Chapter 56 - The Black Swan Moves in Secret
Chapter 56
The Black Swan Moves in Secret
『 Translator – Divinity 』
About ten days later, the higher-ups approved Daniel’s vacation request.
Considering that it was a country at war and the vacation approval process was strict and complicated, permission was granted relatively quickly.
Daniel received his leave papers and boarded the “Royal Express,” a luxury train, with a first-class ticket.
Normally, even officers weren’t given first-class tickets for the luxury train, but the General Staff Headquarters made an exception for Daniel, considering his numerous military achievements.
‘Let’s see, my cabin is…’
Walking down the hallway with its red carpet, Daniel stopped in front of the cabin labeled CA8.
After confirming that it matched the cabin number on his ticket, he opened the door.
A large window offered a panoramic view of the scenery outside.
Impressed, he stepped inside and saw comfortable beds on either side of the cabin.
In the center was a luxurious table and chairs, and the expensive refreshments prepared on the table lived up to the train’s reputation.
Daniel put his luggage down near the wall and walked to the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Then, as he took off his uniform cap and placed it on the table, the train started moving with a jolt.
Adjusting his clothes, Daniel leaned back comfortably in his chair and enjoyed the scenery outside the window.
The scenery changed constantly as the train moved, but the vibrant colors of the leaves on the trees and the fields remained the same.
It was a continuous stream of idyllic and peaceful landscapes.
A smile naturally appeared on Daniel’s face.
‘Yes, this is what I wanted.’
A peaceful life without any worries or anxieties.
A moderate amount of wealth to maintain a comfortable lifestyle.
And a small amount of power to avoid being looked down upon.
Hadn’t he entered the Magic Officer Academy for the sake of this trinity of life that every ordinary person desired?
‘But…’
Ever since he started recalling memories of his past life, his life had been going downhill.
To summarize Daniel’s current life:
An unstable life where he had to worry about being assassinated and avoid dying on the battlefield.
An uncomfortable amount of wealth due to the numerous rewards he received for his consecutive military achievements.
Power that not only prevented him from being looked down upon but also instilled fear in others.
His life was far removed from the simple and peaceful life he desired.
Although it was a situation that naturally brought a sigh to his lips, he could easily laugh it off today.
‘Because I’m on vacation.’
For the next month, he wouldn’t have to deal with his suffocating work and his spy of an adjutant.
He didn’t have to worry about getting caught in the succession fight between the princess and the prince, nor did he have to fret about what kind of operational support the General Staff Headquarters would send him on next.
‘This is troubling. Can I really be this happy?’
Daniel chuckled softly and basked in the sunlight streaming through the window.
‘Come to think of it, it’s been almost two years since I last went back to my hometown.’
This was his first time going south since he visited his hometown during his regular vacation as a cadet at the Magic Officer Academy.
‘I wonder if the head priest is doing well. I wrote him a letter because I thought he might be surprised by a sudden visit…’
He was a bit worried whether the letter had arrived properly, as it was a rather secluded place.
As Daniel reminisced about his memories of his hometown,
Slide—
The sliding door of the cabin opened, and a black man appeared.
He saw Daniel and took off his fedora, holding it to his chest.
“Oh my, there’s already someone here. I should have knocked.”
Daniel stood up and extended his hand with a smile.
“It’s alright. It’s a shared cabin, so there’s no need to be cautious around me. I’m Daniel Steiner.”
“Ah! You’re Major Daniel Steiner! I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Hamtal, from Nordia.”
The black man was Hamtal, the leader of the Secret Society Black Swan.
Of course, Daniel had no idea.
“From Nordia? What a coincidence. I was the acting garrison commander there.”
“I heard that Nordia has become a much better place to live thanks to you. But why don’t we sit down and talk?”
Daniel nodded cheerfully and sat down.
Hamtal also sat across from him and adjusted his tie.
Then, as if he had just remembered something, he casually said,
“By the way, Major Daniel, I heard you implemented some radical policies in Nordia. Was there a particular reason for that?”
He was testing Daniel one last time, just in case.
He wanted to know if Daniel had improved Nordia for the “benefit of the Empire” or if he had genuinely helped Nordia to create a more ideal world.
Daniel remained silent for a moment at Hamtal’s question, then shrugged.
“To be honest, I implemented those policies thinking that I might be criticized by both the General Staff Headquarters and the citizens of Nordia. But the results turned out to be unexpectedly positive.”
Hamtal was inwardly impressed by Daniel’s words.
‘He pushed through with it even though he anticipated backlash from both the Empire and the citizens?’
This was a true prophet.
“And was it also for the sake of people of color, including us…”
“For the sake of? That’s only natural. Racial discrimination… isn’t that a terrible sense of elitism? I simply told those irrational people to stop their irrational behavior.”
