I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

On the day of the negotiations.

A large military tent was set up on the plains between the Imperial Corps Headquarters and the Kingdom’s capital.

An elderly bespectacled man entered the tent.

His name was Ivan Aleksei.

The Kingdom’s Foreign Minister and the lead negotiator for these talks.

After adjusting his attire, Ivan slowly surveyed his surroundings.

Aside from the negotiation table at the center, there were no soldiers present, not even ordinary guards.

This was in response to the other side’s lead negotiator’s request for a candid discussion between just the two of them.

As Ivan approached the negotiation table, the opposite entrance opened, and a young man entered, carrying a briefcase.

Ivan gave the man’s appearance a once-over.

Black hair and black eyes.

Though slender in build, his tall stature concealed any sense of diminutiveness.

Moreover, his wolf-like, sharp eyes exuded a commanding presence capable of intimidating others.

Ivan recognized this man.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

The chief architect of the Nordia invasion and the so-called hero of the Empire.

‘But to appoint a mere major as the lead negotiator…’

Were they already treating the Kingdom as a defeated nation, subjecting them to coercive diplomacy?

As Ivan furrowed his brow in displeasure, Daniel nonchalantly removed his winter coat.

Brushing off the clinging snowflakes, Daniel let out a wry chuckle.

“The Northern regions are hardly hospitable. For it to snow in the middle of summer…”

Clicking his tongue, Daniel finished dusting off the snow before approaching the negotiation table.

With a friendly smile, he extended his hand towards Ivan.

“As you’re aware, I’m Major Daniel Steiner. I’ve been appointed as the special envoy and lead negotiator for these talks.”
“…I am Ivan Aleksei, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom.”

After shaking hands, they took their seats at the negotiation table.

As Daniel placed his cap and coat on the table’s edge, he spoke.

“I’ve heard the negotiations have collapsed twice already. While I can surmise the reason, would you enlighten me?”

His demeanor was more akin to engaging in casual conversation rather than discussing matters of national importance.

It contrasted starkly with the stiff attitudes of the previous negotiators.

Perceiving Daniel as a formidable adversary, Ivan cautiously responded without lowering his guard.

“It was due to the Empire’s outrageous demands.”

In addition to demanding the cession of the strategic stronghold Nordia, the Empire had insisted on adopting their currency and imposing limitations on the Kingdom’s military.

Had it ended there, Ivan might have accepted.

However, the Empire had not only imposed exorbitant war reparations but also demanded the punishment of the Kingdom’s pro-war cabinet ministers and military leadership, effectively stripping them of their positions.

With those vacancies, only pro-Imperial individuals would be appointed, essentially rendering the Kingdom a vassal state and Imperial puppet.

It was tantamount to a declaration of subjugation, which was why Ivan had refused the Empire’s proposal, insisting on fighting to the bitter end instead.

Daniel was well aware of this, so he did not press further.

Instead, he simply opened his briefcase and retrieved a document.

“I see. I understand the plight you face as Foreign Minister. Which is why I have come here to alleviate your burden. Allow me to be direct – I wish to join hands with you.”

After retrieving the document, Daniel set down his briefcase.

“You may question the intentions of one regarded as the Empire’s hero. However, that is a misunderstanding. I am not particularly devoted to the Empire.”
“…”
“In fact, I spend more days concerned for the Kingdom and contemplating from your perspective. If you wish, you may consider me an honorary citizen of the Kingdom.”

Ivan remained silent in the face of Daniel’s outlandish jest.

He could not fathom Daniel’s intentions behind such remarks.

Studying Ivan intently, Daniel handed him the document he had retrieved.

“It would be best to demonstrate my sincerity first. I urge you to read this. It was not easy to obtain.”

Perplexed, Ivan accepted the document from Daniel.

As he read it with a meaningful gaze, Ivan’s brows twitched.

“This is…”
“Level 2 classified information of the Imperial 3rd Corps.”

Daniel spoke the truth.

The document was densely filled with details on the Empire’s troop deployments and operational plans.

There was no reason to doubt its authenticity.

As the Foreign Minister, Ivan was already aware of some of the operations mentioned, having received such intelligence from the Union’s information bureau.

‘However…’

Compared to this document, the information obtained by the Union’s bureau was merely the tip of the iceberg.

The troop deployment figures were double what the Union had provided.

This indicated only one thing.

‘There is no way to stop them…!’

If these operations were executed, the Kingdom’s annihilation would be inevitable.

To the extent that Ivan felt foolish for believing the Kingdom’s resilience would prompt the Union to provide active support upon witnessing their defiance against the Empire’s invasion.

