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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Cornered Wolf
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About two weeks after the negotiations were concluded, the Kingdom of Belmore sent imperial engineers, including Hans Zernmehart, to Barheim.
After confirming the engineers' identities, Daniel sent the Crown Prince and the entire battalion back to the Kingdom of Belmore, then requested to return to the General Staff Headquarters.
The General Staff Headquarters, unwilling to leave Daniel Steiner, who had successfully completed his mission, idle on the battlefield, accepted his request to return.
Thanks to this, Daniel escorted the engineers, including Hans Zernmehart, to the capital. After safely arriving, he requested an audience with Her Imperial Highness, the Princess.
It wasn't the Imperial Family who had summoned him; Daniel Steiner had requested the audience himself.
This wasn't an action an ordinary operations staff officer and field-grade officer could take, but if that officer's name was Daniel Steiner, it was a different story.
The Imperial Family dared not ignore Daniel Steiner's request, so they informed the Princess. Selvia accepted, despite her busy schedule.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner."
And so, Daniel found himself in the audience chamber, meeting with Selvia, who was seated on the throne.
He wasn't sure if it was the atmosphere, but Selvia seemed to have matured somehow.
Perhaps she had gone through more than expected during the month and a half he had been away on operation, as Selvia's appearance was now closer to that of a lady than a girl.
Selvia, blinking her tired blue eyes, parted her delicate lips.
"You wished to see me?"
In the audience chamber, adorned with a red carpet, Daniel knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
"That is correct. I apologize for taking up Your Imperial Highness's valuable time, but I judged this to be an urgent matter that I needed to report directly to Your Highness."
"Whether it is regrettable or not, I shall judge after hearing it. Speak."
"Understood. In truth…"
Daniel told Selvia everything he had experienced.
He explained that he had found Crown Prince Blef of the Kingdom of Belmore's surprise attack suspicious. A separate investigation at the negotiation site had revealed that Kembell, the leader of the Free Society Party, was leaking confidential information.
Selvia's expression turned serious after hearing the entire story.
She already knew that Daniel had used Crown Prince Blef's surprise attack to his advantage, securing victory.
But the fact that Kembell, the leader of the Free Society Party, had leaked imperial secrets was new to her.
If all of this was true, it was clearly an 'urgent matter' as Daniel had stated.
"Is that true? Is there truly not a single lie in this…?"
"Yes. If you wish for a witness, you may call in my adjutant, who is currently waiting outside the audience chamber. My adjutant was also present at the negotiation site and can corroborate my statement."
One of Selvia's eyebrows twitched subtly.
This was because something about Daniel mentioning his adjutant displeased her.
"I am not asking for a witness to be present, but asking for your true intentions, Daniel Steiner. If you are confident in your claims, raise your head and speak."
Daniel, raising his head, spoke with a serious expression.
"I am certain."
He spoke with such certainty that she couldn't keep pressing him.
'Considering he's willing to present his adjutant as a witness, it doesn't seem like a lie…'
Daniel Steiner was not the kind of person to submit a false report in the first place.
Selvia, trusting Daniel, raised her hand and gestured lightly.
It was a sign for him to rise, indicating she would believe him, so Daniel nodded.
As Daniel rose from his seat, Selvia placed her hand on the armrest of the throne.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel. So, what is it you wish from me?"
At her prompt to get to the main point, Daniel opened his mouth after a brief moment of thought.
"I wish for you to grant me temporary investigative authority to thoroughly investigate this incident."
Under imperial law, if a politician posing a military threat was discovered, temporary investigative authority could be granted to military personnel under the Collaborator Eradication Act until the matter was resolved.
Daniel Steiner was requesting that investigative authority be granted to him based on that law.
It was a reasonable request, but from Selvia's perspective, it required a bit of caution.
"...You must know that granting investigative authority to a lieutenant colonel is not such a simple matter."
The moment Selvia empowered Daniel, there was a possibility that nobles asserting the Imperial Family's legitimacy would rise up.
It was obvious that they would object to Daniel Steiner, merely an orphan, daring to investigate a politician of noble birth.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel? How about reconsidering? Wouldn't it be better to hand over the investigation to the Security Bureau or the Military Police?"
