Early Evening, the Next Day

In the monastery’s dining hall, Abbot Hieroni was busy entertaining city councilors and wealthy donors who had come to make contributions.

Under normal circumstances, he would have gone out to greet Daniel personally. However, the donation event happened to coincide with Daniel’s visit, forcing Hieroni to prioritize hosting the guests.

As important as Daniel was, ensuring the financial security needed to feed the orphans took precedence in the abbot’s position.

With donations for the orphans steadily declining, Hieroni was doing his best to win over the city councilors.

“It’s ironic, really. The number of orphans keeps increasing because of the war, yet donations to support them are dwindling. What exactly are these corporations profiting from the war doing?”

One councilor, putting on airs, lamented the situation, and Hieroni forced a polite smile while nodding.

“That’s why we’re so deeply grateful to Councilor Reden here. Offering such a generous donation for the orphans—there’s no greater blessing.”
“Generous? I wouldn’t go that far. And, I hate to say this, but the council may soon have to reduce the budget allocated to the orphanage.”

Despite his best efforts to please them, Hieroni was met with disappointing news.

Even so, he understood.

The city council’s budget was limited. Cutting funds didn’t automatically make them villains.

“How much of a reduction are we talking about...?”

Before Hieroni could finish his cautious question, the dining hall doors swung open.

Instinctively, Hieroni and the councilors turned their heads.

The sound of polished boots echoed through the hall as an officer entered, his uniform crisp and immaculate.

The officer strode forward at a deliberate pace, his presence exuding authority, causing everyone to stiffen.

Even Hieroni, confused as to why an Imperial officer would be here, felt his heart race.

“Abbot Hieroni.”

The officer removed his cap, revealing his face and voice.

Hieroni’s expression immediately brightened.

“Daniel!”

He started toward Daniel but froze in his tracks when he noticed the insignia of a major on his shoulders.

Blinking in disbelief, Hieroni stood rooted in place as Daniel approached.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“I... I’m fine. But you—what happened? A major? Am I seeing this right? Are you really the Empire’s hero?”

Hieroni stammered, still reeling from the shock, while Daniel offered a sheepish smile.

“I’ve been through quite a lot, unintentionally. But what about this gentleman here?”

Daniel’s gaze shifted to the councilor, who immediately straightened up and saluted awkwardly.

“C-Councilor Reden. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
“The honor is mine. If you’re a councilor, you must be one of the monastery’s benefactors. I look forward to your continued support.”
“Ah, yes... of course...”

Still smiling, Daniel turned back to Hieroni.

“And the children? Are they doing well?”
“Oh, yes. They’re all gathered over there.”

Following Hieroni’s gaze, Daniel spotted the children standing quietly in the corner.

The boys wore white shirts, black suspender trousers, and bow ties, while the girls were dressed in white dresses adorned with floral hairpins.

‘Some things never change.’

Even now, the monastery had dressed the children in spotless outfits for appearances during donor events.

Suppressing a chuckle, Daniel addressed Hieroni.

“Then I’ll spend some time with the children until your event is over.”

With that, he strode toward the children.

The councilor, still fidgeting nervously, hesitated before speaking up.

“...So Major Daniel Steiner is from this monastery? I wish you’d told me earlier, Abbot. I must apologize, but I’ll have to retract my comments about cutting the orphanage’s budget.”
“What? Are you serious?”

Serious indeed. The Empire’s war hero, personally awarded the Golden Cross Medal by the Emperor himself, had just asked him to take care of the monastery. Cutting funds now would be political suicide.

While the councilor reluctantly nodded, Daniel stopped before the children and clasped his hands behind his back, speaking with mock severity.

“Attention. I am Major Daniel Steiner, Operations Officer of the Imperial General Staff. Can anyone here tell me why I’ve come?”

The children froze, swallowing nervously under his sharp gaze.

After a brief pause, Daniel grinned and extended his arms wide.

“To play with you, of course! Ella! Luka! Melli! You’ve all grown so much!”

Finally realizing he was joking, the children erupted into laughter and ran toward him.

Several of them nearly toppled over in their excitement to hug him, forcing Daniel to kneel so no one would get hurt.

Ella clasped her hands together and pouted.

