-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Time to Make a Decision
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel walked for about three hours before arriving in Tentarbaham, the port city of Bellanos.
Upon entering the city, merchants selling food and goods from stalls were a common sight among the relatively low-rise buildings.
Whether it was due to good weather or Bellanos's climate being less affected by winter, he wasn't sure, but the weather was generally pleasant.
'Not bad. This is acceptable.'
Daniel, evaluating the weather of the country he would spend a long time in, wore a faint smile.
'If I succeed in washing my identity, should I open a bakery here? No. A port city would be too dangerous, with Imperial citizens frequently coming and going, so I should head inland...'
As Daniel planned how to live his new life, he suddenly frowned.
'The problem is money.'
Laying the foundation for his plan, 'identity washing' required a considerable amount of money.
As Daniel knew, identity washing wasn't just about creating a forged ID.
First, he needed to secure a social security number from the government and obtain passport documents.
Only after opening a bank account and registering a residence could he truly be reborn with a new identity.
It was only natural that such troublesome procedures would require a large sum of money.
Not only would he need money to bribe officials, but also to lobby politicians.
Paying commission to a broker who handled all these affairs was also a significant part of the cost.
'So, how should I earn money...'
Part-time work? It would be hard to find a job.
Even in this era, IDs were generally checked.
Even if he found work that didn't require an ID, the pay wouldn't be good.
Furthermore, the possibility of getting caught up in incidents and accidents couldn't be ruled out.
'Places that don't check IDs are inevitably shady.'
Daniel, who thought that typical earnings wouldn't be enough for identity washing, was stroking his chin as he walked when...
"Hey! Did I say anything wrong?! I'm telling you, that bastard is a swindler!"
"No one will believe a person who lost money and then causes a scene like that. I clearly warned you, didn't I? That I'd kick you out if you caused trouble in my establishment one more time."
Daniel looked up at the commotion happening in front of a tavern in the distance.
A black-haired woman, dressed in fairly elegant everyday clothes, was arguing with someone who appeared to be the tavern owner.
The woman was a bit short for a female, but the unflinching resolve she exuded was enough to overwhelm an adult man.
"A scene? Is trying to kick a swindler out of your establishment causing a scene? Is it about money? If it's money, I'll give you as much as you want, so that son of a bitch…"
"Customer! If you brought evidence and accused him of being a swindler, I would understand! But if you cause such a fuss just because you lost at gambling without any proof, what am I supposed to do for you?"
As the tavern owner retorted with a logical argument, the woman couldn't refute it and stammered.
The tavern owner, looking down at the woman with disdain, grabbed the doorknob.
"I don't like treating customers this way either. Go get some fresh air outside, and come back in when you've calmed down."
Saying that, the tavern owner slammed the door shut.
Suddenly, the woman standing alone in front of the closed door looked utterly forlorn.
'What a pity. I should help her.'
Daniel, having smelled money, approached, and the woman, sensing his presence, turned her gaze.
"...What is it?"
The woman, who had turned to Daniel with sharp eyes, paused for a moment.
Daniel looked at her and placed a hand on his chest.
"As for me, you could say I'm a problem solver who recovers lost money. I unintentionally overheard your conversation with the shop owner, and it seems you've been swindled. Am I correct?"
"Uh..."
Since it wasn't wrong, the woman awkwardly nodded.
Daniel, thinking he had caught a big fish, gave a faint smile and bent his knees to meet the woman's gaze.
"In that case, how about entrusting the job to me? If you provide the initial funds, I will recover all your lost money. However, there are conditions."
"Conditions?"
"Upon success, I will only take half of the recovered amount as commission. If I fail? I will compensate you for the entire amount. What do you think? It's a deal with absolutely no downside, isn't it?"
Half? The woman was dumbfounded, but considering the promise of full compensation upon failure, it was indeed a deal with no downside.
As the intrigued woman gave a small nod, Daniel smiled and extended his hand.
"My name is Ribellard. It's a pleasure to work with you."
It was a pseudonym, of course.
*
At the same time, in the Imperial Palace's Grand Council Chamber.
