The Next Morning.

“This is the place the man mentioned.”

Accompanied by a squad of police officers, Daniel stopped in front of a small commercial building.

The man who had introduced himself as Morten the night before had confessed in the chapel that he was conspiring to incite a rebellion in the capital with the prince’s support.

To be honest, Daniel had initially dismissed it as the delusions of a lunatic. However, with a claim involving treason, an investigation was unavoidable.

And so, at the break of dawn, Daniel had contacted the local police station and arrived here with reinforcements.

“From the outside, it looks like a typical shop…”

Inspector Baretti tilted his head in puzzlement.

Daniel agreed but wasn’t ready to lower his guard.

“If that man really was the leader of a secret organization, disguising the building and their identities would be standard practice. It’s best we stay cautious in case his testimony wasn’t nonsense.”

Baretti nodded, and Daniel stepped into the building.

The front door was unlocked, but oddly, no staff or employees were present.

Only streaks of blood stained the display shelves.

Noticing the blood, Daniel instinctively reached for the revolver in his holster.

“Damn it. Looks like he was telling the truth. Everyone, arm yourselves!”

At Daniel’s sharp command, Baretti and the other officers immediately drew their weapons.

In the tense atmosphere, Daniel crouched and carefully examined the surroundings.

‘Footprints…’

He spotted boot prints leading in a straight line.

Following the trail with his eyes, Daniel saw a metal door to the basement left wide open.

Judging by the disheveled carpet and overturned furniture nearby, it had likely been hidden from view until recently.

“Major Steiner? Did you find something…?”

Baretti approached with the officers, but Daniel raised his hand to halt them.

He scanned the area once more before straightening up.

“It looks like an armed group was using the basement. Judging by the footprints, they were stationed here for a while but left recently.”
“How can you tell that just by looking?”

Daniel pointed at the footprints.

“The ones leading into the basement are covered in dust, suggesting they’ve been there for some time. But the ones coming out are fresh—probably made just a short while ago.”

Baretti inspected the scene again and nodded in admiration.

“You’re right… In that case…”
“This could get dangerous. Request backup immediately.”

Tension filled the air as Baretti grabbed his radio.

“This is Inspector Baretti. We need reinforcements. Requesting immediate backup at the red-roofed shop by the river in Zone 13, near Pianmari Village.”

An affirmative response crackled through the radio.

With reinforcements on the way, Daniel proceeded toward the basement, determined to find out what had happened here.

Though reluctant, Baretti followed close behind.

Descending the narrow, rough steps, they entered a surprisingly spacious underground room.

“What is this…?”

Baretti switched on his flashlight, revealing rows of desks and telex machines.

Scattered across the floor were half-burned documents.

While trying to make sense of the scene, Daniel picked up one of the papers.

His brows furrowed as he read its contents.

“It seems the man who called himself Morten was telling the truth.”

The documents outlined plans to blackmail politicians and journalists and incite public unrest.

As the charge of treason became undeniable, noise suddenly erupted from behind a partitioned wall.

Daniel signaled Baretti and the officers to stay alert as he approached the source of the commotion.

With his finger on the trigger, he swung the door open—and froze.

“Mmph! Mmmph!”
“Ugh… Mmph…”

The room was filled with bound and gagged people groaning helplessly.

Several of them recoiled in terror the moment they saw Daniel, squirming backward like frightened worms.

Baretti’s face paled as he entered the room and took in the scene.

“What the hell is this…?”
“I don’t know, but start removing their gags. We need answers.”

Nodding, Baretti holstered his gun and freed the nearest man’s mouth.

The man, wide-eyed and trembling, immediately screamed.

“S-save me! Major Daniel Steiner! Please spare me! I’ll never be involved in something like this again! I beg you…!”

Daniel blinked, stunned.

‘Why is he begging me?’

Baretti looked just as confused but quickly untied another prisoner.

And then—

“Major Steiner! Please spare me! I have a family to feed! Please, I beg for your mercy!”

This one also pleaded for Daniel’s forgiveness, tears streaming down his face.

Baretti cast a suspicious glance at Daniel, and the other officers instinctively took a few steps back, uneasy.

Feeling the scrutiny, Daniel wiped his sweat and protested.

“Inspector? I swear I had nothing to do with this.”

But Baretti’s suspicion didn’t waver.

The officers continued to regard Daniel with a mix of fear and doubt, retreating even further.

“…Everyone? Really, I didn’t do this. Believe me.”

Despite Daniel’s insistence, the tension in the room remained thick.

After a long silence, Baretti swallowed nervously and spoke.

