I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

Early morning.

The faint morning light filtering through the inn’s window heralded the dawn.

Thanks to this, Daniel, who had been sleeping in a proper posture, stirred awake.

Reflexively opening his eyes, Daniel turned his head toward the window and let out a wry chuckle.

‘Morning, huh. I had intended to sleep in until noon…’

Despite deliberately oversleeping, the fact that he woke up in the morning suggested he had not shaken off his habits as an operations staff officer.

‘Well, after living as an officer at the General Staff Headquarters for a year, habits don’t change overnight.’

Remarking self-deprecatingly, Daniel sat up and ran his hand over his face.

While his body felt a bit sluggish, the fatigue seemed to have dissipated, which was not bad.

‘Let’s see. Today is…’

Slowly recalling his schedule amid his dazed state, Daniel nodded.

‘The day I visit Lef’s estate.’

That hopeless romantic had successfully lured Daniel to her estate with the bait of money.

The problem was that Lef had not disclosed the estate’s location.

So Daniel had questioned how he would find the estate without knowing its location.

In response, Lef had simply said, ‘Someone will come to get you when the time is right,’ before leaving the cocktail bar.

‘I should have asked about her background.’

Judging from her cautious attitude, it seemed unlikely she would have provided an answer even if asked.

‘Well, in any case…’

Since Lef had offered to host him, there was no need to refuse her dinner invitation.

‘…She had mentioned dinner, hadn’t she.’

It was still early morning, so he had ample time.

Enjoying this rare respite, Daniel had developed a craving to try the local desserts of Velanos.

Deciding it was time to head out, Daniel rose from the bed and slipped on his slippers.

He then opened the closet door.

Inside the open closet were new clothes carefully hung on hangers.

A jacket, vest, and trousers made of tweed material.

The overall dark gray color was complemented by a subtle checkered pattern on the vest, adding a touch of refinement.

These were clothes Daniel had personally purchased after receiving Lef’s dinner invitation.

‘That woman seems to be a noble, no matter how you look at it…’

He had procured reasonably priced attire to maintain a minimum level of decorum.

While others might view it as an eccentricity, it was an important matter for Daniel.

‘For a dinner gathering, Lef’s family will likely be present.’

The probability was high that the money would come not directly from Lef but from her parents.

In that case, Daniel would need to impress Lef’s parents, not Lef herself.

Naturally, the more favorably they viewed him, the more money he could potentially receive.

With that in mind, Daniel had spent his own funds to purchase elegant clothing.

Nobles tended to be sensitive about others’ attire, after all.

It was not for nothing that the orphanage dressed the children in formal wear whenever councilors and nobles visited to offer patronage.

There were also other aspects to consider, such as gait, speech, personality, and dining etiquette, but these did not pose significant challenges for Daniel.

‘I was always the one tasked with entertaining nobles at the orphanage.’

He was well-versed in what nobles liked and disliked, making it easy to score points with them.

‘Let’s give it our best shot, for the sake of identity laundering and my future bakery.’

With his resolve firm, Daniel stepped into the bathroom, freshened up, and changed into the new clothes.

After grooming his hair while checking the mirror, Daniel donned his sunglasses and left the inn.

He was greeted by a warm sunlight that made it hard to believe winter was approaching.

Appreciating the pleasant weather, Daniel headed to one of Velanos’s famous dessert shops as originally planned.

Navigating through the crowd, Daniel entered the dessert shop, secured a seat by the window, and was approached by a server.

Perceiving a peculiar charm in Daniel’s composed demeanor, the server spoke.

“May I take your order?”

Daniel nodded in response.

“Could I have a trifle, please? And a coffee as well.”
“One trifle and a coffee… understood.”

Offering Daniel a smile, the server turned and walked away.

Having placed his order, Daniel leisurely gazed beyond the window.

Located on the second floor, the dessert shop afforded a clear view outside, where a massive trade ship could be seen approaching while sounding its horn, causing a flock of seagulls to take flight.

It was a truly pastoral scene that filled Daniel with a sense of tranquility.

