Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 30
The Return of the Saintess

Half a month later.

“No, you see, I was collecting stamps as a hobby, and my wife heard some nonsense from somewhere and started yelling at me not to waste money on such things! It’s absurd!”

As usual, I was strolling in front of the headquarters building after lunch, listening to Ernst’s complaints.

Incidentally, Lucy, my adjutant, was also with us, listening to Ernst’s family troubles.

“My only hobbies are fishing and stamp collecting! Does it make sense to stop me from enjoying one of them?”

Listening to him, I felt a bit sympathetic and nodded.

“I think your wife is being unreasonable. It’s not like you’re neglecting your family, and you always go straight home after work.”

“Exactly! As expected, Captain Daniel understands me! The head of personnel even criticized me for spending too much money on stamp collecting! Where in the world is there a hobby that doesn’t cost money?”

…Something felt strange.

“Sir? May I ask what stamp you bought recently?”

“Hmm? Ah, a limited edition stamp from the Berghausen Museum came on the market, so I spent a bit.”

A limited edition stamp from the Berghausen Museum? As far as I knew, it was so expensive that even I, who had no interest in stamps, knew about it.

‘It was probably priced at 100,000 won when it was released.’

Considering that the monthly salary of a worker in this era ranged from 30,000 to 60,000 won, it was a significant expense.

I understood why Ernst’s wife was angry, but I decided to remain silent.

There’s a saying that silence is golden, isn’t there?

“I didn’t even touch my emergency funds; I bought it with my allowance. It’s unfair to criticize me for that. Honestly, this woman…”

As I listened to Ernst’s complaints with one ear and let them out the other, I suddenly noticed something strange.

‘What’s this?’

I saw junior officers and non-commissioned officers I had never seen before coming and going in front of the General Staff Headquarters.

The General Staff Headquarters was a place where you were more likely to see senior officers than junior officers.

It was an unusual sight to see unfamiliar Second Lieutenants or First Lieutenants walking around here.

“Um, sir?”

Ernst, who had been badmouthing his wife, looked at me.

“Hmm? Do you have something to say?”

“Well… aren’t there an unusual number of officers coming and going from the headquarters today? They all seem to be unfamiliar faces.”

“Unfamiliar faces? Ah, I heard the personnel department called the officers who are going to provide operational support to the Northern Front Army. It seems they’ve all arrived.”

Operational support to the Northern Front Army? Feeling curious, I said,

“Isn’t the northern expansion war going smoothly? I heard that the Kingdom of Eldresia is crumbling helplessly, except for a few areas.”

“Those few areas are the problem. As you know, if we don’t push through the Kingdom before winter, it’s likely to become a protracted war. That’s why we’re sending support.”

I took a sip of coffee from my paper cup and tilted my head in confusion.

“Judging from the ranks of the officers, the unit going for operational support seems to be company-level, but I don’t think adding a company to a battlefield where corps are operating will change much.”

Ernst chuckled softly at my words.

“That’s not the case. The company is merely an escort to protect a capable staff officer. We can’t risk them being exposed to enemy guerrilla attacks on their way to join the Northern Front Army.”

“Ah, I see.”

It seemed like the General Staff Headquarters’ plan was to deploy a capable staff officer to the field and try to turn the tide of the war in the Empire’s favor, even if slightly.

‘They’re willing to use any help they can get…’

From the Empire’s perspective, the best strategy was to quickly occupy the relatively weaker Kingdom of Eldresia and then focus on the Eastern Front.

Once the winter cold set in, there would be disruptions in supply and marching, leading to a protracted war. So they were trying to end the war before summer ended, even if it meant taking some risks.

In any case, it didn’t concern me.

“I don’t know which staff officer is going for operational support, but they’ll have a tough time.”

I almost felt sorry for the poor guy.

Being transferred to the front lines from the warm and safe rear would bring anyone but a war maniac to tears.

But what could he do? It was his fate.

“…Captain Daniel?”

As I was chuckling to myself, Ernst awkwardly scratched his cheek.

Wondering why he was acting like that, I stared at him, and he let out a soft cough.

“I apologize. I must have forgotten to tell you because I’ve been so busy lately. The staff officer going for operational support to the Northern Front Army is none other than you.”

What? My mind went blank.

