An Unintended Heartwarming Tale
An Unintended Heartwarming Tale
At the same time, Republic division commander Palome was in a village far from Lakedrapol—the city Daniel had occupied.
"Goddammit...."
In a secluded room on the second floor of the village hall, Palome spat out a curse.
On a nearby table, the meal the villagers had prepared sat, cleanly emptied.
It was a soup made from root vegetables like potatoes and carrots with no meat, something he normally wouldn't have touched, but given the circumstances, he was in no position to be picky.
"Daniel Steiner. That disgusting bastard. To dare mock me by pretending to be in a coma! And to do it by getting himself shot by his own subordinate, no less. If he isn't a madman, what is he?"
Palome, who had been muttering irritably, let out a dark groan.
Beside him, Company Commander Daegen, who had been watching Palome's behavior, merely kept his face expressionless.
Palome looked at Daegen with displeasure.
The young officer before him, wearing an eyepatch over one eye, did not sit well with him.
He would have preferred some kind of retort, but Daegen had just stood there like a folding screen under the pretext of guarding him, and that only made Palome more uneasy.
But since he couldn't openly curse at him to his face, Palome could only exhale a low sigh.
"If you're just going to stand there, go back and fetch me a bottle of moonshine. Even in a village that reeks of livestock like this one, there must be some hidden liquor."
"...We have already plundered a month's worth of the village's food under the guise of unit resupply. And now you intend to lay hands on the alcohol as well?"
"Plunder? Did you just call local resupply plunder?"
Palome glared at Daegen.
"Who do you think allows this village to farm and raise livestock in peace? It is because our Republic is risking its life fighting on the front lines! Is it not?!"
Palome raised his voice, but Daegen didn't even blink.
"As you say, Commander, the glorious soldiers of our Republic fought risking their lives. But they fell, utterly in vain."
"...Are you saying our defeat in this battle was my fault?"
"No. Defeat in battle is naturally possible. I, too, never imagined that Daniel Steiner would fake a coma by getting himself shot by his own subordinate."
Daniel Steiner's stratagem was simply brilliant; it could not be said that Palome's judgment was wrong.
Even if Daegen had been in the division commander's position, upon learning that Daniel Steiner had fallen into a coma and that Frien, the Empire's witch, was detained, he would have ordered a general offensive.
"However...."
There was one point that could not be overlooked.
"Fleeing from battle is an unforgivable act. As soon as you heard the Imperial army was in pursuit, you abandoned the fortress city of Lakedrapol and fled. Because of that, the chain of command fell into chaos, and the division's forces collapsed entirely."
Palome gritted his teeth hard.
He simply could not refute that statement.
"Thanks to that, most of the troops couldn't even fight properly and surrendered to Daniel Steiner. Can you, Division Commander, admit to such a humiliating defeat?"
Bang! Palome slammed the table and rose from his seat.
"Then what exactly do you want me to do?! Are you suggesting we return to Lakedrapol, already occupied by Daniel Steiner, and fight? With a single company! And a company of broken stragglers at that? If you intend to crack a rock with an egg, do it alone!"
A cold light flickered in Daegen's eyes as he looked at Palome.
"Shall I take that as your decision as division commander?"
"Isn't it the obvious one? The priority is to return to the capital and report the current situation. So do not raise any further objections. Captain Daegen. This is your final warning."
Palome snarled, but Daegen did not back down.
"The great Republic is truly rife with problems. For it has placed such a coward in the position of division commander."
"You son of a bitch!"
Unable to contain his rage any longer, Palome grabbed a nearby dish and hurled it at Daegen.
The flying dish grazed Daegen's cheek and struck the wall before falling.
"...."
As Daegen raised his hand and touched his cheek, two soldiers who had been waiting at the entrance burst in.
"What's going on?"
"Are you alright?"
At the soldiers' questions, Palome, having caught his breath, raised his hand and pointed at Daegen.
"Arrest that bastard and execute him immediately! Not only has he insulted a superior officer, but he is also disobeying my orders and attempting insubordination!"
Palome gave the order, but the soldiers did not move.
Instead, they simply stared blankly at the fuming Palome.
It was only then that Palome, realizing something was amiss, broke out in a cold sweat.
"You have heard it too."
Daegen lowered his hand from his cheek and raised his head.
"That the coward before us lacks the qualifications of a commander."
Daegen opened his holster and drew his pistol.
"Therefore, from this moment, I shall summarily execute Division Commander Palome on the spot."
