Late into the Night
Three police cars screeched to a halt in the textile factory's lot.
Patrol officers, responding to a report of gunfire, had been dispatched imdiately.
As soon as the vehicles stopped, officers rushed out—but hesitated at the factory entrance.
The last to exit was Inspector Coparo. His voice rang out, loud enough for everyone to hear:
"This is it! Draw your weapons! If those bastards are still inside, we may have to take them down!"
Despite their tension, the officers obeyed, unholstering their pistols.
Their mouths were dry with nerves.
A rookie glanced anxiously at Coparo and hesitated before speaking.
"Sir… are we really going in alone? Shouldn’t we call for riot squad backup…?"
Annoyed by the question, Coparo turned with a sharp glare.
"Are you stupid? If we call the riot squad, do you think they’ll co alone? Those damn reporters, always looking for a scoop, will swarm in like flies! And when they broadcast a gunfight in the middle of the city, who do you think is going to take the bla?"
An incident like this, right after the coronation, would not sit well with the Imperial Court.
And a shootout in the city? That would only fuel panic about public safety.
If that happened, the district police departnt would be completely screwed.
That was why Coparo was determined to handle this with just the patrol units.
"If you want to keep your job, shut up and follow orders. Got it?"
The rookie hesitated for a mont before nodding.
Satisfied, Coparo signaled for the team to move in.
The less experienced officers pressed against the factory’s outer walls, keeping watch, while Coparo and the veterans crouched low and advanced inside.
Their footsteps echoed across the concrete floor.
Holding their breath, they moved cautiously—because from deep within the factory, the sharp stench of blood was in the air.
Creeping through the rows of machinery, Coparo suddenly stopped.
A body lay sprawled on the floor.
A single bullet hole in the head.
Blood pooled beneath it, soaking into the ground.
The officers scanned the area, suspecting the killer might still be nearby, but they found nothing.
That’s when Coparo realized—the perpetrator had already fled.
"A random killing? For what? Robbery?"
As he stepped closer, he noticed sothing unusual.
The ground was scorched.
Scattered across the floor were half-burnt banknotes.
"They burned the money? So it wasn’t about that…"
Scratching his head at the bizarre scene, Coparo sensed the other officers gathering around him.
"Sir, the suspect’s already gone."
Coparo nodded.
"Looks that way. Secure the cri scene and preserve all evidence. I’ll inform the superintendent—"
His voice trailed off as sothing caught his eye.
A fabric-dyeing machine had been pushed aside, revealing a staircase leading underground.
He swallowed dryly, exchanged a glance with a nearby officer, then looked down again.
"…What the hell is this? Why the hell is there a hidden entrance in a textile factory?"
"Beats . Unless they built a secret room for poker gas or sothing."
"Shit. I had a bad feeling about today… Alright! We’re going in—stay close!"
Raising his voice, Coparo tightened his grip on his gun and began descending the stairs.
As darkness swallowed them, an officer behind him switched on a flashlight.
Click.
The beam of light revealed a massive iron door at the bottom.
Tension filled the air as Coparo reached out and cautiously pushed the handle.
It moved.
It wasn’t locked.
After taking a deep breath, Coparo kicked the door open.
BANG!
The door slamd wide, and he imdiately raised his gun.
"Police! If you don’t want to die, get on the ground—"
The words died in his throat.
Inside the underground bunker, bodies lay scattered across the floor.
Most appeared unconscious, but so were bleeding—gunshot wounds evident.
As Coparo took in the scene, his gaze slowly lifted.
"What the hell…?"
On the far wall was a massive strategic map.
Radar screens, surveillance monitors, and rows of advanced electronic equipnt lined the room.
Sweat dripped down Coparo’s temple as he finally spoke again.
"Call in the riot squad—no, notify the Security Bureau. Looks like we just stumbled upon an enemy spy hideout."
"Sir? Are you sure we should?"
An officer hesitated, but Coparo shot him a glare filled with frustration and barely contained fury.
"And what the fuck do you think? Does this look like sothing a regular police patrol can handle?"
Just by scale alone, this was far beyond anything a local precinct could deal with.
****
Two Days Later – Imperial General Staff Headquarters
Daniel Steiner’s Private Office
“The Imperial Daily, today's edition.”
As soon as Daniel sat down, Lucy approached and handed him the newspaper.
Accepting it with a slight smile, Daniel responded, "Thank you."
