Chapter 2

Empire General Staff Headquarters.

Office of the Commander of the Magic Mobile Corps.

Heinrich sits in front of an extravagant mahogany desk, flipping through the papers in a file.

The information written on the paper was none other than Daniel Steiner’s personal details.

[Name: Daniel Steiner]

[Place of Birth: Pianmari Village, Betargen Barony, Southern Empire]

[Notable Facts: Confirmed to have been abandoned by parents and raised in an orphanage. Subsequently recognized for magical talent by a conscription examiner and admitted to the Empire Magic Academy, graduating at the top of his class.]

After reading the notable facts, Heinrich put a pipe in his mouth.

“Graduated at the top of the Magic Academy…”

This was not particularly surprising.

The Empire General Staff Headquarters was a place that only those with brilliant abilities could enter.

However, the fact that he was an orphan gave Heinrich a different impression.

“Did he rely solely on instinct to voice his opinions without a family to support him?”

Although not common, there were occasionally enthusiastic young people who pierced through the icy atmosphere of the conference room like a needle to express their opinions.

But the courage those young people exuded was always intertwined with the name of their family.

There was usually an unspoken assurance that even if something went wrong because of their remarks, their family would not abandon them.

“Yet…”

Daniel Steiner. This newly commissioned officer from an orphanage had no family to watch his back.

If anything went wrong due to his opinions, the consequences would not simply end with him taking off his uniform.

Daniel was likely aware of this, yet he pressed his opinions.

And ultimately, those opinions were reasonable and valid.

As a result of issuing a large-scale reconnaissance order, information was obtained that the enemy was preparing an ambush near the hills.

“Does he have an eye that sees through the battlefield?”

It might, of course, be an exaggeration. There was also a possibility that it was merely a coincidence.

Nonetheless, it was clear that damages had been preemptively avoided thanks to Daniel.

In an era where even a small change could shift the tide of war, Daniel’s sharp insight was like a much-needed rain in the desert.

From Heinrich’s perspective, it was a talent that could not go unrecognized.

Knock─

The sound of knocking broke Heinrich’s reverie.

Heinrich organized the file and placed it on the edge of the desk.

“Commander! Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner has come to carry out duties!”

Removing the pipe from his mouth, Heinrich exhaled smoke and said, “Come in.”

Then the door to the office opened, and Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner entered along with his deputy, a captain.

Tall, with black hair and black eyes. Although his appearance was somewhat gaunt, his spirit was alive.

Reaching the center of the office, the two of them saluted sharply as if they had made a promise.

As Heinrich roughly accepted the salute, the captain stepped aside.

Thus, Daniel changed to a position of attention and awaited Heinrich’s call.

“Hmm.”

His posture was unmistakably that of an exemplary soldier.

He maintained such a straight stance that it was difficult to find any discrepancies with the position in the manual.

Feeling a certain fondness, Heinrich opened his mouth.

“Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. You must have heard from my deputy, but thanks to you, the military was able to prevent damages in advance. This is an unquestionable achievement.”

Daniel maintained the position of attention.

He was adhering to the demeanor of an exemplary soldier by not speaking until his superior asked a question.

Even though he could have expressed excitement over his commendation, he remained remarkably composed.

Of course, this was merely Heinrich’s assumption.

Daniel’s heart was currently a maelstrom of confusion.

“My nonsense actually hit the mark? Why?”

Finding it incomprehensible and biting his lip, Heinrich continued.

“There should be a reward for achievements. Therefore, I intend to put your name forward for the promotion review next quarter. What do you think?”

Daniel’s shoulders jumped.

For him, a promotion equated to being closer to death.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel thought of a way to remain calm.

“Commander, I am deeply honored by your gracious words. However, I do not wish to receive privileges for merely one achievement.”

“Hmm? ‘Merely one achievement’, did you say?”

“Yes. I believe I simply did what I ought to do as an officer protecting the Holy Bavarian Empire. Hence, I ask you to reconsider putting my name in for the promotion review.”

Heinrich blinked in astonishment.

