chapter_0007

6 – Why Did It Come to This?

6 – Why Did It Come to This?

I stopped drinking and stared intently at the soldier’s face in front of me.

His face, filled with excitement, seemed to radiate respect for me, which made me feel uneasy.

At first, I was angry at the soldier for interrupting my relaxation at the officer’s club after work, but now I was completely consumed by a different emotion.

It was because of the news the soldier had shared with me—that the logistics department’s construction site was an oil deposit.

Could it be that I misheard? I hoped desperately that I had. As I wiped the cold sweat from my brow, I placed my glass on the bar table and spoke.

“Soldier. If you don’t mind, could you say that again?”

“Of course! It’s reported that a large amount of oil has been discovered at the logistics department construction site ordered by Lieutenant Daniel! Captain Arnop, the logistics officer, instructed me to relay this information to you via radio, so I took the liberty of rushing here!”

This soldier’s voice was far too loud.

It was as if he was eager to boast about my achievements, shouting it out for everyone to hear.

Thanks to him, not only the bartender but also people from other departments enjoying their time at the officer’s club were casting glances my way.

“…So oil has been discovered at the logistics department?”

“Who found it? Could it be that rookie?”

“No, looking closely, that’s Lieutenant Daniel.”

“Who is Lieutenant Daniel?”

“Don’t you know the one who caught the spy and got promoted? That guy probably made the Central Intelligence Agency look bad, right? Just like with the hills…”

The stares directed at me and the scattered murmurs were overwhelming.

‘I guess I won’t be able to come to the officer’s club for a while…’

I felt like I would be sitting on a bed of nails if I stayed any longer, so I stood up.

“If what the logistics officer said is true, I can’t skip the inspection.”

I tidied my clothes and put on the uniform cap I had placed on the bar table.

“I’ll get permission for the inspection from the operations chief. Thank you for the news, soldier.”

As I slightly lowered the black brim of my cap to express my gratitude, the soldier saluted vigorously.

He seemed to be genuinely moved. I had no idea what point had touched him, though.

“It’s an honor to be of help to you, Lieutenant Daniel!”

Accepting his salute, I left the officer’s club, secretly furrowing my brow.

‘The worst construction site I selected turns out to be an oil deposit? What nonsense… Surely the logistics officer must have made a mistake.’

Yes. It must be a mistake.

Oil was one of the most critical strategic resources in war.

Without oil, vehicles couldn’t run, tanks couldn’t move, and fighter planes couldn’t take to the skies, so the presence or absence of oil deposits could very well determine the outcome of a war.

This meant that discovering oil would solidify my position within the imperial army.

In summary, it meant that my dream of an honorable discharge was now further away.

So please. The soldier’s report must be a misunderstanding.

–

Unfortunately, it was not a misunderstanding.

After ten days of complicated procedures, I arrived for the inspection only to find oil gushing in the middle of the Bardenplatz plain.

The sight of the oil drilling machine operating with a deafening noise made me frown.

“Do you see that? That’s the oil discovered by Lieutenant Daniel!”

Hahaha! Sergeant Winter burst into laughter and raised his fist in triumph.

He was so enthusiastic that it seemed he would have thrown an arm around me if I were not an officer but a fellow non-commissioned officer.

Surely, when I had ordered the construction of the logistics department here, they had looked at me like I was some kind of human trash, but now the situation had changed, hadn’t it?

As I glared at Sergeant Winter, the logistics officer Arnop, who was standing next to me, spoke.

“Lieutenant Daniel. On behalf of the logistics department, I want to express my gratitude to you. According to reports, the empire has enough oil buried underground to last for 27 years. This will be a powerful weapon for the empire.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I’ve also contacted the railway department regarding this. We plan to connect the railway to this logistics department to transport the oil more quickly. That way, we won’t have to rely on imports due to oil shortages.”

Wasn’t Arnop usually a nervous and pessimistic person?

He had seemed almost nihilistic during the first inspection, but now his eyes were filled with hope. He seemed to be experiencing some kind of joy.

Meanwhile, I could only let out deep sighs. What was the point of accumulating merit in an empire that was bound to lose?

Did Arnop interpret my sighs as a sigh of relief (that the empire would no longer rely on foreign powers)? He turned to me with a look of pride.

