Returning from Leave(?) Is Always Scary
Returning from Leave(?) Is Always Scary
The moment he accepted that fountain pen, there would be no turning back.
Bellanos, which his forebears had fought tooth and nail to protect, would effectively become a vassal state of the Empire.
'But....'
The horrors that would unfold the instant he refused the pen kept flickering through his mind.
Just as Daniel had said, the Empire had an undeniable pretext to declare war.
If the Empire declared war, Bellanos would be transformed into hell in the blink of an eye.
Countless citizens would scream in agony, soldiers would die, the cabinet would fracture, and politicians would scramble to save their own skins, following whoever offered them a lifeline.
The hatred born from that terrible chaos would naturally be directed squarely at the head of the Bellanos government.
The enraged masses would demand the Prime Minister be dragged from power.
If, at that moment, information about the Prime Minister's hidden illegitimate child were to spread, the situation would deteriorate beyond all control.
"......."
A groan seeped through his clenched teeth.
The moment he refused vassalage, the Empire would surely annihilate Bellanos.
'The one who planned all this....'
Was none other than the man standing before him: Daniel Steiner.
Despite surviving the diplomatic vessel sinking incident, Daniel had not informed the Empire of his survival.
Because if his survival were confirmed, the Empire would lose its justification to send a fleet to search for its lost war hero.
'Therefore....'
Daniel Steiner had faked his own death and simply waited for the Empire to dispatch its search fleet.
'And in that interval, instead of idling, he found my daughter.'
Afterward, Daniel had deliberately approached Ref and built a friendship.
It must have been to confirm she was the Prime Minister's illegitimate child while simultaneously securing the location of her residence.
Ref had moved exactly as Daniel intended, even committing the mistake of inviting him to the mansion.
Meanwhile, the private organization acting on Daniel's orders had tracked down the culprit who opened the territorial waters to the terrorists.
Forcing a confession from the naval colonel, Edbol, was likely meant to make it easier to hold the Bellanos government accountable.
By the time Daniel had finished all his preparations, the Imperial fleet arrived at Tentarbahém.
The Imperial army naturally occupied Tentarbahém to carry out the search operation, and Daniel Steiner, who had been watching the scene unfold, decided hiding was no longer necessary and revealed his identity.
And he returned to his duties as a diplomatic envoy.
It was to use the materials he had prepared beforehand to turn Bellanos into an Imperial vassal.
From start to finish, they had been dancing perfectly in the palm of Daniel Steiner's hand.
'Daniel Steiner. Do you truly possess a human heart?'
What kind of mindset could even allow a person to act like this?
It was a scheme so meticulous and calculated that it scarcely seemed like a plan conceived within a single human mind.
Lowell, feeling a sliver of awe amidst his fury and grief, slowly reached out his hand.
He could not turn back the clock, so he had to choose the lesser of two evils.
Lowell, having received the fountain pen, looked down at the diplomatic proposal.
As he lowered his hand to sign, Lowell glanced back at Daniel one last time.
"May I ask just one favor?"
"Yes. As many as you wish."
"......I will sign this. So please, guarantee my daughter's safety."
Daniel nodded lightly.
"Of course. As long as the Prime Minister honors the contents of this proposal, the peace between our two nations will never be broken."
Those words were tantamount to saying her safety could not be guaranteed if he failed to implement the proposal's terms.
You devilish bastard. Lowell, grinding his teeth, signed the proposal half in resignation.
After signing in a few other places, Lowell held the document out to Daniel.
Daniel received the document and carefully placed it into his briefcase.
"Excellent. If things had been handled this way from the start, neither of us would have needed to get so heated. I simply regret it came to this."
After closing his briefcase, Daniel rose from his seat and bowed his head deeply toward Lowell.
"It seems our conference is concluded, so I shall take my leave now. I pray that eternal glory may shine upon the great Bellanos."
Lowell did not answer.
Daniel hadn't expected an answer in the first place, so after straightening his attire, he turned on his heel.
As he opened the reception room door, Daniel's eyes met those of the Intelligence Bureau Director, who stood waiting with his entourage.
Daniel's gaze was cold.
Though they were ostensibly of equal rank, the Intelligence Bureau Director felt an inexplicable sense of intimidation.
After a moment of hesitation, the Intelligence Bureau Director opened his mouth.
"......Is the conference over?"
"It is. I must return to the embassy, so do not block my way."
Only then did the Intelligence Bureau Director realize he and his entourage were blocking the path.
Catching on, the Intelligence Bureau Director cleared the way, and Daniel walked through the gap.
The sound of his clicking footsteps echoed as Daniel grew more distant.
The Intelligence Bureau Director, who had watched his retreating figure in a daze, turned his gaze back into the reception room to attend to the Prime Minister.
He saw Lowell sitting on the sofa with his head bowed.
