-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Only Way to Escape the Empire
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There was a game called 'Empire of Emperor'.
Literally translated as 'The Emperor's Empire,' it was a fantasy war game set in a modern era.
The game's main objective was to stop the Empire, a militaristic nation attempting to unify the world through its overwhelming national power.
It wasn't particularly popular, but it was my favorite game because of the incredibly rich interactions among the NPCs.
For instance, even among peasants, their values differed depending on their region and nation.
Soldiers, too, weren't mere automatons; they harbored their own grievances, and if the command failed to address them, desertion and rebellion would ensue.
Furthermore, depending on the player's actions, an allied NPC could become an enemy, and conversely, an enemy NPC could become an ally.
A truly god-tier game!
Just a slight variation in gameplay would launch a new story, making it the ultimate game for me.
The only flaw was that no matter how you played, the Empire was destined for ruin.
Since the player-controlled protagonist belonged to the Allied Nations, the Empire's enemy, it was an unavoidable outcome.
The problem was that this "unavoidable outcome" had now happened to me.
"As you all know, the Allied Nations have formed an encirclement around our infantry division, which has advanced into enemy territory—3km from the first defensive line, and 5km from the second. I trust none of you are unaware that breaking this encirclement is the only way to turn the tide of battle."
I looked at the man speaking in a solemn voice.
The middle-aged man, with his wrinkled face and distinctive scar, was someone I knew well.
[Commander, 1st Arcane Mobile Army Operations Command, Brigadier General Heinrich Schmidt]
He was a named NPC that you were bound to encounter while playing the game.
'That means...'
It was consistent with the idea that I was now inside the game world.
I wanted to deny it, but the strategic map spread out on the command table and the imposing eagle-shaped emblem unfurled behind Heinrich repeatedly told me that this was indeed the game.
And as far as I knew, there was only one place where that eagle-shaped emblem was used as the military's symbol.
[The Holy Bavarian Empire]
Yes. This was the heart of the Empire, whose defeat was sealed in the game's ending.
What was I doing in the heart of that Empire? After racking my brain, I recalled my position.
[Deputy Chief of Operations Planning, Imperial General Staff, Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner]
Cruelly enough, I was the Deputy Chief of Operations Planning for the Imperial Military Headquarters.
If I had recalled my position without knowing the Empire was doomed to fail, I would have popped champagne, certain I was on an elite career path.
But knowing the Empire's inevitable defeat, this title was worth less than trash.
'In the ending, surely...'
The leadership of the Empire, a war criminal nation, would not escape execution.
As long as I remained here, I too would vanish into the dew of the execution grounds.
That simply couldn't happen. I hadn't lived this long just to die a dog's death.
As much as I wanted to request a discharge, officers in the Empire had an obligatory service period of eight years.
It meant this wasn't a job I could simply quit when I wanted to.
So how was I to get out of here?
Sweating cold, I clenched my fist at a shallow realization.
'Dishonorable discharge...!'
If I were deemed unfit during a court-martial, I could receive a dishonorable discharge.
If that happened, I wouldn't have to obey military control anymore.
It meant I could become a free man and leave the Empire—
"Lieutenant?"
My shoulders twitched at Heinrich's call.
When I raised my head, the military officers, including Heinrich, were staring intently at me.
"You seemed to be deep in thought, staring at the strategic map and pondering our military's situation. Have you come up with some stratagem?"
I had indeed thought of something. The only way for me to escape the Empire.
Feeling the burden of the high-ranking officers' gazes, I hesitated for a moment before clearing my throat.
Meanwhile, my mind was rapidly calculating.
'...This might be an opportunity for a dishonorable discharge.'
Why did Heinrich ask me for a stratagem? As the Deputy Chief of Operations Planning, he must have thought I'd picked up a thing or two, so he gave me the floor.
He probably wanted to set aside the opinions of rigid, inflexible high-ranking officers and hear out an enthusiastic young man.
He was the type of person who embraced opinions regardless of rank or individual. Heinrich was that kind of man.
But I had no intention whatsoever of meeting Heinrich's expectations.
I had no desire to be a sailor on a sinking ship.
"General."
So, for the sake of a dishonorable discharge, I decided to give the wrong answer instead of the right one.
"Begging your pardon, General, but through which route do you intend to send reinforcements to rescue our isolated forces in enemy territory?"
"Hmm. Following the staff's recommendations, I intend to advance through the foothills of the Thebaite Mountains. According to intelligence, that's where the enemy's defenses are loosest."
"The Thebaite Mountains..."
I paused for a moment before speaking.
