I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Meanwhile, upon confirming the death of their boss Nickel, the mafia members fell into utter chaos.

After the initial commotion, they soon engaged in serious discussions about ‘who’ had killed their boss.

During this process, a member claiming to be an eyewitness emerged.

The eyewitness’s name was Valdron Mecalla.

While smoking with the second-floor window open, Valdron had witnessed a woman leaping from the third floor, where the boss’s room was located.

Initially thinking he had seen incorrectly, after learning that the boss had been found dead inside his room, Valdron became convinced that the woman was the assassin.

Valdron relayed this information to the other members, and in their fury, they united with the intention of finding the woman and avenging their boss.

And now.

Peering through a collapsible telescope at the fifth-floor window of the restaurant, Valdron furrowed his brow.

‘Brown hair, wearing a pristine white knit sweater. She has a dark coat draped over her lap and a modest shoulder bag placed beside her chair. On her feet are black flat shoes. And she’s tall for a woman…’

Excluding the sunglasses she wore, her appearance and attire perfectly matched the woman who had killed their boss.

After searching the nearby streets, he had finally succeeded in locating the woman who had assassinated their boss.

‘Damn bitch…’

Lowering the telescope, Valdron gritted his teeth.

The audacity of her, calmly indulging in a luxurious meal at a restaurant after killing their boss – it was unforgivable.

It was as if she were mocking their entire organization.

Struggling to calm his rage-filled heart, Valdron folded the telescope, tucked it into his chest pocket, and retrieved a radio.

Glaring at the woman cutting her steak on the restaurant’s fifth floor, Valdron pressed the transmit button.

“I’ve found the woman who killed the boss. Her location is the Das Abendrichte Restaurant on Raven 22nd Street. She seems to be finishing her meal soon, so I request all members converge in this area.”

After finishing our meal, as we exited the restaurant, Kartmann bowed his head slightly.

“I have committed a grave discourtesy towards the lady. Even a thousand apologies would not suffice. Allow me to offer my sincere apologies once more.”

Amid Lucie’s silence, Daniel responded on her behalf.

“There’s no need for further apologies. Doctor Mailin understands, don’t you, Doctor Mailin?”

At Daniel’s prompting, Lucie reluctantly nodded.

Witnessing this, Daniel smiled warmly and spoke.

“Then we shall take our leave.”
“Ah, of course. It was an honor to converse with you, Captain.”
“And it was a great privilege for me to engage in conversation with an inspector ever diligent in service to the Empire. Well then.”

With a slight bow, Daniel turned and walked away with Lucie.

After some distance, Daniel glanced back to see Kartmann, who had been stroking his chin, turn and head in the opposite direction.

Relieved, Daniel let out a sigh.

“You may speak now.”

Regaining her freedom of speech, Lucie paused briefly before saying:

“…You treated me like a fool.”
“Not a fool, but an aphasia patient. And as I mentioned, I merely intervened to protect you from the Security Police officer.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Without Daniel’s assistance, Lucie would have been directly subjected to Kartmann’s suspicions.

While her pride was wounded by receiving help from an adversary, Lucie had to acknowledge it.

“I shall repay this debt someday,” Lucie murmured softly.

Inadvertently breaking into a cold sweat, Daniel couldn’t discern whether she meant ‘I’ll help you’ or ‘I’ll kill you.’

Unable to probe Lucie’s mind, Daniel could only nod solemnly.

“…While I appreciate the sentiment, there’s no need to repay it. Wouldn’t it be better if we go our separate ways now?”

If he delayed further, the dessert shop might close.

While Daniel had hoped to find healing through desserts, even at this point, Lucie shook her head.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

What did she mean suddenly? Feeling an ominous unease, Daniel blinked silently as Lucie surveyed their surroundings before speaking.

“Listen while we walk. We’re being followed. Not only from behind but also across the street and the next block ahead, there are individuals keeping an eye on us.”

Followed? Immediately narrowing his eyes sharply, Daniel observed the pedestrians on the street.

As Lucie had said, some individuals dressed in suits were exhibiting suspicious movements.

A few even had their hands inside their pockets, as if ready to draw guns at any moment.

Their movements were too amateurish for intelligence agents.

However, they were undoubtedly organized – a private organization.

If members of a private organization were carrying guns, the answer was obvious.

‘Mafia members.’

They seemed to be targeting Lucie, causing Daniel to furrow his brow in exasperation.

“…Doctor? What exactly did you do to have mafia members following you?”

However, Lucie remained silent.

Swiftly assessing the situation with her characteristic piercing gaze, she firmly grasped Daniel’s hand.

Her grip was cold yet gentle.

“Captain. I’m about to dash into the alleyway twenty paces ahead. Since you’re with me, you’ll become a target for them as well. If you want to live, you’ll have to follow me.”

