Mixed Joy and Sorrow
Mixed Joy and Sorrow
A cool breeze from the sea swept through Daniel's hair once, then passed on.
Standing blankly on the white sand beach, facing the ocean wind, Daniel suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
'It's so absurd it leaves me dumbfounded...'
Clicking his tongue, Daniel recalled the past.
The countless things he had done to escape the Empire, that is.
Whether it was fate's cruel joke or not, every single one of those attempts had ended in failure.
Hadn't his status risen and his notoriety begun to grow the more he struggled and writhed to get away?
Having experienced that absurd situation over and over, Daniel had half given up.
He had concluded that escaping the Empire was, by now, impossible.
'But...!'
They did say that even when the sky falls, a hole will open up for you to rise through.
It would be no exaggeration to say that Daniel Steiner had just been granted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
At long last, a chance to erase the stains of his past and begin a new life had come.
Thinking that, the displeasure of having been attacked by the enemy seemed to vanish in an instant.
Feeling considerably lighter at heart, Daniel walked toward a shack nearby.
Meeting people while wearing his military uniform would be dangerous, since it could reveal his identity, but Daniel wasn't worried in the slightest.
He had a basis for that.
'The fishing boat near the shack isn't just rusted—moss has grown on it. Since it hasn't been maintained for a while, the shack must have been neglected as well.'
Even if by some remote chance someone was inside, he could just make up an excuse, leave the premises, and that would be that.
Kicking through the sand of the white beach, Daniel walked to the shack and knocked on the shabby door with the back of his hand.
"Is anyone there?"
There was no answer.
Daniel knocked on the door once more.
"I'm a castaway seeking help. Is anyone there?"
Once again, no answer came.
Convinced now that the shack was abandoned, Daniel grabbed the doorknob and pushed inward.
A creaking sound rang out from the old hinges, and the door swung wide open.
Just to be safe, Daniel narrowed his eyes and slowly scanned the space beyond the open door.
No trace of human presence could be felt in the shack, which was crammed with all sorts of odds and ends and boxes.
It was the same even after he stepped inside and looked around.
Only then did Daniel let his tension ease and inspect the objects stored in the boxes.
'Used clothes and worn-out shoes... and broken home appliances, huh.'
Apparently, this shack was some kind of storage shed for items that were no longer needed.
To Daniel, who wanted to conceal his identity, it might as well have been a treasure vault.
Chuckling softly, Daniel rummaged through the boxes to find usable clothing.
After digging around for about thirty minutes, he was able to secure a reasonably decent set of cotton clothes and a pair of shoes.
Though they showed signs of mending, they were more than adequate to wear and walk around in.
Finding them not bad, Daniel immediately took off his uniform, wiped off the moisture, and changed into the used clothes.
Afterward, he put on an old pair of sunglasses he found among the clutter and set a fedora on his head.
Having no mirror, he stared at his reflection in the window to adjust his attire once, then smiled with satisfaction.
'Good. No one will recognize me now.'
If by some chance someone did, he could just brush it off by saying it was merely a resemblance and slip away.
'Because, most regrettably, Daniel Steiner is dead.'
As of today, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, the Operations Staff Officer attached to General Headquarters, was as good as dead.
Having buried his own name in his heart, Daniel observed a moment of silent mourning.
A moment later, having finished his silent tribute, Daniel adjusted his cuffs once and stepped out of the shack.
The sun, straddling the boundary between day and evening, could be seen dyeing the sea above with its afterglow.
In the distance, lights flickered on one by one inside the buildings that clung together like barnacles, blending with the sunset to form a warm yet dreamlike landscape.
'I'll have to head there first. The most important thing right now is securing funds for identity laundering.'
His resolve firm, Daniel slowly moved his feet.
Wearing ordinary shoes rather than combat boots or dress shoes, he walked onto the white sand beach and took a deep breath.
The feeling of fresh air filling his lungs to the brim was ecstatic.
Raising his head to look up at the sky tinted a reddish hue, Daniel suddenly spread both arms wide and burst into laughter.
"After countless hardships, you have finally come to me! Sweet and pastoral freedom!"
He had never imagined that breaking free from restraints and oppression could be this exhilarating.
"From now on, misfortune shall cease to exist for me, and only happiness shall remain!"
Spouting words playfully like the protagonist of a stage play, Daniel moved with a light step.
His goal was Tentarbahém, the port city of Bellanos.
He intended to raise funds there for his identity laundering.
*
Meanwhile, the Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace.
"So, do you believe that provoking not only the Allied Nations but also other great powers with the Total War Speech was a good deed? Shall I take it that this is the official stance of the Central Nationalist Party?"
