Chapter 75

Permanent Council Member Edria of the United Nations.

Count Kaledra’s Office.

“Hmm…”

Seated in front of the desk, Count Kaledra furrowed his brow as he read through the contents written in the report.

In front of Kaledra stood Deputy Director Beck of the Central Intelligence Agency, maintaining an unmoving posture amidst the tension.

There was no telling what kind of reaction Kaledra would have after reading the report.

The ticking sound from the wall clock echoed loudly in the silence.

After carefully reviewing the report, Kaledra closed his eyes and spoke.

“Deputy Director. Is everything written in this report true?”

The chilling voice sent shivers down one’s spine.

Taking a deep breath, Beck replied in as calm a tone as possible.

“It’s a document that has been verified. I judge there to be no falsehoods.”

Upon hearing Beck’s words, Kaledra gritted his teeth and let out a low groan.

The situation wasn’t developing favorably.

The report detailed the changes within the Empire following Captain Daniel Steiner’s Total War Speech.

Naturally, all metrics of the Empire, including its military industry, were showing positive increases.

While Kaledra had anticipated this when he first heard about Daniel’s speech, seeing the quantified data made his head ache.

‘This guy… I underestimated him.’

When news came of the perfect execution of the Nordia invasion and Daniel forcing the surrender of Eldreshia Kingdom’s Foreign Minister during negotiations, Kaledra had merely thought it was a brilliant staff officer emerging within the Empire.

However, with Daniel putting an end to the power struggle beneath the surface and successfully delivering the Total War Speech, Kaledra began to feel a certain dread.

“…Daniel Steiner is planning to take control of the Empire.”

From Kaledra’s perspective, it seemed like Daniel was conducting preliminary work to bring the Empire under his control and manipulate it at will.

Thinking about it, he even felt a sense of kinship.

It was similar to the steps Kaledra himself had taken to seize control of Edria.

“But…”

Unlike Kaledra, Daniel had risen to prominence without any backing or resources, achieving his current standing solely through his own efforts.

That was practically impossible without transcending human limits in terms of willpower and insight.

“This is dangerous.”

Kaledra couldn’t afford to ignore Daniel growing any further.

“The moment Daniel becomes the sole dominant figure in the Empire…”

It was clear that he would become an even more formidable adversary than the Emperor.

Having reached his conclusions, Kaledra slowly opened his eyes.

“Deputy Director. From now on, elevate Daniel Steiner’s risk level by one grade within the core leadership.”

“Are you suggesting we designate him as a head-of-state level dangerous person?”

“Is there any objection?”

Beck hesitated briefly before speaking.

“While Daniel has accumulated many merits and caused political ripples with this Total War Speech, isn’t it excessive to be overly cautious about a mere colonel…?”

Beck stopped mid-sentence.

Kaledra was glaring at him with a cold expression.

It was an unspoken pressure not to raise objections.

Realizing he had crossed a line, Beck quickly bowed his head.

“I’ll ensure your message reaches both the Central Intelligence Agency and relevant government departments.”

Kaledra, who had been staring intently at Beck with narrowed eyes, suppressed his anger and quietly spoke.

“…Also, convey this to Lucy, our mole embedded as Daniel Steiner’s aide.”

Beck, who had been nervously sweating, cautiously raised his head.

“What exactly should I tell her?”

Instead of answering immediately, Kaledra leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk.

Like a fish caught in a net being slowly reeled in, Kaledra interlaced his fingers and began to speak.

“The time for decisive action has come.”

*

Late evening.

Stepping outside the General Staff Headquarters after office hours, Daniel enjoyed the refreshing breeze.

Having spent the entire day indoors to avoid meeting people, stepping outside gave him an inexplicable sense of liberation.

“Feels good, huh.”

As Daniel smiled contentedly, Lucy, who had been walking beside him, exhaled audibly.

Her breath formed a faint mist before dissipating.

“Isn’t it a bit chilly rather than refreshing?”

“Hearing you say that makes me feel it too. Winter must be coming.”

