Lucy’s instincts screamed a warning.

The woman standing before her was dangerous.

Those eyes, as if peering straight into her soul, carried a hint of madness.

But Lucy didn’t lose her composure.

So what if she was being suspected? Nothing would change.

“Be clear about what you’re trying to say, Cadet Frien. Are you implying that I’ve committed a crime? Or perhaps that I’m lying?”

Frien’s pupils quivered.

She had only been fishing for a reaction, but she hadn’t expected Lucy to respond so calmly.

Straightening herself, Frien forced an awkward smile.

“Lieutenant, I was merely sharing a personal anecdote. And according to my experience—”

“I see. Experience is important in all things. It helps establish a framework for judgment. But what kind of ‘experience’ teaches someone to accuse others without any basis or evidence?”

Though polite, Lucy’s words bristled with thorns.

She was questioning whether Frien’s rudeness toward a superior officer was also based on her so-called experience.

In doing so, Lucy had insulted Frien’s upbringing and subtly belittled her character.

Frien understood Lucy’s intent all too well.

Her forced smile twitched ever so slightly.

Tick—

The clock’s ticking filled the suffocating silence.

The tension in the room was so thick it felt as though something could snap at any moment—

Then came the sound of familiar footsteps, the sharp click of boots approaching.

Frien instinctively turned toward the door just as Daniel entered the office.

“Captain!”
“You’re here.”

Frien brightened as she saluted, and Lucy rose to her feet, mirroring the gesture.

Daniel returned their salutes, ready to deliver Cedric’s message, but hesitated.

‘What’s this?’

The atmosphere in the office felt unnervingly heavy.

‘Is it just my imagination?’

Though unsettled, Daniel decided it wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

“Cadet Frien, I’ve discussed your situation with the deputy chief. Normally, cadets aren’t deployed to active battlefields, but this time they’re making an exception as part of your training.”

Frien showed little surprise.

She had already anticipated this outcome, knowing the personnel office had approved it beforehand.

Still, hearing Daniel confirm it in person wasn’t unpleasant.

“I’ll do my best, Captain Daniel!”

Frien spoke with enthusiasm, but Daniel only looked at her with mild reluctance before turning to Lucy.

“And Lieutenant Lucy, your assignment to the Northern Front as my adjutant has been finalized. Both of you should pack your belongings and prepare to move out immediately once the unit is assembled.”

The two women saluted sharply in acknowledgment.

After returning their salutes, Daniel watched as Frien slowly shifted her gaze toward Lucy.

“Well, it seems we’ll be spending quite a bit of time together, Lieutenant Lucy.”

Lucy didn’t flinch. She met Frien’s gaze and narrowed her eyes sharply.

“Yes, it seems so. Quite the coincidence.”

The palpable tension between the two made Daniel break into a cold sweat.

‘What the hell is wrong with you two?’

He had no idea why they were practically baring their teeth at each other like predators.

*****

As soon as the company gathered at the General Staff Headquarters, I gave a brief speech, introduced myself to the junior officers who would be serving under me, and immediately set out for the Northern Front.

…To be honest, I had been worried about Lucy and Frien getting into fights along the way, but fortunately, they managed to avoid any direct clashes.

Of course, there were occasional minor disputes, but I kept a close eye on them and intervened whenever necessary to prevent their bickering from escalating into something more serious—like a firearm incident.

The real issue, however, was that even after a month of marching toward the northern outpost, the tension between them showed no signs of easing.

“If you’re tired, why don’t you get some rest? I can handle Lieutenant Lucy’s duties well enough.”
“I must commend you for attempting to imitate a swan despite being born a sparrow.”

Seated in the passenger seat of the officers’ vehicle, I glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

Despite the barbed words they exchanged, both wore calm expressions.

Frien even had a gentle smile on her face.

But simply overhearing their conversation was enough to make my chest tighten.

Even the driver beside me kept sneaking glances in the mirror, his face clearly asking, ‘Why are they even fighting?’

‘This is hopeless.’

I was already growing tired of having to mediate their arguments.

Sighing, I looked out the window and noticed the sun beginning to set.

“Stop here.”

At my command, the driver hit the brakes and asked,

“Are we camping here for the night, sir?”
“Yes.”

The officers’ vehicle gradually slowed to a halt.

Stepping out, I surveyed the area.

Surrounded by clusters of bare trees, I spotted a clearing large enough to accommodate about 200 soldiers.

There was even a nearby stream, making it a decent spot for water supplies.

More than that, though, the chill in the air seemed to cut right through my officer’s winter coat.

