chapter_0048

47 – I Have to Follow the Orders

47 – I Have to Follow the Orders

Unable to refuse the order, Daniel immediately summoned the company personnel as instructed.

After departing Nordia with the farewell of the local citizens, Daniel headed towards Marovark, where the 3rd Corps headquarters was located.

Fortunately, the bad weather he had feared before departure did not occur, allowing Daniel to arrive in Marovark a day earlier than the time stated in the orders.

Marovark, occupied by the imperial army, was a larger city than Nordia, and the citizens seemed to greet the army’s entry with cold stares.

‘This is normal…’

Daniel could not understand why the citizens of Nordia were so enthusiastic about the imperial army.

As he blankly watched the scene of imperial soldiers mingling among the kingdom’s citizens, the driver cautiously pressed the brake.

When the vehicle came to a complete stop, Daniel opened the door and stepped outside.

The first thing that caught his eye was the headquarters building adorned with the imperial flag, fluttering majestically against the starlit night sky.

Seeing such a large flag made even a dormant sense of patriotism stir within him.

‘To hang such a large flag, the soldiers must have had a tough time.’

With a wry smile, Daniel lowered his gaze and noticed a colonel walking out from the main entrance of the headquarters, accompanied by soldiers.

As Daniel reflexively saluted, the colonel chuckled and returned the salute.

“Isn’t this the hero of the empire, Daniel Steiner! We’ve been waiting for you. I am Kalpren, the advisor to the Corps Commander.”

“Hero? That’s too much praise. But the fact that you came to greet me…”

“Ah, the Corps Commander is waiting for you.”

“…The Corps Commander is waiting for me?”

“Indeed. I know it’s not customary to call you right upon arrival, but as you know, we are pressed for time. Please follow me.”

Was there a reason for the Corps Commander to wait for a mere captain? Daniel felt puzzled, but there was no option to refuse, so he followed Advisor Kalpren.

Entering the headquarters and ascending the stairs in succession, Daniel stopped in front of the Corps Commander’s office on the fifth floor.

“Those who hesitate to respond because they are being cautious are not favored here, so if you have an opinion, express it clearly.”

Kalpren, who had given Daniel this advice, knocked on the office door.

“Corps Commander, I have brought Captain Daniel Steiner.”

The response came a moment later.

“Let him in.”

It was a deep and powerful voice.

As Daniel felt a wave of tension, Kalpren opened the door.

Inside, he could see Corps Commander Karl Peter Krau attending to business at his desk.

Behind him, the eagle emblem symbolizing the imperial family and the imperial flag were crossed in a decorative tabletop display.

Additionally, the walls were densely covered with various strategic maps and operation boards.

It was evident that this was the office of a commanding general.

General Karl Peter Krau.

He was the highest-ranking person Daniel had met so far, aside from the princess.

Taking a discreet deep breath, Daniel walked into the office and saluted.

“Corps Commander, I heard you called for me.”

Only then did Karl Peter set down his pen and slowly lift his head.

His blue eyes sparkled beneath thick eyebrows.

He was an impressive man with small scars on his face and a square jaw.

He returned Daniel’s salute and leaned back in his chair.

“Daniel Steiner. According to the staff headquarters’ records, you have a knack for interrogation. Considering you subdued Captain Reginald of the kingdom’s army and pressured a spy at the royal banquet.”

Starting with the main point without any pleasantries left Daniel feeling somewhat breathless.

In the heavy atmosphere, Daniel offered an awkward smile.

“Sir, that was just luck.”

“Such humility is excessive. Even if what you say is true, I believe luck is also a skill. Especially on a battlefield where one cannot predict what lies ahead.”

Karl Peter exhaled softly and opened his eyes halfway.

“Therefore, I wish to borrow your luck and eloquence. To be direct, I intend to send you as the chief negotiator and envoy for the peace negotiations in four days.”

Daniel, standing at attention, felt his fingertips tremble.

Karl Peter was making an outrageous request.

‘…Chief negotiator? Me?’

In disbelief, Daniel spoke after a brief silence.

“Sir? I don’t think a mere captain like me is suited for the role of chief negotiator. Aren’t there other capable individuals in the headquarters?”

