I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Daniel’s defiant response left the officer in a state of confusion.

‘He doesn’t know who Daniel Steiner is?’

Daniel Steiner was none other than the Empire’s war hero whose total war speech had caused ripples worldwide.

Even in the distant land of Velanos across the sea, anyone who read newspapers or listened to the radio could not be unaware of Daniel Steiner’s existence.

Yet he claimed ignorance, amplifying the officer’s suspicions.

‘Moreover…’

The man before him matched Daniel Steiner’s physical description provided by his superiors.

While his eyes were concealed by sunglasses, his facial features perfectly aligned with Daniel Steiner’s portrait sketch.

After alternating his gaze between the sketch and Daniel, the officer opened his mouth with difficulty.

“…Would it be possible to remove your sunglasses? Once I’ve confirmed, I won’t detain you any further.”

Consequently, Daniel let out a low groan.

He had anticipated this, but the officer’s persistence caused his head to throb.

‘If I remove the sunglasses, my identity will be exposed. However…’

From the officer’s perspective, could a mere junior officer forcibly apprehend a Velanese civilian solely based on a physical resemblance?

Even with the authority, he would not recklessly act without permission from his superiors.

‘The Empire adheres to international law, after all.’

If Daniel denied again, the officer would likely radio his superiors for apprehension approval.

That would buy time for Daniel to seize an opportunity and escape, or so he thought as he raised his hand.

“Did I not say so already?”

Grasping his sunglasses, Daniel slowly lowered them, fixing the officer with a chilling gaze.

“I do not know who that is.”

Meeting Daniel’s eyes, the officer felt a chill run through his body.

His sharp, wolf-like eyes were an exact match to the portrait sketch.

Flustered, the officer instinctively began to salute but paused mid-motion, struck by a thought.

‘Wait. His insistence on feigning ignorance…’

There must be a reason for it.

Gulping down his saliva, the officer mentally recounted Daniel’s accomplishments.

The prime contributor to the Nordiah invasion operation.

Bearer of the Empire’s second-highest military honor, the National Commander’s Medal.

Recipient of the Empire’s highest service medal, the Golden Cross.

The youngest officer to attain the rank of major.

A key figure in the Princess’s faction that ended the succession struggle.

The great orator who rallied the nation with his total war speech.

Even listing just his major achievements painted an extraordinary picture.

Daniel Steiner had accomplished feats that others would struggle to achieve in a lifetime.

To that extent, he was a brilliant staff officer.

One whose thoughts mere criminals could scarcely fathom.

‘Surely, concealing his identity is part of an operation unknown to me.’

Having realized this, the officer bowed instead of saluting.

“I believe I understand your meaning. Then I shall take my leave.”

Offering a slight tip of his uniform cap, the officer turned to depart.

The accompanying soldiers also bowed to Daniel before following the officer out of the inn.

Daniel watched their departure with bewilderment.

‘What’s this? They’re just leaving?’

While unable to discern the officer’s precise thoughts, Daniel sensed no ill intent.

Relieved, Daniel hurried up the stairs and entered his inn room.

‘Time is short. Now is the opportune moment to flee. The officer may have left, but they will likely still be monitoring the area.’

The officer would undoubtedly report encountering an individual matching Daniel Steiner’s appearance to his superiors.

In that case, it was easy to predict that someone with higher authority, accompanied by soldiers, would soon arrive to verify the facts.

Before their arrival, Daniel needed to break free from the Empire’s encirclement, or so he thought as he turned his gaze toward the window, only to pause.

“…”

Daniel’s view revealed four massive surface battleships standing by beyond the docked landing ships and supply vessels in the harbor.

The sheer scale of the fleet, large enough to dwarf the Tentarbahm port, caused Daniel to exhale despondently.

‘They sent a fleet of this size just to find me?’

Having expected at most a single ship, Daniel was gripped by an indescribable sense of dread.

‘…Have they lost their minds?’

He could not comprehend the extent of Celvia’s fixation on him.

Moreover, breaking through that encirclement to escape seemed utterly impossible, no matter how he contemplated it.

At dawn, the Prime Minister of Velanos, Lowell Tailwiss, was racking his brain in his office.

‘Why did this incident have to occur within our own territorial waters…!’

Ever since the Imperial diplomatic vessel was sunk in Velanos’s waters, Lowell had been unable to sleep due to the Empire’s incessant demands and statements.

Particularly when the Empire issued the order to ‘open their borders,’ he felt a sense of vertigo.

Opening their borders amounted to allowing the Imperial military to station troops within Velanos.

As a neutral nation, this was an unacceptable demand, but the fact that a terrorist act had occurred in their waters left no grounds for refusal.

Consequently, the Imperial fleet had made an unopposed landing in the port of Tentarbahm and commenced operations.

Having succeeded in stationing their troops, there was no telling what further demands the Empire might make.

Fearing this, Lowell had instructed the Military Intelligence Agency to swiftly identify the individual who had opened their waters to the terrorists.

By promptly apprehending the culprit and handing them over to the Empire, he hoped to free Velanos from the Empire’s influence.

