I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Chapter 90

Thanks to Daniel’s bold response, the officer found himself thrown into confusion.

"He doesn’t know who Daniel Steiner is?"

Daniel Steiner, the Empire’s war hero and the figure behind the Total War speech that had shaken the world, was a name everyone should recognize.

Even in Vellanos, a nation across the sea, anyone who read the papers or listened to the radio would have heard of him.

And yet, here was someone claiming not to know who he was. Suspicion deepened.

On top of that…

The man standing before him matched the physical description of Daniel Steiner provided by his superiors.

Although the man’s sunglasses obscured his eyes, his facial features perfectly aligned with those in the portrait.

The officer, glancing between the flyer and Daniel, hesitated before speaking cautiously.

"…Could you remove your sunglasses? Once I confirm, I won’t detain you any further."

Daniel let out a low sigh.

He had expected the officer wouldn’t back down easily, but the persistence was beginning to give him a headache.

If I take off the sunglasses, my identity will be exposed. But…

Thinking from the officer’s perspective, could a low-ranking officer really detain a civilian of Vellanos just because he looked similar to someone?

Even if the officer had the authority, he would likely need approval from his superiors before taking such a step.

The Empire adheres to international law.

If Daniel denied it again, the officer would likely contact his superiors for permission, giving Daniel time to escape.

Having resolved to act, Daniel raised his hand.

"I’ve already told you," he said.

Lowering his sunglasses slightly, he fixed the officer with a cold, piercing stare.

"I don’t know who he is."

Meeting Daniel’s gaze, the officer felt as though his entire body had frozen.

The sharp, wolf-like eyes staring back at him were identical to those in the portrait.

Startled, the officer instinctively began to salute but hesitated, his thoughts racing.

Wait a minute. If he keeps denying it…

There had to be a reason for such an insistence.

Swallowing nervously, the officer recalled Daniel Steiner’s accomplishments:

• The key figure in the Nordia Invasion Campaign.
• Recipient of the Second-Class Order of National Merit.
• Holder of the Empire’s First-Class Order of Diplomatic Service, the Golden Cross.
• The youngest officer to attain field-grade rank.
• A pivotal figure in ending the imperial succession crisis in favor of Princess Selvia.
• The Total War speech orator who unified the Empire’s people.

Even listing his major achievements painted an extraordinary picture.

Daniel Steiner was a tactical genius, so much so that ordinary individuals couldn’t even begin to grasp his strategies.

Surely, concealing his identity is part of some plan I’m unaware of.

Realizing this, the officer abandoned his salute and instead bowed his head slightly.

"I understand. I’ll be taking my leave, then."

With a slight adjustment to his hat brim as a gesture of respect, the officer turned and began to walk away.

The soldiers accompanying him also bowed their heads toward Daniel before following their commander out of the inn.

Daniel watched them leave, his expression one of mild disbelief.

What just happened? They’re just leaving?

Although he couldn’t fully comprehend the officer’s reasoning, it wasn’t a bad outcome.

Feeling a weight lifted, Daniel hurried up the stairs to his room.

There’s not much time. If I’m going to escape, now is the moment. Even though the officer left, he’s likely still suspicious.

Daniel knew the officer would report his findings to his superiors, who would then send someone with higher authority and more troops to confirm the situation.

He needed to flee before the Empire’s net closed in.

As Daniel turned toward the window, he froze.

"…"

Beyond the supply ships and landing craft docked at Tentarbachem’s harbor, four massive surface combat ships loomed.

The fleet was so large that it made the harbor seem small by comparison.

Letting out a hollow sigh, Daniel shook his head.

They sent an entire fleet just to find me?

He had expected, at most, a single vessel. The scale of the operation left him feeling an indescribable sense of dread.

Are they insane?

He couldn’t comprehend the extent of Selvia’s obsession with him.

No matter how he looked at it, escaping through such a blockade seemed impossible.

*****

At dawn in Vellanos, Prime Minister Lowell Tailwis was in his office, wracked with a headache.

"Why did it have to happen in our territorial waters...!"

Ever since the diplomatic vessel of the Empire was sunk in the territorial waters of Vellanos, Lowell had been sleepless, bombarded with various demands and statements from the Empire.

Especially when he received a notice from the Empire demanding the opening of the borders, he felt dizzy. Opening the borders meant allowing the Empire's military to be stationed in Vellanos.

As a neutral country, it was a notification that should not be accepted, but the fact that terrorism had occurred in the territorial waters of Vellanos left him without a reason to refuse.

Thanks to that, the Empire's fleet had begun its activities by entering the port of Tentarbachem without bloodshed.

