I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

After running for quite some time, I eventually arrived at a clearing in the forest.

Leaving footprints on the pristine white ground, I walked to the center of the clearing, hunched over and propping myself up with my knees.

Heated breaths poured out from my mouth in rapid succession.

‘I feel like vomiting…’

Having sprinted at full speed for several minutes, my head was spinning.

While I didn’t want to run that much, it was unavoidable.

I felt putting as much distance between Celvia and myself was the top priority.

‘If the Princess overhears me requesting asylum…’

Her nature was to eliminate traitors no matter what.

Thus, the best course of action was to disappear like a ghost without the Princess’s knowledge.

“Where are you running off to, you bastard…?”
“Huff, huff…”

As I tried to catch my breath, I heard the voice of an Allied soldier.

Turning around calmly, I saw the same six soldiers from before approaching, panting heavily.

Since they weren’t aiming their guns at me, it seemed they were open to dialogue.

As I had no desire to fight either, I raised both hands while exhaling sharply.

“…Let’s calm down and have a conversation first. I am First Lieutenant Daniel Steiner, the acting Operational Planning officer from the Imperial General Staff Headquarters. State your affiliations and names.”

Good. I naturally mentioned my affiliation and rank while introducing myself.

Hearing that I was from the Operational Planning division at the General Staff, any sensible person would recognize my strategic value.

“Who doesn’t know you?”

However, strangely, the Allied soldiers only furrowed their brows in annoyance.

“Enough. Where is the Princess? Depending on your answer, we may spare your life, so speak carefully.”
“…The Princess?”

The mention of ‘the Princess’ from the Allied soldier’s mouth caused my mind to freeze.

How did this soldier know that the person accompanying me was the Princess?

Celvia was no fool. She wouldn’t have gone around blabbing about her disguise as a war correspondent on the northern front.

Therefore, the number of individuals aware of Celvia’s presence on the northern front would have been minimal.

And those few would have been individuals Celvia deemed ‘trustworthy.’

Given Celvia’s meticulous nature in vetting personnel, it was highly unlikely they were acting as spies.

Then who had utilized this information to launch an ambush?

As I racked my brain, a realization dawned on me, prompting a low sigh.

‘The Crown Prince.’

If it were a family member, the situation changed.

As Celvia’s closest kin, he would have the best opportunity to observe her every move.

In fact, I was aware that Crown Prince Ludwig von Amberg had clashed with his younger sister Celvia on multiple occasions over the succession to the throne.

Evidently, their conflicts had not been mere surface-level disputes.

‘To think he would attempt to assassinate his own younger sister. He’s utterly insane.’

Clicking my tongue, I lowered my hands.

Having discovered the truth, there was no longer any need to surrender.

The soldiers before me were not affiliated with the Allied Nations.

They were the Crown Prince’s assassins, disguised as Allied soldiers to make it seem like Celvia had been attacked by the enemy.

Realizing this entire ordeal was a staged plot by the Crown Prince left me feeling utterly cold.

“Was this the Crown Prince’s doing?”

My words caused the soldiers to flinch, further confirming my suspicion.

“Now that I look closely, your Allied uniforms are too clean.”
“…So what?”
“Veteran soldiers are typically sent for ambush guerrilla tactics. Deploying recruits significantly decreases the operation’s success rate. Yet you’re all wearing crisp new uniforms, like fresh recruits. Does that make sense?”

If they truly intended to disguise themselves properly, they should have worn worn-out uniforms akin to seasoned veterans.

The soldiers found themselves unable to refute my observation and soon let out mocking laughter.

The one who appeared to be their squad leader stepped forward.

“The fact that you saw through it so quickly means you really are an elite, as the rumors suggest. In that case, you must understand the situation. Join us, and we’ll guarantee your advancement.”
“Us? You mean the Crown Prince?”
“…Use his proper title. The Crown Prince.”

Regarding the soldier’s growling tone, I could only let out an incredulous chuckle.

Seeing this, the soldier furrowed his brow.

“What’s so funny?”
“I’m just pitying you for clinging to a rotten rope. The Crown Prince? He is unfit to become Emperor. The one destined for the throne is the Princess, not that half-wit.”

Speaking from the perspective of someone aware of the future, I offered sincere advice. However, the soldiers didn’t seem to appreciate it, scowling as they gripped their rifles tighter.

“Thanks for your honesty. Now I don’t need to bother with any more conversation…”

From this point on, it was a matter of speed. In the midst of the soldier’s words, I drew my revolver from its holster.

Simultaneously, I channeled mana into my central nervous system to accelerate my nerves.

In an instant, my field of vision expanded significantly as my pupils contracted.

What appeared before my accelerated vision was a world moving in slow motion.

The flustered soldiers seemed to be slowly raising their rifles, opening their mouths to hurl insults, some even charging towards me in a sluggish manner reminiscent of a slow-motion replay.

