Why is the Empire’s Princess posing as a war correspondent deep in the battlefield?
Although Daniel felt a strong sense of discomfort, he soon maintained a calm expression and extended his right hand.
“Nice to meet you. I am Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, the Operations Staff Deputy from the Staff Headquarters.”
If the Princess was hiding her identity and was present on the Northern Front, there must be a good reason for it.
It would be unwise to clumsily blurt out, “Your Royal Highness, is that you!?” here.
Selvia observed Daniel closely before extending her hand to shake his.
“I am war correspondent Lavi Emilia. Please feel free to call me Lavi.”
Daniel nodded, finished the handshake, and released her hand.
He thought it was sufficient to show only the kind of courtesy expected of a war correspondent to avoid unnecessary suspicion.
“Well then…”
Daniel glanced at Heinz and spoke.
“Could you explain the mission overview to us?”
It was a statement made in an attempt to divert the attention caused by the Princess’s intense gaze.
However, from Heinz’s perspective, it made Daniel seem like a tough character asking for the overview before settling in.
‘He’s not someone to be underestimated.’
Heinz nodded in agreement and turned his body.
“Follow me. I will briefly explain the mission.”
Once inside the military tent, the first thing visible was the command table set up with the operational map.
On the wall, soldiers were seated in front of walkie-talkies, waiting for communications.
Next to it, a blackboard displayed a photo of a high-ranking figure in the Allied Forces, with detailed information about the individual’s identity and recent activities written below the photo.
As Daniel looked at the blackboard, Heinz began to speak.
“This is the Deputy of the Northern Front’s Legion Commander of the Allied Forces. His rank is Colonel, and his name is Jeremy Stringer. He is the target we are to eliminate in this mission.”
Daniel turned his gaze away, looking at Heinz with a skeptical expression.
His face seemed to question how they would manage to assassinate someone who was likely heavily guarded by numerous escorts.
If he thought from Heinz’s perspective, Heinz would have likely had the same expression.
Heinz chuckled softly as he responded.
“As you know, the Northern Front was formed when the Eldressia Kingdom joined the Allied Forces. The barbarian scum, not knowing their place, invaded the Empire’s territory with three divisions.”
“But the Empire Army did not get pushed back.”
“Yes. Fortunately, we overwhelmed the Allied Forces instead and reclaimed most of the lost territory. During that process, the leadership of the enemy country retreated en masse, but some stayed behind to continue the resistance.”
What Heinz wanted to convey was straightforward.
“It’s a delaying tactic.”
Heinz nodded at Daniel’s words.
“I don’t want to praise the enemy, but it was a clever choice. Thanks to Colonel Jeremy buying time, the leadership of the Allied Forces was able to retreat without major losses. Meanwhile, he became isolated.”
Heinz chuckled softly, a laugh almost mocking in nature.
“It seems that Colonel Jeremy is clever, but not very brave. Once he confirmed that his leadership had retreated, instead of fighting to the last, he decided to retreat himself.”
“What a rat he is.”
“Exactly. Just as you said, recently that rat sent two battalions into combat and then made his escape with a company-sized escort.”
The Central Intelligence Department had picked that up and issued orders to Heinz, who was actively working on the frontlines.
“To summarize the upper command’s orders: Set a trap for his escape route and wait to eliminate him. Do you understand?”
It was straightforward enough for even a fool to comprehend.
To get to the main point, Daniel opened his mouth.
“What do you anticipate the escape route will be?”
Heinz seemed ready for the question, grabbing the command baton and pointing to the operational map on the command table.
He had marked likely escape routes in red pen.
“The first route is the Drockenberg Plateau. It’s at a high altitude and sparsely populated, making it easy to evade pursuers. Unless he uses the roads, moving through the plateau is the fastest way back to the Allied Forces.”
Tap. Heinz pointed to another location.
“The second anticipated route goes over the northwestern highlands and into the snowy mountains. By circumventing Lake Aldera and slinking into the jungle area, he would make it impossible for aerial reconnaissance to detect him, making it optimal for stealth.”
After concluding his explanation, Heinz put away the command baton.
“Unfortunately, we must choose one of the two likely routes and lie in wait. Spreading forces increases the chance of losing track of Jeremy.”
“Which route do you think Jeremy will take?” Heinz’s demeanor seemed to test Daniel’s insight.
Daniel stroked his chin thoughtfully, staring intently at the operational map.
‘Wait a minute, this is…’
Isn’t this a chance for disgraceful discharge?
‘If I propose an entirely different opinion and then bungling the operation spectacularly, my evaluation will undoubtedly plummet. If it happens in front of the Princess, proving my ineptitude…’
Disgraceful discharge confirmed! He felt as if a fanfare exploded in his mind.
Smirking to himself, Daniel feigned seriousness and shook his head.
“I believe Colonel Jeremy will not choose either route.”
A silence fell over the room as Daniel outright contradicted his superior, Heinz.
Selvia, who had been observing their conversation nearby, looked at Daniel with interest.
Heinz, however, could only frown in disbelief.
“Can you explain exactly what you mean?”
“Yes. I believe Jeremy will attempt to escape through the Edelkrall Gorge.”
“Edelkrall Gorge? Don’t be ridiculous. That place was mined early in the war to block the advance of the Allied Forces. Surely Jeremy isn’t unaware of that.”
Daniel raised his gaze to meet Heinz’s.
“He will choose the Edelkrall Gorge precisely because it is an outrageous method. Do you think he won’t understand that he must exploit the Empire’s weaknesses to survive?”
