Max Jaeger Values His Comrades

"……I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me. You should be apologizing to the subordinates who died under your command."

Seraphina's words pierced Erika like an ice pick. Erika's lips had been bitten until blood began to seep from them. The atmosphere turned icy. At that moment, Seraphina's gaze shifted to me.

"Lieutenant Jaeger."

I answered Seraphina's call without hesitation.

"Yes, Captain."

"Report."

I immediately began my report.

"Reporting on 3rd Platoon's mission to infiltrate enemy lines. We bypassed the enemy patrols and magical traps and reached the ridge near the enemy encampment—the target area—without incident."

Seraphina quietly nodded. Walter furrowed his brow in puzzlement.

"However, when we surveyed the target area, we found that the enemy force was more than twice as large as estimated. I judged that a frontal assault, much less an assassination operation against the command center, would be reckless."

"T-twice?"

This time, Franz blurted out the words with a start.

"So?"

Seraphina asked curtly.

"Therefore, I changed the operation's objective. Fortunately, the encampment contained a large, abandoned stockpile of captured gunpowder. I judged that setting it off to throw the entire encampment into chaos and cripple its supply system would be far more effective than striking the enemy command center directly."

The moment I said this, the air in the tent began to stir.

"…The gunpowder stockpile?"

Lieutenant Walter muttered as if dumbfounded.

"With orc-level intelligence, I can see them doing that."

Franz nodded vigorously. He looked back and forth between my face and the map, his eyes shining. I continued my report.

"I detonated the gunpowder stockpile with a single new-model mana round. As a result, a quarter of the enemy encampment was obliterated, and the armory and food warehouses burned to the ground. The enemy did not recognize it as an attack by our forces. Believing it to be a supernatural disaster, they fell into extreme confusion."

"All of that… with a single shot?"

Franz muttered involuntarily. I nodded and continued.

"That's right. We completed our objective with a single shot, immediately withdrew, and fired the signal flare. While moving to the rendezvous point afterward, we confirmed that an engagement had broken out on the western ridge."

My gaze turned to Erika. She could not raise her head.

"Since a larger-than-expected enemy attack seemed likely, I decided not to rest on completing our mission and immediately moved to support 2nd Platoon. We seized the high ground, struck the enemy's flank, and helped the confused 2nd Platoon reform its lines. As a result, we successfully wiped out the enemy remnants."

"Good heavens…?"

"……!"

The atmosphere changed completely. Walter stroked his chin and marveled incredulously. Franz nodded mechanically at every word I spoke, as if dazed. His eyes shone like a boy listening to a heroic tale.

"Reporting 3rd Platoon's final casualties: one lightly wounded. Ammunition expended: less than 5 percent of our small-arms allotment. That is all."

'Status Analysis.'

[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]

[Emotion: Satisfaction at a success exceeding expectations, high trust in Max Jaeger's bold judgment, deep disappointment in Lieutenant Stahlberg's lack of experience]

As her status window indicated, she seemed satisfied with my report and gave a short nod. There was unusual sincerity in her voice.

"Good work, Lieutenant. Thanks to your flexible judgment, this operation was brought to a perfect conclusion."

Reports from 1st and 4th Platoons followed. Toward the end, Seraphina looked over the platoon commanders and spoke.

"3rd Platoon is to take complete rest for the next two days, starting today. Focus on recovering from battle fatigue. 2nd Platoon will handle recovering the fallen and repairing equipment. And Lieutenant Stahlberg, write a detailed report on the circumstances of this battle and submit it by the end of today."

It was an unmistakable case of rewarding merit and punishing fault. Erika could not answer.

"That is all. Dismissed."

Just as Seraphina finished speaking, I stepped forward and spoke.

"Captain. Lieutenant Max Jaeger has something to say. I ask you to reconsider the punishment being imposed on Lieutenant Stahlberg."

In an instant, the air in the tent froze. Lieutenant Walter's admiration turned to shock. Franz's nonstop nodding stopped dead. The person who reacted most violently was none other than Erika.

"…What?"

She jerked her head up. Her eyes held the humiliation of having been pitied.

"…Are you humiliating me right now, Jaeger?"

But I ignored her growl and looked only at Seraphina. Her eyes were cold as ice. She opened her mouth.

"……Lieutenant Jaeger, no matter how well you've performed, you must know when it is appropriate to intervene. But."

[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]

[Emotion: Anger and puzzlement at this unexpected action, but hope that Max Jaeger may be different]

Seraphina paused, closed and then opened her eyes, and continued. In that brief moment, she seemed to have mastered her anger with reason.

"But I'll hear you out."

At that permission—if it could be called permission—I began speaking calmly.

"It is true that Lieutenant Stahlberg made an error in judgment."

I acknowledged Erika's mistake in my very first sentence. At those words, Erika's shoulders hunched once more.

"But the course of this battle was entirely different from the original operation plan."

I changed my tone and continued with the next part of my argument.

