Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 52
Daniel Wants to Rest, But the Princess Holds Him Back

『 Translator – Divinity 』

As soon as day broke, Daniel prepared to return to the capital.

Although he had drunk quite a bit the night before, he hadn’t had enough to affect him the next day, so outwardly, there wasn’t much difference.

The only difference was that the dark circles under his eyes were a bit darker.

In any case, thanks to the consideration of Lieutenant Colonel Kalfren, the Corps Commander’s aide, Daniel’s headquarters company was able to board military vehicles in good condition.

After departing from the Corps headquarters, Daniel arrived in the capital after about ten days of driving.

As soon as Daniel’s military jeep entered the capital, the citizens cheered and showered him with flower petals they had prepared.

News of Daniel successfully concluding the negotiations with the Kingdom had already spread throughout the capital.

Displeased by this, Daniel feigned exhaustion and didn’t react.

Of course, the citizens’ welcome didn’t die down just because Daniel didn’t respond.

Even at the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters, citizens were lined up, holding and waving signs with all sorts of praise, making Daniel dizzy.

However, he was relieved that the citizens didn’t follow him inside the headquarters, as it was a restricted area for civilians.

“Huh? Isn’t that Her Highness standing over there?”

That is, until he heard Frienne’s words.

Opening his eyes and looking out the window, Daniel let out a low groan.

As Frienne had said, Princess Sylvia was standing in front of the General Staff Headquarters with Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, the chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard.

‘I can roughly guess why she’s here, but…’

Wasn’t it a bit much for the princess to come and welcome him personally?

Just as Daniel was feeling puzzled, the jeep leading the convoy slowly came to a stop.

As Daniel opened the door and stepped out, Sylvia, who had been talking with Hartmann, turned her head.

She was wearing an Imperial officer’s uniform, but the material was different, and it was white instead of black.

Also, instead of rank insignia, the Imperial eagle emblem was displayed.

Considering the various decorations, it was a uniform that only members of the Imperial family could wear.

As they say, clothes make the man.

As Sylvia, in her Imperial uniform, approached, not only Frienne but also Lucy seemed nervous.

Daniel was also nervous, but the fatigue from the long drive slightly outweighed his nervousness, so he wasn’t trembling too much.

“Your Highness.”

Daniel saluted, and Sylvia approached with an innocent smile.

“Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for you…”

Sylvia cleared her throat, cutting herself off.

She realized she was being undignified in front of so many people.

“Major Daniel? I’ve heard about your military achievements on the battlefield. You know that Father wishes to see you, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness, I do.”

“Then this will be quick. Father wants to see you, so let’s head to the Imperial Palace. It’s not that far, so we’ll get there soon.”

Now? Daniel, flustered, said after a brief silence,

“Your Highness, right now?”

Sylvia sighed softly, with an apologetic look.

“I know. This is rather sudden. But Father is currently in critical condition. He’s only lucid a few days a month. So he wants to see you while he’s still of sound mind.”

Daniel was aware that the Emperor’s health was deteriorating.

‘But I didn’t know it was this serious…’

Thinking that it couldn’t be helped, Daniel nodded.

“I understand. I will follow you, Your Highness.”

“Thank you. And I have something urgent to discuss with you… No, I’ll tell you on the way. Follow me.”

Sylvia walked towards the limousine parked on one side of the General Staff Headquarters.

A chauffeur in a suit was standing there, holding the back door open and bowing his head.

Although it was burdensome, Daniel couldn’t ignore the princess’s invitation.

He followed Sylvia and got into the limousine. The chauffeur closed the door and got into the driver’s seat, gently stepping on the accelerator.

Frienne watched blankly as the limousine slowly drove away from the headquarters, then sighed and crossed her arms.

“I thought we could celebrate our military achievements and have a party with the Major, but he was snatched away by Her Highness as soon as we arrived at the headquarters.”

Lucy, standing next to Frienne, simply stared at the departing limousine without any expression.

Then, as if a brilliant idea had struck her, she looked at Frienne.

“Cadet Frienne, were you popular with men?”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t. I received a few confessions before. But I never dated anyone.”

“Then what do you think was the reason for your popularity?”

“Well, maybe I seemed fragile? I was quite timid when I lived at the church. Perhaps they wanted to protect me. Or…”

Frienne shrugged.

