The next day.

After leaving the General Staff Headquarters, I headed straight to a hair salon with Ernst.

Honestly, I didn’t want to go, but Ernst insisted that since we were entering under the Imperial Family’s invitation, it was only proper to make at least a minimal effort to look presentable. I had no room to refuse.

There, I adopted the Empire’s latest trend—a slicked-back hairstyle—and then rode in Ernst’s car to the royal banquet mansion.

A banquet mansion—can you even believe that?

Just imagining how much wealth it must take to build an entire mansion specifically for banquets was beyond me.

As I took in the grand sight of the mansion while walking up to the entrance, the staff member in charge of verifying the guest list spoke up.

“A beautiful evening, gentlemen. May I have your names, please?”

Before I could respond, Ernst answered first.

“My name is Ernst Bark. And this handsome young man next to me is…”

“Ah! Captain Daniel Steiner, correct? There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize such a famous figure!”

“Famous figure, huh.”

Ernst turned to me with a playful smile.

It was probably his way of telling me I had more than earned the right to be invited, but honestly, it just made me uncomfortable.

“Colonel Ernst Bark, Head of the Operations Staff. And Captain Daniel Steiner, Operations Staff Officer. Your identities have been confirmed. Please enjoy the evening.”

The staff member stepped aside and bowed politely.

“Thank you. Keep up the good work.”

With that greeting, Ernst entered the banquet hall, and I followed closely behind him.

Inside, the first floor bustled with waiters moving about busily.

“Let’s head up.”

We ascended the red-carpeted staircase in front of us and arrived at the second floor, where the Great Hall unfolded before our eyes.

The hall was massive—easily hundreds of square meters—and packed with people engaged in lively conversations.

One detail stood out—most of the men were dressed in military uniforms similar to mine and Ernst’s.

In a wartime Empire, serving in the military was likely a badge of great honor, and it seemed many were eager to flaunt it.

At the same time, there were others dressed in formal suits or luxurious silk garments, likely wealthy financiers or nobles who funded the Empire’s army.

As we walked through the crowd, a general-level officer spotted Ernst and approached us.

The man had a scarred, wrinkled face—an unmistakable figure I knew all too well.

Brigadier General Heinrich Schmidt, Commander of the 1st Magic Mobile Corps.

I couldn’t forget him even if I tried—he was one of the first people I encountered after regaining my past life’s memories.

“Colonel Ernst! So you were invited as well! And this here…”

He was a brigade commander and a brigadier general. Feeling the tension, I quickly saluted.

“It’s an honor to meet you again, Commander. I’m Captain Daniel Steiner.”

“Oh! I see you’ve already climbed another rank since we last met? Well, considering the achievements you’ve made, it’s only natural. Isn’t that right, Bender?”

Behind Heinrich, Captain Philip Bender nodded like a shadow.

“Indeed. Captain Daniel Steiner—I’m glad you’re serving the Empire. If we had met as enemies, you would have been quite the formidable opponent.”

“You’re too kind, sir.”

To be honest, it really was excessive praise.

Most of my achievements had been accidental rather than intentional.

But Heinrich seemed to interpret my reaction as humility and gave me an approving smile.

“When we first met, I thought you were talented enough to work under me. The Imperial Army is planning to advance northward soon for an expansion campaign… Well, perhaps we should discuss this later. Ernst?”

What? What’s with the sudden cliffhanger?

Feeling uneasy, I waited as Ernst responded.

“Yes, sir. Go ahead.”

“I need to speak with the Deputy Chief of Staff about the Empire’s future, but before that, I wanted to hear your thoughts. If you don’t mind, I’d like to find a quieter place to discuss this.”

“Oh, of course. If the Commander requests it, I’ll gladly oblige.”

Apparently, the two were already on familiar terms, as they laughed and walked off together.

Philip, who was about to follow Heinrich, paused and glanced back at me.

“Captain Daniel? Since it’s your first time at a banquet, just take a look around and grab something to eat to pass the time. The main event will start a bit later, so try to endure until then.”

I was genuinely touched by his words of concern.

Was Philip actually an angel?

I nodded, and Philip flashed a brief smile before following Heinrich.

Left alone, I scanned the hall.

‘For now…’

It seemed like the best move was to find a seat at one of the banquet tables and wait out the time.

Standing around awkwardly would only attract unnecessary attention.

And unwanted attention was the last thing I needed.

With that thought, I slowly walked toward the banquet tables.

‘Oh.’

I spotted an empty seat across from someone who had already started eating.

