After reuniting with Princess Selvia, the tide of battle shifted dramatically.

Following Daniel’s orders, the platoon disembarked and scattered to join reinforcements dispatched by the Special Operations Unit. Together, they obliterated the Crown Prince’s forces, who had been disguised as Allied soldiers.

On top of that, Captain Heinz had requested additional support, prompting nearby air squadrons to send reconnaissance helicopters and fighter jets into the fray. Against such overwhelming force, the Crown Prince’s troops never stood a chance.

To begin with, they were a small unit deployed for a swift and decisive operation.

Even the Special Operations reinforcements alone were enough to overwhelm them. With the addition of air support, their defeat was inevitable.

Cornered, the Crown Prince’s soldiers chose to end their lives en masse, bringing the situation to a close.

And now—

Daniel and his platoon stood in formation in the forest clearing, maintaining a parade rest stance.

In front of the transport helicopter that had landed at the clearing’s center, Selvia blinked her blue eyes as she looked at them.

‘So it’s true. Exceptional soldiers follow an exceptional commander...’

Daniel and his men were all covered in blood.

It meant they hadn’t hesitated to fight against the Crown Prince’s troops.

Of course, aside from Daniel, none of them realized that the enemies they had fought were under the Crown Prince’s command.

“Lieutenant Daniel.”

Selvia, after surveying the platoon, met Daniel’s eyes.

She gestured for him to come closer, and Daniel stepped forward without hesitation.

“You called for me?”

Selvia nodded and leaned in, rising onto her toes to whisper in his ear.

“Keep what you saw and heard today to yourself. No one must know that my brother was involved in this incident.”

“...Understood. With no evidence, openly accusing the Crown Prince could easily backfire.”

“As expected. It’s so easy to communicate with you.”

Her voice, murmured so close to his ear, was sweet.

Then, Selvia took a step back.

“Well then, I’ll return to the capital now. Honestly, I’d love to travel to the General Staff with you and talk more, but… this matter has gotten too big. I need to hurry back.”

It had indeed escalated. By now, news of the Princess’s ambush had likely spread throughout the military leadership in the capital.

That was thanks to Captain Heinz, who had judged the situation critical enough to call for air support.

If Selvia didn’t return quickly, she would face not only the Emperor’s scrutiny but also the sharp eyes of the nobles in court.

Understanding her position, Daniel bowed his head.

“It has been an honor to meet you. I look forward to the day I can serve you again.”

Selvia gave a faint smile at Daniel’s formal words.

“I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”

It was a loaded remark.

Before Daniel could respond, Selvia turned and boarded the transport helicopter.

Once she was inside, the Royal Guard followed with disciplined movements and closed the doors.

One of the guards confirmed that everyone was aboard, and the pilot began preparations for takeoff.

The helicopter’s rotors spun faster and faster, generating a loud roar as they pushed against the air.

No—the ground. It felt more accurate to say they pushed against the ground.

Snow scattered in all directions as the helicopter lifted off, heading straight for the capital.

“……”

Inside the helicopter, Selvia sat by the window, looking down at the ground.

She could see Daniel and his platoon saluting the helicopter as it rose.

After gazing at them in silence, Selvia turned her head and looked at one of the Royal Guards checking his weapon.

On the guard’s shoulder was the golden wing emblem, symbolizing his status as the chief bodyguard of the Royal Guard.

Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann Edelstein.

He was the field commander of the Royal Guard and a renowned killing machine.

One of the most infamous stories about Hartmann involved him charging into a battlefield drenched in bullets, cutting down enemies with nothing but a sword.

Yet, there was one person this killing machine feared—and that was Selvia von Amberg, who was now staring at him with an impassive expression.

Most of the time, Hartmann found Selvia adorable and beautiful, like a granddaughter.

But when she looked at him like this—silent and focused—it sent chills down his spine because he had no idea what she was thinking.

Of course, he couldn’t ignore her forever.

Reluctantly, Hartmann set aside his weapon and removed his gas mask.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down the wrinkled face of the veteran soldier.

“Your Highness. Do you have something to say to me?”

