I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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I stopped drinking and stared intently at the soldier’s face in front of me.

His face was filled with such excitement and admiration for me that it felt oddly uncomfortable.

At first, I was angry at the soldier for interrupting my relaxation time at the officer’s club after work, but now I was caught up in completely different emotions.

The soldier had delivered me the news that the construction site for the Logistics Department was a site of oil reserves.

Could it be that I misheard? I really hoped I did. As I broke out in a cold sweat, I placed my glass down on the bar table and said,

“Soldier, could you say that again if it’s alright?”

“Of course! It is said that a massive amount of oil has been discovered at the construction site of the Logistics Department directed by Lieutenant Daniel! The Logistics Officer, Captain Arnop, instructed me to relay this information to you via radio, so I took the liberty to rush here!”

This soldier’s voice was way too loud.

It was as if he desperately wanted to boast about my achievement, shouting it everywhere.

Thanks to him, I was being stared at not just by the bartender, but also by people from other departments enjoying their time at the officer’s club.

“……They found oil at the Logistics Department?”

“Who found it? Was it that rookie?”

“No, wait a minute, looking closer, that’s Lieutenant Daniel!”

“Who is Lieutenant Daniel?”

“Don’t you know? That guy who just got promoted for catching a spy? He probably gave the Central Intelligence Bureau a tough time, not to mention the hill incident…”

The stares directed at me and the scattered murmurs were overwhelming.

‘I might not be able to come back to the officer’s club for a while…’

Staying here any longer felt like sitting on a bed of nails, so I decided to get up.

“If what the Logistics Officer said is true, there’s no way I can skip the inspection.”

Adjusting my uniform, I put on the cap that had been on the bar table.

“I’ll seek the inspection approval from the Head of the Operations Staff. Thank you for bringing me the news, soldier.”

As I slightly lowered the black brim of my cap to express my gratitude, the soldier saluted energetically.

He seemed genuinely touched. I don’t know at which point he got moved, though.

“It’s an honor to be of service to Lieutenant Daniel!”

Having given him a half-hearted salute, I left the officer’s club while secretly frowning.

‘So, the construction site I picked turned out to be an oil reserve? What nonsense… Surely the Logistics Officer must have made a mistake.’

Yeah. It must be a mistake.

Oil is one of the top strategic resources in warfare.

Without oil, vehicles can’t run, tanks can’t roll, and planes can’t soar, so the existence of oil reserves can easily sway the tides of war.

This meant that finding oil would solidify my position within the Imperial Army.

To sum it up, it meant my dreams of a dishonorable discharge were one step further away.

So please, let the soldier’s report be a mistake.

*

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a mistake at all.

After ten days of complicated procedures, I arrived at the inspection site to find oil gushing right in the middle of the Vardenplatz plains.

The roar of the oil drilling machine made me furrow my brows.

“See? That’s the oil discovered by Lieutenant Daniel!”

Haha! Sergeant Vinter Enfelt burst out laughing and raised his fist in the air.

If I weren’t an officer but rather a fellow non-commissioned officer, he might have even thrown an arm around me, overflowing with enthusiasm.

Wasn’t he the one who glared at me like a piece of human garbage when I ordered the construction of the Logistics Department? Now the situation flipped on its head, huh?

As I looked at Sergeant Vinter with distaste, the Logistics Officer, Arnop, standing next to me said,

“Lieutenant Daniel, on behalf of the Logistics Department, I express my gratitude to you. Reports state that there’s oil buried underground that will last the Empire for another 27 years. This will serve as a powerful weapon for the Empire.”

“Is that so?”

“Indeed. I’ve also contacted the Railway Department. We plan to connect the railway to this Logistics Department for faster transportation of oil. This way, we won’t have to rely on imports due to oil shortages anymore.”

Wasn’t Arnop once the kind of guy annoyed and negative about everything?

He seemed like a cynic during the first inspection, but now his eyes were filled with hope. He almost seemed to be reveling in happiness.

On the other hand, all I could do was sigh repeatedly. I wondered what point there was in building merit in an Empire that was destined to fall.

Arnop probably interpreted my sigh as a sigh of relief (that the Empire wouldn’t have to rely on foreign powers) and looked at me with a sense of pride.

