LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 81
The cool breeze blowing in from the sea swept through Daniel’s hair, sending it dancing about.
Standing on the white sand beach, feeling the ocean wind, Daniel suddenly let out a chuckle.
‘This is absurd…’
Daniel shook his head, reminiscing about all the ridiculous things he had done to escape the Empire.
It seemed that fate had a twisted sense of humor, as everything he’d attempted had ended in failure.
Even crazier, it felt like the more he struggled to escape, the higher his rank and notoriety climbed.
After experiencing such nonsense repeatedly, Daniel had half given up.
He thought it impossible to escape the Empire now.
‘But…!’
There’s always a silver lining, right?
Now, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Captain Daniel Steiner had been given a golden opportunity.
The chance to wipe the slate clean and start anew had finally arrived.
Thinking this way made the annoyance of being attacked by the enemy feel like it vanished in an instant.
Feeling lighter in spirit, Daniel walked towards a nearby shack.
Meeting someone while wearing military uniform might raise suspicions, but Daniel wasn’t worried in the slightest.
He had his reasons.
‘That fishing boat near the shack looks rusty, and moss has begun to grow on it. It’s been neglected for a while, so the shack must be in the same state.’
Even if there happened to be someone inside, he could just make some excuse and leave.
As he trudged through the sand, Daniel knocked on the shabby door with his knuckles.
“Is anyone there?”
No answer.
Daniel knocked again.
“I’m stranded and seeking help. Is anyone there?”
Still no answer.
Convinced it was an abandoned shack, Daniel grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open.
With a creak from the old hinges, the door swung wide.
Peering in, Daniel squinted his eyes, cautiously inspecting what lay beyond the door.
The shack was filled with various odds and ends and boxes, but there was no sign of life.
Even as he stepped inside and looked around, it remained the same.
Only then did Daniel relax, examining the items inside the boxes.
‘Old clothes and worn-out shoes… along with some broken appliances.’
It seemed this shack was a sort of storage for things that had outlived their usefulness.
For Daniel, who wanted to keep his identity hidden, it was like a treasure trove.
Letting out a soft laugh, Daniel rummaged through the boxes for something wearable.
After about thirty minutes of searching, Daniel found a fairly intact cotton outfit and shoes.
They bore signs of being mended, but they were good enough to wear.
Thinking that wasn’t bad at all, Daniel quickly shed his uniform, dried himself off, and changed into the old clothes.
Next, he slipped on a pair of tattered sunglasses and topped it off with a fedora.
Since there was no mirror, Daniel glanced at the window, adjusting his appearance and grinning in satisfaction.
‘Great. No one will recognize me now.’
Even if someone did, he could just claim it was a case of mistaken identity.
‘Truly unfortunate, but Captain Daniel Steiner is dead now.’
As of today, Colonel Daniel Steiner of the General Staff HQ had effectively passed away.
Having buried his name in his heart, Daniel took a moment of silence for himself.
After a while, he finished his solemn moment, tidied up his sleeves, and stepped out of the shack.
The sun, hanging between day and evening, painted the sea in hues of dusk.
In the distance, lights began to flicker on in the closely packed buildings resembling barnacles, creating a warm and dreamy landscape as it harmonized with the sunset.
‘First things first, I need to head there. What’s most important now is gathering money for my identity clean-up.’
With that resolve, Daniel began to walk slowly.
Wearing ordinary shoes instead of military boots, he stepped out onto the beach, taking a deep breath.
The fresh air filled his lungs so euphorically that he felt giddy.
Looking up at the reddish sky, Daniel suddenly spread his arms wide and burst into laughter.
“After so much hardship, you’ve finally come to me! Sweet, pastoral freedom!”
He never imagined breaking free from shackles and oppression could feel so exhilarating.
“From now on, misfortune shall not exist, only happiness will remain!”
Speaking playfully like the main character in a play, Daniel walked lightly.
His destination was the port city of Tentarbahaem in Belanos.
There, he planned to secure funds for his identity transformation.
Meanwhile, in the grand conference hall of the Imperial Palace.
