I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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There are no signs of riots or protests in Nordia.

Beyond that, it was extremely peaceful.

When I looked out the window of my office, I could see a few citizens chatting and laughing with the garrison troops on patrol.

‘…Isn’t it normal to be scared?’

It had already been two weeks since I was appointed as the Temporary Garrison Commander.

Yet, the usual troubles had not even surfaced, leaving me feeling deflated.

I turned my gaze from the scenery outside and examined the document folder in my hand.

It was the “Garrison Troops Satisfaction Survey” that Lucy had handed to me this morning.

《Garrison Troops Satisfaction Survey Statistics》

Sample: 100 citizens from each district in the city

Number of respondents: Approximately 5,700 people

Question: What do you think about the garrison’s urban planning?

• Frequency Analysis

1. Doing very well – 2,365 people (41.5%)

2. Doing well – 1,254 people (22%)

3. Unsure (need to observe further) – 684 people (12%)

4. Disappointing – 855 people (15%)

5. Very disappointing – 542 people (9.5%)

※ All surveys were conducted by local assistants to ensure objectivity, not by the garrison troops.

When I first saw this, I thought I must have misread it.

It was indeed surprising, given that over half of the urban residents supported the garrison.

This was also an indicator that violent protests or riots were unlikely to occur.

‘I wonder what the General Staff Headquarters thinks upon hearing this report…’

A sigh slipped out, but I couldn’t deny reality in the face of the statistics.

I turned away from the window, tossed the document folder carelessly onto my desk, and took a seat.

With a half-given-up expression, I leaned back in my chair and glanced over at Lucy.

Lucy was seated at a desk set up in one corner of the office, working diligently just like when she was at the General Staff Headquarters.

Her engrossed demeanor, completely ignoring me, gave me a bit of relief.

‘On top of that…’

It had been two weeks since my special promotion to Temporary Commander, and yet there hadn’t been any assassination attempts, suggesting that the Allied Nations hadn’t issued any orders.

In the midst of a situation where things weren’t going as I wanted, this was a rare piece of good news.

Still, keeping my guard up, Lucy finished her paperwork and stretched briefly.

With her arms raised, she let out a “Hmm” and sighed, lowering them afterward.

Lucy, who had been staring blankly with sleepy eyes, suddenly seemed to sense a presence and looked over at me.

Thanks to that, our eyes met unexpectedly.

As I broke out in a cold sweat, Lucy blinked her red eyes a couple of times.

“…Major? Do you have something to say?”

What should I say? As I pondered for a moment, I tried to speak as casually as possible.

“Have you finished all your work?”

“Yes. There are some documents left to handle in the afternoon, but the amount isn’t much.”

“Well, that’s good. After work, you should take some time to rest. You’ve been working hard to help me lately.”

“I have indeed worked hard. Unlike you, Major, I’ve been mostly out in the field.”

She doesn’t deny it, huh.

“More importantly, you should be able to have some rest today as well.”

“Ah, right. I was actually thinking of going to a famous dessert shop in Nordia today…”

As soon as I said that, I realized I had overstepped.

It was because there was a spark of life in Lucy’s eyes as she looked at me.

Come to think of it, Lucy had enjoyed the parfaits immensely back in the system.

Now, it seemed like she was waiting for me to invite her to join me.

After a brief silence, I cleared my throat awkwardly.

“…If you don’t mind, would you like to come with me?”

“Desserts aren’t exactly my taste, but if you’re asking, I won’t refuse.”

Huh? Look at this.

She had eaten the parfait so deliciously but was pretending not to care; it was utterly infuriating.

I raised an eyebrow and said, “Then I guess I’ll go alone. I can’t interrupt my aide’s rest.”

Lucy’s fingers twitched slightly.

Though her expression remained indifferent, disappointment was evident in her actions.

However, I had no intention of inviting her again.

Pretending not to like dessert was nothing short of an insult to it.

“But if my aide were to honestly say she likes desserts, it would be a different story.”

Wondering if she was contemplating, Lucy’s eyes trembled slightly.

But in the end, Lucy chose her pride and secretly clenched her fist.

“…I don’t like them.”

So that’s how it is.

I got stubborn and decided to be a bit smug.

“This time, the dessert I’m going to have is an éclair. Have you ever heard of choux pastry? It’s made from basic ingredients like water, butter, flour, and eggs, and it puffs up lightly when baked in an oven.”

“…”

“It’s delicious from the moment it’s out of the oven. The nutty flavor fills your mouth. But if that’s all there is, it’s just simple bread, not a dessert. The essence lies elsewhere.”

I leaned towards Lucy, speaking animatedly.

“When the choux pastry is fully baked, vanilla cream is piped into it. Then, a thick chocolate glaze is added on top. Can you imagine the taste?”

Lucy swallowed hard.

Seeing her reaction, I snapped my fingers.

