Chapter 36

The next morning, early.

Lucy enters through the entrance of the military tent.

“Captain Daniel Steiner. There’s something urgent I must…”

Lucy stops mid-step and closes her mouth upon seeing Daniel lying on the field bed at the edge of the tent, sound asleep.

He must’ve been exhausted judging by how he’s carelessly covered with a blanket while sleeping.

After all, when the other soldiers and officers arrived at the forward base to rest, Daniel had been forcibly called away by the division commander to the command post, only returning just now.

‘Which means…’

Captain Daniel Steiner is completely defenseless right now.

Lucy confirms that no one else is around and approaches Daniel.

She quietly gazes down at him as he sleeps.

On his uniform’s left chest, pinned there, the National Order of Goryeo Medal faintly glimmers.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

Right before her eyes was the man who recently has been piling up military achievements at an alarming rate.

Because of this, interest in Daniel within the Allied Nations has gradually increased.

However, the Allied Nations have yet to issue an order to assassinate Daniel Steiner.

For now, Lucy’s mission given by the Allied Nations is merely to report every move made by Daniel Steiner as part of special surveillance.

But the time could come when special surveillance might shift into assassination orders.

If the homeland were to give the order to assassinate Daniel, Lucy would willingly obey.

But would she really be able to go through the process without hesitation?

Excluding his dedication to the Empire, Daniel Steiner was actually a pretty decent guy.

He shared food with her, lent her an umbrella, and even invited her to visit a dessert shop out of shared interests.

There was also the day when she was disguised as a doctor; Daniel had preemptively saved her from being questioned suspiciously by Security Bureau officers.

There was no denying that she owed Daniel some gratitude.

This sense of gratitude slightly shook the yoke of being a spy for the Allied Nations.

‘What if…’

If Lucy and Daniel weren’t a spy for the Allied Nations and an officer of the Imperial Army but instead ordinary people meeting under normal circumstances, what would’ve happened?

Lucy shook her head vigorously, continuing her pointless daydream.

It was useless and unproductive speculation.

Considering the favor she owed to the Allied Nations, she shouldn’t deviate even a step from the essence of being a spy.

Besides, however good of a man Daniel seemed to be, he was still an officer of the Empire.

Anyone benefiting the Empire was an enemy of the Allied Nations and a fragment of Lucy’s personal grudge.

Recalling the terrible memories of the past, Lucy tightly clenched her fists before letting out a long sigh.

It was foolish to indulge in such self-important thoughts.

‘How stupid.’

There’s no need to overthink things. All she needed to do was to fulfill her assigned duties and role as usual.

Until the Allied Nations gave another order, all she needed to do was act as “Captain Daniel Steiner’s loyal aide-de-camp.”

Lucy nodded slightly to herself and turned to leave.

Just as she was about to exit the tent, she hesitated.

For some reason, the disheveled blanket covering Daniel’s body bothered her.

Whether it was due to her obsessive-compulsive tendencies or not, it just didn’t feel right.

After hesitating for a moment, Lucy bent down and picked up the blanket.

She neatly and carefully tucked it around Daniel’s chest before lightly patting it down.

“Sleep well.”

She whispered softly and then turned to leave the tent.

Only after Lucy had fully exited did Daniel slowly open his eyes.

Confirming that Lucy was no longer inside the tent, Daniel abruptly sat up.

Without realizing it, he let out a heavy breath.

‘…What was that?’

In reality, Daniel had already woken up moments ago.

When he felt someone nearby, he slightly opened his eyes and saw Lucy staring down at him, so he pretended to still be asleep—why? Just because it was scary!

‘Am I still alive?’

Feeling his neck with his hand, Daniel sighed in relief upon confirming there was no wound.

Sitting on the field bed, he caught his breath for a bit when suddenly his nerves shot up.

Nearby, the sounds of two jeeps stopping outside the tent and the thud of marching boots approached.

Thinking something was off, four soldiers briskly entered the tent and split into two groups.

Immediately afterward, Heinrich, with his imposing figure, stepped into the tent.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Startled for a moment, Daniel quickly stood up and saluted.

“Brigade Commander! What brings you here?”

Heinrich chuckled and returned the salute.

“Congratulations, Captain Daniel.”

“…Congratulations for what, sir?”

“Well done again, Daniel. A report came in from the reconnaissance team just a few hours ago. They found the Royal Army’s underground tunnel.”

At that moment, Daniel felt as though he’d been struck by a hammer.

‘They found the underground tunnel? And on the very day I suggested it?’

While not logically impossible, the probability was incredibly low.

