I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander

T+28 hours since the start of the operation.

Daniel Steiner’s brigade, advancing rapidly along the road beside the railway and across the plains, was able to enter the city with speed.

A small contingent of defense forces attempted resistance during the entry, but they were of little concern.

The moment they took cover in the city’s buildings to launch an attack, they became targets for the tanks.

BOOM—!

A superheated shell fired from the barrel blew an entire building to pieces.

Even before the debris from the explosion hit the ground, the screams of Allied soldiers followed.

A few soldiers managed to survive the shelling by sheer luck, but they had no time to feel relieved.

Behind the lead tanks, the brigade's troops were flooding in like a swarm of hornets.

The only options available to the defense forces were to die fighting or raise the white flag and surrender.

A few remaining tanks that had stayed behind to defend the city attempted to respond to Daniel's brigade—but it was a losing battle.

The Allied tanks struggled to penetrate the Empire’s armor, whereas the Empire’s tanks simply turned the Allied tanks into fireballs.

The firepower disparity was overwhelming.

— Enemy tank unit confirmed destroyed! We've secured a clear path for armored unit advance!

— Proceeding to the next objective!

Inside an armored vehicle, Daniel pressed the transmit button on the radio as he listened to his brigade’s progress.

“Tank units, link up with infantry support and swiftly secure the city center. Then move to secure key positions and transport routes.”

A reply of acknowledgment came from the other end.

As the sound of artillery echoed around him, Daniel, reassured by the smooth progress of the city occupation, couldn’t help but think of the lab.

The ominous machinery set up in that place flashed in his mind.

If Lucy’s headaches in Fenbark were related to that device...

Count Khaledra might be trying to use it on Lucy again.

Thinking he needed to eliminate that variable, Daniel picked up the radio and pressed the transmit button again.

“Recon company, follow me immediately. We’re moving to the outskirts of the city.”

****

The research lab, which was usually cloaked in darkness, was now flooded with light.

Thanks to Count Khaledra’s orders, massive electrical power had been supplied to the facility.

Most of the power was being concentrated into a vertical chamber at the center of the lab.

Inside the chamber, Lucy floated weightlessly, like suspended in zero gravity, unconscious.

Watching her silently, the squad leader glanced toward the research staff.

“Hey. How much longer do we have to wait?”

With news that Daniel Steiner’s brigade had entered the city, they had to evacuate this place as soon as possible.

But the lead scientist merely looked troubled.

“The electromagnetic field generator is functioning properly. It’s generating a resonant electromagnetic field to stimulate the hippocampal region and block neural synapse transmissions, so...”

“What the hell are you saying? Speak plainly.”

“To put it simply, the memory erasure isn’t working. The subject appears to be resisting. We’ve never encountered an error like this before.”

As the scientist stared at the control panel, unable to hide his dismay, the squad leader scowled.

“Fuck! Are you saying you can or you can’t do it?”

“As I said, this is an unprecedented error. There is one possible solution, but it’s too dangerous. Honestly, it’d be best to abandon the process—”

Before he could finish, a scream echoed from above.

The soldiers and the squad leader immediately drew their weapons.

Amid their tense silence, the sound of multiple troops sprinting down the hallway reached them.

At the squad leader’s gesture, a soldier hesitantly peeked around the corner—

BANG!

The soldier’s head exploded on the spot.

As the terrified researchers scrambled for cover behind the control panel, the squad leader gritted his teeth.

“Fucking hell...!”

Pointing his pistol down the corridor, he waited. Imperial scouts surged in moments later.

As the Allied soldiers began firing in a panic, the lab was soon filled with the sound of gunfire.

But the louder the gunfire grew, the more Allied soldiers dropped.

Pouring in through the corridor, the Imperial scouts gunned down the defenders one by one as they advanced.

Even the squad leader, returning fire with his pistol, was struck in the shoulder and collapsed to the floor.

He gasped for air, having dropped his pistol, as a uniformed officer stepped in from the hallway.

The officer’s chest was covered in decorations—someone the squad leader recognized very well.

“Daniel... Steiner...”

Hearing the muttered name, Daniel turned his head.

The squad leader clawed at the floor, trying desperately to reach ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) his fallen pistol.

But Daniel was faster. He drew his revolver.

BANG!

The bullet struck square between the eyes. The squad leader bowed his head and accepted death.

Confirming that the lab had been secured, Daniel stepped forward, boots pressing into the blood of the fallen Allied soldiers.

His steps gradually slowed as he reached the chamber containing Lucy.

