Why is the Imperial Princess disguising herself as a war correspondent on the front lines?
Daniel felt a pang of unease but quickly masked it, adopting a composed expression as he extended his hand.
"Pleasure to meet you. First Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, Acting Ops Officer with General Staff."
If the princess was hiding her identity here of all places, there had to be a serious reason behind it.
Blurting out something like "Your Highness, the Princess!?" would only make things worse.
Selvia studied him briefly before shaking his hand.
"Ravi Emilia, war correspondent. Feel free to call me Ravi."
Daniel gave a brief nod and released her hand.
To avoid drawing any unnecessary attention, he kept his behavior strictly professional—just enough courtesy for a civilian journalist.
"Well then…"
Turning to Heinz, he asked, "Can you brief me on the operation?"
The change of subject was deliberate—he found the princess's gaze uncomfortably intense.
From Heinz's perspective, however, Daniel's eagerness to jump straight into work without even settling in made him seem cold.
'He's not someone to take lightly…' Heinz thought.
He nodded and motioned for Daniel to follow.
"Come with me. I'll give you the rundown."
Inside the tent, the first thing that caught Daniel's eye was a large operations map spread out on the central table.
Against one wall, soldiers sat by radio equipment, waiting for communication orders. Off to the side, a blackboard was pinned with photographs of Allied officers, marked with notes about their identities and recent movements.
As Daniel studied it, Heinz spoke.
"This guy's our target. Colonel Jeremy Stringer, adjutant of the Allied Northern Front Corps."
Daniel raised a brow. A colonel? Deep behind enemy lines, likely with a full escort?
His expression must've shown doubt.
Heinz chuckled dryly.
"As you know, the Northern Front was formed after the Kingdom of Eldresia joined the Allies. Those backwater fools tried invading Imperial territory with three full divisions."
"But we didn't retreat."
"Exactly. Not only did we hold the line, we counterattacked—pushed them back and reclaimed most of the lost ground. In that chaos, the Allied leadership fled—except for a few trying to buy time."
Heinz pointed at the board.
"Colonel Stringer's one of them."
Daniel folded his arms. "So this is a delaying tactic."
"Right on the mark," Heinz nodded. "I hate to admit it, but the bastard's sharp. His sacrifice let the top brass slip away with minimal losses. Problem is, now he's stuck."
He sneered.
"And Jeremy Stringer's not exactly the die-hard type. As soon as he confirmed the retreat, he ditched the battlefield with just a small company."
"Like a rat."
"Exactly. That rat sent two battalions to the slaughter and slipped away with a handful of troops."
Intel confirmed his retreat route, and High Command passed down the order:
"Set a trap along the escape path. Wait. Eliminate. That's it."
Simple. Brutal. Classic Imperial style.
Daniel leaned in.
"So what are the expected routes?"
Heinz picked up a baton and pointed to the map.
"First option—the Drokenberg Highlands. Remote, high elevation, no civilian presence. No roads either, but it's the fastest path back to Allied lines."
He tapped another section.
"Second—through the northwestern highlands into the snowy mountains. If he skirts around Alder Lake and hides in the jungle, aerial recon won't spot him. Perfect for stealth."
He set the baton down.
"Problem is, we can't split our forces. If we guess wrong, he gets away."
The implication hung in the air. Heinz wanted to know which Daniel would pick.
Daniel rubbed his chin, staring at the map.
'Wait a second…'
Wasn't this the perfect chance?
'If I suggest a completely wrong plan and botch the mission, my evaluation tanks. And if I screw up in front of the princess…'
Dishonorable discharge, here I come. He could almost hear trumpets playing in celebration.
Suppressing a grin, he cleared his throat.
"In my opinion, Jeremy Stringer won't take either of those routes."
A long silence fell.
Selvia arched an amused brow. Heinz frowned.
"…Explain."
"He'll take Edelkrall Gorge."
"…Are you insane?" Heinz snapped. "That area was mined early in the war. Jeremy knows that."
Daniel met his eyes squarely.
"Precisely why he'll choose it. It's irrational, suicidal even. Which makes it perfect. He knows the Empire wouldn't expect it."
Heinz hesitated, briefly caught off guard by Daniel's confidence.
Then he scoffed.
"Lieutenant. This is the Imperial Army. We don't make decisions based on hunches. And Special Ops doesn't have time to entertain your wild guesses."
Daniel remained calm.
"If that's your judgment, Captain, I'll follow it. But you'd better be ready."
"…Ready for what?"
"If we lose Colonel Stringer because of this, I'll be forced to report it to General Staff."
His voice was even. Measured.
"But rest assured—they're watching you."
The words hit like a slap.
Heinz's eyes narrowed. He couldn't afford to ignore that kind of pressure.
He bit back a sigh.
"What if you're wrong?"
"I'll take full responsibility. And…"
Daniel paused.
"Allow me to take just my platoon to Edelkrall Gorge. We'll lay in wait."
"…You think you can ambush an entire company with a platoon?"
"Yes. After weeks of fighting, Jeremy's troops are likely exhausted. Morale is low. The terrain will give us the edge."
To Daniel, this was all part of the setup for a glorious failure.
Heinz looked to Selvia, hoping for a second opinion.
She smiled faintly and gave a nod.
Heinz grunted.
"Fine. If you insist, take your platoon. But don't expect backup."
"Understood, sir."
Daniel gave a sharp salute and left.
Only then did the tension in the tent ease.
Heinz exhaled.
'What a cunning bastard…'
Behind him, Selvia spoke.
"Captain Heinz. What's your assessment of Daniel Steiner?"
Heinz gave a shallow bow.
"Your Highness, he's brilliant—quick, decisive, fearless. But I wouldn't call him a good man."
"To be blunt, he seems like the type to drag himself and others to ruin for a taste of glory."
Selvia tilted her head, intrigued.
"There's no dog or man that can't be tamed, Captain."
Her gaze lingered on the tent's flap.
"And whether or not he can respect others—I'll judge that for myself."
The Next Day – Edelkrall Gorge
'It's freezing…'
Daniel shivered atop the cliff.
Even with his officer's winter coat, the cold pierced through.
'I just want to fail this mission and get sent back already…'
Sniffling, he turned to Freen, who scanned the gorge through binoculars. Selvia sat nearby on a fallen log, still pretending to be a war correspondent.
Camouflaged soldiers lay hidden in the snow below.
'Still can't believe she came. Seriously, who wears designer clothes into a battlefield?'
Her blouse, her coat—everything screamed luxury. She probably didn't even realize how expensive she looked.
Their eyes met. She opened her mouth to speak.
He quickly looked away.
"Do you see anything?" he asked.
Freen shook her head. "No movement, sir."
Of course not.
This spot had been hand-picked by Daniel to fail.
Edelkrall Gorge was a death trap. Deep, narrow, and surrounded by cliffs. Jeremy would never risk it.
The odds were near zero.
Exactly what Daniel wanted.
'If this fails—and it will—I'll be disgraced. Princess sees it. Heinz reports it. Perfect recipe for discharge.'
He was practically giddy.
"L-Lieutenant!" Freen suddenly shouted.
He turned sharply.
"You were right! Colonel Jeremy Stringer's company just entered the gorge!"
…
Wait, what?