Chapter 91

The Grand Assembly Hall of the Imperial Palace was bustling early in the morning.

This was due to Princess Selvia gathering key personnel from the Diplomatic Corps and the General Staff Headquarters to receive a report on the search operation.

Since Princess Selvia hadn’t entered the Grand Assembly Hall yet, they were chatting casually.

“Did you hear? There was a protest at Dawn Plaza yesterday.”

“Was it the one condemning the Allied Nations for attacking the diplomatic vessel carrying our war hero? I heard it was a large-scale protest.”

“While it might be biased, it’s true that the Allied Nations are suspicious…”

The diplomats fell silent mid-conversation.

Because the doors to the Grand Assembly Hall were opening.

“Her Highness the Princess is entering!”

Right after the Imperial Guard Soldier announced this, Selvia walked into the hall.

The crimson cape symbolizing her status as Heir to the Throne fluttered with every step she took.

Walking straight to her seat, Selvia sat down and moved her delicate lips.

“We shall begin the meeting. Please take your seats.”

With permission granted, the diplomats and staff officers started taking their seats one by one.

Once everyone was seated, Selvia turned her gaze toward Yobenf, the Foreign Minister.

“Let’s start with the Diplomatic Corps’ report.”

Yobenf nodded.

“Your Majesty, starting with the latest news – we received a telegram stating that the Belanos government has identified the person who allowed terrorists access to their territorial waters.”

“They found them?”

“Yes. According to the report, Colonel Edvol, the commander of the 12th Zone Defense Force of the Belanos Navy, was responsible. They claim he accepted bribes from the Allied Nations… though there’s an awkward point…”

Pausing briefly, Yobenf continued.

“There’s no evidence of him accepting bribes from the Allied Nations. There’s no communication record or financial trail, so currently, it’s impossible to track.”

“A carefully planned crime. What’s the Allied Nations’ response?”

“They maintained silence initially but recently, the King of Edria, one of the Permanent Council Members, expressed regret during an official address, condemning the terrorist attack on civilian ships.”

Selvia narrowed her eyes slightly after hearing the report.

‘The King of Edria is nothing more than Count Kaledra’s puppet.’

So, Kaledra must’ve used the king’s mouth to say what he wanted.

‘Expressing regret?’

It looked like cutting off the tail and wagging it around.

Despite being infuriated by the Allied Nations’ disgusting behavior, Selvia couldn’t officially criticize them without proper evidence.

“Any leads on the submarine? Have you found its whereabouts?”

Though she asked with a glimmer of hope, Yobenf only shook his head.

“Our Intelligence Department is doing their best, but the submarine’s location remains unknown. Moreover, since it didn’t depart from Allied Nations’ ports, tracking it is difficult. It seems they’ve cut off all communications to avoid detection.”

Their meticulous planning made Selvia’s head throb.

Taking a short sigh, Selvia reluctantly accepted there wasn’t much else she could do.

“Continue investigating until we find any clues. Next…”

Turning to Cedric, who had attended instead of the Chief of Staff, Selvia continued.

“I’d like to hear the report from the General Staff Headquarters.”

She was asking if Daniel had been found.

Cedric bowed slightly before speaking.

“According to reports, a man resembling Colonel Daniel Steiner was spotted.”

“Really?”

“Yes. However, the man denied being Daniel Steiner. Opinions vary about the reasons…”

The sharp-eyed gaze flickered.

“If we assume the man is indeed Daniel Steiner, it seems he doesn’t trust junior officers. He probably calculated the probability of spies or enemies disguised as Imperial Army soldiers among them.”

“Indeed…”

Being alone in a foreign land, it’s understandable that he’d become overly suspicious.

Feeling pity for Daniel, Selvia let out a sorrowful sigh.

Watching Selvia, Cedric spoke up.

“If he doesn’t trust junior officers, sending someone whose identity is confirmed would be appropriate. Fortunately, Major Heinrich Schmidt, who commands the Magic Mobile Army, is currently conducting search operations in Belanos. Let’s send him; they know each other, so they’ll recognize one another.”

It was a good suggestion, so Selvia nodded.

“Do that. By the way, what did you mean earlier when you said opinions varied regarding Daniel Steiner hiding his identity?”

“Ah, it’s a low-probability scenario, but some within the General Staff Headquarters suggested that Daniel Steiner might be suffering from amnesia due to the accident’s aftermath.”

“Amnesia?”

Staring blankly for a moment, Selvia chuckled wryly.

‘If he had amnesia, he wouldn’t have changed clothes immediately after the shipwreck and hidden his uniform.’

