chapter_0042

41 – His Ideals Are Higher Than the Clouds

41 – His Ideals Are Higher Than the Clouds

There were no signs of riots or protests in Nordia.

It was beyond peaceful.

Looking out the office window, I could even see a few citizens chatting and laughing with the garrison soldiers on patrol.

‘…Shouldn’t they normally be scared?’

It had already been fifteen days since I was appointed as the temporary garrison commander.

Yet, not even a single common trouble had occurred, making me feel drained.

I averted my gaze from the scenery outside the window and examined the file in my hand.

It was the ‘Garrison Satisfaction Survey’ that Lucy had given me this morning.

《Garrison Satisfaction Survey Statistics》

Sample Group: 100 citizens from each district of the city

Number of Respondents: Approximately 5,700

Question: What do you think of the garrison’s city planning?

• Frequency Analysis

–
Doing very well – 2,365 people (41.5%)

–
Doing well – 1,254 people (22%)

–
Don’t know (need to watch) – 684 people (12%)

–
Disappointing – 855 people (15%)

–
Very disappointing – 542 people (9.5%)

※ Please note that all surveys were conducted through local assistants, not garrison soldiers, to ensure objectivity.

When I first saw this, I wondered if I was seeing things wrong.

That’s because the statistics showed that 63.5% of the city’s residents, more than half, supported the garrison.

It was also an indicator that violent protests or riots were unlikely to occur.

‘I wonder what the General Staff will think when they hear this report…’

I couldn’t help but sigh, but I couldn’t deny reality in the face of the statistics.

Turning away from the window, I tossed the file onto the desk and sat down in my chair.

Leaning back in the chair with a half-resigned expression, I looked at Lucy.

Lucy was sitting at her desk in a corner of the office, just like when we were at the General Staff, working on her tasks.

Seeing her buried in work and not paying attention to me made me feel relieved.

‘Besides…’

Even though it had been fifteen days since I was promoted and appointed as the temporary commander, the Allied Nations hadn’t ordered an assassination attempt, it seemed.

In a situation where things weren’t going as desired, this was at least good news.

Still keeping my guard up and watching, Lucy finished her paperwork and stretched briefly.

Raising her arms and groaning, Lucy lowered her arms with a sigh.

Staring straight ahead with sleepy eyes, Lucy suddenly seemed to sense someone and turned to look at me.

Thanks to that, our eyes unintentionally met.

As I broke out in a cold sweat, Lucy blinked her red eyes a couple of times.

“…Major? Is there something you wanted to say?”

What should I say to get out of this? After thinking for a moment, I said as calmly as possible.

“Have you finished all your work?”

“Yes. There are some documents left to process in the afternoon, but the amount is not large.”

“That’s a relief then. You can rest well after work. You’ve been working hard helping me these days.”

“I have been working hard. Unlike you, Major, I’ve mainly been going around the field.”

She doesn’t deny it.

“More than that, Major, you can also take some time to rest today.”

“Ah. Right. I was going to go to a famous dessert shop in Nordia today…”

I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth.

Because Lucy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at me.

Come to think of it, Lucy ate parfaits so deliciously in the Imperial City.

That look, it seems like she’s waiting for me to invite her to go with me.

After a brief silence, I cleared my throat.

“…Would you like to come with me, if you don’t mind?”

“Desserts are not my taste, but if you recommend it, Major, I won’t refuse.”

Huh? Look at this?

She ate the parfait so deliciously and now she’s pretending not to know, which is infuriating.

I frowned and said.

“Then I’ll go alone. I can’t disturb my adjutant’s rest.”

Lucy’s fingertips twitched.

Her expression was still indifferent, but her actions revealed her disappointment.

But I had no intention of inviting her again.

Pretending not to like it was an insult to the dessert.

“However, if my adjutant honestly tells me that she likes desserts, that’s a different story.”

Lucy’s eyes trembled slightly, as if she was contemplating.

But Lucy eventually chose her pride and clenched her fist secretly.

“…I don’t like them.”

So that’s how she’s going to play it.

Feeling a bit stubborn, I acted pompously.

“The dessert I’m going to eat this time is an Eclair. Have you heard of choux pastry dough? It uses water, butter, flour, and eggs as basic ingredients, and it’s characterized by its light puffiness when baked in the oven.”

“…”

“It’s delicious from the moment it’s baked. The savory taste fills your mouth. But if it ends there, it’s just simple bread, not a dessert. The essence is elsewhere.”

I leaned my upper body towards Lucy and said.

“When the choux pastry dough is fully baked, vanilla cream is squeezed into it. Then, a thick chocolate glaze is placed on top. Can you imagine the taste?”

Lucy swallowed hard.

Reacting to that, I snapped my fingers.

“It’ll be fantastic! The soft cream and savory dough will harmoniously dance in your mouth! And with chocolate on top? The moment you eat it, even an atheist will praise God.”