“I’ll make sure the report states that Major Steiner knows nothing about this.”
“Inspector? I’m serious. I had nothing to do with this.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll be sure to remember that.”

Baretti took off his cap and gave Daniel a polite bow—an unspoken signal of submission.

It was the gesture of a man who understood it was better not to offend someone capable of orchestrating such a scene.

But for Daniel, who was genuinely uninvolved, the entire situation felt infuriatingly unfair.

Running a hand down his face, Daniel let out a deep sigh.

‘I just wanted to enjoy my leave…’

Now, instead, he found himself dragged into yet another absurd mess.

*****

Late Night—Inside the Imperial Palace Office.

‘They’ve already infiltrated the capital…’

Princess Selvia stared down at the map of the capital spread across her desk.

Red X marks covered the map, indicating locations where her faction’s politicians and journalists had been threatened by armed groups.

‘Gathering this data was the easy part…’

The problem was the lack of a clear pattern.

If the enemy’s base was located somewhere within the capital, their movements should have overlapped at certain points.

Instead, the enemy seemed to mock her efforts, appearing from entirely unexpected directions.

‘If the armed groups are operating like a decentralized network…’

Then, as Selvia initially suspected, their headquarters were likely outside the capital.

‘But how do I find it?’

The Empire was vast.

There was no way she could search its entire territory.

On top of that, Selvia estimated the enemy had established themselves long ago.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to operate in such a systematic and organized manner.

At the very least, they had likely set up their headquarters three years prior—making them even harder to track down.

Because of this, Selvia’s faction was steadily losing influence.

Fearing threats or physical harm, her allies in politics and the press had begun retreating from public activity.

‘I have to find them. No matter what.’

But there was no clear method.

As she rested her forehead in her hand, Selvia’s eyes narrowed.

‘If only that man were by my side right now…’

Daniel Steiner.

The man who had seized Nordia with his brilliant tactics and strategies.

Had that invaluable asset been with her, he might have already uncovered the prince’s secret organization.

But Daniel had applied for a long leave and left the capital—

As if to signal his indifference to the succession struggle.

Thus, Selvia couldn’t summon him back.

‘What is he thinking?’

In the limousine heading to the palace, he had shown subtle hints of favor toward her. She had even wondered if he’d finally decided to take her side—

Only for him to suddenly take leave at the most critical moment.

Frustrated, Selvia tapped her desk absentmindedly, when a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

Straightening her posture, she cleared her throat and called out.

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and Colonel Hartmann, her chief bodyguard from the Imperial Guard, entered.

After offering a quick salute, Hartmann stepped closer.

“Your Highness. Working late again, I see.”
“It’s a matter of survival. But why are you here at this hour?”
“I have an urgent report, and I apologize for the late intrusion.”

A report?

Selvia gestured for him to continue.

“Very well, speak.”

Hartmann lowered his voice.

“Your Highness, the leadership of the prince’s secret organization that you’ve been tracking has been captured.”

Selvia’s eyes widened.

In disbelief, she shot to her feet.

“Are you certain? I mean—are you absolutely certain about this information?”
“The report came directly from the police in the Barony of Betargen in the southern region. Based on the documents they sent, there’s no doubt.”

If the enemy leaders had truly been captured, it was a massive victory in the succession war.

Overwhelmed by the sudden stroke of luck, Selvia raised her voice.

“Who did this? Who achieved such a feat?”
“Well…”

Bowing slightly, Hartmann leaned closer and whispered.

“While he denies any involvement, the evidence points to Major Daniel Steiner.”

Selvia froze.

“…Daniel?”

Wasn’t he supposed to be on leave in his hometown?

Then again, the timing of his leave during such a crucial period had never quite made sense.

‘A man as ambitious as Daniel, desperate for promotion, wouldn’t leave at a time like this.’

It was illogical.

‘Then could it be that Daniel…’

…had been carrying out this mission all along under the guise of a vacation?

‘Come to think of it, Daniel once said I would become Empress.’

Selvia remembered what Hartmann had told her during her undercover trip to the north.

Even when surrounded by the prince’s assassins, Daniel had declared his belief that Selvia, not the prince, would ascend the throne.

‘He hid his intentions from me and pretended to be on leave…’

It now made perfect sense as a strategy to mislead both allies and enemies.

Realizing this, Selvia’s lips curled into a faint smile.

‘He risked his life to protect me before…’

And now, he had taken it upon himself to do what no one had even asked—clearing her path to the throne.

Without realizing it, Selvia’s fondness for Daniel deepened as she whispered softly.

“What an impossible man… Daniel Steiner…”

To Selvia, Daniel wasn’t just a capable strategist—

He was the very definition of a loyal subject.