He had seen countless war enthusiasts desperate for promotions, but it was his first time encountering someone who outright refused when offered one.

The captain beside him was equally taken aback.

“Indeed, he is truly extraordinary.”

Chuckling, Heinrich set down his pipe.

“Lieutenant. I think you may be misunderstanding something, but your merits are not ‘merely one achievement.’ It’s equivalent to saving hundreds of comrades. Therefore, I cannot grant your request.”

“Commander, I just…”

“That’s enough. Don’t you know that the principles of reward and punishment are one of the Empire Army’s core ideologies? If you continue to refuse, I will interpret it as denying the Empire’s ideology.”

Even if you dislike it, you will be promoted—that was the message.

With the Commander being such, a mere second lieutenant could not protest any further.

Eventually, Daniel answered with resigned acceptance.

“I will reluctantly accept this overwhelming honor.”

Observing Daniel keenly, Heinrich nodded.

“Very well. Then I will take it as such. You may withdraw now.”

Upon being told to withdraw, Daniel gave a precise salute.

As Heinrich returned the salute, Daniel turned and left the office.

The sound of his footsteps faded away. After confirming Daniel had exited the office, Heinrich chuckled softly.

“That young man is truly rare in these days. Isn’t that right, Captain?”

The captain, staring blankly at the door Daniel had exited, turned his head.

“Indeed. Normally, people would do anything to boost their evaluations, but I’ve never seen someone trying to lower theirs.”

“He’s not just a superficial soldier. He genuinely wishes to protect the Empire and crush the Allied Forces. It seems we have an exceptional recruit in the army.”

It felt as if he were seeing his younger self.

With a satisfied smile, Heinrich added casually.

“The army needs talents like him. Particularly now, as the Allied Forces grow ever stronger.”

Lifting the pipe he had set down, Heinrich chuckled pleasantly.

“I look forward to seeing just how far he can rise.”

*

“Stop messing around! Seriously!”

I shouted in frustration upon returning to my personal dormitory.

And understandably so, as the situation was spiraling out of control.

“An early promotion…”

This was not simply a matter of moving from second lieutenant to lieutenant by adding one diamond.

In the elite group known as the Empire General Staff Headquarters, an early promotion signified being acknowledged as an elite even among elites.

Even if my assignment were to change afterward, the label of “elite promoted early from the General Staff” would inevitably follow me.

This was essentially the highest honor and the best pathway available to a junior officer.

In other words, it meant I had drawn one step closer to the core personnel of the Empire’s leadership.

In summary, if the future of the Empire were headed toward defeat, the chances of my head rolling had just significantly increased.

As I sat on the bed, I wiped my face and then looked up.

In the full-length mirror in front of me, I saw a man with faint dark circles under his eyes.

I distinctly remembered being overjoyed when I confirmed my first assignment was the General Staff, but after awakening the memories of my past life, I realized this was hell.

For a while, I locked eyes with my reflection in the mirror, sighed, and then stood up.

Opening the window to look outside, I saw high-ranking military officers arriving one by one for work.

Right. If I thought about it, this place was teeming with high-ranking officers like pebbles on the road.

Thanks to that, it was optimally arranged for earning scores to enjoy a pleasant military life, but conversely speaking, it was also the perfect setup for losing scores.

“Though things got a bit tangled… nothing will change.”

All it took was to commit acts that were so incompetent and shameless that they surpassed my achievements.

Loosening the tight tie on my uniform, I exhaled deeply.

“Commander. I am grateful for your trust in me. However, I do not wish for an early promotion. At least not within the Empire.”

So, I needed to act thoroughly like a scoundrel to cancel the early promotion and hasten my disgraceful discharge.

Coincidentally, the ideal material for playing the role of a scoundrel existed within the General Staff Headquarters.

That material was none other than my direct superior, Major Karl Heinrich, the operations planner.

A personality degenerate who started each workday by berating me and ended it by belittling me.

If I could make use of my direct superior Karl Heinrich, I still had a chance at a disgraceful discharge.

“Just you wait, Commander.”

I will escape this Empire no matter what.

_ _