I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 139

After the dismantling of the Pallentia Branch, the Imperial Security Bureau had been achieving unprecedented success in capturing enemy spies.

There were many reasons for this, but the most significant factor was that when the Pallentia Branch was taken down, the Empire had secured the encrypted communications system used by Allied intelligence operatives.

With this information in hand, the Security Bureau immediately began tracing transmissions. The moment a spy’s location was exposed, they were swiftly arrested—or killed—by Imperial security forces during surprise raids.

Some of the captured operatives, desperate to survive, provided additional intelligence, allowing the Imperial Security Bureau to methodically dismantle the extensive Allied spy network.

From the perspective of the Allied intelligence forces, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

“Son of a bitch!”

In the basement of a tavern in the small city of Erestiom, a man wearing a woolen beret slammed his fist on the table, unable to contain his anger.

“Headquarters has cut off all contact! It’s no different from abandoning us!”

Around thirty gathered spies either sighed in frustration or sneered bitterly at his outburst.

No one could refute what he said.

Then, a man wearing a fedora casually interjected.

“Of course headquarters cut contact. When the Pallentia Branch was exposed, our primary radio frequencies and cipher codes were completely compromised. The Empire is undoubtedly monitoring every transmission. If we try to contact headquarters now, we might as well send the Imperial bastards an invitation to come arrest us.”

The man in the beret turned to glare down at the one who had spoken, who was seated casually in front of the table.

That insufferably relaxed tone made his anger flare up even more—but when his gaze landed on the deep scar running across the other man’s face, he bit back his retort.

Because the man before him was Tempret, known by the codename Red Baron.

And everyone knew that wherever Tempret passed, all that remained was a trail of blood.

The beret-wearing spy was no exception—he was well aware of Tempret’s reputation.

Tempret swirled the liquor in his glass lazily before taking a sip.

“So, only about thirty of us managed to slip past the Security Bureau and make it here, huh?” He let out a dry chuckle. “Well, I won’t waste time explaining how fucked we are. I’m sure you all already know.”

He tilted his head back and downed the rest of his drink in one smooth motion before setting the glass back onto the table.

“Tch. Unfortunate as it is, we’re all just waiting to be captured, tortured, or executed. Of course, if you run, you might survive—living like a cockroach, scurrying from shadow to shadow.

“But the ones who would choose that path... wouldn’t have gathered here in the first place, would they?”

Tempret leaned back in his chair, propping his boots up onto the table.

It was an insolent gesture, but no one in the room dared to criticize him for it.

“That leaves us with only one option,” he continued. “We fight until we die. And while we’re at it... how about we take as many of those Imperial bastards down with us as possible? At the very least, the Alliance will call us martyrs when this is all over.”

Laughter rippled through the group at Tempret’s dry humor.

The beret-wearing man found the mood distasteful, but he couldn’t bring himself to argue.

Sighing, he pulled out a chair and sat down, fixing Tempret with an unimpressed glare.

“So? Do you actually have a plan to convince us all to throw our lives away?”

Tempret smirked as if he found the man’s sudden shift to formal speech amusing.

“Why do you think I called you stray dogs here?” He leaned forward, his voice brimming with amusement. “I’m offering you the chance to become war hounds. To sink your teeth into a real beast.”

“...And what beast might that be?”

Tempret’s grin widened, baring his teeth.

“Daniel Steiner.”

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Then, the Red Baron let out a laugh—one filled with genuine delight.

“That rabid wolf will be passing through Erestiom in just a few days.”

****

The Day of Daniel Steiner’s Appointment as Chief of Staff of the 7th Division, Eastern Front

“I can’t believe I’m boarding a train with you, Colonel. It almost feels like we’re going on a trip. How exciting!”

Inside the military train’s passenger car, Freyen beamed with her characteristic bright smile.

Sitting beside her, Lucy remained as expressionless as ever, creating a stark contrast between the two.

Across from them, Daniel gave her an exasperated look.

“You’re really calling this a trip? We’re heading straight to the front lines.”

“Of course, I know that. But don’t worry, I haven’t been neglecting my training.”

“...Training? What training are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on. You know exactly what I mean, Colonel. You told me to refine my healing magic, didn’t you?”

“I remember that much. But... what exactly did you—”

Daniel stopped mid-sentence.

There was something unsettling in the way Freyen smiled.

A faint shadow flickered behind her cheerful expression.

“Do you really want to know?”

Her voice had dropped to a lower register, carrying a weight of secrecy, making her question even more ominous.

Daniel, unwilling to pry into whatever darkness lurked behind that smile, shook his head.

Seeing his reaction, Freyen’s playful demeanor returned, and she stood up from her seat.

“I’m going to stop by the restroom. I’ll be back in a moment.”

As Freyen left the passenger car, Daniel let out a quiet breath of relief and turned his attention to Lucy.

