The next day, early in the morning, I arrived at the General Staff Headquarters and pressed a hand to my forehead.

The lingering effects of the alcohol hadn’t worn off, and my head was pounding.

‘Did I drink too much last night?’

Walking into the officers’ club had been a mistake.

The bartender recognized me immediately and, with a smile, declared, “To Major Daniel Steiner, the hero of the Empire—drinks are on the house today!”

Thanks to that, I ended up drinking far more than I could handle.

‘I passed out at some point…’

When I came to, I was lying in bed in my quarters.

The problem was—I had no memory of how I got there.

‘There’s no way I walked back on my own. Did someone help me?’

The thought of being a burden to someone left me feeling awful.

Furrowing my brows and letting out a low sigh, I reached my private office and grabbed the doorknob.

When I opened the door, Lucy was already inside, neatly dressed as always, working at her desk.

Noticing my arrival, Lucy stood and saluted.

“Major Daniel Steiner, sir. Good morning.”

…She didn’t usually call me by my full name.

Her demeanor felt strangely stiff.

Feeling slightly awkward, I returned her salute and walked toward my desk.

After setting down my briefcase and taking a seat, Lucy approached, holding the Imperial Daily newspaper.

“Oh. Thanks—”

I reached out to take the newspaper, but for some reason, Lucy didn’t let go.

Confused, I looked up and met her cold, sharp gaze.

“Major Daniel Steiner. Alcohol is a personal indulgence, and I believe anyone is free to enjoy it as they please.”
“…Right?”
“But anything in excess is harmful to the body. Especially drinking to the point of being completely incapacitated—that is unbecoming of an officer of the Empire.”

I couldn’t argue with a single word she said.

‘More importantly, why is she bringing this up now…?’

Could Lucy have been the one who carried me back to my quarters?

Feeling suspicious, I decided to test her.

“Are you saying I passed out? What exactly happened last night?”

Lucy’s shoulders flinched.

She couldn’t even meet my eyes.

“...Nothing happened.”

Pretending nothing had occurred, Lucy let go of the newspaper and returned to her seat.

She sat at her desk and resumed her work as usual, but for some reason, the tips of her ears had turned red.

I eyed her curiously but shrugged it off and opened the newspaper.

The moment I unfolded it, my photo dominated the front page.

It was a picture of me leaving the imperial palace after meeting with His Majesty.

“The Hero of the Empire, Major Daniel Steiner! Awarded the Golden Cross Medal after his national victory!”

Just reading the headline made my head spin.

Without even bothering to read the full article, I flipped to other sections, hoping to get a sense of how the capital had been running while I was away on the battlefield.

I scanned through several articles until one particular piece made me pause.

“Editor-in-Chief Tyden Barcaloi Found Dead at Home—Cause of Death: Heart Attack.”

Tyden Barcaloi—I knew him well.

He was an editor who frequently published favorable articles about the princess.

His editorial policies and political stance were openly aligned with supporting her cause.

He was one of the key figures backing the princess’s faction.

‘And now he’s dead from a heart attack at home?’

No way. Not in times like these.

It was far more logical to assume that the prince’s faction had made a move.

‘Which means…’

The succession battle was beginning to surface.

The princess wasn’t a fool either, so she would undoubtedly retaliate.

Blood would soon start spilling beneath the surface, and as long as I remained in the capital, there was no way I could avoid getting caught up in it.

Letting out a deep sigh, I tapped my fingers against the desk and folded the newspaper.

How could I protect myself from the coming storm?

After a brief moment of consideration, I came to a conclusion.

‘I’ll run away.’

If staying in the capital meant I couldn’t avoid the chaos, then leaving the capital was the obvious solution.

Luckily, thanks to my rapid promotions, I had accrued enough leave to make this plan feasible.

‘The Empire’s maximum reward leave is 30 days…’

If I took my leave now and returned after the dust settled, the hierarchy would already be sorted out.

Moreover, taking leave would send a clear message—“I have no interest in your petty succession battle.”

It was a win-win situation.

Of course, leaving unannounced would likely force Lucy to work overtime and shoulder the bulk of the workload.

But there was no helping that.

‘It’d be strange to care about the hardships of a spy who’s probably plotting to kill me anyway.’

Resolving myself, I stood up and walked toward the door.

Just before stepping out, a mischievous thought crossed my mind, and I glanced back at Lucy.

“Lieutenant. I’ll apologize in advance.”
“…What do you mean, sir?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”

Lucy’s confused expression lingered in my mind as I left the office with a faint smile.

Shortly afterward, I entered the General Staff’s operations office and saluted Ernst, the Chief of Staff.

Ernst returned the salute with a warm smile and spoke first.

“Well, if it isn’t Major Daniel. What brings you to the Chief’s office? I thought I told you that you could handle work from your private office?”
“Sir, I’m not here to discuss work.”
“Oh? Then are we finally talking about your promotion? Upper management is already discussing it, so you can expect good news soon.”
“That’s not it either.”