Taking a deep breath, I aimed my revolver at their heads and pulled the trigger.

The gunpowder ignited, and the bullets seemed to soar through a weightless void in an almost surreal fashion.

Yet the bullets steadily advanced towards the soldiers’ heads.

As I shifted the barrel to take down the last soldier, the nerve acceleration dissipated, returning the world to its original speed.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Almost simultaneously, five gunshots rang out, consecutively blasting through the soldiers’ heads.

Without even a chance to scream, the soldiers collapsed limply.

However, the last remaining soldier, whom I had faced just as the nerve acceleration wore off, was still charging at me.

“You bastard-!”

I wanted to aim, but my hands were shaking violently.

It was the backlash from using nerve acceleration, placing a strain on my body.

While this useful ability had allowed me to graduate at the top of my class at the military academy, the physical toll it exacted immediately afterwards was a significant drawback.

In fact, I had only been able to simultaneously take down five targets thanks to the mana cylinder. Without it, the nerve acceleration would have worn off midway, leaving me vulnerable.

The mana consumption was also severe.

‘Damn it…’

My head was throbbing, and my body felt as unresponsive as if it were stuck in a quagmire.

However, if I didn’t kill this soldier, I would die. Struggling to focus my consciousness, I pulled the trigger.

Bang! The gunshot echoed into the sky, blasting off the charging soldier’s arm.

A missed shot. Despite losing an arm and screaming in agony, the soldier didn’t stop his charge.

Immediately closing the distance, the soldier threw his weight against me, knocking me down.

“Oof!”

Falling backwards, I became buried in the snow.

The soldier climbed on top of me and drew a combat knife, attempting to plunge it into my head.

Assessing the imminent danger, I reflexively grabbed his wrist.

“Fuck! You bastard! Demonic scum! Die!”

The soldier spat and hurled curses indiscriminately.

But I lacked the strength to respond to his insults.

Gripping his wrist with both hands and trying to push him away was the most I could manage.

“Ugh…!”

Yet it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t muster any force in my hands.

The knife’s tip inched ever closer to my eyes, but I was powerless to stop it.

A sense of terror crept up my spine.

‘…What? Is this how I die?’

They say one’s life flashes before their eyes moments before death, but all I felt was a hollowness.

Even as I tried to deny my impending demise, the strength in my hands gradually waned.

Then, at that moment:

Bang!

Accompanied by a gunshot, the side of the soldier’s head pinning me down exploded.

The soldier immediately slumped forward, collapsing onto me.

I quickly seized his knife and plunged it deep into his throat, double-tapping him just to be sure.

After shoving the body aside, I slowly sat upright.

Steadying my ragged breathing, I turned to see a group of figures dressed in Imperial uniforms, donning gas masks.

‘The Imperial Central Army… more specifically, the Imperial Guards.’

If they were the Imperial Guards, I could roughly guess who had dispatched them.

Sure enough, trailing slightly behind them was Celvia, rushing over.

Seeing her worried expression, I felt a pang of guilt for causing such unnecessary trouble.

Of course, Celvia was unaware of my sentiments as she approached and knelt beside me.

“Are you alright? You’re not injured, are you?”

I shook my head.

“No injuries, thanks to the Imperial Guards’ assistance. So…”

As I trailed off, Celvia seemed to understand, averting her gaze.

“I’m sorry. I had no intention of deceiving you. I merely disguised myself as a war correspondent because I felt I couldn’t truly understand you as a member of the Imperial Family.”

Well, I had already figured that out. But for now, I would play along.

“So, have you come to understand me better?”

I said this to lighten the somber mood.

“Of course.”

However, Celvia appeared to take my words seriously.

“First, during the operational planning phase, you refuted your superior Captain Heinz’s opinion and presented a new logical argument. Given its validity, you possess an unwavering spirit that does not bow to authority, as well as keen insight into the battlefield.”

I had simply spouted nonsense in my desire for a dishonorable discharge.

“At the Edelkrahl Ravine, you instantly identified the disguised Colonel Jeremy. Had you not, it would have made no sense for you to successfully assassinate Colonel Jeremy with the initial volley.”

True, it made no sense. I had simply shot a soldier who turned out to be Colonel Jeremy.

“Lastly, you possess a spirit of self-sacrifice, willing to lay down your life for the citizens of the Empire at any time. You even risked your life for a mere war correspondent, after all.”

I had only acted carelessly, seeing it as an opportunity for defection and fleeing.

None of her assessments were accurate, but as I met Celvia’s earnest gaze, I found myself unable to refute her.

If I revealed the truth, I would be executed.

“First Lieutenant Daniel Steiner.”

Grasping my hand, Celvia solemnly declared:

“I dare say, on behalf of the Imperial Family, that you are a treasure born of the Empire.”

I felt an overwhelming sense of burden, as if I might collapse under the weight of her words.