One of Palome's eyebrows twitched.
"...What did you say? Did you just say you'll kill me?"
"Yes. The military has no need for a coward like you."
"Do you even realize what you're trying to do? If you kill me, you won't come out unscathed either! The military police from the capital will kill you! Do you not understand that?!"
"I am aware."
Daegen aimed the muzzle at Palome's head.
"I have already prepared myself for that."
And with that, he pulled the trigger.
Tang─
With a single gunshot, Palome's head was pierced.
Palome, who had frozen in place, soon rolled his eyes back and collapsed backward.
Having confirmed Palome's death, Daegen lowered his pistol.
"Issue orders to the entire company."
Daegen's two eyes, looking down at the corpse that had been Palome, narrowed coldly.
"From now on, we return to Lakedrapol disguised as civilians."
In that sharp gaze resided a will to kill Daniel Steiner, the Devil of the Empire, by any means necessary.
*
Ten days later, at the city hall of the fortress city of Lakedrapol.
Division Commander Daniel Steiner's office.
Tok-tok─
Daniel, who had been working as usual, raised his head at the sound of a knock.
Then, a familiar voice came from outside the door.
"Division Commander! This is Intelligence Staff Officer Pelf! I've come because a liaison officer from the capital has arrived!"
A liaison officer? Wondering if they'd already arrived, Daniel rose from his seat.
"Come in."
When Pelf, having received permission, opened the door, a liaison officer wearing the insignia of a lieutenant colonel stepped inside.
He was accompanied by a soldier carrying a luxurious box wrapped in the national flag and an imperial edict.
The liaison officer, having entered the office, saluted Daniel.
"Major General Daniel Steiner! It is an honor to meet you! I am Lieutenant Colonel Rimshel, assigned as liaison officer and dispatched from the capital! I have come to convey His Majesty the Emperor's words and present you with an award, Major General Daniel Steiner!"
Daniel returned the salute.
"You have come a long way. Now then...."
"Yes. There is no point in delaying. I shall convey His Majesty the Emperor's words immediately."
Daniel nodded, stepped out from behind the desk, and knelt on one knee.
Seeing this, Rimshel took the cylindrical imperial edict from the soldier and untied the cord.
Immediately after, Rimshel unfurled the edict and spoke forcefully.
"Major General Daniel Steiner, listen! When I heard the news that you had occupied Lakedrapol, I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was! However, when I heard that you had been shot by your own subordinate to deceive the enemy, my heart sank as if it had plummeted."
Daniel bowed his head even deeper.
"But when I heard your body was sound, I was able to smile joyfully once more. Winning in battle is good, but from now on, prioritize your personal safety above all else. Major General Daniel Steiner. Your body belongs to the Empire now, so you must pay special attention to your health."
There were an awful lot of digressions.
After that, the worrying and praising continued, and since it felt more like a love letter than an imperial edict, Daniel was bewildered in more ways than one.
It was only after the long, long digressions ended that Rimshel got to the main point.
"...Therefore, I, Selvia von Amberg, Emperor of the Empire, acknowledge the outstanding command and meritorious deeds displayed by Major General Daniel Steiner in the Battle of Lakedrapol. Hereby, I appoint Major General Daniel Steiner as an additional recipient of the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit."
As Rimshel finished speaking, the soldier unfastened the national flag from the box.
When the box was opened, it revealed a White Dragon Medal of Military Merit adorned with an elegant laurel wreath.
As Daniel rose, Rimshel picked up the medal and approached him.
"Then, if you'll excuse me."
Rimshel carefully removed the existing White Dragon Medal of Military Merit and, in its place, pinned the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit with the added laurel wreath.
After making a final adjustment to its position, Rimshel stepped back.
"That should do it. Major General Daniel Steiner? My sincere congratulations. To my knowledge, you are the first person to receive a second award of the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit. I suspect you may also be the last. That is how difficult a medal it is to receive."
Rimshel let out a hearty laugh, but Daniel could not be happy at all.
Rimshel looked at him quizzically, and Daniel, reading the mood, let out a dry cough.
"You must be fatigued from the journey. Go get some rest."
"...Already, sir?"
He was asking if Daniel didn't wish to hear the Chief of the General Staff's congratulations or the opinions of the Headquarters staff officers.
Naturally, there was no way he wanted to hear them.
"Is there a problem?"
When Daniel asserted himself firmly, Rimshel blinked and then nodded.