"The enemy 2nd Platoon faced were not mere stragglers. They were an organized retreating force comparable to the main force. Their numbers were clearly too great for a single platoon to handle."

At my words, Walter and Franz wore confused expressions. They had thought only that Erika had fought a reckless battle; apparently, they had never considered that an unforeseen variable might be hidden beneath it all. Their gazes moved at the same time, sharply sweeping over the western ridge on the operation map where 2nd Platoon had engaged the enemy. The corners of their eyes narrowed as if they were trying to redraw the picture of the battlefield.

Feeling the atmosphere shift slightly, I began to think carefully. The problem was what came next.

Whatever the reason, Erika had ultimately chosen not to retreat and reorganize, despite that being the better tactic. She had caused numerous casualties and expended ammunition for the deeply personal reason of a commander's pride, so she deserved punishment.

The reason I was covering for her certainly wasn't vague sympathy. Even if Erika was easy on the eyes, her behavior wasn't. There was no reason for me to go out of my way to defend her.

My sole aim was to use my skills actively to increase my standing and influence within the unit.

'My risk of failure has decreased as I've leveled up. …Charismatic Speech.'

[The skill 'Charismatic Speech (Lv.3)' is activated.]

I continued speaking in as persuasive a tone as I could manage.

"But Lieutenant Stahlberg held her ground. Because her platoon desperately maintained the defensive line and pinned the enemy down, the main force was able to focus on mopping up the remnants in the east, while 3rd Platoon withdrew without interference and gained time to reorganize."

At my words, Erika's expression briefly became confused. I was cleverly repackaging her failure as a strategic sacrifice.

"As a result, 2nd Platoon's valiant stand played a decisive role in stopping the enemy's retreat and annihilating them. The sacrifice of the two fallen soldiers was not in vain; rather, it was a heroic act that prevented even greater losses. I believe it deserves to be recognized as a meritorious deed, not punished."

Ding—

[The skill 'Charismatic Speech' has been successfully applied.]

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

[Seraphina von Reinhardt accepts your argument as a rational analysis.]

[Erika von Stahlberg's hostility has turned into extreme confusion.]

[Walter is deeply impressed by your eloquence and situational judgment.]

[Franz is moved by your comradeship and broad perspective and feels respect for you.]

The system windows appeared amid a cacophony of chimes.

'Status Analysis.'

[Name: Seraphina von Reinhardt]

[Status: Reconsidering the variables that arose during the operation, suppressed fatigue]

[Emotion: Surprise at her subordinate's unexpected political acumen, acknowledgment that the presented reasoning is sound, a faint sense of incongruity regarding Max Jaeger's words]

Seraphina's status window had changed noticeably. She was now contemplating the implications of my words.

"……."

Erika, too, remained silent, just like Seraphina. But her expression was the exact opposite. Her face, red as a beet, now showed something other than anger or humiliation. It was something like shame and confusion. It couldn't have been easy for her to bear owing a debt to the person she envied most—especially when that person had even protected her honor.

At last, Seraphina broke the long silence and spoke.

"…Lieutenant Stahlberg."

Her voice was still cold, but it was no longer as sharp as before.

"Lieutenant Jaeger has a point. I'll take the unexpected variable into account. But the responsibility for losing troops because of a commander's poor judgment remains."

She reached a conclusion.

"I will recommend that the fallen soldiers be promoted two ranks posthumously. I will grant special leave to the entire 2nd Platoon. But Lieutenant Stahlberg, submit your written report as scheduled. Review every aspect of this battle and etch your mistakes into your bones."

"……Understood."

Erika managed to answer. The punishment remained, but its meaning had changed completely. It had become a measure for reflection and growth, not a reprimand.

"That is all. This time, you are really dismissed."

As soon as Seraphina finished speaking, Walter and Franz turned around first. As he left, Walter lightly tapped my shoulder and gave me a knowing smile, while Franz looked at me with a gaze so brightly shining it was almost burdensome.

"…I thought he was only good at operations."

"I thought so too, perhaps…!"

After each had offered one last remark in his own way, the two left the tent.

Erika was next. She stood there for a moment, then brushed past me. As she passed by my side, she whispered in a voice so quiet that no one else could hear.

"…You didn't have to do this. And don't get the wrong idea. I don't consider myself indebted to you because of this."

"Really?"

At my question, Erika's shoulders stiffened like stone.

She spun around and glared at me. Her face was a mix of stark bewilderment and shame at having her true feelings exposed. The bright red of her face undermined her attempt to act tough.

'Status Analysis.'

[Emotion: Extreme shame at having been seen through, anger at being unable to find a retort, and undeniable gratitude despite it all]

"W-what, why…!"

She tried to fire back, but ultimately couldn't get another word out. Her lips only fluttered in frustration. In the end, she clenched her fists and fled the tent as though truly running away.

I watched the torn back of her jacket flutter as she left and thought.

'I'll collect on this debt with interest later.'