I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 94

The Atmosphere Turns Frigid

The tension in the room thickened, freezing the air.

Lowell hesitated, unable to offer a rebuttal, and in that moment of silence, Daniel took a step back.

"My, my. I only wanted to have a lighthearted conversation before we began the actual negotiations, but it seems things got a bit too heated. Why don’t we take a seat and proceed with the discussion?"

Lowell, still tense, gave a slight nod.

He hadn’t come here to fight Daniel Steiner.

After adjusting his clothes, Lowell took his seat on the sofa.

Seeing that, Daniel also sat down, placing his briefcase on his lap.

With a natural motion, he unzipped it and rummaged inside.

"Then, let’s move on to the Empire’s proposal. Now, where is it… Ah, here we go."

Daniel pulled out a few documents and handed them to Lowell.

"Take your time reading through it before making a decision. If you have any objections, feel free to bring them up."

Lowell found Daniel’s smiling face insufferable.

He snatched the documents with an expression of clear displeasure.

Even so, Daniel remained calm, simply clasping his hands together and waiting patiently.

‘…I have no idea what he’s thinking.’

His manner was polite, yet it was impossible to shake the feeling that he was looking down on him.

Keeping his guard up, Lowell began reading through the documents.

At first glance, the contents seemed relatively straightforward.

The Empire demanded that Vellanos take responsibility for its failure to prevent the terrorist attack, issue an official statement acknowledging the mistake, and conduct a more thorough investigation to determine the truth. Compensation was also to be discussed.

That much, Lowell could understand and even accept.

But the problem lay in what followed.

"Abolition of tariffs on Imperial trade, permission for Imperial forces to be stationed in the port city of Tentarbachem, cooperation in establishing military bases, permanent opening of national borders?"

That alone was outrageous enough.

But the final clause was the real issue.

"A counter-terrorism law must be enacted, requiring detailed reports on the appointment of high-ranking officials and military officers to be submitted to the Empire. The Empire shall reserve the right to evaluate these appointments and, when necessary, conduct inspections and oversight to prevent the resurgence of terrorist threats."

They were disguising it as counter-terrorism policy, but it was nothing short of blatant internal interference.

This wasn’t a request to a neutral nation—it was a demand befitting a defeated state.

Outraged, Lowell slammed the documents onto the table.

"What the hell is this?! You call this a proposal?!"

"…Is something the matter?"

"Something the matter?! Are you out of your mind?! Vellanos is a neutral country! We have sworn to remain uninvolved in any international conflicts or wars! And yet, you expect us to allow Imperial troops into our cities and accept interference in our internal affairs?! Do you think we can maintain our neutrality under those conditions?!"

Lowell pointed a furious finger at Daniel.

"Daniel Steiner! This is a blatant violation of our sovereignty! The international community will never accept this! Furthermore, presenting such a proposal is incredibly disrespectful! As Prime Minister, I will be filing a formal complaint against the Imperial Foreign Affairs Office!"

Hearing this, Daniel let out a quiet sigh.

"File a complaint with the Foreign Affairs Office? It seems you weren’t listening to me earlier. I believe I made it clear—right now, in this room, I am the Empire."

Lowell’s eyes narrowed.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Just as he was about to question what Daniel meant, the latter gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Very well. Since you’re taking such a firm stance, I suppose I should be equally honest. You just said that the international community would never tolerate the violation of Vellanos’ sovereignty, correct? Well, from my perspective… it seems quite the opposite."

"What are you talking about…?"

"As everyone knows, it was none other than the Vellanos Navy that paved the way for the terrorists who sank the Empire’s diplomatic vessel. You won’t deny that, will you? Then the question remains—who was behind it? Tell me, Prime Minister, do you know who the real culprit is?"

Lowell swallowed dryly.

"C-Colonel Edboll claimed that they were bribed by the Allied Nations…"

"Yes, we know. After all, your government formally relayed that information to the Empire. But tell me—do you have proof? Any solid evidence that the Allied Nations bribed them?"

Lowell opened his mouth to answer but immediately shut it.

There was none.

"Then how do you think the Empire might interpret this situation? Perhaps like this—'Ah, so Vellanos attacked an Imperial diplomatic vessel and is now trying to pin the blame on the Allied Nations. The real culprit is none other than…'"

Leaning forward slightly, Daniel locked eyes with Lowell.

