Chapter 30

Half a month later.

“WHAT?! I was happily collecting stamps as a hobby, but then my wife hears some strange rumors and comes back all angry, telling me not to waste money on such things? It’s absurd!”

As usual, I was strolling in front of the headquarters building after lunch while listening to Colonel Ernst Bark’s complaints.

By the way, my aide-de-camp Lucy Emilia had accidentally joined us and was now also hearing about Colonel Ernst’s family issues.

“I only have two hobbies: fishing and stamp collecting! And you’re telling me it’s reasonable to stop one of them? Does that even make sense?”

Listening to him, I couldn’t help but nod slightly. It did feel a bit excessive.

“Your wife does seem a bit harsh. You’re not neglecting your family or anything; you go straight home after finishing work.”

“That’s right! Finally, someone understands me, Captain Daniel! The Personnel Department keeps nagging me about spending too much on stamps, but come on, what hobby doesn’t cost money these days?”

…Something feels off here…

“Colonel? Can I ask which stamps you recently bought?”

“Hmm? Oh, limited edition stamps from the Berghausen Art Museum came up for sale, so I splurged a little.”

Limited edition Berghausen Art Museum stamps? Even I, who don’t care much about stamps, know those are ridiculously expensive.

“The price at release was around 100,000 credits if I recall correctly.”

Considering the average monthly salary for workers is between 30,000 to 60,000 credits, this was definitely a big expense.

I finally understood why his wife was upset but decided silence was golden.

“Look, I didn’t touch the emergency fund! This was all saved-up pocket money, yet she still complains. How am I supposed to live like this? Seriously, what’s wrong with this woman…”

While half-listening to his rant, I noticed something unusual.

‘Huh?’

Lower-ranking officers and non-commissioned officers unfamiliar to me were moving around in front of the General Staff Headquarters.

You usually see higher-ranking officers more often around the General Staff Headquarters.

It felt odd seeing junior officers, lieutenants and captains, milling around here.

“Hey, Colonel?”

Ernst looked at me mid-rant.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

“Well… Isn’t it strange how there are so many officers coming and going from the General Staff Headquarters today? And they’re all unfamiliar faces.”

“Unfamiliar faces? Oh yeah, the Personnel Department called in officers who’ll be providing Operations Support to the Northern Direction Army. They’ve just arrived.”

Operations support for the Northern Direction Army? That piqued my curiosity.

“But isn’t the northern expansion war going smoothly? I heard the Eldreshia Kingdom is crumbling helplessly except for a few areas.”

“Exactly, those ‘few areas’ are the problem. If we can’t push the kingdom out before winter sets in, we risk a prolonged war. That’s why we’re sending reinforcements.”

I sipped my coffee from the paper cup in my hand, confused.

“Judging by their ranks, the unit being sent seems to be battalion-level at most. In a battlefield where entire corps are moving, would adding a battalion really change anything?”

At my words, Ernst chuckled softly.

“Not quite. The battalion is merely an escort force to protect capable staff officers. We can’t risk exposing them to enemy guerrilla attacks along the route to the Northern Direction Army.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

It seemed like the General Staff Headquarters’ plan was to deploy skilled staff officers into the field to try and tip the war in the Empire’s favor, even slightly.

‘Beggars can’t be choosers, huh…’

Well, from the Empire’s perspective, quickly occupying the relatively weaker Eldreshia Kingdom and focusing on the eastern front is the best strategy.

Once the winter cold hits, supply lines and advances will face disruptions, leading to a protracted war. So they must end this war before summer ends, no matter the strain.

Still, none of that concerns me.

“Whichever staff officer is going, they’re in for a lot of trouble.”

Poor bastard. My sympathy goes out to them. Being transferred from safe rear bases to the frontline isn’t something anyone enjoys unless they’re a war freak.

But what can you do? It’s your karma, buddy.

“…Captain Daniel?”

In the middle of snickering inwardly, Ernst awkwardly scratched his cheek.

“What’s up?” I stared blankly at him.

Ernst cleared his throat quietly.

“Sorry about this. Things have been so busy lately that I forgot to tell you… The staff officer heading to provide operations support for the Northern Direction Army is actually YOU.”

Huh?

For a moment, my brain froze.

My grip loosened, nearly dropping the paper cup.