“…”

“Of course, it’s hard to understand unless you taste it, no matter how much I explain. But I can’t force you. You’re just ‘someone who dislikes desserts,’ after all. Aren’t you?”

As I probed one last time, Lucy’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Just as I was quietly watching, thinking it was a declaration of defeat.

Ring─

The office phone rang, interrupting me and Lucy.

Wondering who it was, I picked up the receiver.

“This is the temporary garrison commander.”

Soon, a nervous voice came from the other side of the receiver.

─ Commander! This is Lieutenant Mckell! I’m calling to report that I found something strange while patrolling the collapsed military factory.

Something strange? Curious, I asked back.

“Explain in more detail.”

─ Understood! We discovered an underground base that seems to have been built by them beneath the floor of the military factory. It appears to be a kind of laboratory, but the structure is… I think you’ll understand faster if you see it in person.

The enemy hid a laboratory?

What’s the reason? Puzzled, I nodded.

“I’ll go and check it myself. Stop the search and wait at the entrance.”

After hearing the reply that he understood, I put down the receiver.

Getting up from my seat, Lucy was pretending to work with her mouth shut.

It seemed she had missed the timing to declare defeat and had decided not to go.

I stared intently at Lucy and then moved my feet.

“It’ll be delicious. They say it’s an Eclair made by a master craftsman…”

I could see Lucy gritting her teeth.

I enjoyed her reaction and went out the door, counted to three, and then came back into the office and stood in front of Lucy.

“This is your last chance. Are you really not going to the dessert shop?”

Lucy seemed to be caught up in mental anguish, but soon half-opened her eyes and lowered her gaze.

“…I don’t want to.”

“What are you saying? Speak properly.”

After a short deep breath, Lucy moved her lips.

“I want to go…”

Only then did I nod.

“You should have told me your true feelings sooner. I’ll tell you the location, so let’s go together after work.”

“I will…”

Lucy’s face, answering in a barely audible voice, was slightly flushed.

She really was a woman who was fun to tease.

But let’s not cross the line.

‘Because I might die.’

I’m not joking, I’m serious.

*

Imperial General Staff.

The office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.

Knock, knock─

At the sound of the knock, Cedric Bendel put down the document he was reading and raised his head.

“Come in.”

Soon, the door opened and a middle-aged man with a friendly impression came in.

It was Colonel Ernst Bark, the Chief of the Operations Staff.

Ernst walked to the center of the room and saluted.

Ernst, who was originally on good terms with his superiors, mostly omitted salutes, but for some reason, he couldn’t do that in front of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations.

Looking into those crow-like eyes made him feel chills all over his body.

“Deputy Chief of Staff. I came to see you because I have something to report.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve come to my office. What’s the matter?”

“Ah. I came to see you about Major Daniel Steiner.”

Daniel Steiner. I already knew that he was showing great activity in the north.

It was Cedric who put Daniel in the position of temporary garrison commander.

But entrusting the position of garrison commander to a talent who had just become a major might have been a mistake.

‘Originally, governing is more difficult than occupying.’

So Ernst must have come to report the incidents that occurred in Nordia.

“Did something happen in Nordia? Like a popular uprising or a violent incident?”

“…No. According to the telegram, the majority of Nordia citizens are satisfied with the garrison’s city planning. According to intelligence, there are even rumors among the citizens that it has become a better place to live than before the occupation.”

Cedric’s eyes widened.

As far as Ernst knew, it was rare for Cedric to be so surprised.

“He has… seized the people’s livelihood?”

And that too, only fifteen days after entrusting him with the position of temporary garrison commander?

After being silent for a while at the absurd achievement, Cedric soon let out a dry laugh.

“Oh my. I was wrong about Daniel Steiner.”

No matter how talented a person is, they get tired of the fatigue when they start rolling around on the battlefield.

I thought Daniel Steiner would be going through similar hardships, but seeing that he was achieving such great results, it seemed that he was not tired at all, but rather his body was burning up.

‘It’s like he’s playing around as if the front line is his home.’

Cedric, who had raised his evaluation of Daniel Steiner in his mind, said.

“We need to quickly select a garrison commander and send him to Nordia.”

Ernst blinked blankly at the unexpected answer.

“Deputy Chief of Staff? There’s no need to rush, is there? Major Daniel Steiner is smoothly dyeing the occupied territory into the Empire’s territory…”

“You only see one thing and can’t see two. Do you think Daniel Steiner will be satisfied with just the position of garrison commander?”

Cedric’s empty eyes contained a cold energy.

“He’s looking at a higher place. He wants a significant mission that he can dedicate himself to the Empire. So…”

A chilling smile hung on Cedric’s lips as he looked at Ernst, who was sweating.

“I’m going to grant that guy’s wish.”