I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 205

Meanwhile, at the central plaza of Fenbark.

“Push forward! Drive them out of the city!”

“The Imperial commander is currently absent! That means they’re just a rabble!”

“Don’t give them a chance to counterattack!”

As the Allied officers shouted, soldiers surged forward, flooding into the city streets.

Each time a wave of soldiers exited the plaza, a new wave appeared, bathed in light.

It was clear evidence that the Etherlium-based teleportation assault was being carried out actively.

Regimental Commander Sampe, who had been silently observing the scene, turned his head as light spread nearby.

Moments later, as the glow faded, a middle-aged man with an ornate cane emerged.

Facing the snake-like eyes, Sampe instinctively bowed.

“Count Khaledra. You’ve arrived.”

Khaledra said nothing in return. Instead, he closed his eyes and listened to the surrounding sounds.

Even amidst the barrage of gunfire, the distant sounds of artillery rang out.

Buildings crumbled, civilians screamed—but Khaledra paid it no mind.

This was war. Such things were to be expected.

Slowly opening his eyes, Khaledra fixed his gaze on Sampe.

“Report the battlefield status.”

Sampe nodded once, suppressing his tension, and began to speak.

“Yes, sir! Currently, our regiment and another are successfully securing the city. In addition, the absence of the enemy commander has caused the Imperial forces to lose morale and retreat—this has been confirmed at multiple points.”

The Imperial army had been caught off guard, unable to properly prepare for urban warfare due to the unexpected Etherlium assault.

‘To repel an Allied force that stormed the city in an instant was difficult enough—but with their commander missing, chaos must be at its peak.’

Chaos leads to operational failure and plummeting morale.

Dealing with such a force was no different than beating down defenseless prey.

‘And...’

All of this had been orchestrated by Count Khaledra.

He had given specific orders to the advance team he sent ahead to report the exact moment Daniel Steiner entered the laboratory, so the assault could begin.

Khaledra knew full well that Daniel Steiner choosing Fenbark—of all cities—was no coincidence.

In order to plunge the Allied Nations into ruin, Daniel Steiner would surely act to secure proof that Lucy Emilia had been a test subject.

So the trap was set, and they simply waited.

Waited for Daniel Steiner to walk into the cage drawn by the bait—the laboratory.

“He’s a rat in a trap now. The encirclement is being established, I trust?”

“Yes, sir. However... there is one issue.”

Sampe hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

“We’ve lost contact with the advance team. It seems they entered the laboratory first—and were overrun.”

One of Khaledra’s brows twitched.

‘That idiot Hamelton...’

He had entrusted command of the advance team to Hamelton out of appreciation for his loyalty—and the man had gone and done something foolish.

‘Excessive loyalty ends up being poison.’

Khaledra bit down, suppressing his irritation, and exhaled sharply.

“The loss of the advance team changes nothing. Tighten the encirclement—don’t let a single rat slip through. The target is Daniel Steiner. You are authorized to shoot on sight.”

“Yes, sir! Count Khaledra!”

Gripping the handle of his cane, Khaledra clenched his fist.

Despite the overwhelmingly favorable conditions, an inexplicable sense of unease loomed over him.

Listening to the distant gunfire, Khaledra frowned slightly.

‘If we fail to capture Daniel Steiner this time...’

There might never be another opportunity.

****

The distant explosions echoing through the chaotic city also reached the laboratory.

“It’s begun...”

Feeling faint tremors, Daniel leaned against the pillar and let out a shallow breath.

Beside him, Lucy was wrapping a bandage around his arm.

She had retrieved a first aid kit from the lab and was treating him.

Yet to Daniel, Lucy’s care felt meaningless.

‘Maybe it’s the side effect of using neural acceleration in succession... I can’t summon any strength. It’ll likely last for several hours...’

Even if he received treatment in this state, he would be helpless against the imminent enemy incursion.

“Lieutenant. That’s enough.”

Daniel tried to stop her, but Lucy didn’t comply.

Despite it being only a minor injury from a fall, she wrapped the bandage with great care.

Her gestures felt, to Daniel, like a denial of reality.

“...You already know, don’t you? If the assault is real, there’s no way we survive. Count Khaledra surely came with far more troops than my brigade.”

“The Imperial army is not incompetent. They’ll hold out.”

Hearing “The Imperial army is not incompetent” come from Lucy made Daniel let out a dry laugh.

“You’re right. They’re not incompetent. But when a force without a commander faces a surprise assault, retreat is the proper move. The Imperial army will retreat—because they’re competent.”

“Brigadier General.”

“With the Imperial army in retreat, the Allied forces will quickly seize the city. And they’ll encircle this place without resistance. No—maybe they’ve already finished the encirclement.”

Even breathing felt like a labor.

As Daniel struggled, head bowed in silence, Lucy spoke softly.

“...It doesn’t matter if the Imperial army has given up.”

Her hand tightened around the bandage.

“Because I haven’t given up on you, Brigadier General. I will carry out my duty as your adjutant. So please, entrust yourself to me.”

“That’s an amusing thing to say. Are you planning to carry me on your back and break through the encirclement?”

“If necessary, I will.”

