For a moment, I thought I’d misheard, but Freen’s eyes were filled with certainty.

“...Give me the binoculars.”
“Yes, sir!”

Taking the binoculars from Freen, I scanned the entrance of the gorge, frowning.

Just as Freen had said, a company-sized force was advancing.

But why were they entering Edelkrall Gorge, which was mined?

Puzzled, I inspected their formation—and let out a hollow laugh.

‘They’re marching in a single-file column. Two soldiers are walking far ahead of the rest.’

The two leading soldiers were effectively being used as a mine-clearing unit.

If no explosions occurred along their path, it meant the area was clear of mines.

The rest of Jeremy’s troops were simply following in their footsteps.

‘And those soldiers in the lead… don’t look like they volunteered.’

I zoomed in further and saw their faces filled with fear.

Would anyone trembling like that willingly volunteer to lead the charge? Definitely not.

It was obvious they’d been forced into it, likely under threat.

Shifting the binoculars slightly, I noticed a soldier about 30 meters behind aiming a rifle at the lead pair.

Leave the formation and be shot on the spot.

Jeremy had almost certainly issued such an order.

‘He’s using his men’s lives to check for mines...’

It was the kind of demonic calculation only war could produce.

Not that it was shocking—history had seen far worse.

Sighing, I lowered the binoculars and glanced around as I spoke.

“Target approaching. All squads, prepare for combat.”

The moment I finished speaking, the soldiers crouched and drew their rifles. Then they checked the mana cylinders attached to their shoulders.

The cylindrical devices, filled with various mechanisms and gauges, were the Empire’s cutting-edge weapons.

Their function was to store mana in advance, allowing soldiers to access up to twice their normal mana reserves during combat.

It meant Imperial soldiers could fight twice as effectively as those from other nations.

Of course, this was a theoretical calculation, but the mana cylinder—hailed as the pinnacle of magitech—had undeniably cemented the Empire’s status as a superpower.

‘Realistically, no country can win a full-scale war against the Empire...’

But that overwhelming strength had also fueled fear and resentment among neighboring nations, which bordered the Empire.

As I adjusted my own mana cylinder and checked the gauge, I thought again about why I wanted to escape this Empire in the first place.

After confirming there were no issues, I lay prone at the edge of the cliff, aiming my rifle.

The soldiers followed my lead, positioning themselves along the cliffside.

Watching Jeremy’s company advance deeper into the gorge, I whispered loud enough for my men to hear.

“I’ll take the enemy commander. The moment I fire, block their escape route with suppressive fire. Prepare magic rounds.”
“Prepare magic rounds!”

In low voices, the soldiers echoed my command, channeling mana into their ammunition.

Infusing bullets with mana temporarily enhanced their destructive power and penetration.

Magic bullets outperformed most spells and required no complicated chants—just a bit of mana infusion.

Like how firearms had rendered medieval knights obsolete, the rise of magic bullets had reduced most spells to relics of the past, except for a few practical ones.

It was a prime example of technology erasing romantic ideals.

‘But still...’

If I killed Colonel Jeremy here, wouldn’t that just earn me another medal?

With the princess watching from behind, I couldn’t just stand idly by. But if I achieved another victory, my chance to escape the Empire would vanish.

What should I do? Feeling Selvia’s gaze, I opened my rifle’s scope.

Bracing the rifle stock against my shoulder, I peered through the scope and spotted Colonel Jeremy walking in the center of the formation.

The scope’s magnification wasn’t high enough to make out his face clearly, but the one wearing a high-ranking officer’s uniform was undoubtedly him.

If I killed him, I’d be promoted again.

That was unacceptable. I couldn’t let myself get further entangled with the Empire.

‘Then…’

I just needed to act like an idiot who missed his shot, even with a golden opportunity.

Having made up my mind, I shifted my aim slightly, targeting the soldier walking beside Jeremy instead.

Taking a deep breath, I held it, infused mana into the bullet, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet tore through the air and pierced the soldier’s head.

Immediately, my platoon’s gunfire erupted, deafening the air as it rained down on the enemy.

Glancing briefly, I saw about 17 Allied soldiers collapsing in sprays of blood.

