After parting ways with Her Highness the Princess, my squad and I took a quick wash and stood by for further orders.
Of course, my heart longed to escape this godforsaken northern frontline as soon as possible, but since we’d wrecked one of our jeeps in glorious fashion, all sorts of administrative procedures were necessary to secure replacement transport.
Once we finally received a vehicle from the special operations battalion, I wasted no time heading straight for General Staff Headquarters.
Just like before, after four days of nonstop driving, I arrived at the entrance of the grand headquarters where an impressive fountain dominated the plaza.
As I stepped out of the passenger side door, feeling the weight of the journey, I saw squad members disembarking from nearby transport vehicles.
Without anyone giving the order, they quickly gathered into fireteams and lined up in front of me.
Here and there, soldiers wrapped in bandages from the enemy ambush could be seen—but despite their injuries, smiles lit up their faces, as if they’d forgotten the pain altogether.
“They must be glad that they don’t have to worry about ambushes here. I get it.”
Even if I were still just a soldier, I’d probably be wearing the same grin on my face.
Taking a moment to look each of them over with a relaxed expression, I began to speak.
“You’ve all worked hard. At the northern frontline, you carried out your duties admirably. Even when we faced an unexpected ambush, everyone remained calm and handled themselves commendably—it’s truly something to be proud of.”
“Sir! You’ve worked hard too!”
“We regret not being able to fight more! We should’ve blown those bastards’ nuts clean off!”
With those spirited shouts from a couple bloodthirsty soldiers, laughter rippled through the ranks.
Under normal circumstances, I might’ve reprimanded them, but this was right after returning victorious from battle.
No need to ruin the warm atmosphere.
“There will be plenty of chances ahead to blow the United Nations’ bastards’ nuts off, so don’t worry. And all of you… nah, forget it. What’s the point of lecturing? Dismissed. Go enjoy this victory.”
Upon finishing my words, the soldiers snapped off sharp salutes.
Returning their salute, I hesitated briefly before heading upstairs for my report—only to pause when Prien approached me as if she had something to say.
“What is it?”
My voice came out lower than intended due to fatigue, causing Prien to look slightly frightened before gathering her courage to speak.
“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner! A-actually, I wanted to discuss something regarding future plans!”
“Huh? Oh. Your unit will now belong to the headquarters direct battalion. Unless called otherwise, you’ll undergo training there.”
“No, that’s not what I meant to say…”
Then what? As I stared at her in confusion, Prien took a deep breath and looked up at me.
“To be honest… I wish to become an officer like Lieutenant Daniel!”
“An officer?”
“Yes! After fighting at the northern frontline, I strongly feel the desire to contribute to the Empire just like you, Lieutenant Daniel!”
Though somewhat unexpected, it wasn’t surprising that Prien would eventually aim to become an officer.
It was just sooner than anticipated; usually, someone needs to serve as a private for some time before aspiring to become an officer.
Whatever internal change brought her to this decision, there was no reason to reject her ambition outright.
“I’ll pass along your request to the higher-ups. Given your rescue of Her Highness the Princess during the ambush, your transition to becoming an officer should go relatively smoothly.”
Prien’s eyes widened in surprise, then she turned to me and delivered a vigorous salute.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Lieutenant Daniel!”
Though it seemed excessive, her gratitude didn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth.
With a casual nod, I moved toward the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters.
The moment I entered the Office of the Operations Staff, an overwhelming urge to flee gripped me.
“Lieutenant Daniel! Or should I call you Captain now? Hahaha! We’ve been waiting for you, all of us!”
Among cheers and applause from the staff officers, Operation Staff Chief Colonel Ernst greeted me warmly.
Glancing around, everyone was standing and clapping enthusiastically.
More absurdly, balloons and flowers adorned my workspace—a crude decoration job, likely done by enlisted personnel.
At the center of it all sat a shiny new nameplate:
【Operations Staff / Captain Daniel Steiner】
A bit fancier than the old one.
