Chapter 15

After Daniel joined forces with Princess Selvia, the tide of battle turned dramatically.

It was thanks to the platoon members who, under Daniel's orders, disembarked and scattered, joining reinforcements dispatched by the Special Operations Unit at the outpost, and literally sweeping away the prince's army, disguised as Allied soldiers.

Moreover, due to Captain Heinz's additional request for support, reconnaissance helicopters and fighter jets from the nearby air squadron joined in, leaving the prince's army with no chance of victory.

From the start, they were a small unit deployed for a swift and decisive operation.

The reinforcements from the Special Operations Unit alone had pushed them to the brink, and with the air squadron joining in, their defeat was all but certain.

The prince's soldiers, cornered, chose to commit suicide as if by agreement, bringing the situation to a close.

And now—

Daniel and his platoon stood at attention in an empty clearing in the forest.

In front of a transport helicopter that had landed in the center of the clearing, Selvia blinked her blue eyes as she observed them.

'Indeed. They say excellent soldiers follow a brilliant commander…'

Daniel and his platoon members were all drenched in blood.

This meant they had not hesitated to fight against the prince's soldiers.

Of course, excluding Daniel, none of them actually knew that the enemies they fought were the prince's soldiers.

"Lieutenant Daniel."

Selvia, while looking over the platoon members, locked eyes with Daniel.

She gestured for him to come closer, and Daniel strode forward.

"You called for me."

Nodding, Selvia stood on tiptoe and whispered into Daniel's ear.

"Keep what you saw and heard today to yourself. No one must know that my brother was involved in this matter."

"…I understand. Without evidence, recklessly claiming this was the prince's doing could backfire."

"As expected. I like how well you understand me."

Her voice, soft and clear in his ear, was sweet.

Selvia stepped back with a gentle expression.

"Well then, I'll return to the capital. I'd love to travel to the main headquarters and talk with you further, but… the situation has grown larger than I expected, so I'll have to hurry back."

Indeed, the matter had grown large. By now, news that the princess had been attacked was surely spreading like wildfire among the military leadership of the capital.

This was because Captain Heinz, judging the situation to be dangerous, had requested support from the air squadron.

If Selvia didn't hurry back, she would face scrutiny not only from the emperor but also from the noble retainers. She had no choice in the matter.

Daniel, fully understanding Selvia's situation, bowed his head.

"It has been an honor to meet you. I look forward to serving you again someday."

At Daniel's polite words, Selvia gave a faint smile.

"We'll see each other again soon."

Her words were cryptic.

Before Daniel could respond, Selvia turned and boarded the transport helicopter.

After confirming Selvia had boarded, her guards climbed on in disciplined movements, closing the door.

Once one of the guards signaled that everyone was aboard, the pilot prepared for takeoff.

The helicopter's rotors began to spin with a whir, producing a roar as they pushed against the air—or more accurately, pushed against the ground.

Snow piled in the clearing scattered in all directions as the helicopter lifted off, flying straight toward the capital.

"..."

Inside the helicopter, Selvia sat by the window, looking down at the ground below.

She could see Daniel and his platoon saluting the helicopter from below.

Selvia quietly observed them, then turned her gaze to a guard inspecting his firearm.

On the shoulder of the guard that caught her attention was the golden-wing emblem symbolizing the chief escort of the imperial guard.

Colonel Hartmann Edelstein.

He was the field commander of the imperial guard and a renowned "killing machine," feared for his prowess.

Stories of Hartmann cutting down enemies with a single sword in bullet-riddled battlefields were always recounted when describing him.

If such a killing machine feared anything, it was Princess Selvia von Amberg, now staring at him with an expressionless gaze.

Usually, Hartmann thought of Selvia, who was young enough to be his granddaughter, as simply cute and lovely. However, when she fixed him with such an unwavering stare, demanding something, he felt chills from not knowing her intentions.

Of course, he couldn't ignore her forever. Reluctantly, Hartmann put down the rifle he was inspecting and removed his gas mask.

A single drop of cold sweat formed on the wrinkled face of the old veteran.

"Your Highness, is there something you wish to say to me?"

"There is. Why didn't you save Lieutenant Daniel immediately?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I'm a fool, Hartmann? You clearly arrived before Lieutenant Daniel even engaged with the enemy. Why did you stand by and not help him? Answer me."

As expected.

Hartmann had been dreading this moment. He glanced around, looking for some sort of SOS.

But the imperial guards, anticipating trouble, were all focused on their weapons, heads lowered, pretending not to notice.

'Those damned fools…'

Hartmann glared briefly at his subordinates before turning back to Selvia, forcing a smile.

"To my understanding, Your Highness's order was to 'rescue Lieutenant Daniel without him being harmed.' As he was not harmed, we can consider that we faithfully followed your orders."

"You call that an excuse?"

"Your Highness, I understand your anger, but we needed time to assess the individual you wish to favor. That is also part of our duty."

Though he did not doubt Selvia's judgment, for the imperial guard, it was critical to assess the abilities and ideologies of anyone who approached the princess.

"To offer further explanation, we did gain some results."

Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, it turned out, was someone capable of using nerve acceleration.

Although the ability consumed an extreme amount of mana and could only be maintained for a very short time, it had new potential.

In the past, this power had not been valued because a few seconds of acceleration couldn't pierce knights' armor or break mages' barriers.

However, with the advent of firearms and technological advancements, battles now happened in mere seconds.

In such modern battlefields, being able to control even a few seconds could provide a significant advantage.

In that regard, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner was an immensely valuable asset.

If not for his affiliation with the main headquarters, Hartmann would have immediately asked him to join the imperial guard.

"Lieutenant Daniel Steiner's combat ability is exceptional. With a bit of luck, he could have taken out all six soldiers by himself."

"..."

Selvia narrowed her eyes irritably.

Having served Selvia for a long time, Hartmann immediately recognized the unspoken message: 'That's not what I'm asking you right now.'

One wrong word here could earn him her ire.

And for Hartmann, being disliked by Selvia was no small matter.

Though their social statuses were worlds apart, Hartmann truly cherished Selvia like a granddaughter.

So, he needed to say something more meaningful. Clearing his throat, Hartmann spoke in a serious tone.

"If Your Highness truly intends to recruit Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, there's no need to test his loyalty."

"What do you mean?" Selvia blinked curiously.

Hartmann continued.

"Lieutenant Daniel Steiner said this in front of the prince's soldiers: 'That foolish prince can never become emperor.' He even added, 'The one who will become emperor is the princess.'"

Selvia's eyes widened.

As someone who arrived late to the battlefield, this was news to her.

"…Is that true? Did Lieutenant Daniel really say that?"

"Yes. Everyone here heard it."

The imperial guards, still pretending to clean their firearms, nodded in agreement.

A faint smile appeared on Selvia's lips.

"I see. Lieutenant Daniel said that…"

Trailing off, Selvia turned to look out the window.

By now, the clearing was far out of sight, but she unconsciously searched for Daniel below.

"Hmmm. I can't believe you said that...."

I'm not sure, but Daniel must have liked what I said.

"Does it make you feel good to be able to bring in new talent?

He seemed more reminded than usual.

"You don't mean to imply that you see Lieutenant Daniel as the opposite sex....?

No. Of course not. It was Selvia who was so tormented by my brother that she was blind to the opposite sex.

Whatever the reason, the sight of Selvia's age-appropriate expression was a sight to behold for Hartmann.