I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 175

Misinterpreting Daniel’s speechlessness as something else, Peremilla cried out, even more desperately and servilely.

“If there’s anything you desire from me, I’ll give it to you! All the wealth I’ve accumulated until now... No! My fortune already belongs to you, Colonel Daniel! I’m sorry! I should never have dared to claim ownership...!”

While Peremilla babbled as he begged for his life, Daniel was lost in thought.

‘...Who?’

He had no idea who had captured Duke Belvar’s family and sent them to the Central Security Bureau.

‘Of course...’

At the time when the civil unrest had been settled, he had indeed ordered some of the faster grenadiers to search and pursue the escape route taken by Duke Belvar’s family.

If they had been the ones to find them, he should have received a report.

A report stating that they had secured the Duke’s family and were sending them to the Central Security Bureau.

But Daniel had never received such a report.

Which meant that someone had acted independently and aided Daniel Steiner of their own accord.

‘A sense of dissonance... I’ve felt something like this before...’

When coincidences continue, they stop being coincidences.

‘I suppose I have to consider it inevitable now.’

‘But even if there’s some hidden group helping me... why?’

He had no way of knowing the reason, but there was no need to reject a gift that rolled his way.

Daniel turned and looked at the soldier standing guard at the Central Security Bureau.

“You.”

Startled by the scene unfolding in front of him, the soldier snapped to attention at Daniel’s voice.

“Y-Yes, High Commissioner!”

“Go inside and bring out Lieutenant Frien. She’s probably spending her time in the underground detention cell.”

“Understood!”

The soldier saluted sharply, then turned and ran off.

Watching this, Daniel slowly descended the steps and stood in front of Peremilla.

Raindrops fell from the sky, soaking his uniform cap and shoulders, but he didn’t care.

There was something he wanted to confirm with them.

“Raise your head.”

At Daniel’s command, Peremilla took a breath and lifted his head.

With his hair in complete disarray and his face gaunt and sunken, it was hard to believe this man had once been the head of a major conglomerate.

Clicking his tongue, Daniel let out a low sigh and spoke.

“Who made you like this?”

“Why, of course, it was you, Colonel Daniel...”

“Me, you say.”

He let out a laugh, incredulous.

That quiet laugh, mingling with the heavy rain falling around them, created a gloomy, ominous atmosphere.

Calming his laughter, Daniel opened his mouth again.

“I’ll ask one more time. Who made you like this?”

Daniel’s question was sincere, but Peremilla’s mind was flooded with thoughts.

Combining them all led him to a conclusion: Daniel doesn’t want the existence of his private organization to be revealed to the world.

Having completely misunderstood Daniel’s intentions, Peremilla swallowed nervously and replied.

“It was my conscience that did this to me. Yes. Colonel Daniel had little to do with this. I only came here to confess. That’s all.”

Though Peremilla had tried his best to flatter him, Daniel found the answer lacking.

After a moment of silence, Daniel lowered himself onto one °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° knee to meet Peremilla at eye level.

“Perhaps I phrased my question poorly. Surely, you must’ve met them. The organization that caught you while you were fleeing. Didn’t you?”

“That is...”

“Tell me everything. What did they look like? How did they operate? What did they say to you?”

Peremilla, frozen stiff, blinked once and lowered his head.

“...I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yes. They all operated in the dark, and they were wearing gas masks, so I couldn’t see their faces. And their leader...”

His breathing grew rough.

As if overtaken by fear, Peremilla’s eyes darted around wildly—then he suddenly grabbed Daniel’s hand.

“I truly don’t know anything! Please, have mercy on me, Colonel Daniel Steiner! If you let me live, I promise I’ll prove useful in some way!”

Daniel watched Peremilla’s behavior and shook his head.

‘He’s broken.’

Whatever had happened, Peremilla was no longer in a sound state of mind.

Judging that there was nothing more to learn, Daniel shook off Peremilla’s hand and stood up.

Just then, the doors of the Central Security Bureau opened, and Frien stepped out.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Upon spotting Daniel’s back, Frien immediately broke into a bright smile.

“Oh! Colonel Daniel!”

Bounding over in a heartbeat, Frien beamed cheerfully.

“I heard you called for me. What can I help you with? If you wanted to spend some time alone with me, could you wait just a little longer? I haven’t quite met today’s quota yet.”

Though she spoke casually, Peremilla and Count Ophilo, who were nearby, couldn’t help but recoil in horror.

Because Frien was currently covered in blood.

Fresh blood still dripped from her uniform, as if she’d only just finished a session of torture.

The stench of blood pierced through the scent of rain, so strongly that Ophilo instinctively pinched his nose.

