I Became an Officer in Another World in Just 5 Minutes - Chapter 232

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 232
‘And then dragging out time through incitement.’
Once the citizens began interfering, we had no choice but to consolidate our forces.
In that process, the rear naturally became vulnerable.
The Assassin Squad struck at precisely that moment.
“If I had to point out a careless aspect, it would be leaving the rear exposed. But honestly, I think I would have done the same. There appeared to be no variables.”
However, Colonel Robin created variables.
Meticulously and precisely, layering them one upon another.
“I found myself thinking he’s far more exceptional than I initially believed.”
“Yes, I share that assessment. He must be eliminated without question.”
I’d never harbored such thoughts about anyone before.
But today, I felt it with absolute certainty.
Colonel Robin must be eliminated.
‘The man’s brilliant and he even uses mana. I can’t even fathom how monstrous he truly is.’
Thank goodness he’s only a colonel right now.
If he were to earn his general’s star later…
Our Lyckan Empire Army, bloated with incompetent officers?
We’d be swept away like dust with a broom.
‘I’m terrified. Truly terrified.’
I can only pray that the Adits are equally burdened with mediocre leadership to slow Colonel Robin’s rapid advancement.
“This is quite challenging. To make such a mistake in an operation of this importance…”
Colonel Eden leaned back against his chair with a considerably exhausted expression.
“Still, we’ve destroyed the enemy’s base, so they won’t be able to operate freely.”
The existence of a base that could serve as a stronghold is tremendously important.
Since they escaped with only their lives, they’ll likely proceed with a withdrawal at high probability.
‘If they try to push further here, we should be grateful.’
We simply need to accept the advantage gracefully.
“Were all the citizens present at the time taken by the Security Guards?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. Apparently, the handling is proving quite troublesome.”
Normally, execution would be appropriate.
And honestly, I want to execute them.
Because of those people, variables emerged, resulting in seven seriously wounded soldiers.
“The Security Guards won’t have an easy time either.”
“That’s likely the case.”
Well, wanting their execution is just my personal sentiment.
Their punishment will be decided by the central authority given the numbers involved.
‘Fifty people directly participated in the obstruction, they say.’
They showed quite a bit of courage.
With this many people involved, the Emperor will definitely make the final decision.
“They’ll almost certainly all be executed.”
“I agree with that assessment.”
I know the Emperor’s temperament well enough.
‘And I need to be absolutely clear about this.’
Even thinking about it again, it irritates me.
These bastards claiming to become Lyckan citizens block soldiers from the Reconnaissance Command? That makes no sense.
These are just Adits operatives, not Lyckan people.
“This upcoming battle won’t be easy, I suspect.”
“That appears to be the case. I’ll report any additional information as it comes in.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Having said all there was to say, I saluted and left the Command Office.
“There’s plenty of work in this repugnant world.”
Words Colonel Robin once spoke to me.
They echoed in my mind, and I struggled to understand what he meant by them.
‘Not a repugnant Raikhan, but a repugnant world? Hmm.’
Honestly, it seemed like he just said it without much thought.
People are strange creatures—we all get fixated on odd things from time to time.
“Sigh, I give up.”
After racking my brain trying to find an answer, I tossed the thought into the mental trash bin.
“Chief Inspector, we recovered this during the scene cleanup. Could you take a look at it?”
Lieutenant Colonel Larsen placed a charred piece of paper on my desk, its form barely recognizable.
“This is….”
A map of Belzium Castle with various markings drawn throughout.
Movement routes, and sections requiring caution.
All of it pointed to a single location.
A place I knew far too well.
“Yes, it appears to be a map used during the planning stages of the assassination.”
“So it was definitely their work.”
I’d already narrowed it down to 99 percent certainty.
Now it was 100 percent.
“Though the damage obscures much of it, one thing is clear—this wasn’t just ordinary preparation.”
“Indeed.”
From escape routes to approach methods, and contingency plans for every conceivable variable.
