I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

While the entire Empire was enraptured by Daniel Steiner’s all-out war speech, the man himself felt a sense of gloom.

“…”

In the General Staff Headquarters’ lounge, Daniel gazed outside while holding a paper cup filled with coffee.

Beyond the entrance, he could see citizens standing with pickets.

Their pickets bore slogans like “We Desire an All-Out War!” or cheers like “The Empire’s Hero! Daniel Steiner!”

These were citizens who, after being inspired by the speech they heard on the radio, had flocked here to see Daniel in person.

Even reporters with cameras were mixed among the citizens, prompting an involuntary sigh from Daniel.

‘It looks like I won’t be able to leave early today either…’

The moment he stepped out of the General Staff Headquarters, he would undoubtedly be subject to unwanted acclamations and a barrage of questions.

This wasn’t a mere assumption but an experience for Daniel.

A few days ago, when he had attempted to ignore them and leave, a commotion had ensued.

Recalling how he had been surrounded by the crowd that gathered due to that commotion and tormented with all sorts of questions for nearly two hours, Daniel still shuddered.

‘I can understand why idols dislike their overzealous fans.’

With a displeased gaze, Daniel raised the paper cup to his lips and took a sip of coffee.

As he contemplated how to conduct himself going forward, a voice came from behind.

“Oh! Well, look who it is!”

Daniel turned his head slightly at the voice.

It was none other than Colonel Ernst, the Chief of Operations Staff.

Approaching Daniel, Ernst flashed a friendly smile.

“If it isn’t our hero, Daniel Steiner. I was starting to worry, seeing you holed up in your office every time you came to work without taking a single step outside. But now that I’ve seen your face…”

Ernst trailed off as he observed Daniel, his smile faltering.

For Daniel’s dark circles seemed to have deepened.

“…You don’t seem well. Have you not been sleeping properly lately?”
“I’ve been troubled by various issues, weighed down by concerns.”
“What sort of concerns? From where I stand, it seems a smooth path lies before you. Everyone in the upper echelons is even praising your all-out war speech.”

What Ernst failed to realize was that Daniel’s concerns stemmed precisely from that speech.

The repercussions of the all-out war speech had exceeded Daniel’s imagination.

It wasn’t merely a matter of the Imperial citizens cheering and nothing more; the speech was having positive effects across various aspects of society regarding the war.

Foreign press outlets were even reporting on it daily, which was lethal from Daniel’s perspective.

If the difficulty of defecting before the speech was akin to passing through the eye of a needle, the difficulty after the speech was comparable to passing through a concrete wall.

In other words, it had become nearly impossible.

‘Then the remaining choices are…’

Either to make the Empire a superpower or defect abroad after laundering his identity through a trustworthy broker.

However, the feasibility of both options was significantly diminished.

While the all-out war speech had accelerated preparations for a world war, the Empire’s adversaries were three nations, all great powers.

Moreover, their geographical positions formed an encirclement, forcing the Empire into the disadvantageous position of having to defend on multiple fronts simultaneously.

‘Unless the Empire miraculously achieves a string of victories…’

The outcome would be no different from suffering defeat and becoming a criminal nation.

As for laundering his identity through a trustworthy broker and defecting to another country, that idea was even more ludicrous.

‘As long as they know I’m alive, the Empire or the Allied Nations will come after me.’

It would be nearly impossible unless he could feign being dead.

‘Is there really no other way out…’

Racking his brain to escape his dismal future, Daniel shook his head.

He felt it improper to be lost in thought while in the presence of a superior officer.

“It seems a smooth path has indeed opened before me, as you say, Colonel. However, I feel the bridge supporting that path was shoddily constructed, rendering it extremely precarious.”

Ernst was taken aback by Daniel’s words.

‘Shoddily constructed? Is he implying the Empire’s leadership is incompetent?’

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Ernst sought to probe Daniel’s intentions.

“By any chance… do you intend to find and eliminate the cause of this shoddy construction?”

To Daniel, those words strangely seemed to convey, ‘Are you seeking another way to escape the Empire?’

‘Ernst likely meant it as a reference to my apprehensions about the rapid promotion, but…’

Finding their conversation oddly resonant, Daniel let out a soft chuckle.

“Yes. If possible, I intend to eliminate it.”

Ernst’s shoulders flinched.

Daniel’s nonchalant acknowledgment of the Empire’s leadership’s incompetence, coupled with his assertion of eliminating them, struck fear into Ernst.

