I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Chapter 72

The crowd was left speechless, stunned by Daniel’s declaration of total war.

Everyone froze in their seats, exchanging glances with wide eyes that seemed to ask, "What on earth is he talking about?"

Even the pacifists, usually quick to protest or criticize, were too dumbfounded to respond, their faces reflecting nothing but bewilderment.

Behind the stage, Hans, the public relations officer, was silently screaming.

"What on earth are you doing!?"

This speech, held simultaneously with the issuance of war bonds, was nothing short of a national priority.

Moreover, it was the first directive from Crown Princess Selvia, the future Emperor, directly handed down to the propaganda department.

As such, not only the citizens but also politicians in the parliamentary hall and countless nobles had their eyes fixed on this moment.

It was only natural that Selvia’s first step as a leader would draw such attention.

"Which means…"

If Daniel botched this speech under such intense scrutiny, the propaganda department would also bear the brunt of Selvia's wrath.

In the worst-case scenario, Hans might even be dismissed from his post. He urgently turned to his subordinate.

“Hey! Contact the broadcasting director immediately! Stop the radio transmission!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”

If Daniel’s speech declaring total war spread across the Empire, there would be no way for the propaganda department to defend itself from the fallout.

Hans aimed to mitigate the damage by at least halting the radio broadcast.

As his subordinate frantically contacted the broadcasting director over the telephone, Daniel stood before ten thousand citizens, exuding resolve.

“I am sure you are wondering why I am declaring total war,” he began, his voice steady. “But in truth, you already know. You know why the Empire must commit to total war!”

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

Daniel paid no attention.

After all, he fully intended to sabotage this speech.

“The Allied Nations are condemning and slandering the Empire day after day, urging the Federation and Republic to join their cause! Everyone here knows that the Federation and Republic have been showing increasingly favorable attitudes toward the Allied Nations!”

The murmurs began to quiet.

There was no disputing the truth in his words.

“Unfortunately, it is only a matter of time before the Federation and Republic, manipulated by the Allied Nations’ deceitful tongues, turn their backs on the Empire! And when that happens, we must make a choice: negotiation or resistance!”

Daniel’s eyes blazed with determination, like flames flickering in the night.

At least, that was how they appeared to the crowd.

“Pacifists claim that negotiations will save the Empire! They argue that we should take the hand extended by the Allied Nations and achieve everlasting peace! But I must ask you this.”

He turned his gaze toward the section of seats occupied by the pacifists.

“Can you guarantee it? Can you blindly trust that joining hands with the Allied Nations will bring peace?”

The pacifists said nothing.

No, it would be more accurate to say they could not answer.

Overwhelmed by Daniel’s commanding presence, they could only sit in stunned silence.

After observing their silence for a moment, Daniel shifted his gaze forward.

“Citizens of the Empire! I have been to the battlefield and witnessed the reality of the Allied Nations! They are deceitful, arrogant, oppressive, and impulsive! The peace they desire is not equality! The Allied Nations want the Empire’s subjugation!”

The murmuring among the crowd ceased entirely.

Now, they remained completely silent, wholly engrossed in Daniel’s speech.

“When the Allied Nations approach us under the guise of seeking negotiations, the first thing they will do is take our guns! After taking our guns, they will take our food! After our food, they will take our tools, and then our children! Eventually, they will try to seize the Empire itself!”

Outraged murmurs broke out among a few members of the crowd.

“We now understand! We cannot trust the Allied Nations! We must fight back and drive a stake through their deceitful schemes! So, citizens of the great Empire! Do not hesitate! Do not fear!”

Daniel raised his right arm high.

“The Empire has accomplished what no one else has! Citizens! Look to the North! In less than one season, the Empire achieved a historic victory in the fiercest battle! Do you think that was mere coincidence?”

A resounding cry of “No!” erupted from the crowd.

As the cheers swelled into a wave, Hans stood behind the stage, his mouth slightly agape.

In his heart, a sense of admiration began to form.

