After speaking with the chief engineer, Daniel decided to head to the nearby city of Erestiom to establish contact with the General Staff Headquarters.
Though his unit had radio operators, their transmission range was limited, making it necessary to use the city's communication network instead.
Fortunately, upon arriving at Erestiom’s city hall, the mayor imdiately recognized Daniel. Because of that, acquiring a telephone to make the call was effortless.
After getting through to headquarters, Daniel explained the situation.
The General Staff Headquarters acknowledged the issue and granted permission for his unit to remain in Erestiom for the ti being.
Outwardly, Daniel maintained a look of disappointnt and resignation.
But internally—
I get to rest for a few more days!
The battlefield and the afterlife were places best delayed for as long as possible.
Now… what should I do to make the most of this break?
As Daniel left city hall, lost in thoughts of how to entertain himself, Lucy suddenly interrupted.
“Colonel, if you don’t mind, I would like to accompany you for the day.”
Daniel’s body tensed.
He had been looking forward to enjoying so leisure ti alone. The presence of Lucy, an Allied spy, was hardly sothing he welcod.
“Lieutenant, I don’t imagine spending ti with your superior officer is particularly enjoyable.”
It was a polite attempt to shake her off, but Lucy remained resolute.
“Even so, I wish to be with you.”
With no reasonable excuse left to refuse, Daniel reluctantly nodded.
“…Fine. Let’s start with a al, then.”
Following the mayor’s recomndation, Daniel took Lucy to a nearby restaurant, planning to part ways after finishing a steak.
He even casually ntioned that he had other matters to attend to nearby—
“Colonel? Don’t lie to .”
—But Lucy was unusually persistent today.
With no choice but to accept her presence, Daniel ended up escorting Lucy to a dessert café—again, recomnded by the mayor.
As they sat by the window, the waiter approached with a tray in hand.
“Your order: Begenheim wine and tiramisu.”
The waiter set down two glasses of wine and a plate with a delicate slice of tiramisu.
As the waiter poured the wine, Lucy examined the unfamiliar dessert with curiosity.
“…What is this?”
“One of Erestiom’s specialties.”
Daniel leaned back slightly, taking on the tone of an experienced guide.
“This city has a warm and humid climate, making it famous for producing creamy yet light-textured cheeses. This tiramisu is made using their finest cheese—people say it’s nothing short of perfection.”
Lucy swallowed unconsciously.
Seeing her reaction, Daniel smirked and continued, raising a finger for emphasis.
“And the Begenheim wine—it’s a fortified wine from southern Eldresia. Its defining characteristic? A distinct caral aroma. That’s why it pairs exceptionally well with tiramisu. But be warned—the alcohol content is high, so don’t drink too much at once.”
The waiter, having finished pouring the wine, chuckled as he looked at Daniel.
“That was an excellent explanation, sir. I suppose my job here is done.”
“You flatter . I only know a little.”
“To , it seems you know more than my wife does about this pairing.”
Daniel let out a playful sigh.
“Oh dear. It sounds like you don’t pay much attention to her, then. If it were , I’d study everything just to win over such a ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) lovely lady.”
“My, my. A military officer who knows how to sweet-talk—how unusual.”
The waiter let out a lighthearted laugh, covering his mouth slightly with his hand.
“Ah, but I digress. Please, enjoy your evening.”
With a polite bow, he left them to their al.
As Daniel reached for his knife to cut into the tiramisu, he noticed Lucy staring at him.
Her crimson eyes were locked onto him, as if scrutinizing sothing.
“…What?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“This kind of charm improves the service we receive, doesn’t it?”
“Is that really the only reason?”
Daniel sighed.
“Lieutenant, you can stop looking at like I’m so kind of womanizer. I don’t pursue married won. And, I swear to God, my personal record with won is practically blank.”
Blatant lie.
Lucy could see right through him.
She considered bringing up Kelly, but then shook her head.
She didn’t want to ruin the mont.
Watching her reaction, Daniel casually sliced into the tiramisu and took a bite.
The rich sweetness lted across his tongue, spreading a deep, satisfying flavor.
“Mmm! Yes, this is it.”
Daniel’s eyes glead as he turned to Lucy.
“Lieutenant, you need to try this. You’re going to be surprised.”
She could tell he was exaggerating.
But just this once, she decided to humor him.
Lucy carefully cut a piece of the tiramisu, speared it with her fork, and took a bite.
“…!”
A jolt of shock ran through her.
The sheer softness was almost aggressive, the sweetness so perfectly balanced that it seed to override her senses.
It wasn’t just delicious—it was stunning.
Still caught in the lingering sensation, Lucy absentmindedly lifted her glass of wine and took a sip—
And froze.
Oh…
The caral notes from the wine wrapped around the remaining cream in her mouth, blending together in a perfect harmony.
Then, the wine’s acidity gently reset her palate, urging her to take another bite of the tiramisu.
