I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 107

As Prince Blef’s forces reeled from the realization that they were surrounded, Daniel Steiner found himself equally bewildered.

‘Why the hell are they here...?’

Daniel couldn’t fathom what strategic value this forward outpost, tucked into a basin, could possibly hold to warrant a surprise attack.

‘Could it be... they’re after me? If they knew my location...’

Suddenly, the reason for the ambush made perfect sense.

Daniel Steiner wasn’t just a battalion commander—he was the Hero of the Empire.

Capturing him would not only crush the Empire’s morale but also give the enemy a powerful bargaining chip in future negotiations.

‘But...’

The fact that he had been deployed here for this mission was classified at the highest level.

For the enemy to act on that knowledge could only mean one thing—

‘There’s a traitor within the Empire.’

It wasn’t exactly shocking.

Anyone in the upper echelons of society, aware of the military buildup of the Republic and the Federation, would know the Empire’s position was precarious.

In such times, self-serving individuals leaking secrets to the enemy for their own survival was practically inevitable.

But the thought that someone with access to top-level intelligence was colluding with the enemy left a sour taste in his mouth.

‘And their goal... is to hand me over to the Allied Nations.’

When this situation was over, he would need to investigate thoroughly.

“Battalion Commander! We’ve completely sealed off their escape routes! Awaiting your next order!”

Daniel turned to his side.

Bernard, the company commander, was looking at him with eyes burning with fervent loyalty—an expression Daniel found deeply uncomfortable.

‘He really thinks I predicted everything and turned a training exercise into a tactical operation...’

The truth?

He had only ordered the drill to kill time.

The enemy had blundered into his trap all on their own.

But there was no way he could admit that now.

So, after taking a deep breath, Daniel opened his mouth.

“We hold position and wait for their move. Radio operator.”

The radioman, who had been following at his side, snapped to attention.

“Yes, sir!”

“By now, they should know they’re surrounded. They’ll likely attempt to contact us via the public frequency to negotiate. Switch to the shared channel and broadcast.”

“Understood. What should I say?”

There was only one message worth sending.

“Advise them to surrender immediately. And make it clear—if they stall or make any suspicious moves, they’ll experience hell firsthand.”

“Yes, sir!”

The radioman knelt down, set up the military transceiver, and began transmitting.

As he watched the soldier work, Daniel let out a long sigh.

‘Unbelievable...’

He’d come here intending to waste time and do absolutely nothing.

But somehow, the enemy had willingly walked into his net, like fish swimming into a trap.

The absurdity of it all was almost laughable.

A chuckle escaped him.

Standing nearby, Bernard heard that small, humorless laugh and swallowed nervously.

‘He's... laughing because everything is going according to his plan. Is this what they call a tactical genius...?’

If Daniel Steiner had been their enemy, Bernard realized grimly, it wouldn’t be Blef’s forces currently surrounded.

It would be him—Bernard himself.

The realization made his skin crawl.

The soldiers around him shared the same uneasy awe, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and reverence as they watched Daniel.

Moments later, the radioman looked up from his device.

“Commander! We’ve established contact, and the enemy has received our transmission... but they’re deliberately withholding a response.”

So, they were hesitating.

It wasn’t surprising.

Despite being surrounded, Blef’s battalion still outnumbered them.

The enemy commanders were likely weighing their chances, hoping that a breakout, however costly, was still possible.

‘Then we crush that hope.’

Surrender was inevitable only when there was no hope left.

“They’re stalling,” Daniel said coldly. “And the longer this drags on, the worse it is for us. So let’s make a move.”

The radioman’s eyes sharpened.

“Your orders, sir?”

Daniel’s voice was like ice.

“Switch to the operations channel. Order the snipers to open fire—target all officers except the crown prince. Break their chain of command. Confusion will rip through their ranks like a plague.”

A battalion without leadership was little more than a panicked mob.

“Once the officers are down, relay to the support company: commence high-angle artillery bombardment on the enemy-occupied outpost.”

Panic.

Destruction.

And the complete collapse of any will to fight.

“Let them have what they wanted.”

His cold gaze turned toward the distant outpost.

