chapter_0191

190 – We Can’t Let Talented Individuals Go to Waste

190 – We Can’t Let Talented Individuals Go to Waste

Daniel was in a bit of a headache, but he did not choose the option to run away.

He didn’t want to be remembered as a rogue in front of the Emperor of the Empire.

“Your Majesty, it seems there has been a slight misunderstanding. The words of the noble lady, the Prime Minister of Bellanos, who is beside me, are not false, but there was absolutely no physical contact. We merely exchanged words for some reason while I was staying in Bellanos.”

As Daniel spoke, he subtly signaled to Leff.

No matter how much of a tomboy she was, he wanted her to maintain decorum in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

Leff, knowing the extent of the Emperor’s power, did not make a mistake.

Leff lifted the hem of his skirt with both hands and bowed gracefully to Selvia.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

After finishing his greeting, Leff placed his hands in front of his abdomen.

At that moment, he looked like a refined lady.

“Daniel is right. We only talked about our interests back then.”

“…Interests?”

At Selvia’s question, Daniel answered on his behalf.

“It was merely casual conversation. Things like favorite foods or hobbies. There is no need for concern.”

Daniel wanted to convey that he had maintained his dignity as a soldier of the Empire, but Selvia felt differently.

It seemed as if a man who had cheated was making excuses.

Selvia, looking up at Daniel, clenched her fist tightly.

“Colonel Daniel, why do you keep making excuses for this woman? Did I ask you a question?”

Her tone was plain, but there was a cold frost in her words.

Sensing that he should not intervene further, Daniel placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head.

“I was presumptuous. Please forgive my rudeness.”

With Daniel apologizing, Selvia found herself at a loss for words.

‘I wasn’t trying to get angry at Daniel…’

Selvia, who had been hesitating for no reason, let out a low sigh.

“It’s fine. I’m okay, so Colonel Daniel, please go to the study.”

“To the study?”

“Yes. The Chief of Staff will be waiting there.”

Though he didn’t know the details, it seemed there was something urgent to convey.

“Understood. I will go right away.”

Daniel, showing courtesy to Selvia, began to walk away.

Leff, quietly watching Daniel’s back, slowly turned his gaze.

He was sweating coldly due to Selvia’s intense stare.

Though they were of similar ages, the status of the Emperor weighed heavily on Leff.

Woline was also flustered, and in the midst of it all, Selvia quietly spoke up.

“It is rude to engage in casual conversation in an official setting. Even if you have a personal acquaintance, this is the Imperial Palace and the territory of the Empire. I will forgive this rudeness this time, but remember that if it happens again, it could lead to serious diplomatic faux pas.”

He felt deflated.

However, he could not understand why Selvia was so sensitive over just a few exchanged words.

His inability to understand led to several speculations.

Wanting to confirm whether those speculations were true, Leff placed his hand on his chest and replied politely.

“I will keep that in mind. I will conduct myself so that this does not happen again. Personally, I enjoyed the time I spent with Daniel, so perhaps I lost my sense of propriety in my joy at our reunion.”

A subtle crack appeared in Selvia’s expression.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Selvia spoke.

“Is that all?”

Leff blinked, not understanding what she meant, and Selvia reiterated.

“I am asking if you merely indulged in a brief memory of the past and acted foolishly in front of an official of the Empire. I will not scold you for your feelings, but wasn’t your joy a bit misplaced?”

Though Selvia pretended to protest officially as the Emperor of the Empire, to Leff, she appeared as a woman anxiously fearing the loss of her beloved man.

Understanding why Selvia reacted so sensitively, Leff bowed his head in accordance with etiquette.

“You are not wrong. I will exercise restraint in the future.”

“You must. There are more than a few headaches besides you. And…”

Selvia narrowed her eyes, as if uncomfortable.

“From now on, when addressing Colonel Daniel, please use honorifics. Respect between our nations is essential for harmony.”

Leff nodded lightly, and Selvia turned to walk away.

As he watched her retreating figure, Leff raised his hand to cover his mouth and smiled faintly.

‘Well, this is getting interesting.’

Leff naturally assumed that Daniel Steiner and the Emperor of the Empire were in a power struggle.

Having accumulated numerous achievements and even returning to the Imperial City leading the military, Daniel Steiner was like a ticking time bomb from the Emperor’s perspective.

But Leff’s expectations were wrong.

‘To seduce the Emperor with that handsome face, he’s more than I thought. Is he willing to go to any lengths to gain power?’

While others might condemn such a Daniel Steiner as a ruthless villain, Leff was different.

Her focus was solely on the survival of Bellanos.

The survival of the nation was tantamount to her own survival.

‘Having dealt with the traitors and maintaining a decent relationship with the Emperor, the citizens and soldiers of the Empire are united against a common enemy. So…’

Perhaps the Empire might really win this war.

‘I think I should place my bets on the Empire…’

After much contemplation, Leff turned to Woline.

“Woline, I think it would be better to accept the Empire’s proposal.”

“Excuse me? But you were originally opposed to maintaining a friendly relationship with the Empire, weren’t you?”

“I was. But now it’s different.”

Leaning against her arms, Leff chuckled softly as she thought of Daniel Steiner.

“I had the thought that one person might change the fate of the Empire.”

–

Following Selvia’s orders, Daniel soon found himself meeting the Chief of Staff in the Emperor’s private study.

Standing by the sunlit window, Chief of Staff Arman was admiring the view outside, accompanied by a lieutenant colonel aide.

Upon spotting Daniel, the aide approached Arman and whispered something to him.

Only then did Arman turn around and face Daniel Steiner.

“Ah, Colonel Daniel. I’ve been waiting for you.”

As soon as Arman finished speaking, Daniel saluted.

“It is an honor to meet you, Chief of Staff!”

