Chapter 95 - Returning from vacation (?) is always scary
『 TL – Divinity 』
『 PR – Vein 』
The moment he received the fountain pen, there would be no turning back.
Bellanos, which his ancestors had protected with all their might, would effectively become a vassal state of the Empire.
'But...'
The disastrous consequences of not taking the pen kept flashing through his mind.
As Daniel had said, the Empire had a clear justification for declaring war.
If the Empire declared war, Bellanos would turn into a living hell in an instant.
Countless citizens would scream, soldiers would die, the cabinet would be divided, and politicians would scramble for survival.
The hatred stemming from that horrific chaos would naturally be directed at the head of the Bellanos government.
The outraged citizens would demand the Prime Minister's resignation.
And if the information about the Prime Minister's illegitimate child were to spread, the situation would spiral out of control.
"......"
A groan escaped his lips.
If he refused to become a vassal state, the Empire would surely destroy Bellanos.
'And the one who planned all of this...'
...was none other than Daniel Steiner standing before him.
Daniel hadn't informed the Empire of his survival after the attack on the diplomatic vessel.
If his survival was confirmed, the Empire wouldn't have a reason to send a fleet to search for their war hero.
'So...'
Daniel Steiner must have been waiting for the Empire to send a search fleet while disguising his survival with a presumed death.
'And during that time, he found my daughter.'
Then, he intentionally approached Lef and built a rapport with her.
This must have been to confirm that she was the Prime Minister's illegitimate child and to find out the location of her residence.
Lef played right into his hands and even made the mistake of inviting him to her home.
Meanwhile, the secret organization under Daniel's command found the culprit who had opened the territorial waters to the terrorists.
This was probably to make it easier to hold the Bellanos government accountable by forcing Colonel Edvol, the naval commander, to confess.
And when Daniel finished all his preparations, the Empire's fleet arrived in Tentarbachem.
The Imperial Army naturally occupied Tentarbachem under the guise of conducting a search operation, and Daniel Steiner, seeing this, revealed his identity, deeming it unnecessary to hide any longer.
Then, he returned to his duties as an ambassador.
To use the ingredients he had prepared and turn Bellanos into a vassal state of the Empire.
He had been played by Daniel Steiner from beginning to end.
'Daniel Steiner, do you even have a human heart?'
What kind of mindset would lead someone to act like this?
It was a meticulous and calculated scheme, too elaborate to have been conceived by a single person.
Anger and sorrow mixed with a touch of awe as Lowell slowly reached out his hand. He had to choose the lesser evil, as he couldn't turn back time.
Lowell received the fountain pen and looked down at the diplomatic proposal.
As he reached out his hand to sign it, he looked back at Daniel one last time.
"May I ask one thing?"
"Yes, of course."
"...Guarantee the safety of my daughter if I sign this."
Daniel nodded slightly.
"Of course. As long as you uphold the terms of this proposal, Prime Minister, the peace between our nations will never be broken."
His words implied that if Lowell didn't comply with the terms of the proposal, he couldn't guarantee his daughter's safety.
That devil. Lowell gritted his teeth and signed the proposal in resignation.
After signing in a few more places, he handed the document to Daniel.
Daniel received it and carefully placed it in his briefcase.
"Good. If you had done this from the beginning, we wouldn't have had to raise our voices. It's a shame."
Closing his briefcase, Daniel stood up and bowed his head to Lowell.
"It seems the meeting has concluded, so I'll be on my way. I wish the great nation of Bellanos eternal glory."
Lowell didn't answer.
Daniel hadn't expected a reply anyway, so he adjusted his clothes and turned to leave.
As he opened the door to the reception room, he made eye contact with the Director of National Intelligence, who was with the aides.
Daniel's gaze was cold.
Although they were technically equals, the Director felt a sense of intimidation.
After a moment of hesitation, he spoke,
"...Is the meeting over?"
"Yes, it is. I need to return to the embassy, so please excuse me."
The Director realized that he and the aides were blocking the way.
He moved aside, and Daniel walked past them.
The sound of his footsteps echoed as he walked away.
The Director, watching him go, turned his gaze back to the reception room to assist the Prime Minister.
He saw Lowell sitting on the sofa, his head bowed.
After a moment of hesitation, the Director approached Lowell.
