I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 190

Daniel felt a headache coming on, but he didn't choose the option to flee.

After all, he didn't want to be remembered as a womanizer in front of the Empress of the Empire.

"Your Majesty. It seems there is a slight misunderstanding. While the words of the Prime Minister of Vellanos' daughter standing next to me are not untrue, there was absolutely no physical contact. When I stayed in Vellanos, we were only entangled for certain reasons and merely exchanged words,” Daniel said, giving Lef a subtle look.

No matter how much of a troublemaker she was, she should still maintain proper decorum in front of the Empress.

Lef, too, was well aware of the immense power held by the Empress of the Empire and refrained from making any mistakes.

Lef lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands and bowed gracefully to Selvia.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty," she said.

After the greeting, Lef brought both hands together in front of her abdomen.

Looking at her like this, she appeared to be the perfect lady.

"Daniel is correct. That was all there was to it—we only spoke about mutual interests at that time."

"...Mutual interests?"

At Selvia’s question, Daniel answered in her place.

"It was nothing but ordinary conversation. Things like preferred foods or hobbies. There was nothing for Your Majesty to be concerned about."

Daniel wanted to emphasize that he had maintained his dignity as a soldier of the Empire, but to Selvia, it sounded a little different.

To her, it seemed as though he was making excuses like a man caught cheating.

Selvia, who had been looking up at Daniel, clenched her fist tightly.

"Colonel Daniel. Why do you keep making excuses on this woman’s behalf? Did I ask you anything?"

Her tone was calm, but there was a cold frost hidden within her words.

Realizing that he shouldn't interfere any further, Daniel placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head.

"I overstepped, Your Majesty. Please forgive my rudeness."

Daniel’s apology left Selvia at a loss for words.

'I wasn’t trying to be angry at Daniel...'

Selvia, who had been awkwardly fumbling with her words, let out a soft sigh.

"Fine. I’m alright. Colonel Daniel, go to the study."

"The study, Your Majesty?"

"Yes. The Chief of Staff will be waiting for you there."

It seemed that there really was an urgent message to be conveyed.

"I understand. I will head there immediately."

Daniel maintained his composure as he bowed to Selvia and started to walk away.

Lef, who had been quietly watching Daniel’s retreating figure, slowly shifted her gaze.

Thanks to Selvia staring directly at her, cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.

Though they were of similar age, the Empress of the Empire’s status bore down on Lef like a heavy weight.

Worline, too, was nervously fidgeting, while Selvia quietly opened her mouth to speak.

"Engaging in personal chatter during an official meeting is quite inappropriate. Regardless of your personal acquaintance, this is the imperial palace and the territory of the Empire. I will forgive this rudeness just this once, but should it happen again, remember that it could become a serious diplomatic incident."

Lef felt herself withering under the pressure.

But she couldn’t understand why Selvia was being so sensitive over a few casual words.

That lack of understanding led to several suspicions.

Curious to confirm whether her assumptions were correct, Lef placed a hand over her chest and responded politely.

"I will bear it in mind. I will conduct myself more appropriately in the future. I suppose I was just overwhelmed by the joy of reuniting with Daniel and failed to exercise proper judgment."

Selvia’s expression subtly cracked.

After taking a few breaths to calm herself, Selvia spoke again.

"Is that all?"

Not understanding what Selvia meant, Lef blinked in confusion. Selvia repeated herself.

"I’m asking if you’re telling me that you caused such a disgrace to an imperial officer over nothing more than a brief memory from the past. I won’t criticize your feelings, but weren’t you two not even close enough for you to feel such joy?"

Officially, Selvia was speaking as the Empress of the Empire, expressing her dissatisfaction, but to Lef, Selvia only appeared as a woman anxious about losing the man she loved.

Understanding why Selvia had been so sensitive, Lef bowed her head in accordance with protocol.

"You are not wrong, Your Majesty. I will be more mindful from now on."

"You should. You are not the only source of headaches around here. And also..."

Selvia narrowed her eyes, as if uncomfortable.

