chapter_0006

5 – Why Does Oil Come Out?

5 – Why Does Oil Come Out?

I discreetly wiped away my tears and straightened my posture, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.

I wasn’t sure how things had come to this, but I was currently a “promising candidate in the operations staff,” so it was crucial not to act strangely and raise suspicion.

For now, I had no choice but to calmly carry out my duties and plan for the future.

‘For now…’

Processing the documents that had come to me would be my priority.

I exhaled softly and picked up the papers next to the telephone to check their contents.

Rustle—

As I flipped through the pages, the contents were exceedingly ordinary.

Most of them were requests for operational approvals or approvals for the construction of military buildings.

In principle, I would review them first, and if there were no logical issues, I would sign off and pass them up the chain.

【Operations Staff ▶ Chief of Operations Staff ▶ Deputy Chief of Operations Staff ▶ Chief of Headquarters Staff】

That’s roughly how the approval process worked.

Since it wasn’t particularly difficult, I approved all the documents except for a few that required the reallocation of resources and personnel.

However, when I opened the last document, I was taken aback.

──────────

《Request for Approval of Logistics Department Construction》

To: Chief of Operations Staff (Colonel Ernst Bark)

From: Logistics Officer (Captain Arnop Haubut)

Date: March 16, 1944

Subject: Request for Approval of Logistics Department Construction on the Eastern Front and Site Selection

In Charge: Operations Staff (Lieutenant Daniel Steiner)

──────────

It was a request for the construction of a logistics department, which shouldn’t have been particularly unusual.

The problem was that I was specified as the person in charge.

‘…Why?’

I couldn’t understand it.

The logistics department is a small supply depot that receives materials from the rear logistics headquarters and resupplies them to the front lines.

In short, it is a crucial point for securing supply routes and is constructed to prevent materials from being left unattended.

Logistics is said to be the mother of war, so why would they assign it to an operations staff member?

Especially to a lieutenant who had just been promoted and was awkwardly filling the role of operations staff?

‘It seems there was some confusion in the reports…’

This was something that I felt should definitely be reported to the Chief of Staff.

Having made my decision, I gathered the documents and stood up to enter the Chief of Operations Staff’s office located in the operations staff room.

The Chief of Staff, buried among various reports and documents, looked up when he heard my footsteps.

“Hmm? Ah, isn’t that our hero Daniel!”

Colonel Ernst Bark chuckled heartily, exuding the warmth of a friendly neighbor.

But one should never judge a person solely by their appearance.

Anyone who had risen to the rank of colonel in the Empire must have gone through numerous trials and tribulations.

“I’m just doing what is expected of me; being called a hero is somewhat burdensome.”

Humility is a virtue, regardless of the nation. Perhaps pleased with my modesty, Ernst smiled and opened the conversation.

“So, Lieutenant. What brings you to see me?”

“I have completed the initial approvals for the documents that came into the operations staff, and I wanted to report to you.”

“Oh. Already? As I heard, your work efficiency is impressive. Hand them over.”

Nodding, I placed the documents on Ernst’s desk.

However, I did not place the document regarding the logistics department, which specified me as the person in charge, and Ernst tilted his head in curiosity.

“What’s that?”

“It was assigned to me. Strangely, the approval section from above was left blank, so it seems the logistics officer made a mistake.”

After blinking a few times, Ernst burst into laughter. Why was he laughing?

“Ah, it’s understandable to think that way, but that’s not a mistake by the logistics officer.”

“If it’s not a mistake, then what is it?”

“That’s the higher-ups intentionally giving you some work. As you can see, I’ve been quite busy lately, so the purpose is to distribute the workload, and the other reason, you can guess, right?”

My brows furrowed involuntarily.

This was a test from the higher-ups.

It was as if they were saying I needed to prove that catching spies and noticing hidden enemy troops in the hills was not just a stroke of luck.

Everyone in the military knows the importance of logistics, but constructing a logistics department at the right location is no easy task.

Building a logistics department fundamentally requires a location that is safe from enemy attacks, easily accessible, and has enough space to accommodate numerous supplies.

Thus, it seemed they deemed me suitable to assess whether I could fulfill the role of an operations staff member.

‘Who is it? Is the Chief of Staff testing me…?’

I wasn’t sure, but this was an opportunity.

A golden chance to showcase my incompetence in a brilliant way!

If I built the logistics department in a ridiculous location, my performance evaluation would plummet, and that would naturally make it possible for me to leave the military.

