I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 108

Two Days Later – Kingdom of Belmore

2nd Armored Division Headquarters – Division Commander’s Office

Knock, knock—

Hearing the knock, Count Magref, the division commander, closed the report he had been reading.

Lowering his reading glasses with one hand, he spoke up.

“Enter.”

With permission granted, the office door opened, and a well-groomed man stepped inside.

It was Magref’s aide.

“Your Excellency!”

The aide, uncharacteristically flustered, quickly blurted out his report.

“Urgent news! His Highness, the Crown Prince, has been defeated by Daniel Steiner’s unit and taken hostage!”

Magref’s hand, which had been folding his glasses, froze mid-motion.

Because it didn’t make sense.

“......What are you saying? Didn’t His Highness ambush Daniel Steiner? And with an elite battalion of the kingdom’s finest soldiers, no less.”

“You are not mistaken, sir. However, Daniel Steiner had anticipated everything.”

The aide, clenching his teeth tightly, took a deep breath before continuing.

“According to the report, His Highness formed an encirclement, lying in wait for Daniel Steiner’s advance. Unaware of anything, the prince ordered a charge straight into the trap...”

Magref raised his hand, signaling the aide to stop.

There was no need for further explanation.

“Daniel Steiner... anticipated the ambush?”

It was hard to believe, but the report of a prepared encirclement made it the only reasonable conclusion.

“How... How on earth...”

Muttering in confusion, Magref’s mind quickly connected the pieces.

‘The informant who gave us Daniel Steiner’s location... Were they a double agent? Or... could it be that a spy working for Daniel Steiner has infiltrated the kingdom?’

Whether it was one or the other, one thing was undeniable—

Daniel Steiner had known everything and used it to his advantage.

‘A devilish scheme, truly worthy of a monster.’

Now, he fully understood why Daniel Steiner was called the Empire’s Demon.

Suppressing a low sigh, Magref turned his gaze back to his aide.

“Assemble a negotiation team immediately.”

With the Crown Prince as a prisoner, Daniel Steiner would undoubtedly propose negotiations.

The Kingdom could not afford to let the prince remain in enemy hands. They would have to respond to Daniel’s terms—whatever they may be.

Therefore, from this moment on, swift preparations for negotiation strategies were imperative.

Understanding his commander’s intent, the aide, having regained his composure, answered firmly.

“Understood. I will issue the orders immediately. But... who will lead the delegation?”

Exhaling slowly, Magref nodded without hesitation.

“I will go myself.”

“......Sir, you intend to lead the delegation personally?”

“Yes.”

Magref needed to understand how Daniel Steiner was obtaining information about the Kingdom of Belmore.

Sending a mere negotiator or a government official would be meaningless.

Only by facing Daniel Steiner in person could he hope to uncover the truth.

After a brief silence, the aide, having grasped Magref’s determination, bowed deeply.

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“Understood. I will relay your decision.”

With that formal acknowledgment, the aide saluted and left the office.

Left alone, Magref turned to the window, his expression clouded with concern.

“Daniel Steiner...”

How could a mere name carry such crushing weight?

Realizing his hand was trembling, Magref clenched it tightly and drew a slow, steady breath, his eyes narrowing with resolve.

‘Your Highness... Hold on, just a little longer.’

‘I will rescue you from that wretched fiend myself.’

****

After capturing Crown Prince Blef, Daniel Steiner ordered a second identity check before requesting support from the rear units.

The forward outpost had been devastated by mortar fire, and even if it hadn’t been, it lacked the capacity to house both the battalion and their prisoners—including the Crown Prince of Belmore.

Upon receiving news that Daniel Steiner had captured the Belmore Crown Prince, the rear command promptly dispatched a support unit without hesitation.

The following day, dozens of transport vehicles escorted by guards arrived at the outpost. Daniel instructed that the prisoners be loaded first before boarding himself.

Once everyone was aboard, the convoy set off toward Barheim, a small town near the Eastern Front.

Awaiting them in Barheim was the brigade commander responsible for the city’s defense.

Whether it was to commend Daniel for his achievement or simply to offer hospitality, the brigade commander treated Daniel’s unit with exceptional generosity.

Worn out from the recent operation, Daniel accepted the courtesy without complaint. After several days of rest, he politely requested an office space to conduct his official duties.

The brigade commander agreed without hesitation, granting him the largest office in the brigade headquarters.

And so, today—

Seated behind the desk, Daniel faced two of his closest subordinates.

Freen Lemiliart stood before him with her usual warm smile, while Lucy Emilia, as always, maintained a composed expression, a file tucked under her arm.