"In the future, when you address Colonel Daniel, use proper honorifics. Mutual respect is the foundation of harmony between nations."

After Lef gave a slight nod, Selvia turned and walked away.

Watching her retreating figure, Lef raised her hand to cover her mouth, a thin smile forming on her lips.

'Well, well. This is turning out to be quite interesting.'

Lef naturally assumed that Daniel Steiner and the Empress of the Empire were in a power struggle for dominance.

To the Empress, Daniel Steiner, a war hero who not only accumulated countless military merits but also returned to the capital at the head of the army, was nothing less than a ticking time bomb.

But Lef’s assumption was wrong.

'To think he seduced the Empress while using his handsome face... He’s more cunning than I thought. Is he willing to use any means necessary to gain power?'

Anyone else would have condemned Daniel Steiner as a wicked scoundrel, but Lef was different.

Her only concern was the survival of Vellanos.

And the survival of Vellanos was directly linked to her own survival.

'He has not only purged the collaborators but also maintained a favorable relationship with the Empress. Moreover, the citizens and soldiers of the Empire are uniting against a common enemy. So, perhaps...'

Perhaps the Empire really would win this war.

'I guess I should bet on the Empire then...'

After some consideration, Lef turned to Worline.

"Worline. I think it would be best to accept the Empire’s proposal."

"What? Miss Lef, you’ve always been against maintaining a friendly relationship with the Empire, haven’t you?"

"Yes, I was. But things are different now."

Lef crossed her arms and let out a low chuckle, recalling Daniel Steiner.

"Because I have a feeling that one person might end up changing the fate of the entire Empire."

****

Following Selvia’s orders, Daniel made his way to the Empress’s private study. It didn’t take long before he encountered the Chief of Staff.

Standing by the sunlit window, gazing outside, was Chief of Staff Arman. Beside him stood an aide with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Noticing Daniel’s arrival, the aide approached Arman and whispered something to him.

Only then did Arman turn around to face Daniel Steiner.

“Ah. Colonel Daniel. I’ve been waiting for you,” Arman said, his words coming out almost as soon as Daniel snapped to attention with a salute.

“It is an honor to meet you, Chief of Staff!” Daniel said, his voice carrying an unmistakable tremor.

After all, he was standing face to face with the man at the very top of the military hierarchy. The tension was only natural.

‘And on top of that, Chief of Staff Arman is...’

It was no exaggeration to say that Arman was the most powerful man in the Empire.

In the original work, he was notorious for constantly interfering with the player’s progress, making him a fearsome adversary. There was no need to elaborate on how capable he was.

Arman, still wearing a faint smile, accepted Daniel’s salute and opened his mouth to speak.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. When I saw you in the Grand Assembly Hall the other day, I wanted to exchange greetings, but the circumstances weren’t favorable. I hope you didn’t take it personally.”

“I completely understand, sir. The Chief of Staff cannot afford to waste time on trivial matters.”

“Haha, glad to hear you say that. As much as I’d like to chat more, I’m also pressed for time. Would you mind if we got straight to the point?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Before we get into the main topic, let’s discuss the international situation. Have you heard that the Republic has completed its war preparations?”

It was common knowledge by now, so Daniel nodded.

“Yes, sir. I believe the Republic’s entry into the war is now just a matter of time.”

“That’s right. It’s a significant blow, but it’s not something we can judge at face value. Do you know why?”

Arman’s line of questioning gave Daniel a sudden realization.

‘Wait. Is this some sort of interview? The fact that the Chief of Staff personally summoned me could mean he’s considering reassigning me to the General Staff.’

If that was the case, it meant Daniel could potentially leave the bullet-riddled frontlines and work safely in the capital.

If that were true, he needed to make the best possible impression on Arman.

After a moment’s thought, Daniel responded confidently.

“In my opinion, despite the Republic’s imminent entry into the war, it is not solely a negative development because the Allied Nations have not made any significant moves yet. If it doesn’t escalate into a three-front war, the Empire should be able to hold its ground.”

A satisfied smile spread across Arman’s face.