“They might have thought I’d give them a chance if they treated me well. Men are basically wolves, you know. Like, they say men reveal their true nature when you pretend to be drunk?”

“…Why?”

“Huh? Are you even listening to me? A drunk woman is defenseless. It’s the easiest time for men to reveal their true nature… Wait a minute.”

Why was she asking this? Frienne frowned, looking at Lucy suspiciously.

“Lieutenant Lucy, you’re not planning on doing anything to Major Daniel, are you?”

Lucy’s shoulders flinched at Frienne’s question.

She wondered if her mission had been exposed.

Stuttering, Lucy averted her gaze and muttered in a small voice,

“…No.”

Seeing this, Frienne thought,

‘This woman is a terrible liar.’

Frienne concluded that whatever past Lucy was hiding, she was definitely not an intelligence agent.

***

The news that Daniel Steiner had successfully concluded the peace negotiations naturally reached Nordia as well.

Hamtal, the leader of the Secret Society Black Swan, immediately convened a council meeting, and all the branch leaders attended without fail.

The candle flames on the candelabras decorating the table flickered gently.

After confirming that all the branch leaders were present in the solemn atmosphere, Hamtal spoke,

“Thank you for attending despite the sudden summons. As you may have guessed, I called you all here regarding the recent peace negotiations.”

The branch leaders expressed their agreement with silence.

“As you all know, with the success of the peace negotiations, Nordia has been completely freed from the Kingdom’s oppression. The citizens are rejoicing that they no longer have to fear the nobles.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Hamtal’s lips.

“Not only that, but racial discrimination has been abolished, and taxes have been significantly reduced. It’s no exaggeration to say that a city truly for the citizens has been born.”

“All of this is…”

At the words of the man in the black robe, Hamtal nodded.

“Yes, it’s a miracle brought about by Daniel Steiner. We are all indebted to him. Don’t you agree?”

After a moment of hesitation, the branch leaders nodded in agreement.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Daniel Steiner has fulfilled our long-held wish. A wish that no one could achieve in the past ten years, a wish granted not by God, but by Daniel Steiner.”

Hamtal’s smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed with a serious expression.

“Therefore, I intend to repay the kindness I received from Daniel Steiner. What are your thoughts? Will you, like complacent beasts, take the kindness you received for granted?”

The branch leaders shook their heads one by one.

Seeing this, Hamtal raised his voice.

“Then, from now on, the Black Swan must act as Daniel Steiner’s shadow. Protecting his life will undoubtedly benefit us and the world.”

Hamtal saw Daniel Steiner as a prophet.

He had eradicated the deep-rooted evils that others only whispered about for fear of repercussions, as if it were the most natural thing to do.

But Hamtal knew.

That prophets throughout history had been persecuted.

There was no guarantee that Daniel Steiner wouldn’t face threats to his life.

Therefore, Hamtal intended to use the power of the Secret Society Black Swan to ensure Daniel’s survival.

“Since everyone seems to agree, I’ll explain. From now on, the Black Swan will relocate all its branches to the capital. Then, we will thoroughly investigate whether there are any forces plotting against Daniel Steiner.”

“What will you do if you find such forces?”

“We will stop them, even if it means using force.”

Although it might seem like a radical order, the branch leaders simply nodded in understanding.

Some of them were even smiling.

For the branch leaders who had constantly fought against the nobles’ private soldiers for the past decade, using force wasn’t out of the ordinary.

However, not everyone agreed with Hamtal’s words.

The man in the black robe, after pondering for a moment, said,

“But is it possible to relocate the branches to the capital? We are citizens of the Kingdom…”

The man stopped mid-sentence.

A sudden realization struck him.

“…I see. Now that the Kingdom has ceded Nordia, we are now citizens of the Empire. They will grant us citizenship if we wish.”

With the danger gone, there was no longer any reason to refuse Hamtal’s proposal.

Hamtal nodded at the man and looked around at the branch leaders.

“Now that the discussion is over, let’s proceed with the vote. Those in favor of this agenda, raise your glasses.”

As soon as Hamtal finished speaking, the branch leaders raised their glasses filled with wine.

When the man in the black robe also raised his glass, the branch leaders spoke in unison, reciting the founding purpose of the Black Swan.

— For the day when hatred and discrimination disappear from the world.

Seeing the unanimous agreement, Hamtal also smiled and raised his glass.

“And for Daniel Steiner.”