I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 91

The Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace had been bustling since early morning.

It was because Princess Selvia had summoned key personnel from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Staff to receive a report on the search operation.

Since Selvia had yet to arrive in the hall, the attendees conversed in a somewhat relaxed atmosphere.

"Did you hear? A protest broke out at Dawn Square yesterday."

"The one demanding strong condemnation of the Allied Nations for attacking the diplomatic vessel carrying the Empire’s hero? I heard it was a large-scale protest."

"It might be a biased view, but the suspicion against the Allied Nations is certainly justified..."

The diplomats abruptly fell silent.

It was because the doors to the conference hall were being opened from both sides.

"Her Highness the Princess is entering!"

At the moment the imperial guard's voice rang out, Selvia stepped into the conference hall.

The red cape, symbolizing her status as the heir to the throne, fluttered in rhythm with her stride.

Walking straight to the head seat, Selvia took her place and parted her delicate lips.

"Let the meeting begin. Everyone, be seated."

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

Once she confirmed that everyone was seated, Selvia turned her gaze to Yobenf, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will report first."

Yobenf nodded.

"Your Highness, to begin with the most recent update, the government of Vellanos has sent a telegram stating that they have identified the culprit who allowed terrorists into their territorial waters."

"They found the culprit?"

"Yes. The culprit is said to be Colonel Edvol, the Defense Commander of the 12th Naval District of Vellanos. He claims to have accepted bribes from the Allied Nations, but there is one troubling matter..."

After a brief pause, Yobenf continued.

"There is no remaining evidence of bribery from the Allied Nations. Not only are there no communication records, but his financial accounts are also completely clean, making it impossible to track anything at present."

"A premeditated crime, then. What is the Allied Nations' response?"

"They maintained silence at first, but recently, the King of Edria, a permanent member state, expressed his regret in an official setting. He stated that the act of attacking a civilian vessel is deserving of condemnation."

Selvia’s eyes narrowed upon hearing the report.

'The King of Edria is nothing more than Count Kalendra’s puppet.'

Which meant Kalendra was simply speaking his own mind through the king’s mouth.

'Expressing regret?'

It was nothing more than an attempt to cut off the tail and feign ignorance.

Though Selvia ground her teeth in disgust at the Allied Nations' repulsive actions, she could not officially denounce them without solid evidence.

"What about the submarine? Have you found its whereabouts?"

Though she clung to a sliver of hope, Yobenf merely shook his head.

"The Intelligence Bureau is devoting all efforts, but its whereabouts remain elusive. Since it was not a submarine that departed from the Allied Nations, tracking it is already difficult. Moreover, it seems they cut communications to avoid wiretaps while moving."

The meticulousness of their actions made Selvia’s head throb.

Letting out a short sigh, she accepted the reality that there was no immediate solution.

"Continue the investigation until we find a lead. Now then…"

Turning to Cedric, the Deputy Chief of Operations who was attending in place of the Chief of Staff, Selvia continued.

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

She was asking if they had found Daniel.

Cedric bowed slightly in courtesy before speaking.

"According to reports, a man bearing a strong resemblance to Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner has been discovered."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. However, the man denied being Daniel Steiner. There are various opinions on why…"

His sharp eyes blinked.

"If we assume that this man truly is Daniel Steiner, it is likely due to a lack of trust in junior officers. He may have calculated the risk that they could be spies or enemy forces disguised as Imperial soldiers."

"I see…"

Being alone in a foreign land, it was only natural that he would be deeply wary.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Feeling sympathy for Daniel, Selvia let out a soft sigh.

Cedric, observing her, spoke up.

"If his distrust is toward lower-ranking officers, then sending someone with a confirmed identity to verify him would be the right approach. Fortunately, Brigadier General Heinrich Schmidt, leading the Magitek Forces, is also conducting a search operation in Vellanos. Sending him should work—they are acquainted, so they will recognize each other."

It was a reasonable suggestion, so Selvia nodded.

"Do so. But earlier, you mentioned that there were divided opinions on why Daniel Steiner hid his identity. What did you mean?"

"Ah. It’s a very unlikely scenario, but some within the General Staff briefly speculated that Daniel Steiner might be suffering from amnesia due to the accident’s aftereffects."

"Amnesia?"

Selvia blinked in a daze before letting out a short laugh.

"If he had amnesia, he wouldn’t have changed his clothes and hidden his uniform immediately after the incident."

It was not the behavior of someone who had lost their memories.

"But if, by some incredible chance, he truly does have amnesia…"

Entertaining the worst possibility, Selvia bit her lip slightly.