"We did not say it was a good deed. But how on earth can you interpret it to mean that the Total War Speech provoked the great powers? Do not distort the speech and look at its essence!"
At the long command table within the Grand Conference Hall, the party leaders representing each political faction were attacking one another in a heated war of words.
The loudest voices among them belonged to Kembal, the leader of the Liberal Society Party, and Elerkar, the leader of the Central Nationalist Party.
For the most part, Kembal of the Liberal Society Party criticized Daniel Steiner's Total War Speech, while Elerkar of the Central Nationalist Party refuted him.
"It is you who fails to see the essence! Though the people may have rallied because of the Total War Speech, the war situation remains unfavorable! You know very well that the Allied Nations is not the only state we will have to confront in the future!"
"Precisely because the enemy will not be the Allied Nations alone, the speech by Daniel Steiner carries meaning, I tell you! I do agree, of course, that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's speech had a somewhat radical and belligerent character, but looking at the Empire's current circumstances, he said nothing wrong!"
Elerkar, who was among the younger blood gathered here, raised his voice.
"However, since earlier, it strikes me that the leader of the Liberal Society Party has been trying to brand Lieutenant Colonel Daniel as someone acting for personal gain. Is that just my imagination?"
"Ha! Brand him? Use your head if you have one. Who stands to gain the most from the Total War Speech? It is precisely Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner!"
"A man seeking personal gain volunteered to be appointed as a diplomatic envoy to Bellanos, a sinecure post? Do you not think that contradicts itself?"
Watching their exchange from the seat of honor, Princess Selvia let out a low sigh.
'It's proceeding just as Vice Chief of Staff Cedric said it would...'
Cedric had said that factional strife would break out if Daniel was dispatched as a diplomatic envoy to Bellanos, and he had been right.
Earlier in the day, at noon, the party leaders of the National Assembly had visited as a group, claiming they had urgent matters to convey to Her Highness, the Princess Regent.
So Selvia had granted them the Grand Conference Hall and told them to speak their minds, but Kembal, leader of the Liberal Society Party, argued that they must create legislation to restrain Daniel Steiner, which led to this mess.
It had clearly started as a sound exchange of opinions, but as time passed, voices gradually rose until now they were so inflamed it could be called a verbal brawl.
Selvia did not like that.
What she disliked even more was Kembal, leader of the Liberal Society Party, who was insisting that Daniel must be confined within the bounds of the law.
'Why does that old man keep slandering Daniel?'
Compared to the countless benefits Daniel had brought to the Empire, all Kembal had done was use his connections and blood ties to sit in the party leader's seat and lord it over the National Assembly.
She had heard that the Speaker of the National Assembly was also from the Liberal Society Party, which seemed to explain why Kembal could raise his voice so brazenly before the assemblymen now.
'I think I need to say something.'
Her father had told her that assemblymen fundamentally represent the voice of the people and that she should listen quietly and refrain from pointing out flaws except in special cases, but she felt she could endure it no longer.
It was the very moment Selvia, having made up her mind, was about to open her mouth and speak.
"Your Highness!"
The doors of the Grand Conference Hall flew open, and Hartmann, the chief guard of the Imperial Guard, strode inside.
Having thrown open the doors without even observing courtly etiquette, Hartmann spotted Selvia and rushed over hastily.
It was a discourtesy grave enough to warrant a severe scolding, but Selvia was simply bewildered.
It was because she knew that Hartmann only disregarded etiquette when he had a sufficient reason to do so.
Panting for breath, Hartmann knelt on one knee before Selvia.
"Your Highness! I beg you to forgive my impertinence! My heart was merely in haste to deliver urgent news."
Urgent news? After a brief pause, Selvia opened her mouth.
"What is the matter? Has Father's health worsened?"
"That is not it. The urgent news I must convey pertains to the diplomatic envoy dispatched to Bellanos. I am mortified to report that the diplomatic vessel heading to Bellanos..."
Watching Selvia's expression, Hartmann lowered his head.
"...has been sunk by an enemy torpedo attack, they say."
At the shocking news, the assemblymen who had just been passionately orating all shut their mouths.
The same went for Selvia.
Having been frozen stiff for a long while, Selvia's lips moved vacantly.
"Just now..."
At Selvia's voice, trembling without end, Hartmann let out a short, pained exhale.
Selvia held her breath as if in disbelief and continued speaking with great difficulty.
"That's impossible..."
Her words, which seemed to deny reality, carried no strength.
Because of that, Hartmann, fathoming Selvia's heart, only bowed his head deeper in the silence.