It was an excellent opening volley.

But Jeremy was still alive.

If the enemy counted the fallen bodies and realized we only had a platoon, they’d figure it out quickly.

And Jeremy wasn’t stupid. He’d deploy a mana barrier and either charge forward or retreat.

Many of his men would die in the process, but a man who used his subordinates as human mine detectors wouldn’t care.

If Jeremy escaped, I’d fail the mission and could finally get discharged.

‘Come on, Colonel Jeremy. Run!’

I peered through the scope, watching Jeremy’s company flounder in confusion.

Then, to my disbelief, an officer began shouting orders and dropped his weapon.

‘...Huh? Why are they dropping their weapons?’

Unable to make sense of it, I watched as soldiers started kneeling one by one and raising their hands.

It was a clear sign of surrender. They had no intention of continuing the fight.

Freen, who had been firing alongside me, tilted her head in confusion.

“...They’re surrendering?”
“No. It could be a trick. They might attack the moment we move down...”

Before I could finish, the officer shouted something again and threw his rifle into the minefield.

The soldiers followed, tossing their weapons into the mined area as well.

“...It’s a genuine surrender.”

What the hell is going on?

I had no idea, but with the enemy surrendering, the operation was effectively over.

“Everyone, get up. We’re moving in to capture them.”

*****

Descending into the gorge, I ordered my platoon to tie up the prisoners before walking over to Colonel Jeremy and demanding an explanation.

Specifically, I asked him to explain why they had surrendered.

“You killed the colonel!”

Jeremy—no, the man dressed in Colonel Jeremy’s uniform—glared at me and shouted.

“We were ambushed! And if you knew enough to identify the uniform switch, then it was clear we had no chance of winning. Moving forward meant stepping into a minefield, and retreating meant dying like dogs.”

In short, the soldier I killed with my first shot had actually been Colonel Jeremy in disguise.

Losing their commander in an instant, the company assumed we had the upper hand in intelligence and firepower, and their morale collapsed—leading to their surrender.

“...Damn it.”

Running a hand down my face in disbelief, I saw one of the enemy soldiers clench his fists in frustration.

“Damn it…! You Imperial bastards! If we’d known you were just a single platoon, we would’ve fought back! You devilish son of a—”

Thud!

The soldier crumpled into the snow as Freen struck him in the neck with the butt of her rifle.

Freen, her gaze cold as she looked down at the fallen soldier, turned to me and saluted.

“Sir! We’ve captured 87 prisoners, excluding the 18 killed in action!”

Hearing Freen’s report made the reality sink in.

We’d defeated an entire company with a single platoon.

I let out a frosty breath, staying silent as Freen added cautiously,

“...Aren’t you happy, sir? Ah! Of course, this level of success must be routine for you, Lieutenant. I apologize for my mistake!”

What the hell is this woman talking about?

As I frowned, the sound of a camera shutter—click—echoed through the air.

I flinched and turned toward the source, only to find Selvia standing there.

Lowering her camera, she gazed at me with an expression of admiration.

“Congratulations. Your operation planning and execution were flawless, including the elimination of your target.”

“Wait. That photo you just took…”

“When we return to the capital, I’ll order—no, request—that it be published in the papers. A war hero who took down a company with just a platoon? I’ll make sure you get the recognition you deserve.”

I wanted to tell her not to do it, but the person standing before me was the imperial princess.

Refusal wasn’t an option.

Seeming to grow even fonder of me, Selvia took a step closer and playfully nudged my waist.

“So? How does it feel to become a war hero?”

“...”

It felt like absolute hell.

But there was no way I could say that to the imperial princess.

Suppressing my emotions, I responded as neutrally as possible.

“I simply did what was expected for the Empire. Calling me a war hero is far too much. This was just one of many battles taking place on the front lines, and I’m concerned that publicizing it might seem excessive.”

It was my roundabout way of asking her not to spread news of this battle.

But upon hearing my words, Selvia looked momentarily surprised before breaking into a soft smile.

“I see. You’re every bit the model soldier I’ve heard about. It makes me want to recruit you even more.”

...Why did it feel like she’d misunderstood something?

Was it just my imagination?