Chapter 12

With teeth gritted, I slammed my foot down on the accelerator.

If I stopped, I was dead. That was the only thought running through my mind.

Struggling to steady my ragged breathing, I pulled out the radio while still driving.

“This is Water Kingfisher! Enemy attack! I repeat, this is Water Kingfisher! Enemy attack! We’re about 42 km from the Marbrachika Village area! Immediate backup needed!”

After finishing my transmission and quickly switching frequencies, I addressed my squad.

“Squad leader here! Respond! Damn it, say something already!”

As soon as I released the transmit button, a trembling voice came through.

“U-um… Lieutenant? I don’t know what’s going on. B-but we’ve taken a side road too. Only… we’re on the opposite side road from you because of gunfire.”

The voice belonged to Prien.

I wish someone calmer had been manning the radio, but this wasn’t the time to be picky.

“Good. Drive as far as you can, then disembark and scatter when you’ve put enough distance between yourselves and the enemy. Then wait for reinforcements from the forward operating base while assessing the enemy’s numbers. If you determine they can be suppressed…”

BANG!

The shockwave threw the vehicle violently, causing me to drop the radio.

Princess Selvia let out a soft groan as my vision flickered.

In that near-death situation, I roughly grabbed the steering wheel.

‘The tire’s blown. Whether it was aimed or a stray bullet doesn’t matter…’

What mattered was that the gunfire was now quite distant.

We’d put some distance between us and them, buying us a little time.

But it was too early to relax. We still had to get out of their line of sight.

Just then, a curve appeared ahead.

To lose them as much as possible, I took my foot off the accelerator and hit the brakes.

SQUEAL!

The tires screeched in protest as I sharply turned the wheel.

The jeep spun half a turn and teetered precariously.

Right before it tipped over, I slammed my foot down hard on the accelerator.

The wheels spun furiously, propelling us forward.

The nearly overturned jeep regained its balance and all four wheels touched the ground again.

A loud THUD sounded as Princess Selvia let out an agonized scream.

It was a pitiful cry that made me want to apologize, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that.

After shifting gears, I stepped on the accelerator again.

I couldn’t believe how fast the jeep could move. Just as that thought crossed my mind, my vision wavered.

‘Damn it…!’

The bullet-riddled tire had lost all functionality.

Panicking, I slammed on the brakes, only making things worse.

The sound of rubber scraping against asphalt echoed as the vehicle spun violently.

Then came a loud CRASH and a massive impact shook the car.

“Ugh!”

Shaking off the shock, I slowly raised my head to see the hood embedded in a tree trunk.

Smoke was billowing out – we’d crashed good and proper.

“Ungh…”

A pained groan came from near my thigh.

Only then did I look down at Princess Selvia, concern in my voice.

“Are you alright?”

Of course she wasn’t, but I asked out of courtesy.

Selvia seemed to understand that, glaring at me briefly before sitting up.

“I’m not fine, but I can still move. How did they know our route?”

Surprisingly so. I expected her to be crying or frozen in fear.

Well, this is the woman destined to become Empress and command the mighty Imperial Army.

If she panicked in situations like this, she wouldn’t have earned the Iron Blood moniker.

“It appears there was a spy at the forward operating base. It’s common during wartime.”

As I spoke, I grabbed the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge – the frame must have bent.

After trying a few times, I turned around and kicked it instead.

A few powerful kicks with my military boots and the door flew off with a crack.

Stepping out first, I reached my hand toward Selvia.

“Get out. Their pursuit team will catch up soon, we need to put distance between us.”

“Yeah… that sounds wise.”

She readily agreed, taking my hand and stepping out of the jeep.

Once out of the vehicle, Selvia took a deep breath, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She may act brave, but she’s still a girl after all.

Letting out a low chuckle, I led Princess Selvia into the woods.

Following me, Selvia noticed my smile and blushed faintly.

“You drove like a madman there, Lieutenant Daniel.”

Ah, changing the subject out of embarrassment. She’s basically a textbook teenage girl right now.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Was that a compliment?”