"If that’s the case, I’ll have no choice but to take care of him for the rest of his life…"

With the justification of treating him as a war hero, it wouldn’t be impossible.

Clearing her throat, Selvia looked at Cedric with a slightly mischievous smile.

"Just in case, I want you to relay exactly what I’m about to say to Daniel Steiner."

*****

Meanwhile, Daniel was preparing to meet his end in the inn room.

He had accepted the fact that there was no escaping the troops leading the fleet in their search operation.

‘By now, every entrance must be blocked off, and they’ll be checking identities…’

The option of running away had practically vanished.

‘Still, wouldn’t it be better to at least try?’

A faint glimmer of hope surfaced, but Daniel’s rationality swiftly suppressed it.

The moment he got caught while trying to escape, he would be labeled a traitor to the Empire without even being given a chance to explain.

And the fate of a traitor was execution.

If the encirclement were weak enough to offer a reasonable chance of escape, that would be one thing. But to wager his life on the insanity of trying to break through a fleet-sized blockade? That was out of the question.

As he sighed in resignation over his own misfortune, someone knocked on the door.

“…Who is it?”

Before he could grant permission, the door swung open.

Daniel flinched in shock.

It was none other than Brigadier General Heinrich Schmidt, the commander of the Magitek Forces.

One of the key figures in the Nordia invasion operation, a man who had achieved remarkable feats.

If Daniel had been the one to devise the operation, then Heinrich had been the one to execute it.

‘They even sent the Empire’s elite Magitek Forces for the search operation?’

It was such an absurd situation that he couldn’t even muster a laugh.

Daniel stood frozen in disbelief as Heinrich stepped into the room.

“Daniel Steiner. Seeing your face confirms it. So why did you lie to the officer who came yesterday?”

Daniel didn’t answer.

Or rather, he was busy scrambling for an excuse.

Heinrich found his silence suspicious and furrowed a brow.

“…Don’t tell me you actually have amnesia? Some within the General Staff suggested that possibility. I don’t believe it myself, but…”

At the mention of amnesia, a spark of hope flickered in Daniel’s mind.

‘This might be an opportunity.’

An Operations Officer in the General Staff had to be an exceptionally competent individual.

And there was no way the General Staff would retain an officer suffering from memory loss.

‘They would definitely relieve me of my duties.’

And it wouldn’t stop there.

Given the Empire’s strict meritocratic system, an officer deemed unfit for duty might even be discharged entirely.

‘Perfect.’

Daniel had made up his mind—he would pretend to have amnesia.

“Daniel Steiner. Even if you have lost your memory, you need not worry. Her Highness the Princess has declared that a war hero must be properly honored.”

Heinrich smiled as he continued, watching Daniel’s confused expression.

“She has ordered that if you are suffering from amnesia, you are to be personally brought to the Imperial Palace.”

Daniel stared at him, dumbfounded.

Then Heinrich’s smile deepened.

“Her Highness intends to keep you by her side for the rest of your life. Quite the honor, wouldn’t you say?”

Daniel’s eyes widened in horror as he screamed internally.

‘No way…!’

This—this had to be stopped at all costs.

Suppressing his panic, Daniel forced out a calm chuckle.

Even as his insides twisted in distress, he made sure to act natural as he stood up smoothly.

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

Taking a discreet deep breath, Daniel locked eyes with Heinrich and spoke in a firm, measured tone.

“Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Steiner, Operations Officer of the General Staff and Special Envoy to Vellanos by order of Her Highness, reporting to you, sir.”

His sharp gaze met Heinrich’s as he delivered a crisp salute.

Heinrich, impressed by the display, returned the salute without hesitation.

“So it’s true. You were operating in secret here under a false identity. Would you care to share what plans you were orchestrating for the Empire?”

There were no plans for the Empire.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

He had been saving money to escape from the Empire.

But admitting that would be signing his own death warrant.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Daniel slowly took a few steps forward.

“I would love to share, however…”

Approaching the window, he gazed out at the distant sea.

“The information I’ve gathered here is not something I can disclose so easily.”

A statement that meant it was classified at the very least.

In other words, it implied that Daniel Steiner had managed to gather such intelligence despite being shipwrecked and stranded.

‘A normal person would be too preoccupied with survival to do something like that…’

As he watched Daniel’s back, Heinrich couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration.

‘Just because he’s young, I shouldn’t underestimate him. This is what it means to be a genius strategist.’

Honestly, he couldn’t help but respect the man.