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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Leaving the Military Isn't Easy
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Though not by design, I enlisted in the military when I was young.
At that time, after awakening memories of my past life, I realized this world was a game, and I strove relentlessly to survive.
The Devil of the Battlefield
The Magic Bullet Marksman
The Emperor's Mad Dog
As a result, these ominous monikers, unsettling to hear, became attached to my name.
They weren't titles I sought, but I lived with a certain satisfaction.
My enemies feared me, and my allies praised me—what was there to regret?
However, I couldn't continue to be the Emperor's lackey indefinitely.
The Empire would be defeated by the Allied Nations.
Because a future that could be summed up in a single line was steadily drawing closer to reality.
Perhaps that's why I was secretly pleased to be summoned before the Emperor due to a battle defeat.
If the Emperor reprimanded me, I'd simply prostrate myself, apologize profusely, and then resign. That would be the end of it.
After that, I'd just forge a new identity, escape to some remote island, and everything would be perfectly fine.
'I'd accumulated quite a bit of money. If push came to shove, I could even sell military secrets to other nations.'
No more weariness from the battlefield. A rosy future was about to unfold.
It was enough to make me smile, but having been summoned before the Emperor, I had no choice but to wear a penitent expression.
"Raise your head, Daniel Steiner."
At the Emperor's voice, calling my name from the throne, I raised my head.
Selvia von Amberg.
She was the Empress who held absolute power over the Empire, the one who had brought her own brother to his knees to secure the throne.
Her sapphire-like blue eyes and golden hair, reminiscent of spring sunlight, naturally drew my gaze.
"You defeated the Arcane Armored Division in the Battle of Skeolan and returned to the homeland. This is a great loss for the Empire and a historical misstep."
Good. All the Emperor needed to do was reprimand me like this!
Using the reprimand from the Emperor as an excuse to leave the military—that would be the start of a happy life!
"However, considering that the Battle of Skeolan stemmed from an enemy surprise attack, that there was confusion in the chain of command, and that despite the defeat, your actions minimized the casualties, I acknowledge the commander's military achievements."
And yet.
"Therefore, I shall bestow upon you the White Dragon Order of Military Merit, the Empire's First-Class Military Medal."
For some reason, the Emperor seemed to have no intention of letting me go.