I Will Take Full Responsibility
I Will Take Full Responsibility
The next morning.
Daniel reported for duty at the occupied city hall to establish control over the administrative system.
When he opened the door to the mayor's office, which had now been repurposed as the division commander's office, he saw Lucy, who had already arrived for work.
Spotting Daniel, Lucy tidied up the documents she had been reviewing and rose from her seat.
"Division Commander. Good morning."
Nodding, Daniel walked toward his desk while removing his winter coat.
"Good morning. It's a pity to be stuck in the office on a day like this, but work must be done. Has order and control been established in the city?"
At his question about the occupation's progress, Lucy answered immediately.
"Yes. It is proceeding smoothly. We have secured key facilities, of course, but we have also obtained administrative data and personnel records of high-ranking civil servants. We have also proclaimed a ban on nighttime travel and public assemblies for the city's civilians."
"I'm worried there will be backlash. Let's put that matter aside for now and deal with the priorities first. Are there any figures within the administration who are willing to cooperate with us?"
"The director of the city hall's public information office has agreed to cooperate with the Imperial Army. The chief of police also stated he would cooperate with you, Division Commander, if civilian safety is guaranteed."
As this was not their first time occupying a city, the two of them carried on the conversation as if it were familiar territory.
"What happened to the mayor?"
Immediately after the Imperial Army occupied the city, the mayor of Rakedrapol had been arrested while burning classified and important documents.
After his arrest, Daniel proposed cooperation, but the mayor refused.
Thus, the mayor of Rakedrapol was now under house arrest in his own mansion.
"Has he still not changed his mind?"
He asked because if the mayor cooperated, they could wrap things up more easily.
However, contrary to his expectations, Lucy simply nodded.
"He said he would never surrender, even for the honor of Comrade Supreme Councilor. If the mayor does not change his mind, it wouldn't be a bad idea to find a suitable person among those who have agreed to cooperate with the Imperial Army and promote them to acting mayor."
"That risks inciting greater backlash from the citizens. We must steer things toward appeasing the existing personnel as much as possible. That way, the people's anger will be split."
What would happen if the Imperial Army frequently purged administrative personnel just because they had occupied the city?
The citizens' anger would be focused on a common enemy: the Imperial Army.
On the other hand, if the high-ranking officials who had originally been responsible for the city scrambled to cooperate with the Imperial Army, the citizens' anger would lose its direction.
The fury that was directed at the Imperial Army would shift to those high-ranking officials.
Rumors would spread through the streets that they had betrayed their homeland and city to side with the Imperial Army.
Clearly, the citizens would be too busy cursing the traitors who cooperated with the Imperial Army to curse the Imperial Army itself.
In that case, the probability of citizens turning into a mob and committing acts of terror against the Imperial Army would decrease significantly.
Instead, thinking 'if the bigshots did it, I can too,' the number of people volunteering as civilian collaborators would increase.
That was why he wanted to change the mayor's mind if possible.
If the mayor changed his heart and sided with the Imperial Army, he would serve as a good breakwater to deflect the citizens' rage.
"Understood for now. I'll make a visit to the mansion where the mayor is being held later."
After setting down his winter coat and briefcase, Daniel took a seat in front of his desk.
Confirming that Daniel was seated, Lucy also took a seat in front of the desk.
Opening his briefcase and taking out a document, Daniel turned to look at Lucy as if he had just remembered something.
"Has the report gone up to the General Staff Headquarters? I mean... about the fact that we've occupied Rakedrapol."
"Yes. The report was delayed because taking stock of the situation took priority, but it should have been delivered by now. We'll probably get a reply by this evening at the latest."
"Is that so. By this evening...."
Daniel, tapping his desk, smiled a sinister smile.
'The Chief of the General Staff must be quite surprised. She wouldn't have thought I would disobey orders.'
Disobeying the order to hold the high ground and advancing was clearly insubordination no matter how one looked at it.
Under military law, insubordination is a grave offense, to the point of being punishable by summary execution.
'Though that won't happen to me.'
Not only had he amassed countless achievements, but despite his insubordination, he had even occupied Rakedrapol, which would considerably mitigate the offense.
'Even so, insubordination is still insubordination.'
Disciplinary action was certain.
If he was lucky, headquarters might order his return on the grounds that a court-martial had to be convened.
In that case, Daniel could leave this barren, freezing land and return to the imperial capital.
If he received some appropriate disciplinary action in the capital, that would be the icing on the cake.
He didn't even expect to be stripped of his uniform, but having incurred the Chief of the General Staff's distrust, he wouldn't have to go to the front lines as a field commander anymore.
'Anyway, they wouldn't use a soldier who doesn't follow orders properly as a front-line commander.'
Chief of the General Staff Arman, who adhered strictly to principles and rules, would likely view a subordinate's insubordination as the gravest offense.
There was a high probability she would reassign Daniel not to the front lines, but to a post in the imperial capital or the provinces.
