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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: I Refuse the Easy Choice
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Why was the Empire's Princess acting as a war correspondent deep in the battlefield?
Daniel felt a strong sense of incongruity, but he quickly put on a composed expression and extended his right hand.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, Acting Operations Officer of the General Staff."
If the Princess was hiding her identity on the Northern Front, there must be a good reason for it.
There was no good outcome to be had by thoughtlessly exclaiming, 'Aren't you Her Imperial Highness!?' here.
Selvia watched Daniel intently, then extended her hand to shake his.
"I'm war correspondent Ravi Emilia. Please call me Ravi."
Daniel nodded, concluded the handshake, and released her hand.
He figured that to avoid unnecessary suspicion, he only needed to show the courtesy appropriate for a war correspondent.
"Then now…"
Daniel said, looking at Heinz.
"Could you explain the operation's overview?"
He had blurted out the words to change the subject, feeling the Princess's gaze was too burdensome.
However, from Heinz's perspective, Daniel, who was asking for an operational overview before even resting from his journey, seemed like a tough nut to crack.
'He's certainly not an easy person to deal with.'
Thinking so, Heinz nodded and turned his body.
"Follow me. I'll briefly explain the mission."
Following Heinz into the military tent, the first thing visible was a square table set up with an operational map.
On the wall, soldiers sat in front of radios, waiting for communications.
Next to it, a blackboard displayed photographs of high-ranking Allied personnel, with detailed personal information and recent movements written below each photo.
As Daniel looked at the blackboard, Heinz began to speak.
"He's the Deputy Commander of the Allied Northern Front Corps. His rank is Colonel, and his name is Jeremy Stringer. He's the enemy we must eliminate in this mission."
Daniel turned his gaze to Heinz, a look of skepticism on his face.
His expression asked how they intended to assassinate such an important figure, surely protected by numerous guards.
If he put himself in Daniel's shoes, Heinz would have worn the same expression.
Heinz let out a low chuckle and spoke.
"As you know, the Northern Front was formed when the Kingdom of Eldresia joined the Allied Nations. Those ignorant barbarians invaded Imperial territory with three divisions."
"But the Imperial Army didn't yield."
"Indeed. Gloriously, we overwhelmed the Allied Nations and reclaimed most of the lost territory. During that process, the enemy's high command retreated en masse, but some remained to resist."
What Heinz was trying to convey here was singular.
"A delaying tactic, then."
At Daniel's words, Heinz nodded.
"I don't want to praise the enemy, but it was a brilliant choice. Thanks to Colonel Jeremy buying them time, the Allied leadership on the Northern Front was able to retreat without significant losses. He, on the other hand, became isolated."
Heinz let out a low laugh.
It was a laugh bordering on mockery.
"Colonel Jeremy, while intelligent, doesn't seem to be courageous. Once he confirmed the leadership had pulled out, he decided to retreat himself instead of fighting to the last man."
"He's nothing but a rat."
"Indeed. As you said, that rat recently sent two battalions of soldiers into battle, then slipped away to the rear with a company-sized escort."
The Central Intelligence Bureau detected this and issued orders to Heinz, who was operating on the front lines.
"To summarize the orders from above: set a mousetrap on the rat's escape route, wait, and then eliminate him. Is that clear?"
It was so simple and clear that even a fool could understand.
To get to the main point, Daniel opened his mouth.
"Then what are the expected escape routes?"
As if he had been waiting, Heinz picked up his pointer and indicated the operational map on the square table.
The highly probable escape routes were marked with a red pen.
"The first route is the Drokenberg Plateau. Its high altitude and sparse population make it easy to evade pursuit, and as long as they can't use roads, moving through the plateau is the fastest way to return to the Allied Nations."
Tap. Heinz pointed to another spot.
"The second expected route is crossing the northwestern high mountain range and entering the snowy mountains. If they bypass Aldera Lake and hide in the jungle region, aerial reconnaissance becomes impossible, making it optimal for covert movement."
Having finished his explanation, Heinz put away his pointer.
"Unfortunately, we must choose one of these two likely routes to set up an ambush. If we split our forces, the chance of losing Jeremy increases."
'Which of the two routes do you think Jeremy will take?' Daniel stroked his chin, staring intently at the operational map, as Heinz's words seemed to be testing him.
'Wait a minute. This…'
Isn't this an opportunity for a dishonorable discharge?
'If I propose a completely different opinion and then conspicuously mess up the operation, my performance review will clearly plummet. And if I prove my incompetence right in front of the Princess…'
Dishonorable discharge confirmed! It felt like fanfares were erupting in his head.
Daniel, secretly smiling, shook his head, feigning seriousness.
"In my opinion, Colonel Jeremy won't choose either of those two routes."
Thanks to Daniel directly contradicting his superior, Heinz, silence fell over the room.
Selvia, who had been observing their conversation nearby, looked at Daniel with interest.
Heinz, however, merely frowned, feeling bewildered.
"Could you explain exactly what you mean?"
"Yes. In my view, Jeremy will attempt to escape through the Edelkrall Gorge."
"...The Edelkrall Gorge? Don't be absurd. That place was mined at the beginning of the war to halt the Allied advance. Jeremy isn't unaware of that."
Daniel raised his head and looked at Heinz.
"Because it's an absurd method, Jeremy will choose the Edelkrall Gorge. Do you think he doesn't know that he can only survive by exploiting the Empire's blind spots?"
