I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

After finishing the trifle at the dessert shop, Daniel began a proper sightseeing tour.

He leisurely strolled around the tourist attractions of the port city Tentarbahm, sampling the renowned buttered grilled squid and fresh oysters.

As he was thoroughly savoring this peaceful life, a man in a tailcoat suddenly approached him.

“Are you Mr. Rivelard?”

Staring intently at the unfamiliar man, the middle-aged gentleman politely placed a hand on his chest and spoke.

“I am Vanbresh, the butler serving Lady Lef. I was informed that you, Mr. Rivelard, have been invited to Lady Lef’s dinner, so I have come to escort you. Are you the one?”
“Ah, yes.”

Daniel confirmed, prompting Vanbresh to smile and retrieve a blindfold from his pocket.

“It may be troublesome, but could you please wear this?”
“A blindfold, you say?”
“Yes. Lady Lef’s estate has high security clearance, severely restricting public access. I ask for your understanding.”

While finding it absurd, Daniel accepted, as eccentricities were common among nobles.

Nodding, Daniel removed his sunglasses, put on the blindfold, and Vanbresh grasped his hand.

“Please follow me.”

With no reason to refuse, Daniel complied, following Vanbresh’s lead.

Soon after, the sound of a car door opening reached his ears.

“Please get in.”

Daniel nodded and entered the backseat, and the car smoothly departed with a muted engine sound.

About thirty minutes later, as Daniel leaned back in the rear seat, attempting to discern their route, his senses suddenly sharpened.

‘We’re going in circles. To disorient the passenger’s sense of direction.’

Why such extreme security measures?

His bewilderment gradually transformed into a sense of unease.

Yet, having entered the vehicle, he could not disembark at will.

Resigning himself to patience, Daniel waited until the vehicle finally reached its destination.

The sound of an iron gate opening was followed by the car entering and slowly coming to a stop.

After a brief pause, the car door opened, and someone took Daniel’s hand.

“I will guide you to the dining hall.”

The voice belonged to Vanbresh.

Apparently, they did not wish to reveal the estate’s appearance.

While scoffing at the absurdity, Daniel silently followed Vanbresh’s lead.

After entering the estate and traversing corridors for a while, Vanbresh halted in front of a door.

Adjusting his attire, Vanbresh gently knocked on the door.

“Lady Lef. I have brought the individual you met at the tavern.”
“Alright, let him in then.”

With permission granted, Vanbresh opened the door and lightly pushed Daniel’s back.

“Please enter and remove your blindfold.”

Following Vanbresh’s instructions, Daniel stepped inside and lifted his hands to remove the blindfold.

What greeted his eyes was a long dining table laden with an array of delicacies.

Amidst the flickering candlelight from ornate candelabras, Lef, dressed in a black dress with a red brooch adorning her neck, sat at the head of the table.

One peculiarity was that apart from Lef, no one else seemed to be present for this dinner gathering.

Lef, seemingly pleased to see Daniel again, raised her hand in a welcoming gesture.

“Rivelard! I thought the food would get cold! Come, join me quickly.”

Although slightly taken aback, Daniel approached Lef.

Pulling out a chair, he sat down, surveyed his surroundings, and looked at Lef.

“Quite unexpected. For a dinner invitation, I assumed Lady Lef’s family would be present as well.”

At the mention of ‘family,’ Lef’s eyebrows twitched subtly.

“Unexpected for me too? I didn’t think you’d be looking for my family. It’s not like you and I are getting married, so why would you want to meet them?”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Enough. Why don’t you continue telling me about your past? That’s why I invited you here today. If your story satisfies me, I’ll give you as much money as you want.”

Her attempt to change the subject seemed suspicious.

Sensing he should not let it go, Daniel frowned.

“Quite unpleasant. I came here as an invited guest. Yet you had your butler blindfold me and are now unilaterally demanding I tell my story.”
“…And?”
“If you truly consider me an equal guest, should you not at least reveal who you are and what your family does?”

Daniel’s firm stance seemed to prick Lef’s conscience, as she appeared slightly remorseful.

It was true that she had acted arbitrarily after extending an invitation as a host.

After some contemplation, Lef let out a resigned sigh.

“Alright. I suppose revealing my identity won’t cause any significant issues. Even if you were to divulge it, no one would believe the words of an illegal immigrant like yourself.”

At the mention of ‘illegal immigrant,’ Daniel gained a faint realization.

‘She investigated my background.’