"No. There is no problem."
"That's settled then. Intelligence Staff Officer? Escort Lieutenant Colonel Rimshel to a nearby hotel. Ensure his board and lodging are comfortable. However...."
Daniel stared at Rimshel.
"Have you reserved a return train?"
"Ah. I wanted to make a reservation, but it was not easy. Since it is wartime, there aren't many places that accept reservations on a monthly basis. If need be, I can simply take a military train."
"...Huh? On a monthly basis?"
When Daniel echoed him, Rimshel gave an awkward smile.
"Oh dear. I hadn't informed you. This time, I've been granted something akin to leave from the General Staff Headquarters. So, I am scheduled to stay in Lakedrapol for about a month."
"Staying for a full month...."
Daniel, who had been mulling over Rimshel's words, arrived at a quiet realization.
'He came to verify if my reputation is real.'
No lunatic would stay for a month's leave in a city that was practically the front line.
If so, this liaison officer before him was a person acting as the eyes and ears of the General Staff Headquarters.
'Of course they wouldn't believe it, since a general tasked with holding the high ground suddenly went and occupied an enemy fortress city.'
They would want to know how he occupied the city, whether the casualty figures were accurate, and what Daniel Steiner's method of administering the occupation was like.
'That means....'
There was one more chance left.
'If I show them I'm struggling with governing the occupied territory....'
The General Staff Headquarters would send an occupation zone commander here along with additional forces.
Then, all Daniel Steiner had to do was dump all the problems on the newly arrived occupation zone commander and flee to the capital.
With that settled in his mind, Daniel smiled and nodded.
"I look forward to working with you this month. Lieutenant Colonel Rimshel. Your name is very impressive as well; I like it."
"Pardon? Ah. I look forward to it as well."
Rimshel, unsure of the reason but not disliking the welcome, let out a low laugh.
"Then I shall take my leave as per the Major General's instructions. Thank you truly for your consideration."
"Not at all. I am more grateful to you for coming all this way."
Amidst the pleasantries, Rimshel saluted, turned, and went out into the corridor.
Pelf stuck close to Rimshel's side.
Rimshel, who had been going over the conversation they'd just had, found something puzzling and turned to look at Pelf.
"Intelligence Staff Officer. But the Major General seems to have a different side to him compared to other soldiers."
"What aspect are you referring to?"
"Well, it's just... normally, when one receives a medal, joy is evident on their face. A medal is one of the highest honors a soldier can receive, after all."
Yet Daniel had shown no joy.
Strangely so.
"And not just any medal, but an additional award of the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit, which is only given to the Empire's finest soldiers, isn't it? If I had received such a medal, my mouth would have stretched to my ears, but the Major General's eyes, on the contrary, looked as if it were unwelcome."
Pelf, not finding this novel at all, let out a laugh.
"Not long ago, the Division Commander said something to me. That no matter how many military achievements one has accumulated, it is not right to give a soldier who committed insubordination a weak disciplinary measure like a pay cut."
Rimshel's mouth fell open.
"...That's absurd. Are you saying he is that strict even upon himself?"
"I was surprised as well. Furthermore, in truth, the order to advance on Lakedrapol was not the Division Commander's arbitrary decision."
"If it wasn't arbitrary, you mean?"
"At the time, the Division Commander persuaded us. He said that if we didn't act now, we would never be able to occupy Lakedrapol, and that failing to occupy Lakedrapol would cost countless soldiers' lives."
While Rimshel was marveling, Pelf continued.
"So all of us staff officers agreed to the advance on Lakedrapol. And yet, the Major General reported to the General Staff Headquarters that the entire plan was his own arbitrary decision."
"No way...."
"That's right. He said he would bear all the responsibility alone. It was truly admirable."
Having heard Pelf's words, Rimshel could not escape his astonishment.
There had been rumors among the public several times that Major General Daniel Steiner was a devilish person.
Their claim was that to achieve accomplishments on the scale of Major General Daniel's, it was impossible without working one's subordinates like dogs.
However, the story coming from his close aide Pelf painted a completely different picture.
'A man who cherishes his subordinates this much and is extremely strict with himself.'
For Rimshel, dispatched here at the request of the General Staff Headquarters and the State Propaganda Department, it was as good as hearing a heartwarming tale right from the start.
'Indeed. I must send an initial report to the General Staff Headquarters. That Daniel Steiner is....'
A hero and a great commander who will willingly devote himself to the Empire in the future as well.