NOVPUBReceiving Gratitude for Something He Hadn’t Done Was Hardly Pleasant
Daniel had no idea what Otto was talking about when the Security Bureau Director suddenly reached into his inner pocket.
He pulled out a few photographs and laid them on the table.
"Despite dealing with enemy intelligence agents, I must say... you employed quite a humane method."
The photos showed numerous people lying unscious, as if in a deep sleep.
Scattered around them were electronic devices and documents, their presence captured in the frame.
Just as Daniel was about to question what exactly he was looking at, Ottontinued.
"From my analysis, it appears chloroform gas was dispersed throughout the area, and the entrance was sealed until they all lostnsciousness. Would you say my assumption isrrect?"
Daniel lifted his gaze and studied Otto’s face.
Was he joking?
But the look in Otto’s eyes was dead serious.
Realizing he needed to clear up this misunderstanding, Daniel let out a low chuckle and shook his head.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about. I had nothing to do with that incident."
"Is that so? Hm."
Otto clicked his tongue as if unvinced. He set the photos down on the table before reaching for his briefcase.
Rummaging through it, he eventually pulled out another photograph.
"Then, do you at least rgnize this man? You should,nsidering this is him before he removed his disguise."
Daniel took a look at the image.
It depicted an elderly man, lying still with a bullet lodged in his forehead.
His eyes were closed.
A flicker of rgnition crossed Daniel’s face as he nodded.
"I spoke with this old man briefly at a bar called Beer Paradise. Are you telling me he was an Allied intelligence agent?"
Otto, still wearing that same unreadable smile, gave a slow nod.
"That’srrect. Arding to our investigation, after speaking with Colonel Daniel Steiner, he returned to his hideout... only to later eunter an unknown group, at which point a bullet was embedded in his skull. And that’s not all I’ve uvered..."
Otto motioned for Daniel to wait, then retrieved a few more documents from his briefcase.
They were interrogation reports—statements from the captured enemy agents who had regainednsciousness.
Handing them over, Otto spoke.
"As you’ll see, they refuse to say anything about who attacked them. All of them are paralyzed with fear and remain tight-lipped. From what I can gather, it seems the assailant made sure to silence a few of them as a warning..."
Otto shrugged.
"One thing I don’t understand, though, is why some were left alive. If the goal was to ensuremplete secrecy, killing them all would’ve been the most effectiveurse of action. But the person behind this operation apparently valued the information these spiesuld provide."
Killing every divered spy wouldn’t inflict much harm on the Allied forces.
Losing agents was a painful setback, but dead spiesuldn’t reveal anything.
On the other hand, capturing them alive and extracting information—either through persuasion or interrogationuld deal the Allies a catastrophic blow.
Daniel Steiner, a man who had foughtuntless battles against the Allied Nations, would undoubtedly understand this simple truth.
And Daniel Steiner...
Ran avert organization powerful enough to wipe out an entire intelligence branch overnight.
Everyone with half a brain knew he had used that private force when he arrested members of the Imperial Prince’s faction in the past.
On the same day that the Pallentia Branch was obliterated, Daniel Steiner had held anversation with their leader, Theobald, at a restaurant.
When Otto pieced everything together, thenclusion was obvious—Daniel Steiner had orchestrated the entire operation from behind the scenes.
That was why Otto hadme to see him personally—to hear the truth directly.
Yet Daniel, who had absolutely nothing to do with it, was left speechless.
"I don’t even know that old man’s name. We just had a meal together, nothing more."
"Just a meal, you say..."
Otto studied him carefully before finally nodding, as if he had no choice but to accept the response.
"If that’s the official stance of Colonel Daniel Steiner, I won’t press further. However, I do want you to know this—The Security Bureau truly appreciates what happened."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "I don’t see how I deserve any thanks."
Otto chuckled.
"Ah, but that’s exactly why we’re grateful. Because Colonel Daniel Steiner remained silent, the Security Bureau was able to claim full credit for wiping out an enemy intelligence network."
With a grin, Otto began gathering the scattered documents and photographs on the table.
"Plenty of people try to buy the Security Bureau’soperation with money. Some even offer us political power. But very few hand us results like this on a silver platter."
After neatly organizing the documents, Otto slipped them back into his briefcase.
"I’m sure you’re aware, Colonel, that the capital is standing at the eye of the storm. You can feel it in the air, can’t you? That something terrible is about to happen."
Closing the briefcase, Otto straightened his jacket.
