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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: His Ideal is Higher Than Clouds
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His Ideal is Higher Than Clouds
There was no sign of riots or protests in Nordia.
Beyond just a lack of signs, it was remarkably peaceful.
Looking out the office window, I could even see a few citizens laughing and chatting with the garrison soldiers on patrol.
'...Shouldn't they normally be afraid?'
It had already been fifteen days since I was appointed interim garrison commander.
Yet, not even a single, common problem had arisen, which was utterly draining.
I lowered my gaze from the window view and examined the folder in my hand.
It was the 'Garrison Satisfaction Survey' Lucy had handed me this morning.
"Garrison Satisfaction Survey Statistics"
Sample Group: 100 citizens from various city districts
Respondents: Approximately 5,700 people
Question: What are your thoughts on the garrison's urban planning?
• Frequency Analysis
1. Doing Very Well – 2,365 respondents (41.5%)
2. Doing Well – 1,254 respondents (22%)
3. Undecided (Need to observe) – 684 respondents (12%)
4. Disappointing – 855 respondents (15%)
5. Very Disappointing – 542 respondents (9.5%)
※ All surveys were conducted through local assistants, not garrison soldiers, to ensure objectivity.
When I first saw this, I wondered if I was seeing things.
After all, the statistics showed that a majority of the city's residents, 63.5%, supported the garrison.
It was also an indicator that radical protests or riots were unlikely to occur.
'I wonder what Headquarters will think when they hear this report...'
A sigh escaped me, but there was no denying the reality presented by the statistics.
Turning from the window, I tossed the folder casually onto my office desk and sat down in my chair.
Leaning back in my chair with a half-resigned expression, I looked at Lucy.
Lucy, just as she had been at Headquarters, was seated at a desk in a corner of the office, engrossed in her work.
Seeing her buried in work, seemingly oblivious to me, secretly put me at ease.
'Besides...'
Even after fifteen days since my promotion and appointment as interim commander, there hadn't been any assassination attempts, which suggested the Allied Nations hadn't given the order.
In a situation where things weren't going as I wished, this was at least good news.
Still, I kept my guard up, watching as Lucy finished her paperwork and gave a short stretch.
Raising both arms, Lucy let out a soft groan before lowering them with a sigh.
Lucy, who had been staring straight ahead with sleepy eyes, suddenly sensed my presence and looked back at me.
As a result, our eyes met unintentionally.
While I broke out in a cold sweat, Lucy blinked her red eyes a couple of times.
"...Major? Is there something you wanted to say?"
What excuse could I make? After a moment of thought, I spoke as casually as possible.
"Are you done with your work?"
"Yes. I do have some paperwork left for the afternoon, but it's not much."
"That's good then. You can rest well after work. Haven't you been working hard helping me lately?"
"I have worked quite hard. Unlike you, Major, I've mostly been out in the field."
So she doesn't deny it.
"More importantly, Major, you should also be able to take a break today."
"Ah, yes. Actually, I was planning to go to a famous dessert shop in Nordia today..."
As soon as I said it, I regretted it.
It was because a spark of life flickered in Lucy's eyes as she looked at me.
Come to think of it, Lucy had really enjoyed the parfait back in the capital.
That look... it seemed like she was waiting for me to invite her along.
After a short silence, I cleared my throat.
"...Would you like to come along, if you don't mind?"
"Desserts aren't really to my taste, but if the Major insists, I won't refuse."
Huh? Look at that.
After eating that parfait with such gusto, she was now playing innocent, which was utterly vexing.
I raised an eyebrow and spoke.
"Then I'll go alone. I wouldn't want to disturb my adjutant's rest."
Lucy's fingertips twitched.
Her expression remained impassive, but her actions betrayed her disappointment.
However, I had no intention of inviting her again.
Playing innocent was practically an insult to desserts.
"But it would be a different story if my adjutant honestly admitted she liked desserts."
Lucy's eyes trembled slightly, as if she was deep in thought.
But in the end, Lucy chose her pride, secretly clenching her fist.
"...I don't like them."
So that's how she wants to play it.
Feeling a renewed stubbornness, I put on airs.
"The dessert I'll be having this time is an éclair. Have you ever heard of choux pastry dough? It uses water, butter, flour, and eggs as its basic ingredients, and its characteristic is that it puffs up lightly when baked in the oven."
"..."
"It's delicious from the moment it's baked in the oven. Its inherent savory flavor fills your mouth. But if it ended there, it would just be simple bread, not a dessert. Its true essence lies elsewhere."
I leaned forward towards Lucy and said,
"Once the choux pastry dough is fully baked, you pipe it full of vanilla cream. Then, you top it with a rich, thick chocolate glaze. Can you imagine the taste?"
Lucy swallowed hard.
At her reaction, I snapped my fingers.