Then why are you here?

Ernst’s expression betrayed his curiosity as he waited for my explanation.

After a brief pause, I spoke.

“Sir, I’d like to take a leave of absence.”

Ernst nodded as if he understood.

“Leave, huh? Well, even someone like you needs rest. How long are you thinking?”
“One month.”

Ernst’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had probably expected me to ask for a week or so, but hearing a full month caught him completely off guard.

“…One month? Are you serious?”
“Yes. I believe long-term leave is permitted if it’s classified as reward leave.”
“You’re not wrong about that. It’s just… Hmm. Fine. I suppose I can’t argue with you about this. I’ll notify upper management.”

I had briefly worried that he might refuse, but fortunately, he didn’t.

As I let out a sigh of relief, Ernst looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Planning a trip somewhere specific? That’s quite a long break you’re taking.”

Somewhere specific?

I didn’t have a fixed destination, but there was one place I wanted to visit.

“I’m heading back to my hometown.”

The village of Fiamari, located in the Barony of Betargen in the Empire’s south.

It was the place where I was born—and the home of my mentor, the monastery headmaster.

*****

Barony of Betargen, Southern Empire.
Headquarters of the secret organization ‘Dawn’s Light’ under the Prince’s faction.

Clack-clack-clack—

In the dimly lit underground chamber, the mechanical, repetitive clicks of a telex machine echoed.

This was one of the methods Dawn’s Light used to relay orders to the scattered cells of armed operatives planted throughout the capital.

Overseeing them all was Morten Blackmoor, known as the organization’s Chief Strategist.

His sunken eyes scrutinized the agents, watching them like a hawk.

If even one of them were found colluding with supporters of the princess, the organization could collapse from within.

It was unlikely, but in these tense times, doubting others wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Morten clenched his fist as he swept his gaze over the agents.

‘No matter what, the prince must take the throne.’

Having thrown his lot in with the prince’s faction, Morten had no other options.

If the princess ascended instead, not only Morten but the entire organization would face purges.

The assassination of Editor-in-Chief Tyden Barcaloi, who had vocally supported the princess, had been carried out for exactly that reason.

‘We can’t allow the princess to gain favorable public opinion.’

Public opinion reflected the will of the citizens, and that will inevitably reached the emperor, who would make the final decision on succession.

The current emperor was considered a progressive ruler, one who had implemented a series of bold reforms.

As someone deeply concerned about the welfare of the people, it was certain he wouldn’t ignore public sentiment when choosing his successor.

Thus, Morten devoted himself to controlling the narrative—manipulating the masses while silencing opposing voices.

It was the only way to secure the throne for the prince, even if he was unfit to rule.

‘So far, everything has gone smoothly…’

But the princess wasn’t an idiot. She would inevitably counterattack.

While Morten was contemplating what cards the princess might play, one of the agents suddenly jumped up from his seat, visibly alarmed.

Morten frowned, finding the reaction suspicious.

“What’s the matter?”

The agent reread the incoming message before nervously turning to Morten.

“Sir, it’s… Major Daniel Steiner. He’s filed for leave—an entire month of it.”
“He’s allowed to take leave. Why does that matter?”
“The issue is… the location he’s heading to.”

The agent swallowed hard, his voice trembling as he delivered the punchline.

“…He’s coming here—to the Barony of Betargen.”

For a moment, the sound of typewriters ceased entirely.

Morten’s breath caught, and his pupils quivered.

‘Could he have sided with the princess and be coming to wipe us out?’

The oppressive silence weighed heavily over the headquarters, the name Daniel Steiner carrying with it a palpable sense of dread.

After what felt like an eternity, Morten finally forced himself to speak.

“Betargen is Steiner’s hometown. He could very well be visiting simply to take a break. And even if that’s not the case, there’s no way he’s aware of our exact location. If he knew, he wouldn’t have filed for a full month of leave.”

Surveying the agents, Morten feigned calmness and issued orders.

“From now on, we monitor Daniel Steiner’s every move. If he’s here for us, we need to be prepared to act immediately. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!”

The agents responded with vigor and resumed typing commands into the machines.

Morten had successfully restored order among his men, but his own trembling hands refused to settle.

Who was Daniel Steiner?

A cold, calculating man—one who had earned the title of “devil’s spawn” from the enemy nation’s foreign minister.

Could someone like that really be visiting his hometown just to relax? It was absurd.

It was far more plausible that Daniel had already uncovered their base of operations in Betargen.

‘If Daniel Steiner truly is targeting us…’

They might be annihilated before they even had the chance to fight back.

Suppressing the unshakable fear gnawing at him, Morten clenched his fists tightly.

‘God, please…’

‘Grant us the strength to stand against this devil.’