I Refuse the Easy Way Out
I Refuse the Easy Way Out
Why was the Imperial Princess passing herself off as a war correspondent deep in the heart of the battlefield?
Daniel felt a strong unease, but soon feigned a calm expression and extended his right hand.
"A pleasure. I am Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, Deputy Operations Staff Officer of the General Headquarters."
If the princess was hiding her identity on the northern front, there had to be a good reason.
Tactlessly blurting out 'Aren't you Her Highness the Princess?!' here would not end well.
Selvia gazed intently at Daniel before extending her hand and accepting the handshake.
"I'm war correspondent Ravi Emilia. I'd like you to call me Rabi, if you don't mind."
Daniel nodded, finished the handshake, and let go.
He figured that, to avoid drawing unnecessary suspicion, he should simply show her the exact courtesy one would a war correspondent.
"Well then, now..."
Daniel looked at Heinz and spoke.
"Could you explain the operation outline?"
It was a remark made to change the subject, as the princess's gaze was weighing on him.
However, from Heinz's perspective, Daniel, who had asked about the operation outline before even shaking off his journey's fatigue, appeared to be a ruthless fanatic.
'He's no ordinary man, after all.'
Having thought that, Heinz nodded and turned around.
"Follow me. I'll give you a simple briefing on the mission for now."
Once he followed Heinz into the tent, the first thing he saw was the command table with the operations map laid out.
On the walls, soldiers sat in front of radios, waiting for communications.
On the blackboard next to them, photos of high-ranking Allied officers were posted, and below each photo, that officer's personal details and recent movements were written out in detail.
As Daniel looked at the blackboard, Heinz began to speak.
"He's the adjutant to the corps commander of the Allied Nations' northern front. His rank is Colonel, and his name is Jeremy Stringer. He's the enemy we must eliminate in this mission."
Daniel looked at Heinz with a questioning expression.
It was the face of a man asking how they were supposed to kill a major figure who would be guarded by countless escorts.
If Heinz had been in Daniel's shoes, he would have worn that same expression.
Heinz let out a low laugh and spoke.
"As you know, the northern front was formed when the Kingdom of Eldreshia joined the Allied Nations. That's because those barbarian bastards who don't know their place invaded Imperial territory with three divisions."
"But the Imperial Army wasn't pushed back."
"Right. Gloriously, we actually overwhelmed the Allied Nations and recovered most of the stolen territory. In the process, the enemy leadership retreated, but some remained and continued to resist."
The point Heinz was trying to make here was one thing.
"Delaying tactics."
Heinz nodded at Daniel's words.
"I don't want to compliment the enemy, but it was an astute choice. Thanks to Colonel Jeremy buying time, the Allied leadership on the northern front was able to retreat without major damage. Meanwhile, he was isolated."
Heinz let out a low laugh.
It was a laugh close to a sneer.
"Colonel Jeremy seems to be astute, but not valorous. Once he confirmed the leadership had escaped, instead of fighting a desperate resistance, he made up his mind to retreat as well."
"He's no different from a rat."
"Indeed. As you say, recently that rat sent two battalions' worth of soldiers into combat, then took a company-sized escort and slipped away to the rear."
The central intelligence department had detected that and issued an order to Heinz, who was active on the very front lines.
"To summarize the orders from above, it's this. Set a trap on the rat's escape route, wait, and kill him. Do you understand?"
It was so simple and clear that even an idiot could understand.
Daniel opened his mouth to get to the main point.
"Then, what is the anticipated escape route?"
As if he had been waiting, Heinz picked up a command baton and pointed at the operations map on the command table.
The likely escape routes were marked with red pen.
"The first route is the Drockenberg Plateau. Its high altitude and sparse population make it easy to avoid pursuit, and with the roads unusable, moving via the plateau is the fastest way to return to the Allied Nations."
Tak. Heinz pointed to a different spot.
"The second anticipated route is crossing the northwestern highlands and entering the snowy mountains. If you bypass Lake Aldera and hide in the jungle area, aerial reconnaissance is impossible, making it optimal for stealth movement."
Having finished the explanation, Heinz put the command baton away.
"Unfortunately, we must choose one of the two likely routes and lay an ambush. That's because splitting our forces increases the chances of missing Jeremy."
Which of the two routes do you think Jeremy will take? Sensing that Heinz was testing him, Daniel stroked his chin and stared hard at the operations map.
'Wait a minute. This is...'
Isn't this an opportunity to get dishonorably discharged?
'If I put forward a completely different opinion and then conspicuously botch the operation, my service record will definitely go down the drain. And if I prove my incompetence right before the princess's eyes...'
Dishonorable discharge confirmed! He felt like a fanfare was going off in his head.
Daniel smiled secretly, then feigned gravity and shook his head.
"In my view, Colonel Jeremy will not choose either of those two routes."
When Daniel flatly contradicted his superior, Heinz, silence fell over the room.
Selvia, who had been observing the conversation between the two nearby, looked at Daniel with interest.
Heinz, however, simply frowned, puzzled.
"Could you explain exactly what you mean?"
"Yes. As I see it, Jeremy is likely to flee through the Edelkral Gorge."
"...Edelkral Gorge? Don't talk nonsense. That's where we planted mines early in the war to stop the Allied advance. Jeremy isn't unaware of that."
Daniel raised his head and looked at Heinz.
