Ten days later, western Empire.
Port city of Lost Bellemont.
“Is the ship ready?”
At Hantal’s question, the leader of the Secret Society Black Crow, a man with his robe pulled tightly over him, nodded.
“Yes. I’ve finished talking with the captain of the trade vessel. Since the customs check isn’t too strict, if we prepare the bribe for the bureaucrat well, he said we can smuggle about thirty people aboard under fake identities.”
“Thirty, huh. Fewer than expected, so let’s take only the elites.”
“Understood.”
The man replied without a word and turned his head to look at the coast.
It was such a clear day that the warm sunlight was brightly illuminating the entire sea.
As he admired the various ships anchored on the sea, the man spoke.
“I wonder if Colonel Daniel is nearing Belanos by now.”
Shaking his head at the man’s question, Hantal replied,
“He set out last night, so he should be entering Belanos waters about now. Considering how close it is from Lost Bellemont to Belanos, he should arrive soon.”
“I see. But I hope nothing happens until he gets there?”
Hantal remained silent this time, unable to give a definite answer.
‘Something feels off…’
When Hantal heard that Colonel Daniel Steiner was being dispatched as an ambassador to Belanos, he had come here several days ago to keep watch.
He was worried that there might be groups trying to assassinate Daniel, who was operating outside the system.
Thankfully, there were no signs of any assassination attempts against Daniel here, but when Hantal confirmed the ship Daniel was supposed to board, he was enveloped in an inexplicable sense of unease.
‘There was definitely no escort ship.’
Even though Belanos wasn’t far away, it was still unusual not to have an escort ship for a diplomatic vessel carrying the Empire’s hero. It felt too sloppy.
‘It’s like they’re inviting an attack…’
Shaking his head as he continued his thoughts, Hantal knew it was probably just an overreaction.
Still, the uneasy feeling in his heart wouldn’t go away.
‘If only I could guard Colonel Daniel personally…’
Diplomatic vessels were structured so that only government officials or those invited by the government could board.
If he’d had more time to prepare, he could’ve disguised himself and gotten on, but since he only learned a few days ago that Daniel was appointed as an ambassador, Hantal had no choice but to stay behind.
‘At least…’
It was fortunate that he managed to strike a deal with the captain of a trading ship heading to Belanos at the last minute.
Since the trading ship would set sail today, they’d be able to catch up with Daniel Steiner relatively quickly.
Then, just like they did in the southern Empire, all they had to do was protect Daniel Steiner.
‘So please…’
Hantal hoped nothing would happen on the diplomatic vessel Daniel was on.
Meanwhile, Daniel stood on the deck, gripping the railing and savoring the ocean breeze.
Feeling the refreshing salty wind brush past his face made him smile involuntarily.
He felt so good that he wanted to wave at the dolphins swimming alongside the ship.
‘Good weather. Good wind. No aide-de-camp. Everything is perfect today.’
Just not having an aide-de-camp trying to kill him brought immense psychological relief.
Not to mention, there was no Princess Selvia with unclear intentions, nor Emperor keeping tabs on Daniel.
There weren’t even the noisy nobles or perpetually dissatisfied politicians around.
For Daniel, it was nothing short of paradise on earth, a veritable heaven.
‘I don’t know how long I’ll be staying in Belanos, but I’ll enjoy this peace while I’m here.’
Though sent as an ambassador, diplomatic duties usually didn’t start on the day of arrival.
After formal greetings, the Belanos government typically gave one or two days to rest, providing ample time for sightseeing.
‘First things first, let’s visit that famous dessert shop, right? I hear Belanos is famous for their trifles.’
A trifle, made by layering custard and fruit and finishing it off with cream, was one of the desserts Daniel personally wanted to try.
‘There are places in the Empire that imitate trifles, but the taste of the homeland must be different.’
Salivating as he admired the sea view, Daniel suddenly paused.
He noticed something rising near the surface some distance away from the ship.
