Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 71
The Empire Desires Peace

『 Translator – Divinity 』

This was the first time he felt Sylvia’s gaze to be this burdensome.

Flustered, Daniel remained silent for a while, then forced himself to speak.

“…Your Highness? The speech regarding the war bonds is a matter of national importance. Therefore, I believe it would be more appropriate to find someone with more experience and eloquence in public speaking.”

Although he spoke as calmly as possible, Daniel was burning up inside.

Since the speech was about war bonds, Sylvia would gather a large number of citizens.

It wouldn’t be a problem if it were just citizens, but reporters from foreign press and politicians from the National Assembly would also be vying for a spot.

Not only that, but the speech would be broadcast on the radio so that people across the Empire could hear it.

It was no different from engraving the name “Daniel Steiner” across the Empire and spreading it to distant foreign lands.

For Daniel, who didn’t want to become any more famous, it was a disaster.

‘I have to change Sylvia’s mind somehow.’

He swallowed nervously and gave an awkward smile.

“Also, I am the Operations Staff Officer at the General Staff Headquarters. As you know, we have a lot of work to do.”

“Hmm, and?”

“If I were to prepare for the speech, the staff members would have to share my workload. I can’t burden them like that in good conscience.”

Sylvia leaned back and looked at him with suspicion.

“You can’t burden the staff members? I’m not saying I don’t understand your feelings, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel, but there’s something I don’t quite get.”

“…What is it that you don’t understand, Your Highness?”

“It’s a simple question. Why would you prioritize the staff members over my request, when I am the future ruler of the Empire?”

Her tone was gentle, but it sounded like a threat to Daniel.

“Are you saying that you’ll only comply if I give you an order instead of a request?”

It wasn’t just a threat; it was a clear threat.

As expected of someone with the blood of a ruler.

Although she spoke playfully, Daniel could feel the pressure.

Realizing that he couldn’t refuse any further, he bowed his head slightly.

“I misspoke. I momentarily forgot that the struggles of the staff members are nothing compared to the hardships Your Highness faces while managing state affairs.”

Sylvia smiled with satisfaction at his polite apology.

“Then I’ll assume you’ve accepted my proposal. Someone from the Ministry of Public Information will explain the detailed schedule and speech format, so listen carefully.”

“…”

“Ah, I’ll inform the General Staff Headquarters myself, so you don’t have to worry about any disruptions to your work. Just focus on preparing for the speech for the time being.”

The way Sylvia spoke so naturally, as if she had prepared everything in advance, confirmed his suspicions.

‘She was planning to make me the speaker from the beginning.’

It was safe to say that everything had been decided the moment he stepped into the indoor garden.

Feeling tricked, Daniel chuckled inwardly and looked at Sylvia.

“Your Highness, if it’s not rude, may I ask you something?”

“I don’t usually take questions, but I’ll make an exception for you, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel. What are you curious about?”

“Just… I was wondering why you summoned me personally. I wouldn’t have been able to refuse even if you had sent someone to deliver the order.”

It was a sharp observation.

No matter how much of a war hero he was, a mere Lieutenant Colonel couldn’t disobey the orders of the Crown Princess.

So he was asking why she had bothered to meet with him in person to deliver the message.

Sylvia seemed a bit displeased by his question.

‘Is he clueless? Or is he pretending to be clueless?’

Sylvia’s life had been saved by Daniel twice.

The first time wasn’t that dangerous, but that didn’t matter.

The important thing was that Daniel had risked his life to try and save her.

And this time, Daniel had personally taken down the prince’s secret organization.

It was only natural for Sylvia to develop feelings for him.

But what about Daniel? He was always stiff and formal, as if he was interacting with a superior.

‘…Don’t tell me he doesn’t know that I have feelings for him?’

Dumbfounded, Sylvia stared at Daniel, then let out a soft sigh.

“Think about the reason yourself.”

Saying that, Sylvia slowly stood up.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly looked back at Daniel as if she had remembered something.

“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel, if this speech goes well… I hope we can meet more often.”

Sylvia gave a faint smile and walked away, her red cape fluttering behind her.

Daniel stared blankly at her retreating figure, then frowned and stroked his chin.

‘What does she mean by that? Is she planning to use me as her spokesperson?’

It was a complete misunderstanding.

***

A request from the Crown Princess, who was currently acting as regent, was practically an order from the Emperor.

