In life, there are times when we unexpectedly encounter situations.
It was a shop known to be successful, but when I went there one day, I found it had closed down.
Or sometimes a celebrity, who was enjoying immense popularity, suddenly announces their retirement.
For Daniel, a situation comparable to that was when “he arrives at work and Lucy is nowhere to be seen.”
Entering his personal office at the General Staff Headquarters, Daniel felt perplexed, but shrugged it off soon after.
“It seems something must be going on.”
No matter how much of a machine one is in keeping to a schedule, incidents and accidents can’t be completely avoided.
“Yet Lucy is late…”
Just as he thought it was no big deal and set down his briefcase to hang his coat on a chair, the sound of hurried footsteps came echoing down the corridor.
“Someone is running.”
Just as he wondered who it might be, the door to his office burst open.
There stood Lucy, panting and gripping the doorknob.
She was holding a thermos in her hand.
“I’m sorry… I couldn’t sleep last night…”
Lucy, who apologized before he even asked, was a rare sight.
And her difficulty in speaking due to her breathlessness was even more precious.
Daniel thought about teasing her but held back, realizing it might provoke her anger unnecessarily.
“There’s no need to apologize. It’s close, but it’s not a case of being late. But I’m curious about why you couldn’t sleep at night. Did something happen yesterday?”
He subtly poked at her, but instead of answering, Lucy just shook her head.
Perhaps it was because she rushed to make it on time that her flushed face shone pink.
Observing her intently, Daniel pointed at the thermos.
“What is that? Did you bring me some tea?”
“Ah.”
Catching her breath, Lucy stepped closer to Daniel and held out the thermos.
“I made some beet soup and brought a little bit. It should help with your hangover.”
“…You made it for me?”
“It’s just a token of gratitude since you made chamomile tea and boiled chicken broth for me at my place before.”
While saying this, Lucy’s ears had a slightly red tint.
Wondering if it was due to her breathlessness, Daniel accepted the thermos.
“I’ll enjoy it, then. But how did you know I drank yesterday?”
Lucy flinched slightly at his question but regained her composure quickly, as if she was not caught off guard.
“I thought you would, considering you enjoy drinking. Surely you enjoyed yourself at the banquet after the coronation.”
“Is that so?”
Realizing that probing further might make her angry, he decided to refrain.
“It seems I’m only being thought of by my aide. I appreciate it. By the way…”
After a moment of hesitation, Daniel spoke.
“You might already know this, but in two weeks, I will be appointed the Chief of Staff of the 7th Division on the Eastern Front. Since it was a direct order from Her Majesty the Emperor, I can’t refuse.”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
“Since you’ve heard, it’s easier to talk. If you wish, there’s no need for you to follow me to the Eastern Front. As you know, it’s a dangerous place.”
Even though he would work primarily in the safe rear of the division’s headquarters, it wasn’t completely out of reach from enemy attacks.
No, on the contrary, the enemy would surely be considering ways to strike the headquarters, making it paradoxically more perilous.
It was, quite literally, a dangerous battlefield where one could lose their life.
Nevertheless, Lucy didn’t just decline; she gave an immediate reply.
“I will go.”
Determination shone in her red eyes.
Taken aback, Daniel coughed awkwardly.
“You could die.”
“I know.”
“Just because you work at the headquarters doesn’t mean you’ll be safe; it might actually be more dangerous.”
“I’m not unaware of that.”
“If the situation deteriorates, you won’t be able to secure even a proper meal, let alone dessert.”
“I’m used to it.”
He didn’t need to ask why she was used to it. He knew that Lucy was a test subject.
‘But why does she want to follow me? To keep an eye on me?’
Despite his confusion, Daniel couldn’t flatly refuse her, so he nodded.
“Fine. If you want it that much, I won’t stop you.”
Perhaps it was the relief of getting his approval that lit up Lucy’s eyes with determination.
Just as she was about to speak her thanks, familiar footsteps echoed in the corridor.
As he looked toward the door, a well-built middle-aged man appeared.
He seemed to be struggling against his hangover, raising a hand to his forehead.
“…Lieutenant Colonel?”
Worried, Daniel called out, and Ernst looked up.
He didn’t look very well.
“Colonel Daniel… or rather, Brigadier General. Are you alright? I feel like I’m dying here.”
“My head is a bit achy, but it’s not serious.”
“Is that so? Being young does have its advantages.”
“It’s not so much about being young, but more about drinking in moderation… But what brings you here?”
“Huh? Oh, I just came to have a cup of coffee with you.”
