I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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Ten days later.

I went around the outskirts of the city with my officers and soldiers under the pretext of city patrol.

Why patrol the outskirts, you ask? I thought I could hear the citizens’ complaints and grievances more openly than in the central area where the garrison was stationed.

But there were none.

Even though I was walking while straining my ears, I heard no complaints about the garrison.

Every now and then, I found some citizens who noticed me, and they just bowed their heads and passed by.

‘Hmm. This seems…’

It seemed they were refraining from speaking out of the fear that they might get caught for badmouthing the garrison.

Or perhaps word of me, the temporary garrison commander, patrolling had spread in advance.

If not, then it wouldn’t make sense for them not to rebel against my tyranny.

Understanding the situation, I nodded once and turned to Lucy.

“Aide-de-Camp. What’s the evaluation of the citizens of Nordia regarding the garrison? You’ve been out in the field more than I have, sitting at a desk for the last ten days, so I thought you’d know well.”

Lucy thought for a moment and replied.

“There is not no dissatisfaction. However, there is generally an atmosphere of tolerating the garrison’s occupation of the city.”

“…Tolerating? The garrison?”

“Yes. Thanks to the captain’s proper measures, public services in the city have been restored quickly, and the paralyzed administrative system is gradually finding its place again. Additionally, reports indicate that the crime rate is lower than before the garrison’s occupation.”

It made sense since I had ordered the patrol to be strengthened and public services to be activated urgently.

However, the fact that the citizens were tolerating the garrison was another matter altogether.

Typically, during the initial phase of an occupation, citizens would be riddled with anger.

‘And in a normal city, they should be rebelling against the tax rate and mandatory military service I’ve set, right?’

Was there something I was overlooking? Just as I was about to pose a question to Lucy regarding that…

“This is too much! My daily wage has decreased compared to yesterday!”

The voice of a young man shouting caught my attention naturally.

In front of the reconstruction site for the watchtower, an intermediate manager appeared to be confronting a Black man.

The intermediate manager furrowed his brow in annoyance and crossed his arms.

“Hey. You should be grateful that I’m employing you. Do you want to lose even that wage?”

“I appreciate being employed, but this is absurd! If you take half my daily wage, how will my family eat…!”

The atmosphere was certainly tense.

Wanting to understand the situation, I walked over to them.

“If you want to feed your family, work overtime. Why are you causing trouble for me…?”

The intermediate manager, who was talking to the man, turned his head toward me upon hearing my footsteps.

Upon seeing me with my armed soldiers and military officers, he quickly bowed his head.

“C-Commander! W-What brings you to such a humble place…!”

“I don’t consider it humble. My hometown was worse than this. But what troubles you that you’re arguing with a laborer?”

“Ah. That’s the thing. He keeps making a fuss about being paid properly for his daily wage.”

The intermediate manager glanced at the man disdainfully as he spoke, leaving me no choice but to tilt my head in confusion.

“Isn’t it the garrison that appointed you to the intermediate manager position precisely to ensure proper payment? Why on earth aren’t you paying him in full? Has this man been slacking off?”

“Uh? No. That’s not it. He works diligently.”

“Then why aren’t you paying him properly?”

“You know, Commander, he’s Black.”

What? I thought I had misheard it due to how casually it was said.

After a moment of silence, I asked again to clarify if I had indeed heard correctly.

“You’re saying he’s not being paid properly because he’s Black?”

“Yeah. That’s correct. The fact that his father is a slave and he’s acting like a free citizen is laughable. Historically in our kingdom, people of color are third-class citizens…”

I raised my hand to halt the intermediate manager’s words.

There was no need to hear more.

“You’re saying some disgusting things. Are you bringing up kingdom law while you’re serving in the empire’s military? Or are you trying to ridicule His Majesty the Emperor, who prohibits discrimination based on status and race?”

The intermediate manager’s eyes widened in shock.

His mouth agape and trembling, the intermediate manager quickly clasped his hands together.

“No! I had no such intention! I-I was just…!”

“Shut your filthy mouth. You not only disobeyed my command to pay him properly but also disrespected the Emperor’s esteemed laws. Soldier. Restrain this man.”

“Yes! Two soldiers swiftly responded, knocking the intermediate manager down.

“Gah!”

With his arms forced behind his back, the soldier quickly bound his wrists with rope.

“Commander! Cough! I-I had no such intention…!”

The intermediate manager pleaded, but I didn’t even spare a glance.

Sighing deeply, I turned to the Black man, who was sweating profusely next to me.

“You.”

The startled Black man hurriedly stood at attention.

He looked terrified, expecting to be bound himself.

He must have faced so much discrimination to act like this, even when he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“You are the intermediate manager of this area from now on.”

“…What? C-Commander, I can’t possibly rise to such a high position.”