"It'll be fantastic, won't it! The smooth cream and the savory dough will surely dance harmoniously in your mouth! And with chocolate on top? The moment you eat it, even an atheist would praise God."
"..."
"Of course, no matter how much I explain, it'll be hard to understand without tasting it yourself. Still, I can't force you, can I? After all, you're 'someone who dislikes desserts,' aren't you?"
As I made my final probe, Lucy's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
I watched quietly, wondering if it was a declaration of defeat.
Ring—
The office phone rang, interrupting the moment between Lucy and me.
Wondering who it was, I picked up the receiver.
"This is the interim garrison commander."
Soon, a tense voice came from the other end of the line.
—Commander! Lieutenant McCall here! I'm calling to report something unusual I found while patrolling the collapsed munitions factory.
Something unusual? Curious, I asked again.
"Explain in more detail."
—Understood! Below the munitions factory, we discovered an underground base that appears to have been built by them. It seems to be some kind of research facility, but its structure... you'd understand faster if you saw it yourself.
The enemy hid a research facility?
What was the reason? Puzzled, I nodded.
"I'll go check it myself. Stop the search and wait at the entrance."
Hearing his affirmative reply, I hung up the receiver.
As I stood up, Lucy pretended to be busy with her work, her lips sealed.
It seemed she had intended to concede but missed her chance, deciding simply not to go.
I gazed at Lucy for a moment before moving.
"Sounds delicious. An éclair made by a master baker, they said..."
I could see Lucy clenching her teeth.
Enjoying her reaction, I stepped out of the office, counted to about three, then re-entered and stood before Lucy.
"Last chance. Are you really not coming to the dessert shop?"
Lucy seemed to be wrestling with an internal struggle, then her eyes half-opened and she lowered her gaze.
"...I would."
"What are you mumbling? Speak properly."
After a short, deep breath, Lucy's lips parted.
"I want to go..."
Only then did I nod.
"You should have just said what you really felt earlier. I'll tell you the location, and we can go together after work."
"I will do that..."
Lucy's face was faintly flushed as she replied in a barely audible voice.
She truly was a woman who was fun to tease.
But I should be careful not to cross the line.
'Because I might actually die if I do.'
That was no joke; I was serious.
*
Imperial General Staff Headquarters.
Office of the Deputy Chief of Operations.
Knock, knock—
At the sound of the knock, Cedric Wendel put down the documents he was reading and looked up.
"Come in."
Soon, the door opened, and a pleasant-looking middle-aged man entered.
It was Colonel Ernst Bark, Chief of the Operations Department.
Ernst walked to the center of the room and saluted.
Ernst usually maintained friendly relations with his superiors and often omitted salutes, but for some reason, he couldn't do so in front of the Deputy Chief of Operations.
Meeting those raven-like eyes always sent a shiver down his spine.
"Deputy Chief. I've come to report something."
"It's been a while since you've visited my office. What is it?"
"Ah, I've come regarding Major Daniel Steiner."
Daniel Steiner. Cedric was already aware of his remarkable performance in the North.
It was Cedric himself who had placed Daniel in the interim garrison commander position.
However, entrusting the garrison commander role to a talent who had only just become a major might have been a mistake.
'It's always harder to govern than to conquer.'
Therefore, Ernst must have come to report incidents in Nordia.
"Has something happened in Nordia? A popular uprising or violent unrest, perhaps?"
"...No, sir. According to the telegrams, the majority of Nordia's citizens are satisfied with the garrison's urban planning. Intelligence even suggests that people are saying life is better now than before the occupation."
Cedric's eyes widened.
As far as Ernst knew, it was rare for Cedric to show such surprise.
"He's... stabilized civilian life?"
And in just fifteen days since taking on the interim garrison commander role?
At such an astounding achievement, Cedric remained silent for a moment before letting out a dry chuckle.
"My, my. I seem to have misjudged Daniel Steiner."
No matter how talented an individual, they inevitably tire from the exhaustion of constantly fighting on the battlefield.
I thought Daniel Steiner would also be experiencing similar hardships, but seeing him achieve such remarkable results, it seems he's not fatigued at all; rather, his blood is coursing with excitement.
'It's as if he's playing around, treating the front lines like his own home.'
Cedric, having raised his estimation of Daniel Steiner by another notch in his mind, spoke.
"We must quickly select a permanent garrison commander and send them to Nordia."
Ernst blinked blankly, surprised by the unexpected answer.
"Deputy Chief? Is there really a need to rush? Major Daniel Steiner is smoothly integrating the occupied territory into Imperial land..."
"You, my dear fellow, only see one side of the coin. Do you truly believe Daniel Steiner would be content with merely a garrison commander position?"
Cedric's hollow eyes took on a cold glint.
"That man is looking higher. He's waiting for a crucial mission that will allow him to dedicate himself to the Empire. Therefore..."
A chilling smile played on Cedric's lips as he looked at a sweating Ernst.
"I intend to grant his wish."