“Daniel! You should’ve told us you were coming! I waited so long!”
“Sorry. I sent a letter to the abbot. Didn’t he tell you?”
“Nope! He’s a grump!”

Luka, the troublemaker, cut in with a raised voice.

“Hey, Daniel! Is it true? Are you really a major? That’s a super high rank, right? Do you command thousands of soldiers now?”
“Not quite that high. My command’s only a few hundred.”
“Hundreds? That’s still huge! But is it true what Melli said earlier? That you’re here on a secret mission?!”

The children’s eyes sparkled at the mention of a secret mission.

Daniel hesitated briefly but decided to humor them.

They rarely left the monastery—except for two brief outings a year—and he figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell them a little story.

“Oh no. You caught me. It’s true. I’m here on a secret mission.”

Luka gasped, covering his mouth, and the other children leaned in closer, scanning their surroundings nervously.

“Listen carefully. The Imperial Palace sent me here because suspicious forces have infiltrated this area. My mission is to eliminate them in one swift strike.”
“R-really?”

Even the usually composed Ella was hanging on his every word.

Daniel smiled and nodded.

“Yes. They operate under the guise of merchants but gather intelligence and operate in secret underground. And their numbers are...”

How many should he say?

Not wanting to disappoint them, he raised five fingers.

“About fifty.”

The children gasped in unison, their faces turning pale.

Realizing some of them were actually scared, Daniel quickly reassured them.

“No need to worry. I’ll take care of everything. Okay?”

The children nodded eagerly, their fear turning to admiration.

Daniel was about to laugh again when his expression suddenly froze.

Somewhere nearby, he felt an intense gaze.

He turned instinctively and locked eyes with one of the donors.

The man flinched and hurriedly looked away, disappearing into the crowd.

‘What was that...?’

Brushing it off as paranoia, Daniel turned back just as Luka grabbed his arm.

“Daniel! You’re so cool! I wanna be just like you! I’ll help you—”
“No.”

Daniel’s voice hardened as he cut Luka off.

He erased the playful tone and spoke with sincerity.

“Listen to me. Don’t ever become a soldier.”

It was advice born from the depths of experience—and regret.

*****

Underground Shopping District, Dawn’s Light Headquarters

“Sir! Chief Strategist, sir!”

The informant, who had been sent to monitor Daniel, burst into the underground base, desperately searching for Morten.

Without pausing to catch his breath, the man barged into Morten’s office and blurted out his report.

“Sir! Daniel Steiner—!”

Morten, who had been disguised as one of the affluent donors earlier, scowled at his subordinate’s lack of composure.

“Calm yourself. Breathe, organize your thoughts, and then speak.”

The informant nodded quickly, took a deep breath, and then continued.

“Daniel Steiner not only came here under orders from the princess, but he also seems to know the location of our headquarters.”

Morten, seated behind his desk, raised an eyebrow.

He set aside his glasses and stared at the informant with suspicion.

“…He knows? About this place?”
“Yes. I overheard him joking with the children, but during that conversation, he specifically mentioned our base being beneath the shopping district—and even estimated our numbers. And more than that…”

Recalling Daniel’s chilling gaze, the informant hesitated before finishing.

“…After he finished speaking, he looked directly at me. It was as if he knew I was watching him all along.”

Morten clenched his teeth, swallowing a curse.

He might have dismissed the accurate location and headcount as a coincidence, but Daniel’s ability to pinpoint his observer’s presence was no accident.

‘And worse…’

Daniel had openly revealed this information, fully aware that Dawn’s Light agents were keeping an eye on him.

To Morten, it was no different from issuing a direct threat under the guise of joking with children.

“Damn it. Daniel’s sending us a warning. He’s saying, ‘I could wipe you out anytime I want—but I won’t.’”
“...Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. But one thing’s clear—Daniel wants to talk to us.”

Morten felt cornered.

Refusing would leave them with no options.

A wave of dizziness struck him, and he pressed his temples to steady himself.

After taking several deep breaths, Morten forced himself to look up, burying his fear.

“Fine. If he wants a conversation, we’ll give him one. I’ll meet with Daniel personally and figure out what he’s after.”

He couldn’t grasp Daniel’s intentions.

But for the sake of Dawn’s Light’s survival, Morten had no choice but to accept the challenge.