I Was Mistaken as a Great War Commander-Chapter 171

To Manlard, that was just another form of terror.

“Just moments ago...”

Daniel had been prepared to kill him, berating him mercilessly—and yet now, it was different.

Now that his opponent had lost the will to resist and accepted defeat, wasn’t Daniel smiling as though he were enjoying it?

Manlard, unable to grasp what lay behind Daniel Steiner’s smile, remained silent. Daniel continued.

“Admit that you published biased articles and claim you feel responsible for your mistakes—then resign. For the price of your life, that’s quite a bargain, isn’t it?”

“...You mean... resign?”

“That’s correct. Also, I’d like you to appoint an external figure as your successor, on the grounds that the Imperial Daily has been steeped in bias.”

“...Whom...?”

“Appoint Boelm, the editor-in-chief of the Melvaroten Times.”

Manlard’s pupils trembled.

“The Melvaroten Times...”

Even if he’d wanted not to know, there was no avoiding it.

When word spread that Daniel Steiner was withdrawing his forces, the Imperial Daily and other newspapers had criticized the incident—but the Melvaroten Times had not.

They defended Daniel Steiner, arguing that there was no need to rush to judgment without first understanding the reason for the withdrawal.

Back then, Manlard had found their actions incomprehensible. Now that Daniel Steiner had mentioned the Melvaroten Times, everything became clear.

“So the Melvaroten Times was Daniel Steiner’s mouthpiece.”

Manlard clenched his teeth.

Placing the editor-in-chief of the Melvaroten Times in charge of the Imperial Daily meant that the Empire’s largest newspaper would effectively become Daniel Steiner’s.

He would be handing everything he’d built over to Daniel Steiner. But Manlard had no choice.

Because the man holding his life in his hands right now was none other than Daniel Steiner.

“...I will speak to the publisher.”

“A wise decision. And just in case, let me say this as well...”

Daniel quietly grasped Manlard’s shoulder and whispered.

“If the tongue is too long, it’s bound to be cut.”

A clear warning not to speak of this to outsiders, and that if he acted in any way beyond the orders given, there would be consequences.

When the frozen Manlard gave a slight nod, Daniel offered him a faint smile and exited the office.

At that, the staff—some hidden under desks, others standing dazed—turned to look at Daniel.

He glanced over the staff of the Imperial Daily and addressed them casually.

“There seem to be quite a few political affairs journalists here. Some of you look familiar. You used to hound me persistently, trying to land an interview, isn’t that right?”

Daniel pointed at one reporter with a teasing smile, but the atmosphere only grew heavier.

“I don’t recognize the rest of you—most likely part of the editing or proofreading teams, I assume. And beyond that, there must be those working hard in publishing, printing, advertising, and sales.”

Only the faint sound of staff swallowing their spit could be heard.

“I don’t believe any of you are at fault. You merely carried out the orders handed down from above. Therefore, I do not intend to hold you accountable.”

No one felt relieved.

Because Daniel Steiner had not finished speaking.

“But don’t take that to mean you’ve been granted absolution.”

Daniel Steiner was still smiling, but beneath that smile lurked a threat directed at the staff.

“If any of you—driven by rebellious tendencies—intend to continue writing biased articles after today...”

After a brief silence, Daniel spoke again.

“...then things will not end as peacefully as they did today.”

The journalists’ faces turned pale.

Among the editorial staff hiding under desks, several let out hiccups in fright.

Satisfied that the warning had been delivered, Daniel turned to a nearby soldier and spoke.

“Withdraw.”

The soldier nodded and relayed the command to the others.

As the room grew hectic, Daniel quietly walked out of the building.

Stepping out through the front entrance, he spotted Phelp standing by a military jeep, along with the driver.

Phelp saluted, and Daniel returned it with only a cursory nod.

“Colonel Steiner. Did everything go smoothly?”

“It was almost too easy.”

As Daniel approached, the driver opened the back door for him.

Daniel climbed in first, and Phelp entered through the adjacent door.

Soon after, the soldier started the engine, and Phelp turned toward Daniel.

“Colonel, if it’s not presumptuous, may I ask what your next plan is?”

“My next plan, you say. You mean identifying and tracking down the remnants of the Noble Coalition?”

“Yes, sir. Even if they’re just remnants, they are nobles who hold stakes in the Empire. If we don’t root them out completely, they could spark another civil conflict.”

It might sound exaggerated, but the risk wasn’t zero.

But if you enter the den to catch the prey, they’ll only hide deeper within.

Daniel knew this, and responded flatly.

“For the time being, we will do nothing.”

With the engine running, the vehicle began to head toward the Central Security Bureau.

Phelp, taken aback by Daniel’s declaration, hesitated before speaking.

“May I ask... what your intent is in doing so?”

