I Was Mistaken for a Great General of War

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The next morning.

“This is the place that man mentioned.”

Daniel, accompanied by police officers, stopped in front of a shop.

Yesterday, the man who introduced himself as Morten in the chapel confessed that he was “trying to incite a rebellion with the help of the prince,” so they came to investigate.

To be honest, Daniel brushed it off as the ramblings of a madman, but with a report regarding a possible rebellion, he couldn’t ignore it.

So, as soon as morning came, he requested assistance from the local police station and arrived here.

“From the outside, it seems like an ordinary shop, but…”

Detective Superintendent Baretti tilted his head, puzzled.

Daniel agreed, but one could never be too sure.

“If that man is indeed the head of a secret organization, disguising his building and identity to avoid suspicion is basic strategy. His claims might not just be the rants of a madman, so we should proceed with caution.”

Seeing Baretti nod, Daniel stepped inside the shop.

The shop’s door was wide open, yet for some reason, there were no staff to welcome customers.

The only sign was blood splatter on the merchandise display.

As Daniel took in the bloodstains, he instinctively drew his revolver from its holster.

“Damn. It seems that man’s words were true. Everyone, get ready!”

Hearing Daniel’s shout, Baretti and the investigation team drew their guns.

In the tense atmosphere, Daniel crouched down and glanced around.

‘Footprints…’

Footprints that looked like they belonged to military boots trailed off to one direction.

When he looked over, he saw the steel door leading to the basement standing wide open.

With some carpets and furniture scattered around haphazardly, it appeared they had been hidden from view until now.

“Captain Daniel? Did you find something…?”

As Baretti approached with the police, Daniel raised a hand to signal him to stop.

After another careful glance around, Daniel straightened up.

“It seems like an armed group had infiltrated the basement. They likely ventured outside relatively recently after securing the area for a while.”

“Eh? How can you tell that, Captain Daniel?”

“The footprints. The military boot prints leading inside appear to have gathered dust, while those leading outside are clear and fresh.”

Impressed by Daniel’s deduction, Baretti murmured, “That’s certainly true. Then…”

“Dangerous situations could arise. Request backup from headquarters.”

Nodding in tension, Baretti grabbed the radio.

“It’s Baretti. We need urgent assistance. Request immediate support at the red-roofed shop by the riverside in Area 13 near the village of Pianmari.”

A reply came through the radio, confirming they understood.

Hearing that the request for support was accepted, Daniel moved toward the basement.

He needed to find out what had happened here.

Though reluctant, Baretti had no choice but to follow Daniel into the basement.

After descending a rough staircase, they entered a rather spacious area.

“What is this…?”

Turning on his flashlight, Baretti discovered numerous desks and a telex machine.

Burnt documents were scattered haphazardly on the floor.

As Daniel picked up one of the discarded papers nearby, his brow furrowed.

“It appears the man’s claims of calling himself Morten were true.”

The document outlined operations to intimidate politicians and journalists and incite citizens.

At that moment, when the charge of treason was all but confirmed, a commotion was heard from somewhere.

Turning his head, he could hear sounds coming from a room separated by partitions.

With a hand signal to Baretti and the police, Daniel moved toward the room.

Keeping a finger on the trigger of his revolver, Daniel swung the door open and was taken aback.

“Wha-what!?”

“Ughh…”

Countless people, bound and gagged, were groaning helplessly.

Some, upon seeing Daniel’s face, scrambled backward in shock like caterpillars.

Baretti, who finally got a glimpse of the scene in the room, was dumbfounded.

“What on earth is this…?”

“I don’t know either. For now, please remove the gags. We need to find out what happened here.”

Nodding, Baretti put away his gun and removed the gag from the nearest man’s mouth.

The moment he did, the man shouted with a terrified expression.

“Please, save me! Captain Daniel Steiner! Please, save me! I won’t participate in anything like this ever again! Please…!”

Daniel was taken aback by the man’s extreme reaction.

‘Why is he asking me to save him?’

Baretti was equally puzzled.

Wondering if the panicked man was just rambling, Baretti removed the gags from another person.

Then.

“Captain Daniel! Please save me! I beg you! I have a family to feed! Whaahh… Please forgive me!”

Another person was pleading for Daniel’s mercy, clearly terrified.

Baretti looked at Daniel with a suspicious expression.

Feeling the detective’s gaze, Daniel began to sweat nervously.

“Uh, Detective? I can guess what you’re thinking, but I swear to God I didn’t do this.”

However, Baretti’s suspicion showed no signs of easing.

The other officers seemed to feel some kind of fear toward Daniel and were tentatively stepping back.

“…Everyone? I really didn’t do it. Please believe me.”

Daniel implored earnestly, but his words fell on deaf ears.

Amid the ensuing silence, Baretti gulped and said, “For now, I’ll write in the report that Captain Daniel knew nothing.”

“Detective? Again, I’m saying I didn’t do anything.”

