A heavy silence hung between Daniel and Magref.
The ticking of the wall clock was so distinct that it seemed to echo in the room.
Within the artificially crafted stillness, the two men locked eyes, neither of them speaking a word.
Magref appeared motionless, but his mind was racing with countless thoughts.
“You want me to tell you who the Empire's collaborator is? So, the person who provided the information to the Kingdom of Belmore isn’t a double agent?”
Daniel’s words confirmed that the traitor was indeed one of their own, making it impossible to let this slip away.
The man had to stay alive—he was the key to obtaining valuable intelligence going forward.
“But…”
If Magref didn’t speak the truth, who knew what Daniel Steiner would do?
Right now, the man holding the Crown Prince’s life in his hands—Daniel Steiner—was in the most advantageous position in these negotiations.
“But still… Daniel Steiner wouldn’t kill the Crown Prince, would he?”
From the Empire’s perspective, Crown Prince Blef was an invaluable resource that could provide them with multiple strategic advantages in the negotiations with the Kingdom of Belmore.
Magref didn’t want to believe Daniel would actually kill him, but every time he looked into those black, emotionless eyes, an icy chill ran down his spine.
“What do I do…”
Noticing the growing tension in Magref’s expression, Daniel suddenly smiled.
Leaning back comfortably on the sofa, he spoke casually, as if addressing a friend.
"Major General Magref. Did you know that I once negotiated a peace treaty with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Eldresia?"
Magref nodded.
It was a well-known story, one that anyone in military circles was likely familiar with.
"I’m aware. You successfully negotiated the peace, and in addition to Nordia, you also secured the territory of Begenheim," he said.
"Ah, you know it well. Makes this conversation a little easier, doesn't it? Then, do you recall what the Foreign Minister of Eldresia said about me during those negotiations?"
Magref hesitated.
It didn’t seem like the kind of thing that should be spoken about in the middle of a negotiation.
But Daniel waved it off dismissively.
"It’s fine. That remark has become well-known by now. It’s practically common knowledge."
Magref swallowed hard, unsure of what to say.
Finally, he spoke up, his voice uncertain.
"He… he called you a son of Satan disguised as a human."
Daniel nodded approvingly, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Exactly. A son of Satan."
He continued, his tone turning more contemplative.
"To be honest, as a devout believer myself, it wasn’t the most flattering remark. But, looking at it from another perspective, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard. Can you guess why?"
The repeated questioning felt like a subtle form of pressure, forcing Magref into a corner.
Magref, still unsure of Daniel’s intentions, hesitated, but before he could speak, Daniel straightened up slightly and continued.
"The Foreign Minister of Eldresia was simply commenting that my methods are far beyond the norms of what most humans would consider acceptable," Daniel said, his voice almost a whisper, leaning slightly forward as if to make his point clear.
"They couldn’t predict how I would act, couldn’t deal with someone who thinks outside the box. Isn’t that the highest praise one could receive as a strategist?"
Magref broke into a cold sweat.
On the surface, Daniel’s words might seem like self-praise, but the deeper meaning was unmistakable—‘Don’t expect me to spare the Crown Prince.’
Magref’s rational mind screamed that he couldn’t trust Daniel’s words, but his emotions were already in turmoil.
As Magref’s breath grew heavier, Daniel quietly asked,
"Good. Then, I’ll ask you one last time. Who is the rat in the Empire that you’ve been working with?"
Magref remained silent once again.
The emotional turmoil inside him was so great that his rational mind remained intact—at least for now.
Realizing that he couldn’t afford to give Magref more time to think, Daniel grabbed the radio and pressed the transmit button.
"Have the troops move into position. As I said earlier, we’re preparing for a hundred rounds. I want them ready to fire the moment I give the signal."
"Stop!"
Magref’s shout echoed around the room, filling the space with an air of finality.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Magref let out a sharp breath and finally spoke, his voice trembling.
"I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you, so stop these monstrous actions!"
Daniel, watching Magref carefully, released the transmit button.
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"Everyone, hold your fire until further notice."
Placing the radio on the table, Daniel leaned back slightly, his demeanor still calm, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
Magref, breathing heavily, finally confessed.
"The man cooperating with the Kingdom of Belmore… is Campbell from the Empire."
Daniel’s brows furrowed at the mention of the name.
Campbell…
He was the leader of the Free Society Party and a politician from an aristocratic family.
While his political abilities were often considered mediocre, there were rumors that he had gained his position through the support of several high-ranking nobles.
Why would Campbell ally with the Kingdom of Belmore and target me?
