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36 – The Wolf Starved for Blood (Not)

36 – The Wolf Starved for Blood (Not)

The next day, early in the morning.

Lucy enters through the entrance of the military tent.

“Captain Daniel Steiner, I urgently need to speak with you…”

Lucy stopped in her tracks as she stepped inside the tent.

She saw Daniel lying on a field bed at the edge of the tent, trying to catch some sleep.

He looked quite exhausted, with a blanket haphazardly thrown over him.

After all, while the other soldiers and officers were resting after arriving at the forward base, Daniel had been forcibly taken to the operational command post at the summons of the division commander and had just returned, so he must have been utterly worn out.

‘That means…’

Daniel Steiner was currently in a defenseless state.

Confirming that no one was around, Lucy approached Daniel.

She quietly looked down at him as he lay asleep.

The National Virtue Medal pinned to the left side of his uniform glimmered softly.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

The man before her was the one who had been accumulating military achievements at a frightening pace lately.

Thanks to that, interest in Daniel was gradually increasing even within the Allied Nations.

However, the Allied Nations had not yet issued an order to assassinate Daniel Steiner.

Lucy’s mission, assigned by the Allied Nations, was merely to report on Daniel’s every move as a special surveillance target.

But it was uncertain when a special surveillance target might be changed to an assassination target.

If the homeland were to issue an order to assassinate Daniel, Lucy would willingly comply.

However, would she truly be able to do so without hesitation in the process?

Aside from his dedication to the Empire, Daniel Steiner was an ordinarily good man.

He would share food with his aide, lend her an umbrella, and even invite her to dessert shops to share hobbies.

On the day he disguised himself as a doctor, he had even prevented her from falling into a dangerous situation by being suspected by the Security Agency police.

There was no denying that she owed him a debt of gratitude.

This fact slightly shook the burden of being a spy under the grace of the Allied Nations.

‘What if…’

What if they had met as ordinary men and women with regular jobs, rather than as spies of the Allied Nations and officers of the Imperial Army?

Lucy shook her head, dismissing the pointless and unproductive speculation.

Considering the grace she had received from the Allied Nations, she must not stray even a step from the essence of being a spy.

Moreover, even if he appeared to be a good man, Daniel Steiner was, after all, an officer of the Empire.

Those who benefit the Empire were enemies of the Allied Nations and fragments of the resentment Lucy held.

Recalling the horrific memories of the past, Lucy clenched her fist and then let out a long sigh.

It was foolish to wallow in self-pity alone.

‘How stupid.’

There was no need for deep contemplation. She just needed to do her best in the tasks and roles assigned to her as usual.

So, until the Allied Nations issued another order, she would simply act as “the loyal aide to Captain Daniel Steiner.”

Nodding slightly to herself, Lucy turned to leave.

Just as she was about to exit the tent, she hesitated.

For some reason, the disheveled blanket covering Daniel’s body bothered her.

She wasn’t sure if it was part of her obsessive cleanliness, but it just didn’t sit right with her.

After a moment of hesitation, Lucy finally bent down and adjusted the blanket.

She neatly and properly covered Daniel’s chest with the blanket and then lightly dusted her hands.

“Sleep well.”

Whispering those brief words, Lucy turned and left the tent.

Only after Lucy had completely exited did Daniel slowly open his eyes.

Confirming that Lucy was no longer inside the tent, Daniel sat up abruptly.

He let out a rough breath without realizing it.

‘…What was that?’

In fact, Daniel had been awake for a little while.

He had woken up and felt a presence, so he had slightly opened his eyes to see Lucy looking down at him, and he had pretended to be asleep.

The reason was simple. He was just scared!

‘Am I really alive?’

Raising his hand to touch his neck, Daniel felt relieved to find no injuries.

As he sat on the field bed, catching his breath, Daniel’s nerves were on edge.

He heard the sound of two jeeps stopping near the tent, followed by the thunderous sound of boots approaching.

Just as he was wondering what was happening, four soldiers entered the tent in a neat formation and split to the sides.

Right after that, Heinrich, with his heavy presence, entered the tent.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Startled, Daniel immediately stood up and saluted.

“Brigade Commander! What brings you here…?”

Heinrich, chuckling, returned the salute and said, “Congratulations, Captain Daniel.”

“…Congratulations? What do you mean?”

“Your prediction has come true once again. We received a report from the reconnaissance battalion a few hours ago. They’ve discovered an underground tunnel of the Kingdom’s army.”

In that moment, Daniel felt a shock as if he had been hit by a hammer.

‘They discovered an underground tunnel? On the very day I made my suggestion?’

Logically, it wasn’t impossible, but the probability was exceedingly low.