After a brief hesitation, the Intelligence Bureau Director approached Lowell.
"Your Excellency. How did the conference...."
The Intelligence Bureau Director's footsteps gradually halted.
Because Lowell's eyes, as he hung his head, were sunken and utterly void.
"Director of the Intelligence Bureau."
Lowell's voice was devoid of its usual strength.
"Perhaps I...."
His voice was thick with moisture.
After a long pause, Lowell finally squeezed the words out.
"......May have just made a deal with the devil."
At Lowell's self-mocking words, the Intelligence Bureau Director broke into a cold sweat without even realizing it.
For he could not even begin to fathom what Daniel Steiner could have said in this place.
*
Having concluded the conference, Daniel returned to the embassy by ceremonial vehicle.
The deputy ambassador and the diplomats naturally asked Daniel about the details of the conference, and Daniel informed them it had been a success.
The deputy ambassador and diplomats looked at him in disbelief, but once Daniel showed them the diplomatic proposal bearing the Bellanos Cabinet Minister's signature, they had no choice but to believe.
The deputy ambassador became intensely excited, declaring it was 'not merely a successful conference, but practically a sworn oath of fealty from the Bellanos government,' and the other diplomats were no different.
Thanks to this, the rumor that 'Daniel Steiner had brought the Bellanos Cabinet Minister to his knees' spread like wildfire, until there was not a soul in the port of Tentarbahém who hadn't heard of it.
This truly shocking piece of good news naturally reached the ears of Hartmann, the chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel! It's me!"
That was one of the reasons Hartmann had come to the embassy office now.
After knocking a few times, Daniel's voice was heard from inside.
"Come in."
Having received permission, Hartmann opened the door and entered.
Spotting Daniel seated at the ambassador's desk and handling his duties, Hartmann smiled.
As he approached with newspapers and desserts in his arms, Daniel looked up.
"......Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann? What is all that?"
"I heard you liked desserts, so I bought some. The newspapers are the Empire Daily issues from the past few days. I thought you might be curious, so I brought them. But...."
Seeing Daniel buried in documents, Hartmann felt bewildered.
Hartmann set the newspapers and desserts down on the desk and asked.
"The conference is over, so why are you still working?"
"Even if a treaty has been formally signed, we must request ratification from the National Assembly. I am drafting the relevant documents. After that, I must obtain final approval from His Majesty the Emperor."
"Hmm. I don't quite grasp the details, but I can see you're busy."
Hartmann, who had been hoping to share a drink with Daniel to celebrate the Empire's decisive victory, clicked his tongue in mild disappointment.
In the meantime, Daniel finished drafting the document and turned his attention to the newspapers.
He was curious about how the situation in the Empire had been unfolding while he'd been staying in Bellanos.
'Especially....'
To obtain final approval for the treaty, he would have to have a private audience with Emperor Bertram, and it would be best to know the state of the Empire beforehand.
Daniel decided to start from the oldest newspaper, reading only the headlines.
『Diplomatic Vessel Bound for Bellanos Sunk!』
『Her Imperial Highness Issues Emergency Summoning Order in Response to Terrorist Attack!』
『Imperial Ministry of Defense Notifies Bellanos to Open Its Borders.』
He opened the next newspaper.
『Citizens Shaken by Hero's Death.』
『Waves of Mourning for the Hero's Death Sweep Across the Imperial Capital.』
『Her Imperial Highness States: "This is a Tremendous Loss, and the Truth Must Be Uncovered."』
Feeling dizzy, he opened the next newspaper.
『Enraged Citizens, Convinced the Allied Nations Are Behind Imperial Hero's Death, Protest Daily.』
『Are Anti-War Activists Enemies of the Empire? Controversy Erupts After Extreme Remarks by Member of the National Assembly.』
『Youths Furious Over Terrorist Atrocities Take to the Streets, Demanding the Truth Behind Daniel Steiner's Death.』
Taking a deep breath, Daniel opened the most recent newspaper.
『Daniel Steiner! Returns From the Dead! Empire Engulfed in Festive Mood!』
『Daniel Steiner Survives Terrorist Attack; Some Call It a Divine Miracle.』
『Her Imperial Highness Expresses Joy at Daniel Steiner's Safe Return, Saying It Is Something "Not Only the Entire Nation, But I Myself Have Also Been Waiting For."』
After reading all the headlines, Daniel folded the newspaper.
Troubled, Daniel looked up at Hartmann.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann. I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I wish to remain here in Bellanos to oversee the local implementation of the treaty and conduct public affairs activities. I would like to postpone my return to the Empire by at least a few months, so please convey this to Her Imperial Highness...."
Daniel stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
Because Hartmann was frowning.
"Do you think that's possible? Her Highness wishes to see you as soon as possible."
Because of this, Daniel felt an unknown dread.
'If I return to the Empire like this....'
For he had no idea what might be done to him.