I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Ernst looks at me in disbelief.

His eyes are brimming with anticipation, as if saying, “My capable subordinate has pulled off yet another feat!” The pressure weighs heavily on me.

“How on earth did you manage to get that silent chap to spill the beans? Share some tips with the interrogator while you’re at it.”

At Ernst’s words, Sergeant Vendelin gazes at me with a smile on his face.

I get it. Since I conducted the interrogation with the mic off yesterday, they must be in the dark about the details.

As an interrogator, I’m sure he wants to know how I managed to persuade such a tight-lipped prisoner.

But no matter how I think about it, all I did was have a regular conversation with Reginald.

There’s no way I had any special interrogation techniques, so being asked such questions just leaves me flummoxed.

Just as I was struggling to find a response, Vendelin, perhaps trying to lighten the mood, spoke up brightly.

“I’ve seen many cases during my time as an interrogator, but I’ve never seen anyone finish as quickly as Captain Daniel Steiner!”

“Oh, really?”

“Absolutely! After you left the interrogation room, Reginald, that bastard, was practically on the verge of tears, saying he’d cooperate with the Empire. It was so satisfying!”

Was Reginald really on the verge of tears? That stern-looking Reginald?

“Usually, in interrogations, there’s yelling or violence, but Captain, you maintained a calm demeanor and spoke gently the whole time. It felt so refined!”

Vendelin. He’s great and all, but his flattery is over the top.

I was about to intervene, thinking it might be exaggerated, but Ernst seemed to take it as truth.

He was looking at me with even more expectation than before.

“Listening to the sergeant has piqued my curiosity even more. What on earth did you discuss with Reginald?”

He asked twice. I shouldn’t remain silent like a lower-ranking officer.

Well, I suppose I have no choice. Hesitating for a moment, I finally replied.

“Oh, it was nothing much. I just talked about Reginald’s family a few times.”

At the mention of family, both Vendelin and Ernst flinched.

Even a few high-ranking officers who had been eavesdropping on our conversation subtly turned to look.

An unknown silence descended around me.

Just when I wondered why the mood had shifted, Ernst cleared his throat and nodded.

“That’s indeed the most effective method. Did you hear that, Sergeant? Take a leaf out of Captain Daniel’s book.”

“Ah. Of course! I may have been too lenient with prisoners until now.”

…It feels like he’s misunderstanding something here.

It feels off, but I decided not to bother with an explanation.

From experience, trying to explain in situations like this usually leads to even more misunderstandings.

So, I simply nodded once, and Vendelin gave a vigorous salute.

For some reason, his salute seemed a bit stiffer than when I first met him.

“Then I’ll head back to the Military Police! Enjoy your meal!”

“Do that. You went through the trouble of coming to the General Staff Headquarters.”

Upon hearing Ernst’s response, Vendelin turned with precision and marched off like a toy soldier.

Just as I was wondering why he was acting that way, Ernst raised his utensils and spoke.

“Anyway, congratulations. You’ve earned another merit by getting Reginald to talk. Honestly, your competence nowadays is quite astounding. At your age, I was struggling to carry out my assignments.”

While I wanted to say that this achievement had nothing to do with my will, saying such things in front of the Head of Operations would surely earn me a beating.

“You’re too kind.”

So I just humbly lifted my cutlery.

As I was cutting the steak that had been served, Ernst seemed to remember something and spoke up.

“Oh, speaking of which, your aide-de-camp, you see. They should be assigned to you today. They might have arrived by now.”

Aide-de-camp? I looked up, my eyes wide in disbelief.

“…Are you talking about an aide-de-camp?”

“Yes. Didn’t I mention it before? Once you officially become the Operations Staff, you’d get an aide. I heard the higher-ups worked some magic to assign you an elite who matches your rank.”

Seeing my stunned expression, Ernst smiled.

“With all the work piling up lately, you’ve been burning the midnight oil. It’s normal for the operations staff to be busy during wartime, but now that you have an aide, you shouldn’t have to suffer as much.”

“That’s true… I suppose.”

“This will be your first personal subordinate, right? Make sure to guide them well.”

“Understood.”

I responded flatly at Ernst’s words.

I tried not to show my excitement, but my heart was soaring above the clouds.

“Finally, I’m getting an aide-de-camp!”

No, let’s correct that. It’s a bit early to say ‘finally,’ considering I’d gone through two special promotions.