‘Yes. This is what life should be like…’

For Daniel, being able to savor peace and escape a life of constant fear of an impending death was the epitome of luxury.

In a cheerful mood, he hummed a tune for a while until the server returned.

“Here is the trifle and coffee you ordered.”

The server placed the trifle and coffee on the table.

As Daniel was about to express his gratitude, he paused.

Three almond cookies had been included as a complimentary service.

“Hm? Did I order the almond cookies as well?”
“Ah. The almond cookies are a service from us.”
“A service, I see. Thank you. Velanos seems to have many kind people.”

Daniel’s smile caused the server to blush surreptitiously.

“W-well, please enjoy your meal.”

Quickly lowering her head, the server scurried away.

While Daniel found her reaction odd, he did not dwell on it.

The trifle was his priority now.

Daniel picked up his fork and gently cut into the trifle, topped with strawberries, before taking a bite.

A tangy yet smooth and sweet flavor filled his mouth.

Wearing a satisfied smile, Daniel unconsciously opened his mouth.

“Adjutant, this is a proper establishment, so let’s try it once…”

He trailed off and closed his mouth.

Despite no one sitting across from him, he had instinctively sought out Lucie.

Finding the situation absurd, Daniel let out a low chuckle.

‘After going through all that trouble to escape, I end up longing for the spy who tried to kill me…’

This is why habits were so formidable.

‘Still…’

If Lucie had been present, the experience might have been more enjoyable.

She would undoubtedly have struggled to maintain her composure while eating this.

He could vividly imagine her suppressing her inner admiration, unwilling to admit its deliciousness.

Watching Lucie in that state would have been enjoyable in its own way.

And yet, he felt no desire whatsoever to return to the Empire.

‘I should be content with the peace I have now.’

Shaking off the thoughts swirling in his mind, Daniel used his fork to cut another piece of the trifle and brought it to his mouth.

However, the second bite did not taste as delicious as the first, for some reason.

The trade ship that had arrived at the port of Tentarbahm, Velanos, confirmed its docking position and dropped anchor.

Afterward, mooring lines were used to connect the ship to the dock, and a boarding ramp, known as a ship’s gangway, was installed.

Once the gangway was secured, the trade ship’s crew members began moving to unload the cargo one by one.

Amidst the crew, members of the secret organization Black Claw also disembarked.

Around thirty individuals dressed in black suits made their way into Tentarbahm through the gangway.

They moved in unison, as if by prior arrangement, causing nearby merchants and touts at the port to refrain from approaching or addressing them.

The intense fury emanating from their stern expressions as they walked with sealed lips deterred any attempts at interaction.

Unable to discern who they were or why they had arrived in Tentarbahm, people could only speculate.

Rumors even spread that they might be members of a mafia organization, but Hamtal, the Black Claw’s leader, paid no heed.

The reason Black Claw wore conspicuous black suits, departing from their usual attire, was to mourn Daniel Steiner.

‘Daniel Steiner is dead. Right here…’

The prophet, a symbol of the abolition of racial discrimination, had been martyred in Velanos.

While Black Claw understood this fact intellectually, they could not accept it emotionally.

Their inability to accept it manifested as fury, leading to an obsession with finding the culprit responsible for Daniel Steiner’s death, by any means necessary.

“Leader.”

One of Hamtal’s subordinates approached him as he led the group.

“Should we dedicate our full efforts to identifying the culprit, as you instructed?”

Hamtal nodded in response to the subordinate’s question.

“Velanos is a corrupt place, riddled with bribery among nobles, politicians, and the military alike. With enough money, they will readily reveal who ordered the opening of their territorial waters. Gather clues through bribery and trace the trail.”
“Understood. But what if someone refuses to cooperate…?”
“Make them cooperate.”

At Hamtal’s chilling words, the subordinate silently nodded in acknowledgment.

He understood the implication behind ‘make them cooperate.’

As the subordinate fell back to relay the orders, Hamtal clenched his teeth while facing forward.

‘I may not know who you are, but you will bitterly regret taking the life of our prophet. We will find you, without fail…’

His fist tightened to the point of creasing his leather gloves.

‘And we will utterly condemn you!’