Sweat beaded on Daniel’s forehead as he locked eyes with Berthram.

    The emperor’s deep suspicion toward him was unmistakable.

    Yet, Daniel truly knew nothing about the accusations being hurled at him, leaving him feeling helplessly wronged.

    How could he get out of this ridiculous situation?

    His mind raced, calculating possible exits, before he finally knelt on one knee.

    “Your Majesty! I cannot fathom the reason for your words...”

    This was the emperor—the man who held absolute authority over the empire.

    Ordering someone’s execution on a whim was as easy as breathing for him.

    Acting too defiant could very well cost Daniel his life.

    “Of course, given the circumstances, I fully understand why you would suspect me. Were I in your position, I would likely harbor the same doubts. However, I swear that I have no private organization or hidden militia under my command.”

    Berthram responded with a low, amused chuckle.

    At his gesture, the nearby attendant, who had been frozen in place, hurriedly approached with a handful of cartridges.

    Taking the shells, Berthram reloaded his shotgun with practiced ease.

    “No hidden organization, you say.”

    With a sharp click, the barrels snapped shut.

    “Strange. Then who were the armed forces that stormed ahead of you to capture Dawn’s Light? According to the survivors, they were well-trained.”

    “Your Majesty, with all due respect, I have no knowledge of that matter.”

    “You don’t know?”

    Berthram’s voice remained calm, but the underlying menace was impossible to miss.

    “Are you implying that I’m paranoid and rambling nonsense?”

    The implication made Daniel’s heart drop. He immediately bowed his head even lower.

    “I wouldn’t dare, Your Majesty! I’m merely stating that I am unaware of the matter in question. However...”

    Swallowing hard, Daniel continued.

    “If Your Majesty is convinced that I command a private militia or secret faction, then I will humbly accept your judgment—even if it is not true.”

    “Humbly accept? And how would you do that?”

    “Your Majesty need only give the word, and I will resign from the military. I will return to a civilian life and completely withdraw from politics.”

    Though Daniel spoke with sincerity, Berthram couldn’t help but interpret his words as veiled defiance.

    To the emperor, it sounded like Daniel was warning him to think carefully about the consequences of persecuting a war hero without evidence.

    After all, emperors were not exempt from the laws they enforced.

    If an emperor disregarded justice, the credibility of the law would crumble. And once that credibility fell, corruption and abuse of power would inevitably follow.

    ‘So...’

    Daniel was essentially asking the emperor:

    “Are you going to destroy the empire’s legal foundations with your own hands?”

    ‘Now I understand how this cunning bastard cornered Duke Belvar.’

    Berthram had known Daniel was no ordinary man, but he hadn’t expected him to be this shrewd.

    After a brief silence, Berthram fixed his gaze on Daniel.

    “Daniel Steiner. Look at me.”

    Had Daniel admitted guilt, his confession would have served as evidence, allowing Berthram to sentence him without hesitation.

    Of course, executing a war hero would have sparked public outrage, but Berthram had accounted for that as well.

    “I would sentence him to death but leave the execution suspended. My daughter would undoubtedly oppose it fiercely. That way, I’d be portrayed as an emperor unable to execute punishment because of Selvia’s pleas.”

    “Surely not...”

    “When the time comes, I will pass the throne to Selvia. And what do you think she’ll do first?”

    Johannes considered it carefully before nodding.

    “She would pardon Daniel Steiner, viewing it as repaying his debt of gratitude. It would also strengthen her hold over him.”

    “Exactly. Not only that, but I would have leverage over him—the charge of running a secret organization. It would be like placing a leash around his neck, one I could pull whenever he bared his fangs.”

    Emperor Berthram had carefully orchestrated everything, setting up Selvia to control Daniel Steiner.

    But Daniel had evaded the trap, as if he had foreseen the entire plan from the start.

    “Did you notice Daniel Steiner’s trap shooting?”

    “Yes, I saw it,” Johannes replied.

    Berthram allowed himself a faint smile.

    “That man has done this before. His steady stance and ability to calculate the trajectory of the disks instantly—there’s no way that was his first time.”

    “Then why did he lie and claim he hadn’t done it before?”

    “Because the moment he was summoned by the chamberlain, he knew this wasn’t a friendly gathering. He knew it was an interrogation and wanted to leave as quickly as possible.”

    Daniel likely intended to feign incompetence to lower Berthram’s interest.

    But when forced to handle the shotgun, his instincts betrayed him.

    Watching him in that moment, Berthram had no doubts.

    “Daniel Steiner’s words were lies from start to finish. But we can’t call them lies—because he erased all the evidence.”

    If even the imperial intelligence agency couldn’t uncover anything, then no one could.

    The realization deepened the lines on Berthram’s face.

    “He’s meticulous and calculated—someone who wraps himself in deception yet leaves no gaps to exploit. Not even I, the emperor, can move against him easily.”

    Had Berthram been younger and healthier, he might have welcomed Daniel’s arrival.

    With Daniel by his side, he might have unified the world.

    ‘But...’

    Berthram was old and sick, and Selvia, the heir, was still young and inexperienced.

    ‘Right now, Selvia cannot tame the wolf that is Daniel Steiner.’

    What consequences this would bring to the empire, Berthram dared not imagine.

    ‘I can only hope that the loyalty Daniel has shown to Selvia is genuine...’

    With a heavy heart, Berthram turned away from where Daniel had departed.

    Taking a deep breath, he gazed up at the clear blue sky.

    “Johannes. Do you think Daniel Steiner will bring spring to the empire?”

    Understanding the deeper meaning behind Berthram’s words, Johannes bowed deeply.

    “I will do my utmost to ensure that he does not bring winter instead.”

    Berthram let out a quiet laugh before nodding.

    He could only pray that his trusted hound, Johannes, would keep the wolf in check.