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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Promotion After Promotion
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After parting ways with the Princess, my squadmates and I washed up quickly and then waited.
As much as I wanted to leave this wretched northern front as soon as possible, having spectacularly wrecked a jeep meant various administrative procedures were needed to receive support.
Afterward, I received a vehicle from the Special Missions Unit company and headed straight for Staff Headquarters.
Just as we had come, we drove for four straight days and arrived at the entrance of the Staff Headquarters, where a magnificent large fountain was installed.
Feeling the weariness of the journey, I opened the passenger door and stepped out, seeing squadmates disembarking from nearby transport vehicles.
The squadmates quickly disembarked and, without needing to be told, neatly gathered into their respective squads and stood before me.
Here and there, I saw soldiers with bandages wrapped around their bodies, likely injured during the enemy attack, yet smiles bloomed on their faces as if they had forgotten their wounds.
'They must be happy they don't have to worry about enemy attacks here. I understand.'
If I were a soldier, I'd have the same expression.
Taking a moment to leisurely observe each one of them, I began to speak.
"You've all worked hard. You performed your duties admirably on the northern front. Furthermore, even when faced with an unexpected enemy attack, your calm response is highly commendable."
"You worked hard too, Lieutenant!"
"It's a shame we couldn't fight more! We should've burst more of those bastards' balls!"
As one or two spirited soldiers shouted loudly, laughter rippled through the squad.
Normally, I would have issued a warning, but this was right after returning from a victory.
I didn't want to needlessly spoil the warm atmosphere.
"There will be plenty more days to burst the Allied bastards' balls, so don't worry. And you all... Never mind. What's the point of a long speech? Dismissed. Go enjoy your victory."
As I finished speaking, the soldiers snapped a salute.
I returned the salute, then paused as I was about to head into Staff Headquarters for my report.
It was because Prien approached as if he had something to say.
"...What is it?"
Perhaps due to fatigue, my voice came out low.
Prien's face showed a hint of fear before he gathered his courage and spoke.
"Lieutenant Daniel Steiner! Ah, I wish to discuss my future!"
"Hm? Oh. You'll all be assigned to a battalion directly under headquarters now. Unless you receive a specific summons from headquarters, you'll be training there."
"N-no, that's not what I meant..."
Then what? Feeling exasperated, I just stared, and Prien took a deep breath before looking up at me.
"If I may be so bold, I wish to become an officer, just like you, Lieutenant Daniel!"
"An officer?"
"Yes, sir! Through the battles on the northern front, I felt a strong desire to contribute to the Empire, just like you, Lieutenant Daniel!"
While it was a bit out of the blue, Prien becoming an officer was a predetermined path.
It was just happening a bit sooner. Usually, it takes some time after becoming a Private First Class before one decides to become an officer.
I wasn't sure what change of heart he'd had, but there was no real need to refuse.
"I'll convey to the higher-ups that you wish to serve as an officer. Given your record of saving Her Royal Highness the Princess during the enemy attack, your transition to officer will be relatively smooth."
Prien seemed genuinely surprised to receive permission, his face showing shock before he quickly snapped a vigorous salute toward me.
"Thank you! Thank you very much, Lieutenant Daniel!"
I wondered if it was worth such profound gratitude, but it didn't feel bad at all.
I gave a casual nod and then proceeded into the Staff Headquarters.
The moment I entered the Operations Staff Office, I felt a strong urge to desert.
"Lieutenant Daniel! No, should I say Captain now? Hahaha! Anyway, we were waiting for you! All of us!"
As Ernst, the Deputy Chief of Operations Staff, welcomed me, the staff members erupted in cheers.
I glanced around; everyone was standing and applauding.
What was even more ridiculous were the flowers and balloons decorating my desk in the staff office.
In the center of these utterly crude decorations, likely put up by the soldiers, a new nameplate had been placed.
[Operations Staff / Captain Daniel Steiner]
The nameplate looked somehow a bit more luxurious.
Before I could even ask what it was, Ernst gestured to a nearby soldier.
The soldier then approached, holding a small box, and presented it to me with both hands.
It was a familiar box. It looked similar to the one Captain Philip had given me before.
