I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 136

After finishing the conversation with the Director of the Security Bureau, Daniel returned to his office and found Lucy, who was sitting quietly at his desk, working.

"...Lieutenant?"

Hoping against hope, Daniel called out, and Lucy slowly lifted her head. Her blood-red eyes showed no sign of emotion or movement. As always, her face was expressionless.

If the Director of the Security Bureau suspects me, then Lucy must be the same. If she thinks I destroyed the Pallentia Branch of the Allied spy network...

As Daniel gazed at Lucy, he swallowed dryly.

From Lucy's perspective as an Allied spy, she might feel anger toward me.

It was a reasonable assumption for Daniel, who had no idea what kind of relationship Lucy had built with the Pallentia Branch.

On the other hand, Lucy felt no particular reaction to the destruction of the Pallentia Branch, which had treated her as nothing more than a tool. In fact, she thought Daniel had eliminated the branch for her sake, and her feelings toward him were on the rise.

"Colonel?"

Lucy tilted her head as she noticed Daniel’s strange expression, betraying a subtle tension.

"Do you have something to say?"

Her voice was calm, almost too casual, as if she knew nothing about the incident.

Daniel, realizing it was useless to try to probe, shook his head.

"Nothing."

Saying this, Daniel walked over to his desk and took a seat. He opened a drawer and pulled out a few sheets of paper, pretending to focus on his work while his mind wandered.

The conversation with the Director of the Security Bureau kept spinning in his head.

Duke Belvar is going to stir the storm...

The intensity of the metaphor suggested that something was about to happen within the system.

So, their goal isn't just to eliminate me, but to do something more. If eliminating Daniel Steiner is only part of the plan, then Duke Belvar is more dangerous than I thought.

Daniel knew he couldn’t act rashly after being appointed as the Chief of Staff for the Eastern Front 7th Division.

Soon, he would have to leave the system, but now that the situation had entered a lull, there was no need to provoke any unnecessary conflict.

He had already inflicted the maximum damage possible on the noble faction.

He had arrested Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Social Party, who had been working as a puppet for the nobles, and used public opinion to isolate Baron Hendleyem.

Moreover, the "Brick Incident" had further solidified Daniel’s political position.

If Daniel were to start investigating Duke Belvar's true intentions now, the worst-case scenario could lead to a deadly and hopeless outcome.

By now, any evidence of supporting the Crown Prince's faction would have been erased, and if Daniel made a move, it would undoubtedly turn into a dangerous, life-threatening mud fight.

Losing one's life in a political struggle should be avoided at all costs.

And...

At this point, Daniel had more than just Duke Belvar to worry about.

He had growing doubts about who exactly had destroyed the Pallentia Branch.

According to the Director, they used sleep-inducing gas. It’s very similar to the method used when the Crown Prince’s faction was suppressed.

The Crown Prince’s faction had confessed that they had lost consciousness due to sleep gas during their arrest.

If that’s the case, then it must have been the same person...

Daniel couldn’t understand their motives.

They’ve been using my name, but why would anyone associate their deeds with mine? Normally, people sell out names to cover up their misdeeds, right?

Arresting the Crown Prince’s faction, who were plotting rebellion, and destroying the enemy spy network at Pallentia seemed like clear accomplishments.

A mysterious group giving credit for those actions was perplexing.

At first, I thought it was a coincidence...

But if coincidences keep piling up, they are no longer coincidences.

However, Daniel couldn’t grasp the reason behind these strange actions.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

As Daniel pressed his forehead, deep in thought, Lucy finished organizing the documents. Seeing this, Daniel unconsciously glanced at the wall clock and realized it was already time to leave.

Has it gotten this late already?

Though he had barely done any work today due to the Director’s visit, quitting time was always a good time to leave.

With the thought of heading home to relax, Daniel grabbed his briefcase and stood up.

"Let’s call it a day."

"Understood."

Hearing Daniel’s words, Lucy also stood up from her seat.

As Daniel stepped toward the door to leave the office, Lucy followed closely behind.

The sound of their footsteps echoed softly in the corridor, and Daniel couldn’t help but feel uneasy, glancing at Lucy.

She looks like she’s in a bad mood today...

Lucy usually maintained a neutral expression. She rarely showed surprise, anger, or joy.

At first, Daniel thought her lack of expression might mean she was emotionally detached.

But after spending almost a year with Lucy, Daniel had come to realize that, despite her expressionless face, there were subtle changes in her emotions.

For example, right now...

Her gaze was a little lower than usual. It almost seemed like she was looking just below him, not straight ahead.

This was one of the signs Lucy showed when she was feeling down or lost in thought.

