I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

From early morning, the Imperial Palace’s grand council chamber was bustling with activity.

Princess Celvia had summoned officials from the Foreign Ministry and key personnel from the General Staff Headquarters to receive a report on the search operation.

As Celvia had not yet entered the council chamber, they conversed in a relatively light atmosphere.

“Did you hear? There was a protest yesterday at Dawn Square.”
“You mean the protest vehemently condemning the Allied Nations for attacking the diplomatic vessel carrying the Empire’s hero? I heard it was a large-scale protest.”
“While biased, it’s true that the Allied Nations seem suspicious…”

The Foreign Ministry officials fell silent as the council chamber’s doors opened wide.

“Her Highness the Princess enters!”

Following the Royal Guard’s announcement, Celvia stepped into the council chamber.

The red cloak symbolizing her status as the heir apparent billowed with her strides.

After walking to the head seat, Celvia parted her subdued lips.

“Let us commence the meeting. Everyone, please be seated.”

With her permission, the Foreign Ministry officials and General Staff personnel began taking their seats one by one.

Confirming everyone was seated, Celvia turned her gaze to Jovemp, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Let the Foreign Ministry report first.”

Jovemp nodded.

“Your Highness. To convey the most recent news, the Velanese government has reported that they have identified the culprit who opened their territorial waters to the terrorists.”
“They have?”
“Yes. The culprit was Colonel Edvol, the 12th District Naval Defense Commander of the Velanos Navy. He claims to have received bribes from the Allied Nations, but there is one perplexing issue…”

After a brief pause, Jovemp continued.

“There is no evidence that he accepted bribes from the Allied Nations. Not only are there no communication records, but his account records are also clean, making it impossible to trace the matter further at present.”
“A calculated crime, it seems. How has the Allied Nations responded?”
“They maintained silence before the king of Edria, a permanent member state, recently expressed regret in an official statement, stating that terrorist acts targeting civilian vessels are condemnable.”

Upon hearing the report, Celvia’s eyes narrowed.

‘The King of Edria is merely Count Calredra’s puppet.’

Thus, Calredra had likely used the king’s mouth to voice his own sentiments.

‘Expressing regret?’

It merely appeared to be an attempt to cover up their involvement.

While Celvia’s teeth ground at the Allied Nations’ repulsive behavior, without proper evidence, she could not officially condemn them.

“And the submarine? Have you located the submarine?”

She inquired with a sliver of hope, but Jovemp shook his head.

“The Intelligence Agency has made every effort, but its whereabouts remain elusive. Since it was not a submarine deployed by the Allied Nations, tracing it is difficult. Furthermore, it appears they severed communications to avoid interception while in transit.”

Their meticulous actions caused her head to throb.

Letting out a brief sigh, Celvia acknowledged there was no viable recourse.

“Instruct them to continue investigating until a lead emerges. Now then…”

Celvia turned to Cedric, the Acting Chief of Operations attending in place of the Chief of Staff, and continued.

“I would like to hear the General Staff’s report.”

She was inquiring about whether they had found Daniel.

Cedric bowed his head in deference before speaking.

“According to the report, a man resembling Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner in appearance has been discovered.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. However, the man denied being Daniel Steiner. The reasons for this denial are subject to differing opinions, but…”

His eyes blinked behind his spectacles.

“If we assume the man is indeed Daniel Steiner, it appears to stem from his distrust of junior officers. He likely calculated the probability of a junior officer being a spy or an enemy operative disguised as an Imperial soldier.”
“Indeed…”

Alone in a foreign land, it was only natural for suspicion to take root.

Feeling pity for Daniel, Celvia let out a mournful sigh.

Observing Celvia’s state, Cedric spoke.

“If it is a matter of distrusting junior officers, it would be appropriate to send someone of unquestionable standing to verify his identity. Coincidentally, Lieutenant General Heinrich Schmidt, who leads the Mage Mobile Corps, is also participating in the search operation in Velanos. You could send him, as they are acquainted and would recognize each other.”

It was a sensible suggestion, prompting Celvia to nod.

“Let it be so. But earlier, you mentioned differing opinions regarding Daniel Steiner concealing his identity. What did you mean by that?”
“Ah. It’s a relatively unlikely theory, but some at the General Staff briefly expressed the opinion that Daniel Steiner might be suffering from amnesia due to the accident.”
“Amnesia?”

After blinking vacantly, Celvia soon let out a wry chuckle.

‘If it were amnesia, he wouldn’t have immediately changed clothes and concealed his uniform after the shipwreck.’

It was not behavior one would expect from someone unaware of their own identity.

