I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Imperial General Staff Headquarters.

Commander’s Office of the Magic Mobile Army.

Sarak─

Heinrich sat in front of a luxurious mahogany desk, flipping through the papers in a file.

The information written on the paper was none other than Daniel Steiner’s personal details.

[Name: Daniel Steiner]

[Place of Birth: Pienmar Village, Baronry of Betargen in the Southern Empire]

[Special Notes: Confirmed to have been abandoned by his parents and raised in an orphanage. Acknowledged for his magical talent by a conscription inspector and later entered the Imperial Magic Academy, graduating at the top of his class.]

As Heinrich read the special notes, he placed a pipe in his mouth.

“He graduated at the top from the magic academy……”

This wasn’t particularly surprising.

The Imperial General Staff Headquarters was a place where only those with genius-level skills could enter.

However, the fact that he was an orphan made Heinrich feel differently.

“Even without a family backing him, he presented his opinions based on instinct.”

It wasn’t common, but sometimes passionate young people would pierce through the icy atmosphere of the conference hall and voice their opinions.

But behind the courage radiated by those young people always lay the name of their family.

There was an unspoken assurance that should something go wrong due to their statements, their family wouldn’t abandon them.

“But…….”

Daniel Steiner. This new officer from the orphanage had no family to support him.

If his opinions led the military astray, the repercussions wouldn’t simply be about losing his rank.

Daniel must have known that, yet he pushed forward his opinions.

And ultimately, those opinions proved to be reasonable and justifiable.

As a result of issuing large-scale reconnaissance orders, they obtained information that the enemy was preparing an ambush near the hills.

“Does he possess an eye that pierces through the battlefield?”

Of course, it might be a stretch. It could have been nothing more than a simple coincidence.

However, it was clear that thanks to Daniel, they were able to prevent damage in advance.

In an era where even a small turn of events could change the course of a war, Daniel’s sharp insights were like much-needed rain in a desert.

From Heinrich’s perspective, he was undoubtedly a talent deserving of rewards.

Knock—

The knock broke Heinrich’s reverie.

He tidied up the file and set it aside on the desk.

“Commander! Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner has come for his duties!”

Heinrich took the pipe out of his mouth and exhaled a puff of smoke.

“Come in.”

As the office door opened, Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner entered alongside his aide, a captain.

Tall with black hair and black eyes. Though he looked somewhat emaciated, his spirit was very much alive.

The two reached the center of the office and saluted sharply as if they had rehearsed.

As Heinrich casually returned the salute, the captain stepped aside.

Thus, Daniel changed to a position of attention, waiting for Heinrich to call upon him.

“Hmm.”

That stance was undeniably that of a model soldier.

It was so perfect that it was hard to find a mistake compared to the attentiveness described in the manual.

Feeling some sort of fondness, Heinrich opened his mouth.

“Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. You must have heard from my aide, but thanks to you, the military was able to prevent a disaster in advance. This is an undeniable achievement.”

Daniel maintained his position of attention.

He stuck to his demeanor of a model soldier who wouldn’t speak until his superior asked first.

He could have excitedly interrupted to boast about his achievement but remained remarkably calm.

Of course, this was merely Heinrich’s perspective.

Inside Daniel’s heart was a whirlpool of confusion.

“My nonsense actually turned out to be right? Why?”

He gritted his teeth in confusion as Heinrich continued.

“There ought to be rewards for achievements. Therefore, I plan to recommend you for promotion in the next review. What do you think?”

Daniel’s shoulders twitched.

For Daniel, a promotion meant getting closer to death.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel conjured the calmest response he could.

“Sir, I am deeply grateful for your gracious words. However, I do not wish to receive any preferential treatment for just one achievement.”

“Hmm? Just one achievement, you say?”

“Yes. As an officer dedicated to protecting the Holy Bavarian Empire, I believe it was my duty to do so. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you reconsider placing my name in the promotion review.”

Heinrich blinked in surprise.

