Chapter 58

After spending the whole afternoon playing with the kids, Daniel decided to leave the monastery as evening approached.

During his departure, Hieroni, the head of the monastery, and the children tried to persuade him to stay and sleep there, but Daniel firmly declined.

Not only did he have separate lodging arranged, but he also had somewhere to be that night.

Hieroni, who had a rough idea where Daniel might be heading, didn’t try to stop him further.

Thus, after leaving the monastery, Daniel arrived at “Jack’s Restaurant.”

Located in the town center, Jack’s Restaurant looked shabby from the outside, but inside it was bustling with customers, making it one of the most successful eateries around.

“This place brings back memories. It really feels like I’m home again.”

When Daniel was younger, he’d relied on Jack’s Restaurant more than once.

Back during his rebellious teenage years, when he ran away from the monastery due to its stifling atmosphere, Jack, the owner, always welcomed him with a smile.

Lost in nostalgia, Daniel stared up at the crude wooden sign for a while before moving toward the entrance.

As he opened the door and stepped inside, he saw the employees rushing about, busy serving food.

“Coming right up!”

“Sausages and pretzels? Got it! Just a moment please!”

“One order of fried potatoes and beer here!”

Even after being away for so long, the restaurant still radiated the same vibrant energy.

To avoid interrupting the staff, Daniel quietly made his way to an empty table and sat down.

He removed his uniform cap and placed it on the table, drawing the attention of one of the waiters, who approached with an order pad.

“Welcome to Jack’s Restaurant! It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen you here…”

The waiter froze mid-sentence, staring wide-eyed at Daniel.

Blinking repeatedly as if unable to believe what they were seeing, the waiter suddenly shouted out loud.

“Brother! Is that really you?! Holy crap! Am I dreaming or something?”

The waiter, whose freckles stood out prominently, went by the name Nemirim.

She had grown up alongside Daniel in the monastery.

Smiling warmly, Daniel greeted her.

“It’s been a while. I heard you left the monastery and started working here independently. Looks like I don’t need to worry about you anymore. You’ve matured beyond recognition in just two years.”

Nemirim laughed heartily in response.

“You too, Brother. Your features have gotten sharper… almost debonair! Though, of course, in a good way! Anyway, it’s amazing to see you again. If only Uncle Jack were here.”

“Isn’t he here?”

“Yeah, he already left for the day. He and Auntie are getting along great lately; they’re even talking about having a fourth kid or something.”

“A fourth? At this age?”

Daniel raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, causing Nemirim to giggle mischievously.

“Love doesn’t care about age, right? Personally, I find it kind of romantic.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that…”

“Exactly! Oh, and speaking of which… wow, my mind’s all over the place. Aren’t you hungry? Let me take your order. Or better yet, let me guess!”

Nemirim tapped her chin thoughtfully before snapping her fingers.

“Sausages and beer! Right? Remember how you used to sneak sausages when Uncle Jack wasn’t looking? And how you begged for a sip of beer because you were curious?”

“Come on, do you really have to bring that up now?”

“Ahaha! Your embarrassment is adorable. Definitely my big brother. So, shall I bring you sausages and beer then?”

Daniel nodded, and Nemirim promised to be right back before heading off toward the kitchen.

Watching her go, Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle softly to himself—she was as lively as ever.

Just then, something caught his attention.

A middle-aged man in a dark brown coat was walking toward him.

At first, Daniel assumed the man was just looking for a seat, but soon realized otherwise when the stranger kept approaching him directly.

Before Daniel could react, the man sat down opposite him without asking.

This unexpected move left Daniel somewhat flustered.

“What is this about?”

The man glanced around cautiously before speaking.

“Captain Daniel Steiner. Since you seem uncomfortable, I’ll cut straight to the point: What exactly were you trying to achieve today at the monastery when you spoke to us?”

The man turned out to be Morten Blackmore, leader of the secret organization ‘Dawn’s Light,’ under the Prince’s command.

Of course, Daniel had no way of knowing this.

‘Today at the monastery? The only person I talked to besides Hieroni and the kids was that councilman.’

Thinking back, Daniel remembered the councillor from the city council who’d mentioned something about supporting the monastery.

‘Was he upset by my remarks about their donations?’

Recalling Hieroni’s nervousness earlier, Daniel deduced the conversation must have been related to funding issues.

‘So he thinks I’m pressuring the city council?’

