Chapter 0
I didn't enlist in the military intentionally, but I joined up when I was young.
At the time, after awakening the memories of my previous life, I realized that this was a game world and worked tirelessly to survive.
〖Demon of the Battlefield〗
〖Marksman of Magic Bullets〗
〖The Emperor's Mad Hound〗
As a result, ominous-sounding epithets became attached to my name.
They weren't epithets I had sought, but I was fairly satisfied with my life.
Enemies feared me, while allies praised me. What more could I ask for?
However, I couldn't keep serving as the emperor's lackey forever.
『The Empire will be defeated by the Allied Nations.』
Because the future that could be summed up in a single line was gradually drawing near.
Perhaps that was why I was secretly pleased to be facing the empress after our defeat in battle.
If the empress reprimanded me, all I had to do was prostrate myself, apologize, and resign.
After that, I could assume a new identity and flee to some remote island. Problem solved.
‘I’ve saved up quite a bit of money. If things came to it, I could even sell military secrets to another country.’
Enough with the hardship of the battlefield. From now on, a rosy life lay ahead of me.
It was almost enough to make me laugh, but since I had been summoned before the empress, I had no choice but to put on a guilty expression.
“Raise your head, Daniel Steiner.”
I raised my head at the voice of the empress, who called my name from atop the throne.
Selvia von Amberg.
She was the empress who held absolute power over the Empire, and the one who had forced her own elder brother to kneel to secure her succession to the throne.
My eyes were naturally drawn to her blue eyes, resembling lapis lazuli, and her blond hair, like rays of spring sunlight.
“You returned home after routing the Magic-Armored Division at the Battle of Skeolan. This is a tremendous loss for the Empire and a historical blunder.”
Good. All the empress had to do was reprimand me like this!
Using my reprimand by the empress as an excuse to leave the military—that would be the start of my happy everyday life!
“However, considering that the Battle of Skeolan was triggered by an enemy surprise attack, that there was confusion in the transmission of orders, and that, despite the retreat, your efforts kept our losses to a minimum, I hereby recognize your military achievements as a commander.”
But then.
“Taking all of this into consideration, I shall award you the Empire’s First-Class Medal of Military Merit, the White Dragon Medal of Military Merit.”
For some reason, the empress had no intention whatsoever of letting me go.