“I do. Why didn’t you rescue Lieutenant Daniel immediately?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot, Hartmann? It’s obvious you arrived before Daniel engaged the enemy. So why didn’t you step in right away? Explain yourself.”

As I suspected—her instincts were razor-sharp.

Hartmann glanced around, wondering how to explain himself.

He sent what was essentially an SOS signal, but the Royal Guards around him kept their heads down, focusing intently on cleaning their weapons.

They were pretending not to notice, hoping to avoid any collateral damage.

‘Damn cowards…’

Hartmann shot a sharp glare at his subordinates before turning back to Selvia and forcing a warm smile.

“As far as I understand, Your Highness’s order was to ensure that Lieutenant Daniel Steiner was rescued without injury. The lieutenant remained unharmed, so I believe we faithfully carried out your command.”

“Are you seriously trying to justify yourself right now?”

“Your Highness, I understand your anger, but we needed time to assess the character and abilities of the man you intend to favor. That, too, is part of our duty.”

While Hartmann didn’t doubt Selvia’s judgment, it was crucial for the Royal Guard to evaluate the skills and ideology of anyone who got close to the Princess.

“If I may add a bit more in my defense, we did gain valuable information.”

Lieutenant Daniel Steiner possessed the rare ability to accelerate his nervous system.

Although the technique had fallen out of favor due to its severe mana consumption and limited duration, modern warfare had changed its value.

In the past, mere seconds of acceleration weren’t enough to pierce a knight’s armor or shatter a mage’s barrier.

But with the advancement of technology and firearms, the time it took to kill someone had been reduced to fractions of a second.

On the modern battlefield, even the lowest of soldiers could kill someone of noble blood if they could aim properly.

Being able to carve out even a few seconds of personal time in such an environment was a tremendous advantage.

In that regard, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner was a highly desirable asset.

If he hadn’t been part of the General Staff, Hartmann might have already offered him a position in the Royal Guard.

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner’s combat skills are exceptional. With just a bit more luck, he could have taken down all six enemies on his own.”

“……”

Selvia half-narrowed her eyes with a disgruntled expression.

Having served her for a long time, Hartmann immediately understood what that look meant.

It was the unspoken equivalent of, ‘That’s not what I asked, is it?’

If he gave the wrong answer here, he might lose her favor.

And for Hartmann, losing Selvia’s favor would be painful.

Despite their stark difference in status, Hartmann genuinely cherished Selvia like a granddaughter.

So he needed to give her something more—something useful.

Clearing his throat, Hartmann spoke in a more serious tone.

“If Your Highness truly intends to recruit Lieutenant Daniel Steiner as an ally, I don’t believe you’ll need to test his loyalty.”

Selvia blinked in confusion at the sudden shift.

Hartmann continued.

“During the confrontation, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner declared in front of the Crown Prince’s soldiers that ‘the incompetent Prince will never become Emperor.’ He also stated, ‘The one who will become Emperor is the Princess.’”

Selvia’s eyes widened.

Having arrived late to the scene, she hadn’t heard Daniel’s words herself.

“...Are you certain? He really said that?”

“Yes. Everyone here heard it.”

The Royal Guards cleaning their weapons nodded in unison.

Seeing that, a faint smile formed on Selvia’s lips.

“I see… So that’s what Lieutenant Daniel said…”

Trailing off, Selvia turned her gaze to the window, looking down at the ground.

Even though the clearing was now far behind them, her eyes instinctively searched for Daniel.

“Hmm. To think he said something like that…”

She didn’t know why, but it seemed Daniel’s words had struck a chord with her.

‘Is she pleased about recruiting new talent?’

Hartmann found it odd, though.

She seemed more excited than usual.

‘Wait… Could she be seeing Lieutenant Daniel as a potential romantic interest…?’

No. That couldn’t be it.

After enduring endless schemes from her brother, Selvia had treated the opposite sex with complete indifference, as if they were nothing more than rocks.

Whatever the reason, Hartmann found it refreshing to see Selvia display an expression more fitting for her age.