Freyen, satisfied with the answer she had received, quietly closed the door.
Watching this, Daniel felt a subtle sense of relief, but before he could fully settle into it, Belaf spoke, unable to hide his embarrassment.
“I-I apologize. I had no idea that Lieutenant Colonel Daniel held my daughter in such high regard.”
It seemed like some sort of misunderstanding had occurred, but Daniel made no effort to correct it.
Just from a glance, the relationship between father and daughter didn't seem particularly good, and he had no intention of saying something careless to Belaf that might find its way to Freyen’s ears.
So, instead, Daniel simply nodded vaguely and cleared his throat.
“There’s no need to apologize. I have no desire to impose my opinions on others. More importantly, wouldn’t it be better if we got straight to the main topic?”
“Ah... The main topic. Understood.”
Belaf adjusted his glasses with one hand and finally spoke.
“The Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral has two major requests to make of you, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel.”
“Two requests?”
“Yes. The first request is that you publicly demonstrate your connection to the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral.”
“...And why would you need me to do that?”
Daniel’s voice carried clear skepticism as he asked the question.
Belaf began to explain.
“As you’re likely aware, due to the ongoing war, public sentiment toward donations has plummeted to an unprecedented low.”
Not only were people struggling financially, but a growing number believed that any extra money should be directed toward supporting the military, hastening the end of the war rather than being donated to the church.
As a result, some churches had been forced to cease operations or shut down entirely.
Rumors had even begun to spread that churches were nothing more than institutions that exploited people under the guise of faith, extorting money in the name of God. From Belaf’s perspective as the head pastor, it was enough to drive him to the brink of despair.
At that critical moment, when the fear of the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral following the path of other struggling churches loomed over him, Freyen had returned home on leave.
She had taken the podium.
Standing before the congregation, Freyen delivered a radical speech—mourning the tragic death of Daniel Steiner, the war hero, and calling for the complete eradication of the Allied Nations from existence.
A church preaching love and compassion calling for the annihilation of an entire nation?
Belaf had been horrified at the time.
But surprisingly, the response had not been bad.
No—calling it "not bad" would be an understatement.
The crowd had erupted in deafening cheers and enthusiastic applause.
“To be honest, I’m not sure whether I should call it fortunate or not, but ever since Freyen mentioned you during that sermon, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel, the number of people attending our church has been gradually increasing.”
By the time the congregation had stabilized to pre-war levels, reports had begun spreading across the Empire that Daniel Steiner was, in fact, alive.
People who heard the news celebrated as if it were their own personal joy, shouting in excitement.
Not just in the capital, but in provinces as well, festivals were held in his honor. As a result, the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral saw an explosive increase in followers.
Now, the number of believers exceeded even the pre-war level.
“After Lieutenant Colonel Daniel’s return, our congregation has grown larger than it ever was before. However, with more followers come more complications.”
“Complications?” Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, some people have begun questioning whether the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral is truly associated with you, Lieutenant Colonel. That is why we wish to formally invite you to the church.”
Daniel let out a low chuckle.
The more he listened, the more absurd it became.
“So, in short, you want me to officially endorse your business so you can keep profiting off my name.”
Belaf broke into a cold sweat at Daniel’s blunt words.
“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel, that is not our intention. If I’ve offended you, I sincerely apologize—”
Daniel raised a hand to silence him.
He would at least hear the man out.
“What is the second request from the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral?”
The air around Daniel shifted.
His tone was suddenly more authoritative, as if addressing a subordinate.
Belaf couldn't voice any objections.
At present, the very financial lifeline of the church was dependent on Daniel’s reputation.
“Our second request is...”
Belaf swallowed dryly before continuing.
“We would like you to remove the protesters who have been gathering outside the church. Initially, their numbers were small, but recently, they have grown significantly. They’ve reached a scale where they are now openly intimidating our followers as they enter and leave the church.”
“What kind of protest are we talking about?”
“Oh... It’s mainly an anti-war demonstration. They criticize our church for idolizing the ‘warmonger’ Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner and continue their slanderous accusations against us. We have tried reasoning with them and persuading them, but nothing has worked.”
An anti-war protest?
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
That was strange.
Ever since his Total War Speech, anti-war protests had visibly decreased. It made no sense that such a large-scale demonstration had suddenly appeared in this location.
“Pastor, do you have any idea when exactly these protests began to increase?”
