Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 81 - Conflicting Joy and Sorrow

『 Translator – Divinity 』

The cool sea breeze swept through Daniel's hair.

Standing still on the white sand beach, basking in the wind, Daniel suddenly let out a hollow laugh.

'This is absurd...'

He clicked his tongue and reminisced about the past.

About the countless things he had done to escape the Empire.

As if playing a cruel trick, all those attempts had ended in failure.

Moreover, the more he struggled to escape, the higher his position rose, and the more famous he became.

Having experienced this absurd situation repeatedly, Daniel had almost given up.

He thought it would be impossible to escape the Empire now.

'But...!'

As they say, there's always a way out, even if the sky falls.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a golden opportunity had presented itself to Daniel Steiner.

A chance to erase his past mistakes and start a new life had finally arrived.

The thought made the unpleasantness of being attacked by the enemy disappear in an instant.

Feeling his heart lighten, Daniel walked towards the nearby hut.

It was risky to meet someone while still in his uniform, but he wasn't worried.

He had a reason.

'The fishing boat near the hut is rusty and covered in moss. It hasn't been maintained for a while, so the hut must also be abandoned.'

Even if there was someone there, he could just make an excuse and leave.

Walking towards the hut across the sandy beach, Daniel knocked on the shabby door with the back of his hand.

"Is anyone there?"

There was no answer.

Daniel knocked again.

"I'm a castaway seeking help. Is anyone there?"

There was still no answer.

Convinced that it was an abandoned hut, Daniel grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door inwards.

The old hinges creaked, and the door swung open.

Just in case, Daniel narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the interior.

There was no sign of anyone in the hut, which was filled with various odds and ends and boxes.

He stepped inside and looked around, but it was the same.

Finally relaxing, Daniel looked through the items in the boxes.

'Old clothes, worn-out shoes... and broken appliances.'

It seemed like this hut was a storage space for unwanted items.

But for Daniel, who wanted to hide his identity, it was a treasure trove.

Chuckling softly, he rummaged through the boxes, searching for usable clothes.

After rummaging for about thirty minutes, Daniel finally found some decent cotton clothes and shoes.

There were signs of mending, but they were good enough to wear.

Satisfied, Daniel immediately took off his uniform, dried himself, and changed into the old clothes.

Then, he found an old pair of sunglasses among the clutter and put them on, along with a fedora.

Without a mirror, he checked his appearance in the window and smiled with satisfaction.

'Good. No one will recognize me now.'

Even if they did, he could just say it was a coincidence and slip away.

'Unfortunately, Daniel Steiner is dead.'

From this day forward, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, Operations Staff Officer of the General Staff Headquarters, was as good as dead.

Daniel, burying his name in his heart, observed a moment of silence in mourning.

After the brief moment of silence, Daniel adjusted his sleeves and stepped out of the hut.

He could see the sun setting over the sea, painting the sky with a beautiful array of colors.

The lights in the barnacle-like cluster of buildings in the distance were starting to come on one by one, creating a warm and dreamlike scene in harmony with the sunset.

'I should head there first. The most important thing right now is to secure funds for a new identity.'

Having made up his mind, Daniel started walking.

Stepping onto the beach in ordinary shoes instead of military boots, he took a deep breath.

The fresh air filling his lungs felt exhilarating.

He looked up at the reddish sky and suddenly burst into laughter, spreading his arms wide.

"After much hardship, you have finally come to me! Sweet and idyllic freedom!"

He hadn't realized that escaping from constraints and oppression could be this exhilarating.

"From now on, there will be no misfortune for me, only happiness!"

Daniel declared playfully, like the protagonist of a play, and started walking with light steps.

His destination was Tentarbachem, the port city of Bellanos.

He planned to secure funds for a new identity there.

✧✦✧✦✧

Meanwhile, at the grand conference hall of the Imperial Palace.

"So you're saying that provoking the Allied Nations and other major powers with that all-out war speech was the right thing to do? Is that the official stance of the Central National Party?"