The analysis and planning were obsessive in their thoroughness.
‘That’s why they operated flawlessly.’
This was unmistakably Colonel Robin’s handiwork.
‘A terrifying bastard.’
I had a sinking feeling that failing to eliminate him this time would become a grave regret later.
“And there’s something else we discovered.”
“What is it now?”
I examined the next piece of paper.
My words caught in my throat.
Paran Oclo
-Current Intelligence Agency… Assigned Mission…
The letters were scorched and difficult to read.
But what mattered more was that my face was drawn there quite realistically.
“Huh.”
My face, discovered in enemy intelligence files.
Understanding what this meant, goosebumps erupted across my entire body in an instant.
“It seems the Chief Inspector was one of the enemy’s targets.”
“Yeah. Sigh.”
It was something I already knew, but seeing that document directly—
Fear crashed over me all at once.
‘Still, this actually works out. Now I can confidently say I’m a target too.’
Maybe I could receive some protection after all.
Though looking at Colonel Eden, the probability of that seemed even lower.
“Did you recover anything else?”
“These two items are all we have so far, and I’ll report any additional findings as they come in.”
“Right, and Team 2 has no casualties, correct?”
“Yes, everyone is safe. That’s why I feel so sorry toward Team 1.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for being unharmed. That’s fortunate. Just bear some of the extra burden instead.”
With Team 1’s leader out of commission, I couldn’t immediately fill the vacancy.
Naturally, Lieutenant Colonel Larsen and I would have to shoulder that work.
‘I won’t be clocking out for a while after cleaning this up.’
Already exhausted, I picked up my pen and pushed through the fatigue.
* * *
“You’ve worked hard. Your shoulder… are you alright?”
Lieutenant Fedor approached Colonel Robin as he entered the assembly point, asking with concern in his voice.
“Just a slight cut. More importantly, I’ll be the last one, so do a headcount.”
“Yes!”
Lieutenant Fedor counted the personnel gathered at the assembly point.
“Including the Chief Inspector, we have 24 people, with 17 unaccounted for.”
“Tsk.”
Heavier casualties than expected.
Robin furrowed his brow and bit his lip.
“If not for the Chief Inspector, we would have been completely annihilated. Thank you so much.”
“Such gratitude is disrespectful to those who’ve fallen. Refrain from it.”
“Yes….”
Even to any observer, he showed regret despite achieving the best possible outcome beyond what could be expected in that situation.
The Reconnaissance Command agents watching naturally sent looks of admiration and respect his way.
“Has the Assassin Squad returned in full?”
Robin turned his head to ask Airen, who had moved alongside him.
She lifted her gaze toward something and opened her mouth.
“Yes, everyone is safe.”
“That’s a relief. The Assassin Squad performed excellently this time. On behalf of the Reconnaissance Command, I express my gratitude.”
Robin bowed his head toward Colonel Airen.
She regarded him quietly for a moment before speaking.
“The operation was brilliant. You knew how to utilize our abilities—unlike those fools. I’ll give you some medicine; apply it to your shoulder.”
Robin understood perfectly well who Airen meant by “fools.”
“I merely fulfilled my duty as a commander. The word ‘brilliant’ hardly suits someone who has lost comrades. I’ll gratefully use the medicine.”
His voice carried genuine sorrow.
Robin’s expression grew complicated as he glanced at Lieutenant Fedor.
“We’ll evacuate from the fortress as quickly as possible.”
“Are we halting the operation?”
“There’s no reason to court further danger here. We’ve already achieved our objectives.”
Create a fracture in the fortress.
An irreparable crack had already formed within these walls.
‘We killed several civilians during the suppression—this will only escalate matters.’
The Raikhan Empire would point to charred scraps of paper from the destroyed base to accuse the Adits Empire.
But in a relationship eroded by mistrust, a single word—”fabrication”—could deny everything.
“We’ll prepare for withdrawal.”
