I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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The next morning, early in the day.

Lucy enters through the entrance of the military tent.

“Captain Daniel Steiner, I need to tell you something urgent…”

Lucy stops in her tracks, her mouth closing.

This was because she saw Daniel lying on a field bed at the edge of the tent, trying to sleep.

Judging by the way he was sloppily covered with a blanket, he must have been extremely tired.

After all, while the other soldiers and officers took a break upon arriving at the forward base, Daniel was forcibly dragged to the Command Post at the call of the Division Commander.

‘That means…’

Captain Daniel Steiner was unguarded right now.

After confirming that there was no one around, Lucy approached Daniel.

She quietly looked down at the sleeping Daniel.

The National Order of Goryeo Medal attached to the left side of his uniform softly glimmered.

‘Daniel Steiner.’

The man right before her eyes was the one who had recently been racking up terrifying military achievements.

Thanks to that, interest in Daniel was gradually increasing within the United Nations.

However, thus far, the United Nations had not issued an order to assassinate Daniel Steiner.

They had simply assigned Lucy the task of reporting on Daniel’s every move as a special surveillance target.

But it was uncertain when a special surveillance target would be switched to an assassination target.

If the home country ordered the assassination of Daniel, Lucy would follow without hesitation.

But would there really be no hesitation in the process?

Except for his dedication to the Empire, Daniel Steiner was a normally good man.

He would share food with his aide or lend an umbrella and even invite her to a dessert shop to share hobbies.

On the day he had disguised himself as a doctor, he had even prevented her from falling into a dangerous situation by being suspected by the Security Police.

There was no denying that she owed him a favor.

That fact slightly shook the burden of being a spy for the United Nations.

‘What if…’

What if they had met as ordinary men and women, rather than as a spy for the United Nations and an officer of the Imperial Army?

Shaking her head, Lucy dismissed the meaningless thought.

It was a useless and unproductive assumption.

Considering the favor received from the United Nations, she must not stray even a step from the essence of being a spy.

Moreover, even though he appeared to be a good man, Daniel Steiner was first and foremost an officer of the Empire.

A person who benefits the Empire is an enemy of the United Nations and a fragment of the resentment Lucy harbored.

Recalling the horrific memories of the past, she clenched her fist then exhaled deeply.

It was foolish to be wallowing in her thoughts alone.

‘What an idiot.’

There was no need for deep contemplation.

As usual, she just needed to do her best in the assigned mission and role.

So, until the United Nations gave another command, it was enough for her to act as “Captain Daniel Steiner’s loyal aide.”

Nodding slightly as if answering her own heart, Lucy turned to leave.

Just as she was about to exit the military tent, she paused.

For some reason, the disheveled blanket covering Daniel’s body bothered her.

Whether it was a part of her obsessive-compulsive tendencies, she wasn’t sure, but it just didn’t sit right with her.

After a brief hesitation, Lucy ultimately leaned down and lifted the blanket.

After neatly covering Daniel’s chest with the blanket, she lightly dusted her hands.

“Sleep well.”

Whispering those short words, Lucy turned to leave the tent.

Only after Lucy completely left did Daniel slowly open his eyes.

Upon confirming that Lucy was not inside the tent, Daniel’s upper body shot up.

He exhaled roughly without realizing it.

‘…What was that?’

In fact, Daniel had been awake for a little while before.

He had kept pretending to sleep when he sensed Lucy looking down at him after slightly opening his eyes from the sound of her presence.

There was no particular reason for doing so. He was simply scared!

‘Am I still alive?’

Daniel raised his hand and felt his neck, relieved to find no injuries.

His nerves began to tingle as he sat on the field bed, catching his breath.

He heard the sound of two jeep vehicles stopping nearby, followed by a rumble of footsteps approaching.

Just then, soldiers entered the tent, splitting to both sides.

Immediately after, a gravely serious Heinrich entered the tent.

“Oh, you’re awake.”

Startled, Daniel immediately got up and saluted.

“Brigade Commander! What brings you here?”

Heinrich, chuckling, accepted the salute and replied.

“Congratulations, Captain Daniel.”

“…Congratulations? What do you mean?”

“Your prediction has once again come true. We’ve received a report from the Reconnaissance Division just hours ago that we’ve discovered the Royal Army’s underground tunnel.”

In that moment, Daniel felt as if he had been struck by a hammer.

‘They discovered the underground tunnel? On the very day I made my suggestion?’

Logically, it was not impossible, but the probability was infinitely low.

Despite the odds, the Royal Army was actually using the underground tunnel for supplies, and the Reconnaissance Division accomplished the remarkable feat of finding it overnight.