“So you think provoking the Allied Nations and other major powers with the Total War Speech was a wise move? Is this the central party’s official stance?”
“I didn’t say it was a wise move. But how can you interpret that the Total War Speech provoked the powers? Don’t twist the speech; see the essence!”
At the long table in the conference hall, party leaders were attacking each other, engaging in fierce debate.
The loudest voices belonged to Campbell, the leader of the Free Social Party, and Elrcar, the leader of the Central National Party.
Typically, Campbell would criticize Captain Daniel Steiner’s Total War Speech, and Elrcar would counter him.
“It is you who fails to see the essence! While the Total War Speech united the people, the military situation remains dire! You know we’re not just up against the Allied Nations!”
“It’s precisely because the enemy isn’t just the United Nations that I emphasize the significance of Daniel Steiner’s speech! Of course, I agree that Colonel Daniel’s speech had a somewhat radical and belligerent tone, but given the Empire’s current situation, it’s not wrong!”
Among those gathered, Elrcar, relatively younger, raised his voice.
“But it seems the leader of the Free Social Party has been trying to frame Colonel Daniel as someone pursuing personal gain—am I mistaken?”
“Ha! Framing him? Use your brain! Who benefits most from the Total War Speech? It’s none other than Colonel Daniel Steiner!”
“You think someone eager for gain would willingly accept being appointed as the Ambassador to Belanos, a lowly position? Doesn’t that sound off?”
Watching from a higher seat, Princess Selvia let out a low sigh.
‘It’s playing out just as Deputy Chief Cedric warned…’
If Daniel were dispatched as the Ambassador to Belanos, factions would clash, and indeed they were.
Rewind to earlier today, when the leaders of the National Assembly urgently came to speak with Her Highness who was acting as regent.
Selvia had opened the conference hall for them to express their opinions, but when Campbell argued for a bill to restrain Daniel Steiner, the ruckus had begun.
Initially, it seemed like a healthy exchange of ideas, but as time passed, voices grew louder, and it escalated into a shouting match.
Selvia was not pleased with any of this.
What displeased her even more was Campbell of the Free Social Party insisting on keeping Daniel within the law’s boundaries.
‘What’s that old man’s problem with Daniel?’
Considering all the benefits Daniel had brought to the Empire, all Campbell had done was leverage connections and family ties to sit in the position of party leader, acting like royalty in the National Assembly.
Hearing that the Chair of the National Assembly was also from the Free Social Party made Campbell’s confidence a bit more understandable.
‘I really need to speak up.’
Her father had told her that representatives generally speak for the voice of the people, so unless it was a special case, she should keep quiet and listen—but she felt she couldn’t endure it any longer.
Just as Selvia had made up her mind to speak up, suddenly—
“Your Highness!”
The doors of the conference hall burst open, and Colonel Hartmann, the chief bodyguard, rushed in.
Disregarding court etiquette, Hartmann dashed over as soon as he spotted Selvia, his urgency palpable.
His rudeness could have earned him a scolding, but Selvia felt nothing but bewilderment.
She understood there was some reason for Hartmann’s breach of protocol.
Gasping for breath, Hartmann knelt before Selvia.
“Your Highness! Please forgive my rudeness! I was in a hurry to deliver urgent news!”
Urgent news? Pausing briefly, Selvia finally spoke.
“What is it? Has my father’s health worsened?”
“No! The urgent message I’m conveying is regarding the dispatch of the Ambassador to Belanos. I regret to inform you that the official ship heading to Belanos…”
Hartmann lowered his head, cautious about Selvia’s reaction.
“It has been sunk by an enemy torpedo attack.”
The shocking news left all the previously noisy members of the assembly speechless.
Selvia was no different.
After a long pause, Selvia’s lips trembled in shock.
“Right now…?”
With her voice quaking, Hartmann offered a brief nod.
Selvia, as if unable to accept the reality, held her breath and managed to continue speaking.
“That can’t be….”
Her words, as if denying reality, lacked strength.
Thanks to that, Hartmann, sensing her feelings, only bowed deeper in silence.