Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 49
Foreign Minister, Please Take My Hand

『 Translator – Divinity 』

The day of the negotiations.

A plain located halfway between the Imperial Corps Headquarters and the Kingdom’s capital.

An elderly man with glasses entered a large military tent set up there.

His name was Ivan Alexey.

He was the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister and the chief negotiator for this meeting.

Adjusting his clothes, Ivan slowly looked around.

Except for the negotiation table in the center of the tent, there wasn’t even a single soldier in sight.

This was because he had agreed to the opponent’s request to have a sincere conversation alone.

As Ivan slowly walked towards the negotiation table, the entrance on the other side of the tent opened, and a young man entered, carrying a briefcase.

Ivan glanced at the man’s appearance.

Black hair and black eyes.

He had a lean physique, but his tall stature compensated for it.

Furthermore, his sharp, wolf-like eyes held an intimidating power.

Ivan knew this man.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

The first-class contributor to the Nordia invasion and the hero of the Empire.

‘But to think they would appoint a mere Major as the chief negotiator…’

Were they already treating the Kingdom as a defeated nation and planning to pressure them with aggressive diplomacy?

As Ivan frowned in displeasure, Daniel casually took off his winter coat.

He dusted off the snowflakes from his coat and chuckled.

“The north isn’t exactly a pleasant place to live. It even snows in midsummer…”

Clicking his tongue, Daniel finished dusting off the snow and approached the negotiation table.

With a friendly smile, he extended his hand towards Ivan.

“As you may know, I’m Major Daniel Steiner. I’ve been appointed as the chief negotiator for this meeting.”

“…I’m Ivan Alexey, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom.”

They shook hands and sat down at the negotiation table.

Daniel placed his cap and coat on the edge of the table and said,

“I heard the negotiations have already broken down twice. I have a rough idea, but could you tell me the reason?”

His demeanor was friendly, as if he had come for a casual conversation rather than to discuss a serious national matter.

It was a stark contrast to the rigid attitude of the previous negotiators.

Ivan, sensing that he was dealing with a formidable opponent, maintained his vigilance and replied,

“It’s because the Empire’s demands are unreasonable.”

The Empire had demanded not only the cession of Nordia, a strategic stronghold, but also the conversion of the Kingdom’s currency to the Empire’s and restrictions on their military.

If that was all, Ivan would have accepted.

However, the Empire not only set an excessive amount for war reparations but also demanded the punishment of pro-war ministers and military leaders, holding them accountable for the war.

If the ministers and military leaders were removed from their positions en masse, those who were pro-Empire would inevitably fill the vacancies.

This was practically a declaration that they would turn the Kingdom into a puppet state of the Empire.

That’s why Ivan was refusing the Empire’s proposal and insisting on fighting to the death.

Daniel also knew this, so he didn’t press the issue.

He simply opened his briefcase and searched for a document.

“I see. I understand the difficulties you’re facing, Foreign Minister. That’s why I came here to alleviate your burden. To be frank, I want to join forces with you.”

Daniel took out the document and put down his briefcase.

“You must be wondering what I, who is treated as a hero of the Empire, am talking about. But that’s a misunderstanding. I’m not that devoted to the Empire.”

“…”

“In fact, I spend more time worrying about the Kingdom and thinking from your perspective. If you’ll allow it, you can consider me an honorary citizen of the Kingdom.”

Ivan remained silent at the lighthearted joke.

He couldn’t understand Daniel’s intentions.

Daniel, gazing intently at Ivan, handed him the document.

“It would be best to show you my sincerity first. Please take a look. It wasn’t easy to obtain this.”

Curious, Ivan received the document from Daniel.

His eyebrows twitched as he read through the document with a dubious expression.

“This is…”

“Level 2 classified information of the Empire’s 3rd Corps.”

Daniel’s words were true.

The document contained detailed information about the Empire’s troop deployments and operational plans.

There was no way to doubt its authenticity.

Ivan, as the Foreign Minister, already knew about some of the operations described in the document through the Allied Intelligence Agency.

‘But…’

Seeing this, he realized that the information obtained by the Allied Intelligence Agency was just the tip of the iceberg.

Even the troop numbers were twice what the Allied Nations had estimated.

This meant only one thing.

‘Even if we know, we can’t stop them…!’

The moment these operations were carried out, the Kingdom would be doomed.

He felt foolish for thinking that the Allied Nations, seeing hope in the Kingdom’s resistance against the Empire’s invasion, would actively provide support.

Ivan was momentarily dumbfounded, then gritted his teeth as a realization dawned on him.