“Exactly. However, the Allied Nations can change their stance at any time. What do you think that implies?”

“It means that we need to demonstrate the Empire’s resilience to discourage further intervention. If we can show that we remain strong despite the Republic’s involvement, we can potentially prevent the conflict from expanding further.”

“Indeed. How would you go about demonstrating that the Empire is still strong?”

Daniel fell into deep thought for a moment.

Then, he recalled how Hamthal had mentioned the city where the Lucy Project’s laboratory was located in the Allied Nations.

“To prove the Empire’s strength and undermine enemy morale, it would be more effective to go on the offensive and occupy an enemy city rather than merely holding the line. However, using the troops currently defending the northern and eastern fronts would be too risky of a gamble.”

“And your suggestion?”

“We should assess the available forces under the General Staff’s direct command and deploy them to capture a symbolic but relatively undefended city. Fenbark would be a prime candidate.”

Fenbark was the former capital of Edria, a founding member of the Allied Nations, centuries ago.

Arman nodded, signaling for Daniel to continue.

“Thanks to the Empire’s numerous victories on the eastern front, we’ve managed to push the frontlines significantly forward. As a result, Fenbark is now close to the frontlines, but its defenses are relatively thin.”

“It may have been a capital in the distant past, but its population has dwindled since then. It’s not a strategic stronghold, so they probably don’t see the need to defend it zealously.”

“Precisely. We should capitalize on that and launch an assault. Once we occupy the city, we can broadcast the news widely that the former capital of Edria has fallen...”

Arman let out a low chuckle.

“That would not only declare the Empire’s continued strength but also shatter the morale of the Allied Nations. Brilliant, but seizing a city is no easy task.”

“It’s still feasible. Fenbark’s eastern and southern sides are mountainous, making it difficult for enemy reinforcements to arrive quickly. Meanwhile, our forces can advance from the west, where the terrain consists of plains and rivers, ideal for mechanized units and artillery deployment.”

“That’s a fair point. And what about the enemy’s defensive forces?”

“As far as I know, there is a single infantry regiment stationed there. To maximize the psychological impact, we should deploy a brigade of comparable size or slightly larger.”

By deploying a similar-sized force and still achieving victory, they could exaggerate the Empire’s military prowess in propaganda.

“A brigade, huh...”

Arman, who had been carefully considering Daniel’s words, finally spoke.

“In that case, we’ll need a competent frontline commander. We can’t entrust a brigade to just any officer, or we won’t have confidence in capturing the city.”

“Of course, sir. You should thoroughly review the personnel roster before making a decision—”

“No need for that.”

Arman interrupted, clasping his hands behind his back.

“We already have the most suitable candidate for leading the operation to capture Fenbark right here in this room.”

Daniel’s entire body went cold.

‘No... It can’t be...’

Cold sweat ran down Daniel’s back as he desperately tried to protest.

“Sir? As I just mentioned, capturing Fenbark requires at least a brigade-sized force. If a mere colonel like me were to command a brigade, it could cause confusion in the chain of command. Therefore, please reconsider.”

Despite Daniel’s desperate plea, Arman merely interpreted it as false modesty.

However, Daniel wasn’t entirely wrong.

Unless it was an exceptional circumstance, brigades were typically commanded by brigadier generals.

“Of course, I °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° wasn’t planning on assigning a brigade to a colonel. If we were critically short of competent generals, that might be another matter, but for now, we can manage.”

Relief washed over Daniel. He was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Arman gestured with his hand.

The aide, who had been quietly listening beside them, approached with a box in hand.

It was wrapped in the national flag, a box Daniel had seen several times before.

As Daniel stood there in stunned silence, Arman continued to speak calmly.

“I’ve heard much about your dedication to the nation, Daniel Steiner. Colonel. Or rather...”

The aide opened the box, revealing the rank insignia of a brigadier general.

“Brigadier General Daniel Steiner.”

Arman gazed at Daniel, who was screaming internally, with a warm, benevolent smile.

“Congratulations on your return as a frontline commander.”