Chapter 59

Morten exited Jack’s Restaurant, anxiety etched on his face as he quickened his pace.

The cryptic words Captain Daniel Steiner had tossed at him earlier were now gnawing at his insides, making it hard to breathe.

‘That guy never intended to have a proper conversation. As if “cooperation” was ever gonna happen—Daniel himself knew better than anyone that it was BS…’

Still, Daniel had somehow manipulated Morten into coming here willingly by throwing some shady threats during lunch at the monastery dining hall.

But why? What could Daniel possibly be aiming for?

As Morten mulled over this, his footsteps gradually slowed down.

‘He never planned to cooperate from the start. So then… what if…’

His steps came to a complete halt.

‘What if his goal was to get me out of Dawn’s Light Headquarters?’

A fleeting realization hit him like a cold breeze.

This was a classic move: isolating the leader of an organization before wiping them all out.

‘I’ve been played…!’

With mounting dread turning into certainty, Morten fished his radio out of his coat and powered it on.

After tuning the frequency, he pressed the transmit button and blurted out urgently, “Headquarters! Can anyone hear me?! This is urgent—we need immediate response!”

Silence greeted him.

Something felt off. Morten double-checked the frequency and tried again.

“Headquarters! Respond! We need to evacuate immediately—”

But then he stopped mid-sentence.

Because he already knew why no one was answering.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he released the transmit button, only to hear a faint beep followed by eerie laughter crackling through the static.

Frozen in place, Morten watched as the laughter slowly faded away.

“Are you listening, Morten Blackmore?”

It was a voice he’d never heard before.

And that alone confirmed it—Dawn’s Light Headquarters had been overrun by enemies.

“You’ve been quite busy down there, haven’t you? Unfortunately, your fun times are about to end.”

The grip on his radio weakened.

If everyone back at HQ was gone… it was almost impossible to keep his composure.

Meanwhile, the voice continued without pause.

“Morten Blackmore, consider this both your first and final warning.”

A brief silence hung in the air before the chilling tone resumed.

“Do not dare oppose Captain Daniel Steiner.”

With those last words, the transmission cut off abruptly.

Morten stared blankly at the radio, feeling dizzy as he swayed on his feet.

His heart raced erratically, nausea rising in his throat.

Clutching his chest, he staggered forward until he leaned against the nearest wall, bowing his head low.

“Huff… Huff…”

Morten gasped for air, trembling uncontrollably.

‘His Highness the Prince… my life’s work…’

All trampled underfoot by none other than Daniel Steiner.

“Aaagh…!”

He let out something between a scream and a groan, then broke into quiet sobs.

There was no denying it anymore.

‘I’m just…’

A pawn being toyed with in Daniel Steiner’s grand game.

—

After finishing dinner, Daniel decided against heading back to his quarters and instead made his way toward the monastery.

Morten’s rude behavior earlier had left him irritated on multiple levels.

Upon arriving at the monastery, Daniel immediately sought out the Monastery Head.

In the corridor-style courtyard, he spotted Hieroni, the Monastery Head, walking with a candlestick in hand. Daniel strode toward him briskly.

“Monastery Head!”

Hieroni jumped slightly and turned around.

Seeing Daniel, he tilted his head curiously.

“Daniel? Weren’t you supposed to go to Jack’s Restaurant?”

“I did, but that’s irrelevant right now.”

Hieroni blinked, taken aback by Daniel’s apparent irritation.

“Did something happen at the dining hall? Why do you look so upset?”

“It did. I met someone from the city council.”

“The city council?”

“Yes! And they were incredibly disrespectful. Did they treat you or the children here the same way?”

Power often stemmed from wealth, and Daniel knew all too well how reckless people could become when drunk on authority.

Had the city council been harassing the monastery under the guise of setting donation budgets? If so, Daniel wouldn’t forgive them easily.

That’s why he’d come to learn the full story from the Monastery Head.

