Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 48
The Most Difficult Mission in the World

『 Translator – Divinity 』

Military Security Department, 3rd Corps Headquarters.

Temporary Records Room, first floor basement of the headquarters.

“It’s been 10 hours since Major Daniel Steiner entered the records room. I’m getting worried. Shouldn’t we check on him?”

At the guard’s words, Sergeant Salodam, a member of the security department, shook his head.

“The Major said he wanted to look around the records room alone, so we’re not to enter under any circumstances. Don’t even think about disobeying that order. I don’t want to die because of you.”

“D-Die? What are you talking about?”

“This newbie knows nothing. The reason Major Steiner can freely roam the security department is that the Corps Commander himself granted him the authority. Do you understand what that means?”

In short, disobeying Daniel Steiner’s orders here was the same as disobeying the Corps Commander’s orders.

The guard’s face turned pale, and he started sweating, then suddenly stood at attention.

Sergeant Salodam chuckled at the sight.

“Look at this guy, scared stiff. With that cowardly attitude, how can you even fight the Kingdom Army? Of course, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see the battlefield…”

“S-S-Sergeant!”

The guard’s eyes darted nervously as he glanced at Salodam.

Salodam, wondering what the fuss was about, turned his head and also turned pale.

Lieutenant Colonel Kalfren, the Corps Commander’s aide, was watching them from not too far away.

Salodam almost reflexively saluted.

“A-Aide! What brings you here…?”

Kalfren smiled amiably with his hands behind his back.

“I came for a surprise inspection and to check on Major Daniel’s progress. I apologize if this old man interrupted your pleasant conversation.”

Although Kalfren’s words and demeanor were gentle, there was a hidden barb in his message.

To put it bluntly, it was, “Are the guards at the entrance to the records room so lax that they’re chatting instead of noticing a person approaching?”

The guard, thinking that Kalfren had come to encourage them, relaxed, but Salodam, understanding Kalfren’s true intentions, froze, unable to lower his salute.

“Well, don’t worry; I’m not here to bother you. More importantly, where’s Major Steiner?”

Finally regaining his composure, Salodam stammered,

“Ah, well… he said he wanted to look around the records room alone and has been in there for 10 hours.”

“Again today? Wasn’t he practically living in the records room yesterday as well?”

“Yes, he said he’s pressed for time to prepare for the negotiations, with only four days left…”

Salodam’s words filled Kalfren with admiration.

He had expected Daniel to refuse the Corps Commander’s request, seeing it as a way to pass the buck, or to only pretend to comply. He hadn’t expected him to prepare so diligently.

‘The rumors about him giving his all to everything he does seem to be true.’

If a talented individual was also hardworking, their potential was limitless.

As Kalfren was contemplating Daniel Steiner, a light knock came from the metal door guarded by Salodam and the soldier.

It was a signal to be let out. The door was designed to be opened only from the outside, so it was a necessary procedure.

“One moment, please!”

The soldier opened the metal door, and Daniel Steiner emerged.

He looked tired, but his wolf-like eyes were fixed straight ahead.

His gaze was not that of a newly promoted Major, but of a seasoned staff officer, making Kalfren’s shoulders tremble slightly.

Daniel looked at Kalfren for a moment, then saluted respectfully.

“Aide, what brings you here?”

His tone was firm, but his respect for his superior was evident.

Kalfren, feeling a sense of tension, replied,

“…I came to see if you needed anything to carry out the Corps Commander’s orders. But are you alright? You look like you haven’t slept properly.”

“I’m fine. But could you please step aside? It’s time for me to plan for the negotiations.”

Kalfren, realizing that he was blocking the way, stepped aside.

Daniel bowed his head slightly, passed by Kalfren, and climbed the stairs.

Watching Daniel’s retreating figure, Kalfren let out a sigh of disbelief.

‘He’s a tough one. I can see his determination to succeed in the negotiations…’

However, due to His Majesty’s stubbornness, reaching an agreement was nearly impossible.

‘Could he have come up with a way to overturn that?’

He wasn’t sure, but seeing Daniel pushing himself so hard gave Kalfren a glimmer of hope.

Hope that he might be able to conclude the negotiations and save countless lives.

***

Walking down the hallway, Daniel let out a sigh of relief after confirming that no one was following him.

‘…I thought I was caught.’

When the metal door opened and he saw the Corps Commander’s aide standing there, his heart skipped a beat.