At first, he thought it was a whale, but whales don’t move so statically.
Thinking it strange, Daniel carefully observed the shadow beneath the water and broke into a cold sweat.
‘Could it be…?’
The thought that it might be an enemy submarine crossed his mind.
‘If my guess isn’t paranoia…’
A submarine hovering near the surface was likely preparing to fire torpedoes, given the technological limitations of the era that required them to surface to attack enemy ships.
‘But…’
To attack a diplomatic vessel headed to a neutral nation? It didn’t make sense, and Daniel froze in confusion before letting go of the railing and swiftly changing course.
If it really was a submarine, he had to inform the captain.
While rushing toward the captain’s quarters, Daniel suddenly heard a dull ‘boom.’
The ship rocked violently, causing Daniel to lose his balance.
His suspicion became certainty as alarms began blaring inside the ship.
WEEEEENG—
As the emergency sirens went off, passengers admiring the sea on the deck panicked and screamed.
Some were so terrified they didn’t know what to do.
Daniel swallowed hard and approached them.
“We’re under attack! Nevertheless, please try to stay calm! Ladies and children, hold onto the railings tightly and endure as much as possible. Gentlemen, follow me to the life jackets and lifeboats…”
Before he could finish his sentence, another torpedo struck the ship.
KWAANG!
An ear-splitting explosion erupted, sending flames soaring high.
The ship shook violently, causing Daniel to lose his footing and fall backward.
In the blink of an eye, Daniel was flung over the railing.
‘Aaah…’
All Daniel could see as he fell into the sea was the ship tilting slowly amidst the flames.
The next moment…
Splash!
Daniel’s body was swept away by the ocean current.
*
Hours later.
On a desolate beach, waves gently crashed onto the shore.
Lying at the boundary between the tides and the sandy ground, Daniel slowly opened his eyes.
Regaining consciousness, Daniel expelled seawater from his mouth before even regaining full vision.
Struggling to raise his upper body with one arm, Daniel bowed his head toward the sand and repeatedly coughed and gagged.
After vomiting everything in his stomach for a few minutes, Daniel blankly looked around.
Except for mechanical fragments and metal scraps washed ashore by the tides, there was no one else.
Clutching his throbbing head, Daniel raised his head this time to look further.
An abandoned fishing boat and a shack came into view.
Expanding his vision further, he could see buildings clustered together like tiny thumbnails in the distance.
“…Guess it’s not a deserted island.”
It seemed like the waves had carried him to Belanos.
Relieved by that fact, Daniel suddenly clenched his fists.
“You crazy bastards… attacking a diplomatic vessel just to get me?”
Judging by Daniel’s thoughts, the mastermind behind this was undoubtedly Count Kaledra.
He was infamous for not caring about means or methods to achieve his goals.
Considering Lucy’s recent assassination attempt, it wasn’t hard to deduce that Count Kaledra was responsible for this incident as well.
Biting his teeth in rage, Daniel rose to his feet with effort.
“I’ll make you regret not killing me. There won’t be a second chance for you.”
Narrowing his sharp eyes, Daniel raised his hand to sweep his hair back.
After shedding his soaked officer’s coat, Daniel trudged forward.
Since he knew he was in Belanos, his goal and direction were clear.
“At the nearby city hall, I’ll reveal myself as an ambassador and borrow their communication lines. The Empire must not yet know I’m alive, so I need to inform them directly. That way, requesting support will be easier…”
Frowning, Daniel’s expression faltered.
“…The Empire doesn’t know I’m alive?”
Logically speaking, it wouldn’t be easy to assume there were survivors after a ship sunk by two torpedoes.
Realizing this, Daniel stopped his trek across the sand.
Standing still, Daniel’s face momentarily went blank.
SHHHHH—
Amidst the soothing sound of the waves on the white sandy beach, Daniel felt his heart beat with a small epiphany.
“Hold on. Could this be…”
Did I successfully escape the Empire?