His voice, laced with chilling finality, resonated like a curse.

“A taste of hell they’ll never forget.”

****

At the Same Time — Inside Prince Blef’s Encircled Forces

“Your Highness! We must surrender! Victory against the enemy is nearly impossible!”

“You want me to not only admit defeat but become their prisoner as well!? Speak sense! Who would support a prince who led the kingdom’s finest soldiers into captivity?”

Colonel Galebalt struggled to persuade Prince Blef, but the prince was obstinate.

Even while surrounded, Blef’s thoughts remained fixed solely on his political survival, refusing to consider surrender and ordering a breakout instead.

Despite Blef’s defiance, the battalion commander obeyed his order, dispatching a company to secure an escape route. But Galebalt knew it was a waste of effort.

The basin was encircled by mountains, leaving only a single path of retreat.

If the enemy had truly committed to sealing that route, even an entire battalion would be helpless.

That was precisely why Galebalt urged surrender—but Blef wouldn’t listen.

“Your Highness! This is not the time to think about your future—look at the present!”

But before he could finish—

PFFT!

A muffled, wet burst rang out—followed instantly by the sickening splash of blood and flesh across his face.

Galebalt’s eyes darted toward the sound.

The battalion commander—who had been giving orders just a second ago—was now slumped over, his head obliterated.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—action.

“Damn it! Sniper! The enemy has begun their attack! Everyone, protect His Highness!”

Without hesitation, Galebalt grabbed Blef’s arm and ran.

“Inside! Everyone, get inside a building!”

As he sprinted, Galebalt raised a shimmering magic barrier ahead of them.

The royal guards, flanking Blef, rushed alongside them, lifting ballistic shields high as they covered their retreat.

“Galebalt? W-What is happening!?”

The prince, ignorant of the brutality of war, managed to choke out a question through his shock—

When—

KABOOOOOOM!!!

A high-explosive shell detonated not far from them, sending a pillar of flame skyward.

The ground shuddered violently, and the blast’s aftershock left their ears ringing.

Dirt and debris filled the air, and the shockwave nearly sent Blef to his knees.

Galebalt’s voice, sharp and urgent, cut through the chaos—

“We must move! Quickly!”

Blef, finally snapping out of his stupor, stumbled forward and rushed into a nearby building.

The guards flooded in behind him, and as the last man entered, Galebalt slammed the heavy steel door shut—

BOOOOOM! BOOOOM!

The relentless pounding of high-angle artillery shells outside turned the night into a symphony of destruction.

The screams of tearing earth and the concussive shockwaves pressed against the iron walls.

The deafening barrage made Blef’s ears ring and his body tremble.

“Your Highness! Prince Blef!”

Galebalt seized the prince by the shoulders and shook him, forcing him back to his senses.

Blef’s lips trembled as his eyes, wide with terror, met Galebalt’s.

“Galebalt? Wh-what is—”

“It’s not too late! If we don’t act now—we’re all dead!”

“Dead!? But the company I sent to secure the escape route—they will—”

Galebalt’s teeth ground together as his face contorted into an expression of pure frustration.

It was a look Blef had never seen from his advisor before.

“With one company you expect to secure a retreat!? Your Highness, if the enemy has committed to sealing the escape route, even our entire battalion couldn’t break through!”

His voice carried raw, undisguised desperation.

This is suicide.

That was the reality Galebalt had been screaming all along.

A cold sweat drenched Blef’s back. His lips trembled—

...and finally, his pride collapsed.

His voice, hoarse and broken, slipped out—

“T-Tell them... Tell them we surrender. Just—just stop the shelling! Please...!”

The fear of death—the cold, merciless death that no crown nor title could ward off—crushed him.

The prince’s plea for surrender echoed through the shattered remains of his pride.

Galebalt exhaled, a tremor in his breath, and gave a solemn nod.

He approached the soldier holding the Imperial military radio, taking the handset into his calloused hand.

With a deep breath, he pressed the transmit button.

The line hissed with static—

And through it, his voice—resolute and weary—carried the weight of their fall.