"Everyone has arrived, Your Imperial Highness."
At Hartmann's words, Selvia, seated at the head of the table, raised her head.
On either side of the large table in the Grand Council Chamber, figures known as the Empire's top leadership stood, maintaining a tense posture.
These were individuals who were usually difficult to gather in one place, but thanks to Selvia dismissing the party leaders of the National Assembly and issuing an emergency cabinet summons, they were all present.
They were all observing Selvia, who would be the next Emperor, especially after noticing the tear stains on her cheeks.
It was evidence that Selvia had swallowed her tears alone in this place for three hours while the cabinet was being summoned.
In the chilling, ice-thin atmosphere, Selvia slowly parted her lips.
"...Each of you, report."
Among those observing her, the first to speak was Schuler Dines, the Minister of National Propaganda.
"I ordered the Director of the Press Bureau and the Director of the Broadcasting Station to keep the information from leaking until facts were confirmed, but it was insufficient. As a result of being unable to stop the news from spreading, the public is currently agitated and enraged."
Next, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency spoke.
"Your Highness. The Central Intelligence Agency attempted to identify the initial command origin immediately after the diplomatic vessel sinking incident, but it was not easy. Believing it to be an act of the Allied Nations, we investigated all official and unofficial departure times, but no records matching the incident existed."
Selvia's chilling gaze landed on the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
"Are you trying to say it wasn't the Allied Nations' doing?"
"N-no, that's not it. I merely wished to inform you that there's a high probability the submarine departed from a port other than an Allied Nation's port. Therefore, I believe it would be premature to label it as 'Allied Nations' terrorism'."
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency broke into a cold sweat and bowed his head.
The Minister of Defense, unable to watch any longer, chimed in.
"Your Highness. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's words are not incorrect. I believe it would be best not to act rashly until the incident is clarified. Can we not defer directing our wrath towards the Allied Nations until after the incident has been thoroughly investigated?"
Selvia's gaze landed on the Minister of Defense.
"Investigate the incident?"
"Yes. As you know, the diplomatic vessel sinking incident occurred in Bellanos's territorial waters. Therefore, it is highly probable that one of Bellanos's naval commanders opened their territorial waters to an unknown terrorist. We must first investigate who that person is. Furthermore…"
The Minister of Defense bowed his head.
"According to the Naval Strategist, the possibility that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner is still alive cannot be ruled out."
After a brief silence, Selvia urgently questioned.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. Although the probability is low, considering the ocean currents at the time, it is not impossible. If Daniel Steiner was on deck rather than in his cabin, relatively far from the torpedo's explosion point, and fell into the sea before the ship sank…"
The Minister of Defense lifted his bowed head.
"He might have reached one of Bellanos's coastlines close to the incident site. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the probability is extremely low, but it's not impossible."
At the Minister of Defense's words, the cabinet members began to stir.
While the predominant sentiment was that it was absurd, Selvia, for her part, wanted to cling to even that slender thread of hope.
Selvia, gripping the armrest of her chair tightly, commanded.
"Assemble a fleet to head for Bellanos immediately. We will launch a massive search operation."
A silence fell over the Grand Council Chamber.
Everyone present knew that the weight of Selvia's words was far from light.
Among them, the Minister of Defense painstakingly opened his mouth.
"Your Highness. While your command is reasonable, this involves entering another nation's territorial waters with a fleet. We anticipate resistance from Bellanos. Furthermore, conducting a search operation with military forces would require Bellanos's consent, so perhaps sending a negotiation team first…"
The Minister of Defense stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
He knew that Selvia's gaze was one of disdain.
Selvia, having silenced the Minister, spoke.
"What is needed now is not negotiation, but a message. So convey this to them."
As Selvia rose abruptly from her seat, the various ministers and directors all bowed their heads in unison.
"The moment Bellanos fails to open its territorial waters to the Imperial fleet departing to investigate the incident…"
Selvia, gripping the cabinet in her control, narrowed her eyes sharply amidst her coldly burning fury.
"Bellanos will be treated exactly like a terrorist."