I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 160

Thanks to the checkpoint chief opening the gate, the 7th Magitek Armored Division was able to enter the Capital without suffering any damage.

Of course, just because no damage was incurred didn’t mean there was no chaos in the Capital.

“Tanks?! Why are there tanks in the Capital?!”

“What the hell? So it wasn’t a lie that the 7th Magitek Armored Division left the front line and came down here?!”

“Be good, sweetie. Hold Mommy’s hand tight. We’re going home right now. Don’t even think about going outside for the time being.”

As the line of tanks and soldiers advanced into the Capital, citizens scattered in panic.

Occasionally, a tank would crush a car blocking the road due to illegal parking, rolling over it with its treads. Each time that happened, the shattering windows and collapsing chassis of the vehicle left the citizens visibly shaken.

“You idiot, snap out of it! This isn’t some parade!”

“Is there going to be a civil war?!”

“Why is this happening…?”

From the perspective of the citizens, they had simply been going about their daily lives—and now, with thousands of troops suddenly occupying the Capital, their panic was only natural.

On top of that, Belvar was likely using the Imperial Daily to incite the public with the narrative that “Daniel Steiner has committed treason.” That would’ve only made the situation all the more chaotic.

‘They probably really believe I’ve staged a coup.’

It was a misunderstanding that would eventually be cleared up, but the sooner, the better.

Daniel pulled out the radio from his coat and pressed /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ the transmission button.

“All staff officers and unit commanders are to gather at Central Plaza immediately.”

No sooner had the order been given than the driver pulled the vehicle out of the formation and headed toward the plaza.

As they moved past tanks and armored vehicles, Lucy, who was seated next to Daniel, spoke.

“There’s been no resistance.”

“You expected the Defense Command to block us?”

“To be honest—yes, I did.”

Daniel let out a low chuckle.

“As you predicted, the Defense Commander might very well have given the order to stop us. But did you really think the unit commanders would obey it?”

“…Now that I think about it…”

“Exactly. One of their core units—the Armored Regiment—is on my side. That means, even if a civil war were to break out, they’d be facing certain defeat. From the commanders’ point of view, would they choose to obey the Defense Commander’s order and die a dog’s death, or commit insubordination and survive?”

There wasn’t a single commander who wanted to die in a pointless clash with friendly forces. Maybe in a battle against the Allied Nations—but not this.

Had Belvar given the Defense Command even the slightest legitimate justification, it might’ve been different. But from the moment Daniel succeeded in persuading the Armored Regiment, it had all crumbled.

‘They’re nothing but rats trapped in a cage now.’

Daniel clenched his fist tightly.

‘They’ll pay the price for trying to kill me.’

To Daniel—whose top priority in life was survival—the Noble Coalition was nothing more than a malignant tumor that had to be eradicated completely.

Just as he was weighing how to deal with Duke Belvar and the rest of the nobles, the vehicle entered Central Plaza and came to a stop.

As he stepped out of the car, Daniel could see the unit commanders gathered in front of the fountain.

Beneath the bright full moon, the staff officers and soldiers assigned to guard duty were also assembled around them.

As Daniel approached, the unit commanders greeted him.

“Acting Division Commander.”

“You’ve arrived, sir.”

Daniel nodded in acknowledgment and opened his mouth to speak.

“There is no benefit to the army occupying the Capital for long. In order to minimize public confusion, the 7th Magitek Armored Division will move swiftly.”

With the commanders nodding in agreement, Daniel continued.

“Our first priority will be to retake the centers of power: the Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of National Propaganda, Parliament, and the Security Bureau. Each battalion of the Infantry Regiment will be responsible for these targets.”

“Understood.”

Receiving their reply, Daniel turned to the commander of the Reconnaissance Battalion.

“The Reconnaissance Battalion is to patrol all regions of the Capital and focus on stabilizing public order. Be fully prepared to deploy the light tank platoons in pursuit of any collaborators who attempt to flee.”

“We will comply.”

Next, Daniel turned to the commander of the Guard Division’s Armored Regiment.

“The Armored Regiment is to focus entirely on liberating pro-imperial figures who have been isolated or detained in their homes by the Defense Command. I trust you’re well aware of their locations.”

“Yes, I remember the orders given by the Defense Commander.”

Having issued his commands in sequence, Daniel swept his gaze across the remaining unit commanders.

“All other personnel are to enter standby status and await further orders. Be ready to provide coordinated fire support at any time. And as for the Grenadier Battalion—”

“Yes, sir! Awaiting instructions!”

