That's a Lie, Right?
That's a Lie, Right?
Daniel, having accepted the Chief of General Staff's proposal, rushed his preparations to deploy.
In truth, there wasn't much to prepare.
Chief of General Staff Arman had apparently assumed Daniel wouldn't be able to refuse her proposal and had already spread word to the entire brigade.
Because of this, all Daniel really needed to do was discuss the supply plan with the logistics officers and think about reorganizing the chain of command after linking up with the regiment on the high ground.
And so as time passed and the day of deployment arrived, Daniel received an unusual send-off from His Majesty the Emperor himself.
After promising Selvia that he would return alive, Daniel led the army out, receiving the cheers of countless citizens who had lined the streets.
The citizens were cheering for Daniel with one heart and one mind, knowing full well that this battle was going to usher in a new phase in the long war.
Thus, Daniel Steiner—a war hero and the greatest commander of the century, who held the support of countless citizens and the military, not to mention the imperial grace of His Majesty the Emperor—was presently at a field encampment.
With a furrowed brow, no less.
While the soldiers moved about, hammering stakes and laying down tarpaulins, Daniel stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead.
To anyone else watching, he might have looked like a great general mulling over an operation, but to Lucy, who had assisted Daniel for a long time, he simply looked angry.
"......It seems the Major General is in a bad mood."
Hearing Lucy's muttering, Frien tilted his head.
"In a bad mood? Not just lost in thought?"
"It's a little different. He doesn't have a habit of clenching his teeth when he's lost in thought."
"Clenching his teeth...... aha."
The distance was considerable, so it wasn't easy to see in detail, but the way his jaw muscles twitched beneath his cheekbones was visible.
"......But why is he angry, I wonder?"
To Frien, who didn't know that the Chief of General Staff had forcibly moved up the deployment date, it was nothing short of a puzzle.
"Because he has a good reason to be."
Lucy's failure to give a proper answer only deepened the confusion, and then Daniel let out a sigh.
Within Daniel's eyes, fixed straight ahead, resignation and rage swirled together in a vortex.
'Can't she stand to let me rest? Moving up the deployment by a whole month?'
Even now, just recalling the smiling face of Chief of General Staff Arman was enough to make his blood boil.
'I did everything for her! I succeeded at everything she asked! And it's still not enough?'
Of course, it was half intentional and half accidental, but the important thing was that he had succeeded regardless.
However, since he couldn't exactly rip off his rank insignia and challenge her to a brawl, Daniel had no choice but to follow the order.
Still fuming, Daniel's anger found another target.
'Wait a minute. If I think about this, isn't the regimental commander on the Filoena Highlands the problem?'
If the regimental commander had trusted HQ's statement that 'there will be no enemy attacks for the time being,' this mess wouldn't have happened.
The whole thing had started because the regimental commander, not trusting HQ's words, badgered the Chief of General Staff by saying, 'As the on-site commander, I anticipate enemy attacks, so provide immediate reinforcements.'
And so, the Chief of General Staff, unable to ignore the voice from the field, had deployed Daniel a month early to block even the smallest variable.
'I'm not gonna let you off easy. Just you wait.'
As Daniel was steeling himself to exercise the time-honored military tradition of kicking down the ladder, one of his officers approached him.
"Division Commander."
It was Pelf, the intelligence staff officer, who had now been promoted to lieutenant colonel.
"......What is it?"
"Ah. Nothing serious, but we can reach Foremina, the city near our operational area, by tomorrow. How about resting briefly in the city to boost morale and resupply?"
It was a sensible suggestion; they had been marching for a full week since leaving the imperial capital, and a rest would do the men good.
There was indeed no rush since the deployment had been moved up by a full month.
However, Daniel refused flatly.
"To go into the city and then to the Filoena Highlands, we would have to alter our route. That would delay our arrival. We have enough supplies for the direct march; we press on."
"Division Commander? But a few days' delay......"
"Did you not hear the telegram the regimental commander on the Filoena Highlands sent? He asked for reinforcements as quickly as possible. There must be a reason for that urgency."
That was as good as saying, if there was no reason, he'd better prepare to die.
It was a statement meant to be as stubborn and unyielding as possible, unbecoming of a war hero, but from Pelf's point of view, Daniel was practically the model soldier.
'However......'