However, Hieroni seemed genuinely puzzled since he hadn’t witnessed any such rudeness.

“There must be some misunderstanding. The city council members have always been polite and courteous. Moreover, despite their current difficulties, they’ve decided not to cut the donation budget this time.”

“…They’re not cutting the donation budget?”

If that was true, then what was the man talking about war back at Jack’s Restaurant referring to?

Before Daniel could process further, footsteps approached.

Turning instinctively, he saw the Vice Abbot rounding the corner of the courtyard.

“Vice Abbot.”

Daniel gave a slight nod, and the Vice Abbot chuckled softly.

“Daniel. When we heard you had a visitor, we thought something serious must’ve happened—but here you are. You should’ve let us know you were back.”

“Sorry. I needed to speak with the Monastery Head urgently… but tell me, who’s looking for me?”

The Vice Abbot nodded.

“Yes, someone insisted on seeing Captain Daniel Steiner even though we told them visiting the monastery at this hour isn’t allowed. They seemed adamant, so we let them in.”

“…Me?”

Whoever it was, they clearly weren’t taking no for an answer.

“Alright. Where are they?”

“In the chapel.”

With that, Daniel headed toward the chapel.

After navigating a few corridors, he entered the dimly lit space.

Through the stained glass windows, moonlight streamed in, casting serene shadows across the room.

In the center stood a man gazing up at the statue of God.

As Daniel approached, the man turned, sensing his presence.

Recognition flickered across Daniel’s face.

‘It’s that guy from Jack’s Restaurant.’

Aside from looking more haggard than before, it was definitely the same person.

‘But why is he here? Could he really be apologizing…?’

This was the same man who’d barged in uninvited, made veiled threats, and generally acted obnoxious.

Unable to shake off the lingering annoyance, Daniel finally spoke after a short pause.

“You have something to say.”

At the sound of Daniel’s voice, Morten flinched visibly.

Pacing nervously, clenching and unclenching his fists, Morten eventually walked up to Daniel.

Swallowing hard, Morten dropped to his knees dramatically.

‘Wait, this wasn’t necessary…’

Taken aback, Daniel hesitated before Morten began speaking.

“Captain Daniel Steiner, my complete and utter defeat lies before you.”

Confusion washed over Daniel.

“What exactly are you talking about?”

Ignoring Daniel’s question, Morten continued somberly.

“You’ve won. I’ve lost everything—including the strength to fight back. Do with me as you please, sir. But please… spare my family.”

Tears welled up in Morten’s eyes, spilling down his cheeks.

“Spare my innocent family. In return, I’ll quietly admit that I was secretly working under His Highness the Prince.”

Stunned, Daniel could only sweat nervously.

‘What is he saying?’

Finding this random confession utterly absurd, Daniel sighed deeply.

“I don’t understand a single word you’re saying.”

“But Captain Daniel Steiner—”

Interrupting Morten again, Daniel knelt down on one knee to meet his gaze.

“For the last time,” Daniel narrowed his eyes sharply.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Morten’s eyes twitched slightly as comprehension dawned.

‘He’s trying to hide his involvement with armed forces…’

Having a private military unit would cause trouble if exposed. Clearly, Daniel wanted to avoid drawing attention.

By denying everything, he was covering his tracks.

Chills ran down Morten’s spine.

Truly cunning yet ruthlessly calculating.

‘How many moves ahead is he thinking?’

Was dismantling the Prince’s secret organization, Dawn’s Light, merely part of Daniel Steiner’s larger plan?

The warning from earlier now rang ominously true: *Do not dare oppose Captain Daniel Steiner.*

Overwhelmed with fear, Morten placed his hands on the floor and bowed his head low.

“Understood. I will remember… Captain Daniel Steiner…”

Fully prostrating himself, Morten pressed his forehead to the ground, tears streaming endlessly.

“…knows nothing.”

Amidst his sobs, Morten realized once more:

This battle was unwinnable from the start.