I exhaled a breath tinged with cold and furrowed my brow.

‘It’s summer, yet it feels no different from winter here.’

The only noticeable difference from my last trip to the north was that some of the snow had melted.

No wonder the military leadership wanted to finish the war before summer ended.

If it was already this cold now, the soldiers would be dropping from frostbite before they even had the chance to face the enemy once winter arrived.

‘Even among my own troops…’

Two soldiers had already nearly collapsed from the cold during the march.

They were fine for now, but still—

Turning my head slightly, I saw the 200 soldiers in Imperial uniforms standing at attention behind the military vehicles.

The driver relayed my orders to the platoon leaders.

After receiving the orders, one of the platoon leaders turned and shouted commands to the troops.

In perfect unison, the soldiers began moving, filing into the clearing.

Once inside, they dropped their gear and started setting up military tents.

Several soldiers unloaded rations from a transport truck that had essentially become a mobile pantry to prepare for dinner.

With my hands clasped behind my back, I watched them work until two platoon leaders strode toward me.

Perfect timing—I had instructions to give.

“Lieutenant McCall, take two fast-footed soldiers and scout the surrounding terrain. There’s a tall hill nearby—climb it and survey the area.”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”

Lieutenant McCall saluted sharply, called over two soldiers who had been setting up tents, and disappeared into the woods.

I had been thinking about how to kill time until he returned, but Sergeant Glendy wasn’t about to let me off the hook.

“Captain, isn’t it a bit early to be setting up camp?”

Judging by his youthful appearance, he must have been promoted to sergeant fairly recently.

He still looked like a boy—his features hadn’t completely shed their innocence yet.

Despite the dissatisfied expression on his face, I answered him as calmly as possible.

“Sergeant, don’t you know that preserving soldiers’ stamina is the most important factor on the battlefield?”

“I understand that, sir, but… we were originally supposed to reach the forward outpost five days ago. We’re already five days behind schedule, and I’m not sure we can afford to be so relaxed.”

I gave him a slight nod, signaling for him to continue.

Glendy hesitated, his confidence wavering, but eventually clenched his fists and spoke.

“I couldn’t understand why we were so delayed, so I checked our location using map coordinates. This area isn’t directly along the path to the outpost. I believe, Captain, that you’ve been deliberately taking detours.”

Of course, I had been.

Even when we could’ve taken the main road, I led us through back routes, and even then, I picked the roughest paths.

The reason was simple—

‘The later we arrive, the later we get thrown into the frontlines.’

The sooner we joined the battle, the sooner we’d die.

Wasn’t this obvious?

Then again, Glendy was the type to willingly die for the Empire.

He wasn’t as fanatical as Frien, but his mind was still clouded with patriotic fervor.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, which only made Glendy bristle.

“Captain! Do you think this is funny? I wasn’t going to bring this up, but the men are already doubting you! They’re saying you’re just some desk jockey from Headquarters who’s too cowardly to face the battlefield!”

That was the best thing I’d heard all day.

The lower my reputation, the less likely Headquarters would assign me to critical operations.

Of course, I couldn’t admit that, so I decided to deflect with something vague.

“People who focus too much on the trees can’t see the forest. No matter how much I explain the forest to someone who’s fixated on a single tree, they won’t understand. That’s your limitation, Sergeant Glendy.”

“What does that even—?”

Before Glendy could finish, McCall returned from the woods.

He was visibly flushed, his excitement practically radiating off him.

McCall strode up and spoke with trembling urgency.

“Captain! We—w-we’ve found them! An enemy supply unit is setting up camp nearby! From what I know, Intelligence hasn’t even identified their supply routes yet…! You were circling the area deliberately, weren’t you? You were looking for this!”

…What?

An enemy supply unit? Here?

I was stunned, but before I could react, Glendy’s eyes lit up.

“Is that true? Captain, don’t tell me you’ve been planning this from the start…”

The resentment on Glendy’s face melted into awe.

“I—I’m sorry! I’ve spoken out of line!”

Watching Glendy bow his head and apologize left me completely dumbfounded.

Things were spiraling out of control.

To make matters worse, I locked eyes with Frien, who was standing nearby.

The reverence in her gaze was suffocating.

Even the two platoon leaders were looking at me like I was some kind of tactical genius.

It felt like I had crossed the Rubicon.

If I told them not to attack now, this pack of nationalist zealots might actually beat me to death.

Reluctantly, I adjusted the brim of my cap.

“Relay this to all units.”

I pulled my cap low, letting out a quiet sigh.

“…Prepare to exterminate the rats.”