"I didn't say it was the right thing to do. But how can you interpret the all-out war speech as provoking the major powers? Look at the essence of the speech, not a distorted version!"

The party leaders were engaged in heated debate at the long conference table in the grand hall.

The loudest among them were Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, and Elkar, the leader of the Central National Party.

Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, would criticize Daniel Steiner's all-out war speech, and Elkar, the leader of the Central National Party, would refute him.

"You fail to see the essence! Even though the people are united due to the all-out war speech, the war situation is still unfavorable! You know that we won't be facing just the Allied Nations, don't you!"

"That's precisely why Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's speech is meaningful! Of course, I agree that his speech was somewhat radical and hawkish, but considering the current situation of the Empire, he's not wrong!"

Elkar, one of the younger party leaders gathered here, raised his voice.

"But it seems to me that the leader of the Liberal Social Party has been trying to portray Lieutenant Colonel Daniel as someone acting for his own benefit. Am I mistaken?"

"Ha! Portray? If you have a brain, think about it. Who benefits the most from the all-out war speech? It's Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner!"

"You're saying that someone seeking personal gain would volunteer to be appointed to the remote post of ambassador to Bellanos? Don't you think that's contradictory?"

Sylvia, who had been observing their conversation from the head of the table, sighed softly.

'Things are unfolding just as Deputy Chief of Staff Cedric said...'

He had said that if Daniel was dispatched as the ambassador to Bellanos, it would lead to factional strife, and it seemed he was right.

Thinking back, the party leaders from the National Assembly had come to see her, the acting regent, during lunchtime today, saying they had urgent matters to discuss.

So, Sylvia had offered them the conference hall and asked them to speak their minds. Then, Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, insisted on creating a law to restrict Daniel Steiner, which led to this chaos.

It had certainly started as a healthy exchange of opinions, but as time passed, their voices grew louder, and now it had escalated into a shouting match.

Sylvia was displeased.

Even more displeasing was Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, who was insisting on putting Daniel under legal restrictions.

'Why does that old man keep badmouthing Daniel?'

Compared to the numerous benefits Daniel had brought to the Empire, all Campbell had done was use his connections and family ties to become the party leader and rule the National Assembly like a king.

She had also heard that the Speaker of the National Assembly was also from the Liberal Social Party, which explained why Campbell could speak so boldly in front of the other members.

'I need to say something.'

Her father had told her to listen to the representatives without interrupting, as they were essentially conveying the voice of the people, but she couldn't endure it any longer.

Just as Sylvia was about to speak,

"Your Highness!"

The door to the conference hall burst open, and Hartmann, the chief bodyguard of the Imperial Guard, entered.

He flung the door open without any regard for court etiquette and rushed towards Sylvia upon seeing her.

Although his actions were incredibly rude, Sylvia was only confused.

This was because she knew there had to be a reason for Hartmann to disregard etiquette.

Hartmann, panting, knelt on one knee in front of Sylvia.

"Your Highness! Please forgive my rudeness! I was simply hasty in delivering this urgent news."

Urgent news? Sylvia paused for a moment, then spoke.

"What is it? Has Father's health deteriorated?"

"No, Your Highness. The urgent news I bring concerns the dispatch of the ambassador to Bellanos. I'm deeply sorry to report that the diplomatic vessel heading to Bellanos..."

Hartmann, watching Sylvia's reaction, lowered his head.

"...has been sunk by an enemy torpedo attack."

The shocking news silenced all the representatives who had been passionately debating just moments ago.

Sylvia was no exception.

Frozen in place for a long time, she finally murmured in a daze,

"That's..."

Her voice trembled uncontrollably. Hartmann let out a short groan.

Sylvia held her breath as if in disbelief and spoke with difficulty,

"That can't be..."

Her voice was weak, as if she was trying to deny reality.

Hartmann, sensing her emotions, simply lowered his head further in silence.