As he began to lose his mind at the absurdity of what he heard, Heinrich gestured for silence.

“First, let’s discuss this elsewhere. Right now, we have no time to waste.”

“…Understood.”

Although Daniel didn’t fully grasp the situation, he couldn’t defy a superior’s command, so he followed Heinrich’s lead.

*

Following Heinrich, they arrived at a clearing in the forest, 18 kilometers north of the site where the Enemy Supply Brigade had been discovered.

As soon as they got out of the jeep, what met their eyes were the soldiers of the Magic Mobile Army Brigade.

Fully equipped aside from their rucksacks, they stood motionless between the trees, resembling a steel military force.

He was frozen in awe at the intimidation they exuded when Heinrich placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Right over there. That’s the underground tunnel of the Royal Army you mentioned.”

Turning his gaze to where Heinrich was pointing, he saw a large iron door wide open.

“We sent a reconnaissance soldier skilled in scouting to confirm, and that underground tunnel leads straight to the city. Isn’t that incredible? If it weren’t for you, we would have never known it existed.”

While Heinrich laughed heartily, Daniel remained in a daze.

Just as he was about to mumble a rebuttal, the sound of cannonfire erupted from the direction of the Division’s headquarters.

“It’s begun.”

Heinrich removed his hand from Daniel’s shoulder and shouted towards the brigade’s soldiers.

“I just heard the sound of victory’s goddess marching! If you have ears, you must have heard it too! Right?”

Smiles broke out among the soldiers at Heinrich’s shout.

It was incredibly fierce.

“The Royal Army allied with the filthy United Nations to invade our territory and desecrate countless brothers. Think of the screams our brothers had to let out! The pain they had to endure! The shame they had to bear!”

Stepping forward, Heinrich shouted with veins popping from his neck.

“Now we shall return all that suffering in full! Spill the blood of our brothers and burst the bellies of greedy enemies! Advance, elite soldiers of the Empire!”

The brigade soldiers raised their voices in unison.

Simultaneously, they began marching towards the underground tunnel in an orderly manner.

The sight of them streaming into the tunnel in tactical formation was truly mechanical.

It was proof that they were well-trained soldiers.

Watching quietly as they moved, Daniel approached Heinrich and said,

“It’s a flanking attack. By deploying the division’s troops to advance in the frontline and firing artillery to draw the enemy’s attention, they’ll utilize the underground tunnel to strike directly at the city…”

“It should result in a decisive victory. Those who have been hiding until now will panic when they realize the enemy has infiltrated the city.”

Indeed, with this, the fall of the city was just a matter of time.

Although it wasn’t the direction he had wished for, watching the soldiers charge in real-time made him feel grateful to be a staff officer.

‘A staff officer won’t be sent right into enemy territory…’

It’s only natural that the priority is self-preservation over escaping the Empire.

As long as he was alive, there would be another chance.

As he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, Heinrich turned to look at him and said,

“It appears you’re envious of the soldiers? A dedicated officer like you would naturally want to crush the enemy yourself. I used to be overflowing with that fighting spirit in my youth as well.”

Not at all, but there was no harm in going along with it.

“That is correct. However, I believe it is also important for a staff officer to protect our rear. Regrettably, the glory of attacking the enemy must be left for the soldiers.”

“You have a good mindset. However, if you wish, there’s no need to just watch from the back. No, it would be more accurate to say you can’t just watch.”

Wait a moment? The flow of the conversation seemed off.

When he looked at Heinrich, puzzled, Heinrich beamed as if to say he was welcome to be happy.

“The Division Commander has ordered you and the entire headquarters detachment to assist the Magic Mobile Brigade in the assault on the city.”

“…What? But my company would only be a hindrance.”

“The Division Commander initially thought like you. However, after speaking with you, he completely changed his mind. While it was just the two of us, the Division Commander called you a bloodthirsty wolf.”

His mouth dropped open in disbelief. Was this some nonsense?

“He said he’d provide you with food to fill your hungry belly, so go wild and show what you’ve got.”

“…Did he really say that to me?”

“Yes. It’s rare for the Division Commander to show such kindness, so take this opportunity to prove yourself.”

He couldn’t comprehend what the higher-ups saw in him to say something so absurd.

But if the higher-ups ordered him to, he had no choice.

Clearing his throat softly, he looked at Heinrich and said,

“Brigade Commander, did the Division Commander really call me a bloodthirsty wolf?”

“Huh? Haha. It seems you really liked that nickname. Though it was meant as a joke, I’m sure he said it.”

Thanks to that, he was once again convinced.

That his life was spiraling out of control in real-time.