Before I could ask what it was all about, Ernst signaled to a nearby soldier, who approached me holding a small box and presented it respectfully with both hands.
Familiar. It looked similar to the one Captain Philip gave me once before.
“Congratulations on your promotion! Captain Daniel Steiner!”
Sure enough, opening the box revealed a captain’s insignia and epaulettes neatly arranged inside.
Staring at it dubiously, Ernst smiled proudly.
“I told you to rack up achievements, but I didn’t expect you to wrap things up so splendidly! And risking your life for Her Highness the Princess? The top brass has stopped viewing you through suspicious lenses entirely!”
I’ve never seen Ernst this cheerful.
Well, a subordinate’s success reflects on their superior, so he has every reason to be happy.
For my part, however, the dream of retiring quietly receded another step, prompting an involuntary sigh. Still, with so many eyes watching, revealing my true feelings wasn’t appropriate.
“Your praise is too kind. I merely did what any loyal Imperial soldier should do.”
Thus, the best course of action was to smile and shake hands with Ernst.
*
For the week following my promotion, I was extremely busy.
Most of the busyness stemmed from interpersonal relationships.
Due to receiving two consecutive promotions, I somehow became a well-known figure within the General Staff Headquarters, attracting countless invitations from people eager to associate with me.
Most approached me casually, suggesting we share a meal or two.
Their intentions were transparent—they sought to strengthen their faction’s prestige by recruiting me.
Knowing the politicians lurking behind these factions, I knew better than to dip even a toe into their murky waters.
So whenever an invitation came, I politely declined, citing work commitments.
Our Operations Staff Chief, Colonel Ernst, seemed particularly pleased with my cautious approach, often pulling me aside after leaving the officers’ dining room to chat.
“So, you know what my daughter said the other day? She declared she’d take care of the Allied Nations bastards herself so I could stay home and play with her tomorrow. How cute, huh?”
Despite his reputation for avoiding idle chatter, Ernst never hesitated to bring up family matters when speaking to me.
In fact, he showed me unusual favoritism… which, honestly, was getting a little awkward.
Direct superiors can make one feel uneasy when showing personal interest beyond professional ties.
Especially when it crosses into private territory.
Just as I was considering how to subtly end the conversation…
“Daniel Steiner! You accursed devil spawn!”
A shout from behind made my shoulders twitch involuntarily.
Turning around, I saw a United Nations officer dressed in enemy uniform, bound in ropes, glaring daggers at me.
“You son of a bitch! You despicable piece of garbage—”
Before the shouting officer could lunge at me, a soldier kicked him squarely in the groin.
“Gahk!”
The enemy officer crumpled forward embarrassingly.
The soldier who delivered the kick bowed apologetically, assuring me it was unintentional.
Waving him off, I watched as he helped the officer back to his feet while yelling.
Curious, I asked aloud,
“Who is he…?”
“Oh, yeah. They were transferring high-ranking prisoners from the Northern Direction Army today. That guy’s someone you know well, right? You captured him personally during the operation.”
I nodded slowly.
“He was a lieutenant colonel if memory serves…”
Ernst clicked his tongue thoughtfully.
“I hear they’re trying to treat him well since he’s a field-grade officer, but it’s proving difficult. He has experience working in the United Nations intelligence division, so some think we should try to recruit him instead.”
Ah. Watching the enemy officer being dragged away by two soldiers, a brilliant idea struck me.
“Chief…”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Would it be alright if I handled his interrogation?”
Ernst tilted his head in confusion.
“It’s not impossible, but won’t it add even more work to your already full plate?”
“It’s fine. He seems worth the effort.”
Impressed, Ernst let out a sigh of admiration.
“What patriotism! Truly, you make me feel inadequate.”
Feeling emotionally moved, Ernst nodded approvingly.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but smirk mischievously, plotting something far from patriotic.
‘Perhaps…’
This could be my chance to escape the Empire without resorting to dishonorable discharge.
