I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 209

Three days later.

Under Count Khaledra’s orders, the two regiments and the city’s defense forces gathered at the bridge launched their offensive.

The armored vehicles of the armored regiment were the first to cross, rumbling noisily, followed by the infantry regiment and the defense forces, maintaining their formations as they advanced.

Despite the low hum of engines and the otherwise quiet atmosphere, confidence was evident on the soldiers’ faces.

This was because, with assistance from the Intelligence Bureau, they held an informational advantage in this operation.

Colonel Sampe, who had taken up the role of acting divisional commander as the senior officer, felt much the same as his troops.

‘Based on the Imperial transmissions we intercepted three days ago...’

Daniel Steiner’s brigade was most certainly stationed beyond the river.

Furthermore, intel had come in that the Imperial General Staff had dispatched a new armored force to support Daniel Steiner’s brigade.

In addition, after multiple reconnaissance sorties, a formation of armored fortifications had been spotted approximately 200 kilometers past the bridge, and photographs had been secured showing numerous tank silhouettes.

‘Having suffered losses in Fenbark, they’re probably digging in and building defensive lines...’

Just as Count Khaledra had said, launching an offensive now was the most appropriate course of action.

Striking first before the wolf named Daniel Steiner could grow his fangs and annihilating his brigade was the right move.

‘How arrogant. To not retreat, and to even dare attempt another attack on Fenbark...’

Whether he was desperately trying to shake off the humiliation of his first defeat, or whether he actually believed he could retake Fenbark—Sampe couldn’t tell. Either way, it was a pitiful ploy.

‘If it were me, I’d have accepted defeat and returned quietly to the capital. Your arrogance will be your downfall.’

Even a hero who had won countless battles could fall to a single misstep.

To Sampe, Daniel’s current judgment was clearly a mistake—an irrecoverable gamble.

‘He must have assumed we wouldn’t go on the offensive.’

It was clear he thought they would be too preoccupied defending Fenbark to move their forces.

But Count Khaledra had ordered the assault immediately after intercepting the Imperial communication.

Sampe, honored to be at the front of that offensive, was more than satisfied.

‘I’ll kill the devil of the Empire with my own hands.’

By killing the Empire’s devil, he would gain fame and bring a decisive victory to the Allied Nations.

Marching the army forward with such conviction, Sampe received shocking news on the second night.

“...What did you just say?”

Frozen in place, Sampe stared at the urgent report handed over by the intelligence officer.

As silence fell across the command tent, the intelligence officer, crushed by the atmosphere, opened his mouth.

“According to the recon unit’s report, all the tanks were empty. They appear to be inflatable decoy tanks.”

Sampe wasn’t the only one caught off guard.

As murmurs spread among the assembled staff in the command tent, Sampe’s voice trembled as he continued questioning.

“Impossible... You expect me to believe that nonsense? Then what about the artillery positions? What about the photographs we collected from aerial reconnaissance?”

The intelligence officer lowered his head and responded.

“The recon units also inspected the areas beneath the camouflage nets believed to be artillery positions. But all they found were piles of rocks. Some of the structures were boxes shaped to resemble artillery pieces...”

Unable to continue the report, the officer bit his lip hard.

As a heavy silence sank over the room, Sampe blinked several times, as if denying reality, then spoke.

“...The communications? What about the Imperial transmissions we intercepted—what the hell were those?”

“The transmissions themselves were definitely from the Imperial command network. The frequencies were reused repeatedly and matched the Imperial Army’s past patterns. The RF fingerprints were a match, and the call signs referred directly to Daniel Steiner’s brigade.”

“Then why...”

The intelligence officer exhaled deeply and raised his head.

With a face full of despair, he delivered the final blow.

“Division Commander, sir...! We were deceived by their feint! All the transmissions we’d been hearing were just cut off at once—like they no longer needed to fool us anymore!”

Seeing the officer on the verge of tears, Sampe felt a pounding headache.

‘Daniel Steiner... played us for fools?’

Was the bridge crossing, the intercepted transmissions—was all of it orchestrated by Daniel Steiner?

The realization came too late.

But there was still a chance.