Yet, against that low probability, the Kingdom’s army was indeed using the underground tunnel for supplies, and the reconnaissance battalion had achieved the remarkable feat of finding it overnight.

As he was about to think this was nonsense, Heinrich gestured.

“Let’s discuss this elsewhere. We’re pressed for time right now.”

“…Understood.”

Although he didn’t fully grasp the situation, Daniel couldn’t defy his superior’s orders, so he followed Heinrich.

–

The place they arrived at, following Heinrich, was a clearing in the forest, 18 kilometers north of where the enemy supply battalion had been discovered.

As they got out of the jeep, the first thing Daniel saw was the soldiers of the Magic Mobile Corps brigade.

Dressed in all their gear except for their packs, they stood motionless among the trees, resembling an iron army.

Feeling the pressure they exuded, Heinrich placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.

“Right over there. That’s the underground tunnel of the Kingdom’s army you mentioned.”

Turning his gaze in the direction Heinrich pointed, Daniel saw a large iron door that had been opened.

“We sent skilled reconnaissance soldiers to confirm, and they reported that the underground tunnel connects to the city. Isn’t that amazing? If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have even known it existed.”

Heinrich laughed heartily, but Daniel was still in a daze.

Just as he was about to protest, the sound of cannon fire began to echo from the direction of the division headquarters.

“It’s begun.”

Heinrich removed his hand from Daniel’s shoulder and shouted to the brigade’s soldiers.

“I just heard the voice of the goddess of victory calling for us to advance! If you all have ears, you must have heard it too! Isn’t that right!?”

A smile crept onto the soldiers’ faces at Heinrich’s shout.

It was terrifyingly intense.

“The Kingdom’s army has allied with the filthy Allied Nations to invade our territory and mock countless comrades. Think! The screams our comrades had to let out! The pain they had to endure! The shame they had to bear!”

Stepping forward, Heinrich shouted with veins bulging in his neck.

“Now, we will return all of that to them! Burst the bellies of the greedy enemies who have drunk the blood of our comrades! Advance, elite of the Empire!”

The brigade’s soldiers shouted in unison.

At the same time, they began to march toward the underground tunnel one by one.

The sight of them forming a tight formation and entering the tunnel was almost mechanical.

It was proof that they were well-trained soldiers.

As Daniel quietly watched this scene, he approached Heinrich and said,

“It’s a flanking attack. By advancing the division’s forces on the front line and firing artillery to keep the enemy’s attention, then directly striking the city using the underground tunnel…”

“It would be a sure victory. The ones who have been hiding until now know they will lose in a full-scale battle, so once they realize the enemy has infiltrated the city, they will panic out of fear.”

Indeed, the fall of the city was only a matter of time.

Although it wasn’t the direction he had hoped for, watching the soldiers charge in real-time made him feel grateful to be a staff officer.

‘They wouldn’t send a staff officer right into the enemy’s midst…’

It was only natural that preserving one’s life took precedence over escaping the Empire.

As long as he was alive, there would be another opportunity.

Feeling a sense of relief as he watched the soldiers, Heinrich turned to him and said,

“Looks like you’re envious of the soldiers? A dedicated officer like you would want to crush the enemy directly. I had that same fervor when I was young.”

Not at all, but he couldn’t help but agree.

“Indeed. However, I believe it’s also important for a staff officer to protect our rear. Regrettably, the glory of attacking the enemy must be left to the soldiers.”

“That’s a good mindset. But if you want, there’s no need to just stand back and watch. No, it would be more accurate to say you can’t just stand back.”

Wait a minute? The flow of the conversation felt strange.

As he looked at Heinrich in confusion, Heinrich smiled subtly, as if pleased.

“The division commander has ordered the entire headquarters unit, including you, to assist the Magic Mobile Corps in the city assault.”

“…What? But my company would only be a burden.”

“The division commander initially thought the same as you. But after speaking with you, he completely changed his mind. He told me when it was just the two of us that you are a bloodthirsty wolf.”

His mouth fell open in shock. Was this some kind of nonsense?

“He said to let you run wild, as he would fill your hungry belly.”

“…Did he really say that to me?”

“Indeed. It’s rare for the division commander to show such favor, so take this opportunity to prove yourself.”

I couldn’t understand what they saw in me to say such absurd things.

But if the higher-ups ordered it, there was no choice.

After a brief pause, I looked at Heinrich and said,

“Brigade Commander, did the division commander really call me a bloodthirsty wolf?”

“Hmm? Haha. It seems you really like that nickname. It was a joke, but he definitely said it.”

Thanks to that, I could once again confirm.

My life was spiraling out of control in real-time.

Author’s Note (Author’s Afterword)

I apologize for being late…!

It took a bit longer due to revisions…!