Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 82 - Time to Make a Decision

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Daniel walked for about three hours and arrived at Tentarbachem, the port city of Bellanos.

As he entered the city, he saw many merchants selling food and goods from their stalls between the relatively low buildings.

Whether it was due to the good weather or the fact that Bellanos' climate wasn't significantly affected by winter, it was generally pleasant.

'Not bad. This is passable.'

Daniel, assessing the weather of the country he would be spending a long time in, smiled faintly.

'Should I open a bakery here after I successfully change my identity? No, a port city is too risky, as there might be Imperial citizens coming and going. I should head inland...'

As Daniel was making plans for his new life, he suddenly frowned.

'The problem is money.'

'Identity laundering,' which was necessary to lay the foundation for his plans, required a considerable amount of money.

As far as Daniel knew, identity laundering wasn't just about creating a fake ID.

First, he had to secure a social security number from the government and obtain a passport.

Then, he had to open a bank account and register his residence to finally assume a new identity.

Naturally, this troublesome process required a large sum of money.

Not only did he need money to bribe officials, but he also had to lobby politicians.

Paying a commission to a broker who would handle all these tasks for him was another expense.

'Then how should I earn money...?'

Part-time jobs? It would be difficult to find one.

Even in this era, they usually checked IDs.

And even if he found a job that didn't require an ID, it wouldn't pay well.

Moreover, he couldn't rule out the possibility of getting caught up in trouble.

'Places that don't check IDs are usually shady.'

Thinking that it would be difficult to launder his identity with the income from a normal job, Daniel was walking with his hand on his chin when,

"Hey! Did I say anything wrong!? That bastard is a scammer!"

"No one will believe you if you cause a scene like that after losing money. I clearly warned you. If you cause trouble in my shop one more time, I'll kick you out."

Daniel looked up at the commotion happening in front of a bar in the distance.

A black-haired woman in luxurious casual clothes was arguing with someone who appeared to be the bar owner.

The woman was quite short for a woman, but her overflowing spirit was enough to overwhelm even a grown man.

"Causing a scene? Is it causing a scene to try and kick out a scammer from your shop? Is it because of money? If it's money, I can give you as much as you want, so just..."

"Customer! If you had any evidence to back up your claims of being scammed, I would understand! But what am I supposed to do when you're causing a scene without any proof, just because you lost at gambling?"

The bar owner retorted with a valid point, and the woman was speechless.

The bar owner, looking at the woman with pity, grabbed the doorknob.

"I don't like treating customers like this either. Why don't you step outside, get some fresh air, and come back in when you've calmed down?"

Saying that, the bar owner slammed the door shut.

The woman, left standing alone in front of the closed door, looked forlorn.

'That's unfortunate. I should help her out.'

As Daniel approached, sensing an opportunity to make some money, the woman turned her head.

"...What?"

She looked at Daniel with a sharp gaze, then paused.

Daniel placed his hand on his chest and said,

"I'm what you might call a 'debt collector' who retrieves unpaid money. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the bar owner, and it seems like you've been scammed. Am I right?"

"Uh..."

The woman nodded awkwardly, as he wasn't wrong.

Daniel, sensing a big catch, smiled faintly and knelt down to meet her eyes.

"Then why don't you entrust me with this matter? If you provide the initial funds, I'll recover all your lost money. However, there are some conditions."

"Conditions?"

"If I succeed, I'll only take half of the recovered amount as commission. And if I fail? I'll compensate you for the full amount. What do you think? It's a no-loss deal, isn't it?"

Half the amount? The woman was taken aback, but considering the full compensation in case of failure, it was indeed a no-loss deal.

Intrigued, the woman nodded slightly, and Daniel smiled and extended his hand.

"My name is Liberad. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Of course, it was an alias.

✧✦✧✦✧

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

"Everyone has arrived, Your Highness."

At Hartmann's words, Sylvia, who was sitting at the head of the table, looked up.

The key figures of the Empire were standing on both sides of the conference table, tense and at attention.

These were people who rarely gathered in one place, but Sylvia had dismissed the party leaders from the National Assembly and issued an emergency cabinet summons, bringing them all here.

They were all trying to read Sylvia's mood, having noticed the tear stains on her cheeks.

It was evidence that Sylvia had been crying alone in this cold and tense room for the past three hours, while the cabinet was assembled.

In the icy atmosphere, Sylvia slowly parted her lips.

"...Give your reports."

Among those who were cautiously observing her, Schiller Dines, the Minister of Public Information, was the first to speak.

"I ordered the press office chief and the broadcasting director to keep the information under wraps until it was officially confirmed, but it was no use. We couldn't stop the news from spreading, and now the citizens are agitated and angry."

Next, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency spoke up.

"Your Highness, the Central Intelligence Agency tried to identify the origin of the attack immediately after the sinking of the diplomatic vessel, but it wasn't easy. We investigated both official and unofficial departure records of the Allied Nations, suspecting their involvement, but there were no records matching the incident."

Sylvia's cold gaze fell upon the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

"Are you suggesting that the Allied Nations weren't involved?"

"N-No, Your Highness. I'm simply informing you that it's highly likely that the submarine departed from a port other than those belonging to the Allied Nations. Therefore, we can't rashly conclude that it was an 'Allied terrorist attack.'"

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency lowered his head, sweating.

Unable to bear the sight any longer, the Minister of National Defense interjected.

"Your Highness, the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency is correct. It would be best not to act rashly until the situation is clarified. We can postpone directing our anger at the Allied Nations until after the investigation is complete."

Sylvia's gaze shifted to the Minister of National Defense.

"Investigate the situation?"

"Yes. As you know, the attack on the diplomatic vessel occurred within Bellanos' territorial waters. Therefore, it's highly likely that a naval commander in Bellanos granted access to their waters to unknown terrorists. We need to investigate who that person is. And also..."

The Minister of National Defense lowered his head.

"According to the naval strategist, we can't rule out the possibility that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner is alive."

After a brief silence, Sylvia asked urgently,

"Is that true?"

"Yes, Your Highness. Although the probability is low, considering the ocean currents at the time, it's not entirely impossible. If Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner was on the deck instead of inside his room, was relatively far from the point of impact, and fell into the sea before the ship sank..."

The Minister of National Defense raised his head.

"He might have drifted to one of the coasts of Bellanos near the incident site. Of course, as I mentioned before, the probability is very low, but it's not impossible."

At the Minister's words, the cabinet members began to murmur.

Although most of them found it hard to believe, Sylvia wanted to cling to even that faint glimmer of hope.

Clutching the armrests of her chair tightly, Sylvia ordered,

"Assemble a fleet to depart for Bellanos immediately. We will conduct a large-scale search operation."

Silence fell over the conference hall at her words.

Everyone here knew the gravity of Sylvia's declaration.

Among them, the Minister of National Defense cautiously spoke up.

"Your Highness, while it is a reasonable order, this would mean entering another nation's territorial waters with a fleet. We can expect backlash from Bellanos. Furthermore, to conduct a search operation with the military, we would need their consent. Perhaps it would be best to send a negotiation team first..."

The Minister of National Defense trailed off.

He realized that Sylvia was looking at him with disdain.

After silencing the Minister, Sylvia spoke,

"What we need now is not negotiation, but a message. So tell them."

Sylvia abruptly stood up, and the ministers and agency directors all bowed their heads.

"If Bellanos doesn't open its territorial waters to the Imperial fleet that will be dispatched to investigate this incident..."

Sylvia, asserting her authority over the cabinet, narrowed her eyes with cold fury.

"Bellanos will be treated the same as the terrorists."