I almost dropped my paper cup as my grip loosened.

After a moment of stunned silence, I finally managed to speak.

“…Me, sir?”

“Yes. It seems the Deputy Chief of Operations has taken a liking to you. He’s setting the stage for you to prove yourself on the battlefield. The company has 200 men, so you can even directly command small-scale operations.”

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it.

Taking a deep breath, I asked again,

“Really, me, sir?”

“There’s no need to ask twice. Are you that happy? Seeing your surprised expression makes me feel good. Hahaha! Go out there and do your best!”

I wasn’t happy; I felt like throwing up.

As I couldn’t respond to Ernst’s encouragement, Lucy interjected.

“Congratulations, Captain Daniel Steiner. I’ll take care of the office work while you’re active on the battlefield.”

Ernst tilted his head in confusion.

“Hmm? Of course, you’ll be going with him as his adjutant, right?”

Lucy looked flustered, which was a rare sight.

Her eyes wavered.

“…But sir? If I leave headquarters as well, the staff office will be burdened with an excessive workload.”

“They can just work overtime. It’s wartime, after all. Compared to what you’ll be doing on the front lines, our struggles here are nothing.”

Lucy fell silent, sweating.

Neither she nor the Allied Intelligence Agency would have anticipated this situation.

Of course, I didn’t care about Lucy’s situation right now.

‘Damn it…’

Things were going wrong, far more than I anticipated.

As I groaned inwardly, I suddenly stopped.

A woman walking towards the General Staff Headquarters looked somewhat familiar.

Light brown hair swaying gently with each step and dark brown eyes.

It was Frienne, who would one day be called the Saintess of the Empire.

‘What is she doing here?’

Shouldn’t she be at the military academy, taking officer training courses?

Curious, I excused myself from Ernst and approached Frienne.

“Cadet, stop right there.”

Frienne turned around at my words, then her face brightened with a wide smile.

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner! Oh, my apologies! You’re a Captain now!”

Her voice was high-pitched, as if she had met someone she was happy to see.

Of course, I wasn’t particularly happy to see her, so I maintained a neutral expression.

“I have no intention of exchanging pleasantries, so answer my question. Why is a cadet loitering around the General Staff Headquarters? Shouldn’t you be at the military academy?”

“Ah…! I saw the announcement for support to the Northern Front Army from the General Staff Headquarters, so I personally wrote a letter to the personnel department. I think they must have made an exception after seeing it.”

I frowned.

“A letter?”

“Yes. After seeing the announcement that you would be leading the operation, I sent an application letter including the fact that I had previously served with you.”

“And the personnel officer at the General Staff Headquarters read that and assigned you to my company?”

“Yes! It’s an honor for my family to serve under Captain Daniel once again!”

If it was the decision of the General Staff Headquarters, I couldn’t object, but it felt ominous.

To be able to smile so brightly despite facing the battlefield meant one of two things.

Either she was overflowing with loyalty to the Empire, or she was in the grip of some kind of madness.

And usually, loyalty and madness had more in common than differences.

“…Frienne? I understand your feelings, but aren’t you too young to volunteer for the Northern Front Army? No one will blame you if you give up your cadetship, so think carefully before making your decision.”

I was indirectly telling her to withdraw her application, but Frienne shook her head and gently placed her hand on her chest.

“I’ve already made up my mind. To repay the kindness I received from Captain Daniel at the military police detention center with my life. So I won’t withdraw my application.”

…Kindness? What kindness? All I did was exchange a few words with her.

“Therefore, I will accompany Captain Daniel. And in the not-so-distant future, you and I will witness it together. An ideal nation where all worries and anxieties have vanished.”

“…An ideal nation?”

“Yes. One Empire, one Emperor, one people. We must establish God’s kingdom on this land, where the lowly rat-like humans of the Allied Nations have all been eliminated.”

Frienne said this with a benevolent smile.

It was a warm smile, as if it would appear during a sanctification process, and I was certain.

‘Is she crazy?’

I didn’t know the reason, but Frienne had already entered a state of madness, surpassing mere loyalty.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I gulped in fear.

‘I need to tell the Deputy Chief. To remove Frienne from my company roster.’

I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I had to try.

The bright-eyed fanatic in front of me was truly terrifying.

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