The Day of the Negotiation

In the plains situated halfway between the Imperial Corps Headquarters and the Kingdom’s capital, a large military tent had been erected.

An elderly man with glasses entered the tent.

His name was Ivan Alexei—the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and the chief negotiator for this meeting.

After adjusting his attire, Ivan slowly surveyed the surroundings.

Except for the negotiation table positioned at the center of the tent, there wasn’t a single soldier in sight.

This was due to the opposing negotiator’s request for a private and sincere discussion between the two of them.

As Ivan approached the table, the opposite entrance of the tent opened, and a young man entered, carrying a briefcase in hand.

Ivan took a quick glance at the man’s appearance.

Black hair and black eyes.

Although his build was lean, his tall stature concealed any frailty.

Moreover, his sharp, wolf-like gaze held a pressure that instinctively unsettled others.

Ivan recognized him immediately.

Daniel Steiner.

The hero of the Empire and the key figure behind the invasion of Nordia.

But promoting someone who’s only a major to the position of chief negotiator…?

Were they already treating the Kingdom as a defeated nation and preparing to enforce coercive diplomacy?

Just as Ivan furrowed his brows in displeasure, Daniel casually took off his winter coat.

He brushed off the snowflakes clinging to his coat and let out a dry laugh.

“It seems the North isn’t the most livable place. Snowfall even in midsummer…”

Clicking his tongue as he dusted off the last of the snow, Daniel approached the negotiation table.

With a disarming smile, Daniel extended his hand toward Ivan.

“As you probably know, I’m Major Daniel Steiner. I’ll be acting as the special envoy and chief negotiator for this meeting.”
“...I’m Ivan Alexei, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom.”

They exchanged a brief handshake before taking their seats at the negotiation table.

Daniel placed his military cap and winter coat on the edge of the table and spoke.

“I heard the negotiations have already failed twice. While I can make some guesses, could you share the exact reasons?”

His tone was far more casual, as if they had gathered for a friendly conversation rather than to discuss matters of national importance.

It was a stark contrast to the stiff attitudes of the previous negotiators.

Believing this opponent wouldn’t be easy to deal with, Ivan maintained his guard and responded.

“Because the Empire’s demands are absurd.”

The Empire had not only demanded the cession of Nordia, a strategic stronghold, but also proposed changing the currency to the Empire’s Imperial Marks and enforcing military restrictions.

Had they stopped there, Ivan might have reluctantly agreed.

However, the Empire had gone further, imposing excessive war reparations and calling for severe punishments against pro-war ministers and military leaders.

If the ministers and generals were stripped of their positions, their replacements would inevitably be those loyal to the Empire.

In effect, it was a declaration to turn the Kingdom into a vassal state or puppet regime.

For that reason, Ivan had rejected the Empire’s proposals and advocated for continued resistance.

Daniel, who was well aware of these circumstances, refrained from pressing the issue further.

Instead, he simply opened his briefcase and began searching for a document.

“I understand your difficulties, Minister. That’s precisely why I’m here—to help alleviate them. Let me be direct. I want to work with you.”

After pulling out the document, Daniel set the briefcase down.

“You might be wondering what someone hailed as the Empire’s hero is talking about, but that’s a misunderstanding. I’m not particularly devoted to the Empire.”
“…”
“In fact, I spend more time worrying about the Kingdom and considering its position. You might as well think of me as an honorary citizen of the Kingdom.”

Ivan remained silent, unsure of what Daniel’s true intentions were behind such remarks.

Seeing Ivan’s hesitation, Daniel handed him the document he was holding.

“It’s better to show my sincerity first. I’d like you to take a look. It wasn’t easy to obtain this.”

Curious, Ivan accepted the document.

As he read through it with a meaningful expression, his eyebrows twitched.

“This is…”
“A Class-2 Confidential Report from the Empire’s 3rd Corps.”

Daniel’s statement was true.

The document was filled with detailed information about the Empire’s troop deployments and operational plans.

There was no room for doubt.

Some of the operations detailed in the document were already known to Ivan through the Allied Nations’ intelligence network.

But…

Reading this, it became clear that the intelligence the Allies had provided was merely the tip of the iceberg.

In fact, the troop numbers listed here were double what the Allied Nations had reported.

And that could only mean one thing—

Even knowing this, we wouldn’t be able to stop them…!

The moment these operations were put into motion, the Kingdom would face inevitable destruction.

Ivan had once believed that the Allied Nations would offer active support if the Kingdom showed enough resilience to endure the Empire’s invasion. Now, he felt like a fool for holding onto such hope.

Staring blankly at the document, Ivan clenched his teeth in bitter realization.

