I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

---

Right after the terror incident in the banquet hall, dubbed the ‘Ethelium Converter Assassination Case,’ the imperial family successfully mobilized the Imperial Guard and military personnel to eliminate or capture the terrorists in the old town.

The terrorists who were not killed were handed over to the military police for interrogation. During the process, Deputy of the Operations Staff Cedric Wendell, who was observing for intelligence gathering purposes, overheard an interesting story.

“It’s that son of a b*tch. The reason we failed our mission is…”

The leader of the terrorists, Rakhal, who was being tortured in the underground of the military police, suddenly spoke up.

With his eyes glazed over, he seemed barely aware of what he was saying, but the important part was that he was finally speaking after enduring the torture in silence until now.

As the interrogators murmured among themselves, Cedric took the initiative.

“Interrogator. Give that person a drink of water.”

Bendelin, nodding in response, brought a cup of water and poured it into Rakhal’s mouth, who was tied to the chair.

Having been deprived of water for several days, Rakhal gasped as the water touched his tongue and tried to drink.

“Stop.”

At Cedric’s command, Bendelin withdrew the cup. Rakhal cursed but, with his limbs tied to the chair, it was just meaningless resistance.

After observing the overly agitated Rakhal for a while, Cedric smiled and said, “I would like to hear more detailed information. For example, about that ‘son of a b*tch.’ Surely, a cup of water isn’t too much to ask.”

Finally regaining his senses, Rakhal looked straight ahead.

Upon realizing the identity of the man who had addressed him, Rakhal’s eyes widened.

【Deputy of the Operations Staff Cedric Wendell / Brigadier General】

With a haggard appearance and eyes bordering on being sunken, he was a big shot listed at the top of the assassination priority list by the kingdom’s intelligence agency.

Rakhal gritted his teeth, trembling, yet having been captured after a defeat, he had no strength to kill his opponent.

Abandoning any thoughts of resistance, Rakhal let out a low laugh.

“I see you don’t know, so it must not have been a direct order. Just a personal suspicion caused the failure? How absurd…”

His laughter was close to self-mockery.

“…Daniel Steiner. That son of a b*tch saw through our plan. That’s why we had to change the operation. Instead of attacking the banquet hall, we decided to wait in the old town.”

Daniel Steiner. Cedric was already well aware of this individual.

After all, he was the very person who had recently achieved remarkable feats, including saving Her Highness the Princess. There was no way he could be unknown.

But to think that he was also the first to detect the signs of the upcoming terror at the banquet hall.

Moreover, according to Rakhal, the leader of the terrorists, they had initiated a less favorable operation to avoid Daniel’s suspicion after abandoning the original plan.

‘Impressive.’

Combat, logistics, operations, espionage, counterintelligence.

He had seen numerous young individuals excel in one area.

War creates heroes, so it was natural to showcase one’s abilities during wartime.

However, Daniel Steiner was clearly the first to excel in all areas.

‘They say you can tell the value of an expensive jewel just by looking at the raw stone.’

Though it might still be too early to make conclusions, Cedric could not doubt Daniel’s abilities.

‘Perhaps…’

Daniel Steiner might just be the spearhead to lead the empire to victory.

*

After unintentionally saving the princess, I was dragged around for a week.

Even when I politely declined, they insisted almost coercively, leaving me with no choices.

Thus, I ended up taking pictures with various politicians and dining with royals.

Only after greeting so many people that I could hardly tell who was who was I able to return to headquarters.

I thought I could finally relax a bit, but…

“I’m looking for Captain Daniel Steiner. Do you know where he is?”

This time, a group of individuals dressed in imperial guard uniforms stormed into the operations office.

Leading them was someone wearing the insignia of the Chief of Imperial Guard, a golden emblem on their shoulder.

An unfamiliar face. The first person who had come to rescue Selvia and me from the heap of waste in the old town.

“Uh, Captain Daniel is over there…”

I could see the staff in the office startled and flustered.

Feeling guilty for the inconvenience I might have caused, I stood up and spoke.

“I am Daniel Steiner. What brings you here?”

Oh! An elderly man who looked amused approached me playfully.

“Pleasure to meet you, Captain Daniel. You might not know me, but I’m Colonel Hartman, the Chief of Imperial Guard.”

“How could I not recognize a battlefield legend? Thank you immensely for saving us last time.”

