Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 36
The Bloodthirsty Wolf (Not Really)

The next morning, early.

Lucy entered through the tent flap.

“Captain Daniel Steiner, I have something urgent to…”

Lucy stopped mid-sentence as she stepped inside the tent.

She saw Daniel sleeping on a cot in the corner of the tent.

He must have been exhausted, judging from how he was sleeping with the blanket haphazardly covering him.

Well, while the other soldiers and officers were resting after arriving at the outpost, Daniel was dragged to the operational command center by the Division Commander and had just returned. He must be extremely tired.

‘That means…’

Daniel Steiner was currently defenseless.

After confirming that no one was around, Lucy approached Daniel.

She quietly observed him as he slept.

The Gugseon Medal attached to the left side of his uniform glimmered faintly.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

The man who had been accumulating military achievements at a frightening pace was right in front of her.

As a result, even within the Allied Nations, interest in Daniel was gradually increasing.

However, the Allied Nations hadn’t issued an order to assassinate Daniel yet.

Lucy’s mission was to observe and report on his every move as a special surveillance target.

But there was no telling when a special surveillance target might become an assassination target.

If her home country ordered her to assassinate Daniel, Lucy would gladly comply.

However, would she be able to do so without hesitation?

Except for his dedication to the Empire, Daniel Steiner was a genuinely good man.

He shared food with his adjutant, lent her his umbrella, and even invited her to a dessert shop to share his hobby.

He even saved her from a dangerous situation when she was disguised as a doctor and caught under the suspicion of a Security Bureau officer.

She couldn’t deny that she was indebted to Daniel.

This fact caused her to waver slightly from her role as a spy bound by the favors of the Allied Nations.

‘If…’

What if they had met not as an Allied spy and an Imperial officer, but as a man and a woman with ordinary professions?

Lucy shook her head, cutting off her irrelevant thoughts.

It was a pointless and unproductive assumption.

Considering the favors she had received from the Allied Nations, she couldn’t deviate from her essence as a spy.

Moreover, even if he seemed like a good man, Daniel Steiner was ultimately an Imperial officer.

Those who benefited the Empire were enemies of the Allied Nations and fragments of Lucy’s past resentment.

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

It was foolish to wallow in self-pity.

‘How silly of me.’

There was no need to overthink it. All she had to do was focus on her given mission and role.

Therefore, until the Allied Nations issued further orders, she would simply act as the “loyal adjutant of Captain Daniel Steiner.”

As if answering her own thoughts, Lucy nodded slightly and turned to leave.

She was about to exit the tent when she paused.

The messy blanket covering Daniel’s body bothered her for some reason.

She wasn’t sure if it was part of her obsession with cleanliness, but she didn’t like it.

After a moment of hesitation, Lucy bent down and picked up the blanket.

She then neatly tucked it around Daniel’s chest and lightly dusted off her hands.

“Sleep well.”

Whispering softly, Lucy turned and left the tent.

Only after Lucy was completely gone did Daniel slowly open his eyes.

Confirming that she was no longer in the tent, he abruptly sat up.

He couldn’t help but let out a ragged breath.

‘…What was that?’

Actually, Daniel had been awake for a while.

He had woken up to the sound of someone approaching, and when he cautiously opened his eyes, he saw Lucy looking down at him, so he continued to pretend to be asleep.

There was no particular reason. He was just scared!

‘Am I still alive?’

He raised his hand and touched his neck, relieved to find no wounds.

As he sat on the cot, catching his breath, his nerves were on edge.

He could hear the sound of two jeeps stopping near the tent, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Wondering what it was this time, he watched as four soldiers entered the tent and split into two groups.

Then, Heinrich, with his dignified appearance, entered the tent.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Daniel was startled, then immediately got up and saluted.

“Brigadier General! What brings you here…?”

Heinrich chuckled and returned the salute.

“Congratulations, Captain Daniel.”

“…Congratulations? What do you mean?”

“Your prediction was right once again. A few hours ago, we received a report from the search battalion. They found the Kingdom Army’s underground tunnel.”

Daniel felt a shock as if he had been hit with a hammer.

‘They found an underground tunnel? On the same day I gave my opinion?’

It wasn’t logically impossible, but the probability was extremely low.

Against all odds, the Kingdom Army was indeed using an underground tunnel for resupply, and the search battalion had achieved the feat of finding it in a single night.

