After revealing his identity, Daniel was escorted with great care by the Magical Mobile Unit towards the embassy.
Now that his personal safety was secured, it was as if an unspoken pressure to return to his original mission had been applied.
Daniel entered the embassy like one would enter a prison, reluctantly preparing for talks with the Prime Minister of Belanos.
During this time, with the help of the deputy ambassador and the Foreign Ministry inside the embassy, he was drafting a proposal to present to the Belanos side.
Knock knock—
The sound of knocking interrupted the quiet office, stopping the flipping of documents.
Daniel looked around.
“…Deputy Ambassador, I don’t remember clearly, but were we expecting any visitors at this hour?”
The bespectacled deputy ambassador shook his head in confusion.
“I haven’t heard of anyone.”
“Then who…”
Just as Daniel began to speculate, the knocking came again.
“Colonel Daniel? It’s me!”
Recognizing the voice, it was Colonel Hartmann, Chief of the Imperial Guard.
Relieved, Daniel spoke towards the door.
“Come in.”
Upon receiving permission, Hartmann entered the office, carrying a crimson scroll in his hand.
Seeing it, Daniel broke out into a cold sweat and stood up.
‘A royal decree…!’
It was a scroll bearing the Emperor’s orders. Having seen one before when receiving a medal through Hartmann, Daniel knew exactly what it was.
Standing up, Daniel prompted the embassy diplomats and the deputy ambassador to rise as well.
“Hmm…”
Seeing their reaction, Hartmann scratched his cheek.
“I didn’t mean to cause a commotion. Should’ve notified you beforehand, huh?”
“No, not at all. If it is His Majesty the Emperor’s command, there’s no need to consider my convenience as just a staff officer.”
On the surface, he was the epitome of a model soldier.
Hartmann nodded after gazing steadily at Daniel.
“Then let’s get straight to the point. I’ll deliver His Majesty’s orders.”
With that, Daniel walked over to Hartmann and knelt on one knee. The others followed suit, bowing respectfully, allowing Hartmann to untie the golden string holding the scroll closed.
Clearing his throat, Hartmann unfurled the scroll and began.
“Daniel Steiner, listen well! It has come to my ears that after your ship sank, you miraculously survived and regained consciousness on one of Belanos’ coastlines. Then why did you fail to report this fact to the illustrious Royal Family in due time?”
Something felt off.
While Daniel grew anxious, Hartmann continued.
“Fearing enemies within Belanos, you concealed your identity. However, such an excuse is absurd to my ears. How could someone fearing enemies manage to covertly gather classified information in Belanos? You must realize your actions are riddled with contradictions.”
Indeed, they were watching him closely.
Daniel grimaced, sensing the situation was turning serious.
“Therefore, His Majesty initially intended to hold you accountable and order your immediate repatriation, but my daughter, currently acting as regent, desperately pleaded on your behalf, changing His mind.”
Selvia? That was unexpected.
“Daniel Steiner, if the intelligence you’ve gathered proves truly valuable, I believe you’ll achieve good results in these diplomatic negotiations. In which case, based on the Empire’s principle of strict rewards and punishments, instead of punishment, I shall bestow upon you a reward.”
In short, it was a veiled threat against engaging in personal deals with the Prime Minister of Belanos, urging him to contribute to the Empire instead.
Since Daniel hadn’t planned on making private deals anyway, it wasn’t an unfavorable condition.
‘The problem is…’
If he fails to deliver results.
Reflecting on the Emperor’s nature, he displayed a political attitude of relentless caution against anyone who might become a rival to himself or his daughter in the future.
‘I’m sure I’ll be a thorn in his side.’
Accumulating far too much merit for a mere officer, unintentionally threatening imperial authority.
Thus, should he fail, it would surely provide an excuse for constant harassment.
‘Am I really going to take that lying down?’
There’s a limit to how much suspicion and probing one can endure.
‘Remember last time, when they suspected me of running a nonexistent secret organization…’
Deciding it had gone too far, Daniel made up his mind.
He must successfully conclude these diplomatic negotiations to avoid giving them ammunition to use against him.
“…I understand.”
Given the many eyes watching, Daniel bowed deeply.
“I will ensure nothing dishonors His Majesty’s prestige.”
Satisfied, Hartmann closed the scroll.
“I’ll relay that to His Majesty. I trust you’ll give your utmost effort.”
“Yes, I shall proceed diligently.”
With that response, Hartmann turned to leave.
Watching Hartmann depart, Daniel slowly rose from his kneeling position.
The deputy ambassador also stood, brushing dust off his knees.
“It seems His Majesty is upset. Still, it’s fortunate He considered extenuating circumstances…”
Pausing mid-joke, the deputy ambassador noticed something unusual in Daniel’s gaze as he watched Hartmann leave.