A flawless cycle of indulgence.
It was as if she were being held hostage by flavor itself.
Watching her reaction, Daniel smirked.
“Well? What do you think of my recomndation?”
Daniel rested both hands on the table, propping his chin up as he lazily questioned her.
“Admit it. It’s good, isn’t it?”
Lucy didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.
But lying would be an insult to the masterpiece of a dessert before her.
Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, she begrudgingly conceded.
“…It’s delicious.”
Finally satisfied, Daniel leaned back with a playful smirk.
“Then eat as much as you want. I won’t stop you. You can even have mine if you’d like.”
She wanted to accept the offer, but her pride wouldn’t allow it.
“…I don’t want yours, Colonel.”
Just as Lucy was about to refuse outright, her shoulder tensed.
A persistent gaze was boring into her.
Casually picking up a napkin, she wiped the corner of her mouth and discreetly scanned the café’s interior through the window reflection.
And there—
She spotted a man watching them intently.
The mont she noticed him, he quickly turned his head away.
Just as I suspected…
Daniel was being watched.
In an unfamiliar city, that only ant one thing.
An assassination attempt was coming.
****
After leaving the dessert café, Daniel checked into the largest hotel in Erestiom—another recomndation from the mayor.
The problem?
Lucy followed him all the way inside.
It was starting to make him uneasy, but he didn’t voice his frustration as he approached the hotel receptionist.
The receptionist recognized him instantly and greeted him with a respectful smile.
“Colonel Daniel Steiner. The mayor inford us of your arrival in advance. And this lady beside you is…?”
Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but Lucy beat him to it.
“Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, personal adjutant to Colonel Daniel Steiner, newly assigned Chief of Staff of the 7th Division, Eastern Front.”
“I see. In that case, I’ll prepare an additional room for you after verifying your identification—”
“We’ll take one room.”
“…Excuse ?”
Both the receptionist and Daniel froze at her request.
One room?
A man and a woman, having just dined together and shared drinks, now booking a single room?
The receptionist looked between them, confusion flickering across his face, wondering if they were… romantically involved.
Daniel turned to Lucy with a blank expression.
“Lieutenant… I think there’s been so kind of misunderstanding.”
“There is no misunderstanding. I must stay in the sa room as you, Colonel.”
Lucy’s mind was currently focused on one thing—protecting Daniel.
Close-quarters security was essential for safeguarding a high-value target.
To her, there was nothing strange about an officer and their bodyguard sharing a room.
But to Daniel, who had no idea that an assassination was imminent, Lucy’s insistence seed completely irrational.
He stared at her for a mont, thinking over her behavior throughout the day.
Then, a thought occurred to him.
…Could this be a honeypot tactic?
If she was attempting seduction, rejecting her outright might provoke her.
And if Lucy felt the need to take more drastic asures, he wouldn’t be able to stop her.
Declining is probably a bad idea.
Daniel sighed and ran a hand down his face.
“…I suppose if you insist.”
Turning back to the receptionist, he forced an awkward smile.
“I guess I’ll be sharing a room with my adjutant tonight. Please arrange it accordingly.”
****
"The wolf has entered Lamplamp Hotel. And he's with a woman—looks like a lover."
Sitting on a bench just outside the hotel entrance, Bilbosel pretended to read a newspaper as he murmured into his radio transmitter.
As soon as he released the transmission button, a reply ca through.
── Confird. The operation will proceed tomorrow. Stay put and don’t act recklessly.
Bilbosel scoffed.
Wait until tomorrow to kill an unard man? Are they serious?
To him, that was nothing but cowardly nonsense.
Bunch of pathetic, spineless bastards. Daniel Steiner isn’t dying tomorrow—he’s dying tonight.
This wasn’t just bravado.
Among Allied intelligence operatives, Bilbosel was a specialist in assassination.
He had personally eliminated over a hundred targets, including enhanced individuals with accelerated neural reflexes.
Because of that, he saw himself as the second-best assassin in the Allied intelligence network.
The only agent he considered superior was the legendary operative known as “Red Silk”—a ghost whose true identity remained unknown.
And the only reason Bilbosel acknowledged Red Silk was simple—
That agent had a higher kill count than he did.
To Bilbosel, every other agent was nothing but unfinished trash.
No matter how powerful they thought they were, without real battlefield experience, they were worthless.
Even those who called themselves strong?
In the end, they all begged for their lives when they faced him.
Daniel Steiner would be no different.
Bilbosel let out a low, chilling laugh as he reached inside his coat, pulling out a dagger.
The polished blade reflected his ghastly, corpse-like complexion.
“…And that woman by his side wasn’t bad-looking either.”
He ran his tongue over his lips, wetting them slightly.
I wonder what kind of sounds she’ll make before she dies…
Sliding the dagger back into his coat, Bilbosel chuckled under his breath and began walking toward the hotel entrance.
Tonight, he was going on a hunt.
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