Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 68
He’s Certainly No Ordinary Man

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Beads of sweat formed on Daniel’s forehead as he looked at Bertram.

It was clear that Bertram harbored strong suspicions towards him.

But from his perspective, genuinely knowing nothing, he felt frustrated.

How could he get out of this absurd situation?

After a moment of frantic calculations, Daniel hurriedly knelt on one knee.

“Your Majesty! I don’t understand why you would say such a thing…!”

His opponent was the Emperor, the one who held absolute power over the Empire.

He could easily have someone killed on a whim.

If he stubbornly denied everything, his life could be in danger.

“Of course, I understand why you would suspect me, given the circumstances. If I were in your position, I would also be suspicious. But I have no private army.”

Bertram chuckled softly at his explanation.

He gestured, and the attendant, who had been frozen in place, approached with cartridges.

Bertram received them and loaded the shotgun with practiced movements.

“You have no private army?”

After loading both barrels, Bertram closed the shotgun.

“That’s strange. Then what was that armed group that attacked the Dawn of the New Day before you arrived? According to the testimonies of those who were captured, they were all well-trained.”

“Your Majesty, I am ashamed to admit that I truly know nothing about that.”

“You don’t know? Then are you implying that I’m being paranoid and spouting nonsense?”

Although Bertram spoke in a calm tone, his words carried a sharp edge.

Daniel flinched and lowered his head deeply.

“That’s not what I meant! How could I ever say such a thing to Your Majesty? I am simply saying that I don’t know what I don’t know. Perhaps…”

He swallowed nervously and continued,

“If Your Majesty believes that I have a private army or a faction under my command, I will humbly accept it, even if it’s not true.”

“Humbly accept it? How?”

“If you simply order me to resign from the military, I will take off my uniform and return to being an ordinary citizen. And I will not get involved in any political affairs within the Empire.”

Daniel meant it sincerely, but to Bertram, it sounded like a threat.

It was as if he was pressuring Bertram, asking him to consider if it would truly be beneficial to persecute and falsely accuse him, a war hero of the Empire, without any evidence.

An Emperor might seem above the law, but there was no one who had to abide by the law more than the Emperor.

If the Emperor didn’t respect the law, the law’s credibility would diminish, and high-ranking officials would follow suit, trying to exploit loopholes.

That would lead to corruption, and corruption would become the downfall of the nation.

‘So…’

Daniel was essentially asking the Emperor, ‘Are you going to destroy the sacred laws of the Empire established by your predecessors with your own hands?’

‘I see how this cunning fellow managed to win over Duke Belvar.’

He knew Daniel wasn’t ordinary, but he didn’t expect him to be this capable.

Bertram, needing time to think, fell silent for a moment, then looked down at Daniel.

“Daniel Steiner, raise your head.”

Daniel raised his head, and Bertram continued,

“Can you swear? That there is not a single lie in your words.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was an immediate answer.

“Under the heavens watched over by God, I swear to Your Majesty with all sincerity that I have no private army or faction under my command.”

Bertram stared at Daniel’s face, then nodded in resignation.

“If you say so, I won’t pursue this matter any further. You may rise.”

Daniel nodded and stood up, and Bertram gestured with his hand.

It was a signal to launch the clay pigeons.

At the same time, he threw the loaded double-barreled shotgun towards Daniel.

As Daniel caught it in surprise, Bertram said,

“Shoot.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a launch sound signaled the release of two clay pigeons.

Daniel instinctively took aim and saw the clay pigeons soaring high in the sky.

But instead of shooting immediately, he calculated their trajectories.

Just before the two pigeons, flying at different speeds, overlapped, Daniel pulled the trigger.

Bang—!

The gunpowder exploded, and the shot pellets shattered both clay pigeons simultaneously.

Bertram exclaimed in admiration.

Daniel, also surprised by his success, blinked a few times and lowered the shotgun.

Bertram looked at Daniel, his eyes fixed on the shattered pieces of the clay pigeon that had fallen to the ground.

“That’s quite a shot. Are you going to dismiss this as luck as well?”

“Your Majesty, I simply…”

“That’s enough. I don’t want to argue. You seem tired, so you’re dismissed. I apologize for troubling you with my pointless game.”