“You’re coming with me.”

“…Where to, sir?”

Daniel turned his head to gaze at the Imperial Palace, which stood at the heart of the Capital.

He had already surmised that Selvia was being held captive there.

In a quiet voice, Daniel spoke:

“To the place where Her Majesty the Empress resides.”

****

While the 7th Magitek Armored Division was seizing control of the Capital, chaos erupted within the Imperial Palace’s Grand Assembly Hall.

“Daniel Steiner has entered the Capital at the head of his army! He’s rapidly taking control! What in the hell is the Defense Commander doing?!”

“The problem isn’t the Defense Commander! I’ve heard the subordinate commanders of the Guard Division have declared their intent to disobey! They saw Daniel Steiner and swallowed their fear!”

“Goddamn it! So what, we’re just supposed to sit here and watch Daniel Steiner swallow the Capital whole?! Duke Belvar! Say something, damn you!”

Blame for a failed plan always finds its way to the leader of the group.

The nobles gathered around the table began hurling their resentment at Duke Belvar, who sat at the head.

“That’s right! Duke Belvar! Weren’t you the one who claimed you had a way to stop Daniel Steiner? Don’t you think it’s time you told us what that way is?”

“Indeed! Your Grace—do you at least have some kind of leverage over Daniel Steiner? Unless you tell us something, we can’t exactly sit here and stop ourselves from panicking, can we?”

“Silence may be golden, but if you say nothing even now, that’s a problem!”

Belvar simply watched them.

The way they raised their voices in terror made them seem more like animals than people.

He could hardly believe these were the same men who usually sat around pontificating about dignity, authority, and vested interests, spitting as they spoke.

‘These are the people I trusted to seize power with…?’

Or perhaps it was precisely because they were this pathetic that they had been easy to manipulate from behind the scenes.

‘What is a noble, and what is a commoner, really?’

Strip a human being of a single layer, and this is the ugliness that lies beneath.

“Duke Belvar! Shouldn’t we at least call in the Royal Guard?!”

“Answer us—!”

“We don’t have time for this—!”

As their voices poured into one ear and out the other, Belvar let out a quiet breath.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

The room fell into silence as Belvar finally opened his mouth.

And to the men desperately trying to deny reality, Belvar spoke the truth.

“In your hearts, you already know we’ve lost. This is the end for us.”

At the leader’s open declaration of defeat, the nobles all stared back at him, dumbfounded.

“What are you talking about…?”

A brief silence hung in the air before it exploded into fury.

“Duke Belvar! How can you say such a thing now?!”

“Do you have any idea what kind of risks our families took for your sake?!”

“You think we’ll just accept your baseless surrender?!”

But their anger didn’t last long.

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Bang!

A gunshot rang out from beyond the Grand Assembly Hall, making the nobles flinch.

As cold sweat formed on their foreheads, more gunfire followed in rapid succession.

Occasional explosions could be heard as well.

—“Aaaaaugh!!”

—“P-Please! I surrender! I surre—ghk!”

—“Please! Please! Pleeeaaagh—!!”

The screams and howls pierced through the doors, and the nobles could only sit there trembling.

‘That’s…’

That could only mean the private soldiers they had brought with them were being slaughtered.

Once the final scream was cut off, a heavy silence settled over the Grand Assembly Hall.

A silence so oppressive, so terrifying, that no one inside dared to speak.

And the one who owned that silence—was none other than Daniel Steiner.

—Open the door.

His voice came from just outside.

Moments later, boom! the door blew inward with a thunderous crash, and the grenadiers stormed in.

As smoke swirled through the entrance, leading them was Daniel Steiner himself.

The edge of his officer’s coat was stained with blood.

Daniel surveyed the hall, then slowly began to walk forward.

Tap. Tap.

As the entire room held its breath, the sound of Daniel Steiner’s boots echoed alone in the silence.

Belvar stared at Daniel Steiner and bit down hard.

This was the man who had destroyed everything.

Daniel, in contrast, looked at Belvar with a gaze of quiet arrogance—like a predator sizing up its prey.

Fixing his eyes on Belvar, Daniel spoke.

“It’s been a while. I wondered who had orchestrated this mess—and of course, it was you. Not that it matters anymore. The situation has been reversed. To mark the occasion, I have a question.”

There was even a hint of respect for the man who had gambled everything to overthrow the state.

“Duke Belvar.”

But the next emotion that followed was singular.

“Are you prepared to suffer hell?”

It was the rage of a man whose survival had been threatened.