“......”

He stood for a moment, staring at Lucy suspended in the chamber, then slowly turned to the side.

The scientist, catching Daniel’s eye, felt a crushing pressure and shakily stood up.

It felt like Daniel was silently demanding it.

“Speak.”

The flat voice echoed quietly through the lab.

“Why is my adjutant inside that chamber?”

The scientist lowered his head, fear gripping him.

“Please... forgive me. I was only following Count Khaledra’s orders. I wanted to refuse, but he was holding my family hostage. I had no choice...”

“What were the orders?”

“He commanded me to erase the young lady’s memories. I only did as I was ordered...”

The scientist trailed off, falling silent.

Because Daniel’s gaze was now bearing down on him like a force of pure violence.

“Has my adjutant’s memory been erased?”

His voice, low and heavy, carried a distinct killing intent.

Like a herbivore sensing a predator’s roar, the doctor hurriedly opened his mouth.

“That’s not it. The moment we touched a specific code to begin memory erasure, the young lady’s consciousness mounted a strong resistance. That triggered a critical error, which caused the magnetic ring inside the chamber to surge in output...”

The doctor raised a trembling hand to adjust his glasses.

“As you can see, the young lady is currently in a coma.”

At the word coma, Daniel clenched his teeth.

He closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing his emotions as best he could, then stepped forward toward the control panel.

Passing the doctor, Daniel stared at the console’s screen—filled with red windows, all displaying the word ERROR.

Examining the display, Daniel opened his mouth.

“This specific code showing up on the panel—what does it mean?”

The doctor hesitated briefly before answering.

“To put it simply... it pertains to Brigadier General Daniel Steiner.”

Daniel let out a low breath.

It was absurd.

To avoid forgetting, she had pushed herself into a coma.

After a long silence, Daniel finally spoke again.

“From this point forward, I will tell you all your future.”

He looked around at the terrified researchers, including the doctor.

“Tell me how to bring my adjutant out of this coma. If no one here has an answer... you’ll all die in this place.”

The moment Daniel finished speaking, the scouts raised their rifles and took aim at the research staff.

Panic swept the room as the doctor frantically blurted out:

“There is a way! A possible one, at least!”

Daniel turned a sharp gaze on him.

Drenched in cold sweat, the doctor forced himself to continue speaking.

“The young lady is currently in a form of consciousness withdrawal to avoid external interference. Simply put, she has locked away her most important memories so even she cannot access them, and then relocated her consciousness into her past.”

He gestured toward the control panel.

“Right now, the young lady is trapped in the memories of her childhood. In theory, if we can make contact with her consciousness and help her recall those locked memories, she should be able to awaken from the coma. The problem is...”

Lifting his head cautiously, the doctor looked Daniel in the eye.

“The person most suited for that role is Brigadier General Daniel Steiner himself.”

Of course.

The memories Lucy was trying to protect were all about Daniel Steiner.

Therefore, the quickest way was for the man himself to make contact.

Having understood the explanation, Daniel asked another question.

“How long will it take?”

“Excuse me? Ah—inside, we can’t say how much time will pass. But in reality, it should only be a matter of minutes. However, since this isn’t a fully verified procedure, there will be some risks.”

“Fine. Then prepare it immediately.”

The doctor’s face went blank, as if stunned he had agreed so readily.

“...Brigade Commander?”

Nearby, the company commander who had been listening in also intervened in shock.

“This is too dangerous. Is it really worth the risk?”

“It is.”

The answer came instantly.

Daniel’s eyes rested on Lucy, still floating in the chamber.

“This woman risked her life to save mine.”

A wry smile tugged at his lips.

“So what would I be if I ran away because I was afraid to do the same?”

Seeing him like that, the company commander lowered his head to show his understanding.

The doctor, thinking he might have found a way to survive, immediately began preparing, as if to prove he hadn’t lied.

“We’ll need a simplified chamber for consciousness contact. Please help move it...”

Daniel watched as a few soldiers assisted the doctor, then walked closer to the central chamber.

He stopped at close range, staring at Lucy floating within.

Around her neck, she still wore the necklace with the amber gem.

“...Such a hopeless adjutant. Making your superior go through all this.”

With a faint, low laugh, Daniel raised his hand.

“Lucy. I know it’s hard, but hang in there just a little longer.”

His hand, rising like something caught in a net, finally touched the glass wall that encased her.

“Just like you saved me...”

Daniel mouthed the words with genuine feeling.

“...I will save you, too.”