“This… is working!”

Daniel’s charisma and flawless delivery were uniting the crowd as one.

Combined with his eloquence, the citizens were gradually being swayed to his side.

Realizing this, Hans called over the subordinate who had been talking to the broadcasting director.

“Hey! Tell the broadcasting director to continue the radio transmission!”

The subordinate, who had also been listening to the speech, nodded without objection.

Unaware of the positive reactions behind the stage, Daniel confidently scanned the crowd before him.

“We have achieved victory, and we will continue to achieve victory! Even if our enemies launch a full-scale attack on the Empire, we will prevail! I promise you this: we will demonstrate the greatness of the Empire to the farthest corners of the world!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Yet, the pacifists remained silent.

Daniel seized upon this point and pressed on with his speech.

“Despite our resolve, some pacifists still ask: Are you not afraid of war? To them, I will answer honestly before you all. Yes, I am afraid. Every time I step onto the battlefield, the fear of death chills my skin.”

Daniel gripped the podium tightly.

“But!”

His powerful exclamation drew the crowd’s focus entirely.

“I fear losing our nation to subjugation through negotiation far more than losing my life! That is why I go to war! To lose one’s life is to lose one thing, but to lose one’s nation is to lose everything!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, with some waving Imperial flags they had brought with them.

Now, the only ones not responding to Daniel’s words were the pacifists.

Lowering their placards reading “No War”, they whispered among themselves, their faces etched with deep concern.

Daniel slammed his hand down on the podium with a loud thud, drawing all eyes back to him.

“If you are unafraid, rise! If you understand, take action! Together, we will proclaim to the world that the Empire is the greatest nation under the heavens!”

The cheers erupted again, louder than before.

Now, a strange sense of exhilaration began to ripple through the faces of the crowd.

Daniel took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping across the ten thousand citizens who now looked at him with fervent eyes.

After letting the moment hang, Daniel spoke again.

“Finally, under the protection of His Majesty the Emperor, I speak as a representative of the nation and its people.”

Daniel’s deep voice reverberated through the massive speakers, causing the crowd’s cheers to die down as everyone leaned in to listen.

“I, Daniel Steiner... No!”

Lifting his head, Daniel locked eyes with the countless cameras flashing before him and bellowed:

“We desire total war!”

The moment his words ended, a torrent of applause and cheers broke out.

The roar of approval and jubilation mixed into an almost deafening wave, leaving only the pacifists silent in its wake.

And that silence delighted Daniel.

Good.

He knew that pacifists still comprised a majority of the Empire’s populace.

If they openly resisted his call for total war, it would perfect his plan.

What are they waiting for? Just throw the tomatoes in your hands.

As Daniel waited, ready to leave the stage in a storm of ridicule and rotten fruit, he adjusted his tie in anticipation.

But instead, the pacifists began to rise from their seats one by one.

Thinking his moment had come, Daniel braced himself to be pelted with tomatoes.

Then, to his utter disbelief, they began clapping.

…What?

Before he could process the sight, the entire audience, including the pacifists, rose to their feet in unison.

In a sudden wave, the crowd burst into applause and cheers that shook the amphitheater.

— "We desire total war!"
— "A necessary war over submissive negotiations!"
— "For His Majesty the Emperor! For the great Empire!"

The unified voices grew so loud that Daniel’s ears rang from the sheer force of their cries.

As Daniel stood frozen, sweat trickling down his back, he watched as the pacifists discarded their signs, one by one.

They, too, stood and joined the others, raising their voices in defiant shouts.

— "And lastly, for our hero, Daniel Steiner!"

The chant from the pacifists spread like wildfire, echoing through the entire crowd.

— "Daniel Steiner! Daniel Steiner! Daniel Steiner!"

Daniel’s hand trembled as he looked out at the sea of people chanting his name.

In the deafening roar of their cheers, Daniel swallowed dryly, fully realizing what had just transpired.

I’m ruined…

The situation had spiraled so far out of control that there was no turning back.