"And in times like these, what we need most is results. As long as we can prove the Security Bureau is stillmpetent, no matter who ends up ruling the Empire, my head will stay firmly attached to my shoulders."
Something about Otto’s words felt off to Daniel.
Theronation was already over, so why was the Director of the Security Bureau speaking as if the matter of the throne was still undecided?
"...The Empire has only one ruler—Her Majesty the Emperor."
Otto nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that is indeed true. And I wholeheartedly support that notion."
"If that’s the case, then your recent statement sounded rather... peculiar."
"Naturally. It was meant to sound peculiar. After all, this is a gift from me to you, Colonel. And when one receives a gift, it’s only right to offer something in return, wouldn’t you agree?"
"I’m not sure I understand what you mean."
Otto’s smile deepened.
"In that case, allow me to make my intentions clearer."
Even Though No One Was Around, Otto Pretended to Be Cautious
Leaning forward slightly, he lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Beware of Duke Belvar. He will be the one to stir the storm.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Duke Belvar...
The old fox who had once sided with the Imperial Prince during the battle for succession.
I was under the impression that he had acknowledged his loss and withdrawn his support... Could he be the leader of the noble faction that has been trying to pressure me?
Daniel had vaguely suspected as much, but hearing it from someone else was an entirely different matter.
Ofurse, there was a chance Otto was lying.
But dismissing a statement from the head of the Security Bureau—someone with access to an ocean of information—would be foolish.
“I’ll keep your advice in mind.”
Hearing Daniel’s response, Otto smiled and closed his briefcase.
“I hope you found my information useful. I’ll take my leave now.”
He stood up from his seat and began to walk away, only to pause as if something had just occurred to him.
“Ah, by the way, do you happen to know a man named Hamtal? He’s a rather unusual Black entrepreneur...”
Hamtal?
The name sounded familiar, but Danieluldn’t recall any details.
“I don’t. Why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing too serious. He was supposed to invest in Theobald’s textile factory. Since he wasnnected to the enemy intelligence network, I had him investigated... but his alibi was absolutely airtight, so we had to rule him out as a suspect. However...”
Otto raised a hand to stroke his chin.
“Have you everme across an alibi that’s so perfect it actually makes you more suspicious?”
“Even if I had, I’m not sure why you’d be telling me this.”
“Fair point.” Otto smirked. “Well, I do hope we’ll meet again.”
He extended a hand.
Daniel rose from his seat and accepted the handshake.
With a slight nod, Otto turned and exited the office.
Outside the General Staff Headquarters
The moment he stepped outside, his aide, who had been ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) waiting nearby, approached.
“Director, how did the meeting go?”
Otto wore a strange expression.
“I don’t know. It didn’t feel like I was speaking to a person.”
“What do you mean?”
“He was... like a machine. At least, the Daniel Steiner that was responding to me.”
Otto thought back to thenversation in the reception room.
All the evidence pointed to Daniel Steiner having used his private organization to annihilate the enemy spy network.
And yet, Daniel had denied it without the slightest hesitation.
Otto had expected him to reject the claim—that much was predictable.
But the real issue was what came after.
“I know for a fact that he was lying. But there wasn’t a single tell.”
Having risen through the ranks to bme Director of the Security Bureau, Otto had euntereduntlessn artists and deceivers.
No matter how skilled they were, he had always been able to detect their lies.
People, when lying, inevitably exhibited physiological and behavioral discrepancies.
Even their breathing patterns and magical signatures would shift slightly.
For someone like Otto—who had a keen eye for spotting such insistencies—exposing deception was snd nature.
But with Daniel Steiner...
There had been nothing.
No tension. No hesitation. No disruptions in his breathing.
It was as if he had spoken nothing but the absolute truth.
A chill ran down Otto’s spine.
“It’s eerie... downright terrifying.”
Shuddering, Otto rubbed his arms, trying to shake off the dimfort.
Daniel’s ability to deceive even himself was enough to make his skin crawl.
“He may very well have sociopathic tendencies. Regardless, listen up, aide. I’m morenvinced than ever that we need to adjust our strategy.”
“In what way?” 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
“From now on, if Duke Belvar asks for ouroperation, don’t provide any more information than necessary. And we’re not to mobilize any of our personnel for his sake.”
Otto’s aide seemed taken aback.
“You mean...?”
Otto smirked.
“Yeah. Maybe the one bringing the storm to the Empire... isn’t Duke Belvar at all.”
His grin widened.
“It might just be Daniel Steiner.”
