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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Daniel Steiner, (Semi-Forcibly) Enters the Fray!
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Immediately after apprehending Morten's subordinates who had been operating in the commercial district's basement.
Daniel informed the General Staff Headquarters of his intention to cut short his leave and return to the capital.
Respecting Daniel's wishes, the General Staff Headquarters arranged for a return train. Two days later, Daniel was ready to leave his hometown.
"Daniel? Didn't you say you'd be staying here for a month?"
At the entrance of the monastery, Abbot Hieronymus gazed worriedly at Daniel, who had come to bid farewell.
It pained him to see Daniel return to the capital without having properly enjoyed his vacation.
Daniel, too, wished he could relax in his hometown, but having apprehended a seditionist, he had no choice but to hasten his return.
'The Prince's faction must be seeing me as a key figure of the Princess's faction by now…'
Even if it wasn't his intention, the circumstances of him leading the apprehension of Morten's subordinates were enough to cause misunderstanding among the Prince's faction.
To continue leisurely enjoying his leave while being misunderstood would be akin to advertising, 'Please, come kill me.'
"I apologize. Something came up in the capital."
Of course, there was no need to tell the Abbot, who was like a mentor to him, the full truth.
Daniel smiled as if it were nothing, then pulled an envelope of money from inside his coat and offered it.
"More importantly, please accept this. I added a small bonus to my salary."
Hieronymus's eyes widened at the thickness of the envelope.
"Daniel! Your visit to the monastery during your leave is already a blessing from God, but this much money! I absolutely cannot accept it! Please, use it for yourself."
"Abbot. Donating this money to the monastery *is* using it for myself."
Daniel urged him in a gentle tone, but Hieronymus firmly refused.
"The monastery can feed the children well enough without your help, so please, use this for yourself. I don't wish to take money from you when you're already going through so much."
"Is that so? Then this money is unnecessary, and I shall burn it."
"Daniel. If you play such an absurd prank…"
Hieronymus's voice trailed off.
With an unconcerned gesture, Daniel pulled a lighter from inside his officer's coat and flicked a flame.
A faint smile played on Daniel's lips as he held the money envelope over the flame.
"Abbot. You know very well that I am a man of my word. If you don't take this envelope right now, I will burn it."
Hieronymus gulped.
Just as he wondered if Daniel would truly burn that much money, Daniel's hand began to lower further.
As soon as the edge of the envelope began to char, Hieronymus gasped and reached out.
Hieronymus snatched the envelope quickly, crying out in surprise.
"Daniel! Are you trying to trample on the hearts of the people who gave you this money?!"
"I was, but since you've taken it, Abbot, such a thing won't happen."
"What do you mean… Ah."
Only then did Hieronymus realize Daniel had tricked him, and a blank expression settled on his face.
Seeing Hieronymus's expression, Daniel chuckled softly.
Hieronymus, brought back to reality by Daniel's laughter, furrowed his brow.
"…Daniel. Do you find such a wicked prank amusing?"
"I apologize, but I had no other choice. If I hadn't played such a mischievous trick, you wouldn't have accepted the money, Abbot."
"Honestly. You really haven't changed, from then to now…"
Hieronymus sighed softly and nodded, as if resigned.
"Alright. If this truly comes from your heart, I will use it for the children."
"That is what I hoped for. Then, I shall take my leave now."
"Already? I was hoping you'd come inside for a cup of tea, at least…"
"I'd love to, but my train is leaving soon. And as you can see behind me, the taxi driver is waiting."
Following Daniel's gaze, Hieronymus saw an East Asian man in overalls leaning against a vehicle.
The East Asian man, whose eyes met Hieronymus's, lowered the fedora he was wearing and gave a polite bow.
Seeing this, Hieronymus spoke with a hint of bewilderment.
"An East Asian driver, I see. But I haven't seen his face around town before…"
Had he recently taken a job here? Hieronymus blinked, puzzled, then nodded.
"In any case, since time is short, I shouldn't keep you any longer. Daniel. We will be praying for you here, so come back anytime if things get difficult."
"Yes. I will."
Daniel smiled, offered his farewell, and turned away.
Immediately afterward, the smile vanished from Daniel's face.
Slowly, Daniel walked to the taxi, got into the back seat, and looked toward the driver.
"Please take me to the nearest train station."
Hearing the taxi driver's affirmative reply, Daniel leaned back against the seat.
In his mind, events unfolding in the capital were beginning to surface.
'The one from the Prince's faction who will most keenly react to Morten's capture will be Duke Belvar.'
Duke Belvar was not only the head of an ancient imperial family but also the Minister of the Imperial Court.
Duke Belvar, who valued the legitimacy of the imperial family, firmly maintained that His Imperial Highness the Prince was the suitable candidate for the next emperor.