His overly confident demeanor momentarily made Heinz feel intimidated.
However, Heinz had no intention of indulging Daniel's stubbornness.
"Lieutenant. The Imperial Army emphasizes rationality. The Special Task Force isn't idle enough to indulge your gamble."
"If that is Captain Heinz's order as commander, I will accept it. However, you should be prepared."
"...Prepared for what?"
At Heinz's question, Daniel spoke without batting an eye.
"Even if I am temporarily assigned to the Special Task Force, I still operate a unit directly under Headquarters. If Colonel Jeremy escapes due to Captain Heinz's judgment, I will have no choice but to report this fact to the General Staff Headquarters."
'The General Staff is watching you.' Heinz couldn't help but feel intimidated by Daniel's words.
Indeed, Daniel was someone who knew how to wield his background appropriately.
Heinz let out a low groan and finally spoke.
"Lieutenant. You shouldn't speak so lightly. If that fellow doesn't come to the Edelkrall Gorge, how do you intend to take responsibility?"
"I am willing to accept any disciplinary action. Furthermore…"
Daniel paused for a moment before speaking.
"Please allow me to take only my platoon and lie in ambush in the Edelkrall Gorge."
"...Are you saying you'll defeat Jeremy's company with a single platoon?"
"Yes. Due to prolonged fighting on the Northern Front, Jeremy's company's morale is likely low, and their stamina pushed to its limits. Adding the geographical characteristics, my platoon is more than capable of defeating them."
If Daniel's words were true, they could divide the force and ambush in two locations simultaneously.
Heinz, who had been looking into Daniel's confident eyes, turned to Selvia.
Selvia, who had been smiling with interest, nodded, and seeing this, Heinz frowned and authorized Daniel's audacity.
"Very well. If you insist, I will authorize the operation. When the time is right, take your platoon and lie in ambush in the Edelkrall Gorge."
"Yes. Thank you."
Daniel gave a perfunctory salute, turned, and exited the military tent.
Only then did the air, which had been constricting his breath, feel a little lighter.
'What a snake…'
As he looked at the entrance of the tent Daniel had exited, Selvia, who was nearby, began to speak.
"Captain Heinz. What kind of person do you think Daniel is?"
Heinz turned his gaze and bowed his head slightly.
"Your Highness. In my opinion, he is an excellent soldier. His independent situational judgment, as well as his decisiveness and courage, appear exceptional. However, I would not consider him an excellent human being."
In Heinz's view, Daniel completely lacked respect for others.
To carry out the operation with only his own platoon? It seemed like nothing more than a desire to monopolize the glory.
A demon who would drive himself and his subordinates to ruin solely for promotion.
That was precisely Heinz's impression.
"Therefore, Your Highness, I urge you to reconsider making Lieutenant Daniel Steiner an ally. That man is incapable of respecting others. In my experience, such people do not come to a good end."
Heinz offered his advice with sincerity, but it only served to pique Selvia's interest.
"Captain Heinz. There are no dogs or humans in this world that cannot be tamed."
Selvia's eyes narrowed softly as she gazed at the spot where Daniel had exited.
"Furthermore, whether he truly lacks respect for others is something I will observe and judge for myself."
*
The next day, Edelkrall Gorge.
'It's cold…'
Perched atop the gorge's cliff, I shivered.
Even though I was wearing an officer's winter coat, the chill felt like it was piercing right through my clothes.
'I just want to mess up this mission quickly and go back to Headquarters…'
I secretly sniffled and looked sideways to see Prien, who was monitoring the gorge through binoculars, and Selvia, who was sitting on a fallen log.
The rest of the platoon members were using snow and dry branches to camouflage themselves.
'...But why did Selvia come along?'
She was holding a Leica camera, as if she intended to continue her war correspondent act, which, frankly, was absurd.
What war correspondent in the world would walk around dressed so impeccably? Not only her blouse, but her coat and trousers were all expensive luxury items.
Since she probably always wore such things, there was a high chance she didn't even realize how expensive they were.
As I watched, thinking how clumsy it was, my eyes met Selvia's.
I saw Selvia about to speak, so I quickly turned my head and cleared my throat.
"Do you see any enemy movement?"
At my words, Prien shook his head.
"No, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner."
Right. Of course, I wouldn't see any.
From the start, this was an operational area I'd forced my way into.
And I came here specifically to aim for a dishonorable discharge.
'Why would Colonel Jeremy come here? Unless he's crazy…'
While covert movement is possible using the gorge's shadowed areas, being ambushed from both cliffs would force a fight in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.
Moreover, Colonel Jeremy knows the Imperial Army mined the gorge, so the probability of him coming here is even lower.
Therefore, my operation is a complete failure.
It's not just a failure. Since I half-blackmailed Commander Heinz into letting me take this operation, intense criticism is guaranteed.
'With the Princess directly witnessing my incompetence, this will truly be a perfect failure.'
They say a crisis is an opportunity. Who would have thought I'd seize a chance for a dishonorable discharge on the Northern Front, a place I came to for an unwanted special promotion?
It was then, in this satisfying situation, that a smile naturally formed on my face.
"L-Lieutenant Daniel Steiner!"
Wondering what the fuss was about, I looked sideways to see Prien, who had taken his eyes off the binoculars, looking up at me.
"You were right! Colonel Jeremy's company is entering the gorge!"
...Wait, what?