Snapping back to his senses, Sampe slammed his hand on the command desk and shouted.

“Reverse course! Turn back immediately! Daniel Steiner must be targeting Fenbark while it’s empty! We cannot give him the opportunity! Push the light tank battalion ahead—we must reach Fenbark before he does, no matter what!”

The intelligence officer couldn’t shake the feeling that the division commander was now moving exactly as Daniel Steiner had intended.

But he couldn’t voice that thought.

Because there was no other option left.

****

Meanwhile, Daniel Steiner’s brigade had completed preparations to move out from the forest and onto the plains.

There was no longer any need to remain hidden.

“Vehicle mechanics! Check the intake systems again! Not a single defect is acceptable!”

“Finish warming the engines and check all ammunition! No duds are to be allowed!”

“Comrades! The hour of reckoning is upon us! It’s time to pay back the humiliation we suffered in Fenbark!”

On the eve of the offensive, energy began to surge throughout the brigade.

Morale was high—and it was only natural, since the enemy was now moving precisely according to Daniel Steiner’s plan.

As the soldiers let out shouts from all directions, Daniel was in the command tent with his staff, conducting the final review of the operation.

“As you all know, once Count Khaledra confirms our brigade’s advance, he’ll request reinforcements immediately. As the de facto leader of the Allied Nations, they’ll respond swiftly.”

“Shall we request support from Central Command?”

“No. If we request support from Central, it’ll take too long for anything to reach us. If I were Count Khaledra, I’d send an emergency call to the local city defense forces.”

Daniel’s words earned a nod from the operations officer.

“In that case, they’ll most likely use the railway to bring in reinforcements. It’s the fastest option.”

“And also the most dangerous. Relay the orders to the light armor unit. As soon as we begin the advance, they are to cut off the northern freight station and intercept the reinforcements the moment the train arrives.”

“Understood.”

The operations officer responded solemnly and looked back down at the map.

“If Count Khaledra is defeated in this battle and loses Fenbark, it’ll be quite the spectacle. There’ll be serious backlash inside the Allied Nations for the reckless use of ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Etherlium.”

He wasn’t wrong.

They had expended a massive quantity of Etherlium—one of the most vital strategic resources—and if they still failed to kill Daniel Steiner and lost Fenbark on top of that, it would deal a significant blow to Count Khaledra’s standing as the leader of the Allied Nations.

But now was not the time to indulge in self-satisfaction.

“Don’t grow complacent. We have no way of knowing what the enemy might be hiding up their sleeve.”

At Daniel’s warning, the operations officer gave a shallow bow.

It was not an incorrect assessment.

As the officers continued exchanging opinions, a liaison officer entered through the entrance of the command tent.

“Brigadier General, I’ve come to report.”

Daniel returned his salute, and the liaison opened his mouth to speak.

“At approximately 05:10 this morning, aerial reconnaissance confirmed that the enemy’s two-regiment vanguard has withdrawn from their forward positions! Judging by how they’re securing retreat paths, there’s a high probability they’re reversing course!”

“They must’ve seen the decoy units with their own eyes. They figured it out faster than expected.”

Daniel let out a low chuckle.

“Too late, though.”

He stifled the laugh and raised his head from the operations map.

“Relay the message to the forces infiltrating the sluice gates. They’re to reestablish communication with the recon unit and General Staff. The moment the enemy attempts to cross the bridge, the sluice is to be detonated.”

“Yes, sir!”

The liaison officer responded crisply and gave a firm salute.

Daniel returned it, and the officer exited the tent.

Left alone with his staff, Daniel reached out for his service cap resting atop the command table.

“Now that all preparations are complete, it’s time for a show of force. You’ll recall what I said. That I intended to turn Fenbark—currently occupied by Count Khaledra—into a living hell.”

With a practiced motion, Daniel placed the cap upon his head.

Beneath its visor, his eyes glinted with a refined, simmering fury.

“The time has come.”

If they called Daniel Steiner a devil, then he had every intention of giving them reason to believe it.

“Pass the order to all units.”

Under the gaze of his officers, Daniel shouted without a shred of hesitation.

“Advance on Fenbark!”