‘But if, by some chance, it is amnesia…’

Considering the worst-case scenario, Celvia gently bit her lip.

‘I can’t help it. I would have to personally care for him for the rest of my life…’

It was not an impossible prospect, as she could justify it as according due respect to a war hero.

Clearing her throat, Celvia looked at Cedric with a somewhat playful smile.

“Just in case, convey my following words to Daniel Steiner.”

Meanwhile, Daniel was preparing to face his demise in his inn room.

He had accepted his inability to flee from the troops spearheading the search operation accompanied by a fleet.

‘By now, they’ve likely sealed off all exits and are conducting identity checks…’

The option of escape was essentially non-existent.

‘Still, wouldn’t it be worth trying?’

A glimmer of optimistic hope surfaced, but Daniel’s rationality quickly extinguished it.

If caught while attempting to flee, he would be branded a traitor to the Empire without further explanation.

For a traitor, the sentence was execution.

If there were a high probability of slipping through the lax encirclement, he might consider taking the gamble. However, he could not stake his life on the insane notion of penetrating a fleet-scale encirclement.

Letting out a sigh as he contemplated his bleak circumstances, someone knocked on the door.

“…Who is it?”

Without waiting for permission, the door swung open wide.

Consequently, Daniel was startled.

For the person standing beyond the door was Lieutenant General Heinrich Schmidt, the commander of the Mage Mobile Corps.

He was one of the key figures who had achieved remarkable feats during the Nordiah invasion operation.

While Daniel had proposed the operation, it was Heinrich who had executed it.

‘But to think they even deployed the Empire’s elite Mage Mobile Corps for the search operation…’

The absurdity was so profound that it failed to elicit laughter.

Dumbfounded, Daniel stood frozen as Heinrich entered the room.

“Daniel Steiner. It is indeed you. But why did you lie to the officer who visited yesterday?”

Daniel did not respond.

More precisely, he was racking his brain for an excuse.

Sensing Daniel’s peculiarity, Heinrich furrowed one eyebrow.

“Could you truly be suffering from amnesia? There have been opinions within the General Staff that you might have developed amnesia. I don’t believe it, but…”

At the mention of amnesia, a glimmer of hope resurfaced in Daniel.

‘This could be an opportunity.’

The position of Chief of Operations at the General Staff required a high level of professional competence.

In that case, they would not have kept an officer suffering from amnesia at the General Staff.

‘I would undoubtedly be discharged from my position.’

And it would not end with just being discharged from the General Staff.

Given the Empire’s policy of not employing the incompetent, he might receive an unfitness for duty evaluation and be discharged from service entirely.

‘Alright.’

It was at that moment that Daniel decided to feign amnesia.

“Daniel Steiner. Even if you are suffering from amnesia, do not worry. Her Highness the Princess has declared that a war hero must receive due treatment. If you have indeed developed amnesia, Her Highness has instructed that you be brought to the Imperial Palace personally.”

What did that mean? Daniel looked at Heinrich with bewilderment as the latter smiled.

“Her Highness the Princess has said she will keep you by her side ‘for life.’ Is that not a tremendous honor?”

His eyes widening in shock, Daniel inwardly screamed.

‘No…!’

Determined to prevent that at all costs, Daniel maintained an air of composure and let out a low chuckle.

Despite his insides churning, Daniel rose from his seat as naturally as possible.

“It seems the time has come to reveal my identity.”

Taking a deep breath in secret, Daniel looked at Heinrich and enunciated clearly.

“Daniel Steiner, Major of the General Staff Operations Division and diplomatic envoy in Velanos under Her Highness the Princess’s orders, presents himself to you, sir.”

Fixing Heinrich with a sharp gaze, Daniel offered a crisp salute.

Inwardly impressed, Heinrich returned the salute.

“As I suspected. So it was true that you were lying low in this place while concealing your identity. Can you share with me the plan you were devising here for the Empire’s sake?”

There was no plan for the Empire’s sake.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

He had merely been trying to accumulate funds to escape from the Empire.

But if he revealed the truth, he might face execution.

After a brief contemplation, Daniel slowly approached the window.

“While I wish to share it with you…”

Reaching the window, Daniel gazed at the distant sea.

“The information I have uncovered here is not something I can readily disclose.”

Implying it was at least classified information.

In other words, Daniel Steiner had gathered such information while stranded after the shipwreck.

‘An ordinary person would have been preoccupied with ensuring their own safety…’

Observing Daniel’s back, Heinrich felt an involuntary sense of reverence.

‘I should not underestimate him due to his youth. Truly a brilliant staff officer, it seems.’

To be honest, it stirred feelings of respect.