“Haha! Thank you is unnecessary. Rather, I should be grateful! Thanks to you, Her Highness the Princess was able to preserve her health.”

His voice boomed, fitting his grand stature.

As a result, Ernst, who was working in the operations department, peeked out and was taken aback.

“Aren’t you Colonel Hartman? What brings you here?”

Although Hartman’s rank was lower, he was the one who seemed more respectful.

I understood. If the imperial guard suddenly stormed into the operations office, anyone would break out in a cold sweat.

“Oh, Colonel Ernst! I’m here on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.”

Upon hearing the Emperor’s name, Ernst’s face drained of color.

The idea that the imperial guard came to execute a command from the Emperor was not reassuring.

“Is there, by any chance, someone in our staff who has incurred the imperial family’s displeasure?”

Wondering what that was about, Hartman soon burst into a hearty laugh.

“Don’t be silly! It’s not like that at all. On the contrary, I’m here to present the National Order of Goryeo Medal to Captain Daniel on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor.”

…The National Order of Goryeo Medal? For me? Stunned, Ernst relaxed and nodded.

“I see. I expected it would come soon but thought the timing was a bit early?”

“The sooner, the better. Reward and punishment are the foundational principles of the empire, right? Well, normally His Majesty would grant this personally, but as you know, he’s been quite busy with the northern expedition lately.”

“I understand. Please proceed.”

Ernst gave me a thumbs up in congratulations and stepped back.

Still unsure of what was going on, Hartman took out the decree.

It was shaped like a cylindrical scroll, and anyone could tell it was made of high-quality material.

Ernst skillfully untied the ribbon and unrolled the decree.

“The master of the empire proclaims: Captain Daniel Steiner, listen!”

As Hartman’s voice resonated, everyone in the operations office quickly knelt on one knee, as if pre-arranged. I followed suit.

“According to the words of the Central Intelligence Agency and military police, you were the first to detect the infiltrator at the banquet hall and engaged in conversation, without shedding suspicion. Consequently, they changed their operation, which is seen to have averted disaster for the empire.”

Me? When did I do that?

“Furthermore, you, who risked your life to protect my daughter Selvia von Amberg, who is akin to the brilliant light of the empire, are a loyal subject deserving applause. Therefore, I shall award you the National Order of Goryeo Medal, Grade 2.”

The mention of the National Order of Goryeo Medal sent chills down my spine.

As far as I knew, no officer of the rank I held had ever received this medal before.

It meant I was the first, drawing attention toward me.

Moreover, among senior officers, those who received this honor were few and far between.

This would surely lead to the allied intelligence agents valuing my neck even more.

Stealing a glance at Lucy nearby, I saw her wearing an emotionless expression.

I quickly diverted my gaze out of fear.

“Raise your head and stand up. Captain Daniel Steiner.”

At Hartman’s words, I rose from my seat.

Then, one of the imperial guards approached, carrying a luxurious box.

As the guard opened the box, a medal, an insignia, and a golden decoration revealed themselves.

Hartman picked up the insignia, barely the size of a fingernail, and attached it to the left breast of my uniform.

“By wearing this insignia during peacetime, everyone around will know you are a recipient of the National Order of Goryeo Medal. It is a great honor, so take pride in it.”

Not that I felt proud, but I nodded all the same.

With a gentle pat on my shoulder, Hartman casually remarked, “By the way, have you ever considered joining the Imperial Guard? With your skills, it seems you could quickly climb to the position of Chief of Imperial Guard.”

Once I entered the Imperial Guard, leaving the empire would be nearly impossible.

I really didn’t want that, so I forced a smile.

“I believe the Imperial Guard is an honorable place, but I think my spot during wartime isn’t with the Guard.”

Hartman, momentarily silent, nodded as if understanding.

“Right. A capable young man like you seems better suited for the battlefield than the Imperial Guard.”

I felt like my words had been misunderstood. Just as I was about to clarify, Hartman took a step back and chuckled.

“Congratulations! National Order of Goryeo Medal Recipient, Captain Daniel Steiner!”

As the brief ceremony concluded, Ernst and the other staff stood up and applauded.

Cheering erupted from all over, but I couldn’t feel any joy at all.

“…”

It was because Lucy, staring silently at me from the crowd, sent a shiver down my spine.

Cold sweat trickled down.

‘It seems…’

I felt like I had to escape the empire as soon as possible.