'At last, I'll be able to work in a safe place.'
Overjoyed, he inadvertently began humming a tune.
For some reason, he felt he could enjoy his work today.
As Daniel was reading a document to be approved with a much lighter heart, he felt a chill.
Wondering what it was, he lifted his head and met Lucy's eyes.
Her gaze, for some inexplicable reason, was highly displeased.
Just as he was wondering why she was acting like that, Lucy quietly parted her lips.
"Division Commander. You seem to be in a good mood."
"Ah. About that. Actually...."
"Was it truly so enjoyable, going for a walk with Captain Frien yesterday?"
Daniel's words stuck in his throat.
Because he hadn't expected Lucy to say such a thing.
"......Did you say I went for a walk with Captain Frien? How can you be sure?"
Lucy let out a sigh.
"I am not absolutely certain. However, seeing Captain Frien's condition, I could deduce it to a certain degree."
"......What kind of condition was Frien in?"
"I ran into her when I came to work early this morning. She was humming a tune; that's how good her mood was. When I asked her if something good had happened, she told me everything, including the fact that she went for a walk yesterday."
Here, a logical deduction followed.
"Frien often takes walks. It's nothing particularly unusual. The Division Commander also occasionally steps away from his desk to get some fresh air. That, too, is nothing particularly unusual."
"......."
"However, it is not a common occurrence for the two of you to be absent at the same time. And it is no coincidence that Captain Frien's mood seemed exceptionally good after that walk."
Lucy's eyes narrowed coldly.
"Do you have any more excuses left?"
At her attitude, as if she were interrogating a cheating boyfriend, Daniel felt a chill run down his spine.
How was he supposed to get out of this?
Just as cold sweat began to trickle down his back, a knock sounded.
"Division Commander! It's the entire staff officer corps! May we come in!"
What a godsend.
Letting out an inward sigh of relief, Daniel spoke toward the door.
"Enter."
No sooner had permission been given than the door opened and the staff officers came crowding in.
Just as he began to wonder what this was about, the chief of staff at the head of the group opened his mouth.
"Division Commander. We have conveyed the news to the General Staff Headquarters that we have occupied the Republic's fortress city, Rakedrapol. Headquarters will reply soon."
"So?"
"While occupying Rakedrapol is a great achievement, the Division Commander will undoubtedly receive disciplinary action. After all, a great merit does not nullify a fault. So we...."
The chief of staff took a document out of his chest pocket and handed it to Daniel.
"We have decided to testify that this entire affair was not the Division Commander's arbitrary decision alone."
Wondering what he meant, Daniel took the document and was taken aback.
Because the document bore the signatures of the entire staff officer corps.
It was a document certifying that they had consented to the advance on the Republic's fortress city, Rakedrapol.
"This is...."
"If there is any guilt, it lies with all of us. Therefore, there is no need for the Division Commander to shoulder the blame alone."
As if agreeing with the chief of staff's opinion, the staff officers nodded their heads.
Daniel understood the staff officers' feelings, but frankly, he was not pleased at all.
'What kind of nonsense is this? If they share the guilt, won't my plan go up in smoke?'
For Daniel, who wanted to work safely in the rear rather than the front, this was the worst possible move.
To the staff officers, it was an act of goodwill, but to Daniel, it felt like malice.
Unable to tolerate it, Daniel tore the document to shreds in front of all the staff officers.
"......Division Commander!?"
The chief of staff spoke, bewildered, and the staff officers buzzed with murmurs.
But after tearing the document once more, Daniel rose calmly from his seat.
"I do not fail to recognize your feelings in caring for me. However, the decision to advance on Rakedrapol was clearly my own arbitrary act, and you simply had no choice but to follow. Therefore, I will receive all disciplinary action alone. There is no fault on your part."
The chief of staff opened his mouth, dumbfounded.
Unable to accept Daniel's "consideration" (?) either, the staff officers each blurted out their own words.
"Is the Division Commander saying he will take the blame now?"
"Why go that far for us...."
"There's no need for that! Shouldn't we share the guilt!"
But Daniel was resolute.
"I will not say it twice. I alone will bear all disciplinary action, so you are all dismissed."
As Daniel's words ended, the office was engulfed in silence.
How could they not be moved, when the division commander, Daniel, stepped forward to sacrifice himself?
The eyes of several staff officers had reddened.
The chief of staff, too, had been biting his lip firmly before he finally managed to speak.
"Division Commander."
In his eyes, the distrust of this young general had long since vanished.
"This old soldier! I will never forget this day's grace for the rest of my life!"
As the chief of staff gave a salute, the other staff officers, as if unable to hold back any longer, offered their salutes one after another.
In the silence, a rock-solid loyalty toward Daniel was evident.
At the head of the formation, the chief of staff, holding back tears, thought to himself.
'This young general before my eyes....'
He was a true hero with a depth of heart impossible to fathom.