*****

Alistair, an intelligence agent of the Kingdom of Eldresia, pretended to enjoy his meal while carefully scanning the surroundings.

It was, after all, a royal banquet. Just one glance revealed the sheer number of high-ranking officials packed into the venue.

His mission was simple—relay the actual attendance list of the banquet guests to other agents.

This information would make it easier for his allies to carry out targeted assassinations when they launched their planned attack on the banquet hall.

For that reason, Alistair’s eyes darted around the room, always alert. The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly caught his attention.

Click, click—

The slow, deliberate footsteps drew closer before coming to a halt.

Swallowing nervously, Alistair lifted his head to see a man with black hair and equally dark eyes looking down at him.

He instantly recognized the man.

‘Captain Daniel Steiner…’

A monster who broke the notoriously tight-lipped Reginald in just one day of interrogation.

Why was someone like him here? Had he been discovered?

A cold sweat ran down Alistair’s back as Daniel smiled and spoke.

“Are you alone by any chance? If you don’t mind, I’d like to take this seat.”

Refusing him would only arouse suspicion. Forcing himself to stay composed, Alistair nodded.

“Of course. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you. My legs were starting to feel a bit tired.”

Cracking a lighthearted joke, Daniel pulled out the chair and sat down.

Placing his uniform cap on the table, he let out a low breath as if finally relaxing.

“Ah. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is—”

“I already know. Captain Daniel Steiner, correct?”

Daniel widened his eyes in surprise.

“You know me?”

“Of course. Who in the capital doesn’t know Captain Steiner? Anyone who doesn’t must be a spy.”

“Wow. I wasn’t aiming for fame, but it seems I’ve earned it anyway…”

Daniel sighed, then glanced at the food Alistair was eating and let out an impressed “Oh.”

“Isn’t that spätzle? And schnitzel on the side! You must be from the south?”

Wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin, Alistair nodded.

“That’s right. Spätzle was a staple in my hometown.”

“Spätzle as a staple… Ah! You’re from Baron Betargen’s domain. Specifically, the Balzach region, right?”

Alistair opened his mouth to reply, but Daniel raised a hand to stop him.

“Let me guess. Balzach is the only area in Baron Betargen’s domain where spätzle is commonly eaten. Am I right?”

After hesitating for a moment, Alistair nodded.

Denying it now would only make the atmosphere awkward.

“Unbelievable! It’s rare enough to meet someone from the south, but Balzach? I’m from there too! Ever heard of Fianmari Village?”

Daniel’s tone was filled with genuine excitement at meeting someone from his hometown, but Alistair felt like the man was steadily closing in on him, narrowing down his identity.

His palms began to sweat.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Alistair smiled.

“Of course. Fianmari Village. Isn’t there a famous restaurant near there?”

Establishing a connection was the safest way to deflect suspicion.

Daniel’s face lit up even more, clearly thrilled to meet someone from the same area.

“Ah, yes! Jack’s Restaurant. It was pretty well-known back in the day. Honestly, it looked too shabby to even be called a restaurant, but I used to visit it all the time. Brings back memories.”

Snapping his fingers as if he just remembered something, Daniel leaned forward.

“If you know Jack’s Restaurant, that means you must’ve eaten there! Honestly, no one from Balzach hasn’t been to Jack’s.”

“Yes, of course.”

“What was your favorite dish there?”

It was an innocent question, meant to spark nostalgia, but Alistair felt the weight of the interrogation crushing him.

If he mentioned a dish that wasn’t on the menu, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Frantically running calculations in his head, Alistair recalled a dish commonly served in southern regions of the Empire.

“I really liked the apple strudel at Jack’s. I even visited last year, and the flavor is still fresh in my memory.”

“Aha! Apple strudel!”

Daniel clapped his hands and laughed.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it? That sweet and soft flavor is unforgettable. Especially with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on the side.”

Alistair finally let out a breath of relief.

He had been lucky—apple strudel was a widely recognized dish served in the Empire’s southern regions, often as breakfast or dessert.

Now all he had to do was make a smooth exit after a bit more conversation.

But just as he was starting to feel safe, Daniel tilted his head.

“Hmm… Something feels a bit strange.”

Strange? What was he talking about? Alistair froze, unable to respond, as Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Then Daniel slowly turned his head and locked eyes with him.

“As far as I know, Jack’s Restaurant stopped serving apple strudel three years ago. After an incident where a customer with an apple allergy had a severe reaction, it was taken off the menu.”

Daniel leaned forward, his pitch-black eyes unblinking.

“But you said you had it last year?”

For a brief moment, Alistair felt like the blood was draining from his body. Terror gripped him.