In his unusually confident demeanor, Daniel momentarily disarmed Heinz.
However, Heinz had no intention of indulging Daniel’s recklessness.
“Lieutenant. The Empire Army values rationality. The special operations unit is not so idle as to indulge your gambles.”
“If that’s your command, Captain Heinz, I will accept it. But you must be prepared for the consequences.”
“Consequences?”
Without blinking, Daniel responded to Heinz’s query.
“Even though I was briefly a member of the special operations unit, I am still operating a unit under direct command of headquarters. If you, Captain Heinz, allow Colonel Jeremy to slip away, I will have no choice but to report that to the Staff Headquarters.”
The Staff Headquarters is keeping an eye on you. Daniel’s assertion made Heinz feel an overwhelming pressure.
Indeed, Daniel was someone capable of wielding his background effectively.
Heinz sighed deeply before managing to speak again.
“Lieutenant. You shouldn’t speak so lightly. What will you do if Jeremy doesn’t show up at Edelkrall Gorge?”
“I will gladly accept any punishment. Furthermore…”
Pausing for a moment, Daniel continued.
“Please allow me to take my platoon to lie in wait at the Edelkrall Gorge.”
“Are you saying that with just a single platoon, you can defeat Jeremy’s company?”
“Yes. Due to the long battle on the Northern Front, Jeremy’s company is likely to be low on morale and at their physical limit. Considering the terrain’s characteristics, my platoon should be capable of defeating them.”
If Daniel’s assertion was accurate, it would allow them to split forces and lie in wait in two locations simultaneously.
As Heinz gazed into Daniel’s confident eyes, he turned to Selvia.
Selvia smiled, seemingly intrigued, and nodded her head. Seeing this, Heinz furrowed his brow but ultimately granted permission for Daniel’s boldness.
“Alright. If you’re going that far, I’ll grant you permission for the operation. When the time is right, take your platoon and lie in wait at the Edelkrall Gorge.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Daniel saluted formally and turned to exit the military tent.
At that moment, the stifling atmosphere around him felt like it had eased.
‘That snake-like fellow…’
As Daniel gazed at the entrance he had just exited, Selvia, who was nearby, broke the silence.
“Captain Heinz. What do you think of Lieutenant Daniel?”
Heinz looked away and bowed his head slightly.
“Your Highness. In my view, he is an excellent soldier. He possesses independent situational judgment, and his decisiveness and courage seem remarkable. However, I cannot regard him as a commendable human being.”
Heinz believed Daniel lacked respect for others entirely.
To act as if he could conduct the operation solely with his platoon? It only appeared that he desired to monopolize the glory.
A demon who would drive himself and his subordinates to ruin solely for the sake of promotion.
That was the extent of Heinz’s impression.
“So I would advise Your Highness to reconsider your intention to take Lieutenant Daniel Steiner as an ally. He is a man who does not know how to respect others. Based on experience, those kinds of individuals are not trustworthy.”
Heinz sincerely offered his advice, but it only served to pique Selvia’s interest further.
“Captain Heinz. There is no dog or human in this world that cannot be trained.”
Selvia narrowed her eyes, which had gazed thoughtfully into the space left by Daniel’s departure.
“Furthermore, I will personally assess whether he indeed lacks respect for others.”
*
The following day, at Edelkrall Gorge.
‘It’s cold…’
Shivering on the cliff of the gorge, I was trembling.
Even wearing an officer’s winter coat, I could still feel the chill piercing through my clothes.
‘I just want to finish this mission and return to headquarters…’
As I secretly sniffled and turned to the side, I saw Prien, watching the gorge through binoculars, and Selvia, sitting on a fallen log.
The rest of the platoon members were using the snow and dry branches to conceal themselves.
‘…But why did Selvia come along?’
She was still holding a Leica camera, seemingly intent on continuing her act as a war correspondent, which honestly felt ridiculous.
What kind of war correspondent dresses so immaculately? The blouse, coat, and pants she wore were all expensive designer items.
Given that she always wore such attire, she likely had no idea just how costly it was.
As I thought about how absurd it was, our eyes met, and I quickly turned my head, clearing my throat.
“Do you see any enemy movements?”
Prien shook her head.
“I don’t see anything, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner.”
Of course not. It would be expected.
After all, this was a mission area I had forcibly procured.
More so, it meant I was targeting disgraceful discharge.
‘Why would Colonel Jeremy come here? He wouldn’t be insane enough to…’
Considering the gorge’s characteristics, stealthy movement using the shadowed areas was possible, but one would find themselves at a great disadvantage if ambushed from both cliffs.
Additionally, since Colonel Jeremy was aware that the Empire Army had mined the gorge, the likelihood of him coming here was even lower.
Thus, my mission was a complete failure.
Not just any failure, but a failure that would certainly result in strong critiques, especially since I had half-threatened the commander, Heinz, to get this operation approved.
‘And with the Princess observing my incompetence directly, it will truly be a total failure.’
Opportunities disguised as crises, indeed. Who knew I’d end up with a chance for disgraceful discharge on the Northern Front for a promotion I never wanted?
I found myself smiling involuntarily at the satisfying situation.
“L-Lieutenant Daniel Steiner!”
Wondering what the fuss was about, I turned to find Prien looking up at me, having pulled away from the binoculars.
“Just as you said! Colonel Jeremy’s company is entering the gorge!”
…Wait a minute, what did you just say?