"Sir, how did the meeting..."
The Director's footsteps slowed.
Lowell's eyes were vacant and lifeless.
"Director."
Lowell's voice was weak, unlike usual.
"Perhaps I..."
His voice was filled with emotion.
After a long pause, Lowell finally squeezed out the words,
"...Perhaps I made a deal with the devil."
At his self-deprecating remark, the Director of National Intelligence couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
He couldn't even fathom what Daniel Steiner might have said.
═ ⋆★⋆ ═
After the meeting, Daniel returned to the embassy in an official vehicle.
The Deputy Chief of Mission and the diplomats naturally asked him about the meeting, and Daniel told them that it was successful.
They looked at him with disbelief, but when he showed them the diplomatic proposal with the Prime Minister's signature, they had no choice but to believe him.
The Deputy Chief of Mission was ecstatic, saying that it was "not just a successful meeting, but practically an oath of loyalty from the Bellanos government," and the diplomats were also excited.
The news that "Daniel Steiner had subdued the Prime Minister of Bellanos" spread like wildfire, and soon everyone in the port city of Tentarbachem knew about it.
The shockingly good news naturally reached Hartmann, the chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel! It's me!"
That was one of the reasons why Hartmann was currently visiting the embassy.
He knocked on the door a few times, and Daniel's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Hartmann, with permission granted, opened the door and entered.
Seeing Daniel working at his desk, he smiled.
He approached with newspapers and desserts in his arms, and Daniel looked up.
"...Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann? What's that?"
"I heard you like desserts, so I brought some. And these are the Imperial Daily newspapers from the past few days. I thought you might be curious. But..."
Hartmann felt puzzled seeing Daniel buried in paperwork.
He placed the newspapers and desserts on the desk and asked,
"Why are you still working even though the meeting is over?"
"Even though the treaty has been signed, we still need to request ratification from the National Assembly. I'm drafting the documents for that. And then we need final approval from His Majesty."
"Hmm, I don't quite understand what you're saying, but I can see that you're busy."
Hartmann, who had wanted to celebrate the Empire's decisive victory with Daniel over drinks, smacked his lips in disappointment.
Meanwhile, Daniel finished his paperwork and looked at the newspapers.
He was curious about what had been happening in the Empire while he was in Bellanos.
'Especially...'
For the final approval of the treaty, he would have to meet with Emperor Bertram, and it would be best to be aware of the situation in the Empire beforehand.
Daniel decided to start by reading the headlines of the oldest newspaper.
『Diplomatic Vessel Bound for Bellanos Sunk!』
『Her Highness Issues Emergency Summons in Response to Terrorist Attack!』
『Imperial Ministry of National Defense Orders Bellanos to Open Its Borders.』
He unfolded the next newspaper.
『Citizens in Turmoil Over Hero's Death.』
『Waves of Mourning Sweep the Empire over the Hero's Death.』
『Her Highness Announces, "This is a Great Loss, and We Will Uncover the Truth."』
Feeling a headache coming on, he opened the next newspaper.
『Angry Citizens Identify the Allied Nations as the Culprit Behind the Empire's Hero's Death, Protests Erupt.』
『Pacifists Labeled as Enemies of the Empire? A Congressman Sparks Controversy with Extreme Remarks.』
『Young People, Enraged by the Terrorist Attack, Take to the Streets, Demanding Justice for Daniel Steiner's Death.』
Taking a deep breath, Daniel opened the most recent newspaper.
『Daniel Steiner! Back from the Dead! The Empire Erupts in Celebration!』
『Daniel Steiner, Who Survived the Terrorist Attack, Is Called a Miracle of God.』
『Her Highness Expresses Joy, "The Return of Daniel Steiner Is Something the Entire Nation, Including Myself, Has Been Waiting For."』
After reading all the headlines, Daniel folded the newspaper.
He held his aching head and looked up at Hartmann.
"Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, I have a request."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I want to stay in Bellanos to monitor the implementation of the treaty and conduct public relations activities. I'd like to postpone my return to the Empire for at least a few months, so please convey this to Her Highness..."
Daniel stopped mid-sentence.
Hartmann was frowning.
"Do you think that's possible? Her Highness is eager to see you."
Daniel felt a wave of fear.
'If I return to the Empire now...'
...there was no telling what might happen to him.