“Since these are lives we’ve preserved at great cost, maintain your vigilance until the very end.”
“Yes, sir!”
Lieutenant Fedor responded with a voice heavy with responsibility.
Two days later, the Reconnaissance Command and the Assassin Squad crossed the city walls and returned to Salt Castle.
* * *
“According to military law, execution for all is the correct judgment. Obstruction of an operation—they cannot be classified as civilians.”
Bast’s voice carried an unusual intensity of emotion.
He was genuinely furious at this moment.
The report that had arrived from Belzium Castle was almost impossible to believe, even with his own eyes.
“This gives me a headache.”
The Emperor sat troubled over the report.
Ordinarily, he would have ordered their execution without hesitation.
But there was one problem—the number was far too large.
‘Fifty-seven people.’
If he executed them all, he could guarantee that enemy morale and cohesion would skyrocket.
Simultaneously, public sentiment in Belzium Castle would plummet so catastrophically that it would pierce through the basement itself.
‘Yet I cannot simply let it pass.’
Execution is unquestionably the correct punishment for obstructing a military operation.
But if he softened the penalty due to their numbers, he would merely be encouraging collective defiance.
“This is truly difficult and distasteful.”
No matter what choice I made, I would suffer a loss.
I had walked straight into a meticulously constructed trap.
“Rosen, what are your thoughts on this matter?”
Whenever such difficult problems arose, Rosen was the one whose counsel I sought.
The Emperor turned his head and posed the question.
Yet this time, even Rosen found it difficult to speak readily.
“Could we not divide them by degree of culpability?”
To answer the Emperor’s question, Rosen turned to Bast.
“He says it’s practically impossible to classify them one by one at this point.”
“Hmm.”
If we could only divide them by degree, we could reduce the number of executions.
But the situation was tangled beyond redemption.
And after prolonged deliberation, the conclusion Rosen reached was not far removed from common sense.
“Your Majesty, the executions must proceed.”
In wartime, there could be no exceptions—not in peacetime, and certainly not now.
Especially when the military was involved.
“However.”
Just as the Emperor was about to make a decision, seeing that both opinions aligned.
Rosen spoke again.
“But they must not be executed immediately.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Keeping them here day after day was itself a risk, yet he was saying not to execute them at once.
The Emperor found it difficult to comprehend.
“Wouldn’t it be better to execute them quickly and quell the unrest? Keeping them alive will only breed more rumors.”
“Your Majesty, even if we execute them immediately, we cannot contain the situation before battle arrives.”
We might even face the enemy at the very moment when the problem reaches its peak.
“Then what do you suggest? That we simply keep them?”
“We keep them, but we must win the people’s hearts, dispel their misunderstandings, and make these men criminals in their eyes.”
“You mean we should first prove our own innocence?”
The Emperor nodded at Rosen’s words.
“Yes, and we must strongly condemn the actions of the Adits Empire and make the citizens accept this truth.”
“So you’re saying we should make them Raikhan first, then execute the Aditus.”
“Precisely.”
“Hmm.”
After hearing Rosen’s full explanation, the Emperor fell into deep thought.
“If that were possible, it would be ideal, but the problem is that it’s difficult, isn’t it?”
No matter how much we speak, the Raikhan Empire is already a demon in their eyes.
Changing this perception in a short time is absolutely not an easy task.
“If we carefully reframe what happened and present it well, I believe we have a reasonable chance of success.”
“A chance, you say….”
It certainly seemed worth attempting.
And what was needed for this plan’s success was, needless to say, exceptional eloquence.
‘One must possess the power of words to persuade people.’
The first person who came to mind in the Emperor’s thoughts was Colonel Eden.
But the thought was fleeting—the Emperor shook his head.
‘That won’t do.’
He would excel if ordered, but that was precisely why he couldn’t be chosen.
So now, what remained was.
“Considering the Training Camp address, isn’t Colonel Paran the only one truly suited for this?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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