‘But if the Empire finds the culprit before us…’

They might criticize Velanos’s incompetence, demand access to their military personnel records, and attempt to interfere in their internal affairs.

Lowell wished to prevent this at all costs, and he was praying with his eyes closed when a knock sounded.

“Come in.”

The office door opened, and the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency entered.

With a tense expression, the intelligence chief saluted Lowell, the Prime Minister, and approached the center of the office.

“Your Excellency. We have succeeded in identifying the culprit who colluded with the terrorists. The culprit is Colonel Edvol, the 12th District Naval Defense Commander.”

This was welcome news.

Lowell clenched his fist, his face flushing with relief.

“Fortunate indeed! How did you identify the culprit?”

At Lowell’s question, the intelligence chief hesitated briefly before speaking with difficulty.

“My apologies, but the Military Intelligence Agency did not identify the culprit. Edvol came to the Military Intelligence Agency and confessed.”
“…He confessed?”
“Yes. Apparently, he arrived at the Military Intelligence Agency in a dazed state and confessed to his crime. However, there was one peculiar detail…”

The intelligence chief paused before continuing.

“According to Colonel Edvol, Daniel Steiner’s covert organization came to his residence. He claims they threatened him, and he begged for his life in terror.”

Silence fell between the intelligence chief and Lowell.

Lowell’s mouth moved as if his throat was parched before he swallowed dryly.

“So… you’re saying the Military Intelligence Agency did not identify the culprit, but rather Daniel Steiner’s covert organization did, and they coerced Colonel Edvol into confessing through threats?”
“Based on the circumstances, it appears so.”

According to the intelligence chief, after surviving the shipwreck, Daniel Steiner had not merely been lying low but had been active in Tentarbahm.

Disguising his identity by feigning his death, Daniel Steiner had been operating covertly in Tentarbahm.

As this realization dawned on Lowell, his breathing grew ragged.

‘Surely not…’

Lowell was aware that his daughter had recently invited a guest to their estate.

Most of the estate’s servants were Lowell’s people, after all.

Amidst his busy schedule, he had paid little heed to this unexpected news, but learning that Daniel Steiner was not only alive but had been active caused cold sweat to trickle down his back.

Sensing an ominous premonition, Lowell hastily reached for the telephone on his desk.

Gripping the receiver, he frantically dialed the rotary dial like a madman.

After a few rings, a voice answered from the other end.

– Dad? Why are you calling at this hour?

Her voice was groggy, as if she had just woken up.

Gathering his thoughts, Lowell spoke as calmly as he could.

“Lef. Listen carefully. I have a question about the man you invited.”
– Who? Ah. You mean Rivelard? He was a decent fellow. Good sense of humor.
“That’s not what I’m asking! His appearance… That is, do you remember his appearance when you first met him?”

After the Imperial forces discovered Daniel Steiner’s uniform on the beach, they searched the nearby hut.

More precisely, they tracked down the hut’s owner.

The hut’s owner was an elderly resident living near the beach, and he kept a record of discarded items and clothing found in the hut.

From this record, the Empire confirmed that a pair of sunglasses, a hat, and some clothing items had gone missing from the hut.

The Empire had shared this information with the Velanese government in real-time, allowing Lowell to know the attire Daniel had worn while roaming Tentarbahm.

Thus, Lowell aimed to verify if the individual who had interacted with his daughter was indeed Daniel Steiner based on his appearance.

– Why are you even asking about that? Are you going to make an issue out of it now? Weren’t you the one who allowed it, thinking an illegal immigrant wouldn’t cause any trouble? Just so you know. Anyway, his appearance…

Despite grumbling, Lef recalled the details.

– Hmm. For starters, he was wearing a fedora on his head and sunglasses. He was also wearing a plain outfit, with the top being brown and the bottom gray. The kind of outfit an elderly person would wear, but he somehow pulled it off. Probably because he was good-looking?

As Lef spoke, Lowell’s hand began to tremble.

Her description matched the information provided by the Empire.

‘Daniel Steiner not only independently searched for the culprit but also made contact with my daughter…’

His very own bastard child, a secret kept from the world.

Unable to discern Daniel’s intentions, a sense of dread overwhelmed Lowell.

Amidst the heavy silence, as he struggled to conceal his fear, Lef’s voice reached him once more.

– Ah, and there was something else? He asked me to pass on a message to our wretched father. Oh, I remember now.

Mimicking Daniel’s voice, Lef spoke.

– He said, ‘You must govern righteously.’

Consequently, Lowell felt as if his heart had plummeted.

It was undoubtedly a threat directed at him, the Prime Minister.

After a few labored breaths, Lowell responded with an acknowledgment and slowly lowered the receiver.

“I was mistaken.”

Having ended the call, a somber light filled Lowell’s eyes.

“Gravely mistaken.”

Clenching his teeth, he found himself inadvertently sobbing.

“The one we were dealing with was not the Empire…”

His sobs resembled the self-reproach of one who had given up everything.

“Our true adversary was…”

Closing his eyes, clutching his head, Lowell’s voice was tinged with resentment.

“Daniel Steiner. That very demon…”