“If I hadn’t driven like a madman, both you and the journalist would be Swiss cheese by now. So isn’t that a compliment?”

“We wouldn’t have become Swiss cheese. I have…”

Selvia muttered something then fell silent.

That’s right. No way a battle-tested adult like me would lose to wordplay. Give it ten years.

“Lieutenant Daniel. From here on, we…”

I covered Selvia’s mouth with my hand.

Because I heard enemy voices nearby.

“Eep?!”

As Selvia struggled, I put a finger to my lips signaling silence.

Realizing the situation’s severity, she nodded.

Taking Selvia to hide behind some bushes, I listened carefully to the voices.

“They should be around here. The car’s wrecked, so they couldn’t have gone far.”

“Damn it! I told you to hide those spike strips better!”

“Shut up, Belldom! Whining won’t solve anything!”

Peeking out, I counted six men.

They’re moving in fireteam units. No other personnel visible for now.

The problem is they’re getting closer.

At this rate, we’ll be discovered…

Wait.

“They’re from the Allied Nations?”

In that case, if we surrender and request asylum, they might accept us.

I’m an officer from General Staff Headquarters of the Empire. Any sane person would recognize my strategic value.

“If they’ve established contact through spies, they must have an escape route prepared for defectors.”

Didn’t expect to get such a lucky break. This is practically divine intervention.

“Journalist…”

Of course, I can’t request asylum in front of the princess.

Otherwise, I’d be risking my life before even reaching the Allies.

“We’ll be discovered soon. One of us needs to sacrifice ourselves. One of us needs to draw them away so the other can survive. I’ll serve as bait and lead them off.”

Hearing me out, Selvia’s eyes widened dramatically.

Her face showed clear bewilderment.

Breathing softly, Selvia whispered urgently.

“Stop this immediately! You’ll die!”

“If my death allows the journalist to live, that’s sufficient. A soldier exists to protect their nation’s citizens.”

“Lieutenant Daniel…!”

Gently grasping Selvia’s shoulders, I said as wistfully as possible:

“Survive, journalist. Should a peaceful era come to the Empire someday, please remember that a man named Daniel existed.”

Selvia’s face flushed. She seemed genuinely moved.

The farewell performance has gone long enough. Releasing Selvia’s shoulders, I stood up.

“Now, wait just a moment. There’s no need to run…”

Selvia tried to stop me until the end, but the dice have been cast.

Kicking off from the ground, I sprinted as fast as I could in the opposite direction from where Selvia was hiding.

“H-Hey!?!”

“Get him!”

Perfect. Everything’s going according to plan.

At this rate, escaping the Empire is just a matter of time!

*

Alone, Selvia stared blankly at where Daniel had run off to.

Replaying his words in her mind.

“If my death allows the journalist to live, that’s sufficient. A soldier exists to protect their nation’s citizens.”

The image of Daniel’s determined eyes filled with resignation to death was vivid in her mind.

This was utterly surreal to Selvia.

Which officer in the world would sacrifice themselves for a mere war correspondent?

“…Captain Heinz was wrong.”

Daniel lacked respect for others? What nonsense.

Daniel was someone who could sacrifice himself for the Empire’s citizens!

He was different from the royal bureaucrats who only talk about sacrificing for the nation.

Hadn’t he demonstrated his spirit of sacrifice through action rather than words?

He must be saved. He must be claimed.

The Empire cannot lose such a treasure over something trivial.

“Imperial Guard.”

Muttering the words, Selvia watched as space distorted around her and gas-masked soldiers began appearing.

They had been hiding around her, deactivating their optical camouflage upon hearing “Imperial Guard.”

Without sparing them a glance, Selvia spoke.

“Save Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. If he suffers so much as a scratch…”

Slowly narrowing her sharp eyes after subtly shifting her gaze.

“I won’t forgive you.”

The Imperial Guards acknowledged with a bow and pushed off the ground.

Watching the rapidly moving guards, Selvia slowly stood up.

Placing her hand on her chest, she exhaled softly.

Perhaps due to the aftereffects of the rough driving, her heartbeat remained stronger than usual.