Even the Gentle Me Is Angry
Even the Gentle Me Is Angry
He had never imagined a civilian would be listening to the conversation outside his office, so Daniel demanded that the Public Affairs Officer explain the circumstances from the beginning.
In response, the Public Affairs Officer said he had brought a journalist from the Meroten Newspaper, which had written favorable articles about the division commander.
After hearing the explanation, Daniel felt a headache coming on and rebuked the Public Affairs Officer.
No matter how favorable a newspaper's journalist was toward the Imperial Army, bringing a civilian in front of his office without permission was a form of overreach.
Unable to refute this, the Public Affairs Officer bowed his head, and Daniel firmly cautioned the journalist that what he had just heard must never be disclosed to the outside.
Afterward, the journalist returned to the newspaper company on Daniel's order to leave, and the Public Affairs Officer received light disciplinary measures, including a reprimand and pay reduction, on the grounds of violating security duty, thus bringing the incident to a close.
However, the notion that the incident was over was a misconception held by Daniel alone.
【Daniel Steiner states he treats the citizens of Lakedrapol equally with the citizens of his homeland!】
【To civilians, there is no enemy or ally! He declares that black-and-white logic sickens humanity!】
【Daniel Steiner's sincerity about making the city more beneficial!】
Before long, favorable articles began pouring out of the Meroten Newspaper.
Momentarily flustered in many ways, Daniel looked into what laws might allow him to justly punish the journalist into silence, but there was nothing applicable.
Unlike the modern era, there was no law at this time that could punish a journalist for recording without permission.
Nor could he be punished under internal military discipline, since no military secrets had been exposed.
With literally no choice but to take it with his eyes wide open, Daniel's reputation shot up.
Thanks to that, the terror regarding the Imperial Army was greatly alleviated, and citizens began actively cooperating with administrative measures and the procurement of supplies.
Furthermore, even civic representatives who had been going around saying there would be no cooperation with the Imperial Army began appearing at the negotiating table, and the Public Affairs Department worked diligently on propaganda under the slogan, "You are our people."
The intermittent citizen protests and resistance also cleanly disappeared, so the division no longer needed to invest more troops than necessary in maintaining public order.
As the number of troops needed for maintaining public order decreased, the sight of soldiers striding through the city grew increasingly rare, and because of that, the citizens were able to return to the peaceful lives they normally enjoyed.
After having spent roughly three months helplessly observing these phenomena, Daniel went to find Frien, who was working in the Medical Unit (the city hospital).
"......So you're saying you came to me because you wanted to receive psychological counseling?"
In the consultation room, Frien, wearing a doctor's gown over her uniform, looked down at Daniel, who was lying on the recliner chair.
No trace of hope could be found in Daniel's sprawled figure, limp and somewhat dried-fish-like.
Daniel, who had been staring blankly up at the ceiling, nodded his head.
"Yeah. Things haven't been going the way I want lately, to the point where it's agonizing. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?"
Frien, who had been lost in thought for a moment, nodded her head.
"Because unlike public opinion, Major General Daniel has a strong tendency toward self-preservationism. You're worried that the moment you return to the capital after successfully completing the stabilization of the occupied zone, you'll be promoted to corps commander, right? Because once you become corps commander, you'll have to go out to the battlefield again."
It was information she could know because she was Frien, who had spent more years trapped in the curse of regression than the years she had lived.
Having conversed about various things across countless regressions, it was safe to say the two had almost nothing they hid from each other.
That was why Daniel sought out Frien.
Because she was one of the few people to whom he could candidly open up his innermost thoughts.
"You're right. The battlefield is always a place where danger follows. You can't know what kind of thing you'll suffer there again, can you."
"Wouldn't it be unnecessary for you to worry about that? You've done well so far."
"You're mistaken. You know perfectly well that being able to lead this hill battle to success was entirely thanks to you."
Without Frien's sacrifice, without the information obtained through that sacrifice, the hill battle might have ended in defeat.
Frien knew that as well, but she couldn't affirm Daniel's words.
Pulling a chair close to Daniel, Frien gently shook her head.
"After numerous coincidences overlapped, Major General Daniel read my memories. That was as good as an opportunity that would never come again. Had Major General Daniel been incompetent, would you have been able to annihilate the enemy all at once? I don't think so."
