I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Lucie’s intuition rang an alarm.

The woman before her was dangerous.

Her eyes seemed to penetrate into one’s heart, harboring a kind of madness.

However, Lucie did not lose her composure.

What would change even if she was suspected? Nothing at all.

“Clarify what you mean, Cadet Prien. Are you suggesting I have committed a sin? Or that I’m lying?”

Prien’s pupils trembled momentarily.

She had meant it half-jokingly, not expecting Lucie to respond so calmly.

Rising to her feet, Prien flashed an awkward smile.

“Second Lieutenant? I was merely sharing an anecdote… According to my experience…”
“I see. Gaining experience is indeed important in all matters, as it provides a basis for judgment. But to suspect others without any grounds or evidence – where did you gain the ‘experience’ to do that?”

The polite remark was laced with thorns.

Lucie was asking if Prien’s lack of decorum towards her superior was also based on her ‘experience.’

It was an insult to the family that raised Prien and a belittling of her very humanity.

Prien understood Lucie’s intent all too well.

As a result, one of Prien’s eyebrows twitched beneath her benevolent smile.

Tick-tock—

In the silence that followed, the ticking of the clock echoed hollowly.

In the chilly atmosphere where anything could happen, the familiar sound of footsteps approached.

The moment Prien reflexively turned, the office door opened, and Daniel entered.

“Captain!”
“You’re back.”

Prien’s face lit up as she saluted, and Lucie rose from her seat to salute as well.

After returning their salutes, Daniel was about to convey the Chief’s message but paused.

‘What is it?’

For some reason, the air inside the office felt oppressively heavy.

‘Just my imagination?’

Although slightly uneasy, he decided it wasn’t important and moved on.

“Cadet Prien. I discussed your treatment with the Chief. While it is usually not permitted for a mere cadet to join the battlefield, he has made a special exception for you this time as part of your training.”

Prien did not seem particularly surprised.

She had expected as much, since the personnel department had already given her approval, and the Chief of Operational Planning would naturally follow suit.

Still, having Daniel reaffirm the permission was reassuring.

“I will do my utmost, Captain Daniel!”

Regarding the elated Prien with a somber expression, Daniel turned his gaze towards Lucie.

“And Second Lieutenant Lucie. It has been confirmed that you, too, will join me as my aide in supporting the Northern Front. So both of you should pack your belongings and prepare to head north. We’ll depart as soon as the personnel have assembled.”

The two saluted Daniel in acknowledgment.

After returning their salutes, Prien slowly shifted her gaze towards Lucie.

“How coincidental that we’ll be together for a while, Second Lieutenant Lucie.”
Lucie, too, did not avert Prien’s gaze, narrowing her eyes sharply.
“Indeed, quite the coincidence.”

In the tense atmosphere, Daniel could only break out in a cold sweat in secret.

‘What is with you two?’

He could not comprehend why they were baring their fangs and growling at each other.

○

As soon as the company personnel assembled at the General Staff Headquarters, I gave a brief speech, called out the names of the junior officers who would be my subordinates, and immediately departed.

…Although I had wondered what would happen if Lucie and Prien got into a fight on the way to the Northern Front, fortunately, they did not directly clash.

Of course, minor friction occurred occasionally, but each time, I intervened to mediate, preventing the tensions from escalating into an armed incident.

The problem was that despite my repeated interventions over the month-long march to the northern outpost, the sparks of discord showed no signs of abating.

“If you’re tired, Lieutenant Lucie, perhaps you should rest? I can adequately handle your role.”
“I’d like to commend you for trying to imitate a swan despite being born a mere sparrow.”

From the front passenger seat of the officers’ vehicle, I peered at Lucie and Prien through the rearview mirror.

Despite their barbed words, they both maintained serene expressions.

Prien even wore a benevolent smile.

However, overhearing their conversation was suffocating.

Even the driver sitting next to me kept glancing at the rearview mirror with a puzzled expression, as if wondering, ‘Why are they fighting?’

‘This is a mess.’

I had grown weary of mediating their fights.

Sighing, I gazed out the window and noticed the sun was setting.

“Stop here.”

At my words, the driver applied the brakes and asked, “Are we camping here for the night?”
“Yes.”

The officers’ vehicle gradually decelerated to a complete stop.

Opening the door and stepping out, I surveyed the surroundings.

Amidst the dense trees with bare branches, I spotted a clearing large enough to accommodate around 200 soldiers.

With a nearby water source, it was suitable for replenishing our drinking water supply.

However, a chilly breeze seemed to pierce through my officer’s winter coat.

Exhaling a breath tinged with the cold, I furrowed my brow.

‘Despite it being summer, this place is hardly different from winter.’