As Daniel was dumbfounded by this absurd turn of events, Heinrich gestured.

“Let’s discuss this on the way. We’re pressed for time.”

“…Understood.”

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

***

Following Heinrich, they arrived at a flatland in the forest, 18 kilometers north of where the enemy supply battalion had been captured.

As he got out of the jeep, the first thing he saw were the soldiers of the Magic Mobile Brigade.

Lined up motionlessly among the trees, fully equipped except for their backpacks, they were truly an army of steel.

As Daniel stood frozen, overwhelmed by their imposing presence, Heinrich placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s right over there. The Kingdom Army’s underground tunnel you mentioned.”

Daniel turned his gaze to where Heinrich was pointing and saw a large metal door wide open.

“We sent scouts skilled in reconnaissance to investigate, and it turns out that tunnel leads all the way to the city. Isn’t it amazing? If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have even known it existed.”

Heinrich burst into hearty laughter, but Daniel was only bewildered.

Just as he opened his mouth to retort, the sound of artillery fire echoed from the direction of the division headquarters.

“It has begun.”

Removing his hand from Daniel’s shoulder, Heinrich shouted towards the brigade soldiers.

“I just heard the Goddess of Victory roar, ‘Advance!’ Those of you with ears must have heard it too! Haven’t you!?”

Smiles spread across the soldiers’ faces at Heinrich’s words.

It was a chilling sight.

“The Kingdom Army, joining hands with the filthy Allied Nations, invaded our territory and humiliated countless comrades. Remember! The screams our comrades had to endure! The pain they had to bear! The shame they had to withstand!”

Heinrich stepped forward and shouted with veins bulging in his neck.

“Now we will return all of that twofold! Rip open the bellies of those enemies bloated with the blood of our comrades! Advance, elites of the Empire!”

The brigade soldiers roared in unison.

And they began to march into the underground tunnel one after another.

The soldiers marched into the tunnel in two columns with mechanical precision.

It was a testament to their disciplined training.

Watching them, I approached Heinrich and said,

“A diversionary tactic, then. While the division’s forces advance on the front lines and artillery fire draws the enemy’s attention, you’ll use the underground tunnel to directly strike the city…”

“An easy victory, indeed. Those cowards have been hiding because they know they can’t win a head-on battle. Once they realize enemy forces have infiltrated the city, they’ll be consumed by fear and panic.”

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

Although it wasn’t the outcome I desired, watching the soldiers charge in real-time made me grateful to be a staff officer.

‘They won’t send a staff officer into the heart of enemy territory…’

Preserving my life was naturally a higher priority than escaping the Empire.

I had to stay alive to have another chance.

As I watched the soldiers with a sense of relief, Heinrich looked at me and said,

“You seem envious of the soldiers? A patriotic officer like you must want to crush the enemy yourself. I was also full of such fighting spirit in my younger days.”

That wasn’t true at all, but there was no harm in playing along.

“Indeed. However, I believe it’s also important to protect the backs of our allies as a staff officer. Unfortunately, I must leave the glory of attacking the enemy to the soldiers.”

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

Wait a minute? This conversation was taking a strange turn.

As I looked at him with confusion, Heinrich gave a knowing smile, as if telling me to be happy.

“The Division Commander has ordered your entire headquarters unit, including you, to assist the Magic Mobile Brigade in the city attack.”

“…Sir? But my company joining the battle will only be a hindrance.”

“The Division Commander initially thought the same. But after talking with you, he completely changed his mind. He told me when we were alone that you are a bloodthirsty wolf.”

My jaw dropped. What nonsense was he spouting?

“He said to tell you to go wild and satisfy your hunger, as he will provide you with the means to do so.”

“…Are you sure he was talking about me?”

“Yes. It’s not often that the Division Commander shows favor, so take this opportunity to prove yourself.”

I couldn’t understand why he would say such absurd things.

But when the higher-ups gave an order, I had no choice but to obey.

Letting out a short groan, I looked at Heinrich and said,

“Brigadier General, did the Division Commander really call me a bloodthirsty wolf?”

“Hmm? Haha, it seems he likes that nickname quite a bit. He said it jokingly, but he definitely said it.”

This confirmed it once again.

That my life was going downhill in real-time.

—————

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