I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Why on earth am I sharing an office with a spy from an enemy nation?

As much as I would like to inform the Head of Operations that this woman is a spy, doing so without evidence would make me sound like a lunatic.

So, for now, I had no choice but to act naturally.

Taking a deep breath to calm my chaotic thoughts, I opened the office door.

I shrugged my shoulders toward Lucy, who was looking at me strangely.

“Did you hear it too? The creaking of the door hinges is odd. We should call a repairman soon.”

What I did in opening and closing the door was merely to check the hinges’ condition.

Having concocted a somewhat reasonable logic for a hasty fabrication, I walked up to the desk and pulled out a chair to sit.

“So, what is your name, sir?”

After placing the bread bag on the desk and getting into position, Lucy gave a sharp salute.

“I am Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, assigned starting today as the Aide-de-Camp to the Head of the Operations Staff. I consider it a great honor to take on the duties of such an busy officer. I am fully prepared to perform my tasks diligently, ensuring that the honor does not fade.”

It was a concise introduction.

But she’s using her real name.

Well, I guess there are very few people in the United Nations who know Lucy’s real name, so she might not think there’s a need for a pseudonym.

Regardless of the reason, the stunning woman in front of me was a spy for the United Nations.

Of course, it doesn’t matter much that she’s spying for the Empire.

After all, I have no strong sense of patriotism toward the Empire.

The issue is more about the fact that the person who would later be called a nightmare of the Empire is my aide and also a spy.

I am not one to keep a ticking time bomb as my aide.

‘So she must be sent away.’

I need to somehow make the higher-ups conclude that Lucy Emilia is unqualified as the Aide-de-Camp to the Operations Staff.

‘But I need to create a justification…’

Suddenly, an idea bulb lit up over my head as I was tapping seriously on the desk.

‘Wait a minute. Now that I think about it, when I went outside, I saw a human rights organization preparing an anti-war demonstration in front of the General Staff Headquarters.’

If I handle this well, I might just be able to separate Lucy from me.

With a subtle smile inwardly, I accepted Lucy’s salute.

Then, looking at Lucy, who had gone into a formal position, I spoke in a somewhat stern tone.

“Alright. Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, you just said you’re ready to faithfully perform the task assigned, correct?”

“Yes.”

“That’s quite a bold answer. In that case, I will give you a task to determine if your abilities qualify you as my aide. Go outside and suppress the protestors.”

Perhaps startled, Lucy paused for a moment before responding.

“…Are you referring to the protestors?”

“Yes. To be precise, they are lawbreakers conducting an illegal demonstration without notifying the Royal Family. Initially, their numbers were small, so we overlooked them, but it seems their momentum has become significant lately.”

“I understand, but isn’t that the responsibility of the Military Police?”

“The demonstration occurring in front of the General Staff Headquarters is also within our jurisdiction. According to the wartime security laws, the Empire’s officers hold the authority to punish subversive elements in their area of responsibility.”

Lucy nodded as if she understood.

“You’re not wrong. I will follow the orders.”

“Good. Then go carry out your mission. Report back once you’ve completed the task.”

“Understood. But may I make one request?”

“What request?”

Lucy raised her hand and pointed her finger at me.

“Bread.”

…What is this? Is she hinting that she wants to shoot me with a gun?

As I grew tense over her incomprehensible behavior, Lucy blinked once and continued speaking.

“Weren’t you going to share the bread when you came in? If you permit, I would like to take one piece.”

Ah, that bread.

“Sure. Take one.”

As I casually pushed the bag of bread on the desk, Lucy approached, took out a croissant, and then bowed her head to me before turning and leaving the office.

Watching her, I let out a low sigh and leaned back in my chair.

With the tension gone, I felt my body growing heavy.

‘For now…’

I’ve laid the groundwork for creating justification.

Telling her to suppress the protestors alone was an impossible task, even I thought so.

How could anyone subdue those angry citizens by themselves?

So, I would just wait comfortably in here and, once Lucy failed her mission and returned, I could use that as an excuse to declare her unqualified.

Of course, it wouldn’t be resolved in one go, but the key is to stack the issues slowly.

Feeling relieved at the fact that things were going according to plan, I started pulling documents out of the drawer for review.

I couldn’t just sit idly while waiting for Lucy to return.

Just as I reviewed a few documents, bang─!

The gunfire from outside made my shoulders jump.

Terror? No, if it were a terror attack, the shots wouldn’t be so sporadic.

Additionally, the direction of the gunfire was close.

As if it were coming from right in front of the General Staff Headquarters—

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out, causing my mind to freeze.

‘No way…’

Did Lucy just shoot her gun?

As that thought crossed my mind, I hurriedly stood up.

This wasn’t the time to be filing paperwork in the office.

*

“All five of the protest leaders are captured. Thank you for your hard work.”

Corporal Wendelin of the Military Police stared blankly at the woman before him.

