I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

The following early evening.

At the monastery’s dining hall, Headmaster Hierony was preoccupied conversing with the councilors and wealthy patrons who had come to make donations.

Ordinarily, he would have gone to greet Daniel, but unfortunately, the donation event coincided with Daniel’s visit, leaving him no choice but to prioritize hosting the guests.

Of course, Daniel was important too, but from Hierony’s position as the Monastery Headmaster, securing funds to feed the numerous orphans took precedence.

With donations for the orphans gradually dwindling, Hierony was making every effort to appeal to the councilors’ sympathies.

“It’s quite ironic that while the number of orphans is increasing due to the war, donations for them are steadily decreasing. One wonders what those businesses profiting from the war are doing…”

As the councilor shook his head in disapproval, Hierony responded with an awkward smile and a nod.

“In that sense, Councilor Leden, you are truly a commendable individual. Your generous pledge to our monastery for the orphans’ sake is a blessing from God.”
“A generous pledge, you say? My apologies, but the council may have to reduce the budget allocation for the orphanage moving forward.”

Just as Hierony was striving to appease them, the outcome was unfavorable.

Still, he understood.

Even the council had limited funds, after all.

Thus, it would be unjust to vilify them for reducing donations.

“If the budget is to be reduced, to what extent…”

As Hierony cautiously posed his question, the dining hall door opened.

Reflexively turning their heads, Hierony and the councilors spotted a military officer entering.

Clack—

The officer’s boots echoed hollowly within the dining hall.

As the officer adjusted his attire and approached in measured steps, everyone froze, intimidated by his presence.

Hierony, too, wondered why an Imperial officer had come to this place.

“Headmaster.”

Removing his uniform cap, the officer spoke in a deep baritone.

Only then did color return to Hierony’s face.

“Daniel!”

Overjoyed, Hierony took a step towards Daniel before halting abruptly.

He had noticed the Major’s rank insignia on Daniel’s epaulettes.

Consequently, Hierony could only blink in bewilderment as Daniel approached him.

“It has been a while. I trust all has been well?”
“…Yes. But it seems you have experienced quite a lot. A Major, you say? Am I seeing this correctly? Are you truly the Empire’s hero?”

As Hierony stammered his questions, Daniel smiled sheepishly.

“Various events transpired, unintentionally leading to this outcome. But who might this person beside you be?”

Meeting Daniel’s gaze, the councilor instinctively straightened his posture and answered.

“I-I am Councilor Leden. It is an honor to meet you.”
“The honor is mine. If you are a councilor, then you must be one of those providing donations to our monastery. I shall rely on your continued support.”
“Y-Yes, of course…”

After the councilor’s response, Daniel maintained his smile as he turned towards Hierony.

“But how are the children faring? Are they doing well?”
“Y-Yes, they’ve gathered over there.”

Following Daniel’s gaze, a group of children stood in the corner, staring wide-eyed.

The boys wore white shirts with black knee-length shorts and butterfly neckties, while the girls donned white dresses with flower pins adorning their hair.

‘Some things never change.’

As always, during donation events, the children were dressed in prim attire for appearances.

Letting out a soft chuckle, Daniel addressed Hierony.

“In that case, I shall spend time with the children until the event concludes.”

With those words, Daniel made his way towards the children.

Watching his retreating figure, the councilor fidgeted nervously before speaking with difficulty.

“…Major Daniel was a former student of this monastery. It would have been good if you had informed me earlier, Headmaster. Allow me to retract my previous statement – the council will not be reducing the orphanage’s budget.”
“Pardon? Truly?”

Of course, it was true. An Imperial war hero personally awarded the Golden Cross Medal by His Majesty the Emperor had said, ‘I entrust the monastery to you.’ There was no way the councilor could proceed with a budget reduction after that.

As the councilor reluctantly nodded, Daniel halted before the children and straightened his posture sternly.

“Listen up. I am Major Daniel Steiner of the Imperial General Staff Headquarters Operations Division. Does anyone know why I have come here?”

The children could only swallow their fear in silence.

Regarding their trepidation with a cool gaze, Daniel soon broke into a smile and extended his arms.

“It’s to play with all of you! Ella! Luca! Melly! You’ve all grown so much!”

Finally realizing Daniel’s jest, the children burst into laughter and rushed towards him.

Some were so excited that they nearly toppled Daniel as they tried to embrace him.

Concerned for their safety, Daniel knelt down on one knee, prompting Ella to clasp her hands before her chest and speak.