That wasn’t something someone who didn’t know who they were would do.

‘But what if, by some slim chance, he really does have amnesia…’

Thinking of the worst-case scenario, Selvia bit her lip softly.

‘There’s no choice. I’ll have to personally care for him for the rest of my life…’

There’s also the justification of honoring the War Hero, so it’s not entirely impossible.

Clearing her throat, Selvia smiled playfully at Cedric.

“Just in case, pass along my words directly to Daniel Steiner from now on.”

*

Meanwhile, Daniel was preparing for his final moments in the inn room.

He had accepted that he couldn’t escape from the forces leading the search fleet.

‘By now, every entrance must be sealed, with identity checks ongoing…’

Effectively, there was no escape route left.

‘Shouldn’t I at least try?’

A faint ray of optimism surfaced but was quickly squashed by Daniel’s rationality.

If caught while trying to escape, he’d be labeled a traitor to the Empire without any explanation.

And the punishment for betrayal was execution.

Unless the encirclement was extremely loose, breaking through a naval fleet’s blockade was insane. Daniel couldn’t risk his life on such a gamble.

Sighing deeply as he contemplated his grim fate, someone knocked on the door.

“…Who is it?”

Before getting permission, the door swung wide open.

Daniel flinched in surprise.

Standing in the doorway was Major Heinrich Schmidt, the commander of the Magic Mobile Army.

One of the standout figures in the Nordia invasion operation.

While Daniel proposed the strategy, Heinrich executed it.

‘Wait… did they send the elite Magic Mobile Army for a search operation?’

The absurdity left Daniel speechless, unable even to laugh.

Still frozen in shock, Heinrich stepped inside.

“Daniel Steiner. Seeing your face confirms it’s you. Why did you lie to the officer who came yesterday?”

Daniel didn’t answer.

Rather, he was frantically searching for an excuse.

Perplexed by this, Heinrich furrowed one eyebrow.

“Could it be that you really have amnesia? Some within us speculated that possibility, though I don’t believe it myself…”

Hearing “amnesia,” Daniel’s hope rekindled.

‘This could be an opportunity.’

The position of Operations Staff within the General Staff Headquarters required top-notch capabilities.

Thus, it was unlikely they’d keep an officer suffering from amnesia.

‘Certainly, I’d likely be stripped of my position.’

And it wouldn’t end there.

Given the empire’s tendency not to employ incompetent individuals, there was a chance of receiving an unsuitability judgment and being discharged.

‘Alright.’

At that moment, Daniel decided to pretend he had amnesia.

“Daniel Steiner. Even if you do have amnesia, don’t worry. Her Highness the Princess firmly stated that war heroes deserve proper treatment. She specifically ordered that if you have amnesia, you should be brought directly to the Imperial Palace.”

What did that mean? Daniel stared in confusion as Heinrich smiled.

“Her Highness declared that she intends to keep you ‘forever’ by her side. Quite an honor, isn’t it?”

Startled, Daniel’s eyes widened as he inwardly screamed.

‘This can’t happen…!’

Determined to prevent this at all costs, Daniel feigned calmness and let out a low chuckle.

“It seems the time has come to reveal my true identity.”

Taking a deep breath unnoticed, Daniel faced Heinrich and clearly stated:

“A member of the General Staff Headquarters’ Operations Staff, currently serving under Her Highness’s orders as a diplomatic envoy in Belanos, Colonel Daniel Steiner, respectfully greets you.”

After secretly taking a deep breath, Daniel gave Heinrich a sharp salute with a piercing gaze.

Seeing this, Heinrich admired Daniel internally and returned the salute.

“As expected. So, it’s true that you’ve been covertly operating here while hiding your identity. Would you share with me what plans you’ve been making for the Empire?”

There were no plans for the Empire.

In fact, quite the opposite.

He was just gathering money to escape the Empire.

However, telling the truth could lead to execution.

After a brief moment of thought, Daniel slowly approached.

“Though I wish I could tell you…”

Walking toward the window, Daniel gazed at the distant sea.

“The information I gathered here isn’t something easily disclosed.”

Meaning it was classified information at the very least.

In other words, despite being stranded after the shipwreck, Daniel Steiner managed to collect such intelligence.

‘An ordinary person would struggle just to protect themselves in that situation…’

Looking at Daniel’s back, Heinrich unknowingly felt a sense of awe.

‘Underestimating someone young is a mistake. Truly, a genius strategist.’

Honestly, Heinrich couldn’t help but feel admiration.