I swallowed my frustration and straightened my posture, glancing around discreetly.
I wasn't sure how things had gotten to this point, but as the so-called "promising talent of the Operations Staff Office," I couldn't afford to attract suspicion by acting strangely.
For now, I had no choice but to stay calm, carry out my duties, and plan for the future.
"For now…"
The first task was dealing with the mountain of documents in front of me.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I picked up the neatly stacked papers beside the telephone and began reading.
Rustle—
Flipping through them, I quickly realized they were fairly mundane.
Most were requests for operational authorizations or permits for constructing military facilities.
My job was to conduct an initial review and, assuming nothing looked unreasonable, stamp my approval before passing them up the chain of command.
[Operations Officer → Operations Staff Chief → Deputy Chief of Operations → Headquarters Chief of Staff]
That was the general flow.
The work wasn't particularly difficult, and aside from a few that involved reallocating resources or personnel, I went through them smoothly, stamping approvals one after another.
But then, I froze at the final document.
"Logistics Department Construction Approval Request"
Recipient: Operations Staff Chief (Colonel Ernst Barch)
Sender: Logistics Staff Officer (Captain Arnob Haupt)
Date: March 16, 1944
Subject: Request for Approval and Site Selection for Logistics Facility on the Eastern Front
Responsible Officer: Operations Officer (First Lieutenant Daniel Steiner)
At first glance, it looked like a routine logistics facility request.
The problem? I was listed as the responsible officer.
"…Why?"
It made no sense.
The Logistics Department was in charge of transporting and distributing supplies from rear depots to the front lines. In other words, it was the backbone of the military supply chain.
Logistics was so critical to warfare that some even called it the "mother of war." And yet, they assigned this responsibility to an Operations Officer?
A newly promoted First Lieutenant, at that?
"This has to be a clerical error…"
It was too ridiculous to be real. I decided to report it immediately to the Staff Chief.
🔹 Scene Change — Staff Chief's Office
The Operations Staff Office was a mess of stacked papers and cigarette smoke. Colonel Ernst Barch looked up from his desk as I approached.
"Oh? If it isn't our hero, Daniel!"
He greeted me with a hearty laugh, like a friendly uncle next door.
But I wasn't fooled. No one reached the rank of Colonel in the Empire without surviving bloodbaths.
"I only did what was required, sir. Being called a hero feels… excessive."
Humility was universal currency. Ernst smiled, apparently approving my modesty.
"So, Lieutenant, what brings you here?"
"I've completed the initial review of the incoming reports and came to deliver them, sir."
"Already? You're fast. Let's see them."
I placed the reviewed stack of papers on his desk—except for the logistics request.
He raised an eyebrow.
"And that one?"
"It was addressed to me, but the upper-level approval sections were left blank. I believe the Logistics Officer made a mistake."
Ernst blinked for a moment—then burst into laughter.
What was so funny?
"Ah, it's only natural you'd think that, but no—there was no mistake."
"…Sir?"
"It's an intentional assignment. Partly because I'm drowning in work, and partly for… reasons I'm sure you can guess."
My stomach twisted.
This is a test.
They wanted to see if my achievements—catching a spy, detecting enemy movements—were just dumb luck… or real skill.
Selecting a logistics site wasn't simple. It had to be secure from enemy attack, accessible, and capable of storing massive supplies.
In short, the perfect chance to evaluate me.
'Who orchestrated this? Was it the Chief of Staff?'
I didn't know. But either way, it was a golden opportunity.
A golden opportunity to prove my utter incompetence and tank my evaluation.
If I picked a strategically idiotic site, they'd have no choice but to discharge me.
Suppressing my glee, I saluted smartly.
"Thank you for trusting me, sir. I'll do my utmost to complete the mission."
Ernst smiled, satisfied.
"Good. We'll make sure your budget's fully backed. Don't worry about resources—just focus on the task."
"Understood, sir!"
'You'll regret this soon enough.'
I would build that logistics base in the worst location imaginable.
🔹 Two Weeks Later – Eastern Front Rear Lines
Bardenplatz Plains
Rumble—
The ground trembled under the weight of heavy machinery unloading supplies.
Captain Arnob Haupt watched from afar, a sour look on his face.
"What the hell is HQ thinking? Putting a fresh lieutenant in charge of logistics construction?"
Daniel Steiner, that rookie officer, had ordered the base to be built right here, on the Bardenplatz Plains.
A wide, flat stretch of land.
Wide open.
Completely exposed to artillery.
"Why here of all places?"
They would need additional defensive walls. Tons of them. A huge waste of concrete and time.
And there weren't even any roads nearby. New roads had to be built from scratch—doubling the construction cost.
A colossal disaster.
"Daniel Steiner… that clueless bastard…"
Arnob lit a cigarette, rage simmering in his chest. Even he—someone who didn't care much for patriotism—couldn't help feeling outraged.
Just then, his shoulder radio crackled to life.
—"Logistics Officer! Can you hear me!?"
Of course. Right when he lit his cigarette.
He pressed the receiver. "You forgot to state your rank and name. Again."
—"Ugh, you're so strict! It's Sergeant Vinter Enfeld. Happy now?"
"Talk."
—"Remember those geologists we brought in for the ground survey?"
"Yeah, what about them?"
—"They just finished their report and, uh… Let's just say it makes sense why HQ gave the site to Lieutenant Steiner."
Arnob narrowed his eyes.
"…Explain."
—"Oil. There's oil under the Bardenplatz Plains! A lot of it!"
The cigarette slipped from Arnob's fingers.
"…What?"
Oil? Oil?!
If that was true, then the idiot wasn't Daniel—it was him.
He wiped his face slowly.
'Don't tell me… did he know about this all along?'
Suddenly, Daniel's smug expression made sense.
Arnob let out a bitter chuckle.
"Looks like the Empire just found itself a genius."
🔹 Meanwhile…
"…Why?!"
Daniel Steiner was panicking in real time.