“It must be fantastic! The soft cream and the nutty pastry will harmoniously dance in your mouth! And with chocolate? The moment you taste it, even an atheist will praise the divine!”

“…”

“Of course, even if I explain it a hundred times, it would be hard to understand without tasting it. Still, I can’t force you. After all, you’re just a ‘person who dislikes desserts.’ Isn’t that right?”

I tried to test her one last time, and I noticed Lucy’s lips twitching subtly.

Just as I was silently observing, sure it was a declaration of defeat—

Ding-dong—

The phone in the office rang, interrupting Lucy and me.

I picked up the receiver, curious about who it was.

“This is the Temporary Garrison Commander.”

Soon, a tense voice came from the other side of the line.

— Commander! This is Lieutenant McCall! I discovered something strange while patrolling the collapsed military supply factory, so I contacted you to report it!

Something strange? My curiosity piqued, I asked again.

“Please elaborate.”

— Understood! I found an underground base that appears to have been constructed by the enemy beneath the military supply factory. It seems to be some sort of research lab, but the structure… You’d need to see it to understand it more quickly.

The enemy has hidden a lab?

What could be the reason? I nodded, pondering.

“I will go check it out myself. Cease the search and wait at the entrance.”

After hearing the acknowledgment, I set the receiver down.

As I stood up, Lucy continued to pretend to be busy with her work, keeping her mouth shut.

Perhaps she had lost the moment to declare defeat and decided just not to go.

Having stared intently at Lucy, I took a step forward.

“Sounds delicious. I heard it’s an éclair made by a craftsman…”

I could see Lucy biting her lip.

I enjoyed the reaction while walking out the door and, after counting to three, walked back into the office and stood in front of Lucy.

“Last chance. Are you really not going to the dessert shop?”

Caught in mental turmoil for a moment, Lucy soon opened her eyes halfway and looked down.

“…I want to go.”

“What did you say? Speak properly.”

After a brief deep breath, Lucy’s lips moved.

“I want to go…”

Only then did I nod my head.

“I wish you had said your true feelings earlier. I’ll tell you the location; let’s go together after work.”

“I’ll do that…”

Lucy replied in a barely audible voice, her face slightly flushed.

Honestly, she was a delight to tease.

But I should stop before crossing the line.

‘Otherwise, I might die.’

This is not a joke; it’s sincere.

*

Imperial General Staff Headquarters.
Deputy Head of Operations’ office.

Knock, knock—

At the sound of the knock, Cedric Wendell put down the document he was reading and looked up.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a warm-looking middle-aged man entered.

It was Colonel Ernst Bark, the Head of Operations.

Ernst walked up to the center of the room and saluted.

Normally, Ernst would skip the salute since he’s friendly with his superiors, but for the Deputy Head of Operations, he couldn’t help it.

Staring into those raven-like eyes sent chills down his spine.

“Deputy Head, I have a report to make, so I came to see you.”

“It’s been a while since you visited my office. What’s going on?”

“Ah, I came to discuss Major Daniel Steiner.”

Daniel Steiner, huh. I already knew he was making waves up north.

It was Cedric who placed Daniel in the position of Temporary Garrison Commander.

However, giving such a crucial position to a newly appointed major could be a mistake.

‘Ruling is often harder than occupying.’

Hence, it seemed that Ernst had come to report the incidents arising in Nordia.

“Is something happening in Nordia? Perhaps a civil uprising or violence?”

“…No. According to the telegraph, the majority of the citizens of Nordia are satisfied with the garrison’s urban planning. Reports suggest that citizens are even saying life has improved since before the occupation.”

Cedric’s eyes widened in surprise.

It wasn’t common for him to react that way.

“Have they… controlled the livelihoods?”

And that, just fifteen days after assigning the Temporary Garrison Commander?

Cedric, momentarily at a loss over such an unbelievable achievement, soon let out a dry laugh.

“Oh my. I must have misjudged Major Daniel Steiner.”

No matter how talented someone is, they get fatigued once they start rolling in the battlefield.

Cedric thought Daniel was most likely experiencing something similar but seeing such outstanding results meant he was in a state of exhilaration, not exhaustion.

‘It’s as if he’s frolicking as if the frontline were his home.’

Having adjusted his evaluation of Daniel Steiner in his mind, Cedric said:

“We need to select a permanent Garrison Commander soon and send them to Nordia.”

Ernst blinked in surprise at the unexpected response.

“Deputy, is there really a need to rush? Major Daniel Steiner is easily coloring the territory into the Empire…”

“You only see one side and cannot see the other. Would Daniel Steiner be content with merely being a Garrison Commander?”

Cedric’s hollow gaze gained a cold gleam.

“He’s looking towards higher positions, longing for a grave mission to devote himself to the Empire. So…”

Looking at Ernst, who was sweating coldly, a chilling smile appeared on Cedric’s lips.

“I intend to grant that desire.”