Daniel, however, who knew exactly what kind of woman Frien was, simply furrowed his brow lightly.

“I’ve told you before—when you come out of the detention cell, I’d prefer if you changed clothes. It’s not because I don’t want to see it. I’m worried about you. Do you know what the soldiers and officers here are saying when they look at you?”

“You mean how they’re calling me the ‘Bloody Witch’? It’s a bit unfair, honestly. They used to call me an angel on the battlefield, and now just because I did a little torture, my reputation plummets. But I’m a little happy, actually. It means Colonel Daniel cares about me.”

Frien’s carefree smile carried a faint chill, but it wasn’t something Daniel could hate.

Unless one had a very peculiar disposition, the act of torture took a toll on the torturer’s mind as well.

Even if it was the high treasonous Duke Belvar being tortured, most people would naturally try to avoid it.

But it had been Frien who had volunteered—without a second of hesitation.

Because she had said she’d do anything if it could be of help to Colonel Daniel Steiner.

In short, she had volunteered not out of a desire to see blood, but because she wanted to be useful.

Which meant that Frien didn’t enjoy torture by nature.

...Probably.

‘...I hope not.’

If she really was enjoying it, that would be terrifying—so for now, Daniel decided to assume that wasn’t the case.

Letting out a quiet cough, Daniel spoke.

“Let’s end the small talk here. Handling this matter comes first.”

“When you say ‘this matter’...?”

“Do you see Duke Belvar’s family standing before me right now?”

“Duke Belvar’s family?”

Frien’s gaze followed Daniel’s direction and widened.

Noticing the figures behind Daniel, Frien looked slightly surprised.

“You’re right! Judging by those despair-ridden faces, I don’t know exactly who they are, but someone’s already done the first round pretty well. Doesn’t look like I’ll need to do much.”

Calling a person a “first round prep” was... well, a bit much.

Technically, it wasn’t the wrong term in this context—but the nuance felt off, didn’t it?

“...Colonel? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Since Frien didn’t seem to notice anything strange, Daniel decided not to bother pointing it out.

“It’s nothing. Lieutenant Frien, take them with you and make Duke Belvar talk. We need to know how many collaborators remain at large. Compile the names into a list and submit it to me. You can handle that, can’t you?”

Frien nodded.

“It’s an easy job. Even those who grit their teeth and endure pain themselves tend to crumble when it’s their family suffering. Of course, the best outcome is to get a confession before it gets that far. Still, I might be able to finish the list by the end of today?”

Her lips curled into a smile, simply from the thought that she could be of use to Daniel.

“Well then, Duke Belvar’s family? Would you come with me?”

Peremilla and the rest of the family shook their heads, but they had no choice.

Soldiers of the Central Security Bureau were already approaching.

“Move it! Didn’t you hear Lieutenant Frien?!”

“Hurry up! You think you’re still nobles, you filthy children of a traitor?!”

“Get up, you bastards!”

As the soldiers barked out orders, Peremilla and his family stood up in fear.

Even as he walked, nervously eyeing the soldiers, Peremilla kept glancing at Daniel.

“Colonel Daniel? Please! Not her! Please...!”

Whether or not he’d heard Frien’s fearsome reputation from somewhere, Peremilla was reacting with something beyond hatred—practically a seizure.

It was unfortunate, but what could be done?

Leaving it to Frien was the shortest path to extracting Duke Belvar’s confession.

Sending them a wordless sympathy in his heart, Daniel turned and climbed the stairs.

Under the eaves, as he began removing his soaked officer’s coat, Count Ophilo approached.

“C-Commissioner? I think I may have misunderstood the situation. How about the two of us have a private talk?”

Having seen the tables turn, Ophilo was now trying to save himself by offering to betray his comrades.

But Daniel no longer needed any information from Ophilo.

Because Duke Belvar surely knew far more than Ophilo ever would.

“I’m afraid that won’t be necessary.”

Daniel folded his coat over his arm and straightened his uniform.

“Count Ophilo. Didn’t I tell you once before? That mosquitoes are foolish creatures.”

The hand adjusting his sleeve rose to his tie.

“They pick fights even though they know it’ll get them killed—that’s what makes them especially foolish.”

Adjusting the tie at his collar, Daniel continued.

“There won’t be a single mosquito left in my house this summer. I’ll make sure of it.”

He removed his uniform cap and shook off the raindrops that had gathered across its surface.

A heavy silence filled the space between them.

As the rain, once thick, began to thin out, Daniel looked over at Ophilo.

“Don’t you find it exciting, Count Ophilo? To see just how...”

Staring at Ophilo, who was now sweating coldly, Daniel gave him a cold, serene smile.

“...I’ll crush the mosquitoes to death.”