Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 85
Remember the Hero's Death

『 TL – Divinity 』

『 PR – Vein 』

While Lucy was coming to terms with her feelings, Daniel was spending his time leisurely at a cocktail bar that Lef, his client, had brought him to.

"You know, I thought you had completely lost it back then!"

Lef, sitting at the bar counter, said with unconcealed excitement.

"Seeing you go all-in with a no-pair hand, I thought, 'Is this crazy bastard playing with my money?' But I was wrong. Who would have thought that your trash hand would turn into a Royal Straight Flush in the blink of an eye!"

Ahaha! Lef burst into laughter, tears welling up in her eyes.

"The best part was that that scammer bastard was so scared that he couldn't even say anything. What a loser. It felt so good. Like I had finally gotten rid of a decade-old indigestion."

Lef took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Ha, there's nothing fun about living in this shithole of a place. Thanks to you, I finally had a good laugh after a long time. At first, I thought you were some crazy guy, but it seems I made the right decision trusting you."

Daniel, listening to her story from the seat next to her, smiled faintly.

"I'm glad you're satisfied."

Lef looked at him meaningfully, her eyes narrowed.

"...But it's strange. There's no way I wouldn't know a skilled gambler like you. You... You're not from Tentarbachem, are you?"

"You're right. I'm a foreigner."

"As expected. People with skin as fair as yours in this place are either nobles or foreigners. Nobles are usually arrogant, but you're not, so I thought you must be a foreigner."

Daniel was about to come up with a fake hometown and an excuse, thinking she would ask where he was from, but Lef didn't seem interested in that.

"Then can you tell me about your past?"

Lef was more curious about Daniel's past than his identity.

"I love hearing stories from foreigners. Listening to all those different experiences makes me feel like I'm traveling. So tell me, why did you come to this shithole of a place?"

To be honest, he had been dispatched as an ambassador to Bellanos and was on his way there on a diplomatic vessel when it was sunk by a torpedo, but he couldn't say that out loud.

But he couldn't remain silent either, as it would raise suspicion, so he decided to tell her the root cause of his arrival here.

"I can't tell you the details, but simply put, I ran away from the women in my country because I was scared of them."

"Women?"

Had he been caught cheating like a casanova? As Lef's eyes sparkled with interest, Daniel said with self-deprecating humor,

"There were three women. One who tried to kill me, one who tried to use me, and one who seemed to have some mental issues and blindly worshipped me. It was suffocating; I couldn't live like that anymore."

Three? Lef's eyes widened in surprise.

"...You were quite the player, weren't you?"

What was she talking about? Daniel blinked his eyes in confusion and asked,

"A player? Did you even listen to what I said? They tried to kill me and use me."

"Are you an idiot? What woman would try to kill or use a man she's not interested in? They were simply expressing affection."

"No..."

Thinking that she was misunderstanding something, he was about to explain the situation in detail, but then he stopped.

He didn't think he could convince this young lady who seemed to have learned about love from romance novels.

As Daniel clicked his tongue in exasperation, the bartender approached and handed him a cocktail.

"Thank you for waiting. Your Bloody Mary, sir."

The cocktail, served in a tall, slender glass, was a vibrant red.

It was a deep color, as it was a tomato-based cocktail.

Daniel stared at the cocktail and naturally thought of Lucy.

His adjutant with her beautiful red eyes.

'She must have heard about the ship sinking by now...'

He wondered how she would react to the news.

'She'll probably be happy, right?'

She wouldn't be sad about her assassination target dying.

Unless she felt guilty.

'And...'

If it was true that the Allied Nations sank the ship, then Lucy must have known about it in advance.

'There's no way they would carry out the operation without informing her. Then...'

...was her agreement to his suggestion to have stollen together on Christmas all an act as well?

A bitter smile formed on his lips.

Lef, watching him from the side, felt her heart pounding.

He looked like he was reminiscing about a past lover, gazing at the cocktail with a melancholic smile.

'What kind of story does he have?'

For Lef, whose only joy was listening to stories from foreigners, Daniel's current appearance was intriguing.

"Say, Liberad, was it?"

Daniel naturally nodded at being called by his alias.

"Yes."

"Alright. I'm interested in you, so how about coming to my mansion? I'd like to treat you to a meal and hear more of your stories."

"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline."

It was an immediate answer.

"It's my principle not to get personally involved with clients. So, if possible, I'd prefer it if we went back to being strangers after leaving this place..."

"Didn't you say you needed money?"

Daniel's mouth closed at the mention of money.

Indeed, the money he had received wasn't nearly enough for him to change his identity and open a bakery.

Lef, noticing Daniel's financial situation, gave a playful smile.

"If you accept my invitation, I can give you far more money than what you have now. And I'm not asking you to come right away. I'll formally invite you in a few days, so come then. It's a win-win situation, isn't it? Will you still refuse?"

"Of course..."

Daniel paused for a moment, then looked at Lef.

"I accept your invitation."

It was too much money to refuse.

═ ⋆★⋆ ═

The next morning.

Southern part of the Empire, Sanctuary of the Glorious Saint Michael Church.

"Did you hear the news? About the diplomatic vessel being sunk."

"Was it the Allied Nations? Even during wartime, to attack civilians..."

The believers gathered in the main chapel murmured about the recent ship sinking incident.

Frienne, sitting in the front row, was listening to their chatter with one ear and letting it out the other.

