Chapter 104 - He Is Coming
『 TL – Divinity 』
『 PR – Vein 』
Four days after the Christmas banquet.
Deputy Chief of Operations Cedric's office.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner."
Cedric said, looking over the document in his hand.
"Thanks to the approval of His Majesty and Her Highness, your request has been granted, and we received a request for operational support from the higher-ups. This time, it's the Eastern Front."
Daniel stood at attention, listening to Cedric's words.
"The location is the border region with the Kingdom of Belmore, one of the Allied Nations. It's practically a wasteland. Also, since it's a basin surrounded by mountains, it's neither strategically nor militarily important, so only a small company is stationed there."
It was essentially a lookout unit, placed there to detect any advance by the Kingdom of Belmore through the mountains.
Of course, if the Kingdom of Belmore was sane, they wouldn't even think about advancing through the mountains.
It would be practically suicidal to march through the treacherous mountain range.
"You'll be leading a battalion-sized unit from headquarters there. Upon arrival, join the stationed company and take over their duties. The mission will commence after that."
"What is the mission, sir?"
"To rescue the captured Imperial engineers near the border. In particular, you must rescue Hans Zernmehat. He's one of the engineers who knows the Empire's core secrets."
Understanding the mission, Daniel saluted.
"I'll carry out the order, sir."
Cedric nodded and returned the salute.
As he was about to dismiss Daniel, Cedric suddenly said as if he had just remembered something,
"Ah, and one more thing. There's no need to push yourself too hard for this mission. The higher-ups prioritize your survival over the rescue of Hans Zernmehat. In the first place, it's not an easy task to break through the border defenses and rescue a prisoner with just a battalion."
That was good news.
It was practically the same as saying they wouldn't hold him accountable even if he failed the mission.
It was a godsend for Daniel, who was worried that the Emperor might use a failed mission as an excuse to keep him in check.
"I'll keep that in mind, sir. However, I'll do my best to fulfill the mission."
"Good. Then you may leave if you have no further questions."
"Yes, sir."
Daniel answered firmly, turned around, and left Cedric's office.
As he walked down the hallway, he inwardly cheered.
'Alright!'
Things were going better than expected.
'I was worried that they would send me to the middle of a fierce battlefield with shells raining down, but...'
It seemed that the higher-ups, judging that keeping Daniel Steiner alive was in the best interest of the Empire, had sent him to a relatively safe location on the battlefield.
They even added the kind words, "You don't have to succeed in the mission."
Frankly, it wasn't much different from telling him to go to a foreign land and rest under the guise of participating in the war.
'So, I'll stay on the battlefield under the pretense of carrying out the mission...'
...and return to the capital after the current Emperor, Bertram, transferred all his authority to Sylvia.
'Judging from Sylvia's attitude yesterday, she doesn't seem to have any intention of keeping me in check.'
Therefore, if Sylvia became Empress, it seemed like he would be able to live safely in the capital.
'Of course...'
His ultimate goal wasn't to live safely in the capital.
Although the Empire had become more powerful than he initially thought due to the subjugation of the Kingdom of Eldresia and Bellanos, the best option was still to escape.
The moment the winter frost thawed and spring arrived, the major powers would rush to declare war on the Empire.
According to the information he had received, the Federal Republic and the Republic were gradually gathering their forces.
The number of meetings with Caledra, the de facto leader of the Allied Nations, had also increased.
It was safe to say that the world war was about to begin.
And currently, the only way to escape that inferno was to leave the Empire.
'But...'
Was it right to leave Sylvia in the midst of that inferno?
Daniel knew that Sylvia, unlike the Emperor, was favorably disposed towards him.
And although she cared about the people, she wasn't politically astute.
She would surely fall with the crumbling Empire.
Thinking about this made his head spin.
As he went down the stairs with a troubled mind, he saw a woman with a familiar appearance.
Disheveled silver hair and blood-red eyes.
It was Lucy.
"Adjutant?"
He wondered why she was out of the office, and Lucy blinked her red eyes and answered,
"Ah, an officer from the headquarters direct unit came to see you, Lieutenant Colonel. I was looking for you to inform you of this."
"...From the headquarters direct unit?"
He had a rough idea who it was.
With a hesitant nod, Daniel headed towards his private office with Lucy.
Stopping in front of the office door, he took a deep breath, grabbed the doorknob, and opened it.
The first thing he saw was a woman with long, light brown hair reaching down to her waist.
On her shoulders were brand-new Second Lieutenant epaulets.
The woman turned around, sensing their presence. Upon seeing Daniel, her eyes sparkled, and she clasped her hands together.