“Hm... If I recall correctly, about a month ago. Around that time, their numbers started growing at an alarming rate. Some of the more extreme ones have even begun throwing rotten fruits and vegetables at the church, making it a very difficult situation.”
Hearing this, Daniel narrowed his eyes.
“A month ago...”
That was when he had been dispatched to the forward base near the Belmore Kingdom’s border.
Had they been planning this all along?
Outwardly, they were leaking information to the Belmore Kingdom.
Internally, they were stirring up public unrest, instigating anti-war protests.
The goal was clear—to erode Daniel Steiner’s public image through these protests.
Even if he died in battle against the Belmore Kingdom, they wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be revered as a martyr. They wanted to slowly tarnish his reputation, ensuring that he would never be idolized.
It had started small, in the provinces, but they were waiting for the church to surrender before expanding it further.
‘These bastards are even more disgusting than I thought.’
It was a dirty, underhanded scheme.
They were trying to drag Daniel Steiner into the mud, making sure he was completely covered in filth.
There was no doubt—among the protesters, the number of those who were genuinely against the war was likely far smaller than those who were being paid or instructed by hidden hands.
‘How should I handle this...?’
Simply stopping their plan wasn’t enough.
No, it wouldn’t be satisfying at all.
He needed to turn this around.
To create a backlash so severe that they would never dare attempt such a scheme again.
Daniel tapped the armrest of the sofa as he mulled over his thoughts. Then, as if something had suddenly come to mind, he turned his gaze to Belaf.
“You said some of the more extreme ones throw rotten fruits and vegetables?”
“Ah, yes, that’s correct.”
A faint smile formed on Daniel’s lips.
“Then it’s possible they might escalate and throw bricks as well.”
“Excuse me? Well... I suppose it’s possible, but in the past month, they haven’t thrown anything that dangerous. If someone were to be hit by a brick, that would be a serious problem, wouldn’t it?”
“Pastor, whether they’ve done it before or not doesn’t matter.”
Daniel leaned forward slightly, tapping his fingers against the table as if to emphasize his point.
“What matters is that they could throw bricks.”
The moment a brick was thrown, they would no longer be seen as mere protesters.
If someone got injured by one, the nature of the protest would shift instantly to an act of violence.
And at that point, Imperial soldiers would have every justification to treat them as rioters.
“Surely, Lieutenant Colonel, you’re not suggesting—”
But Daniel shook his head.
“There’s no way I would do such a thing. Even if they were to throw bricks, I would never take action to punish them. However, the entire event will be reported by a certain mysterious journalist and spread across the Empire.”
Daniel reached out and picked up ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) his cup.
Since it was supposedly the finest quality coffee, he was curious to taste it.
“I will call the journalist. Pastor, your job is to handle the publicity.”
“...Publicity?” Belaf asked hesitantly.
“Yes. Spread the news far and wide that Daniel Steiner will be visiting the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral tomorrow. Make sure the fish take the bait and gather in a swarm.”
Lifting his cup, Daniel inhaled the aroma before taking a sip.
“I will personally persuade them.”
After finishing his statement, he took a light sip of the coffee.
It seemed that the claim about its quality wasn’t just empty words. The flavor was smooth, free of excessive acidity, and left a pleasant taste on his tongue.
Daniel set the cup down, quietly impressed.
“And...”
The sound of the cup clinking against the saucer echoed softly in the empty reception room.
“If you wish, I will allow you to continue using my name for profit. However, if you choose to do so, the Glorious Sacred Flame Cathedral will be required to fulfill all of my requests unconditionally from now on.”
It was a polite way of saying that he intended to make the church his personal instrument.
Belaf, caught off guard, hurriedly spoke up.
“L-Lieutenant Colonel Daniel? That is an unreasonable demand.”
“Unreasonable, you say...”
Daniel let out a playful chuckle and shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s quite amusing to hear someone who has been profiting off my name complain about unfairness. I’m not fond of coercion, but if you insist on taking this stance...”
Suddenly, Daniel’s expression turned cold.
His gaze locked onto Belaf.
Like a beast eyeing its prey, his jet-black eyes bore into the pastor.
Then, in a quiet, deliberate voice, he spoke.
“Allow me to show you what truly unfair means.”
A tense silence fell between them.
Belaf felt his entire body freeze, like prey caught in the sights of a predator’s fangs.
This was no joke.
Realizing that, Belaf slowly lowered his gaze.
“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel’s proposal...”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Belaf forced himself to continue speaking, fear tightening around his throat.
“...I accept.”