Given the misunderstanding, Daniel chuckled softly.

“It seems there has been a communication issue. All I intended was to request cooperation. There was no other motive.”

At the mention of “cooperation,” Morten’s brow furrowed slightly.

That word essentially translated to ‘betray the prince and join me instead.’

“Is this what you call words? Do you actually think that’s plausible?”

“I guess you’re overreacting. It’s not impossible, is it?”

Morten clenched his teeth.

‘You bastard. You’re mocking me.’

Though he’d expected some level of negotiation, Daniel appeared far more arrogant and self-righteous than anticipated.

Realizing the truth about Daniel’s character, Morten abruptly stood up.

“This is a waste of time. Prepare for war. We won’t back down, no matter who you are.”

Seeing Morten bristle, Daniel couldn’t suppress a smirk.

“War? Can we really call this war?”

Politicians tend to exaggerate everything—even simple budget discussions turn into metaphors for ‘war.’ How absurd.

Shaking his head with a low laugh, Daniel leaned back in his chair.

“If you consider this bad humor, I understand…”

Morten broke into a cold sweat.

How could Daniel treat such a serious threat so casually?

After composing himself, Daniel slowly lifted his gaze.

“This isn’t war.”

Looking directly at Morten, Daniel whispered,

“It’s merely… opinion alignment.”

Morten involuntarily gasped.

Daniel’s voice sounded almost serpentine, like a subtle threat piercing through his mind.

His black eyes seemed to pierce straight through Morten’s soul.

Staying any longer felt dangerous—like becoming prey.

Taking a deep breath, Morten forced himself to move past Daniel.

“Whatever your intentions may be…”

From behind, Daniel’s calm voice echoed.

“I hope you make the right choice.”

Morten didn’t dare look back.

Suppressing an uneasy feeling, he gritted his teeth and hurried toward the exit.

*

Meanwhile, in the basement headquarters of Dawn’s Light…

─ Suspicious figures approaching en masse! Damn it! Who the hell are these guys?!

The radio crackled with urgent voices, startling the intelligence officers typing away on telex machines.

─ Their faces are covered, making identification difficult. Wait… Shit! They’ve got guns! Armed forces! Don’t get surrounded!

Everyone froze momentarily, confused by the unfolding events, except Mabel, who had disguised herself as a wealthy citizen to surveil Daniel earlier. She clutched her head in despair.

“It’s Daniel Steiner… He sent them! To wipe us out!”

Despite Mabel’s warning, most officers remained clueless, merely glancing nervously at each other.

Then came the sound of gunfire from above.

“Damn! We’ve been compromised! Burn all documents!”

“Get the guns! Secure the entrance!”

Trained professionals quickly sprang into action, destroying incriminating files.

But Mabel crawled under a desk, shaking uncontrollably.

“You idiots… These aren’t ordinary forces. Daniel Steiner’s men… we can’t fight them head-on.”

More gunshots rang out upstairs.

Suddenly, the steel door leading to the basement burst open.

Everyone tensely stared at the entrance, hearts pounding.

Tension filled the air.

“When is our Chief Staff Officer coming back?”

“We need orders…”

Just then, Mabel screamed, slamming her fists against the desk.

“You fools! Still don’t get it? Daniel Steiner planned this from the start! He lured our Chief Staff Officer away to disrupt command, then moved in to annihilate us completely!”

Unaware of this, Morten had walked straight into the jaws of a crocodile.

As Mabel despaired, three grenades rolled into the room.

Expecting explosions, everyone scrambled for cover behind desks.

But nothing happened.

Instead, a faint hissing sound filled the air.

No smoke appeared, though.

One officer coughed and collapsed onto the floor.

Mabel muttered weakly,

“No color, almond scent… Shit! Sleep paralysis gas! Don’t breathe it in… Cough!”

Desperately covering her nose and mouth with one hand, Mabel crawled toward the emergency exit.

However, moments later…

Heavy footsteps approached from the doorway.

Armed soldiers wearing gas masks stormed in, swiftly taking control of the area.

They began smashing unconscious officers’ heads with rifle butts.

The black soldier leading them issued quiet orders.

“Knock them all out and bind them. Kill anyone who resists.”

Mabel’s vision blurred as she struggled to crawl away.

Her last conscious thought before collapsing was hearing the muffled voice beneath the gas mask:

“All for… Daniel Steiner.”

With that, darkness consumed her.