‘Those Allied bastards…! Did they feed us false information from the beginning!?’

It was clear that they had deliberately downplayed the Empire’s military strength and operational capabilities to give the Kingdom false hope and keep them in the war.

‘Then their promise to send support if we held the front lines…!’

…was all a lie.

From the Allied Nations’ perspective, the Kingdom was just a pawn to be sacrificed after inflicting damage on the Empire.

Realizing all of this, Ivan’s hands trembled.

Daniel, however, misinterpreted Ivan’s reaction.

‘Is he feeling thrilled?’

In the game, the Kingdom rejected all three negotiation attempts and insisted on fighting to the death.

From the Kingdom’s perspective, obtaining the Empire’s Level 2 classified information must be a cause for celebration.

Just as Daniel smiled, thinking it would be easy to join forces with him, Ivan raised his head and let out a shaky breath.

‘Does Daniel Steiner… perhaps know everything about the Kingdom’s internal situation?’

Logically, he must have brought the Level 2 classified information because he knew that the Kingdom was receiving downplayed reports through the Allied Nations.

‘He must have judged that closing the information gap would be advantageous for the negotiations…’

Daniel’s judgment was excellent.

Even when they believed the Empire’s forces were half their actual size, they had to advocate for fighting to the death. Now, faced with the truth, there was no way they could fight.

‘This isn’t a war. It’s a one-sided massacre…’

He could vividly imagine the Kingdom soldiers being swept away by the Imperial Army’s attack.

Their screams echo from the mainland, turning into pangs of guilt.

But even if he took the Empire’s hand now, the Kingdom’s future was uncertain.

Was it truly right to let the people of the Kingdom live under the Empire’s rule?

‘But compared to dying a meaningless death…’

Lost in thought, Ivan let out a groan and forced himself to speak.

“…Major Daniel, let me ask you one thing. If I don’t take your hand here, what will happen to the Kingdom?”

Ivan was asking what would happen if he didn’t accept the Empire’s proposal.

On the other hand, Daniel interpreted the question literally.

As their thoughts diverged, Daniel let out a low chuckle.

For some reason, the chilling laughter sounded to Ivan like that of a demon.

“You ask a ridiculous question. Asking what will happen to the Kingdom if you don’t take my hand. Surely, even the Foreign Minister knows the answer to that.”

Daniel’s smile disappeared in an instant as he stared intently at Ivan.

It was like a wolf revealing its true nature.

“If you don’t take my hand, the Kingdom will…”

Daniel leaned in slightly and whispered, just loud enough for Ivan to hear,

“It will disappear from the map forever.”

Ivan’s eyes widened at Daniel’s words.

As he trembled and sweat beaded on his forehead, Daniel leaned back and stood up.

“Alright. Do you have anything else to say?”

Ivan, who hadn’t moved even after Daniel stood up, slowly shook his head.

Seeing this, Daniel nodded once, gathered his cap and coat, and walked outside.

Just as he was about to leave the tent, he stopped and said, “Ah.”

“Foreign Minister.”

As Ivan remained silent, filled with tension, Daniel spoke with a hint of amusement in his voice,

“Please convey my message to the Allied Nations as well.”

With that, Daniel left the tent.

Only then did Ivan exhale and press his hand to his forehead.

His vision blurred as he hyperventilated.

It felt like he had just been released from a conversation with the devil himself.

As Ivan gasped for air, his Chief of Staff entered the tent.

He had come in, wondering why Ivan wasn’t coming out even though the enemy envoy had already left.

Finding Ivan inside the tent, the Chief of Staff rushed over in a panic.

“Foreign Minister!”

Ivan wasn’t in good shape.

The Chief of Staff knelt on one knee beside the chair and looked up at the Foreign Minister.

“A-Are you alright?”

Ivan shook his head in response to the Chief of Staff’s question.

Tears streamed down his face as he closed his eyes tightly.

“Even His Majesty must admit it now. We can’t win…”

In a dying voice, like a child consumed by fear, Ivan murmured,

“We can never defeat the Empire…”

The Chief of Staff couldn’t help but be bewildered.

The Foreign Minister, who had been advocating for a fight to the death with unwavering conviction, was now drenched in defeat after less than an hour of negotiations.

The bewildered Chief of Staff blankly stared at the empty chair across the negotiation table.

‘What did the person sitting there say to him…?’

Unable to know the content of their conversation, the Chief of Staff was simply confused.

—————-

TL/N: Happy New Year everyone~ May this new year bring you health, happiness, and success in all you do!

1 extra chapter today~ Have fun reading!