As soon as the negotiations concluded, Daniel returned to headquarters and reported to his corps commander, following protocol.

    During the process, the corps commander asked whether the negotiations had gone well, to which Daniel replied that he had done his best but felt it was still too early to predict the outcome.

    Later, Daniel spent the night at a hotel arranged by the corps. The next morning, he woke early and headed to the hotel’s dining hall.

    He had gone for breakfast, but judging by the crowd, it seemed the hotel’s food was surprisingly decent—even at such an early hour.

    Scanning the room, Daniel noticed that most of the diners were field-grade officers.

    There were a few non-commissioned officers and junior officers present, but their numbers were relatively small.

    After all, accommodations in this hotel were reserved for high-ranking personnel or those deemed critical to the corps.

    Amid the chatter, Daniel caught snippets of praise for the food.

    Well, compared to field rations, even the worst hotel food would probably taste like heaven...

    It was a sobering thought. Eating hotel meals during wartime felt like an extravagant luxury.

    Sending silent apologies to the soldiers still suffering in the field, Daniel loaded his plate with a few items from the buffet and made his way to an empty table.

    As he approached, Sergeant Glendy and Lieutenant McCall, who were already seated and eating, turned at the sound of his footsteps.

    Both immediately stood up when they recognized him.

    “Major Daniel, sir!”

    “Good morning, sir!”

    Their enthusiastic greetings made Daniel flinch, and he turned to glance at them.

    The admiring looks they gave him only added to his discomfort.

    Feeling slightly awkward, Daniel deliberately placed his plate down at a table a little farther away from them.

    “...Good morning. But why do you both look so excited?”

    Taking off his winter coat, Daniel asked the question, and Sergeant Glendy was the first to respond.

    “Well, sir, isn’t it obvious? We were originally assigned to one of the corps’ lower units, but now we’re eating hotel food thanks to you! It’s all because of your efforts, Major.”

    “I completely agree with the sergeant. Thanks to you, sir, we’ve built a solid record—and more than that, we’re honored to serve the Empire.”

    Their cheerful expressions and words of gratitude left Daniel feeling a pang of guilt.

    You won’t be feeling honored for long. You’ll probably end up facing a military tribunal...

    Daniel was already planning to defect to the Kingdom with the help of their agents.@@@@

    And if a company commander like Daniel defected to the enemy, the officers under his command would undoubtedly be accused of complicity.

    They’d be subjected to endless investigations and trials before ultimately facing court-martial.

    Daniel could almost see their happy smiles contorting into despair, but he kept his thoughts to himself, nodding briefly before sitting down.

    Following his lead, Glendy and McCall also sat back down and resumed their meals.

    As he ate, Daniel’s mind remained preoccupied with his escape plans.

    Sooner or later, the Kingdom will make contact with me.

    The simplest method would be to use their intelligence agents, but considering how tightly guarded the headquarters was, it was likely they’d hesitate to act immediately.

    If that’s the case, I’ll have to wait until the 3rd Corps launches its full-scale assault.

    When the offensive began, much of the internal security at headquarters would be redeployed to the frontlines.

    With artillery shells flying and tanks rumbling across the ground, it would be hard for anyone to stay composed.

    In the chaos of that battlefield, smuggling out a single person would be almost effortless.

    When the time comes...

    He planned to pretend to join the battle as part of the vanguard, then slip away to meet up with the Kingdom’s agents and defect.

    Caught in his tangled thoughts, Carl Peter leaned back in his chair.

    Knock, knock—

    A sharp rapping on the door broke the silence.

    At the sound of the knock, Carl Peter opened his eyes and spoke.

    “Come in.”

    The door opened, and Lieutenant Colonel Carl Fren, his aide, stepped inside.

    For a moment, Carl Peter thought he might have brought breakfast, but Carl Fren’s hands were empty.

    “What is it? I’m busy, so get to the point—”

    Carl Peter’s words trailed off.

    Carl Fren’s face was visibly pale, his expression shaken.

    “...Aide?”

    Even as Carl Peter asked, there was no immediate response.

    Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, Carl Peter let out a low sigh.

    “The Kingdom must have sent word rejecting the negotiations. It can’t be helped. His Majesty’s orders are clear—if they refuse even the third warning, we proceed with a full-scale—”

    “No, sir.”

    Carl Fren cut him off, causing Carl Peter’s eyebrow to twitch.

    Interruptions were rare, and the break in protocol was enough to unsettle him.

    “What do you mean, ‘no’? Don’t tell me...”

    Carl Peter’s eyes widened, an uncommon expression of surprise crossing his face.

    “Did Daniel succeed in the negotiations?”

    Swallowing hard, Carl Fren nodded.

    “Yes, sir. According to the telegram we received this morning, the Kingdom has agreed to comply with all of the Empire’s demands. In addition, they’ve offered to cede Begenheim along with Nordia.”

    “What?”

    Carl Peter’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

    Not only had the Kingdom accepted the original terms, but they had even volunteered to cede Begenheim—a city adjacent to the Empire?

    The same Kingdom that had sworn to fight to the death?

    The nation that had bared its teeth and roared defiance was now wagging its tail like a frightened dog.

    “They’ve completely broken. This is submission, plain and simple.”

    Snapping out of his daze, Carl Peter turned to Carl Fren and asked,

    “What exactly happened at that negotiation table? Do you know anything?”

    Carl Fren hesitated, casting a wary glance at Carl Peter before speaking in a lowered voice.

    “No one overheard the conversation, so the details are unclear. But when the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Ivan was later asked about the meeting...”

    Carl Fren paused before continuing cautiously.

    “...He said it felt as if he’d been speaking to the devil himself, wearing the mask of a man.”

    A heavy silence fell between them.

    Hearing those words sent a cold chill down Carl Peter’s spine, and for the first time, he felt sweat forming on his brow.

    "Major Daniel... What exactly did he do in there?"

    "It was the first time Carl Peter had ever felt such fear at the success of his own ally."