After what felt like an eternity of running, I finally stumbled into a clearing in the forest.
Leaving deep footprints in the pristine white snow, I bent over at the center of the clearing, hands on my knees, gasping for air.
Heated breaths poured out of my mouth in ragged bursts.
I feel like I'm going to throw up...
Sprinting full speed for several minutes had left my head spinning.
I didn't enjoy running like this—but I had no other choice.
Putting as much distance as possible between myself and Selvia was the only priority.
If the Princess finds out I tried to defect, I'm done for...
She was the type who wouldn't tolerate betrayal under any circumstances.
So vanishing like a ghost before she discovered the truth was my best shot at survival.
"How far do you think you're gonna run, you son of a—?"
"Huff..."
A gruff voice broke through the stillness. When I turned around, I saw the six Allied soldiers from earlier staggering toward me, panting hard.
The fact that they hadn't raised their rifles meant they still wanted to talk.
I didn't want to fight either, so I raised my hands, still catching my breath.
"Let's all calm down and talk. I'm Daniel Steiner, First Lieutenant and Acting Operations Officer in the Imperial General Staff. State your affiliation and names."
I made sure to casually emphasize my rank—anyone with a brain would realize I was someone of strategic value.
"You think we don't know who you are?"
Strangely, instead of reacting with surprise, they just looked annoyed.
"Enough talk. Where's the Princess? Depending on your answer, we might let you live. So choose wisely."
"...Princess?"
That word froze me.
How did they know Selvia—the woman traveling with me—was a Princess?
She wasn't stupid. She wouldn't have gone around bragging about her identity while disguised as a war correspondent.
Only a handful of people even knew she was on the Northern Front.
And those were people she handpicked as loyal.
There was no way any of them were spies.
So who leaked the information?
As I pieced things together, realization hit like a knife to the gut.
The Prince.
Everything clicked into place.
He would've known all her movements.
Ludwig von Amberg, the Crown Prince, had clashed repeatedly with Selvia over the throne.
Apparently, those fights hadn't just been political posturing.
He's really trying to kill his own sister? That bastard's insane.
I lowered my hands, my eyes narrowing.
These weren't Allied soldiers.
They were assassins—disguised to make it look like Selvia had been killed by the enemy.
This was a setup.
"Did the Crown Prince send you?"
The way they flinched confirmed it.
"Now that I'm looking closer, your uniforms are too clean."
"…What's your point?"
"In real guerrilla warfare, veterans carry out ambushes. Sending rookies is suicide. But you all look like fresh recruits—uniforms crisp, no wear or dirt. That doesn't make sense, does it?"
They didn't answer. One of them, probably the leader, stepped forward with a mocking smile.
"So you figured it out. I guess you really are the elite they say you are. Then you know how this works. Join us, and we'll guarantee your rise to power."
"'Us'? You mean the Crown Prince?"
"...Watch your mouth. It's His Highness the Crown Prince."
He growled the words like a dog defending its master. I couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just... watching you cling to a sinking ship is pathetic. The Crown Prince? He's not fit to rule. That seat belongs to the Princess—not some delusional coward."
I meant it sincerely—based on everything I knew of the future.
But clearly, they didn't take it well.
Their eyes twisted in fury, and their fingers curled tighter around their triggers.
"Thanks for being honest. Now we don't need to talk any—"
I moved.
Before he could finish his sentence, I drew my revolver and poured mana into my central nervous system.
My reflexes exploded.
The world slowed.
My pupils shrank, and my vision expanded.
The soldier in front of me was raising his rifle. Another had opened his mouth, probably to shout. The others rushed forward, but in my accelerated perception, they moved like molasses.
I took a breath, raised my revolver, and fired.
The gunpowder erupted, and the bullets drifted forward in a surreal arc—like slow-motion meteors.
One by one, the soldiers' heads burst apart.
Just as I aimed for the last one, the neural acceleration wore off and the world snapped back to real-time.
BANG—!
Five headshots. No screams. Just collapsing bodies.
But one remained.
He was charging toward me, blade drawn.
I aimed—but my hands trembled violently.
The strain of neural acceleration had hit me hard.
It was my signature ability—what earned me top marks at the academy—but the price was brutal.
If not for the mana cylinder, I would've collapsed before taking down even half of them.
That's how draining it was.
Damn it...
My limbs were heavy, my thoughts sluggish.
But if I didn't act now, I'd die.
I forced myself to pull the trigger.
BANG!
The bullet shattered his arm—but he didn't stop.
Screaming in rage, he tackled me.
"Ugh!"
I hit the ground hard. He pinned me, raising a knife to stab me in the face.
I grabbed his wrist with both hands, struggling to stop him.
"You demon bastard! Die!"
He spat in my face, frothing with rage.
But I couldn't even respond. All my focus was on surviving.
My strength was fading.
The blade inched closer to my eye.
...Is this it? Is this how I die?
No flashbacks. No regrets. Just cold, empty fear.
And then—
BANG!
The side of his head exploded.
His weight collapsed onto me.
I snatched the knife and jammed it into his throat, just to be sure.
Then I shoved his corpse aside and sat up slowly.
Snow soaked into my uniform as I steadied my breath.
A group approached, wearing Imperial uniforms and gas masks.
The Central Army...? No—the Royal Guard.
If they were here, there was only one person who could've sent them.
Selvia.
Sure enough, she emerged behind them, her face etched with concern.
Seeing her guilt-stricken expression made me feel like I was the one who had done something wrong.
She dropped to her knees beside me.
"Are you hurt?"
I shook my head.
"No. Thanks to the Royal Guard... So…"
I stopped mid-sentence, and she lowered her gaze, realizing what I'd been about to say.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never meant to deceive you. I disguised myself as a war correspondent because I didn't think I'd be able to see your true self otherwise."
I already knew.
But I pretended I didn't.
"So? Did you learn a lot about me?"
She nodded seriously.
"First, during the planning phase, you opposed Captain Heinz and presented a more sound strategy. That showed you have the integrity to challenge authority and the insight to read the battlefield."
I only did that because I wanted to get discharged...
"At Edelkrall Gorge, you instantly saw through Colonel Jeremy's disguise and took him out with a single shot."
That was just dumb luck...
"And finally, you risked your life to save someone you thought was just a war correspondent. That kind of selflessness is rare."
Nope—I was just trying to defect and needed a cover story.
But I couldn't correct her.
If I told the truth, I'd be executed.
"Lieutenant Daniel Steiner."
Selvia reached out and took my hand.
Then she said, with grave sincerity—
"On behalf of the Imperial Family, I declare that you are the Empire's greatest treasure."
And I nearly died of suffocation...