If Morten, who secretly worked for the Prince in the shadows, was the Prince's left arm, then Duke Belvar, who openly supported the Prince, could be called his right arm.
He was a figure who stood in opposition to the Princess even when the Prince's defeat was certain, all to uphold that damnable legitimacy. It was clear how stubborn he was.
Therefore, Daniel initially disclosed the news of the sedition documents found during the apprehension of Morten and his remaining followers only to the Princess and her closest confidants.
This was to mislead Duke Belvar into thinking that Morten had destroyed all relevant documents and kept silent before his capture.
It was a form of buying time.
'Furthermore, leaking this information to the media should be kept as a last resort.'
Carelessly scattering information would be akin to losing a valuable bargaining chip.
Moreover, if the public disclosure of information were to turn into a war of public opinion, it could inadvertently solidify the enemies' unity.
'So, I need to use this information selectively to cause internal division…'
Only then would he be able to survive this chaotic and violent succession struggle.
As Daniel pondered in the moving taxi, he suddenly let out a low sigh.
Untying the tie that was constricting his neck, Daniel gazed out the window, his face clouded with worry.
'How did things come to this…?'
He had intended to leisurely play with the monastery children in his hometown, dine at Jack's restaurant, and perhaps enjoy a stroll.
But before he knew it, he was semi-forcibly aligned with the Princess's faction, now strategizing how to survive.
'Just what damn fools disbanded the Prince's secret organization and then dumped all the responsibility on me?'
As Daniel, unable to comprehend the situation, narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, the taxi driver, observing Daniel through the rearview mirror, offered a subtle smile.
'Judging by his ecstatic expression, it seems he likes our gift.'
Daniel Steiner would ascend to even greater heights from now on.
As the prophet leading the Black Swans.
*
Meanwhile, at Duke Belvar's mansion.
"Morten was captured?"
Hearing the news from the south, Belvar's jaw dropped in astonishment.
It was natural to be flustered when an organization that had operated without a trace for the past three years was dismantled overnight.
However, there was no time for panic now.
"What about the secrets? Has it been revealed that the Dawn's Grace was operating on His Imperial Highness the Prince's behalf?"
In response to Belvar's question, Basong, his confidant and informant, shook his head.
"Judging by the lack of specific news, it appears the investigation is still ongoing."
"That's a small mercy, then. But it's only a matter of time before it comes out. But who, exactly, captured Morten?"
"…Major Daniel Steiner."
Daniel Steiner.
As soon as he heard that name, Belvar felt dizzy and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"That damned man. He's finally revealed his true colors."
It was common for individuals whose prestige had risen as war heroes to dabble in politics.
Daniel, too, seemed to have entered the fray with the aim of making the Princess empress for his own advancement.
However, Daniel was different from typical war heroes.
'To pretend to have no interest in politics right up until Morten's apprehension…'
It was Daniel who had severely limited meetings with politicians and refused all interviews.
This time, taking a long leave during the most crucial period of the succession struggle, Belvar had even wondered if Daniel truly had no interest in politics.
'But to think this was all a deception strategy…!'
Given the skill with which he apprehended the Dawn's Grace after thoroughly deceiving everyone, he must have been preparing for this for quite some time.
The thought of being played right into Daniel Steiner's hands filled him with indignant rage.
However, no matter how brilliant and meticulous a man, there were always weaknesses.
"Katman Schultz…"
In fact, not long ago, Katman Schultz, the Chief Inspector of the Security Bureau, had visited his mansion.
Claiming that Daniel Steiner seemed to be colluding with a spy.
However, upon listening, there was no proper evidence, so he had dismissed him, thinking it a waste of time.
'But now, I must grasp at any straw.'
The situation was urgent; he couldn't afford to be picky about who he used.
"Contact the Security Bureau and tell Katman Schultz: I, the Minister of the Imperial Court, will support you, so find evidence that Daniel Steiner is colluding with a spy, no matter how!"
Hearing Belvar's words, his confidant bowed deeply and exited the room.
Watching his confidant leave the room, Belvar irritably threw the wine glass he was holding.
CRASH!
Red wine spread like blood from the shattered glass.
Belvar stared down at the sight, clenching his fist tightly.
'Daniel Steiner…! How dare a mere orphan try to manipulate this Empire!'
In Belvar's estimation, making the Princess empress was not Daniel's ultimate goal.
His intuition told him.
Daniel's dark ambitions were clearly deeper and darker.
However, because he couldn't gauge the depth of Daniel's darkness, Belvar was afraid.
Belvar, his hands trembling, forced himself to shake off the fear and squeezed his eyes shut.
'This Empire, which our ancestors have protected…'
I will never hand it over to a vagrant like you.