It wasn’t that Lucie particularly wanted to save Daniel.

However, if Daniel died, the Empire would investigate the circumstances, and Lucie, being the one with him on that day, would fall into the Empire’s investigative net.

Wanting to avoid that, Lucie didn’t release her hold on Daniel’s hand.

“Wait a moment, Doctor. If you have a plan, let’s discuss it together…!”

Upon reaching the twentieth pace, Lucie abruptly turned and dashed forward.

With his hand grasped by Lucie, Daniel had no choice but to run alongside her.

“Shit! They’re running away!”
“That damn bitch noticed us! After them!”
“Kill them!”

Shouts erupted from behind, accompanied by gunfire.

Fwoosh! A stray bullet whizzed past Daniel’s ear, parting the air.

Instinctively ducking his head, Daniel increased his running pace and glared at Lucie.

‘…Just what grudge did she incur? Did she kill a mafia boss or something?’

While bewildered, now was not the time to indulge his curiosity.

“Left!”

Following Lucie’s instruction, Daniel turned at the alleyway corner.

After running about halfway through the alley, Lucie suddenly concealed herself behind an industrial-sized trash can.

Caught off guard, Daniel hid alongside her, catching his breath.

“…Why are we hiding suddenly? Are you planning to take on all the members here?”

Nodding, Lucie retrieved a detonation device with a red button from her shoulder bag.

In preparation for being pursued by the members, she had planted bombs inside both alley walls in this secluded area and intended to use them now.

‘Heh. Quite thorough in her preparations…’

Understanding Lucie’s general intentions, Daniel held his breath in anticipation.

“They went into the dead end! After them!”
“Shoot on sight! Kill that guy with her too!”

With those shouts, the members rushed into the alleyway.

However, they couldn’t see Lucie or Daniel.

Unaware that the two were concealed behind the trash can, the perplexed members advanced further inward.

“What the hell? I definitely saw them enter.”
“Did they scale the walls? No way they climbed over something that high.”
“Shit. Did you check behind the trash cans?”

As the members’ voices drew nearer, without hesitation, Lucie pressed the detonation device’s button.

Immediately after.

Kwaaaaaang!

Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the alley walls burst outward, erupting in flames.

The powerful shock, strong enough to shake the ground, caused Daniel to instinctively squeeze his eyes shut.

“Ugh. Damn it…”

His ears ringing, Daniel took some deep breaths before slowly opening his eyes.

Having barely regained his senses, Daniel gritted his teeth and rose to his feet.

Surveying the explosion site, he saw mafia members lying amidst the collapsed bricks.

Nearly thirty members were sprawled on the ground, bleeding and groaning.

“Haah…”

Stunned, Daniel stared blankly at the scene when new footsteps could be heard from beyond the alleyway.

Thinking it might be the remaining members, he reached for his holster, but the footsteps sounded light and brisk.

“An explosion! Did anyone hear that explosion?!”
“What happened? A pipe burst or something?”
“I don’t know, but let’s check it out! Could be a scoop!”

Upon closer inspection, they were reporters, always the first to rush towards any incident or accident.

With the tension dissipating, Daniel withdrew his hand from his holster and spoke.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done…?”

As he turned to address Lucie, she was nowhere to be seen.

Had she escaped by scaling the wall during the explosion? But it was so high.

As Daniel let out a dejected sigh, the reporters rushed in.

Simultaneously, they froze in their tracks.

Nearly thirty people were sprawled across the alleyway, bleeding, with a military officer standing before them – an intimidating sight that rendered them rigid.

Uncertain of the situation, one reporter lowered his gaze and then widened his eyes.

“Aren’t these… Nickel’s underlings?”

Each of the fallen individuals bore a hyena tattoo on their necks.

This signified they were members of the mafia boss Nickel’s organization.

Belatedly realizing this, the other reporters raised their heads.

Finally recognizing the officer’s identity, their faces broke into smiles.

They had caught the scent of a major scoop.

“It’s Captain Daniel Steiner!”
“…What? Good heavens! It really is Captain Daniel!”

Amid the reporters’ commotion, civilians who had heard the explosion began gathering one by one.

Upon arriving at the alleyway, the civilians mirrored the reporters’ expressions, murmuring to each other.

Sensing an ominous premonition, Daniel raised both hands and spoke.

“Everyone, there seems to be a misunderstanding. This wasn’t my doing-”
“Gather around, everyone! Captain Daniel Steiner has once again devoted himself to the Empire! He has single-handedly dismantled a mafia organization!”

Daniel’s words were drowned out by the reporter’s booming voice.

Believing the reporter, the civilians soon erupted into cheers, chanting Daniel’s name.

As applause followed, Daniel half-surrendered, closing his eyes.

‘This is insane…’

It was no longer surprising.