"…the Prime Minister of Vellanos."

Sweat trickled down Lowell’s face as he hastily shouted,

"That’s a ridiculous leap in logic! Why would Vellanos ever attack an Imperial diplomatic ship?! What possible gain could we have from that?!"

Daniel gave a sly smile.

"Then prove it. It’s simple, isn’t it?"

Lowell clenched his teeth but remained silent.

The more he answered, the deeper he felt himself sinking.

"As long as you lack evidence, the Empire has no choice but to suspect Vellanos. Of course, personally, I believe Vellanos would never do such a thing. But if you refuse to accept this proposal, the Empire will have no choice but to act."

Leaning back, Daniel rested comfortably against the sofa.

"The Vellanos Navy killed Imperial civilians. That’s justification enough, wouldn’t you say? The Empire will declare war, and the international community will stay silent. After all, our casus belli is crystal clear."

Daniel’s low chuckle spread through the tense silence like mist.

"The Allied Nations won’t come to Vellanos’ aid either. They’ve already expressed their deep regret over the loss of Imperial civilians—if they were to now defend Vellanos, it would make them complicit. And besides…"

Daniel snapped his fingers and gestured toward the whiskey glass.

"If you’re not planning to drink that, could I have it? I’m feeling a bit parched."

Lowell’s gaze shifted toward the glass.

Unable to refuse, he picked it up and handed it to Daniel.

Daniel accepted the glass, noting the faint tremor in Lowell’s hand.

"I appreciate your generosity."

Smiling, Daniel took a sip.

Then, he let out an exaggerated sigh of satisfaction.

"As expected, quality whiskey is different. They say the distillation process makes all the difference, and I must say, the flavor is truly exquisite. Life would be quite miserable if one could never enjoy something like this again."

Only a fool wouldn’t understand the implication.

Daniel slowly swirled the whiskey in his glass, watching the way the light played across its amber hue before setting it down.

"Ah, I got sidetracked for a moment. Now, as I was saying—once the Empire declares war, we’ll be able to land our forces in Vellanos without suffering any losses."

The port city of Tentarbachem, a crucial strategic point, was practically under Imperial control already.

As long as the Imperial forces remained stationed there, Vellanos would have no way to stop them.

The moment war broke out, Vellanos would immediately lose its most important stronghold.

"The troops that land in Vellanos will advance to the capital in no time. As the Prime Minister is well aware, once the Empire declared total war, the Kingdom of Eldresia fell in less than a season. So tell me, how long do you think it will take to subdue Vellanos, which is even smaller than Eldresia?"

Daniel playfully raised his hand and extended two fingers.

"Two weeks. Two weeks will be enough."

Lowell's breathing became shaky, laced with moisture.

Yet Daniel's smile remained unwavering.

"In less than fifteen days, the Imperial Army will be at the gates of Vellanos' capital. And when that happens, the people of Vellanos will not only rage against the Empire’s mercilessness but will despise their own government's incompetence even more."

Daniel tapped the sofa's armrest lightly with his fingers.

"And where do you think that hatred for the government’s incompetence will be directed, Prime Minister? At you. Perhaps, a popular uprising will break out. At that moment, the Empire will halt its advance and graciously suggest that the Vellanos government surrender. And then, conveniently, some information will begin to surface."

The smile vanished from Daniel’s lips.

"The Prime Minister of Vellanos has an illegitimate child."

Lowell’s pupils dilated.

The horror behind those words played vividly in his mind.

In the end, he couldn't contain himself and let out a trembling sob.

Seeing this, Daniel lowered his voice, as if offering sympathy.

"I understand. Imagining the loss of everything is not a pleasant thought. That’s why, Prime Minister, the best course of action for you right now… is to ensure that such imaginings never become reality."

Daniel retrieved a fountain pen from his inner pocket and extended it toward Lowell.

Lifting his head, Lowell glared at Daniel with pure hatred through his tears.

But hatred changed nothing.

Of all people, Lowell knew best who was the master and who was the servant in this room.

He had spent his entire life as a caged lion, and now he was face to face with a wolf. He had no chance of winning.

Daniel watched as the light of resistance faded from Lowell’s eyes. With a small, casual flick, he waggled the pen.

"Sign the proposal, Prime Minister. Only then…."

His voice, low and chilling, slithered through the silence like a whisper of death.

"Everything will be able to be as if nothing happened.”.