No, to be more precise, she wasn't in the right state of mind to pay attention to their words.

'Why?'

Why did Daniel Steiner have to die, out of all people?

'Why?'

Why didn't God protect Daniel Steiner?

'Why?'

Why did God take away even the chance for her to die in his place?

Frienne's eyes were hollow as she endlessly questioned herself.

And her usually shiny light brown hair was now dry and disheveled.

This was the result of her continuously neglecting herself after hearing the news of the ship carrying Daniel Steiner being sunk. She hadn't eaten or slept, and she had been constantly harming herself.

'Why?'

As Frienne asked herself again, Bellaf, her father and the head priest, walked up to the pulpit.

He tapped the microphone and looked around at the large crowd gathered in the cathedral.

"Ah, my brothers and sisters. On behalf of God, I thank you for gracing us with your presence, seeking peace of mind in these difficult times. I also express my gratitude to my daughter, who has brought honor to the Sanctuary of the Glorious Saint Michael Church by graduating early from the Military Academy."

Frienne's father's benevolent voice echoed throughout the grand chapel, but she paid no attention.

Her mind was consumed with thoughts of Daniel Steiner's death.

"Praying for the Empire's decisive victory, before we begin our service, we will hear a speech from my daughter. Frienne?"

Frienne didn't raise her head.

Bellaf, a bit flustered, cleared his throat and called again,

"Frienne Remilliarde!"

Startled by the loud voice, Frienne looked up at her father.

Bellaf frowned at her, then gestured for her to come up.

Frienne finally remembered why she was here.

Graduates of the military academy were given a short vacation before being deployed to their units.

Frienne, who had graduated early, was no exception, so she was back in her hometown on vacation.

Bellaf, seeing her, asked her to give a speech before the service.

This was to elevate the family's status and enhance the church's prestige.

"Yes, Father..."

Led by her father's ambition, Frienne stood up and walked towards the podium.

As she climbed the stairs, Bellaf stepped aside.

Standing in front of the podium, Frienne noticed a prepared speech on the desk.

It was a speech written by Bellaf, not her.

Frienne chuckled as she read the content of the speech, which was clearly intended for her to read as is.

The speech was filled with lines like, "I was born with black mana and lived a life no different from a Devil."

And at the end of the speech was a long-winded story about how she repented and was saved through the church's teachings.

'Don't make me laugh.'

Frienne wasn't saved by the church's teachings but by Daniel Steiner.

The foundation of her faith wasn't the church's teachings but Daniel Steiner himself.

Biting her lip in anger, Frienne threw the speech aside.

The speech fluttered in the air and fell to the floor, and Bellaf, as well as the believers, were taken aback.

Frienne, looking at them, slowly spoke,

"...I have experienced countless injustices in my life."

Her voice, amplified by the microphone, reached the back of the grand chapel.

"I was criticized and ostracized simply because I was born with black mana. Even the clergymen, who are known for being merciful, thought of me as lowly."

"What...!"

Frightened, Bellaf tried to stop Frienne, but she glared at her father as he approached.

Intimidated by her imposing aura, Bellaf faltered, and Frienne raised her head, looking straight ahead.

"But Lieutenant Colonel Daniel was different! He didn't shun me because of my black mana! Instead, he embraced me and said my abilities were a blessing!"

Frienne's voice gradually grew stronger.

"And that's not all! My fellow believers, do you remember Acts 10:34? That God's grace is given equally to all nations and races! In that sense, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel spread God's teachings beyond the borders of our nation by abolishing racial discrimination in Nordia!"

Frienne raised her hand and gripped the podium.

"Also, in the devastating war in the north, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel brought an early end to the conflict with the Kingdom through negotiations. Think of the countless lives that were saved because of him!"

Frienne closed her eyes and sobbed sorrowfully.

"Ah, he was a saint. He was no different from a saint to me and to everyone else. And those children of Satan took the life of that innocent man. Who could they be?"

Some of the believers in the audience shouted,

— The Allied Nations!

Hearing this, Frienne slowly opened her eyes.

"Yes, there is no other Devil who would attack our saint but the Allied Nations! Then what should we do? Should we just stand by and watch the atrocities of the Devil?"

Frienne shook her head.

"No! Those who ignore the Devil are no different from the Devil themselves! We must spread the word of the Devil's deeds and ensure that the death of Daniel Steiner, the death of a hero, is not in vain! That must be God's will!"

Voices of agreement and nods arose from the crowd.

"God doesn't give us trials we cannot overcome. Therefore...!"

Frienne tightened her grip on the podium and raised her voice.

"It is time to act according to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel's words! I dare say to you, on behalf of God, that the saint's death means only one thing! And that is...!"

Frienne's eyes, which had been vacant, were now filled with furious anger.

"A holy war!"

The weight of the word "holy war" moved the believers to stand up one by one.

Frienne's words became the trigger for action, as their anger towards the Allied Nations was already reaching its peak.

"My brothers and sisters! Children of God! We will never forget the death of Daniel Steiner! So rise! We will rise and fight as one!"

Frienne, passionately speaking in front of the giant cross, seemed divine to the believers.

Cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

Some of the more fervent believers even shouted,

— A holy war!

— Bring down God's wrath upon the devils of the Allied Nations!

In that space filled with a mix of faith and fury, Frienne clasped her hands together and prayed devoutly.

'Although Lieutenant Colonel Daniel has departed from this world...'

...I will carry on his will.