I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

After the enemy commander Henry declared his surrender, the battlefield was swiftly secured.

Caught off guard by the surprise attack, the demoralized Kingdom soldiers surrendered, while their officers seemed to have resigned themselves to captivity, unable to turn the tide.

“Move faster, you damn rats!”
“You should all be dead by rights! Be grateful to our merciful Company Commander!”

As is common for victorious soldiers, they hurled insults at the prisoners.

‘Why create such a hostile atmosphere…’

As Daniel furrowed his brow, about to intervene, First Lieutenant Mecalla approached him.

“Company Commander! I’ve completed the headcount!”
“Very well. Allied casualties?”
“Out of a total force of 207, we suffered 16 casualties. Four were killed in action, while the remaining 12 sustained minor injuries.”

To subdue a battalion-sized enemy force with only four fatalities.

Even considering the operation’s success, the casualty ratio was astonishingly low.

So much so that Daniel inadvertently let out a wry chuckle.

“This is troubling…”

By accumulating such merits during an operational support mission, he had undoubtedly caused trouble for himself.

At this rate, the General Staff Headquarters would likely assign Daniel as the commander whenever forming operational support units.

This was one of the last things Daniel wanted.

That’s why he had been wearing a self-deprecating smile, but Mecalla misinterpreted it.

‘Even after achieving such splendid merits, you’re still not satisfied…!’

To Mecalla, it was an unfathomable level of thinking.

It truly felt like Daniel deserved the titles of “ace of the General Staff Headquarters” and “hero of the Empire.”

As Mecalla regarded him with reverence, Daniel let out a soft sigh.

“Now prepare to depart for the outpost. Inform all personnel that we’ll set out after a brief rest.”

While he would have preferred to wander the vicinity for a few more days before joining up, having captured prisoners, further delay was impossible.

If a prisoner managed to break free and escape during the delay, it would be a major incident.

In the worst case, the Kingdom might even send a task force to rescue the supply battalion, so it was better to join the outpost as soon as possible to ensure safety.

“Yes, sir! I will relay your orders!”

With a vigorous shout, Mecalla headed towards the assembled soldiers.

Now alone, Daniel absentmindedly shifted his gaze and spotted Prien, escorting the Kingdom soldiers.

Prien was whispering something with a smile, while the Kingdom soldiers appeared terrified, breathing rapidly.

‘What kind of insults is she hurling at the prisoners…?’

He was concerned she might violate the laws of war.

Even when devising the ambush plan yesterday, he had dismissed Prien’s suggestion to approach while disguised as a civilian, as it would be easier to deceive them.

For the record, attacking the enemy while disguised as a civilian was a clear war crime.

When he had explained this, she had seriously asked with a puzzled expression, “But how can it be a crime when we stopped being human the moment we joined hands with the Union?”

It had sent chills down his spine.

‘At least she’s on our side for now.’

If the enemy had a nationalist lunatic like her, dealing with them would be exceedingly difficult.

Turning his gaze from Prien, Daniel now looked at Lucie.

As at the General Staff Headquarters, Lucie escorted the prisoners in a professional manner.

He had wondered if she might resent attacking the Kingdom, an ally of the Union, but Lucie appeared remarkably composed.

She had even knocked out a resisting prisoner with the butt of her rifle without hesitation.

Whether she was merely acting nonchalant or truly did not care about the Kingdom’s demise, Daniel felt relieved for the time being.

‘At least I don’t have to worry about Lucie shooting me for now.’

The Union likely considered the Kingdom a lost cause as well, so they wouldn’t bother going out of their way to help them.

Inwardly relieved, Daniel raised his head, sensing the world gradually brightening.

Over the distant mountain ridges, the sun was slowly peeking its head.

The dawn was breaking.

○

Coastal City of Nordia Outpost
Divisional Temporary Operations Center

“It’s strange. Aerial reconnaissance shows no signs of their supplies dwindling.”
“Indeed. By now, their supplies should have been running low…”

Around the tactical table set up in the operations center were three regimental commanders, one brigade commander, several battalion commanders, and staff officers.

They had been summoned by the divisional commander, the highest-ranking official in the divisional headquarters, for a tactical conference.

【7th Arcane Armored Division Supreme Commander / Divisional Commander Major General Felderaham】

With a stern expression, Felderaham sat at the head of the table, listening to their discussions.