Those bastards from the Allied Nations…! They fed us false information from the start!

It was now obvious—they had intentionally downplayed the Empire’s strength and strategy to keep the Kingdom from surrendering prematurely, ensuring that it would continue to resist and bleed the Empire.

And their promises to send reinforcements if we held the frontlines…!

All lies.

From the perspective of the Allied Nations, the Kingdom had never been anything more than a sacrificial pawn—a disposable piece on the chessboard, meant only to drain the Empire’s resources before inevitably falling.

Ivan’s hands trembled as the weight of this betrayal sank in.

Daniel, however, misread his reaction entirely.

Is he feeling exhilarated?

In the game, the Kingdom always rejected the Empire’s terms after three failed negotiations, choosing instead to fight to the bitter end.

From the Kingdom’s perspective, obtaining this Class-2 Confidential Report from the Empire must have felt like a moment of triumph.

Thinking that he had made progress toward securing an alliance, Daniel smiled. But just as he was about to speak, Ivan looked up and exhaled shakily.

Does Daniel Steiner… know everything about the Kingdom’s internal situation?

Logically, it was the only explanation. He must have known that the Kingdom had received manipulated intelligence from the Allied Nations—and that was precisely why he had brought this Class-2 Confidential Report as leverage.

He must have judged that exposing this information gap would give him the upper hand in negotiations…

Daniel’s tactics were flawless.

Even when the Kingdom had believed the Empire’s forces were half their actual size, they had still chosen to resist. But now that the truth had been laid bare, fighting back was no longer an option.

This isn’t a war—it’s a massacre…

Ivan could already see it—the Kingdom’s soldiers being swept away by the Empire’s overwhelming forces.

The screams of the dying rang in his ears, filling him with guilt and despair.

But even if he accepted the Empire’s terms now, the Kingdom’s future would remain uncertain.

Could he really condemn his people to live under Imperial rule?

But isn’t that better than meaningless slaughter…?

Lost in agonizing thoughts, Ivan finally opened his mouth, his voice trembling.

“...Major Daniel, I have just one question. If I refuse to take your hand here, what will happen to the Kingdom?”

What Ivan wanted to know was the consequences of rejecting the Empire’s proposal.

Daniel, however, took the question at face value.

As their thoughts ran along parallel lines, Daniel let out a low, quiet laugh.

For some reason, to Ivan, that eerie sound felt like it belonged to the devil himself.

“You’re asking a ridiculous question. What will happen to the Kingdom if you don’t take my hand? Minister, you already know the answer.”

Daniel’s laughter vanished in an instant as his sharp gaze locked onto Ivan.

It was like a wolf revealing its true nature.

“If you refuse my hand…”

Leaning forward slightly, Daniel lowered his voice just enough for Ivan to hear.

“The Kingdom will vanish from the map—forever.”

Ivan’s pupils dilated as the words sank in.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his trembling hands betrayed his fear.

Seeing his reaction, Daniel straightened up and stepped back from the table.

“Well then, do you have anything more to say?”

Despite Daniel rising from his seat, Ivan remained motionless. Slowly, he shook his head.

Noting the gesture, Daniel gave a brief nod, picked up his military cap and coat, and turned toward the exit.

Just as he was about to step outside, Daniel suddenly paused.

“Minister.”

Ivan remained silent, his body stiff with tension as Daniel spoke again, this time with a faint smile.

“Be sure to share my regards with the Allied Nations.”

With that, Daniel exited the tent.

Only then did Ivan finally release the breath he had been holding and clutch his forehead.

His vision wavered as hyperventilation took hold.

It felt as if he had just escaped a conversation with the devil himself.

As Ivan struggled to catch his breath, the entrance at the back of the tent opened, and his chief secretary entered.

Concerned by Ivan’s absence after the Imperial envoy had left, the secretary had decided to check inside.

Upon seeing Ivan’s state, the secretary’s face paled, and he rushed over.

“Minister!”

Ivan looked terrible.

Kneeling beside the chair, the secretary peered up at him anxiously.

“Are you… are you all right?”

Ivan shook his head.

Tears welled up in his tightly shut eyes, and one rolled down his cheek.

“His Majesty must see the truth now… We can’t win.”

His voice was barely above a whisper—fragile and broken, like a child consumed by fear.

“We can never defeat the Empire…”

The secretary couldn’t hide his shock.

The minister, who had stubbornly pushed for a fight to the death, had returned from the negotiation table utterly defeated—in less than an hour.

Uncertain of what to do, the secretary’s gaze drifted to the empty chair across the negotiation table.

What on earth did that man say…?

Clueless about the conversation that had taken place, the secretary could only feel lost in confusion.