The attendant, who had been listening to their conversation, approached Daniel and held out his hands.

Daniel handed him the shotgun, and the attendant stepped back.

As Daniel hesitated, wondering if he was really dismissed, Bertram waved his hand.

Daniel bowed deeply to Bertram.

“It was an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

Saying that, Daniel turned and slowly walked away.

As Bertram watched his retreating figure, the space beside him distorted.

The distorted space gradually took on a human shape and color.

As the optical camouflage deactivated completely, Captain of the Imperial Guard Johannes appeared.

Bertram spoke without even looking at him.

“He’s more cunning than I thought. I expected it, but he didn’t even bat an eye when I offered him a reward.”

When Daniel was no longer in sight, Johannes looked at Bertram.

“Your Majesty, what were you planning to do if Daniel, blinded by the promise of a reward, revealed his private army?”

“If he had confessed, I would have held a court-martial and sentenced him to death.”

According to Imperial law, if a soldier privately owned troops or formed a military faction, the ringleader could be sentenced to death.

If Daniel confessed, it would serve as evidence, and Bertram could execute him without any issues.

Of course, this would lead to a sharp decline in public opinion towards the Emperor who executed a war hero, but Bertram had already taken that into account.

“I would sentence him to death, but I wouldn’t carry out the execution. My daughter would strongly oppose it. So, because of Sylvia, I would remain the Emperor who couldn’t execute the sentence.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“When the time comes, I will hand over the throne to my daughter. Then, the first thing Sylvia would do is pardon and release Daniel. What do you think he would do then?”

Johannes pondered for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

“He’ll think he owes a debt of gratitude to Her Highness. She will easily be able to win over Daniel Steiner’s heart.”

“And we could have used the crime of operating a private army to put a leash on him. A leash to pull him back whenever he bared his fangs.”

Emperor Bertram had orchestrated all of this to allow his daughter, Sylvia, to tame Daniel Steiner.

But Daniel hadn’t fallen into the trap Bertram had set.

It was as if he had known everything from the beginning.

“Captain of the Imperial Guard, did you see Daniel Steiner’s trap shooting?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Bertram smiled faintly.

“It wasn’t his first time trap shooting. Judging from his stable posture and the way he instantly calculated the trajectory of the clay pigeons, he must have enjoyed this game many times.”

“But why did he lie about never having done it before…?”

“He must have known from the moment he was summoned by the Chief of the Imperial Household that this wasn’t just a friendly gathering. Knowing that this was an interrogation, he must have wanted to leave quickly.”

Daniel had likely intended to feign incompetence in trap shooting to dampen the Emperor’s interest.

However, flustered at being suddenly handed the gun, he instinctively took aim.

Seeing that, Bertram was certain.

“Daniel Steiner’s words were all lies from beginning to end. But we can’t claim that those lies are lies. Because he erased all the evidence.”

It was as if no one would ever know unless the Empire’s intelligence agency uncovered it.

This fact deepened the wrinkles on Bertram’s face.

“He’s a truly meticulous and calculating person. He deceives everyone and cloaks himself in lies, but there are no gaps. Even I, the Emperor, can’t easily touch him.”

If Bertram had the strength and time, he would have welcomed Daniel’s emergence.

If he could win him over, they might have been able to rule the world together.

‘But…’

Bertram was old and ill, and Sylvia, the next in line for the throne, was young and inexperienced.

‘The current Sylvia will never be able to tame the wolf that is Daniel Steiner.’

Bertram couldn’t fathom what kind of impact this would have on the Empire.

‘For now, I can only hope that the loyalty Daniel has shown Sylvia is genuine…’

With worried eyes, Bertram looked at the spot where Daniel had been standing, then turned his head.

Bertram took a deep breath and looked up at the blue sky.

“Captain of the Imperial Guard, do you think the season Daniel Steiner will bring to the Empire is spring?”

Johannes, understanding Bertram’s implication, bowed his head deeply.

“I will do my best to ensure he doesn’t bring winter to the Empire.”

Bertram chuckled softly and nodded.

He hoped that his loyal watchdog, Johannes, would prevent the wolf’s tyranny.