Of course, such little details didn’t matter much.

What mattered was that I now had an aide.

“Moreover, one handpicked by the higher ups…! I might not have to deal with so much work.”

Since I was promoted from Deputy of the Operations Staff to the Operations Staff, I’d been overwhelmed with too much work.

Primarily because, as a junior staff member reviewing documents and forwarding them to my superiors, reports and approval requests were flooding in from every direction.

While the truly important documents would go straight to my superior, there were unexpectedly bizarre requests and reports during wartime.

One such request was from a certain battalion commander asking to supply beer via fighter planes because “the soldiers want to drink it cold.”

I hesitated for a moment but approved the request and sent it up the chain without holding back, somehow ended up witnessing a fighter plane transporting kegs of beer.

With countless requests pouring in, I barely had any time to spare.

Getting off on time like yesterday would be considered a lucky day.

At this rate, I might collapse from overwork before even getting to escape the Empire, so hearing that an aide was assigned to me was clearly cause for joy.

While I was lost in thoughts about my new aide, Ernst finished his meal, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and spoke.

“Oh, right. This afternoon, you’ll be spending your time not in the Operations Staff Office but in your personal office.”

“…Is that okay?”

“Of course. You need some time to get to know your new aide, right? It would be awkward to have private conversations in the staff office.”

Ernst’s words were spot on.

I nodded in agreement with a faint smile.

“Thank you for your consideration, Head of the Operations Staff.”

While the staff room wasn’t a battlefield, in times of emergency, I would need to rely on my aide.

Thus, building a good rapport with the aide was one of my important tasks.

After finishing my meal with Ernst, instead of heading straight to the office, I decided to take a stroll outside the headquarters.

I had to buy a little gift for my new subordinate.

After pondering for a while, I eventually purchased a few snacks in the form of bread instead of a bouquet of flowers.

As long as it’s not pretty, bread that fills the stomach seems better than a bouquet that holds no practicality.

When I returned to the office in front of the General Staff Headquarters, I held the bag of bread and took a deep breath.

“I’m a little nervous.”

The aide waiting inside the office must also be feeling the same.

Only five months ago, I had been waiting in that spot for my superior, breaking into a cold sweat.

I still remember vividly.

When I first entered the service, instead of receiving a gift, I was verbally abused by that bastard Karl Heimlich right after reporting for duty.

Recalling the humiliation and trauma I felt then, I would certainly treat my new subordinate well.

I also planned to assign tasks that were easy and straightforward at first so they could adapt to the work.

“Alright.”

Having adjusted my mindset to be an excellent senior and superior, I smiled and opened the office door.

“Were you waiting long? I got a little delayed buying snacks from a nearby bakery to share with you…”

As I tried to engage in friendly conversation, I glanced at my aide’s appearance and froze without realizing it.

With a slight turn of their head toward me, the aide’s hairstyle was a slightly messy bob.

The bob, running down to just below her neck, was a pure silver-white, like sunlight fallen upon a snowy field.

In stark contrast to the clean and beautiful color of her hair, her eyes were a blood-red hue.

She had a sharp gaze, yet there seemed to be no hostility. It was merely an expressionless face.

Truly, she was an elegant and noble woman.

If I didn’t recognize her identity, I would certainly think so.

Lucy Emilia.

She was a character from the game “Empire of Emperors,” known as the Empire’s nightmare and a infamous mass murderer.

But why on earth was Lucy dressed neatly in the Imperial Army uniform in my office?

“…”

“…”

As we locked eyes for a brief moment in silence, I decided to close the door for now.

“Wait a minute.”

Why was Lucy here? Shouldn’t she be out on the front lines making a name for herself at this very moment?

Besides, why would a figure aligned with the Allied Forces come to be my aide?

“…A spy?”

Both the Allied Forces and the Empire were actively engaging in espionage, so saying she infiltrated the General Staff Headquarters as a spy wouldn’t be entirely implausible.

“But why?”

Why, of all positions, did she end up as my aide-de-camp?

Stunned, I frowned in disbelief.

“I’ve been working so many late hours that I’ve started hallucinating.”

No matter how I thought about it, there’s no way Lucy could be here. Absolutely not.

Having regained my confidence, I opened the office door once more.

“…Captain?”

And immediately shut it again.

No doubt about it, that was Lucy.

She looked just as she did in the game illustrations, not a single detail different.

“Why is this happening to me…”

It was truly complicated.