"Ah, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner. You wouldn't believe how much I've been looking forward to this moment. I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside you, a saint, and I swear to God that I will dedicate my life to slaughtering the beasts of the Allied Nations—"
Thud!
Unable to listen any longer, Daniel closed the door.
What was chilling was that even with the door closed, Frienne's voice continued to echo from inside.
As if the door were a mere visual barrier, she continued praising Daniel.
Disgusted, Daniel turned to Lucy.
"Adjutant."
"Yes, sir?"
"Is it too late to return her?"
Lucy, staring at Daniel, frowned, a rare sight.
"Lieutenant Colonel, you can't say that about a person."
"A person..."
Was it right to call that woman, obsessed with nationalism and distorting religious teachings to her liking, a person?
He was about to say that she was closer to a monster, mentally speaking, but then he stopped himself.
He didn't want to say anything unnecessary, as they would have to spend time together for the time being, whether he liked it or not.
═ ⋆★⋆ ═
Meanwhile, at the Belmore border basin.
Special Operations Command Center, under the Airborne Special Forces Brigade.
"Company Commander."
Company Commander Bernard, who had been sleeping on the floor of the command center, opened his heavy eyes.
He blinked slowly, yawned, and sat up.
His uniform was disheveled, and his boots were untied, but he didn't care.
This was a place where he could afford to be sloppy.
"What? What's going on? Are we out of booze?"
Bernard asked with a hazy look, and the platoon leader shook his head.
Seeing this, Bernard scratched his forehead in annoyance.
"Then what?"
"Well... it seems it's time for us to start the mission."
"Mission? Did you just say mission?"
Bernard scoffed in disbelief.
"Get a hold of yourself, Sergeant. We've been abandoned here. It's been over a year since we were told to focus on guard duty until new orders arrived. And the higher-ups haven't given us any orders since then."
Bernard ran a hand through his messy hair.
"So, we can just stay here and drink until the war is over. Think positive. It's a damn wasteland, but at least we won't get shot, right?"
Bernard, who had been chuckling, suddenly frowned.
Normally, the platoon leader would have agreed with him by now, but today, his face was pale.
"...What's wrong? Did the higher-ups send a new order?"
The platoon leader nodded.
"Yes, sir. We're to receive a battalion from headquarters and follow the orders of their Lieutenant Colonel."
"A Lieutenant Colonel? Ha, what difference would it make even if a battalion came here? Are they planning to attack the Kingdom of Belmore with less than a thousand men? What nonsense... Hey, why do you have that look on your face?"
He didn't like the way the platoon leader was trembling like a frightened deer.
As Bernard glared at him, demanding an explanation, the platoon leader took a deep breath and said,
"The Lieutenant Colonel coming here is..."
"Is who?"
"...Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner."
Bernard froze at the mention of the Lieutenant Colonel's name.
Even in this remote basin, they could still hear news from the capital.
Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, Operations Staff Officer at the General Staff Headquarters.
It was a name that every soldier in the Empire knew.
"Sergeant? I don't like jokes."
He asked just in case, but the platoon leader didn't change his words.
"I heard it clearly, sir. Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner is coming here."
Bernard's hand trembled as he pressed it against his forehead.
"Daniel Steiner... isn't he the one who skinned an Allied soldier alive in front of the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Eldresia?"
Rumors tend to be exaggerated.
Especially in remote areas, stories get embellished.
What started as a simple "joke over drinks" would turn into the "truth" as it was passed around.
The platoon leader was also one of those who believed the exaggerated rumors.
"And that's not all, sir. Did you hear that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner stormed into Duke Belvar's mansion when he pressured him? He even shot one of his private soldiers dead in front of him."
"Oh my god..."
Bernard's eyes widened in fear.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, he looked up at the platoon leader.
"If that Daniel Steiner sees us like this..."
"We'll be shot. We'll definitely be shot."
Bernard, terrified, hiccuped.
The sobered-up Bernard jumped to his feet and shouted,
"Alert all troops! Conduct facility inspection and cleaning immediately! And order them to clean their weapons and tidy up their uniforms! We'll also be inspecting their technical skills!"
"Yes, sir! But what reason should I give them...?"
It wasn't just Bernard who had become lax over the past year.
Even the troops, lulled by the peace on this part of the battlefield, were playing poker during work hours.
However, it was very easy to get them to straighten up.
Bernard had just experienced it himself.
"Tell them he's coming. Daniel Steiner..."
Bernard's face paled, and he gulped.
"...the Devil of the Empire is coming."