Excited at the thought of being discharged, I saluted Ernst with determination.

“Thank you for your trust! I will do my utmost to construct the logistics department!”

Pleased with my words, Ernst smiled and nodded.

“Good. The budget will be sufficiently supported, so don’t worry and proceed with the work.”

“Understood!”

While I answered energetically, I secretly wore a sinister smile inside.

‘Sorry, but you’ll regret this soon enough.’

I would build the logistics department in the theoretically worst location.

–

Two weeks later, Eastern Front rear line.

Bardenplatz Plain.

Vroom—

Heavy machinery rolled into the plain, shaking the ground as they transported construction materials.

Captain Arnop Haubut, watching from a distance, was not pleased with this situation.

‘What on earth is the higher-ups thinking? To assign the construction of a logistics department to a lieutenant who is practically a rookie…’

That damned kid had issued the construction order for the Bardenplatz Plain, and now all sorts of personnel and resources were being consumed.

‘Why on earth are they making me build a logistics department here?’

The Bardenplatz Plain is an open field. It is extremely vulnerable to enemy artillery fire.

To prevent that, protective walls must be erected, leading to severe waste of materials.

Is the protective wall the only issue? If they were going to build a logistics department on the plain, it should have been constructed where existing roads could be utilized.

However, there were no usable roads near the Bardenplatz Plain.

This meant that new roads would have to be laid leading to the Bardenplatz Plain.

If you lay down the incoming road, you also have to lay down the outgoing road, which doubles the budget expenditure.

It was nothing short of a waste of money.

‘Daniel Steiner, was it? That damned rookie…’

Because of a rookie officer who didn’t even understand the basics of logistics, the Empire’s tax money was being wasted in real-time.

Arnop, who had never considered himself particularly patriotic, found himself feeling a surge of patriotism as he watched the waste of taxpayer money unfold before his eyes.

However, how could a mere logistics officer like him defy the orders of the headquarters?

Even though Daniel Steiner held a lower rank than him, his authority was immense.

Though dissatisfaction continued to grow within him, he couldn’t utter a word in front of Daniel, which was proof of that.

When Daniel had come for an inspection a week ago and ordered the construction of the logistics department to proceed, Arnop had not been able to oppose it.

Despite his inner thoughts, Arnop was also an unavoidable bureaucrat of the Empire.

‘If the headquarters says to do it, then it must be done. What can I do…?’

Frustrated, Arnop pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and took one out.

As he lit the cigarette with his lighter, the radio he had hung on his shoulder crackled to life.

— Logistics Officer! Can you hear me!?

This person only contacts me when I’m smoking. Pulling out the radio, Arnop pressed the transmit button and replied.

“Are you forgetting to introduce yourself again? If you come at me like that, how am I supposed to know who you are?”

— Ah! You really are a pain. This is Corporal Vinter Enfeldt! Is that good enough?

“Good. What’s the reason for your call?”

— Well, we conducted a ground survey, didn’t we? We brought in experts for that.

Arnop nodded.

It was only natural to conduct a ground survey before erecting a building.

After a previous incident where a building had collapsed due to poor ground conditions, this had become a mandatory procedure.

— The results from the experts came in today, and I don’t know how to say this. It seems the headquarters didn’t mistakenly assign the work to Lieutenant Daniel Steiner.

Huh? The corporal, who had been cursing Daniel just yesterday, was now changing his attitude, which puzzled Arnop.

“Get to the point. Just the point. What was the result?”

— Hahaha! Well, you see…!

The corporal exclaimed with a cheerful voice.

— Oil! Oil! They found oil beneath the ground! And it’s in quantities that are worth extracting!

Thanks to that, Arnop dropped the cigarette he was holding.

‘What?’

Oil? The Bardenplatz Plain was an oil deposit?

If that was the case, it wasn’t Daniel who didn’t understand the basics of logistics, but rather Arnop himself.

Letting out a sigh of disbelief, Arnop raised his hand to wipe his face.

‘Could it be that Lieutenant Daniel Steiner…’

Had known all of this from the beginning? As I thought this, Daniel’s shameless demeanor began to make sense.

A self-deprecating smile crept onto Arnop’s face as he clasped his hands behind his back.

‘It seems…’

The headquarters had brought in an extraordinary talent.

–

Meanwhile, Daniel Steiner, who was about to construct the logistics department, was—

‘Why?’

Feeling flustered in real-time.

A word from the author (Author’s Note)

Thank you for reading.