As Daniel pondered the reasons, he shook his head.
For now, he would focus on finishing the negotiation and deal with Campbell later.
"Thank you for your honesty," Daniel said, his voice turning slightly lighter. "Now that we’re done with our little chat, let’s proceed to the negotiations. Lieutenant?"
At his call, Lucy, who had been waiting by his side, stepped forward and handed him a stack of documents.
Daniel received the document, quickly scanning it before handing it over to Magref.
"This is the draft of the agreement. I believe it’s been written quite reasonably, but if you notice anything that needs revising, please feel free to mention it."
Magref shot Daniel a pointed look before accepting the document.
The contents of the draft outlined the release of Hans Zernmehart, the Imperial engineer, and included several strategic resources to be provided by the Kingdom of Belmore.
It was, as Daniel had said, a reasonable draft. There was no immediate need for Magref to reject it.
After reading through it, Magref extended his hand toward his aide, who promptly retrieved a fountain pen from his coat and handed it to him.
Magref signed both copies of the document before passing one back to Daniel.
After confirming the signature, Daniel handed the document over to Lucy, who carefully placed it into her briefcase after a quick review.
With the agreement seemingly done, Daniel reached for his cap on the table.
"Thank you for your cooperation. We’ve arranged a place for you to rest. Once you leave the building, you can follow the guide from our side."
Daniel, now wearing his cap and gathering his radio, stood up but paused as if remembering something important.
"Ah. You’ll be staying at the Delopollo Hotel for the next two days. It’s said their breakfast is quite good, so even if you’re tired, don’t miss the opportunity to try it."
His tone was completely nonchalant, as if he hadn’t just threatened Magref moments ago.
Magref, clearly displeased, clenched his fist and replied,
"Daniel Steiner. I can’t for the life of me understand you. Why dig your own grave?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious.
"Sorry? What do you mean?"
Magref’s voice grew more heated.
"This is absurd! You’ve used prisoners as leverage and went as far as executing some of them right here at the negotiation table! You’re blatantly violating international law—don’t you know that?"
Daniel blinked, feigning confusion, and shook his head slowly.
"So… you’re saying I used prisoners to threaten you?"
Magref, anger building, snapped back,
"Don’t play dumb now! I, and my aide, remember everything you said and did."
Daniel’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile as he regarded Magref.
Then, unable to contain his amusement any longer, Daniel burst into laughter.
The sudden outburst left Magref and his aide paralyzed with a strange sense of dread.
What the hell was going on?
Wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, Daniel took out his radio and pressed the transmit button.
"Ah, I’m sorry. It seems you’ve been seriously mistaken."
With a hint of mischief in his voice, he spoke into the radio.
"Bernard, do you hear me? If you do, please explain the current situation. It seems Major General Magref has misunderstood something."
— "What misunderstanding, sir?"
Daniel’s eyes glinted as he continued,
"It seems Major General Magref thinks we’ve been using live-fire exercises on people. Is that the case?"
After a brief moment, Bernard’s confused voice crackled through the radio.
— "That’s not true! We’re just targeting dummies right now!"
Daniel shrugged lightly as he listened to the response.
"Ah, I see."
Magref froze, his mind racing.
Could it be…
Suddenly, everything clicked into place. The second inspection at the plaza, where they had stopped the delegation on the pretext of a random check—it was all part of Daniel’s plan to make him witness the execution of prisoners.
The "live-fire exercise" during the negotiations was nothing but a clever psychological tactic to create an association with the executions, ensuring that the threat would linger in Magref’s mind.
Daniel’s delay and erratic behavior were also part of the act—to position himself as an unpredictable, authoritative figure, further intimidating his counterpart.
Thinking back…
Daniel Steiner had never actually mentioned "execution" directly.
He had always referred to it as a "live-fire exercise," thus keeping it within the bounds of negotiation, not outright coercion.
And now, Magref realized just how thoroughly he had been manipulated.
"Major General Magref," Daniel’s calm voice broke through Magref’s daze.
Still staring at him, Daniel stood up and spoke.
"Considering the status of both our countries, I’ll forgive the rudeness I’ve endured from you."
With a slight bow, Daniel took his cap and turned to leave.
Magref, still stunned, raised a trembling hand to his forehead.
"Ah… Ah…"
He cursed himself for falling into the devil’s trap, feeling dizzy from the realization.
As Daniel left the room, Magref’s voice echoed in the background with a scream of disbelief, but Daniel did not look back.
There was no need to show interest in prey that had already been caught.