“Winter…”

Lucy glanced at the trees around the headquarters with her red eyes and nodded reluctantly.

Most of the leaves had fallen, leaving the branches bare.

“You’re right, winter is coming.”

She remembered joining Captain Daniel Steiner’s staff before spring passed.

Before she knew it, they had experienced two seasons together.

Just as she was thinking how quickly time had passed, Daniel casually mentioned:

“There are always desserts unique to winter. Speaking of which, I heard the Golden Rose Bakery is selling Stollen as a Christmas special.”

“Stollen?”

Lucy blinked curiously, wondering what kind of dessert it was.

Seeing this, Daniel decided to broaden Lucy’s dessert knowledge and put on an air of superiority.

“A sweet bread covered in sugar. The sugary exterior resembles a snowfield, enhancing its charm…”

Suddenly realizing something, Daniel trailed off.

He noticed Lucy’s eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

After a brief moment of consideration, Daniel cleared his throat and said:

“If you have time during Christmas, we could go together. If you’d like.”

“I wouldn’t refuse if you’re inviting me, Colonel.”

Hearing Lucy’s indifferent response, Daniel was momentarily dumbfounded.

‘After staring so intently wanting to eat Stollen…’

Though tempted to tease her further, he decided against it.

“Considering the recent special promotion.”

Daniel had previously recommended Lucy’s competence to Sedric, the Deputy of Operations Staff, leading to her special promotion review.

She had definitely been upset then, and teasing her again might increase her assassination tendencies.

Checking his wristwatch and turning to Lucy:

“Anyway, it’s getting late. You should head home first.”

“Colonel, aren’t you going?”

“As you know, I’m quite popular.”

Daniel pointed to the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters.

Several people holding placards saying “War Hero Daniel Steiner!” were still waiting despite the late hour.

Daniel wanted to spare Lucy from getting involved with them.

Understanding this, Lucy hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Understood. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

With a salute to Daniel, Lucy walked away with her briefcase.

As she passed the entrance, the crowd didn’t approach her much.

Partly because she wasn’t as famous as Daniel, but mostly due to her naturally cold aura that kept people at bay.

Thanks to this, Lucy smoothly exited the headquarters and headed toward a nearby bakery.

She planned to buy some croissants or baguettes before returning to her quarters.

‘Or maybe…’

Today, she felt like trying something new.

Lost in thought, Lucy entered the main street and saw a jester attracting customers.

“Gentlemen and ladies! Come experience a new world this afternoon at 10 PM at Baranpalt Theater! Seeking inner reflection? Or an unprecedented fantasy? We promise to exceed your wildest imagination!”

The jester, with makeup on his face, was enthusiastically handing out flyers while smiling.

Seeing a few interested people gathering, Lucy shook her head.

She personally disliked such flashy customer attraction methods.

As she was about to walk past, the jester approached her and handed her a flyer.

“Hey there, pretty officer lady! Come brighten up our audience! And with a military discount, it’s quite affordable!”

“I appreciate the offer, but…”

As Lucy was about to decline, she unconsciously looked down at the flyer and paused.

She noticed a subtly protruding part in the top right corner of the flyer.

“Encrypted braille…”

This was one method the Allied Nations used to deliver orders to spies infiltrated in enemy countries.

“Come on, you’ll definitely enjoy it!”

The jester lowered his voice and pushed the flyer closer.

After nodding, Lucy took the flyer, causing the jester to laugh heartily and move on.

Confirming that the jester had drawn attention, Lucy placed her hand on the braille of the flyer.

Slowly, she began to read the order from the Allied Nations.

“Promote Daniel Steiner’s classification to head-of-state level threat. Therefore, before he causes further harm to the Allied Nations…”

Lucy’s eyes wavered uneasily as she finished reading the order.

Quietly swallowing, she examined the order once more with trembling fingertips.

But nothing had changed.

Standing frozen in place, Lucy finally read the last sentence of the order after a brief silence.

“…Eliminate Daniel Steiner immediately.”

No matter how many times she read it, the order remained unchanged.