"It's precisely because it seems like a nonsensical choice that Jeremy will take Edelkral Gorge. Do you think this man doesn't know he has to strike the Empire's weak point to survive?"
His bearing was so utterly confident that for a moment, the wind was taken out of Heinz's sails.
However, Heinz had absolutely no intention of humoring Daniel's stubbornness.
"Lieutenant. It is valuing rationality that defines the Imperial Army. The Special Mission Unit is not idle enough to indulge your gambles."
"If that is the order of Commander Captain Heinz, I will accept it. However, you must be prepared."
"...Prepared for what?"
At Heinz's question, Daniel answered without batting an eye.
"Even if I belong to the Special Mission Unit temporarily, I am ultimately operating a unit directly under headquarters. If Colonel Jeremy gets away due to Captain Heinz's judgment, I will have no choice but to report this fact to the General Headquarters."
The General Headquarters is watching you. Heinz couldn't help but feel intimidated by Daniel as he spoke those words.
Indeed, Daniel was a man who knew how to wield his background appropriately.
Heinz let out a low groan and barely managed to open his mouth.
"Lieutenant. You shouldn't wag your tongue so lightly. If that man doesn't come to Edelkral Gorge, how are you going to take responsibility?"
"I intend to accept any disciplinary action gladly. Moreover..."
Daniel paused for a moment before speaking.
"Please permit me to take only my platoon and lie in ambush at Edelkral Gorge."
"...Are you saying you'll defeat Jeremy's company with a single platoon right now?"
"Yes. Due to the prolonged fighting on the northern front, Jeremy's company will have low morale and be at the limit of their stamina. Add the terrain to that, and it's entirely possible for my platoon to defeat them."
According to Daniel, splitting the unit in two and ambushing at two locations simultaneously was possible.
Heinz, who had been staring into Daniel's confident eyes, turned and glanced at Selvia.
Selvia, who had been smiling with an interested look, nodded her head, and seeing that, Heinz frowned and granted Daniel his reckless folly.
"Good. If that's what you insist, I will grant the operation permit. When the time is right, take your platoon and lay an ambush at Edelkral Gorge."
"Yes. Thank you."
Daniel saluted matter-of-factly, turned around, and exited the tent.
Only then did the tightness that had been constricting his breathing ease a little.
'What a snake that bastard is...'
He was staring at the entrance of the tent Daniel had left when Selvia, who was nearby, spoke up.
"Captain Heinz. In your view, what kind of person does Daniel seem to be?"
Heinz turned his gaze and bowed his head deeply.
"Your Highness. In my view, he is an excellent soldier. This is seen in his independent situational judgment, as well as his outstanding decisiveness and nerve. However, he cannot be viewed as a decent human being."
In Heinz's eyes, Daniel was utterly devoid of any respect for others.
He would execute the operation with just his own platoon? It looked like nothing but a desire to monopolize the military honors.
A demon who drives himself and his subordinates to catastrophe purely for promotion.
That was about the extent of Heinz's impression of him.
"Therefore, Your Highness, I urge you to reconsider making Lieutenant Daniel Steiner your ally. That man is a man who does not know how to respect others. In my experience, such people do not meet good ends."
Heinz gave his advice with all sincerity, but it only served to pique Selvia's interest further.
"Captain Heinz. In this world, there is no dog or human that cannot be tamed."
Selvia's eyes narrowed softly as she observed the spot Daniel had vacated.
"Furthermore, I will personally observe and judge whether he truly lacks any respect for others."
*
The next day, Edelkral Gorge.
'It's cold...'
Above the gorge cliffs, I shivered from the cold.
Despite wearing an officer's winter coat, the cold seeped through my clothes.
'I want to hurry up and botch the mission and go back to headquarters...'
I secretly sniffled and looked to the side. I saw Frien, monitoring the gorge through binoculars, and Selvia, sitting on a fallen log.
The remaining platoon members were each using snow and dry branches to maintain concealment.
'...But why did Selvia follow me here?'
She held a Leica camera in her hands, as if she intended to keep up the war correspondent act, and frankly, it was absurd. Who in the world went around as a war correspondent dressed that impeccably? Her blouse, her coat, her pants — they were all ridiculously expensive luxury goods.
Since she always wore things like that as a matter of course, she probably didn't even realize how expensive they were.
As I was thinking how clumsy her act was and looking at her, my eyes met Selvia's. I saw her about to strike up a conversation, so I hurriedly turned my head and let out a dry cough.
"Do you see any enemy movement?"
At my words, Frien shook his head.
"I don't see anything. Lieutenant Daniel Steiner."
Right. Of course he didn't see anything.
In the first place, this was the operation area I'd secured by being unreasonably stubborn.
That meant I had come here aiming for a dishonorable discharge.
'Why would Colonel Jeremy come here? Unless he's crazy...'
Due to the nature of the gorge, stealthy movement using the shaded areas was possible, but if ambushed from the cliffs on both sides, one would have to fight in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.
On top of that, since Colonel Jeremy also knew that the Imperial Army had laid mines in the gorge, the probability of him coming here was even lower.
Therefore, my operation was a perfect failure. And not just an ordinary failure — since I'd secured it by effectively strong-arming Commander Heinz, harsh criticism was inevitable.
'Even the Imperial Princess will observe my incompetence right beside me, so it'll truly be a perfect failure.'