This caused the deputy ambassador to fall silent until Daniel finally averted his eyes.
“Deputy Ambassador, we need to make significant revisions to the proposal.”
“Huh? This feels like the most appropriate version… should we lower our demands?”
“No, raise them.”
At this suggestion, the deputy ambassador hesitated, unsure if Belanos would accept higher demands.
After a moment’s hesitation, he voiced his concern.
“Are you sure this is wise?”
“It must be done. Everything depends on…”
Taking a deep breath, Daniel narrowed his sharp eyes.
“I’ll take responsibility.”
*
On the day of the meeting, in the reception room of the Prime Minister’s residence.
‘Here stands the Prime Minister.’
Tightening his tie nervously outside the door, Daniel gripped the briefcase tightly.
‘According to intelligence, I know who the Prime Minister is.’
From diplomatic records, while politically inexperienced, the Prime Minister was described as having a gentle and warm disposition.
Especially known for being kind to children, enjoying high public trust, implying he’d want to be a good father to his daughter.
Which gave Daniel leverage.
‘I know about the Prime Minister’s illegitimate child.’
Even so, Daniel didn’t want to resort to blackmail using this knowledge.
‘But…’
His main concern wasn’t the Prime Minister but the Emperor of the Empire.
Failing in this negotiation would put Daniel in a difficult position.
The Emperor would surely find various reasons to tighten the leash on Daniel should the talks fail.
Thus, Daniel needed to ensure success, even if it required becoming somewhat ruthless.
‘Sorry, but this is the only way for me to survive.’
Apologizing inwardly to the Prime Minister, Daniel took a deep breath and opened the door.
Inside sat Lowell, the Prime Minister of Belanos, sipping whiskey casually on a sofa.
Beside him stood formally dressed bodyguards with holstered pistols, standing at ease.
‘To arrive early and sip whiskey…’
It seemed he wanted to project an air of confidence.
Perhaps a tactic to gain advantage in conversation, but to Daniel, it just looked like someone putting on airs out of fear.
Still maintaining his composure, Daniel approached as Lowell set down his glass and stood.
“Ah, glad to see you, Colonel Daniel Steiner. Heard you’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
“Indeed, the terrorists caused quite a commotion.”
They exchanged natural smiles while shaking hands, though neither was genuinely smiling.
“Our failure to properly guard our territorial waters is our clear mistake. Allow me to apologize in advance. We intend to offer some favorable proposals to the Empire regarding this matter…”
“That’s fine, but allow us to present our proposal first. It might help narrow down our differences more effectively.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
As they finished shaking hands, Daniel added:
“Oh, before we dive into formal negotiations, may I share a story with you, Prime Minister?”
“A story? What kind?”
“While stranded, I met a truly charming young lady.”
At the mention of “young lady,” Lowell’s expression faltered slightly but quickly recovered.
“This sounds like a personal matter between us. Perhaps it’s best to dismiss the others.”
“Certainly.”
Lowell nodded to his guards, who bowed and exited the room orderly.
Once alone, Lowell exhaled sharply and glared at Daniel.
“Look here. I know what you’re trying to do, but this is purely a trade negotiation between the Empire and Belanos. Let’s keep personal matters out of this official setting. Understand?”
Daniel simply smiled without answering, creating an unsettling silence.
Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
The longer the silence dragged on, the more restless Lowell became, eventually deciding to back down.
“Alright. Let’s handle the matter concerning my daughter after the negotiations conclude. That way, we can focus on finding common ground now, right?”
Daniel kept smiling.
So the initial calm demeanor was just a facade.
With the upper hand now clear, there was no reason to hesitate.
“It seems, Prime Minister, you misunderstand. This concerns the child of someone responsible for an entire nation. International relations must be considered.”
“Daniel Steiner!”
Unable to contain himself, Lowell shouted, losing his composure.
“Just because you’re a war hero doesn’t mean you’re anything special! You’re merely a staff officer and a diplomat! And I am the Prime Minister of Belanos! Do you think this is a place where you can act arrogantly?!”
Though meant to intimidate Daniel, he picked the wrong opponent.
Daniel chuckled quietly, suppressing laughter.
“You seem to have a misconception. A diplomat isn’t a position that can be dismissed with the word ‘mere.’ A diplomat represents the Empire when meeting foreign leaders.”
Regaining his seriousness, Daniel stared directly at Lowell.
An oppressive silence fell between them.
Under Daniel’s gaze, Lowell’s eyes wavered.
“So, at least in this setting…”
After staring down Lowell for a moment, Daniel declared solemnly.
“I am the Empire.”