Frien lifted her hand and lightly stroked the back of Daniel's hand.
"Major General, you are sufficiently competent. You led the division splendidly, so commanding a corps shouldn't be much of a problem. Do you perhaps remember? The me of the 138th cycle, I mean."
"The 138th cycle?"
"Yes. It was the cycle where I, having determined that things couldn't go on like this to save Major General Daniel, acted in a fit of anger. Thinking about it now, I'm truly sorry, but I kidnapped you, Major General. Do you remember?"
Daniel, who had been tracing back his memories, nodded his head.
"Was that the cycle where I drank the coffee you handed me and then fell asleep just like that. When I came to my senses, I was located in an unfamiliar cabin."
It was one of the mistakes Frien, having determined she must save Daniel somehow, had committed.
No matter how many cycles were repeated, Daniel died and the Imperial Army suffered great damage.
It was the cycle where Frien, having judged that it would then be better to save at least Daniel alone, had acted selfishly.
"At that time...... I believe I asked you, who was preparing breakfast, for an explanation."
Daniel had asked Frien to tell him what this situation was all about.
At the time, Frien had smiled somewhat innocently and then uttered strange words like, 'There's no need to worry. Because this is the conclusion I've reached.'
However, Daniel had noticed something strange.
Because, unbeknownst to him, Frien had been steeped in fatigue and despair.
After that, Daniel's suspicion had persisted, and Frien had ultimately had no choice but to reveal everything.
That she was a regressor and that he, across countless regressions, had never been able to survive.
So she had persuaded him that this was the best option, but Daniel hadn't been swayed.
The reason was that even if what she said was true, he couldn't choose the option of abandoning everyone.
"The Major General Daniel I know does desire pastoral peace, but he never wished for it to be arranged atop the blood and corpses of others. You want to distance yourself from responsibility, but when you actually rise to a position of heavy responsibility, you don't shy away from it either."
Frien gently held Daniel's hand.
"So I am confident that even if Major General Daniel goes out to a new battlefield as a corps commander after being promoted, you will be able to perform sufficiently well. If by chance you suffer an accident in that process, I will turn time back—"
"Don't."
It was an immediate reply.
"I don't want to see you suffering any longer. So no matter what happens from now on, don't make the choice to turn back time. This is an order. Understood?"
In Daniel's sharply narrowing eyes, there was a deep seriousness.
Though it was a little stern, his genuine concern made her feel needlessly happy.
Frien nodded her head with a hint of laughter.
"Understood. If that is the order of Major General Daniel, I shall uphold it."
Having heard the definite answer, Daniel let out a sigh of relief and looked forward again.
Listening to the ticking of the clock in the silence, Daniel felt drowsiness and opened his mouth.
"It seems I did a good thing coming here to find you. I was frustrated because I couldn't open up my innermost thoughts to anyone, but after talking with you, I feel considerably better."
"Heh heh. If Major General Daniel wants to bring out his innermost thoughts, you're welcome to come find me anytime. As you know, since Major General Daniel and I share the memories of countless cycles, there's nothing we need to hide from each other anyway."
"That's not wrong."
Nodding his head as if agreeing, Daniel raised his upper body.
Since he had spent quite a bit of time in the Medical Unit, he was preparing to return now.
As he was picking up his uniform cap placed beside the chair and brushing off the dust, Frien spoke to him from the side.
"Ah. But you still haven't revealed all your innermost thoughts, have you?"
Taking it as coy pleading to stay a little longer, Daniel put his uniform cap on his head and rose from his seat.
"The counseling has been sufficient enough, so I'll be heading back now. I hear the Intelligence Staff Officer has been looking for me; it seems a recall order has come down from General Headquarters."
"Hmm. Is that so?"
It was just as he grabbed the doorknob to leave the consultation room.
"You know. Was the Shinmyo Parade viewing fun?"
The hand about to open the door flinched.
"I heard you went together with Major Lucy......"
A chill ran down his spine.
"You said you have nothing hidden from me, so why didn't you tell me about that, I wonder."
After taking a deep breath and looking back, Daniel could see that Frien was smiling.
"It's truly strange. Isn't it?"
However, her eyes, which were unknowingly exuding a chilly aura, weren't smiling at all.