“This is Colonel Galebalt, chief advisor to Prince Blef of the Kingdom of Belmore. I speak on behalf of His Highness.”

A pause.

The silence felt like it gnawed at his soul—

But finally, he spoke—

“...We surrender.”

****

With Galebalt’s declaration of surrender, the shelling ceased immediately.

Daniel, over the radio, ordered the enemy to disarm.

Blef’s forces complied, tossing their weapons into the armory and raising the white flag.

Once a cross-verification confirmed that the surrender was genuine, Daniel finally emerged.

From behind the screen of dust and ruin, Blef saw them—

The advancing black-clad Imperial soldiers, their boots striking the ground in a measured, chilling cadence.

And leading them—Daniel Steiner.

Blef’s teeth ground together at the sight of the man who had played him for a fool.

His fists clenched tight, but before he could spit his venom, the rhythmic march of Imperial boots drew closer, stopping just ten paces away.

Daniel Steiner, standing at the head of his troops, placed a hand lightly over his chest and greeted him with a polite bow.

“Your Highness, Prince Blef. I believe introductions are unnecessary, but I am Daniel Steiner. It is truly... regrettable that events have come to this.”

The sheer audacity—!

Blef’s blood boiled, his voice trembling with restrained fury.

“Regrettable? You dare speak of regret—after attacking royalty?”

At this, a soft, humorless chuckle escaped Daniel’s lips.

“Your words are... somewhat misleading, I fear. If you recall, I extended my respect by first offering you the chance to surrender.”

The calm, patronizing mask on that face—!

It made Blef’s stomach churn.

His nails bit into his palm as he struggled to contain the rage within him.

But Daniel’s voice continued, smooth and unperturbed.

“It was you, Your Highness, who refused to resolve this peacefully. So—”

“Shut your mouth!”

In a flash, Blef drew his pistol from his coat—

Instantly, every Imperial rifle snapped up, barrels trained on him with deadly precision.

The air turned dense, charged with the promise of violence.

The entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath.

Yet—

Among them all—

Only Daniel Steiner stood motionless.

His hands—folded idly behind his back.

And his gaze—locked unflinchingly onto Blef’s.

Seconds passed like eternities—

Then, Daniel’s hand rose, palm downward.

The Imperial soldiers, without hesitation—lowered their weapons.

But Blef—

His arm—remained raised.

His pistol—remained aimed.

Daniel’s voice broke the silence—calm, cold, and cutting—

“So. You choose to raise a weapon... after declaring surrender.”

A crackling tension filled the air—

Until, suddenly—

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Daniel—laughed.

A low, quiet, amused sound.

“That single shot... would make history, you know.”

His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, pierced into Blef’s.

“An unprovoked attack... in direct violation of international war laws.”

Blef—

Did not answer.

But—

His hand—

Shook.

Daniel’s voice dropped to a razor’s edge—

“Of course—”

His smile vanished—replaced by something far colder.

“That history... would be written by the Empire alone.”

Blef’s heart stuttered.

“Because,” Daniel continued softly, his gaze narrowing—

“In the future I envision—”

The chill in his voice felt like steel pressed against the throat.

“The Kingdom of Belmore... will no longer exist.”

Blef’s lips parted—air catching in his throat—

Because he understood.

An international crime—

Committed by a crown prince.

Would the Allied Nations ever defend such a blight on their legitimacy?

No.

They would cut Belmore loose—

And the Empire—

Would wipe his kingdom from the map.

“...No...”

Blef’s soul seemed to wither—

His arm—collapsed.

The pistol—slipped from his fingers, hitting the ground with a cold, final clatter.

A curse—soft, bitter, and broken—spilled from his lips—

“Damn... Damn it all...”

The fight—left him.

His knees—buckled.

And his head—fell, his shoulders trembling with the weight of utter defeat.

A shadow fell over him—

A hand—rested on his shoulder.

And—

A voice—soft, warm—false.

“You have made... the right choice.”

Blef—

Shivered.

This man—

This—

Daniel Steiner—

Was not a soldier.

Not a hero.

Not even a human.

But a monster—

One who would sacrifice even his own life—

For the Empire’s gain.