The only change from my previous visit to the north was that some of the snow had melted.

No wonder the high command wanted to end the war before summer was over.

If the summer weather was already like this, once winter arrived, soldiers would undoubtedly start succumbing to frostbite during marches.

‘Among my soldiers right now…’

Two had already nearly fallen behind due to the cold.

They were fine now, but still.

Glancing back, around two hundred soldiers in Imperial uniforms were standing by behind the military vehicles, waiting.

The driver approached the platoon leader and relayed my orders.

Upon receiving the orders, the platoon leader turned and shouted loudly.

The soldiers then moved swiftly and orderly into the clearing.

Once inside, they set down their gear and began unpacking and setting up military tents.

Some were retrieving combat rations from the supply trucks that had become makeshift food warehouses, preparing for mealtime.

As I watched them work with their packs on, two platoon leaders approached me briskly.

Fortunately, I had tasks for them.

“First Lieutenant Mecalla. Take two swift soldiers and scout the nearby terrain. There should be a high hill in the vicinity. Climb it and survey the surroundings.”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”

Mecalla saluted immediately, then called over two soldiers who were setting up tents and headed towards the forest.

I thought I might as well kill some time, but Sergeant Glendy didn’t let me be.

“Company Commander, isn’t it too early to set up camp?”

He had a rather youthful face, likely having been recently promoted to sergeant.

Exaggerating a bit, he still had a boyish look that hadn’t fully matured.

His expression was full of dissatisfaction, but I responded as calmly as possible.

“Sergeant. Don’t you know that preserving the soldiers’ strength is most crucial on the battlefield?”
“I understand that, but… Our expected arrival time at the outpost was five days ago. It’s been five days since the estimated time, so isn’t it a bit too relaxed to take our leisure?”

I nodded, indicating he should continue.

Seeming deflated, the sergeant clenched his fists and spoke.

“Why are we five days delayed? Perplexed, I used the dead reckoning method to determine our current location, and it’s not on a direct path to the outpost. It appears you’ve been deliberately taking detours, Company Commander.”

Of course. Even when there were main roads, I had deliberately taken side paths, and when side paths were available, I had moved through treacherous terrain.

The reason was simple.

‘The later we join, the later we’ll be deployed to the battlefield.’

Joining quickly only meant fighting and dying sooner.

Didn’t he understand this obvious logic?

Then again, Sergeant Glendy was the fanatical type who would readily offer his life for the Empire.

While not to Prien’s extent, his mind was somewhat polluted by nationalist sentiments.

Finding it pitiful, I let out a chuckle, causing Sergeant Glendy to flare up.

“Company Commander! How can you laugh at a time like this? I didn’t want to say this, but the soldiers are also suspicious of you now! There are open rumors that you’re a coward trying to avoid the battlefield, being a staff officer and all!”

It was actually music to my ears.

The lower my reputation, the less likely the General Staff Headquarters would assign me operational support roles.

Of course, I couldn’t reveal my true intentions, so I decided to deflect appropriately.

“When one’s mind is fixed on a tree, they cannot see the forest. No matter how I explain the forest to someone fixated on a single tree, they will not understand. That is your limitation, Sergeant Glendy.”
“What on earth is that supposed to…”

As Sergeant Glendy expressed his bewilderment, First Lieutenant Mecalla returned from the forest.

He had completed his scouting mission.

However, his face looked unsettled for some reason.

Just as I wondered what was going on, Mecalla approached me and spoke in an excited, trembling voice.

“Company Commander! We f-found them! An enemy supply unit preparing to set up camp! From what I know, even our intelligence couldn’t pinpoint their supply route… So this is what you were aiming for by continuously circling the area!”

…What? Why would an enemy supply unit be here?

As I stood dumbfounded, a glint of fanaticism appeared in Sergeant Glendy’s eyes.

“Is that true? Don’t tell me you were aiming for this from the start, Company Commander…”

Sergeant Glendy’s disgruntled expression transformed into one of reverence.

“I apologize! I have been disrespectful!”

Watching Sergeant Glendy bow his head in apology, as if seeking forgiveness, left me dumbstruck.

Just as I felt events were taking a strange turn, my eyes met Prien’s nearby.

Her gaze, filled with admiration, was truly burdensome.

Moreover, even the two platoon leaders seemed to regard me as some genius staff officer.

It felt like I had crossed a point of no return.

If I ordered them not to attack the enemy here, these nationalist lunatics might gang up and assault me…

Having no choice, I grabbed the brim of my uniform cap.

“Relay this to all personnel.”

Pressing my uniform cap firmly, I secretly sighed and spoke.

“…Prepare to exterminate those rats.”