You Don't Entrust Work to a Junior Officer
You Don't Entrust Work to a Junior Officer
Lieutenant Mekkel, following Daniel's orders, bound the enemy high command and soldiers alongside his men.
During the process, several officers gritted their teeth with expressions of deep displeasure, but no incidents occurred.
This was because Daniel had given the order beforehand that 'any who resist may be shot dead.'
These were men who had rushed to join the evacuation procession because they valued their own lives more than those of their soldiers.
With their lives on the line, they had no choice but to behave like docile lambs.
Having bound all of the Kingdom Army's military leadership and soldiers, Lieutenant Mekkel ordered the radio operator to notify the Imperial Army division headquarters of the fact.
The radio operator did so, and a reply of acknowledgment came back from division headquarters.
They added that if he provided the location coordinates, they would immediately dispatch an escort unit there.
Lieutenant Mekkel let out a hollow laugh at how absurdly smoothly everything was proceeding.
'Now then....'
The division headquarters would now broadcast the capture of the Ironclad Division's commander in real time to friendly forces and the Kingdom Army alike.
If they did, friendly morale would skyrocket while enemy morale would plummet rapidly.
Those enemy troops who had not known their division commander had fled would attempt to verify whether the Imperial Army's claim was true, and it was obvious without even having to look that chaos and terror would ensue in the process.
It was, in effect, the finishing stroke on a battlefield already tilted in the Imperial Army's favor.
'The one who dominated this battlefield from beginning to end....'
It was Captain Daniel Steiner, standing alone on the pier and gazing out at the coastline.
'When I first saw him, I thought he was just a bookish scholar from General Headquarters.'
Now he could see it — he was a genius staff officer possessed of a terrifyingly brilliant mind.
Just as Lieutenant Mekkel was looking at Daniel with a feeling of awe, Sergeant Glendi approached.
"Isn't he truly remarkable? Finding the enemy supply route alone was astonishing, and then he proposed turning it against them — and now he's even captured the enemy high command? Honestly, I still can't believe it."
Lieutenant Mekkel chuckled and nodded as if in agreement.
"The same goes for me. If someone were told all those operations came from a single man's mind, how many would believe it? In that respect, we may well be witnessing living history."
"...Living history, sir?"
"Yes. Think about it. Isn't the Nordia battle we went through a feat worthy of being recorded in the history books? I don't know about regular officers like us, but the Company Commander's name will certainly be listed in them."
Indeed, it was impossible for the name of someone who had achieved so many meritorious deeds not to appear in the history books.
Sergeant Glendi smiled as he spoke.
"Thinking of it that way, I feel strangely elated. Haven't we served under someone who may one day be hailed as a great figure of the Empire? I doubt there's a better story for drinking sessions than that."
A great figure of the Empire, was it? That seemed like a stretch, but the thought did occur to him that a future Daniel might indeed ascend to the ranks of the greats.
"There is a title that suits him even better than 'great figure.'"
At that moment, Frien slipped in between Sergeant Glendi and Lieutenant Mekkel.
Glendi and Mekkel, who had not even noticed her approach, flinched just as Frien opened her mouth.
"In my view, Captain Daniel may well be a saint sent down by God to protect the Empire in its hour of peril from the Allied Nations' onslaught, which is worse than that of beasts."
Frien narrowed her eyes languidly as she gazed at Daniel and smiled a slender smile.
"With Captain Daniel, surely he will show the beasts of the Allied Nations a blazing hell. And when that is done, only Imperials and those who follow Imperials will remain upon this land."
At Frien's radical ideology, Mekkel and Glendi broke into a cold sweat without realizing it.
Though Mekkel and Glendi too were among those who fervently desired the destruction of the Allied Nations and the Empire's victory, they did not hold the view that everyone except Imperials should be severely punished.
He had sensed it since the battle with the supply battalion — there was something in this woman's eyes, a flicker of madness he could not quite place.
Even so, it was not his place to find fault with the loyalty Frien had displayed.
Glendi, reading the room, cleared his throat to change the atmosphere.
"More importantly, what do you suppose the Company Commander is thinking about as he gazes at the sea?"
At Glendi's words, Lieutenant Mekkel turned his gaze toward Daniel.
He had just earned military merit for capturing the enemy high command — one would think he'd be overjoyed — yet Daniel simply stared quietly at the sea with an oddly subdued look in his eyes.
Truly, he was an unfathomable figure.
"How could ordinary men like us ever fathom the thoughts of a genius? Still, if I were to hazard a guess, he is probably pondering the various matters that must be dealt with after the battle."
"Indeed. Knowing the Company Commander, that seems highly likely."
As Glendi and Mekkel watched with admiring eyes, Daniel, who had been vacantly observing a few seagulls drifting over the sea, secretly let out a sigh.
'I want to go home....'
Daniel simply longed for pastoral peace.
*
As news that the high command had been captured while attempting to flee spread across the entire battlefield, the Ironclad Division lost its will to fight and raised the white flag one unit after another.
Thanks to the enemy forces having lost their fighting spirit, the Imperial Army easily entered Nordia, occupied the city's key buildings, took down the Kingdom's flags, and hoisted the Empire's banners.