After a momentary daze, Ivan ground his teeth in grim realization.

‘Those bastards in the Union…! They were feeding us false information from the start!’

It was clear they had downplayed the Empire’s troop strengths and operational plans to ensure the Kingdom maintained hope and continued fighting.

‘Then their promise of support if we held the front lines was also…!’

A lie.

From the Union’s perspective, the Kingdom was merely a pawn to bleed the Empire before its eventual collapse.

Realizing this, Ivan’s hands trembled violently.

However, Daniel interpreted Ivan’s state differently.

‘He must be feeling elated.’

In the games, the Kingdom rejected all three negotiation attempts, insisting on fighting to the bitter end.

From the Kingdom’s perspective, gaining possession of the Empire’s Level 2 secrets would undoubtedly be cause for joy.

Just as Daniel smiled, anticipating an easy alliance, Ivan raised his head and exhaled a ragged breath.

‘Could Daniel Steiner be fully aware of the Kingdom’s internal situation?’

Logically, he must have realized the Kingdom was receiving downplayed reports from the Union, prompting him to provide the Level 2 secrets to level the information disparity.

‘He likely judged it would be advantageous for the negotiations…’

Daniel’s judgment was sound.

If the Kingdom had insisted on fighting despite believing the Empire’s forces were half their actual strength, they could not possibly continue once faced with the truth.

‘This is not war. It’s a one-sided massacre…’

He could vividly envision the Kingdom’s soldiers being overwhelmed by the Imperial forces’ onslaught.

Their screams of anguish reverberated with guilt.

Yet, even if they surrendered to the Empire now, the Kingdom’s future remained uncertain.

Was subjecting the Kingdom’s citizens to Imperial rule truly the right course?

‘But it’s better than mass slaughter…’

Amidst his internal turmoil, Ivan let out a deep sigh before speaking with difficulty.

“…Major Daniel. Let me ask you this. If I do not accept your offer here, what fate awaits the Kingdom?”

Ivan was inquiring about the consequences if they rejected the Empire’s demands.

In contrast, Daniel had interpreted the question literally.

As their thoughts diverged, Daniel let out a low chuckle.

For some reason, that chilling laughter sounded diabolical to Ivan.

“What an amusing question. To ask what will become of the Kingdom if you do not accept my hand. Surely you are already aware, Foreign Minister.”

Momentarily suppressing his laughter, Daniel fixed Ivan with an intense gaze.

It was akin to a wolf revealing its true nature.

“If you do not take my hand, the Kingdom…”

Leaning forward slightly, Daniel whispered low enough for only Ivan to hear.

“…will be forever erased from the maps.”

Upon hearing Daniel’s words, Ivan’s pupils dilated.

As he broke out in a cold sweat, trembling violently, Daniel straightened and rose from his seat.

“Very well. Do you have anything else to add?”

Even as Daniel stood, Ivan remained motionless before slowly shaking his head.

Seeing this, Daniel gave a slight nod before retrieving his cap and coat, turning to leave.

As he moved to exit the tent, Daniel paused as if remembering something.

“Foreign Minister.”

Amidst Ivan’s tense silence, Daniel spoke with a hint of amusement.

“Please convey my story to the Union as well.”

With those words, Daniel departed from the tent.

Only then did Ivan expel the breath he had been holding, pressing his forehead.

Hyperventilating, his vision blurred.

It felt as if he had narrowly escaped a conversation with the spawn of Satan himself.

Freed from the oppressive atmosphere, Ivan panted heavily as the Chief of Staff entered through the rear entrance.

Concerned by the Foreign Minister’s absence after the enemy’s special envoy had left, he had entered to investigate.

Spotting Ivan inside the tent, the Chief of Staff rushed over in alarm.

“Foreign Minister!”

Ivan was in a dire state.

The Chief of Staff knelt beside the chair, looking up at the Foreign Minister.

“A-Are you alright?”

In response to his query, Ivan shook his head.

A single tear streamed from his tightly shut eyes.

“His Majesty must acknowledge it now. We cannot win…”

Like a child consumed by fear, Ivan muttered in a dying voice.

“We can never defeat the Empire…”

Consequently, the Chief of Staff could only look on in bewilderment.

The Foreign Minister, who had firmly advocated fighting to the bitter end based on unwavering conviction, had succumbed to a sense of defeat within an hour of entering the negotiations.

Hesitating, the Chief of Staff gazed blankly at the empty chair across the negotiation table.

‘Just what did the individual seated there say…?’

Unaware of the conversation’s content, the Chief of Staff could only feel perplexed.