Sunlight filtered through the window, landing gently on her silver hair, giving it a soft glow. Her crimson eyes, though seemingly bored, carried a quiet awareness as they blinked lazily.

Sitting by the window, watching the passing landscape, she looked almost at peace.

Daniel didn’t want to disturb her, but with Freyen gone, this was the perfect moment.

He spoke in a low voice.

“Lieutenant, I need to have a word with you.”

Lucy, having been unexpectedly addressed, turned to face him.

“...What is it you wish to discuss?”

“You already know that I recently had an audience with Her Majesty.”

Lucy’s expression remained impassive, but a flicker of something unreadable crossed her eyes.

“During our conversation, she specifically warned me about you. She said you’re a suspicious woman and that I shouldn’t trust you.”

That was what Selvia had told him before he left the capital.

Her words carried a sharp edge, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ as though she had caught onto something.

Hearing it had sent a chill down Daniel’s spine.

If Selvia ever uncovered the full truth about Lucy, it wouldn’t just be Lucy in danger—Daniel himself wouldn’t walk away unscathed.

This was his way of cautioning her, but instead of appreciating it, Lucy felt something else entirely.

Jealousy.

“The Empress seems to be consumed by paranoia,” she remarked flatly. “Besides, if she had concerns about me, she could have spoken to me directly. Instead, she chose to whisper doubts into your ear? How very... disappointing. I can’t help but wonder if she’s trying to drive a wedge between us.”

“...Paranoia, huh.”

Daniel smiled, but it was tinged with disbelief.

You are an Allied spy, aren’t you?

Her deflection was so ridiculous that it was almost funny.

And calling the Empress’s words “manipulation” was, technically speaking, an act of treason.

What exactly happened between those two?

He recalled the tension between Lucy and Selvia during the Christmas banquet.

At that moment—

Screeeech—!

The train’s wheels shrieked as they scraped against the rails. The sudden jolt threw Daniel forward.

The entire passenger car shook violently, the windows rattling from the impact.

“Damn it!”

Daniel barely managed to steady himself by gripping the table in front of him, his hand instinctively moving toward the revolver at his waist.

Lucy did the same.

Without exchanging a word, both of them drew their revolvers and steadied their breathing.

“...Colonel, do you think this is a terrorist attack on the train?”

“The chances are low. If this were a simple act of terror, the passenger car would already be riddled with bullets.”

But they couldn’t rule it out entirely.

Soon, they heard hurried footsteps approaching their compartment.

Daniel turned toward the door, his revolver aimed.

“Colonel! You need to come outside, immediately—”

The officer who burst into the room stopped mid-sentence, inhaling sharply at the sight of Daniel’s raised gun.

He was the company commander of the unit assigned to protect Daniel.

Realizing the intruder was an ally, Daniel exhaled and lowered his weapon.

“Captain. What the hell is going on?”

“Sir... ah, the conductor says the railway is blocked.”

“I see. Let’s go check it out.”

Daniel nodded and stepped out of the compartment, Lucy following close behind.

As soon as they reached the corridor—

“Colonel!”

Freyen, who had just returned from the restroom, rushed toward them with concern in her eyes.

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“Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine.”

With a brief response, Daniel stepped off the train through the entrance of the passenger car.

His gaze immediately landed on the problem ahead.

The railway was buried under an enormous pile of dirt and rubble.

A landslide?

As he moved closer, the train conductor and chief engineer, who had been standing with their backs turned, noticed his presence and immediately straightened up in alarm.

“Colonel Daniel Steiner!”

“You’ve arrived, sir!”

The two men bowed respectfully, their postures rigid.

Daniel let out a quiet sigh.

“Conductor. Engineer. What exactly happened here?”

The chief engineer scratched his head apologetically.

“Well... it seems there was a landslide. The debris completely covered the tracks. With a few days of work, we should be able to clear it... but we simply don’t have the manpower.”

“I’ll lend you some of my soldiers. We have plenty of men on security detail, so that should speed things up. Will that be enough?”

“Oh! If you can do that, we’d be immensely grateful. It shouldn’t take long to clear this up.”

“That’s good to hear. However, my men, as well as your staff and the workers onboard, will need a place to rest in the meantime. Is there a town nearby where we can stay?”

The conductor, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, nodded.

“There’s a small city not far from here—Erestiom. It’s not large, but it has everything you’ll need. You can rest there and get in touch with the authorities while the tracks are cleared.”

“A city nearby, huh... That’s fortunate.”

As Daniel continued discussing logistics with the engineer, Lucy silently examined the site of the so-called landslide.

The soil and rocks were oddly displaced. The vegetation was disturbed in unnatural patterns.

Cracks in the terrain suggested a deliberate intervention rather than a natural occurrence.

Lucy’s crimson eyes narrowed sharply.

This...

...was no accident.