Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 88 - Daniel Steiner, Deceiving Everyone

『 TL – Divinity 』

『 PR – Vein 』

Edvol's eyes darted around as he gulped nervously.

Deciding it was best to cooperate for now, he gave a small nod.

He cautiously walked over to the sofa and sat across from Hamtal.

The Black Swan member disguised as a soldier was still aiming his gun at him.

Edvol glanced at him, and Hamtal raised his hand.

The member silently lowered his weapon.

Realizing that they weren't going to kill him, Edvol relaxed slightly and looked at Hamtal.

"...What do you want?"

Hamtal didn't answer.

He simply stared intently at Edvol.

Silence could sometimes be a powerful weapon.

Feeling the pressure, Edvol spoke up even though Hamtal hadn't asked him anything.

"Are you from the Imperial Intelligence Agency? If so, I'll cooperate. As you probably already know, I'm the one who ordered the opening of our territorial waters to the submarine. But it was because the Allied Nations threatened me. I can provide evidence regarding—"

Wait.

Edvol paused mid-sentence.

His train of thought stopped.

'Was there... any evidence?'

Edvol thought back to his dealings with the Allied Nations.

They had always sent someone to deliver orders or bribes verbally.

And they did so only in places where there were no witnesses.

Furthermore, the bribes were always in cash, not through bank transactions.

This meant that there were no documents or communication records.

There was no evidence.

Realizing that he had been tricked by the Allied Nations, Edvol's eyes trembled.

"Edvol."

Hamtal, who had been observing him, quietly spoke.

"We don't want anything trivial from you. We just want you to tell the truth to the world."

Edvol broke out in a cold sweat.

The ticking of the wall clock sounded particularly loud.

He frowned and exhaled shakily.

"I can't do that. That's no different from asking me to die. If you came here to make a deal, then make a proper offer."

Hamtal chuckled softly.

"It seems you still think we're Imperial Intelligence agents. There's no cure for stupidity, they say."

Hamtal pondered for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright. Since we've met like this, I'll tell you an old story of mine."

Hamtal raised his hand and touched his fingers.

"Edvol, do you know how long it takes for a nail to grow back after it's been pulled out?"

Edvol didn't answer.

No, it was more accurate to say that he couldn't answer.

If he had lived an ordinary life, he wouldn't have had to worry about nails being pulled out and growing back.

"It takes at least six months, sometimes even close to a year. Let me tell you, it's not information I wanted to know either. Having your nails pulled out is one of the worst kinds of pain imaginable."

Hamtal clicked his tongue softly.

"When I was young, it was natural for black people to be discriminated against. It's not much different now, but back then, they didn't even treat us like humans. We were considered the same as talking animals."

Hamtal let out a self-deprecating laugh.

The sound of his laughter strangely weighed down the atmosphere.

"Back then, I was no different from a beast. Because the one who owned me treated me like one. He had a twisted hobby, which was torturing black slaves."

Hamtal took off his leather gloves.

The smile disappeared from his face as he looked at his hands.

"Because of that, being beaten by my owner was an everyday occurrence. I was covered in wounds. Ironically, I thought I could endure it. It was a terrible slave mentality."

"......"

"But it seems my master thought I needed more stimulation, because one day he came to me with a pair of pliers. That day, I lost my nails amidst screams."

Hamtal turned his hand and showed it to Edvol.

His nails were uneven and bumpy.

It was a deformity caused by the regrowth process after they had been pulled out.

"It was agonizing. I later learned that there's an excessive distribution of nerves under the fingernails. So the pain is far greater than a simple cut."

Hamtal withdrew his hand and put his gloves back on.

"What was even more agonizing was that I couldn't even hold anything after losing my nails. Every time I tried to grab something, excruciating pain would shoot through my fingertips, making it difficult to even lift a glass of water."

"......"

"So I made up my mind. To kill the master who put me through this hell. That anger alone allowed me to endure for years. But unfortunately, I never got the chance for revenge."

Hamtal's eyes slowly closed, then opened again.

"Because one of my fellow slaves, unable to bear our master's tyranny any longer, snatched a gun and shot him. How do you think I felt then? Tell me."

Edvol, gauging Hamtal's mood, spoke with difficulty,

"...You weren't happy?"

Hamtal let out a low chuckle and shook his head.

"Not at all. My master died too easily. With a bullet in his head, he wouldn't have felt any pain. A peaceful death like that was an undeserved luxury for him."

"So..."

"Back then, I was filled with rage. I wanted to bring him back to life, if possible. Bring him back to life and inflict the same pain he inflicted on me. I wanted to show him the hell of living a life where he couldn't die, yet couldn't truly live either."

Hamtal stopped laughing and stared intently at Edvol.

"But now, that rage..."

His hollow eyes held a cold, murderous glint.

"...is directed towards you."

Edvol's breath hitched in fear at his words.

Those words carried an unknown terror that went beyond a simple threat of torture.

Hamtal, quietly observing the terrified Edvol, shook his head.

"But I'm not going to do that. I'm not like my master. However, Edvol, if you refuse our offer..."

In the chilling atmosphere, Hamtal continued,

"We will gladly become demons ourselves."

Edvol, facing Hamtal, gasped and involuntarily lowered his gaze.