He thought he had been caught secretly copying classified information into the notebook he brought into the records room.

‘If the aide had noticed me trying to take out classified information, things would have become quite difficult.’

In the worst case, he could have been branded a traitor and executed.

However, contrary to his worries, the aide had simply come to check on him.

Thanks to that, I was able to keep his notebook filled with classified information.

‘Now, I just need to document this…’

Then, all I had to do was hand it over to the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister during the peace talks tomorrow and apply for asylum.

Even if Daniel was treated as a hero of the Empire, if he offered them Level 2 military secrets, they wouldn’t doubt his sincerity.

‘I’m finally escaping this damned Empire.’

The thought of a rosy life ahead made my steps light.

As I walked, suppressing a smile, I suddenly stopped.

Lucy was approaching from the opposite direction.

As the distance between us closed, the strong scent of perfume tickled my nose.

Just as I was wondering why she was wearing perfume, Lucy reached me and nodded slightly.

“Major, there you are.”

“…Were you looking for me? Did the Corps Commander summon me?”

“No, sir. It’s just…”

Lucy hesitated.

Putting on perfume to seduce Daniel was fine.

But how was she supposed to continue the conversation naturally?

In the first place, what was ‘seduction’? Lucy’s knowledge of winning someone’s heart was practically non-existent.

So she had hurriedly read a book about romance this morning.

Taking a deep breath, Lucy looked at Daniel and said,

“…May I ask about your schedule for today?”

“I have to plan for the negotiations now. I have a rough outline, so I’m planning to leave work early today. But why do you ask?”

“Ah, well…”

She had to be confident. This was a mission, even if it was embarrassing.

“If you’re free this evening, would you like to join me…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

She didn’t know how to say the embarrassing lines she had learned from the book.

“I mean, just the two of us…”

When Lucy said that, Daniel thought,

Her unstable gaze, her slightly quickened breathing, and the suggestive request to meet alone.

Calculating in his head, Daniel reached a conclusion.

‘…Don’t tell me, is this an assassination attempt?’

Had the Allied Nations issued an assassination order? He had thought this might happen someday, but it was too soon.

‘Yes, it’s too soon.’

Just as he wondered if he was mistaken, Lucy seemed to gather her resolve and looked at Daniel.

‘I saw it in the book. To seduce a man, you have to give a soft smile…’

But what did it mean to give a “soft smile”?

For Lucy, who had never even managed a normal smile, let alone a soft one, it was a rather perplexing piece of advice.

However, as an intelligence agent, Lucy had to obey the order from the Allied Nations to “seduce Daniel Steiner.”

After much internal conflict, Lucy finally managed to give Daniel a smile.

Daniel couldn’t help but gasp at the sight.

With her eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips slightly raised, it was literally a “killer smile.”

It was like looking at a hunter eyeing its prey.

He felt immense pressure.

‘This is definitely an assassination attempt…!’

Daniel, completely unaware that Lucy was trying to seduce him, cleared his throat.

He needed to get away from Lucy as naturally as possible.

“Adjutant? It seems I have to work overtime today.”

“…Sir? But you just said you were leaving early.”

“I suddenly remembered something I have to do. Well then…”

Just as he was about to walk past her, Daniel turned to Lucy as if he had just remembered something.

“By the way, aren’t you wearing too much perfume? Usually, perfume is used to mask one’s scent, but I don’t understand why you’re wearing it.”

“Ah, I…”

“Your skin doesn’t have any odor. It’s actually quite fragrant. So don’t rely on such luxuries as perfume.”

Daniel patted Lucy’s shoulder and walked away.

‘Good. I had a normal conversation with her, so she won’t think I noticed the assassination order.’

Just as Daniel sighed in relief, having escaped the danger, Lucy’s ears turned red as she stood there.

Daniel’s compliment had unknowingly embarrassed her.

She wasn’t sure what kind of embarrassment it was.

Feeling an unprecedented emotion, Lucy leaned against the window and let out a soft sigh.

‘This is ridiculous…’

She felt that both the higher-ups who gave her this strange order and herself, who was following it, were ridiculous.

But since the order had been given, she had to seduce Daniel eventually.

It felt like a daunting task.

Biting her lower lip as she stared at her feet, Lucy tried to erase her embarrassment and slowly started walking.

She needed to return to her quarters and get rid of the perfume scent first.