Despite the odds, the Royal Army had indeed been using an underground tunnel for supplies, and the reconnaissance team had miraculously discovered it within a single night.

Before Daniel could fully process this unbelievable turn of events, Heinrich gestured with his hand.

“Let’s discuss this elsewhere. Time is pressing.”

“…Understood.”

Though Daniel didn’t fully understand the situation, disobeying an order from his superior was out of the question, so he followed Heinrich.

*

Following Heinrich, they arrived at a flat area 18 kilometers north of where the enemy supply brigade had been discovered, deep within a forest.

The first thing Daniel noticed upon stepping out of the jeep was the soldiers of the Magic Mobile Brigade.

Equipped with everything except their gear, they stood motionless between the trees like an iron army.

As I stiffened under their oppressive aura, Heinrich placed a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s right there. The Royal Army’s underground tunnel you mentioned.”

Turning my gaze toward where Heinrich pointed, I saw a large iron door wide open.

“We sent skilled scouts to investigate. Turns out this underground tunnel connects directly to the city. Isn’t that amazing? Without you, we wouldn’t have known about this.”

Though Heinrich burst into hearty laughter, I was still bewildered.

Trying to say something in protest, I opened my mouth just as artillery fire began booming from the headquarters’ direction.

“It’s begun.”

Heinrich removed his hand from my shoulder and shouted toward the brigade’s soldiers.

“I just heard the goddess of victory cry out for our advance! You men surely heard it too, am I right!?”

A smirk spread across the soldiers’ faces.

It was terrifying.

Stepping forward, Heinrich raised his voice with veins bulging in his neck.

“The Royal Army, in league with the dirty Allied Nations, invaded our territory and mocked our comrades. Think of the screams our comrades had to endure! The suffering they had to bear! The shame they had to withstand!”

Taking another step forward, Heinrich roared.

“We will repay them tenfold for all of it! Burst open the bloated bellies of the enemies who greedily drank the blood of our comrades! Advance, elite warriors of the Empire!”

The soldiers erupted in unison with battle cries.

Simultaneously, they began moving toward the underground tunnel one by one.

Their formation was mechanical as they marched in neat lines into the tunnel.

It was clear evidence of their excellent training.

Watching them silently, I approached Heinrich and spoke.

“A diversionary attack. While pushing our division’s forces on the frontline and firing artillery to distract the enemy, we’ll use the underground tunnel to strike the city directly…”

“A crushing victory. Those cowards who’ve been hiding until now will panic and fall apart once they realize the city has been infiltrated.”

Indeed, capturing the city was now only a matter of time.

Though it wasn’t the outcome I desired, watching the soldiers charge in real-time made me grateful to be a staff officer.

‘Staff officers won’t be sent to the heart of the enemy lines…’

Preserving one’s life is naturally more important than anything else.

After all, you need to survive to get another chance.

Relieved as I watched the soldiers, Heinrich turned to me and said,

“You seem envious, don’t you? An officer as devoted to the Empire as yourself would surely want to crush the enemy directly. I used to have that same fiery spirit when I was young.”

Even though it wasn’t true at all, there was no harm in agreeing.

“That’s correct. However, as a staff officer, I believe protecting the rear of our allies is equally important. Though it’s disappointing, the glory of attacking the enemy should be left to the soldiers.”

“Good attitude. But if you wish, there’s no need to stay behind and merely observe. No, observing isn’t even an option.”

Wait, something feels off with this conversation…

Looking at me curiously, Heinrich smiled subtly, as if giving permission to rejoice.

“The division commander has ordered your entire headquarters detachment, including you, to participate in the city assault alongside the Magic Mobile Brigade.”

“…What? My company joining the battle would only cause trouble.”

“The division commander initially thought the same as you. But after speaking with you, he completely changed his mind. He told me privately that you are a wolf starving for blood.”

My mouth hung open in disbelief. What nonsense was this?

“He says to feed your starving belly and see how wildly you can run. He asked me to relay that message.”

“…Did the division commander really say that?”

“Yes. It’s rare for the division commander to show such favor, so take this opportunity to prove yourself.”

I can’t comprehend why he sees me as some kind of creature deserving these absurd words.

But when the higher-ups command, you follow.

Sighing briefly, I looked at Heinrich and asked,

“Brigadier General. Did the division commander really call me a bloodthirsty wolf?”

“Hmm? Haha. That nickname seems to suit you quite well. Though it was said somewhat jokingly, he definitely said it.”

Thanks to this, I reaffirmed one thing:

That my life was spiraling out of control in real-time.