“There are. That’s why I sent those capable ones, but what was the result? A failed negotiation.”

“But…”

Karl Peter raised his hand to stop Daniel’s words.

“To ease your sense of responsibility, let me clarify: neither I nor the headquarters have high expectations of you. The headquarters is currently considering total war.”

He was saying that even if the negotiations failed again, he would not hold Daniel accountable, so he should calm down.

“So, will you do it or not?”

Karl Peter raised an eyebrow, testing Daniel.

“I…”

As Daniel was about to refuse, a sudden brilliant idea flashed in his mind.

Perhaps this opportunity could truly allow him to escape the empire.

Clenching his fists, Daniel met Karl Peter’s gaze.

“I will do it.”

Reading the sudden change in Daniel’s demeanor, interest sparkled in Karl Peter’s eyes.

“However, there are conditions. If you appoint me as the chief negotiator, please grant me the appropriate authority.”

“Authority, you say?”

“I need access to all operational and troop status of the 3rd Corps. Additionally, I would like to be entrusted with the personnel arrangements for the third negotiation in four days.”

Karl Peter was momentarily speechless.

The operational and troop status of the Corps was classified as a level two military secret.

No matter how much of a staff headquarters officer he was, it was not something a mere captain could demand.

Of course, Daniel had encountered level two classified information a few times while working as an operations officer, but those were ultimately just a small fraction of the entire Corps.

‘But to request access to all level two secrets of the Corps?’

It was audacious to the point of being absurd.

‘Now I understand why Cedric favors this guy.’

Cedric places high value on “appropriate unpredictability” when formulating operations.

Unconventional tactics and strategies tend to ensnare enemies in a quagmire.

In that regard, Daniel Steiner before him was undoubtedly an extraordinary individual.

Who would dare to ask a Corps Commander to grant access to all the Corps’ troops and operations?

His spirit and courage were beyond imagination.

“Very well.”

Karl Peter chuckled softly as he looked at Daniel.

“I will grant it.”

If you place a bet on a joker card, you must stick together until the end.

–

Meanwhile, Lucy was drying off after a bath in a hotel near the headquarters.

Originally, due to the garrison in Marovark being in a state of siege, she would have had to find accommodations in dilapidated commercial buildings or schools like other junior officers.

However, thanks to being part of the “directly subordinate unit” and the added prestige of being with the “hero of the empire, Captain Daniel,” the headquarters had ordered that the officers of that company be accommodated in a hotel.

Honestly, Lucy wouldn’t have minded staying elsewhere, but she couldn’t deny feeling grateful for being able to take a bath in a hotel with hot water.

‘I feel alive…’

Dragging her weary body into the hallway, Lucy paused as she was drying her hair with a towel.

A flyer had slipped under the front door.

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While it could be seen as an ordinary advertisement flyer, Lucy noticed small raised braille dots in the upper right corner of the flyer.

An intelligence agent operating nearby had inserted a flyer with coded instructions.

Kneeling down to pick up the flyer, Lucy placed her hand on the braille and closed her eyes to interpret the code.

As she deciphered the code, various letters came to mind, but the order was incorrect.

It was a type of multiple substitution cipher.

To arrange the code in the correct order, a codebook was needed, but Lucy had memorized the contents of the codebook, so she could skip that step.

Rearranging the letters in her mind, Lucy read the contents of the order.

‘Notify that Daniel Steiner’s activities may pose a threat to the Allied Nations. Recommend that measures be taken immediately to incapacitate his rational thinking and exploit him…’

As she continued to interpret the code, Lucy’s eyes suddenly flew open.

‘Order to seduce Daniel Steiner to gain emotional control…?’

Unconsciously, her shoulders flinched.

Whether it was agitation or not, Lucy’s red eyes were trembling slightly.

Author’s Note (Author’s Afterword)

Thank you to HGWealth for the 200 coin donation! Teacher… such a large sum…! It’s too much to call it dedication! I’m just glad that readers enjoy my writing. Thank you so, so much for your support!

And thank you to all the readers who are reading this work.

The weather has really gotten cold lately, so please dress warmly and stay healthy!

Then, I’ll see you again tomorrow!