This was the reason she had postponed the dinner invitation by a few days instead of scheduling it immediately.

‘To verify if I posed any threat before inviting me to her estate.’

The name ‘Rivelard’ was an alias, so it would naturally not appear in the port city Tentarbahm’s records.

Even if there were a namesake, their age and appearance would undoubtedly differ.

After confirming this, the butler must have informed Lef that he appeared to be an ‘illegal immigrant.’

As Lef stated, no one would take the word of an illegal immigrant seriously.

‘Hence, she must have deemed it safe to invite me to her estate, even if her secrets were exposed.’

Lef’s impulsive nature likely played a role as well.

To Daniel, she did not seem particularly cautious.

“There are complicated circumstances, but to put it simply…”

Unaware of Daniel’s thoughts, Lef shrugged nonchalantly.

“I’m a bastard child. The bloodline my father most wishes to conceal.”

Daniel feigned surprise at her being a bastard.

But he soon regained his composure.

‘Ah, so that’s why…’

It made sense why she had enforced such stringent security measures, even for an invited guest.

“Meeting you was almost a miracle. That wretched father of mine doesn’t want me leaving the estate. But I do sneak out behind his back occasionally. That’s when I happened to meet you by chance.”

Speaking casually, Lef picked up a nearby wine glass.

A sense of unease began to amplify within Daniel.

Amidst the eerie tension, Daniel spoke up.

“Might I inquire about your father’s identity?”

After taking a sip of wine, Lef set down the glass and replied.

“Well, let’s see. How about the portly rat at the top of this cesspool of a country?”

Letting out a low chuckle, Lef playfully regarded Daniel.

“Bored Parrem. That’s my father’s name.”

Consequently, Daniel could only gape in astonishment.

Bored Parrem.

He was the de facto ruler of the neutral nation Velanos, serving as the Prime Minister.

‘Damn it. When exactly is the Allied Nations going to send someone?’

In the backseat of a military vehicle, Colonel Edvol, the 12th District Naval Defense Commander of the Velanos Navy, gritted his teeth.

‘Surely they had promised to grant me asylum in Edria, a permanent member state, if I opened the territorial waters to an Allied Nations submarine…!’

He had believed Calredra’s proposal and opened the waters, but the Allied Nations had yet to send anyone.

‘If I don’t escape Velanos soon…!’

The Allied Nations’ delay was becoming unbearable.

From what Edvol had heard, the Empire had issued a notification to Velanos, demanding they open their territorial waters for a large-scale search operation and had dispatched a fleet.

The moment the Imperial fleet arrived in Velanos, Edvol’s identification as the culprit would be a matter of time.

Hence, he had been eagerly awaiting contact from the Allied Nations, but it had been in vain.

Currently, the Allied Nations remained silent, as if the terrorist incident had nothing to do with them.

Sweating profusely as he clenched his fists, Edvol’s military jeep slowly came to a halt.

“We have arrived, Colonel.”

Looking out the window, a house with a spacious courtyard came into view.

Deciding to enter and gather his thoughts, Edvol opened the door and stepped out.

‘First, I need to pack. And inform my family…’

He needed to prepare for the possibility of fleeing at any moment.

Pondering what to take as he opened the front door, Edvol paused.

‘…Why are the lights off?’

It was not yet the housekeeper’s departure time, so the darkened house struck him as odd.

Without much suspicion, Edvol flicked on the light switch but froze on the spot.

Illuminated by the light, a black-suited black man sat beneath the luminance.

“Come and have a seat.”

At Hamtal’s words, the man wearing a fedora, Edvol broke out in a cold sweat.

He did not appear to be someone sent by the Allied Nations.

Moreover, Hamtal exuded an ominous aura, making Edvol reluctant to approach him.

‘I need to flee…’

Sensing danger, Edvol took a step back.

Click–

The sound of something cold and hard pressed against his back.

Realizing it was the muzzle of a gun, Edvol slowly turned his head to find the soldier who had escorted him glaring at him menacingly.

The soldier had been a Black Feathers operative in disguise.

‘When did they…?’

Thinking he had been caught off guard, Edvol’s breathing quickened.

At that moment, Hamtal made a peculiar gesture, removing his fedora and placing it on the table.

“To avoid any misunderstanding…”

Looking at Edvol, Hamtal narrowed his eyes sharply.

“Sit down. That wasn’t a request, but an order.”

At those chilling words, Edvol realized he could not resist them.