Unable to predict what demands the Empire would make next after successfully stationing their troops, a frightened Lowell had ordered the military intelligence service to quickly find the person who had opened the territorial waters to the terrorists.

He intended to escape the influence of the Empire by finding the perpetrator quickly and extraditing them to the Empire.

"If the Empire finds the perpetrator first..."

The Empire would criticize the incompetence of Vellanos and attempt internal interference by demanding the military personnel list.

Lowell, who wanted to prevent this at all costs, was praying with his eyes closed when—

Knock-knock—

Lowell, opening his eyes at the sound of knocking, said, "Come in."

The door to the office opened, and the Director of Defense Intelligence entered.

With a tense look, the director saluted Prime Minister Tailwis and stepped towards the center of the office.

"Sir. We have successfully identified the person who colluded with the terrorists. It turns out to be Colonel Edbol, the commander of the 12th Naval District."

It was welcome news.

A relieved Lowell clenched his fist. "How did you track him down?"

The director hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I apologize, but it was not the military intelligence that identified him. Colonel Edbol came to military intelligence and confessed."

"...He confessed?"

"Yes. Apparently, he came to military intelligence with a vacant expression and confessed his crimes. But there's one strange thing..."

Pausing for a moment, the director continued, "According to Colonel Edbol, an organization belonging to Daniel Steiner came to his house. He said he was threatened and begged for his life in terror."

A silence fell between Director and Lowell.

Swallowing dryly, Lowell spoke, "So you're saying it wasn't the military intelligence that uncovered the perpetrator, but Daniel Steiner's private organization that did? They threatened Colonel Edbol into confessing?"

"That appears to be the case," said the director.

According to the director, since surviving the shipwreck, Daniel Steiner had not just been hiding; he had been active in Tentarbachem.

Thinking this far, Lowell's breath began to roughen.

'Could it be...'

Lowell knew his daughter had recently invited a guest to the estate, mostly staffed by his own people.

Caught up in his work, he hadn't paid much attention to this unexpected news, but realizing that Daniel Steiner was not only alive but had been active all this while made him break out in cold sweat.

Feeling an ominous premonition, Lowell hurriedly reached for the telephone on his desk.

After dialing frantically, he heard a voice on the other end.

— Dad? Why are you calling at this hour?

It was a groggy voice, just woken from sleep.

Gathering his thoughts, Lowell spoke as calmly as he could, "Lev. Listen carefully. I have a question about the man you invited."

— Who? Ah, you mean Rivelard? He was a decent man, quite humorous.

"That's not what I'm asking! I mean his appearance... Do you remember what he looked like when you first met him?"

After the Empire had found Daniel Steiner's uniform on the beach, they investigated a cabin.

They had tracked down the owner of the cabin, an old man living near the beach, who had kept records of items and clothing left at the cabin.

With this document, the Empire had cross-verified and noticed that sunglasses, a hat, and several articles of clothing had disappeared from the cabin.

The Empire had shared this information in real-time with the government of Vellanos, so Lowell knew what attire Daniel had been parading around Tentarbachem in.

That's why Lowell was trying to confirm if the person his daughter had been in contact with was indeed Daniel Steiner, through his attire.

— Why are you asking that now? Are you going to say something about it? You were the one who approved him staying because you thought there'd be no problem if he was just an illegal immigrant, right? Anyway, about his appearance...

Lev, though grumbling, recalled the details.

— Hmm. He was wearing a fedora on his head and sunglasses. He was dressed in shabby cotton clothes, brown on top and gray on the bottom. It looked like something an old man would wear, but it suited him surprisingly well. Maybe because he's handsome?

As Lev spoke, Lowell's hands began to tremble.

The information matched what the Empire had provided.

'Daniel Steiner... not only conducted his own investigation but had contact with my daughter.'

And it was with his secret illegitimate daughter, hidden from the world.

Not knowing Daniel's intentions filled him with dread.

In the heavy silence, trying to hide his fear, Lowell heard Lev's voice again.

— Oh, and what was it? He asked me to pass on a message to our damned grandfather. Ah, I remember now.

Imitating Daniel's voice, Lev said,

— You should engage in proper politics, he said.

This made Lowell's heart sink. It was undoubtedly a threat aimed at him as the Prime Minister.

After a few breaths, Lowell responded with a resigned "I understand," and slowly hung up the phone.

"We were wrong."

Hanging up, a somber look filled Lowell's eyes.

"We were very wrong."

Biting his teeth, Lowell sobbed unknowingly.

"We weren't dealing with the Empire..."

His sobbing was like self-reproach from someone who had given up on everything.

"Our enemy was..."

Clutching his head with his eyes closed, Lowell let out a voice filled with resentment.

"Daniel Steiner. That devil himself..."