Major General Pelderham, who had made the Empire's occupation of Nordia a fait accompli, ordered supply routes to be connected and had the Ironclad Division's key personnel transported back to the homeland.
In the process, I too spent busy days dealing with postwar matters.
This was because Pelderham, who had come to trust me completely, had entrusted me with the work of selecting defensive positions for certain sectors, maintaining public order, and protecting state secrets.
Then, when nearly a fortnight had passed, Heinrich suddenly summoned me to the city hall.
An uneasy feeling came over me, but I was in no position to refuse an order, so I headed to the city hall.
Of course, it was called a city hall, but at present it was essentially the command building where the garrison commander conducted his duties.
Imperial soldiers stood guard in all directions, naturally, and one had to verify one's identity to enter.
Sensing an oddly foreboding atmosphere, I climbed the building's stairs, and the soldiers guarding the entrance rendered a salute.
"Captain Daniel Steiner, sir. It is an honor to meet you. You may pass."
I nodded and entered the building, climbing up to the third floor.
Passing through a corridor with a Gothic architectural feel, I arrived before the garrison commander's office and knocked on the door.
The reply came without much delay.
"Come in."
With permission granted, I opened the door and entered to find Heinrich and his adjutant, Philip, standing there.
I stepped into the office and snapped a crisp salute.
"Brigade Commander, Your Excellency. I was told you summoned me."
A smile played at the corners of Heinrich's mouth as he returned the salute.
"Indeed. I've been so busy with postwar matters that I've had little chance to see your face. I was just feeling guilty that I might have been neglecting you despite the great service you've rendered."
Shifting into an at-ease stance, I replied as if the very notion were absurd.
"I believe a soldier merely follows orders and should not expect reward for his achievements."
"An admirable mindset. I wish other soldiers would emulate that humility of yours. However, the foundational ideology of the Empire is to reward merit and punish failure, so I cannot simply let this pass."
Heinrich continued, still smiling.
"As you know, the division commander and I will soon be leaving this place to join the northernmost front. Now that the occupation is complete, there is nothing left for us to attend to in Nordia. That means the post of garrison commander will become vacant. Are you aware of this?"
"...Yes. I am aware, but why are you telling me this, sir?"
"There could only be one reason for telling you, couldn't there? I am telling you because I would like you to hold the vacant garrison commander's post. As the temporary garrison commander, that is."
Cold sweat trickled down.
"Your Excellency? I am operating a unit directly under General Headquarters."
I made a point of emphasizing that I was merely a captain following the orders of General Headquarters, but Heinrich simply nodded calmly.
"Why wouldn't I know that? Naturally, approval has already come down from General Headquarters. They said you are to hold the vacant post until headquarters appoints a garrison commander."
What? How—? I steadied my reeling mind and spoke, forcing a smile.
"I am grateful for your words, but it is realistically impossible. Even if it is a temporary post, one must be able to command at least battalion-level personnel to perform the role of garrison commander."
"And?"
"I, as a company-grade officer, cannot command battalion-level personnel. Nor can the various other authorities required to administer a garrison possibly be granted to someone who is merely a company-grade officer. So please, I beg you to reconsider."
I spoke in complete earnest, but for some reason the corners of Heinrich's mouth curled up playfully.
"Naturally, we have no intention of entrusting the garrison commander's post to a company-grade officer either."
What? So it had been a bad joke after all?
Relieved, I regained my composure.
"That is a relief. In that case, I shall make preparations to return to General Headquar—"
"Adjutant."
At Heinrich's word, Captain Philip approached me carrying a box.
It was a small box wrapped in the Imperial flag made of silk.
Huh? A box?
"My sincere congratulations."
Captain Philip, sir? Why are you addressing me with such formality?
At the moment my unease reached its peak, Captain Philip unfolded the flag and opened the box.
Inside lay a gleaming major's badge and shoulder boards.
Just as the dreadful realization struck, Heinrich burst into a hearty laugh.
"Congratulations on your special promotion, Major Daniel Steiner! I cannot express how overjoyed I am to witness with my own eyes the birth of the Empire's youngest major! Ah, yes. I would like to pin it on you myself — would that be all right?"
Major? Me? In a daze, I barely managed to nod.
Heinrich then took the major's badge out of the box.
"Consider it an honor. From what I've been hearing from the capital, His Majesty the Emperor himself has taken an interest in you."
So saying, Heinrich removed my captain's badge and affixed the major's badge to my uniform.
Watching that sequence of movements in a stupor, I unconsciously felt my hand twitch and tremble.
Operations staff officer attached to General Headquarters.
Holder of the 2nd Class Patriotic Medal of National Selection.
According to the 6th Magitek Armored Division commander's opinion — the Bloodthirsty Wolf.
The foremost contributor to the Nordia invasion operation.
The Empire's youngest major.
Temporary garrison commander of the occupied territory.
Looking back over all of it, the corner of my mouth twitched faintly as if in a spasm.
'Wait. This is....'
No matter how he looked at it, he was now a 'key figure of the Imperial military leadership,' perfectly positioned for execution at a war crimes tribunal.