"In that case, I humbly implore you to reconsider your decision."
Instantly, the conference room fell silent.
It was natural for them to be surprised that a mere second lieutenant, barely commissioned, would ask them to reconsider a decision made after factoring in both the staff's opinions and intelligence reports.
The gazes of the high-ranking officers, glaring at me in the uncomfortable silence, were intimidating, but I calmly continued.
"General. Don't you find it strange? Why, amidst the enemy's stringent patrol defenses, are the borders of the Thebaite Mountain foothills so lax?"
"It seems suspicious to you, does it, Lieutenant?"
"Yes. It's as if the enemy is luring us. It looks like they're encouraging us to advance through the Thebaite Mountain foothills."
It was nothing but plausible nonsense.
It was clear from the start that the Central Intelligence's report would be more accurate than my delusions.
Yet I pressed on. My goal, after all, was a dishonorable discharge.
So it was crucial to announce that I was a terrible person with absurd sophistry.
"The enemy must have set up a trap near the Thebaite Mountain foothills and is waiting."
"Your basis?"
"My intuition tells me so."
As I spoke with such conviction, one of Heinrich's eyebrows twitched.
Heinrich let out a short, dry laugh and tapped the table.
"What is your rank and name?"
"Deputy Chief of Operations Planning, Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner."
"Very well. Daniel Steiner. Your words now directly contradict the staff's opinion. You understand that, don't you?"
"Yes, General."
"If we heed your words, we'll have to conduct an all-around reconnaissance mission, which will delay our advance schedule. Can you take responsibility for the consequences?"
It meant I should be prepared for disciplinary action if my opinion was accepted but proved to be nothing more than a needless apprehension.
This was precisely the outcome I wanted.
"If my prediction proves false, I shall gladly shed my uniform and withdraw from the military."
No sooner had I finished speaking than the conference room stirred.
Murmurs of disapproval and clicks of tongues could be heard from all around.
Among them, the Chief of Operations, my superior, furrowed his brow and began to speak.
"Lieutenant Daniel! Your impertinence is excessive! Do you even know where you are—!"
The Chief of Operations, who had been about to reprimand me, stopped mid-sentence and closed his mouth.
This was because Heinrich had raised a hand to stop him.
"Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner. There's no harm in being cautious, so I shall trust you this once."
He continued, a smile playing on his lips.
"However, remember this: words, once spoken, cannot be unsaid. If your words cause harm to the Empire, I will not hesitate to convene a court-martial."
In an instant, Heinrich's ink-black eyes narrowed.
"Do you understand?"
An immense pressure sent shivers down my entire body.
Indeed, this was a man who had risen to the rank of general after enduring countless trials and tribulations.
He was a man who knew how to imbue his words with gravity.
Any other time, I would have bowed my head or averted my gaze, crushed by the atmosphere, but as long as I was aiming for a dishonorable discharge, there was no need to avoid the Commander's eyes.
Without averting Heinrich's gaze, I offered a faint smile.
"It is as I wished, General."
*
The next morning.
Imperial General Staff Officers' Dormitory.
Knock, knock—
My eyes slowly opened at the sound of knocking.
I turned my head to look at the alarm clock; it wasn't even wake-up time yet.
Knocks this early in the morning? Who could it be?
As I blinked my eyes, still half-asleep, another knock sounded.
"Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner! The General is calling for you! Wake up!"
At the mention of the General, my eyes snapped open.
"Ah, understood!"
I quickly replied, got out of bed, rapidly changed, and opened the door.
Beyond the door stood an officer dressed in the Imperial military uniform, just like me.
Three diamonds on his shoulder boards—a Captain. My superior.
"...Are you Second Lieutenant Daniel Steiner?"
"Yes, Captain. But why has the General summoned me?"
I pretty much knew why. They'd sent a large reconnaissance force to the foothills based on my opinion, and it must have been a wild goose chase.
In a wartime situation, wasting manpower was a sin, so the General must have summoned me to reprimand my incompetence.
Heinrich, after condemning me as human trash, would soon convene a court-martial.
When that happened, I'd just have to admit my guilt and leave the military. A free pass to dishonorable discharge.
Depending on the situation, I might even face imprisonment, but a few years in prison was far better than being part of a war criminal nation's leadership and getting my head chopped off, so I could bear it.
Just as I felt an inward sense of relief that things were going according to plan, a smile played on the Captain's lips.
Was he mocking me? No, wait. Something felt off.
"You may rejoice, Lieutenant. Thanks to your intuition proving exactly right, our forces were able to prevent casualties in advance. The General has summoned you to discuss a commendation for that."
...What?