Suppressing an irritable sigh, Daniel fixed his gaze on Freen and spoke.

“Second Lieutenant Freen.”

“Yes, Commander?”

“I hear that during your leisure time, you visited the local church here in Barheim. Is that correct?”

Freen nodded without hesitation.

“Yes. Is there something wrong with that, sir?”

Daniel narrowed his eyes in disbelief, his irritation surfacing.

“If you’re going to attend a service, then attend the service. Why the hell are you running your mouth about me there—calling me some kind of ‘Saint’ and spouting nonsense?”

“...Nonsense?” Freen blinked, genuinely perplexed. “I merely told them the truth, Commander.”

A dull ache throbbed in Daniel’s temples.

‘For the love of... Just stop it already.’

Apparently, Freen’s "nonsense" carried enough conviction that a group of fanatics had shown up at the brigade headquarters, demanding to meet their so-called “Saint.” The headache it caused was monumental.

But Daniel knew all too well that convincing Freen she was wrong was a losing battle.

Pressing his fingers firmly against his brow, he let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Just... stop. You want to attend church? Fine. But do only that. Don’t spread weird rumors. Are we clear?”

“...Understood. If that’s what you wish, Commander.”

“Good. Now, you’re dismissed.”

With a graceful bow and an ever-pleasant smile, Freen exited the office.

As the door closed, Daniel turned his attention to Lucy.

“You mentioned you had a report for me, Lieutenant.”

Lucy’s crimson eyes flickered once as she gave a slight nod.

“The Kingdom of Belmore has responded to our offer for negotiations. Their representative will be Major General Magref, commander of the 2nd Armored Brigade. According to our intelligence, he intends to come here, to Barheim, personally.”

“Magref?” Daniel’s eyes sharpened. “What’s his profile?”

“A noble-born officer, sir. A cautious man, and—like most nobles—an ardent believer in royal legitimacy.”

Daniel fell into thought, his fingers drumming lightly against the desk.

‘Not a diplomat, not an envoy... but an armored division commander?’

It wasn’t impossible, but something felt... off.

‘The Kingdom must suspect that I obtained their operational details through some covert means.’

That would explain why they were sending someone with access to sensitive information to negotiate—

‘Magref is their answer.’

If Magref was chosen, it was likely he held comprehensive knowledge of the Kingdom’s military secrets.

‘Including the identity of the imperial insider who leaked my location to the Crown Prince.’

Daniel had already questioned the prince but had gotten no name—only confirmation that a contact from the Empire provided the information.

But Magref would know.

To Daniel, uncovering the traitor within the Empire was paramount.

Because if he failed to eliminate the mole now, the next leak could be catastrophic.

‘The question is...’

How to force Magref to reveal the traitor’s identity.

Offering the prince’s release in exchange? Pointless.

If Magref feigned ignorance or denied knowing anything, Daniel would be left with nothing.

He needed leverage.

Rubbing his chin, he sat in silence, mulling over countless possibilities—until a sudden, brilliant idea flashed through his mind.

‘This... could work.’

With the pieces of his plan falling into place, Daniel raised his eyes to meet Lucy’s.

“Lieutenant. On the day of the negotiations, have our men conduct live-fire exercises near the meeting site. Have them keep their radios on and respond truthfully to any questions I ask over the comms.”

Lucy blinked, momentarily stunned by the seemingly nonsensical order.

“Live-fire... sir? The negotiations will be in the city. You’re instructing live-fire exercises in an urban zone?”

“That’s right. And... inform the brigade commander—” Daniel paused briefly before shaking his head. “No. I’ll deliver that part personally.”

A glint of certainty flickered in his eyes, his mind now fully set on the trap he was preparing.

Watching him, Lucy felt a ripple of admiration she couldn’t fully place.

“You’ve already planned everything out, haven’t you, Colonel?”

“No.” Daniel exhaled slowly, his voice laced with reluctant resignation.

“This isn’t a plan.”

There was a sharp edge to his words, underlined by a sigh of distaste.

“This... is a performance.”

“A performance, sir?”

“A damned piece of theater.” His voice dipped lower, almost contemptuous of his own methods. “Theatrics designed to make the enemy fear me.”

“Even if the substance is a lie—”

His eyes flashed cold and calculating.

“They’ll believe it’s real.”

Lucy’s lips parted slightly, her mind turning over his words. She didn’t fully understand his angle—

But if it ended with their enemy trembling at Daniel’s name—

‘Then...’ she thought with a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.

‘That isn’t theater. That’s power.’