“Who are you to say that?”

The Black man hesitated for a moment before answering.

“…Darnell.”

“Good. Darnell. I don’t care at all that you’re a person of color or that your father was a slave. What matters is that you have not been paid properly despite working diligently. I am trying to correct that.”

I grabbed Darnell’s shoulder.

“This is an order. From today, you are to oversee the workers as the intermediate manager and ensure they receive their daily wages properly. Also, if anyone protests against you unfairly, request the garrison’s help.”

Tears welled in Darnell’s eyes as he heard my words.

Trying to hide his overflowing emotions, he bit his lip and bowed his head deeply.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Commander!”

I nodded once and turned to leave.

Then, I unconsciously paused.

A faint smile played on the lips of the officers and soldiers watching me.

A chill ran down my spine, so I quickened my pace.

“Let’s go back. It’s getting cold.”

As I walked ahead, the officers and soldiers followed.

I tried to ignore it, but whispers from the officers could be heard behind me.

“The Commander truly has no flaws. I never knew His Majesty the Emperor had such high loyalty.”

“Is it any wonder the Emperor awarded the Commander the Order of Patriotism? He’s practically a model soldier. It’s an honor just to follow him.”

It was Glendi Corporal and McCall Lieutenant.

“Indeed, Captain Daniel is akin to a saint sent down by God. Honestly, if it were any other imperial person, they wouldn’t have cared and moved on. Right, Lieutenant Lucy?”

“Yeah. That’s certainly true…”

This was Prien and Lucy.

With Lucy agreeing, it seemed Prien was getting excited, clasping her hands together as she spoke.

“I absolutely detest racists and citizens of the United Nations. Both are close to being beasts in my eyes.”

…When will she realize that she’s not in her right mind?

*

Meanwhile, in the hideout of the Secret Society Black Crow.

On the third floor of a building disguised as a common general store, teletypes and radios for sending and receiving messages were lined up in a row.

As the members of the society moved about tending to their business, their leader, Hamtal, sat at his desk with a furrowed brow.

“Captain Daniel Steiner is the leader of the occupying forces. He is clearly a target for removal. However…”

Citizens have begun to tolerate the garrison.

The anger that had been boiling began to gradually subside upon hearing about Daniel Steiner’s city plans.

Hamtal felt similarly.

While observing Daniel’s proposed policies, the thought stirred in his mind: ‘Must he be removed after all?’

“However, since he is the leader of a foreign army…”

There was no telling when he would cast off his mask and begin to oppress the city’s citizens.

Thus, it would be wise to remove him.

Resolute in his mind, Hamtal opened his drawer and pulled out a revolver.

Just as he opened the chamber to check the ammunition, he heard familiar footsteps approaching.

Lifting his head to identify the person, he realized it was Tarky, who had delivered information to the council the day before.

Tarky, seemingly out of breath from running, finally managed to catch his breath and spoke.

“Hamtal! The garrison has issued a new order regarding the citizens!”

“…An order? What order?”

If they were attempting to oppress the citizens, there could be no more delay.

As the tension hung in the air, Tarky opened his mouth.

“They say that from now on, any act of discrimination against people of color within the city will be punished under imperial law.”

Closing the chamber of the revolver, Hamtal hesitated.

“…They’re forbidding racial discrimination?”

“Yes. I also heard that one of the local intermediate managers assisting the imperial military has been appointed as a Black man.”

Upon hearing Tarky’s words, Hamtal unintentionally dropped his revolver.

‘This can’t be happening…’

For the past decade, Hamtal had sought to eliminate the racial discrimination perpetuated by the Nordian aristocracy.

The very foundation of the Secret Society Black Crow was built in rebellion against such racism.

Yet Hamtal’s hopes had not been realized.

Though successful in bribing politicians to rise to the mayor’s position, the mayor had failed to uphold his promises, continuing a self-serving course.

But Hamtal never gave up and continued the fight for freedom and equality.

‘Yet there was no sign of progress…’

The deep-seated wish that had felt beyond reach was being brought to fruition by Daniel Steiner.

An unprecedented emotion swelled within him, sending his mind into turmoil.

Exhaling sharply as he furrowed his brow, Hamtal raised his hand to wipe his face once.

“Thank you for bringing the news. It seems I must confirm just what kind of person Daniel Steiner is.”

“…Are you going to reveal your identity?”

“No. I will simply observe from the side. I need to determine whether the policies he has shown are merely a temporary deception intended to soothe the citizens’ sentiments or not.”

If it proved to be a mere deception, he would undoubtedly be a target for removal.

However, if all his actions stemmed from sincerity, that would change everything.

‘In that case, Daniel Steiner may not be a conqueror coming to rule the city…’

He might be a savior trying to liberate it from the kingdom’s tyranny.