“Big Brother Daniel! You should have said you were coming! I’ve been waiting so long!”
“My apologies. I sent a letter to the Headmaster, but didn’t you all get informed?”
“No! The Headmaster is so crabby!”

The mischievous Luca chimed in.

Luca, with his snub nose, raised his voice excitedly.

“Brother! But are you really a Major? Isn’t that a super high rank? Does that mean thousands of gun-toting soldiers now follow your orders?”
“Not quite that high of a rank. At most, I can command a few hundred soldiers.”
“A few hundred is still a lot! But is it true, Brother? Melly said earlier that you came here on a secret mission!”

The mention of a secret mission caused the children’s eyes to sparkle with curiosity.

While perplexed by their eager gazes, Daniel could not disappoint them.

Apart from two outings per month, these children were effectively confined within the monastery.

Thus, spinning a little fib to entertain them was a small kindness.

“Oh no, you’ve found me out. In truth, I did come here on a secret mission.”

Luca clamped his hands over his mouth as his eyes widened.

The other children, too, furtively glanced around as they focused on Daniel’s words.

“Listen closely. I was sent here by the Imperial Court. Malicious forces have established a base here, and my objective is to eliminate them in one fell swoop.”
“…Really?”

Even the mature Ella had been easily taken in by the ruse, playing along.

With a smile, Daniel nodded.

“Yes. Normally, they operate as ordinary shopkeepers, but beneath the surface, they gather information and engage in nefarious activities. Their numbers are approximately…”

‘Approximately?’

Fearing too small a number might arouse suspicion, Daniel extended all five fingers.

“Around fifty.”

“Whoa!” The children gasped in unison, murmuring with trepidation.

Seeing some appearing genuinely frightened, Daniel sought to reassure them.

“But there’s no need to worry. I’ll take care of them all, understood?”

Placing their trust in Daniel, the children nodded in succession.

Finding their reactions endearing, Daniel chuckled before abruptly pausing.

He sensed a persistent gaze from somewhere.

Instinctively turning his head, his eyes met those of one of the wealthy patrons attending the donation event.

The patron started in surprise before hastily turning and walking away.

‘What was that about…?’

Was it merely his imagination?

As Daniel pondered this, Luca tugged at his arm.

“Brother! You’re so awesome! I want to become like you! I want to be an amazing soldier like you, Brother! Then I can help you and–”
“No.”

Interrupting Luca, Daniel wiped the playful expression from his face and spoke solemnly.

“Let me warn you, never become a soldier.”

It was an earnest advice stemming from his heart.

Underground Shopkeepers’ District, Dawn’s Radiance Headquarters.

“Your Grace! Chief of Staff, Your Grace!”

The intelligence operative dispatched to monitor Daniel rushed into the underground headquarters, immediately seeking out Morten.

Bursting into Morten’s office, the operative spoke without catching his breath.

“Your Grace! Daniel Steiner…”

Morten frowned at the sight of his breathless subordinate, disguised as a wealthy patron.

“Catch your breath and collect your thoughts before speaking.”

With a nod, the operative took a deep breath before continuing.

“Daniel Steiner has undoubtedly been sent by the Princess and appears to have uncovered the location of our headquarters.”

Seated at his desk, Morten’s brow twitched.

Removing his glasses, he regarded the operative with suspicion.

“…He knows about this place?”
“Yes. I overheard him playfully conversing with children, mentioning our underground headquarters and even roughly estimating our numbers. More importantly…”

The operative recalled Daniel’s chilling gaze fixed upon him as he spoke.

“…After finishing his tale, he glared directly at me, as if he knew from the very beginning that I was monitoring him.”

Upon hearing the operative’s account, Morten fell silent, gritting his teeth.

While the approximate location and numbers could be dismissed as a coincidence, pinpointing the individual surveilling him could not be considered mere chance.

‘Moreover…’

Despite being aware that a Dawn’s Radiance operative was monitoring him, Daniel had divulged all the information.

To Morten, it appeared as if Daniel was toying with them, issuing a veiled threat to Dawn’s Radiance while pretending to play with children.

“Damn it. Daniel is warning us. He’s saying that if he wanted, he could annihilate all of you, but he chooses not to.”
“…Why would he do that?”
“The reason is unclear. The one certainty is that Daniel desires to engage us in dialogue.”

It was an ultimatum they could not refuse.

A wave of dizziness washed over Morten.

After steadying his breathing, he lifted his head, struggling to overcome his fear.

“Very well. If he seeks dialogue, we must oblige. I shall personally meet with Daniel to discern his intentions.”

While uncertain of Daniel’s motives, for the organization’s survival, Morten had no choice but to accept his proposal.