Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 80 - Unexpected Luck

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Ten days later, in the western part of the Empire.

Port city of Lost Belmont.

"Is the ship ready?"

At Hamtal's question, the man in the black robe nodded.

"Yes. I've spoken with the captain of the merchant ship. Since the entry process isn't strict, he said we can bring about thirty people with forged identities if we prepare enough bribes for the officials."

"Thirty people. That's fewer than I expected, so bring only the elite."

"Understood."

The man answered without a word and turned his gaze towards the coast.

Perhaps because it was a clear day, the warm sunlight was brightly illuminating the sea.

The man, admiring the various ships anchored on the water, spoke,

"I wonder if Lieutenant Colonel Daniel has arrived in Bellanos by now."

Hamtal shook his head at the man's question.

"He departed yesterday evening, so he should be entering Bellanos' territorial waters by now. Considering the short distance between Lost Belmont and Bellanos, he should arrive soon."

"I see. But I hope nothing happens to him before he arrives."

Unable to answer this question with certainty, Hamtal remained silent.

'Something feels ominous...'

Since hearing the news that Daniel was being dispatched to Bellanos as an ambassador, Hamtal had arrived here a few days ago to assess the situation.

He was worried that there might be those who would try to assassinate Daniel outside the capital.

Fortunately, there was no sign of any assassination attempts here, but after checking the ship Daniel was scheduled to board, Hamtal was overcome with an unknown anxiety.

'There's no escort.'

It was common practice not to send an escort with diplomatic vessels to Bellanos due to the short distance, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was too careless, considering that the hero of the Empire was on board.

'It's as if they're inviting an attack...'

Hamtal shook his head, cutting off his train of thought.

Even he felt that his logic was becoming a bit far-fetched.

However, the anxiety in his heart didn't disappear.

'I wanted to be by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's side and protect him, but...'

Only government officials or those invited by the government could board diplomatic vessels.

If he had more time to prepare, he would have forged an identity and boarded the ship, but since he learned about Daniel's appointment as an ambassador only a few days ago, Hamtal had no choice but to back down.

'But still...'

It was fortunate that he had managed to make a deal with the captain of a merchant ship heading to Bellanos, even if it was a bit late.

The merchant ship departs today, so they should be able to catch up to Daniel Steiner relatively quickly.

Then, all they had to do was protect him as they did in the south.

'So please...'

Hamtal prayed that nothing would happen to the diplomatic vessel Daniel was on.

✧✦✧✦✧

Meanwhile, Daniel was on the deck, holding onto the railing and enjoying the sea breeze.

The cool, salty air brushing against his face brought a smile to his lips.

He felt so good that he almost wanted to greet the dolphins swimming alongside the ship.

'Good weather, good breeze, no adjutant. Everything is perfect today.'

He hadn't realized that simply being away from his life-threatening adjutant could bring him such peace of mind.

Moreover, there was no Sylvia with her unreadable intentions, no Emperor wary of him, and no noisy nobles or disgruntled politicians.

From Daniel's perspective, this was paradise.

'I'm not sure how long I'll be staying in Bellanos, but I'll enjoy this peace to the fullest while I'm here.'

Although he was dispatched as an ambassador, he usually wouldn't start working on the day of arrival.

After the official welcome, the Bellanos government would give him a day or two to recover from the journey, so he could do some sightseeing.

'Should I visit the famous dessert shops first? I heard Bellanos is famous for trifle.'

Trifle, a dessert with layers of custard and fruit topped with cream, was one of the desserts he wanted to try.

'There are shops in the Empire that imitate trifle, but the taste of the original must be different.'

As Daniel savored the thought and enjoyed the scenery, he suddenly paused.

He saw something rising to the surface of the water, not too far from the ship.

At first, he thought it was a whale, but whales didn't move so statically.

Staring at the shadow beneath the surface, Daniel broke out in a cold sweat.

'Don't tell me...'

He had a hunch that it might be an enemy submarine.

'If my guess is right...'

A submarine surfacing meant that it was preparing to launch a torpedo.

Due to technological limitations in this era, torpedoes could only be launched after surfacing near the enemy vessel.

'But...'

To attack a diplomatic vessel heading to a neutral country? Unable to comprehend this, Daniel let go of the railing and turned abruptly.

If that was a submarine, he had to inform the captain.

As he hurried towards the captain's cabin, he suddenly heard a dull thud.

The ship shook, and he stumbled.

At that moment, just as his suspicions were confirmed, a loud alarm started blaring from inside the ship.

Wheeeeeeeeeee—

As the emergency siren wailed, the people enjoying the sea breeze on the deck screamed in panic.

Some were so bewildered that they didn't know what to do.

Daniel let out a groan and approached them.

"We're under attack! But please remain calm! Women and children, hold onto the railing and brace yourselves. Men, follow me to get life jackets and the lifeboats..."

Before he could finish his sentence, another torpedo struck the ship.

BOOM!

An earsplitting explosion erupted, far greater than the previous one, and flames shot up.

As the ship shook violently, Daniel lost his balance and fell backwards.

He was thrown over the railing in the blink of an eye and stared blankly with his mouth agape.

'Ah.'

As he fell into the sea, all he could see was the ship slowly tilting amidst the flames.

The next moment,

Splash!

Daniel's body was engulfed by the ocean currents.

✧✦✧✦✧

A few hours later.

Waves gently crashed onto a deserted shore.

Daniel, who had been lying unconscious at the boundary between the receding waves and the sand, slowly opened his eyes.

Before he could even focus his vision, he vomited seawater.

He struggled to prop himself up on one arm and coughed violently, his head bowed towards the beach.

After a few minutes of retching, he looked around with a dazed expression.

Except for some mechanical debris and metal fragments washed ashore, there was no one around.

Holding his throbbing head, Daniel looked further into the distance.

He saw an abandoned fishing boat and a small hut.

Expanding his view, he could see a cluster of tiny buildings far away.

'...This isn't a deserted island.'

It seemed he had drifted to Bellanos.

Relieved, Daniel suddenly clenched his fists.

'That madman...! Attacking a diplomatic vessel just to get me?'

Daniel suspected that Count Caledra was behind this.

He was known for using any means necessary to achieve his goals.

Considering the recent assassination attempt by Lucy, it wasn't difficult to deduce that Caledra was behind this as well.

Daniel gritted his teeth in anger and stood up, his body tense.

'You'll regret not killing me. You won't get another chance.'

Narrowing his eyes, Daniel ran a hand through his hair.

Then, he took off his heavy, waterlogged officer's coat and started walking.

Now that he knew he was in Bellanos, his purpose and direction were clear.

'I need to go to the city hall, identify myself as an ambassador, and borrow their communication lines. The Empire probably doesn't know I'm alive, so I need to tell them myself. That way, it will be easier to request support...'

Daniel's frown softened.

'...The Empire doesn't know I'm alive?'

Logically, it wouldn't be easy to assume there would be survivors from a ship sunk by two torpedoes.

Reaching that conclusion, Daniel stopped walking across the beach.

He stood frozen in place, his face blank.

Swooooooosh—

On the white sand beach, with the sound of waves crashing against the shore, Daniel felt his heart pound as a realization dawned on him.

'Wait a minute, this...'

...means I've successfully escaped the Empire, doesn't it?