Mistaken for a War Hero

Chapter 8
Unwanted Encounter

After hearing that the number of applicants had exceeded two thousand, I was seized by despair and asked the personnel officer why the announcement I wrote was considered well-written.

He explained with a smile, even helpfully using his fingers to enumerate the reasons.

1. As the war with the Allied Nations dragged on, the children of soldiers who died in battle grew into adults, fueled by a desire for revenge, and enlisted in large numbers.

2. The announcement by Acting Operations Staff Officer Lieutenant Daniel Steiner added fuel to the fire of those seeking revenge for their lost parents, naturally increasing the number of applicants.

3. Moreover, the battlefield was the Northern Front, where the Imperial Army had the upper hand. It was assumed that many soldiers wanted to make a name for themselves and gain a share of the spoils in a favorable war zone.

4. The phrase depicting the rear as “parasites” likely provoked a rebellious spirit in the soldiers. It was highly probable that some of them took the announcement seriously and applied for the sake of honor.

5. Even setting aside the logical reasoning mentioned above, there was something about Lieutenant Daniel’s announcement that stirred the hearts of men.

Having used all the fingers on one hand, the personnel officer added that I had a talent for propaganda and that I should let him know if I ever wanted to transfer to the personnel department.

Responding to the job offer with an awkward smile, I sent the personnel officer away and ordered the soldiers to sort the documents.

Realistically, I couldn’t reject over two thousand applicants, so it was all but certain that I would be going to the Northern Front.

In that case, the best course of action was to select the most normal and elite soldiers from the applicants to ensure my safety.

Therefore, those with even minor criminal records were excluded.

Those whose motivation was solely revenge were also excluded.

Those with impure ideologies or who appeared mentally unstable were excluded as well.

Those who disobeyed a superior’s orders even once during training were also excluded.

Those who didn’t achieve a perfect score in the shooting test were excluded.

Those without magical aptitude were excluded.

After the initial screening of documents, the remaining number of applicants was 327.

From among them, I selected those with excellent grades and exemplary military records, narrowing it down to 20 soldiers to form a platoon, and sent them acceptance notifications.

Ten days after sending the acceptance notifications, here I was, standing before them.

“…”

An involuntary sense of intimidation washed over me as I saw the platoon I had selected lined up in ten rows in front of the fountain at the main gate of the General Staff Headquarters, which was our assembly point.

Their eyes, in particular, were intimidating.

With a bit of exaggeration, their eyes held a steely glint, as if they would silently obey even a suicide charge order.

‘Even though I chose them… are they lacking in humanity?’

I couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

Of course, not all the platoon members were acting like inhumane war machines.

There was one woman among the robust men, blinking her clear eyes.

‘Frienne Remilliarde.’

The woman I met at the detention center, and the named NPC who would become the Saintess of the Empire.

She had completed her training without any problems and was now wearing the Private’s insignia.

I had chosen her without much thought when I saw her name on the list of applicants, but seeing Frienne’s bright eyes amidst the war-hungry soldiers, she reminded me of a bright-eyed fanatic.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have chosen her. I looked at Frienne with caution and cleared my throat.

“Greetings, soldiers.”

It was the commander’s duty to briefly explain the outline of the mission before departure.

I was about to fulfill that duty now.

And in the process, I hoped my platoon members would be scared and run away.

“As you may have seen in the announcement, I, Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, standing before you, am your platoon leader. And as I mentioned in the announcement, which you might have missed, I have no combat experience.”

Despite telling them that I might be incompetent, there wasn’t a single stir among them.

Good, they’re holding their ground? Then I’ll be even harsher.

“So, don’t expect a competent commander. All I desire is the destruction of the Allied forces and the screams of the barbarians within their ranks.”

I was emphasizing that I had no expertise in tactics or strategy.

Any normal soldier would feel fear at this point.

But for some reason, ferocious smiles bloomed on the faces of the platoon members.

After a brief silence, I looked at them and warned,

“I have no need for cowards. This is your only chance to escape the blood-soaked battlefield. Those who wish to abandon the mission, raise your hands.”

As expected, not a single hand went up.

These guys were definitely not in their right minds.

Sighing inwardly, I spoke one last time.

“Good! You fools who dare to challenge death! I will personally assist you. Your sweat and blood will bring glory to the Empire!”

As soon as I finished speaking, the soldiers saluted.

“Glory to the Empire!”

Their unified voices were loud enough to echo throughout the General Staff Headquarters.

Seeing this, I groaned inwardly and closed my eyes.

‘This is crazy…’

These guys were truly war maniacs.

***

Four days later.

Temporary outpost of the 307th Special Operations Unit, Northern Front.

