chapter_0018

17 – The Appearance of the Vice Officer

17 – The Appearance of the Vice Officer

Ernst looks at me, seemingly incredulous.

His eyes, brimming with anticipation, seem to say, “My capable subordinate has pulled off another feat!” which only amplifies the pressure I feel.

“How on earth did you manage to grill that silent fool? Do enlighten us, perhaps to give the interrogator some advice as well.”

At Ernst’s words, Sergeant Vendelin also gazes at me with a smile.

I understand. Since I conducted the interrogation with the microphone off yesterday, they wouldn’t know what transpired.

As an interrogator, he would surely want to know how I managed to sway a tight-lipped prisoner.

But no matter how I think about it, I simply had a normal conversation with Reginald.

There couldn’t have been any interrogation techniques involved, so being asked such questions leaves me at a loss.

Just as I was struggling to find a response, Vendelin, perhaps trying to lighten the mood, spoke up in a bright voice.

“I’ve seen many cases while working as an interrogator, but I’ve never seen anyone wrap things up as quickly as Captain Daniel Steiner!”

“Oh. Really?”

“Absolutely. After you left the interrogation room, that bastard Reginald sounded like he was about to cry, saying he would cooperate with the Empire. It was so satisfying!”

He was about to cry? That rigid-looking Reginald?

“Usually, interrogations involve shouting or violence, but Captain Daniel spoke softly and smiled the whole time. It was almost dignified!”

Vendelin. He’s great, but his flattery is a bit excessive.

I thought about interrupting him, suspecting he was exaggerating, but Ernst seemed to believe him wholeheartedly.

He was looking at me with even greater anticipation than before.

“Now that the sergeant has spoken, I’m even more curious. What exactly did you discuss with Reginald?”

He asked twice. Twice, and yet remaining silent is not the way of a subordinate.

I suppose I have no choice. After a moment’s hesitation, I replied.

“It was nothing much. I just talked about Reginald’s family a few times.”

At the mention of family, both Vendelin and Ernst flinched.

Even a few officers who had been eavesdropping on our conversation glanced over.

An unknown silence settled around me.

Just as I was wondering why the atmosphere had shifted, Ernst cleared his throat and nodded.

“That is indeed the most effective method. Did you hear that, Sergeant? You should learn from Captain Daniel.”

“Oh, of course! I’ve been too lenient with the prisoners until now.”

…It seems like there’s a misunderstanding in a strange direction.

I felt something was off but decided not to make excuses.

From experience, trying to explain myself in such situations usually leads to even more misunderstandings.

So, I simply nodded, and Vendelin saluted energetically.

For some reason, his salute seemed a bit more rigid than when I first saw him.

“Well then, I’ll head back to the military police! Enjoy your meal!”

“Do that. You’ve worked hard to come to the headquarters.”

After hearing Ernst’s response, Vendelin turned sharply and walked away like a toy soldier.

Just as I was wondering why he was acting that way, Ernst picked up his utensils and spoke.

“Anyway, congratulations. You’ve earned another merit by getting Reginald to open up. Honestly, your competence is quite astonishing these days. At your age, I struggled just to complete my assigned tasks.”

I wanted to say that this merit had nothing to do with my will, but saying such things in front of the Chief of Operations would likely get me beaten up.

“You flatter me.”

So, I just humbly lifted my utensils.

As I was cutting the steak that had been served, Ernst suddenly remembered something and spoke up.

“Oh, by the way, your adjutant is coming today. They might have arrived by now.”

Adjutant? I looked up, blinking in confusion.

“…Are you talking about an adjutant?”

“Yes. Didn’t I mention it before? Once you officially become an operations officer, you’ll have an adjutant. I heard that the higher-ups put in some effort to assign you an elite who matches your rank.”

Seeing my dazed expression, Ernst smiled.

“You’ve been working late a lot lately, right? It’s only natural for an operations officer to be busy during wartime, but now that you have an adjutant, you should have a bit less to worry about.”

“Certainly… that seems to be the case.”

“You’ll have your first direct subordinate, right? Make sure to guide them well.”

“Understood.”

I replied calmly to Ernst’s words.

I was trying my best not to show my excitement, but my heart was soaring above the clouds.

“Finally, I’m getting an adjutant!”

No, let me correct that. It’s a bit early to say “finally” since I’ve gone through two promotions.