“By the way, it’s only been four months since you were commissioned, and you’ve already achieved such remarkable feats. I wonder if you’ll be promoted again soon.”

Sergeant Winter chimed in, raising his voice.

“Haha! That’s right! At this rate, Lieutenant Daniel might outrank Captain Arnop! That would be quite a sight to see.”

Watching the two of them fussing over my promotion made me feel… well, I appreciated their congratulatory sentiments, but it was incredibly uncomfortable from my perspective.

“You flatter me. I do not seek further promotion.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the two of them held their breath and stared at me intently.

Just as I was wondering if I had made a verbal blunder, Arnop cleared his throat and spoke in a rather serious tone.

“…I still have a long way to go. Hearing you say you don’t seek promotion makes me feel small, as I thought that dedication to the empire should rightfully come with rewards.”

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner is truly a model soldier. How can you have such noble thoughts…”

But didn’t you treat me like a complete rookie during the first inspection?

I was baffled, but it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

Compared to me, both of them likely had some degree of loyalty to the empire.

From Arnop and Winter’s perspective, my statement about not seeking promotion after achieving such great merit would naturally seem noble.

In reality, I didn’t want promotion because I wanted to escape the empire, but it seemed unnecessary to share that with them.

I saluted Arnop.

“Since the inspection is over, I will return to the headquarters to submit my report. Please continue to work hard on the construction of the logistics department.”

“Of course. Just leave it to us.”

As Arnop returned my salute, I lowered my hand and turned to walk away.

Once I got into the nearby military jeep, the driver started the engine.

After adjusting my collar, I glanced out the window and saw Arnop and Winter looking at me with admiring eyes.

It was quite burdensome, so I quickly turned my head forward and said.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

As the driver pressed the accelerator, the jeep jolted forward.

The road was still unpaved, so I had to endure the bumps.

Holding onto the overhead handle, I was driving when I inadvertently glanced at the rearview mirror and broke into a cold sweat.

Arnop and Winter were still looking this way.

It felt like I was being treated like a dignitary.

Hmm. I definitely shouldn’t come near the logistics department again.

–

The news that oil had erupted in the Bardenplatz plain of the empire quickly spread throughout the entire empire.

To announce this joyous news, the newspaper office operated continuously, and boys on the streets shouted extras, selling newspapers like wildfire.

Naturally, the imperial family was also aware of this fact.

“Is it true that a large oil deposit has been discovered in the Bardenplatz plain? Who discovered it?”

The girl with blue eyes resembling lapis lazuli and blonde hair reminiscent of spring sunlight, Princess Selvia von Amberg, asked, and the Chief of Logistics, Kaspar Benedict, set down his utensils.

Kaspar Benedict, adorned with four stars on his shoulder, was the head of logistics, but in front of the princess, he was merely a subordinate.

“Yes. God has truly bestowed a gracious treasure upon the empire.”

“It can’t be God.”

Kaspar’s shoulders flinched. He wondered if the princess was about to commit blasphemy. However, the princess had no such intention.

“The discovery of oil deposits in the Bardenplatz plain was made by a human. I’m asking who that human is.”

“Your Highness, there’s no need for you to know about a mere orphan. So…”

Selvia narrowed her eyes.

“Chief of Logistics. Since when did the empire judge people by their background? Have you forgotten that the empire is currently at war?”

At this moment, Selvia was indirectly telling him to answer her question.

Kaspar, knowing this, bowed his head and relayed the information.

“As far as I know, the one who found the oil deposit is Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. I believe he is currently serving as the deputy operations officer at headquarters.”

Lieutenant? A mere lieutenant has discovered an oil deposit?

For Selvia, who had expected that high-ranking officials would have poured money and manpower into finding an oil deposit, this was quite a fresh shock.

‘…Interesting. In many ways.’

Now that he was only a lieutenant, the chances of him being politically clean were high.

This meant that there was no better opportunity to recruit him as an ally.

If he was a capable talent, it would be wise to have as many of them around as possible.

That would increase the chances of inheriting the throne.

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner…”

As Selvia tapped the dining table lightly, a gentle smile spread across her face.

‘I should go meet him soon.’