“Yes. Of course, Captain Daniel couldn’t have done it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Baretti removed his police cap and bowed slightly to Daniel.

It was a gesture indicating that he wouldn’t let any harm come to Captain Daniel, reassuring him.

After all, one should never offend someone powerful enough to commit such acts.

However, for Daniel, who truly hadn’t been involved in this incident, it was nothing but unfair.

Raising a hand to wipe his face, Daniel let out a low sigh.

‘I just wanted to enjoy my vacation…’

It was maddening to be caught up in such absurdity.

*

Late at night, in the office inside the Imperial Palace.

‘They’re seizing control of the territory…’

Princess Selvia looked down at the map of the territory spread out on her desk.

Red “X” marks indicated points where politicians and journalists aligned with the princess were threatened by armed groups.

‘Collecting data was good, but…’

The problem was the inconsistency.

If the group’s base was located within the territory, there would clearly be overlapping areas of operation.

Yet, they appeared as if mocking the princess’s pursuit, showing up in entirely unpredictable directions.

‘If the armed groups operate like small cells…’

It seemed more likely that their headquarters was not within the territory but somewhere else, as Selvia had initially suspected.

‘But how am I supposed to find it?’

The Empire was vast.

It was impossible to comb through the entire territory.

Moreover, Selvia estimated that these groups must have settled there quite some time ago.

If not, they wouldn’t be able to operate so systematically and organized.

At the very least, they must have established their headquarters and started activities around three years ago, making the search even harder.

Thanks to that, the range of activities of the princess’s allied politicians and journalists was becoming increasingly limited.

They were keeping low profiles as the chances of being threatened or harmed increased.

‘I have to find them somehow.’

But there weren’t any solid methods.

With her hand on her forehead in distress, Selvia’s eyes flickered open.

‘If only that person were here with me…’

Daniel Steiner.

The man who took Nordia with brilliant tactics and strategies.

If he were nearby, he might have been able to help her find the prince’s secret organization.

But right now, Daniel had applied for an extended vacation and left the territory.

As if he had no interest in the struggles among heirs.

Thus, Selvia couldn’t recall Daniel back.

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

While heading to the Imperial Palace in a limousine, Selvia thought perhaps he had finally decided to side with her, yet right at the most critical time, he took off on vacation.

In her anxiousness, she found herself tapping her desk absentmindedly when a knock sounded.

Straightening up, Selvia cleared her throat and spoke.

“Come in.”

With that, the door to the office opened, and Colonel Hartmann, the Chief of the Imperial Guard, entered.

Hartmann saluted lightly and approached Selvia.

“Your Highness, were you working late into the night?”

“It’s a matter of life and death. But more importantly, what brings you here?”

“I apologize for the rudeness, but I have an urgent matter to report.”

Urgent matter? Selvia nodded as if to say, “Go ahead.”

“Well, I must inform you that the leadership of the secret organization the prince has been tracking has been apprehended all at once.”

Selvia’s eyes widened in disbelief.

As if she couldn’t comprehend, Selvia jumped up from her chair.

“Is that really true? I’m asking if you’re sure about that information.”

“We received the report directly from the police station in the Barony of Betargen in the Southern Empire. According to the documents they sent, it’s certainly not false.”

If they managed to apprehend them, it meant a tremendous advantage in the succession struggle.

Delighted by the sudden stroke of luck, Selvia found herself raising her voice without meaning to.

“Who did it? Who has achieved such a great feat?”

“That would be…”

Bending his waist slightly, Hartmann whispered to Selvia.

“He claims not to be the one, but based on context, it appears to be Captain Daniel Steiner.”

Selvia was left speechless.

“…Daniel?”

Didn’t Daniel ask for vacation and head to his hometown?

No, thinking about it from the other side, it didn’t make sense to take an extended vacation during such a critical time in the territory.

‘Seeing how actively he’s involved, Daniel must be craving a promotion.’

Would a capable staff officer, starving for advancement, go on vacation just as the next Emperor is to be decided?

It was absurd.

‘Then from the start…’

It was clear that Daniel had “pretended to be on vacation while carrying out a mission” for her sake.

‘Now that I think about it, Daniel once said I would be the Emperor.’

She recalled what Hartmann had shared when Daniel had disguised himself as a war correspondent and headed north.

Even amidst threats from the prince’s assassins, Daniel firmly held to his belief that “the next Emperor would not be the prince, but the princess.”

‘The fact that he disguised his true motives as a vacation…’

It made sense in light of the age-old strategy of deceiving the enemy, including allies.

Finally understanding all of Daniel’s words and actions, a faint smile crept onto Selvia’s lips.

‘Last time, he put his life on the line to protect me…’

And now, he was willingly undertaking work beyond what was requested to make her an Empress.

Without realizing it, Selvia felt affectionate toward Daniel and slightly parted her lovely lips.

“Really, he’s just irresistible. Daniel Steiner…”

To Selvia, Daniel was not only a capable staff officer but also a true loyalist in every sense of the word.