‘Is today the day the support troops from the General Staff Headquarters arrive?’

Captain Heinz Schmidt, company commander of the 307th Special Operations Unit, was resting in the military barracks when he reached into his pocket and pulled out the announcement he had seen earlier.

『Recruitment Notice for Northern Front Support Troops』

Attention, soldiers!

A fierce battle to protect the precious land of our homeland is currently underway in the north!

Therefore, I seek those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the Empire!

O soldiers! Do not covet the Empire’s grain in life, but become the foundation for the Empire’s glory in death!

Join me and destroy, ravage, and eliminate the enemy until your last breath!

We shall desire only the death of our enemies!

‘…This seems like madness.’

Even Heinz, who prided himself on having witnessed all kinds of madness through assassinations, high-profile eliminations, and counter-terrorism operations as a member of the Special Operations Unit, was unfamiliar with this kind of announcement.

‘It’s as if this isn’t recruiting comrades to fight together…’

But rather seeking expendable tools for the Empire.

‘Was his name Lieutenant Daniel Steiner?’

According to his adjutant, he was a talented officer who had recently been promoted to Lieutenant after achieving three remarkable feats.

Yet, the fact that he volunteered for the Northern Front despite that meant only one thing.

‘A war maniac obsessed with promotion…!’

It seemed that Lieutenant Daniel Steiner was someone who would ruthlessly exploit his allies for his own advancement.

Feeling uneasy about this, Heinz unconsciously tightened his grip on the announcement before shaking his head.

‘I shouldn’t judge someone based on rumors alone.’

One couldn’t know a person’s true nature without experiencing it firsthand.

Just as he was reaffirming his thoughts, a soldier entered the barracks and saluted.

“Company Commander! The support troops sent from the General Staff Headquarters have arrived!”

Heinz nodded upon hearing the report.

“Understood. Let’s go out and greet them.”

Heinz put the announcement back in his pocket and stood up.

He glanced at the girl leisurely reading a book nearby, but seeing that she was engrossed in her reading, he didn’t bother to speak to her.

After bowing his head once to show respect to the girl, Heinz opened the barracks door and stepped outside.

As his vision adjusted to the bright light, he saw a platoon marching across the snow-covered ground.

The twenty soldiers, exuding an intense aura, created an involuntary sense of intimidation.

Even the Special Operations Unit officers and soldiers passing by faltered and stepped back.

Leading these war machine-like soldiers was none other than Lieutenant Daniel Steiner.

He was staring straight ahead, his eyes devoid of any discernible emotion.

“…”

“…”

As their eyes met, Heinz felt his body stiffen.

Daniel frowned, then, realizing that the person before him was the unit’s commander, quickly saluted.

Heinz, amidst his nervousness, returned the salute, and Daniel approached with a thin smile.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Captain Heinz Schmidt.”

“…You know my name?”

“Yes. I did some research on the unit I’ll be joining. It’s a unit that has carried out many impressive missions. I think I understand why I was sent here.”

“Thank you for saying so. It must have been a difficult journey to get here. Are you not tired? Your soldiers must also be fatigued from the long journey.”

Daniel chuckled softly and shook his head.

“Those suicidal maniacs? I’ve observed them for a few days, and they never tire, so don’t worry.”

Heinz broke out in a cold sweat at the term “suicidal maniacs.”

‘As expected… he treats his soldiers as mere human resources.’

In reality, Daniel had only made a joke to lighten the heavy atmosphere, but Heinz, already prejudiced, began to see Daniel as some kind of demon.

“…Captain Heinz?”

Daniel, unaware of this, tilted his head at Heinz’s hardened expression.

“What’s all the commotion?”

The entrance to the barracks behind Heinz opened, and a blonde-haired girl emerged.

Dressed in a pure white blouse with a red brooch at her neck, she was the picture of a noble lady.

Naturally turning his gaze, Daniel faltered and closed his mouth as his eyes met the girl’s.

Seeing this, Heinz spoke up to introduce the girl.

“Ah, this is a war correspondent who applied to join our unit. She arrived a few days ago, saying she wanted to capture the Imperial Army’s heroic deeds with her camera.”

Despite Heinz’s explanation, Daniel couldn’t take his eyes off the girl.

Conscious of his gaze, the girl smiled sweetly at Daniel.

At that moment, Daniel felt as if all the cells in his body were freezing.

‘This woman is a war correspondent?’

No, absolutely not.

As far as Daniel knew, the woman standing before him was a member of the royal family.

‘Why are you here?’

The successor to the throne, who would one day become the Empress of the Empire.

Sylvia von Amberg.

That was the girl’s true identity.

—————

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