‘This is no mere jest. If it’s Daniel, he might actually act on it.’

Watching Daniel warily as he gulped, Ernst spoke in a faltering voice.

“Colonel Daniel? In your view, am I incompetent?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Daniel blinked at Ernst before shaking his head.

“No. You are not incompetent, Colonel.”

Relieved, Ernst let out a soft sigh.

“…Thank you. I shall strive to avoid becoming incompetent going forward.”

Daniel nodded at Ernst’s peculiar statement, seeing no need to refute a superior officer’s assertion of diligence.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace’s dining hall.

In the unnecessarily vast and grandiose dining hall, chambermaids stood in formation along the walls, awaiting orders.

Paying no heed to this, Emperor Bertram sat at the long table, joined by his daughter and wife for a meal.

“Selvia. It seems your decision was the right one.”

Cutting into his meat, Bertram spoke in a deep baritone voice.

“Appointing Daniel as the orator was an excellent choice. Thanks to Daniel, the Empire is more united than ever before. To the point where I need not even make an appearance.”

A smile graced Selvia’s lips at her father Bertram’s praise.

“I merely put into practice what I learned from you, Father. Your teaching was to utilize people in their proper places.”
“Hmm. You learned it from me, did you? Then you must have learned it incorrectly.”

The smile faded from Selvia’s lips.

Before she could make sense of his words, Bertram continued.

“I would not have placed Daniel in the role of orator. The opportunity to give a speech before countless masses was likely something Daniel Steiner did not desire.”
“…You mean Daniel wished for this?”
“Yes. Daniel is shrewder than I gave him credit for. So he must have sensed that I was wary of him during the recent shooting range incident.”

Putting a piece of meat into his mouth, Bertram chewed lightly.

After swallowing the meat and taking a sip of red wine, Bertram spoke.

“He must have thought the aging Emperor might pressure him. He must have felt a sense of crisis. And the easiest way to escape that crisis would be…”
“That is…”
“To spread his influence across the Empire through a speech. So that even the Emperor would not dare lay a hand on him. And his plan was a resounding success.”

As she listened, Selvia’s brow furrowed.

“Father. That is an excessive conjecture. Daniel is not that kind of person.”

Bertram let out a soft chuckle.

“A conjecture, you say. Selvia, do you not remember what Daniel said towards the end of his speech?”
“The end of the speech, you say…”
“He said he would represent the nation and its citizens under the Imperial Majesty’s protection. As if the content of his speech did not greatly differ from the Emperor’s will.”

Setting down his utensils, Bertram looked at Selvia.

“Was Daniel’s speech the Emperor’s will? Tell me, Selvia. Did you order Daniel to give such a speech?”

She could not answer.

For Selvia had not instructed the National Propaganda Department or Daniel to deliver such a radical all-out war speech.

While she had forgotten due to the successful outcome, Daniel had disregarded the speech manuscript’s content and proceeded with the speech at his own discretion.

It bordered on insubordination.

“Daniel did not heed the order. Yet you cannot punish Daniel, Selvia. For a favorable wind now blows across the Empire thanks to the all-out war speech. In this situation, if you were to punish Daniel, it would be tantamount to turning the citizens against you.”

Bertram picked up a napkin and dabbed his lips.

“Selvia. You are still young. Politically immature. You are under the delusion that you utilized Daniel, even as he utilizes you.”

Clenching her fist in secret, Selvia forced out a response.

“Daniel objected when I proposed him as the orator. I was the one who insisted. Yet you claim I was utilized?”

After wiping his lips clean, Bertram let out a soft chuckle.

“The wiser one is, the less they readily reveal their true intentions. Why do you think Daniel objected to your proposal? Was it truly because he was displeased? No. It was because he knew you would insist, despite his objection.”
“…”
“He knew you would insist, yet still objected. Why? To prepare an escape route, so that even if things went awry, he could claim, ‘I did not wish for this, but Her Highness commanded it.'”

Bertram folded the napkin and placed it on the table.

“Selvia. With this choice, you have brought prosperity to the Empire, but simultaneously enabled the wolf named Daniel to grow, threatening the Imperial authority. Do you understand what this means?”

Facing Selvia’s silence, Bertram narrowed his eyes sharply.

“It means he might just tear out our throats. So remember this. Daniel Steiner is an invaluable talent the Empire cannot afford to lose, but…”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

After a momentary pause, Bertram spoke with sincerity.

“He is also a double-edged sword, equally as dangerous.”