"Your Highness. The leader of a political party is acting as a collaborator. What does this imply? It means that corrupt individuals exist not only in the Security Bureau but also in the Military Police."
Selvia fell silent.
Because Daniel's words were not wrong.
"Even if I ordered them to investigate, a proper investigation would not be carried out. Therefore, I intend to investigate the leader of the Free Society Party myself and ascertain how far its roots extend."
"...I understand your intentions. But if you cannot secure proper evidence, even I cannot protect you, Lieutenant Colonel."
The testimony of the enemy division commander alone could not prove that Kembell was a collaborator.
Thus, Daniel inevitably had to obtain a confession from Kembell or collect evidence.
If he failed to secure evidence that Kembell was a traitor to the Empire during that process, Daniel would be attacked by the nobles and brought to trial.
The nobles who resented Daniel would desperately try to increase the severity of the sentence, so in the worst case, he could be sentenced to death.
Selvia couldn't understand why he would take such a risk, but from Daniel's perspective, there was no other option.
'If I don't strike them a blow this time, it's just a matter of dying sooner or later.'
Only by showing them how far a cornered wolf can bare its fangs would they also learn caution.
"I am not seeking protection. I merely wish to dedicate myself to Your Imperial Highness and this Empire. Therefore, I ask that you please grant me investigative authority. I will bear all responsibility."
Daniel, hiding his true motive of self-preservation, bowed his head as respectfully as possible.
Selvia didn't want to accept, but she couldn't refuse Daniel's first request.
Ultimately, Selvia, who decided to trust Daniel, nodded her head.
"Understood. I will write you the letter of delegation, so conduct a proper investigation. However…"
Selvia looked down at Daniel and continued.
"The deadline is before the coronation. I detest scandals circulating during the coronation. Do you understand what I mean?"
It meant to handle the matter and report as quickly as possible.
Even if he failed to achieve results, it also meant that after the coronation, Selvia, having fully inherited the imperial authority, would appease the nobles' anger by revoking the investigative authority.
These words were purely for Daniel's sake, and Daniel, who was not unaware of this, placed his hand on his chest with a faint smile.
"I will keep that in mind, Your Imperial Highness."
"Very well. You may return now."
At Selvia's dismissal, Daniel saluted respectfully, turned, and walked out.
As Daniel was about to leave, a palace guard opened the door, revealing a long corridor.
And Lucy, who was waiting there.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
As Daniel stepped into the corridor, Lucy followed close behind.
"Did the discussion conclude well?"
Daniel, walking along the corridor, casually opened his mouth.
"Yes. Her Imperial Highness has agreed to write the letter of delegation, so as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow, I will head to Kembell's residence. In relation to that, prepare soldiers and bring one bullet without gunpowder."
What on earth would he use a bullet without gunpowder for? Lucy was puzzled, but Daniel always showed unexpected eccentricities, so she didn't press him.
"Understood. I will prepare quickly."
Daniel nodded at Lucy's words and continued walking, his eyes filled with deep thought.
Walking beside him and gazing at Daniel, Lucy suddenly recalled Daniel longing for a deceased woman in his office at the Barheim Brigade Headquarters.
This was because Daniel's gaze now felt somewhat similar to how it had been then.
"Lieutenant Colonel Daniel."
Lucy knew it wasn't the right time to talk, but feeling she had to apologize, she carefully opened her mouth.
"Previously, at the Brigade Headquarters, I unintentionally overheard you muttering while looking at a photograph, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel. I don't think I'll have time tomorrow, so I wanted to apologize now."
A photograph? Daniel, wondering what she meant, turned to Lucy and soon understood.
"It was merely reminiscing about old memories, so there's no need to apologize. Though it's sad that she left me, it's merely the past."
"...From what you say, you must have been very close."
"She was an irreplaceable friend. I even made her a birthday present myself for the very first time in my life."
"A present, you say?"
"Ah. It was a dog collar made of good leather. Kelly loved wearing it on walks."
Lucy, who was listening, stopped dead in her tracks.
'A dog collar as a birthday present?'
In her confusion, Lucy's eyes widened, and she unconsciously hugged the documents in her arms.
'…And that woman liked wearing a dog collar on walks?'
Lucy simply couldn't comprehend Daniel's words.