“Major Phelp. News of my visit to the Imperial Daily will spread like wildfire, don’t you think? The remnants of the Noble Coalition will hear it too. That I didn’t throw the editor-in-chief into prison, but let him go with only a dismissal.”

“Ah. Don’t tell me...”

Daniel nodded.

“Then, the Director of the Central Security Bureau will publicly support the creation of the National Security Oversight Bureau, which I proposed to Her Majesty. What do you think the remnants of the Noble Coalition will think when they see this?”

“...They’ll assume that making a deal with Colonel Daniel Steiner is a way to avoid punishment and keep their lives. That would cause fractures within their group. They won’t know who might betray them.”

Better to be the one doing the betraying than to be betrayed—some nobles would undoubtedly make that choice.

The Stratagem of Killing with a Borrowed Knife.

Daniel had prepared a stage where the nobles would stab and kill each other.

Phelp couldn’t help but shiver, silently watching Daniel’s profile.

That man of iron and blood looked as though he would do anything if it was for the Empire.

But Daniel’s true thoughts were far from what Phelp imagined.

“Because of you bastards, my discharge was scrapped. I’ve lost even the faintest hope of retiring. You dare to chain me to this Empire °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° for life?”

Daniel clenched his teeth as he looked out the window.

“You’ll suffer the way I’ve suffered.”

He thought of the Noble Coalition remnants now in hiding.

He would make sure they paid the price. No matter what.

****

A few days later. No. 11 Volberferk Street, Melvaroten Times.

“Yes, this is Boelm, editor-in-chief of the Melvaroten Times. How can I help you?”

Boelm, who answered the phone as usual, was taken aback by what came through the receiver.

“You're... the publisher of the Imperial Daily?”

It was only natural to be flustered—after all, the CEO of the Imperial Daily had suddenly called him.

Tom, who had been chatting with Boelm in the office, couldn’t hide his surprise either.

“Boelm? The Imperial Daily? What’s going on?”

Boelm raised a finger, signaling him to be quiet, and continued the call.

“Yes. That’s correct. That’s true, but... what!? Me, you say? You’re saying I can even bring all the Melvaroten Times staff with me? Is that really true? No, of course I don’t object.”

Boelm, continuing the call with clear excitement, nodded to the unseen person on the other end.

“Oh no, I should be the one thanking you. Yes. I understand. I’ll get everything ready as soon as possible. Yes! Thank you very much!”

After ending the call, Boelm set down the receiver.

Then, with a slightly dazed expression, he looked at Tom.

“Tom. I just got a call from the Imperial Daily...”

“Yeah? And?”

“They offered me the position of editor-in-chief.”

Tom’s eyes went wide.

“Editor-in-chief of the Imperial Daily? Are you kidding me?”

“Nope. At first I thought it was some kind of prank, but when I heard the voice, I knew it was the real deal. How could I forget that distinctive voice? And that unique speech pattern?”

“Even so, does this make any sense? Why you, all of a sudden—?”

“It’s not all of a sudden.”

Boelm had a pretty good guess.

“You know that Colonel Daniel visited the Imperial Daily recently, right?”

“Don’t tell me Colonel Daniel was the one who...”

“Yeah. What else could explain why, out of all the newspapers, they contacted us specifically?”

While Tom stood there with his mouth agape, Boelm let out a soft laugh.

“He’s giving us a gift that’s practically unbelievable. So big it’s almost too much to handle. I always had a feeling from the start that Colonel Daniel was going to become a great man.”

At Boelm’s shameless remark, Tom frowned.

“What the hell is he talking about?”

Tom vividly remembered how Boelm had wailed and raged, saying he’d sold his soul to the devil, back when he first aligned with Daniel.

But for Boelm, such minor past embarrassments no longer mattered.

He sprang up from his seat and spoke.

“Tom! Looks like we need to start packing. Let’s begin with the essentials. And while you’re at it, bring the photo of Her Majesty the Empress and Colonel Daniel Steiner. I’m planning to frame them and hang them in the editor-in-chief’s office.”

Tom nodded, got up, and left the office.

Left alone, Boelm tried to calm his pounding heart, elated beyond measure, and thought of Daniel.

“They say there’s a fine line between god and devil.”

That terrifying figure now felt like an omniscient, omnipotent god.

Not only had he saved the Melvaroten Times from bankruptcy, but now he had handed Boelm the position of editor-in-chief at the Empire’s largest newspaper, the Imperial Daily.

“I think I finally understand why people believe in religion.”

Having someone to guide you was, unexpectedly, a rather reassuring thing.

Boelm made up his mind: from now on, he would run the Imperial Daily in service to Daniel Steiner.

“Even if it’s just to repay this debt...”

He would gladly offer himself as a loyal servant.