Securing supplies and resting in Foremina in case of emergency was part of the operational plan, so Daniel's independent judgment here was a little concerning.
"There's no problem, but are you really determined to press on?"
Daniel looked back at Pelf.
His black eyes, reminiscent of an abyss, were dark to the point of being unfathomable.
"Intelligence officer. You seem to have doubts. Do you truly think I have only one reason for not visiting the city?"
It wasn't just one.
Because getting reinforcements there quickly was, in the end, only a means to bully the regimental commander on the high ground.
However, Pelf, thinking there was no way Daniel would harbor such petty personal motives, broke out in a cold sweat.
'It seems there's a danger lurking in the city...... that I'm unaware of.'
If he was pressing on without visiting the city in order to avoid that, it made perfect sense.
"I apologize. I dared to doubt the Division Commander's plan."
Upon hearing Pelf's words, Daniel nodded wordlessly and stared straight ahead with a solemn air.
Watching this from the side, Pelf thought to himself.
'As I always feel, it seems he looks down upon the battlefield from an impossibly high place. Even now, he must be thinking only of how to lead the war to victory.'
It was a clear misunderstanding.
*
The following evening, the fortress city of Lakedrapol.
The mansion of Archmage Serail.
"......Archmage."
Division Commander Palome, having wandered the mansion for a full hour before finally finding Serail, bowed his head respectfully.
Serail, who had been floating in midair surrounded by fish, looked down at Palome.
"You pebble in a military uniform. I believe I told you not to disturb my rest."
"My apologies. However, there is something I absolutely must tell you, which is why I have come."
"What is it? If it's useless talk, you should know you'll become fish food."
Even knowing it was an empty threat, a chill ran down his spine for some unknown reason.
Swallowing hard, Palome raised his head and spoke.
"I don't know if you've heard, but Daniel Steiner is said to be coming to the Filoena Highlands."
"Ah. I know that. But why does that matter?"
"Recently, we've lost contact with Bilof, an informant who went down to the southern part of the Empire. The fact that Daniel Steiner wished to deploy to the Filoena Highlands right after......"
Palome's brow furrowed.
"The bastard may know of our plan."
Serail, who had been floating in midair, let out a soft chuckle.
"How? Are you saying Bilof talked? No way. That would never happen. Bilof's family is in the Republic, you know? Would a friend who knows the price of betrayal talk about our business?"
Serail flicked a finger, and a glass flew over, weaving between the fish.
Serail caught the glass lightly.
"I guarantee he didn't talk. The stars tell me so as well. Even if, by some remote chance, that Daniel guy figured out our plan, it doesn't matter."
"May I know why?"
"I'll tell you now, my plan doesn't begin at the Filoena Highlands. You know that, right? It's my style to strike the moment the enemy drops their guard."
Serail flicked a finger again, and a teapot appeared above the glass, pouring black tea into it.
"I haven't just been playing around here, you know? I've steadily scattered some of my dolls throughout a city called Foremina. So that place is essentially a massive trap I've created."
Holding the cup containing the black tea, Serail smiled thinly.
"Hell will begin the moment he leads his army into Foremina. My dolls will hold a festival of blood. Then Daniel Steiner, and of course his staff officers, will become prey for my dolls. Fufu. Doesn't just thinking about it give you a thrill?"
There was no flaw in Serail's plan.
Because it was unthinkable for an army to ignore the last city where they could resupply before heading to the Filoena Highlands.
Palome agreed, but he couldn't bring himself to give an affirmative answer.
Finding this odd, Serail, who had been drinking her black tea, furrowed her brow.
"What's that face? Do you actually think I could fail?"
"Huh? Ah. It's not that. However......"
"However?"
After hesitating, Palome looked up at Serail with an utterly bewildered expression.
"Daniel Steiner did not visit Foremina. At this very moment, Daniel Steiner is heading straight to the Filoena Highlands, bypassing Foremina entirely."
Because of this, a silence settled between the two.
A flustered Serail lost her buoyancy and slowly sank downward.
Once her feet touched the floor, Serail remained silent for a long time before speaking with an expression of sheer disbelief.
"What the hell are you talking about? Daniel Steiner......"
Feeling an unknown fear, Serail moved her lips vacantly.
"Are you saying he even saw through my ulterior motive?"