After spacing out for a while, I finally managed to speak.

“Me? Are you serious?”

“Yeah. Looks like the Deputy Chief of Staff has taken a liking to you. He’s setting up an opportunity for you to shine on the battlefield. Plus, with a battalion of 200 men, you could even command small-scale operations directly.”

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to.

Taking a deep breath, I asked again.

“Seriously, me?”

“No need to double-check. Are you happy about it? Seeing your disbelieving face makes ME happy. Hahaha! Go give it your best shot!”

Instead of feeling happy, I felt like throwing up.

With Ernst’s encouragement leaving me speechless, Lucy stepped in.

“Congratulations! While Captain Daniel Steiner serves on the battlefield, I’ll handle his duties here at headquarters.”

Hearing this, Ernst tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh? Of course you’re coming too, Lucy!”

Lucy appeared unusually flustered.

Her pupils were visibly shaking.

“But Colonel Ernst… If I leave too, the Office of the Operations Staff will be overwhelmed with work.”

“That’s easily handled with some overtime. We’re at war, after all. Our hard work is nothing compared to your efforts at the front.”

Lucy clenched her jaw, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead.

Of course, neither Lucy nor the Allied Nations’ intelligence division probably anticipated this situation.

Though frankly, it wasn’t my place to know about Lucy’s circumstances right now.

‘Damn…’

Things were getting more complicated than expected.

As I silently cursed under my breath, I suddenly paused.

A woman walking toward the General Staff Headquarters looked strangely familiar.

Her soft chestnut hair swayed gently with each step, and her dark eyes carried a hint of brown.

This was Prien, who would later be known as the Empire’s Holy Maiden.

‘Shouldn’t she be attending officer training at the Military Academy?’

Curious, I excused myself from Ernst and approached Prien.

“Halt! Cadet!”

Hearing my voice, Prien turned around and immediately broke into a bright smile.

“Captain Daniel Steiner! Oh, my apologies! You’re a major now!”

Her voice rose with excitement.

Though I certainly wasn’t pleased to see her, I kept my expression neutral.

“I’m not here for pleasantries. Answer my question. Why is a cadet loitering around the General Staff Headquarters? Shouldn’t you be at the Military Academy?”

“Ahh… When the Northern Direction Army support announcement came from the General Staff Headquarters, I wrote a letter directly to the Personnel Department. They must have made an exception based on that.”

I furrowed my brow.

“Letter?”

“Yes. After seeing the announcement that you’d be commanding, I included our previous joint operation in a supporting document and sent it via letter.”

“So the personnel officer at the General Staff Headquarters assigned you to my battalion based on that?”

“That’s correct! It’s an honor for my family to serve under Captain Daniel once again!”

While this decision from the General Staff Headquarters was technically final, I felt uneasy.

With the battlefield looming ahead, maintaining such a cheerful smile meant one of two things:

Either her loyalty to the Empire was burning fiercely, or she was gripped by some kind of madness.

And usually, fanaticism and madness had more similarities than differences.

“…Prien. I appreciate your intentions, but aren’t you too young to join the Northern Direction Army support mission? No one would blame you if you chose to withdraw as a cadet. Consider carefully.”

What I really meant was “Withdraw your application immediately,” but Prien shook her head and placed her hand gently over her chest.

“I’ve already made my decision. To repay the grace I received from Captain Daniel in the military police holding cell with my life…”

“…Grace? What grace? We barely exchanged a few words, right?”

“Therefore, I shall accompany Captain Daniel. And in the not-so-distant future, Captain and I will surely witness it together – the ideal nation free from all worries.”

“…Ideal nation?”

“Yes. One empire, one emperor, one people. We must establish God’s kingdom on earth by eliminating all the vermin-like members of the Allied Nations.”

With that, Prien smiled benevolently.

The warm smile was reminiscent of something you’d see in a saintly painting. At that moment, I was certain.

‘This woman is crazy.’

For reasons unknown, Prien had clearly crossed from loyalty into full-blown madness.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead as I swallowed nervously in fear.

‘I need to talk to the Deputy Chief. I have to request removing Prien from my battalion’s roster.’

It probably wouldn’t work, but I had to try.

The innocent-eyed madwoman standing before me was genuinely terrifying.