"Congratulations on your special promotion! Captain Daniel Steiner!"
'Just as I thought,' I took the box and looked inside, finding a captain's badge and epaulets neatly laid out.
As I stared down at them with a somewhat sour expression, Ernst spoke with a satisfied smile.
"I did tell you to earn some achievements, but I never expected you to complete the task so splendidly. And to even risk your life for Her Royal Highness the Princess! The higher-ups no longer view you with skepticism!"
...It was the first time I'd seen Ernst smile so brightly.
Of course, a subordinate's achievements are also his own, so he couldn't help but be in a good mood.
As for me, the person directly involved, a sigh naturally escaped me at the thought that my dream of discharge had moved one step further away, but I couldn't reveal my true feelings in front of so many watchful eyes.
"You flatter me. I merely did what was expected of me as a soldier of the Empire."
So, receiving Ernst's handshake with a smiling face was the best I could do.
*
The week after my special promotion was a busy one.
The reason for my busy days was mostly related to human relationships.
Perhaps because I'd received two consecutive special promotions, I had become a celebrity within Staff Headquarters, and the "love calls" from those who wanted to keep a famous person close never ceased.
Most approached with suggestions like "How about we share a meal sometime?", but their ulterior motives were transparent.
It was all too clear they wanted to recruit me to strengthen the prestige of their military factions.
Considering the politicians linked behind them, I couldn't even dip my toe into the pond of factions.
So, every time a "love call" came in, I'd escape by feigning busyness. It seemed our Deputy Chief of Operations Staff, Ernst, was quite pleased with this attitude of mine.
This was evident from how he'd grab me on the way out of the officers' mess hall and drone on.
"So, do you know what my daughter said then? She told me she'd take care of those Allied bastards instead of me, so I shouldn't go to work tomorrow and play with her. She was just too cute..."
Ernst, who was known for not engaging in personal chatter, for some reason never hesitated to bring up family stories whenever he saw me.
In other words, he was showing favoritism only to me... Frankly, it was a bit burdensome.
A direct superior's favor can sometimes be more uncomfortable than one might expect.
Especially when it involves personal rather than professional ties.
It was around the time I started feeling the urge to cut him off.
"Daniel Steiner! You accursed devil!"
My shoulders flinched at the shout from behind me.
Wondering who it was, I turned to see an Allied officer, bound by ropes, glaring at me.
"You son of a bitch! You despicable piece of trash—!"
As the shouting Allied officer tried to lunge at me, a soldier kicked him in the back of the knee.
"Ugh!"
The Allied officer consequently tumbled forward inelegantly.
The soldier who had kicked the Allied officer in the knee bowed his head to me with an embarrassed expression.
I raised a hand to signal it was alright, and the soldier then pulled the Allied officer up, shouting at him.
Watching the scene, I opened my mouth in confusion.
"That person is..."
"Ah. The Northern Front Army said they'd transfer officer-level prisoners to headquarters, and it seems he arrived today. You know him well, don't you? You captured him yourself, after all."
I nodded.
During the operation to eliminate Colonel Jeremy, that was the officer who had shouted for his soldiers to surrender after taking the first shot.
'I remember his rank was Major...'
As I was lost in thought, Ernst clicked his tongue and spoke.
"I hear he's a field-grade officer, so our side has been trying to give him a lot of leeway, but it's proving difficult. He's a valuable asset who used to work for Allied intelligence, so it would be good to recruit him."
I see. As I calmly watched the Allied officer being dragged away by two soldiers, a good idea suddenly crossed my mind.
"...Deputy Chief."
"Hm? What is it?"
"If it's alright, may I handle that man's interrogation?"
Ernst, who had been momentarily blank, tilted his head.
"It's not that you can't, but your workload will increase even more than it is now, won't it?"
"It's fine. He seems to be worth the effort."
This made Ernst exclaim in admiration.
"What brilliant patriotism! Truly, it makes me feel quite insignificant."
Ernst, seemingly moved, nodded his head in assent.
However, I was merely planning the exact opposite of patriotism, wearing a sly smile.
'This might actually...'
I might be able to escape the Empire without needing a dishonorable discharge.