He had seen countless battle-hungry men desperate for promotions, but he had never seen someone refuse it outright.

The captain, watching the scene unfold beside him, was equally astonished.

“He’s truly an extraordinary one.”

Chuckling, Heinrich set his pipe down.

“Lieutenant. I think you’re misunderstanding something. Your accomplishments are not simply ‘just one achievement.’ Saving at least hundreds of our compatriots is no small feat. Therefore, I cannot grant your request.”

“Sir, I just…”

“Enough. Don’t you know that meritocracy is one of the basic principles of the Imperial Army? If you keep refusing, I’ll take it as you denying the principles of the Empire.”

Even if you don’t want it, you’re getting promoted, so understand that.

When the commander-in-chief of the military said something like that, a mere second lieutenant could not contradict him further.

Eventually, Daniel reluctantly replied.

“…I will accept the undeserved honor.”

Heinrich, who had been observing Daniel closely, nodded.

“Good. Then consider it settled. You may leave now.”

After being told to leave, Daniel saluted sharply.

As Heinrich returned the salute, Daniel turned and exited the office.

The sound of his footsteps faded away. After confirming Daniel had left, Heinrich chuckled softly.

“What a rare young man in these times. Wouldn’t you agree, Captain?”

The captain, still staring blankly at the door where Daniel had exited, turned his head.

“Indeed. It’s common for someone to do anything to improve their evaluation; I’ve never seen anyone trying to lower their own.”

“This kid isn’t just a soldier in name. He genuinely wants to protect the Empire and obliterate the allied forces. It seems we’ve got an incredible talent in the army.”

It felt like looking at his younger self.

With a satisfied smile, Heinrich casually added.

“The army needs talent like him. Especially in this moment when the allied forces are growing stronger by the day.”

Lifting the pipe he had set aside, Heinrich chuckled in delight.

“I’m excited to see how far he can rise.”

*

“Enough of this nonsense! Seriously!”

I shouted in frustration as I returned to my personal dormitory.

And it was no wonder, as the situation was spiraling out of control.

“Early promotion, huh….”

This wasn’t just about moving from second lieutenant to first lieutenant with one more diamond on the rank insignia.

Getting an early promotion in the elite group of the Imperial General Staff Headquarters meant being recognized as an elite among elites.

Even if my assignment were to change later, the tag of “an elite who received early promotion from the General Staff” would follow me inevitably.

That was the highest honor and the best path available to a junior officer.

In other words, with the approaching future of the Empire’s defeat, my chances of losing my head had just increased significantly.

Sitting on my bed, I rubbed my face and lifted my gaze.

In front of the full-length mirror stood a man with faint dark circles under his eyes.

I’m pretty sure I shouted with joy when I confirmed that my first assignment was to the General Staff, but now that my past life memories have awakened, this place felt nothing short of hell.

After staring into the mirror for some time, I sighed and got up.

Opening the window and looking outside, I saw high-ranking officers arriving one by one.

Right. Thinking about it, this was a place teeming with high-ranking officers like pebbles on the road.

Thanks to that, it was optimized for scoring points for a pleasant military life, but conversely, it also made it easy to lose points.

“A bit tangled up, but… nothing will change.”

As long as I commit incompetent and shameless acts that surpass my achievements, that’d be the end.

With a heavy sigh, I loosened the tight tie of my uniform.

“Commander. I thank you for your trust in me. However, I do not wish for an early promotion. At least not in the Empire.”

So, to cancel the promotion and expedite an honorable discharge, I needed to become a thorough scoundrel.

Coincidentally, I had the perfect material for acting the scoundrel within the General Staff Headquarters.

That material was none other than my direct superior, Lieutenant Colonel Karl Heinrich.

A personality wreck who starts the day by hounding me and ends it by belittling me.

If I were to make use of Colonel Karl Heinrich, there remained a chance for an honorable discharge.

“Just wait and see, Commander.”

No matter what I do, I will escape this Empire.