Of course, such trivial details didn’t matter much.

What mattered was that I was getting an adjutant.

“Moreover, an elite selected by the higher-ups…! I won’t have to be overwhelmed with work.”

Since I was promoted from ‘acting’ operations officer to operations officer, I had felt that the workload was excessive.

As a low-ranking officer responsible for reviewing documents and submitting them to my superior, reports and approval requests flew in from all directions.

While truly important documents would go directly to my superior, there were far more bizarre requests and reports than I had anticipated during wartime.

One such request was from a certain battalion commander who wanted to supply beer to the soldiers via fighter planes because they wanted to enjoy it cold.

I hesitated but approved the request without holding back, and somehow, I ended up seeing a fighter plane carrying kegs of beer.

With countless requests pouring in, I hardly had any time to spare.

Having a day like yesterday, where I could leave on time, felt like a stroke of luck.

At this rate, I’d be overworked and leave this world before I could escape the Empire, so when Ernst mentioned that an adjutant was being assigned, I couldn’t help but feel joy.

Lost in thoughts about my adjutant, I noticed Ernst finishing his meal, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Oh, right. This afternoon, you’ll be spending time in your personal office, not the operations office.”

“…Is that alright?”

“Of course! You should have some time to get to know your new adjutant, right? It would be awkward to have private conversations in the operations office.”

Ernst was absolutely right.

I smiled faintly in agreement.

“Thank you for your consideration, Chief of Operations.”

Although the operations office wasn’t a battlefield, in case of an emergency, I would have to rely on my adjutant.

So, building a rapport with my adjutant was one of my important tasks.

–

After finishing my meal with Ernst, instead of heading straight to my office, I decided to take a stroll outside the headquarters.

I was looking to buy a gift for my new subordinate.

After some deliberation, I ultimately bought a few pastries that could be enjoyed as snacks instead of a bouquet of flowers.

I thought bread that could fill the stomach would be better than a bouquet that had no practicality, aside from being pretty.

When I returned to the front of the operations headquarters, I took a deep breath while holding the bag of bread.

“I’m a bit nervous.”

The adjutant waiting inside the office was probably just as nervous.

Just five months ago, I had been sweating while waiting for my superior in that very spot.

I still remember it vividly.

When I first commissioned, instead of receiving a gift, I was cursed at by that bastard Karl Heimlich as soon as I reported for assignment.

Thinking back on the humiliation and trauma I felt then, I was determined to treat my subordinate well.

I also planned to assign them only easy and simple tasks at first, to help them adapt to the work.

“Alright.”

With the mindset of a great senior and superior, I smiled and opened the office door.

“Have you been waiting long? I got a bit delayed because I went to buy some pastries from a bakery near the headquarters to share with you…”

As I spoke casually, I turned to check my adjutant’s appearance and froze without realizing it.

The adjutant, who turned her head toward me, had a tousled bob haircut.

The bob, falling just below her neck, was a refined silver-white, like sunlight resting on a pure white snowfield.

In stark contrast to the clean and beautiful color of her hair, her eyes were a blood-red hue.

She had a sharp gaze, but there seemed to be no hostility—just a blank expression.

She was truly a sophisticated and elegant woman.

If I hadn’t known her identity, I would have certainly thought so.

Lucy Emilia.

She was a character from the game “Empire of Emperors,” known as the Empire’s nightmare, a notorious killer.

Why on earth was Lucy, of all people, neatly dressed in the Imperial Army uniform in my office?

“…”

“…”

After a moment of silence, during which we locked eyes, I quickly closed the door.

“Wait a minute.”

Why was Lucy here? Shouldn’t she be actively engaged on the front lines at this point?

Why on earth would someone affiliated with the Allied Nations be assigned as my adjutant?

“…A spy?”

Both the Allied Nations and the Empire were actively conducting espionage, so it wouldn’t be impossible for her to infiltrate the operations headquarters as a spy.

“But why?”

Why, of all positions, was she assigned as my adjutant?

I shook my head in disbelief.

“I must be seeing things due to my frequent late nights.”

No matter how I thought about it, there was no way Lucy would be here. No way at all.

With renewed confidence, I opened the office door again.

“…Captain?”

And immediately closed it again.

Even upon a second glance, it was definitely Lucy.

She looked exactly like her character illustration from the game.

“Why on earth is this happening to me…”

This was truly not easy.