A tremor was evident in Daniel’s voice, though he was unaware of it.

It was only natural to feel nervous when personally facing someone at the pinnacle of the military.

‘Moreover, Chief of Staff Arman is…’

He was undoubtedly one of the most important figures leading the Empire.

In the original work, he was notorious for constantly hindering the player’s progress, so there was no need to explain how capable he was.

With a smile, Arman accepted Daniel’s salute and began to speak.

“I am also glad to meet you. When I saw you at the conference hall the other day, I wanted to exchange greetings, but the situation was not conducive. I hope you won’t feel slighted.”

“I completely understand. It would not be appropriate for the Chief of Staff to waste personal time.”

“I’m glad to hear you say that. I would like to discuss more, but I am busy as well. Is it alright if we get straight to the point?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Before we delve into the main topic, let’s discuss the international situation. Have you heard the news that the Republic has completed its war preparations?”

It was common knowledge by now, so Daniel nodded.

“Yes. I believe the Republic’s involvement is now imminent.”

“Indeed. While it is a bad development, it cannot be judged solely as such. Do you know why?”

Under Arman’s barrage of questions, Daniel had a slight realization.

‘Is this some kind of interview? The Chief of Staff calling me might mean he intends to reassign me to the headquarters.’

That meant he could work in the safe Imperial City rather than on a battlefield filled with bullets and shells.

If that were the case, it was best to score points with Arman as much as possible.

Having finished his thoughts, Daniel replied as confidently as he could.

“In my opinion, even though the Republic’s involvement is imminent, the Federation has not shown any significant movements, so it cannot be judged as solely negative. As long as it is not a three-front war, the Empire can endure.”

Arman smiled with satisfaction.

“Exactly. However, the Federation can change its judgment at any time. What do you think this implies?”

“I believe that even if the Republic joins the war, the Empire must demonstrate its resilience. Only then can we prevent the war from spreading further, ending with the Republic.”

“I see. How would you suggest the Empire demonstrate its resilience?”

Daniel pondered for a moment.

Then he recalled the businessman Hamtal mentioning the city in the Allied Nations where the Lucy Project was being conducted.

“To prove the Empire’s resilience and demoralize the enemy, it would be appropriate to occupy the enemy’s city through an offensive rather than a defensive stance. However, utilizing the troops currently focused on defense in the north and east would be too risky a gamble.”

“What then?”

“We should assess the available personnel, including the headquarters direct unit, and occupy a city that is symbolically significant but relatively lightly defended. For example, Penbarch.”

Penbarch had been the capital of Edria, a permanent member of the Alliance, hundreds of years ago.

Arman nodded as if encouraging him to continue.

“Thanks to the Empire’s numerous victories on the eastern front, we have been able to push the front lines significantly. As a result, Penbarch is currently adjacent to the front lines but is relatively poorly defended.”

“Though it was once the capital long ago, its population has significantly decreased. It is no longer a strategic stronghold, so they likely felt there was no need to defend it vigorously.”

“Exactly. We must take advantage of that point to launch an attack. After occupying the city, if we widely publicize that the former capital of Edria has fallen…”

Arman chuckled softly.

“Not only would it announce the Empire’s resilience, but it could also demoralize the Allied Nations. However, occupying a single city is not easy.”

“Still, the chances are high. Since the eastern and southern sides are mountainous, it takes a relatively long time for enemy reinforcements to arrive. In contrast, the western area where our troops can advance consists of plains and rivers, which is favorable for armored movements and artillery deployment.”

“Indeed. What about the enemy’s defense forces?”

“I believe a single infantry regiment is guarding it. To maximize the propaganda effect, it would be wise to dispatch a brigade of similar or slightly larger size.”

It is far more effective in propaganda to depict the military gap as the Allied Nations losing despite being of similar scale rather than overwhelming firepower.

“A brigade size, huh…”

As Arman seriously considered Daniel’s words, he spoke up.

“Then we will need a capable frontline commander. We cannot be sure that an unqualified person can occupy the city.”

“Of course. It would be best for you to review the personnel list carefully before making a decision—”

“No, there’s no need to drag this out that long.”

Cutting off Daniel’s words, Arman clasped his hands behind his back.

“Isn’t there the most suitable candidate for the frontline commander to occupy Penbarch right here?”

Those words sent a chill down Daniel’s spine.

‘No way? Surely not…’

As he secretly broke into a cold sweat, Daniel desperately protested.

“Your Excellency? As I mentioned earlier, occupying Penbarch requires a minimum of a brigade-sized force. If I, a mere field-grade officer and colonel, were to command a brigade, it could lead to confusion in the command structure. So please, retract your statement.”

Despite Daniel’s desperate refusal, Arman merely accepted it with humility.

However, there was some merit to Daniel’s argument.

Unless in special cases, most brigade commanders in the Empire were typically major generals.

“Of course, I do not intend to assign a brigade to a colonel. Unless we are in a situation where we lack capable generals, we can still hold our ground for now.”

That was a relief to hear.

Just as Daniel was about to let out a sigh of relief, Arman gestured with his hand.

Then, an aide who had been listening approached with a box in hand.

The box, neatly wrapped in the national flag, was something Daniel had seen several times before.

While Daniel was in shock, Arman quietly continued speaking.

“I know well that you wish to dedicate yourself to the country, Colonel Daniel Steiner. No, rather…”

As the aide opened the box, a major general’s insignia appeared.

“Major General Daniel Steiner.”

As Daniel internally screamed, Arman looked at him with a gentle smile.

“I sincerely congratulate you on your return as a frontline commander.”

A word from the author (Author’s note)

I was a bit late preparing due to a mountain of rice… I hope for your understanding… I’m sorry…

Thank you to the readers who are still with me today.

I hope to see you again tomorrow! Always grateful!