Daniel let out a laugh through the pain at Lucy’s firm tone.

It was short and faint.

“You’re wrong. Even if you carry me, breaking through the encirclement is uncertain—and even if you succeed, how will you shake off the pursuit?”

“As you know, Brigadier General, I am a monster made in a laboratory. So I will manage, somehow...”

“You’re not a monster. And if anyone hears that, they’ll think you have no limits.”

Daniel closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again.

“If you were alone, it might be possible—but carrying someone like me on your back and trying to break through the encirclement? It won’t work. Especially if it’s Count Khaledra himself leading the troops. That’s why I said there’s no way for us to survive.”

His fingers moved faintly.

“But still...”

Forcing strength into his trembling hand, Daniel reached up and gently enclosed Lucy’s hand.

“Lieutenant. You, on your own, can make it out alive.”

“What are you talking about right now...?”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

With his trembling hand, Daniel reached into his coat and pulled out a single document.

It was a combustion-sealed paper, set to ignite upon exiting the laboratory.

The presence of such a spell confirmed that it was top-secret material.

He handed it over. Lucy took the document.

Uncertain, she opened it—only for her eyes to go wide.

It was about her.

The truth she had always suspected.

The moment it became certain that it wasn’t the Empire, but the Allied Nations, who had conducted the experiments.

“I’ll apologize in advance—for looking into your past without permission.”

Resting his head against the pillar, Daniel exhaled a shallow breath.

“And... I also apologize for using you. Maybe what that man Hamelton said before he died wasn’t entirely wrong. I turned you into an ally in order to create a more advantageous situation for survival.”

Lucy’s hands trembled as she held the document.

“I deceived you. From a long time ago. I acted like I didn’t know anything, all while manipulating you. Perhaps this is the punishment I deserve.”

Daniel’s eyes opened halfway.

“As an act of atonement, I want to put an end to the cycle of exploitation that has dominated your life. Lieutenant. No...”

His eyes, which had been slowly closing, opened fully again.

“Lucy Emilia.”

Lucy looked at Daniel upon hearing her name.

In his gaze, there was an astonishing calm.

“There’s no time. If you go now, you can still escape alone. Get out of here. Break through their encirclement. Go somewhere...”

Lucy knew what ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) that look meant.

It was the resignation often seen in someone who had accepted death.

“Go live your life in some peaceful village untouched by the fires of war. Become a baker. Live your life—not as someone to be used, but as yourself.”

Daniel Steiner had always sought survival.

Born an orphan, having endured countless trials from slums to monastery, Daniel’s worldview had naturally aligned with the rules of survival.

But if he ever found himself in a situation where survival was truly impossible—he would not beg for his life in disgrace.

And so, instead of pleading with his adjutant Lucy to save him, Daniel ordered her to leave.

Because that, he believed, was the only way to atone for the life he’d lived—using others to survive.

But Daniel Steiner had overlooked one thing.

“I...”

That was the heart Lucy had harbored all this time.

“I am not being used by you, Brigadier General.”

Lucy spoke, her voice firm and true.

“Wanting to save you—that’s entirely my will. So please, don’t insult me by suggesting you’re using me. I will find a way to save you from here, no matter what.”

Tears gathered in Lucy’s crimson eyes as she continued.

Unrestrained, her voice rose with raw emotion.

“Even if you order me otherwise, Brigadier General!”

As if to cast aside the weight of her past, Lucy threw the document away.

Seeing that, Daniel narrowed his eyes in quiet regret.

“But there’s no way to break through this situation...”

“There is!”

Lucy reached into her waist pouch and pulled out a processed crystal.

Just like Daniel, Lucy too would sacrifice herself if it meant saving the other.

Daniel, seeing the blue-tinged crystal, was stunned.

“That’s...”

“A prototype Etherlium conversion stone I received from the Engineering Bureau before leaving the Allied Nations. I reported it as having been used at headquarters, so Count Khaledra won’t know I still have it.”

As Lucy poured mana into the crystal, a sharp crack rang out, and fractures began to form.

“Since it’s a prototype, it’s only good for one person—and the teleportation range is limited. But it should be enough to get you safely out of the city. So please, Brigadier General...”

Placing the crystal in Daniel’s hand, Lucy continued.

“Please—stay alive.”

At that moment, voices from not far off echoed through the laboratory.

— He’s here! Seal the entrance and send in the special operations troops! Move quickly!

Once the entrance was sealed, even Lucy wouldn’t be able to escape.

They might never meet again after this day.

But this was the best course.

“Brigadier General, being able to serve under you...”

As Daniel looked at her, unable to understand, Lucy gave him a faintly sorrowful smile.

“...was the greatest fortune of my life.”

Lucy’s voice carried farewell.

Daniel didn’t like that. He clenched the Etherlium tightly in his hand.

“Lucy Emilia. Wait for me here in Fenbark. I promise—I’ll take back the city, and...”

The Allied special forces began pouring in.

At the same time, the Etherlium shattered completely, and radiant light enveloped Daniel.

“I will...”

Ignoring everything else, Daniel looked only at Lucy and spoke.

“I will come for you.”