After all, it was Emperor Bertram who gave the final approval for her regency.

Therefore, I faithfully carried out Sylvia’s “request,” which was more like an order, to “prepare for the speech.”

I had spent the entire week coordinating with Hans, the public relations officer from the Ministry of Public Information.

Even today, the day of the speech, I was talking with Hans.

“As I’ve repeatedly mentioned, we mustn’t provoke the pacifists. With the prolonged war, the people are exhausted.”

“…Are they really that exhausted?”

“Yes. This is the latest data. Please take a look, Lieutenant Colonel.”

Backstage at the outdoor concert hall where the speech was to be held, Hans took out a file from the pile of documents he was holding and handed it to me.

I received the file and read through the survey statistics.

────────────

《Public Opinion Survey on War: For or Against》

Sample: 1,000 citizens from major cities in the Empire

Respondents: Approximately 18,000

Question: What are your thoughts on the war the Empire is currently waging?

• Frequency Analysis

1. The war must continue – 8,208 (45.6%)
2. The war must stop – 8,298 (46.1%)
3. Don’t know / No answer – 1,494 (8.3%)

────────────

As Hans had said, those who wanted the war to stop were slightly ahead.

“As you can see, the pacifists have outnumbered the war supporters for the first time. Of course, there might be some Allied spies among those calling for peace, but with such a high percentage, it can also be seen as the will of the people.”

Indeed, with this percentage, it was impossible to claim that the pacifists were simply being manipulated by spies.

I nodded, and Hans, checking his wristwatch, handed me another document.

It was the speech, containing what I was supposed to say.

“Therefore, we need to explain why we must continue the war without provoking the pacifists. Please keep in mind that we mustn’t antagonize them.”

“Alright, then…”

I checked the time on my wristwatch, just like Hans had, and turned my head towards the stage.

“It seems it’s time for me to go up and give the speech.”

Hans nodded.

“The Ministry of Public Information has complete faith in you, Lieutenant Colonel.”

I nodded in return and walked towards the stage.

As I climbed the stairs and appeared on stage, the lights came on, and cheers erupted from the audience.

Turning my head at the deafening noise, I saw the crowd filling the seats.

‘There are so many people…’

The concert hall, which could hold ten thousand people, was packed.

This was thanks to the Ministry of Public Information continuously promoting the important speech by war hero Daniel Steiner for the past week.

Although I felt burdened by this kind of attention, I had to carry out the order I had been given.

Walking to the podium amidst the cheers, I tapped the microphone that had been set up beforehand.

The sound echoed through the large speakers, and the cheers quickly subsided.

I smiled at the crowd, unfolded the document Hans had given me, and began to speak, glancing at the familiar speech.

“My fellow citizens of the Empire, I am Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner from the General Staff Headquarters.”

A small cheer arose from the front rows.

I waited for them to quiet down, then continued,

“Before I begin my speech, I want to clearly state my position to avoid any unnecessary confusion. I, Daniel Steiner, do not support war…”

I paused, unable to remember the next line, and glanced down at the speech.

『I do not support war. If anything, I am a pacifist. However, I understand better than anyone why war is necessary.』

It was written from a neutral perspective to satisfy both war supporters and pacifists.

If I delivered the speech as it was, it would be a lukewarm success for selling war bonds.

‘And if that happens…’

I would undoubtedly become Sylvia’s close associate and be dragged around everywhere.

And when Sylvia became Empress, my fame would grow even greater.

This meant that the possibility of being assassinated before even reaching a war crimes tribunal would increase significantly.

It was one of the worst possible futures for me, who wanted to live a long and peaceful life.

Was there really no way out of this?

I frantically searched for a solution and spotted the pacifists occupying a section of the audience.

Seeing them holding signs protesting the war gave me a brilliant idea.

‘If I provoke the pacifists and ruin this speech…’

I would be able to distance myself from Sylvia and the world’s attention.

No one would be wary or afraid of someone who couldn’t even give a proper speech.

Having made my decision, I closed the document containing the speech.

Then, I looked straight ahead at the countless camera flashes.

“I, Daniel Steiner, desire war…”

I narrowed my eyes and gripped the edges of the podium with both hands.

And then, putting on the act of a war maniac, I raised my right hand and declared,

“I desire an all-out war, the likes of which have never been seen before!”