“By the way, you’ve only been commissioned for four months, and you’ve already achieved remarkable feats. You might get promoted again soon.”

Sergeant Vinter chimed in, raising his voice.

“Ha! That’s right! Soon, Lieutenant Daniel might outrank Captain Vinter, huh? That would be quite a sight!”

Watching the two men fuss over my promotion made me feel, well…

While I was grateful for their congratulations, it was extremely uncomfortable for me.

“You flatter me. I’m not looking for any further promotions.”

As soon as I finished speaking, both men held their breath and stared at me.

Just when I thought I made a blunder, Arnop cleared his throat and spoke solemnly.

“……I’ve still got a long way to go. Hearing you say you don’t seek promotion makes me feel rather small, despite thinking there should be rewards for loyalty to the Empire.”

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner is truly a model soldier. How can you have such noble thoughts…?”

Didn’t you treat me like a total rookie during the first inspection?

I was baffled, but it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

Compared to me, both of them undoubtedly had some level of loyalty to the Empire.

From Arnop and Vinter’s perspective, it must have sounded aristocratic for me to say I didn’t seek promotion for my grand feats.

In reality, I wanted to avoid being promoted because I wanted to escape the Empire, but it seemed unnecessary to reveal that to these two.

I saluted Arnop.

“Since the inspection is over, I’ll head back to the General Staff Headquarters to report. Please do your best with the construction of the Logistics Department.”

“Of course. Leave it to us.”

With Arnop returning my salute, I lowered my hand and turned to walk away.

As I boarded the military jeep nearby, the driver started the engine.

After adjusting my collar and glancing out the window, I found Arnop and Vinter staring at me with envy.

It was extremely burdensome, so as I turned my head forward, I hastily said,

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

As the driver pressed down on the accelerator, the jeep rattled forward.

Since it was still an unpaved road, I had to endure this rattling.

Holding onto the roof handle as we drove, I accidentally glanced at the rearview mirror and broke out in a cold sweat.

Arnop and Vinter were still looking this way.

It felt like I was being treated like a government official being honored.

Hmm. I guess I shouldn’t come to the Logistics Department for a while.

*

The news that oil had erupted in the Empire’s Vardenplatz plains spread rapidly throughout the Empire.

To announce this joyful news, the newspaper factory worked tirelessly, and boys on the streets shouted extras, selling newspapers like hotcakes.

Naturally, the Imperial Royal Family wasn’t unaware of the fact either.

“Is it true that a large-scale oil reserve has been discovered in the Vardenplatz plains? Who exactly discovered the oil reserve?”

With her blue eyes resembling lapis lazuli and blonde hair reminiscent of spring rays, Princess Selvia von Amberg’s question made Chief of Logistics, Kaspar Benedict, set down his cutlery.

Kaspar Benedict, adorned with four stars on his shoulder, was the Chief overseeing the Logistics, but stood as just a subordinate in front of the princess.

“Indeed. God has truly bestowed a precious gift upon the Empire.”

“It can’t be God.”

Kaspar’s shoulder twitched. He thought the princess was about to commit blasphemy. But the princess had no such intention.

“Whoever discovered oil buried in the Vardenplatz plains was human. I’m asking who that human is.”

“Your Highness. There’s no need for you to know about a mere orphan. So…”

Selvia narrowed her eyes.

“Chief of Logistics. Since when did our Empire evaluate people based on their origins? Have you forgotten that we are currently at war?”

Selvia was indirectly telling him to answer the question instead of dodging it.

Kaspar was well aware of this, so he bowed his head and replied.

“As far as I know, the one who found the oil reserve is Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. I believe he is currently working as a deputy Operations Officer at the General Staff Headquarters.”

Lieutenant? This barely promoted individual discovered an oil reserve?

For Selvia, who expected high-ranking officials to pour money and manpower into finding oil reserves, this was quite a fresh shock.

‘……How interesting. In more ways than one.’

If he were merely a lieutenant, he likely had a high probability of being politically untainted.

This meant there was no better opportunity to win him over to her side.

If she were to gather as many capable individuals as possible around her, it would increase her chances of succeeding to the throne.

“Lieutenant Daniel Steiner…”

As Selvia gently tapped the dining table, a subtle smile appeared on her face.

‘I think I’ll go and visit him soon.’