He pondered why they had been unable to capture the coastal city of Nordia.

‘The Northern Front’s advance was smooth. We occupied nearly a third of the Kingdom’s territory within a fortnight of launching our offensive.’

It was practically a blitzkrieg.

Judging that the Kingdom could be pushed back at this rate, the high command did not stint on reinforcements, allowing the Imperial forces to score successive victories.

However, the Imperial forces had now encountered an obstacle.

The Kingdom’s resistance had intensified, preventing any further advancement of the front line.

As a result, the Imperial General Staff Headquarters, after much deliberation, issued an order to capture the coastal city of Nordia.

The rationale was that by conquering the strategically vital Nordia, overland and maritime maneuvers would become more accessible, enabling the Kingdom to be attacked from two fronts.

It was an excellent plan, and with no objections, Felderaham had successfully laid siege to Nordia with his division.

After the successful encirclement, Felderaham focused his efforts on severing the Kingdom’s supply routes to Nordia.

The reason was simple.

A besieged city, once its supply lines are cut, rapidly succumbs to overwhelming fear and fatigue.

Not only does it demoralize soldiers and civilians, but it also leads to the breakdown of social order and the spread of disease and epidemics.

If all went well, they might even secure the enemy commander’s surrender.

It was a method that could secure maximum victory while minimizing allied losses.

‘However…’

Things did not proceed as planned.

The Kingdom’s armored division stationed in the coastal city of Nordia showed no signs of supply shortages.

This perplexed Felderaham.

With the assistance of the Imperial Air Force, which had established air superiority, they had already sunk several enemy supply ships attempting maritime resupply.

On land, his armored division maintained an airtight blockade, leaving no room for even an ant to pass through.

And yet, the Kingdom’s armored division continued receiving supplies on time.

Racking his brain over this incomprehensible situation, Felderaham turned to Brigade Commander Heinrich.

“Tell me, Heinrich. Can you even guess how they’re managing to resupply?”

Unfortunately, Heinrich shook his head.

“I, too, cannot fathom how they’re being resupplied. But since headquarters has sent a staff officer to assist, it might be best to wait and see.”
“…A staff officer to assist? Hah, don’t tell me they’re referring to Daniel Steiner.”

Having spent several years on the Northern Front, Felderaham was familiar with the existence of Daniel Steiner.

It would be strange not to know him, given the commotion he had caused in the Empire.

However, Felderaham did not trust Daniel at all.

He found it dubious that Daniel had accumulated numerous merits in just half a year.

‘He’s likely just a propaganda hero manufactured by the Empire.’

There was a high possibility that Daniel was an artificial hero created to boost enlistment rates.

Of course, he might have personally achieved some of those feats, but it was hard to believe Daniel’s every action was unembellished from a logical standpoint.

While he understood the headquarters’ desire to secure more soldiers, hadn’t they heaped excessive accolades on Daniel?

‘Moreover…’

What the divisional headquarters currently needed was not a glib-tongued staff officer, but a capable warrior who could produce results.

‘For headquarters to send operational support in the form of a mere rookie staff officer.’

Utterly disappointed on multiple fronts, Felderaham was about to sigh when a soldier standing by for radio communications spoke up.

“D-Divisional Commander?”

Wondering what it was, Felderaham turned, and the soldier opened his mouth with a dazed expression.

“Captain Daniel Steiner’s company has arrived, sir. But they suffered casualties. Out of 16 casualties, four were killed in action, and twelve sustained injuries…”

What? They suffered 16 casualties, including four fatalities, during a mere march?

Even if they had conducted a forced march, it was hard to comprehend, especially considering they had taken six days longer than their expected arrival date to get here.

‘An incompetent commander…!’

Definitely someone who should not be deployed to the front lines.

Felderaham had been about to reprimand Daniel and send him back to the rear when the soldier continued.

“And…”

Gulping, the radio operator opened his mouth, as if finding it hard to believe.

“Captain Daniel Steiner’s company reportedly located and subdued an enemy supply battalion en route to join the divisional headquarters. Out of the 327 personnel in the supply battalion, they killed 135 and captured 192 prisoners, including the battalion commander…”

Silence descended upon the operations center, where opinions had been exchanged moments ago.

‘…What did he say?’

At the astoundingly impressive feat, not only Felderaham but all the officers gathered in the operations center were left gaping in astonishment.