Swallowing hard, Wendelin replayed the events from just minutes ago.

The woman who introduced herself as “Aide-de-Camp to Captain Daniel Steiner” had surveyed the police task force in a standoff with the protestors, then took out her revolver and fired two shots into the air.

Startled by the sudden gunfire, the protestors panicked, and the woman then requested cooperation from the task force before swiftly subduing the five protest leaders with very familiar movements.

In reality, the task force hardly did anything aside from assist in the capture.

While the task force was in shock and unable to speak, amidst their confusion…

“What’s going on here?”

The voice startled Wendelin, and turning to where it came from, he saw Daniel Steiner walking toward them.

Daniel strode in with his officer’s coat billowing and his cap pressed down, exuding a certain intimidating presence.

Wendelin thought it was crucial not to offend Daniel, so he looked around and shouted loudly.

“What are you all doing! Stand at attention!”

At Wendelin’s shout, the thirty task force members positioned themselves to stand at attention.

Daniel, who had scanned them briefly, then turned his cold gaze toward Lucy.

“Explain the situation.”

With the direct command, Lucy saluted and spoke.

“Following the orders of the Head of Operations, I engaged in suppressing the violent protestors. As a result, I disbanded the illegal protest and captured the five leaders.”

Only then did Wendelin, who had been listening from the side, seem to grasp the situation and nodded.

‘Captain Daniel’s orders, was it? As expected.’

It was highly unlikely that a newly commissioned lieutenant would take such decisive action.

On the other hand, Daniel’s insides felt like they were burning.

‘When did I ever order warning shots?’

He wanted to ask but knew that according to wartime security laws, Lucy had done nothing wrong.

Thus, instead of scolding her, Daniel extended his hand.

Lucy, understanding immediately, pulled out her revolver from its holster and handed it to him.

As Daniel opened the chamber of the revolver to check, he found that indeed, two shots had been fired.

In disbelief, he let out a hollow laugh just as Lucy continued,

“Captain. These individuals are rioters in violation of both the vagrancy law and the wartime security law. They broken three laws, including ‘attacking soldiers dispatched to maintain order without just cause.’ If you give the order, I will handle them promptly.”

Daniel stared at Lucy, wondering if he had heard incorrectly.

Aren’t those who instigated the anti-war demonstration supposed to be on the same team?

‘Are you really going to kill members of your own team? Why?’

…No. Thinking rationally, she might be siding with the Empire thoroughly to evade suspicion in favor of the Empire.

‘What a cold-blooded woman! Doesn’t she pity these people?’

I wanted to sprinkle some moral lecturing, but there were too many eyes on us right now.

Not only Wendelin and the task force but also a crowd of citizens watching, with reporters taking pictures not too far away.

I had no choice but to show myself as an officer of the Empire.

“No.”

Click, clack.

Closing the chamber of the revolver, Daniel returned it to Lucy, saying,

“They aren’t worth killing. Corporal Wendelin.”

Called upon, Wendelin flinched and replied.

“Yes! Captain Daniel Steiner!”

“Interrogate them to find out the reason behind their demonstration. You must uncover what dangerous ideology they possess to insult the Royal Family and incite the citizens.”

“Ah, understood!”

Wendelin, full of tension, began giving commands to the soldiers.

Immediately, the soldiers moved in an orderly fashion and started to lift the protest leaders.

Watching this, Daniel secretly clenched his eyes shut.

Sigh…

A total failure in justifying his actions.

*

The next morning.

I woke up to the alarm and walked to the kitchen as usual to have my coffee.

I took out coffee grounds from the shelf, brewed coffee, and poured it into a mug.

Then, I casually walked to the front door, picked up the newspaper that had fallen through the news slot, and returned to the kitchen.

Leaning at an angle in the chair in front of the table, I took a sip of the coffee in my mug.

The mild yet vintage flavor delighted my mouth.

‘Indeed, morning coffee is delightful.’

Feeling satisfied, I unfolded the newspaper but froze right there.

On the front page was a black-and-white photo of me.

And it showed me holding a revolver and checking its chamber in front of five protest leaders kneeling.

Anyone would think that I was contemplating whether to kill them or let them live.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I glanced at the headline and gasped.

【Captain Daniel Steiner Arrests Illegal Protest Leaders!】

The headline was already outrageous, but the contents were even more ridiculous.

『……As a result of the Military Police’s interrogation of the protest leaders, it was revealed that three of them had received payment from the United Nations. The moment the cornered United Nations instigates an anti-war demonstration shifts suspicion into certainty. In this context, Corporal Wendelin mentioned that Captain Daniel Steiner offered significant assistance…』

By this point, I folded the newspaper and picked up my mug.

After taking a deep breath to calm myself, I sipped the coffee, but for some reason, it didn’t taste as good anymore.

I felt dizzy; this was real…