thought it was improper to be lost in thought with a superior officer standing right beside him.
"As you said, Colonel, a smooth path does seem to have opened. However, I believe the bridge beneath that road seems shoddily constructed, making it perilous beyond words."
At Daniel's words, Ernst hesitated.
'Shoddy construction? Is he saying the Empire's leadership is incompetent right now?'
Ernst broke into a cold sweat and opened his mouth to sound Daniel out.
"Are you... perhaps thinking of finding and eliminating the cause of this shoddy construction?"
To Daniel, those words oddly sounded like 'Will you find another way to escape the Empire?'
'Ernst probably said that thinking it was just anxiety about rapid promotion...'
Thinking that the conversation was strangely in sync, Daniel let out a low laugh.
"Yes. If possible, I intend to eliminate it."
Ernst's shoulders flinched.
Not content with calmly pointing out the incompetence of the Imperial leadership, Daniel's words about finding and eliminating them struck him as terrifying.
'It's no simple joke. With Daniel, this is something he might actually carry out.'
Ernst, who had been gauging Daniel's mood, swallowed hard and spoke in a cowed voice.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel? In your estimation, am I on the incompetent side?"
What was he suddenly talking about? Daniel, who had turned to look at Ernst blinking quietly, shook his head.
"No. You are not incompetent, Colonel."
Thanks to that, Ernst, who had been internally sighing with relief, let out a low breath.
"...Thank you. I shall do my utmost to ensure I do not become incompetent in the future."
Daniel, who had been looking quizzically at Ernst for saying strange things, nodded.
There was no need to go out of his way to contradict a superior officer who said he would work hard.
*
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace dining hall.
In the needlessly vast and magnificent dining hall, maidservants attending the meal stood waiting in a line against the wall.
Emperor Bertram, paying no mind whatsoever to such things, sat at the long dining table, eating with his daughter at his side.
"Selvia. It seems your decision was the correct one."
Sitting in an ornate chair, cutting his meat, Bertram spoke in a baritone voice.
"Setting Daniel up as a speaker was an excellent choice. Thanks to Daniel, the Empire is more unified than ever before. To the point where I need not even step forward myself."
At her father's praise, a smile spread across Selvia's lips.
"I merely put into practice what I learned from you, Father. For it was your teaching that people must be used in the right place at the right time."
"Mm. You learned from me, you say. In that case, you learned wrongly."
The smile lingering on Selvia's lips vanished.
Just as she was wondering what he meant, Bertram continued.
"If it were me, I would not have placed Daniel in the position of orator. For the opportunity to make a speech before the great masses must have been something Daniel Steiner desperately wished for."
"...Lieutenant Colonel Daniel wished for it?"
"Indeed. Daniel is a fellow more astute than I had imagined. So he would surely have noticed at the shooting range the other day that I was keeping him in check."
Having placed the cut meat into his mouth, Bertram chewed lightly.
After swallowing, he took a sip of red wine and then spoke.
"The fellow must have thought that this old Emperor might press him. He would have felt a sense of crisis. What do you suppose would be the easiest way to escape that sense of crisis?"
"That is..."
"To extend his influence across the entire Empire through a speech. So that not even the Emperor would dare lay a hand on him. And his plan was a success."
Selvia's brows furrowed as she listened to the story.
"Father. That is excessive conjecture. Daniel is not that kind of person."
Bertram let out a low laugh.
"Conjecture, you say. Selvia, do you not remember what Daniel said at the very end of his speech?"
"The end of the speech..."
"He said he would represent the nation and its people under His Majesty the Emperor's patronage. As if the content of his speech did not differ greatly from the Emperor's will."
Bertram set down his cutlery and looked at Selvia.
"Is Daniel's speech the will of the Emperor? Tell me, Selvia. Did you ever command Daniel to give such a speech?"
She could not answer.
For what Selvia had requested of the State Propaganda Department and Daniel was not a radical total war speech.
She had forgotten because the result was a success, but Daniel had rejected the script and continued the speech according to his own will.
It had been close to insubordination.
"Daniel did not obey orders. Yet you, Selvia, cannot punish Daniel. Because a fair wind is blowing across the Empire due to the total war speech. If you were to punish Daniel in this situation, it would be no different from turning the people into your enemy."
Bertram picked up a napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth.
"Selvia. You are still young. You have not yet ripened politically. You are being used by Daniel, and yet you are under the illusion that you used Daniel."
Silently clenching her fist, Selvia forced her mouth open with difficulty.
"Daniel refused when I proposed the role of orator. It was I who coerced him. And yet you say I was used?"
Having wiped his mouth clean, Bertram let out a low laugh.
"The wiser a person is, the more they do not easily reveal their true intentions. Why do you think Daniel refused your proposal? Was it truly because he found it unwelcome? No. It was because he knew you would force it upon him even if he refused."
"..."
"Why did he refuse, even knowing it would be forced? It was to prepare an escape hole, so that even if things went truly wrong, he could say, 'I did not wish it, but it was an order from Her Highness.'"
Bertram folded the napkin and placed it down on the table.
"Selvia. With this choice, you have made the Empire prosper, but at the same time, you have fattened the wolf called Daniel who threatens the authority of the Imperial Household. Do you know what this means?"
Toward the silent Selvia, Bertram narrowed his eyes sharply.
"It means that your throat may be torn out by that fellow. So bear this in mind. Daniel Steiner is a superb talent the likes of which the Empire will never see again... but."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
After pausing for a moment, Bertram spoke with sincerity.
"He is, by that same measure, a dangerous double-edged sword."