Could she be concerned about the Pallentia Branch getting wiped out?

Not at all.

Lucy was currently preoccupied with how she could help Daniel Steiner.

She also secretly desired to become someone important to him.

However, Daniel, unaware of this, could only feel more and more anxious.

After all, she was Lucy Emilia.

Would anyone be able to ignore the killing machine capable of taking on an entire battalion that was right beside them?

Daniel, pacing restlessly down the stairs, began to feel sweat forming on his palms.

Determined to calm down somehow for the sake of survival, Daniel cleared his throat.

"Lieutenant. How about we have a little chat?"

Their footsteps stopped at the landing of the stairs.

As Daniel quietly observed Lucy from behind, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"You seem to be in a different mood today. If you have something troubling you, would you mind telling me?"

Lucy’s hand twitched.

After taking a deep breath amidst her chaotic thoughts, Lucy turned around.

Thanks to the light from the landing, her silver hair shimmered under the glow, and her crimson irises shone beautifully.

"...I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to be concerned, Colonel. But since it’s a personal matter, I don’t want to trouble you."

"That’s quite audacious of you."

Daniel chuckled lowly.

"As your superior, it’s my responsibility to manage and oversee you. If I don’t even know what’s troubling my aide, can I really call myself a proper superior?"

"But..."

"Enough. Just tell me. After all, you and I will be spending more time together than anyone else. It’s better if we speak openly with each other, don’t you think?"

Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly taken aback.

Daniel’s offhand remark had struck her straight to the heart.

He just said we’ll spend more time together than anyone else...

She hadn’t misheard him. It was Daniel’s own words.

Though what she really wanted to hear was different, she didn’t mind that statement as much as she had expected.

Lucy stared at Daniel, then quietly spoke.

"...Did you like the beet soup?"

She changed the subject, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Daniel, though a bit puzzled by the abruptness of her question, answered sincerely.

"The beet soup? Ah, it was quite delicious. The dessert you made before was also great. It seems you have quite the skill in cooking."

"I see. That’s good then."

Lucy smiled a mysterious smile and bowed her head slightly.

Then, she turned and continued down the stairs.

Daniel, still staring at her retreating figure, scratched his cheek, somewhat dumbfounded.

What was that? Was she upset because I didn’t comment on the food...?

Though he didn’t fully understand, he was relieved to see that Lucy seemed to be in a better mood.

****

Meanwhile, at Duke Belvar’s mansion.

"Your Grace, it seems the Director of the Security Bureau has met with Daniel Steiner," reported Pelliston, the Deputy Director of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, as he stood in front of Duke Belvar, who was spending time in the wine cellar.

Belvar frowned.

"That bat-like man..."

Director Otto, the head of the Security Bureau, always pretended to remain neutral but was a typical opportunist who inserted himself into any group that seemed to have a chance of winning.

Though Otto claimed it was a strategy for surviving in the long run, Belvar saw him as nothing more than a spineless opportunist.

But his ability to judge people is impressive, that much is true.

For Otto to decide to meet with Daniel meant that it wasn’t something to be taken lightly. Otto must have believed Daniel had a chance of succeeding and was covering his bases.

I can’t waste any more time.

Clenching his teeth, Belvar turned to Pelliston and spoke.

"How is Berthem’s condition?"

"According to his doctor, he won’t last through this month."

"Good. Make sure everything is prepared. The time will be right when Berthem passes, and Daniel Steiner is away from the system."

Pelliston hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking.

"Your Grace, even so, aren’t we rushing things? Daniel Steiner is dangerous, but do we really need to act this quickly?"

Belvar gave a hollow laugh. Pelliston’s question was absurd.

"You don’t [N O V E L I G H T] understand Daniel Steiner."

Belvar recalled the time when Daniel had come to his mansion and threatened him. Even now, thinking about it made his hand tremble slightly in fear.

The eyes—sharp as a wolf's yet as deep as an abyss—were etched into his mind, unforgettable.

"Do you know who the late Emperor Selvia’s great-grandfather was?"

"The Emperor's great-grandfather...?"

The Eternal Emperor Barogrof von Amberg.

He had deposed the king when the empire was still a kingdom and placed himself on the throne. He was also the one who transformed the kingdom into the mighty empire it became.

Having served that iron-blooded man from a distance in his youth, Belvar understood.

The spirit Daniel Steiner showed that day was very similar to Barogrof’s.

Taking a deep breath, Belvar remembered his encounter with Daniel Steiner, breaking out into cold sweat.

"He’s no different from Barogrof. Those eyes were definitely... "

The eyes of a usurper who would devour the empire.