Coffee. Daniel nodded, finding no reason to decline.
“Shall we go down to the lounge and have a cup?”
“That sounds good. I’ll make it for you today. I should make a good impression on our empire’s hero, Brigadier General Daniel Steiner, right?”
“That’s quite generous of you.”
Daniel replied jokingly to Ernst’s banter and was about to move when he suddenly hesitated.
Lucy had been discreetly giving him hints.
Realizing this, Daniel grabbed the thermos.
“Ah. I’ll make do with the beet soup instead of coffee.”
Only then did Lucy’s expression soften, and Daniel felt relieved.
‘What on earth is she thinking…’
It was a puzzling thing to consider.
*
While Daniel was sipping coffee in the lounge with Ernst, casually chatting about trivial matters,
“We need to come up with a countermeasure immediately! We can’t let this happen!”
The Palencia Branch, located in the heart of the Empire, was facing an unprecedented emergency.
Having ceased intelligence gathering and espionage activities, the staff, led by Branch Chief Theobald, were gathered in a meeting room, debating fiercely.
“We must request support from the United Nations immediately! If we contact Count, he will surely find a way!”
“What nonsense! Are you suggesting we inform our homeland of our incompetence? Even if we tell them we’re in danger, Daniel Steiner will act before we receive any help!”
“Then should we just sit back and do nothing? We don’t even know what he wants from us!”
Just after Hamtal had left, the staff of the Palencia Branch had concluded that it was Daniel Steiner who had given the orders to Hamtal.
The prevailing opinion was that either the traitor Lucy had relayed information to Daniel Steiner or that there was an internal betrayer colluding with him.
The fact that their location had been discovered meant enemies could arrive at any moment, making the operatives on edge as they raced against time.
“First and foremost, we must find out what Daniel Steiner wants from us! There must be a reason he spared us when sending his private organization to eliminate us!”
“Are you suggesting we listen to Daniel Steiner now? How would we know what he wants from us?”
“Then are you saying we’ll just accept our deaths? If you have some foolish excuse in mind, think of it alone! Acting dumb will not earn us the United Nations’ respect—”
Bang! A man stood up and slammed his fist on the table, drawing a pistol and aiming it at his opponent.
“You bastard! You’re the informant! You’ve been in league with Daniel Steiner!”
The man opposite him broke into a cold sweat and raised his hands.
“…Calm down. Denying it won’t solve the problem.”
“Denying it? You’re the only one here insisting we should listen to Daniel Steiner! Does that still sound like a denial to you?! Branch Chief, don’t just sit there. Say something!”
Theobald, sitting at the head of the meeting, sighed quietly.
He thought the atmosphere in the meeting room was too heated given the current crisis.
“Enough. Leven has a point. We need to know what Daniel Steiner wants if we are to negotiate.”
“But…”
“Shut up and lower your weapon. If you don’t, I’ll give you another hole to breathe through.”
Step back, the man lowered his gun upon Theobald’s threat.
As Theobald frowned, deep in thought, suddenly—
—Branch Chief! The blue wall is here! He has arrived!
In a moment of revelation, Theobald’s eyes widened with the news.
The only person who knew Daniel Steiner’s intentions was Plarte, who had failed in the assassination attempt.
As the meeting room buzzed with activity, Theobald picked up the radio and pressed the transmission button.
“Tell him to come in immediately.”
Believing that the thread would finally unravel, Theobald placed the radio back on the table.
Before long, Plarte opened the door to the meeting room and stepped inside.
What had happened to him was unclear, but his clothes were torn and covered in filth, looking like a rag.
As everyone fell silent, Plarte, breathing heavily, began to scan the room until he spotted Theobald.
Plarte walked slowly towards Theobald and knelt down.
“…I’m sorry, Branch Chief. I have failed my mission.”
They already knew of the failure.
More than scolding him, Theobald thought it was more important to extract information, grasping Plarte’s shoulder.
“What did Daniel Steiner tell you?”
After catching his breath, Plarte spoke.
“He told me not to bother with petty tricks. Also, he said that the one who would look good in whiskey laced with poison was the Branch Chief…”
The room fell silent at the message encouraging suicide from Daniel Steiner.
As Theobald swallowed hard, Plarte continued, his voice low and trembling.
“Branch Chief. He is not hoping for a negotiation. Daniel Steiner is merely playing with us. If the branch does not submit to him….”
Lifting his head, Plarte looked at Theobald with a blank expression on his face.
“…He will kill us all.”
