Chapter 2

### Chapter 2: The Death God Staff Officer

After the skirmish in the pass, I found myself facing the high-ranking officers at the Fifth Division Headquarters.

The officers were like figures from another world, so I saluted them with a mix of tension and respect.

"Second Lieutenant Yui Naru Chrombertz, reporting as ordered."

The value of ranks in this world is a bit different from my original world, but the fact that a second lieutenant is the starting point for officers remains the same. I'm also assigned to lead a platoon as a low-level commander.

Some of my classmates from the military academy have already become first lieutenants, but I, being from a commoner background, haven't advanced at all. I think it would be a great success if I could become a major before retiring.

I thought that, but the high-ranking officer's words seemed to be related to this issue.

"In the recent engagement with the Agan army, your platoon suffered devastating losses, didn't it?"

"Yes, sir. It was the result of fulfilling our mission."

It's not a lie.

The battalion commander was wrong for sending a single platoon to capture a narrow area. If he had sent another platoon to outflank and encircle the enemy, it wouldn't have happened.

The battalion commander thickened his main force to block the enemy, but as a result, he was stingy with the detachment. We learned in the military academy that being stingy with troops leads to many deaths, and the battalion commander's decision was indeed poor.

"I have received the report. The battalion commander highly praised your completion of a difficult mission."

Thank you, but the deaths of thirty men are his fault. What an incompetent noble.

The high-ranking officer seemed to sense my thoughts and sighed slightly.

"Your Third Platoon will be disbanded, and its members will be reassigned to fill the vacancies in the First and Second Platoons. You will be relieved of your duties as platoon leader. Your bravery in battle is clear, but some people are calling you the 'Death God.'"

"I am well aware of that."

It's not my fault, you know.

The high-ranking officer put on a serious face and spoke in a sympathetic tone.

"Being relieved of your duties despite your bravery must be frustrating for you. I would like to promote you, but it's not possible to make you a first lieutenant right away."

This isn't a child's game of war, so I don't expect a promotion.

The military ranks are not numerous, and if you got promoted for every small skirmish, you'd become a general in no time. Oh, no, the Schweidler Empire doesn't have general ranks, so everything from brigadier to general is just called "general."

So, normally, I would just get a medal and that would be it, but they wouldn't have called me to the division headquarters for that.

As I thought this, the situation started to feel strange.

"By the way, you seem to have a talent for strategic planning."

What are you talking about? I'm just a front-line commander who can only charge into battle.

But I know from my previous life that in such situations, you have to agree. Essentially, this guy wants to make it "that way."

"Yes, sir! I have confidence in strategic planning!"

"Good. You also have ample combat experience and leadership skills. You are also skilled in training subordinates. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir, that's correct!"

Ah, this is why I hate the military.

If I hadn't been reborn into a poor family, I wouldn't have to work for this barbaric organization.

As I thought about the grim nature of the modern military, the high-ranking officer nodded.

"Then I will appoint you as a staff officer. How does that sound?"

How does that sound? It's an order, right? I know that much.

"Yes, sir! I humbly accept the appointment!"

"Good. As of today, I appoint Second Lieutenant Chrombertz as a staff officer. I will award you the staff officer's shoulder insignia."

"Yes, sir! I will work even harder in my military duties!"

Yay, I'm a staff officer. I'm happy.

...Actually, I'm not that happy, but at least I won't have to use my command saber to crack enemy skulls anymore.

The problem is that a staff officer is not an independent position.

Most of the senior officers in the Schweidler Empire are from noble families. They have high education levels, but not all of them have the aptitude to be commanders.

So, staff officers are appointed to advise on military affairs. Their job is to suggest how to execute unreasonable orders from above. They are just "advisors," so they aren't very powerful.

So, who will I be a staff officer for?

The Fifth Division's staff positions are firmly controlled by the Retrau Duke's faction. I, a commoner, am not welcome.

Will I be transferred to another division? But every division headquarters is a den of aristocrats.

The high-ranking officer then announced, as if to signal the end of the matter.

"You will be transferred to the Sixth Special Task Brigade. You will be a direct staff officer to the brigade commander. It's a clear promotion."

A promotion, huh?

Our empire's brigades are smaller than divisions and are often temporarily formed. They have irregular structures, and the term "special" is concerning. It sounds good, but it means it's not a regular brigade.

It feels ominous.

But the high-ranking officer didn't explain anything and just handed me a stack of documents.

"You'll understand when you get there."

I don't understand, but being a staff officer to a brigade is a respectable position.

Fine, I'll just show my transfer orders and ride with the transport team's wagons.

I started packing in one of the barracks rooms, but a duty soldier rushed in.

"Second Lieutenant, a carriage has arrived to pick you up."

"A carriage to pick me up?"

I didn't request one.