Lucy gave a small nod before returning to her seat.
After confirming that she was back at her desk, Daniel unfolded the newspaper.
There were too many ongoing matters that required him to stay on top of public opinion. He needed to see what was being reported.
Let’s see… What’s today's headline?
As his eyes scanned the front page, a flicker of intrigue crossed his expression.
【Security Bureau Succeeds! Enemy Spy Hideout Wiped Out!】
Below the headline was a photograph of Security Bureau officers investigating what appeared to be a textile factory.
“The Security Bureau pulled it off, huh…”
For Daniel, who had previously clashed with the Security Bureau, this wasn’t exactly a welco piece of news.
And…
Thinking that Lucy had likely seen this article as well made him slightly uneasy.
She was undoubtedly connected to the people involved.
He wanted to know what was going through her mind, but judging by her composed expression, she wasn’t about to reveal anything.
Just as he found himself awkwardly glancing in her direction, a sudden knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Co in.”
At Daniel’s permission, the door opened to reveal Ernst.
At first, he assud it was another casual invitation for coffee, but there was sothing off about Ernst’s deanor.
After a mont of hesitation, Ernst spoke cautiously.
“Listen… I just need to ask—have you been up to sothing lately?”
Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Pardon? What do you an?”
“Soone from the Security Bureau is here to see you. And not just anyone—the Director himself. He personally requested a eting with you, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) but I have no idea why.”
The Director of the Security Bureau?
Daniel was montarily taken aback but imdiately rose from his seat.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s waiting for you in the reception room.”
“I’ll go imdiately.”
This wasn’t sothing he could afford to delay.
Daniel stepped into the hallway, his mind already racing.
The Security Bureau Director was, for all intents and purposes, one of the most powerful figures within the Imperial administration.
With the authority he wielded, he could utterly destroy a person’s life with little effort.
Of course, his reach didn’t extend to Daniel Steiner—but that didn’t make him any less of a threat.
Why would soone like him want to see ? Did he find out that Lucy is a spy?
Or worse—had they uncovered his past attempts at orchestrating an escape from the Empire?
The chances were slim, but if the Security Bureau had been relentless in their investigations, it wasn’t impossible.
Considering that their officers had already been suspicious of Lucy, this could be their way of testing …
A deep sigh escaped him.
Bracing for the worst-case scenario, Daniel continued walking until he reached the reception room on the first floor.
Opening the door, he stepped inside.
Seated alone, with no subordinates in sight, was the Security Bureau Director.
The man in question was Otto Whitmore—Supre Commander of the National Security Bureau and head of warti counterintelligence.
I’ve heard he cos from an influential noble family…
If Whitmore was aligned with the noble faction that opposed the Emperor, and had co here on their behalf, this situation could turn into a serious headache for Daniel.
Turning the Security Bureau Director into an enemy would be nothing short of disastrous.
"Oh."
As Daniel was considering his next move, Otto raised a hand in a casual greeting.
"There you are! I was starting to wonder when you’d show up."
There was sothing unsettling about the relaxed smile on his face.
"I ca as soon as I received word. My apologies if I kept you waiting."
Approaching the table, Daniel watched as Otto chuckled and shook his head.
"I didn’t an to make it sound like you were late. I simply ant that I’ve been looking forward to eting you, Colonel Daniel Steiner."
Otto gestured toward the sofa across from him.
"Why don’t we sit and talk?"
"That sounds reasonable."
Daniel maintained his polite deanor as he took a seat.
Otto, despite his middle-aged appearance, had a sharp, refined look that concealed any signs of aging.
Leaning back slightly, the Director spoke in a asured tone.
"I have a number of questions I’d like to ask, but first, I wanted to express my gratitude—on behalf of the Security Bureau."
Gratitude?
What gratitude?
Daniel had only ever been an obstacle to the Bureau, not an ally.
Rather than responding, he simply studied Otto in silence.
Seeing that, Otto’s expression grew a touch more serious.
"I’m referring to the operation at the textile factory. The way the ard enemy spies were eliminated—swiftly, cleanly, and without leaving a trace. Few people know the details, but I do. I’ve received multiple reports on the matter."
Otto briefly glanced around the room before lowering his voice to a near whisper.
"I know that it was you, Colonel Daniel Steiner, who orchestrated the entire thing."
Daniel found himself sinking deeper into confusion.
"...?"
Because this was the first ti he had ever heard about it.
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