Daniel’s serious voice was filled with sincerity.
Seeing this, Hamtal could finally let go of the last shred of doubt in his heart.
‘Indeed, Daniel Steiner is worthy of our loyalty.’
Expressing his respect inwardly, Hamtal stood up.
“Excuse me for interrupting our conversation, but I need to use the restroom for a moment.”
Daniel nodded, and Hamtal put his fedora back on and stepped out into the hallway.
After walking a few steps down the hallway, Hamtal took out his radio, turned it on, and pressed the transmit button.
“Report any unusual activity in each section.”
Shortly after Hamtal spoke, reports came flooding in from the radio.
— No unusual activity in the dining car. We’ll continue to monitor the situation.
— No unusual activity in the lounge either.
— No issues in the connecting passages.
Members of the Black Swan were currently stationed throughout the Royal Express train.
This was because they believed that the best time to harm Daniel Steiner was now, when he was on vacation alone without any military escort.
Therefore, Hamtal, the leader of the Black Swan, had brought a large number of members to secretly protect Daniel.
— We’ve spotted a suspicious individual in the VIP room. Confirmed to be communicating with someone through a wristwatch-type radio.
Just then, a report from the VIP room made Hamtal frown.
Narrowing his eyes, he pressed the transmit button on his radio and said,
“Keep him under surveillance. If he gets off the train, follow him and find out his whereabouts.”
After receiving confirmation from the other side, Hamtal turned off the radio and put it back in his pocket.
‘If there are any forces trying to harm Daniel Steiner…’
He would use all the skills he had honed over the past decade to crush them.
Of course, Daniel, completely unaware of all this, was simply enjoying the scenery leisurely in his cabin.
***
Meanwhile, at St. Michael’s Monastery.
“So many weeds… Please wait a moment.”
In the garden located within the enclosed cloister, Hierony, the head priest of the monastery, was pulling weeds and putting them in a basket beside him.
The vice-principal, dressed in a neat cassock, approached Hierony.
“Head Priest, may I have a word with you?”
Hearing the voice behind him, Hierony stopped weeding, stood up, and turned around.
“Ah, Vice-principal. What is it?”
“Well… Didn’t you say that Daniel would be arriving tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s right. He sent a letter saying he would visit his hometown during his vacation. But why do you have that expression… Aren’t you happy that Daniel is coming?”
The vice-principal hurriedly shook his head.
“That’s not it. It’s just that the rumors I’ve been hearing are a bit strange.”
“What rumors?”
“You know about Major Daniel Steiner, don’t you, Head Priest?”
“Ah, of course. The hero of the Empire. And?”
“I was thinking that perhaps that Daniel might be the Daniel from our monastery…”
The monastery strictly prohibited bringing in outside materials.
Newspapers, and even simple magazines, were forbidden within the monastery walls.
This was because they had a strict rule that they shouldn’t be connected to the secular world, as it was a place dedicated to serving God.
However, even within the monastery, the name Daniel Steiner was well-known.
This was because the wealthy individuals and politicians who came to donate to the orphanage run by the monastery would occasionally share stories about the outside world.
That’s why some people, like the vice-principal, wondered if that Daniel might be the Daniel from their monastery.
Hierony, the head priest, found it amusing.
“I’ve told you many times that it’s just someone with the same name. Have you already forgotten what kind of child our Daniel was, Vice-principal?”
“No, I haven’t. Daniel was certainly… a kind-hearted child.”
“Yes, indeed. And he was a mature and responsible child who loved to contemplate and draw, and even helped us with baking.”
Hierony snapped his fingers as if remembering something.
“And there was that time when the dog we raised at the monastery fell ill and died, and Daniel cried for three days and nights. He even made a grave for the dog himself and placed a flower on it every day.”
The vice-principal nodded involuntarily as he listened.
“Well, Daniel did sometimes show a surprisingly cold-hearted side, but he was fundamentally a kind-hearted and lovely child of God.”
“Yes, that’s right. So it doesn’t make sense that that Daniel would lead the Nordia invasion and bring the Kingdom to its knees.”
Hierony chuckled softly.
“Setting aside everything else, Daniel has only been in the military for nine months. And he’s already a Major? It’s absurd.”
That’s true. The vice-principal laughed awkwardly and nodded.
“I see. It seems I was mistaken. Then I’ll be on my way. I should bake some bread that Daniel used to like for him when he arrives tomorrow.”
Hierony smiled and nodded slightly, and the vice-principal turned and left.
Hierony knelt again and resumed weeding, then chuckled to himself.
‘Our Daniel, the one who’s called the hero of the Empire…?’
The vice-principal sometimes had an overactive imagination.
He should know that it was impossible, even with common sense.