He couldn't bear to meet Hamtal's eyes.

"This is your only chance. I hope you make the wise choice."

If you don't reveal the truth to the world, you will face hell.

That's what Hamtal meant. He picked up his fedora from the table and put it back on.

Then, as Hamtal stood up, Edvol, who had been looking down, asked in a trembling voice,

"...May I ask one question?"

"What is it?"

"If you're not from the Empire's Intelligence Agency, then why are you trying to uncover the truth behind the sinking of the diplomatic vessel?"

It was a question Edvol asked with courage, but Hamtal and the Black Swan member only scoffed.

However, their laughter didn't last long.

It abruptly stopped, and then Hamtal's chilling voice rang out.

"You know, don't you? You touched someone you shouldn't have touched."

Edvol's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me..."

He had heard about the existence of Daniel Steiner's unknown private army, called the Armed Guard.

Just as Edvol realized Hamtal's identity, he felt a thud against the back of his neck.

Unable to even scream, he collapsed onto the floor, his eyes rolling back.

In his fading vision, he saw Hamtal looking down at him.

"All of this is..."

His consciousness slowly drifted away.

Just before Edvol passed out, Hamtal tilted the brim of his fedora and whispered,

"For Daniel Steiner."

═ ⋆★⋆ ═

Meanwhile, the Imperial fleet, having crossed Bellanos' territorial waters at Sylvia's command, safely arrived at the port of Tentarbachem.

The sight of four massive warships escorting four landing ships carrying troops and two supply ships across the sea and into the harbor was truly spectacular.

With maritime patrol aircraft circling the fleet and Imperial fighter jets patrolling the skies above Tentarbachem, the citizens initially mistook it for the start of a war.

To avoid any misunderstandings, the commander of the fleet explained the reason for their arrival and then ordered the search operation.

As if there was no time for rest, the troops immediately began their search.

The search party included the Imperial Guard, led by Hartmann, the chief bodyguard, who commanded a battalion-sized force.

"We will search this coastal area! It's an order from Her Highness! Search every nook and cranny!"

Hartmann gave the order at a coastal area, and the Imperial Guards dispersed in all directions to begin their search.

After confirming that the troops were moving efficiently, Hartmann looked around.

'An abandoned fishing boat and a hut...'

It was a desolate scene.

Just as Hartmann decided to check the hut and started walking towards it,

"Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann!"

He turned his head at his subordinate's call.

The subordinate, his eyes wide with disbelief, reported,

"...I think we found something."

Hartmann immediately rushed over to his subordinate.

He saw a uniform half-buried in the sand at the subordinate's feet.

'This is...'

Hartmann knelt and dug out the uniform from the sand.

It had a Gugseon Medal and even a Golden Cross Medal attached to it.

It was unmistakably Daniel Steiner's uniform.

"Huh..."

Hartmann, dumbfounded, stared blankly with his mouth agape. His subordinate spoke up,

"Did he hide his uniform?"

Hartmann, snapping out of his daze, nodded.

"He must have hastily buried the uniform in the sand before leaving this place. It seems the strong winds these past few days blew away the sand and exposed it."

"Why would Lieutenant Colonel Daniel do that...?"

"After being stranded, he must have realized there was someone in Bellanos colluding with the enemy. So it makes sense that he would take off his uniform to hide his identity."

Hartmann put down the uniform and stood up.

"Of course, that's not the only reason he hid his identity. He must have intended to use his 'death' to his advantage."

"I don't understand what you mean..."

"Sergeant Pandeim, think carefully. We were able to enter Bellanos without bloodshed under the pretense of investigating the death of Daniel Steiner. What does that mean?"

It meant that the Prime Minister of Bellanos had no choice but to assume a submissive stance towards the Empire.

Not only had a terrorist attack against the Empire occurred within their territorial waters, but they were also suspected of harboring a traitor who collaborated with the Allied Nations.

And with the Empire's troops now in Bellanos, the Prime Minister had to conduct diplomacy from an extremely disadvantageous position.

Sergeant Pandeim, realizing this, blinked his eyes in a daze.

"...Indeed, the Empire has gained a significant advantage in diplomacy. But why didn't Lieutenant Colonel Daniel inform his country that he was alive? He could have carried out a secret operation."

"Daniel Steiner doesn't trust his allies. Because he doesn't know who the spy is."

A similar incident had occurred in the southern part of the Empire.

Daniel had gone to the south alone, without informing anyone within the Empire, and single-handedly wiped out the prince's secret organization.

To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies.

Hartmann knew that Daniel Steiner was the one who utilized this adage the best.

He clicked his tongue and looked at his subordinate.

"Inform the Empire that there's a high chance that Daniel Steiner is alive. Her Highness will be pleased to hear this."

"Yes, sir!"

Sergeant Pandeim saluted energetically and walked towards the radio operator.

Hartmann, watching his subordinate leave, looked up at the city in the distance.

Daniel Steiner must be operating in secret there.

'I knew he was an extraordinary person, but...'

To even use his own death for the sake of the Empire, he no longer seemed human.

Feeling a sense of awe, Hartmann swallowed nervously.

'What kind of scheme is he plotting there...'

For Hartmann, who struggled to see even one step ahead, it was impossible to grasp the thoughts of the genius strategist, Daniel.