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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Betrayed General Betrays
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He seriously contemplated whether it wasn't too late even now to change his approach.
Like a sociable person would, he could strike up a conversation as if nothing had happened, acting all nonchalant.
Rather than arriving at the capital without exchanging a single word, it was better to break the ice, even if it meant shattering his image.
Even if the first impression was ambiguous, he could build trust later with effort.
It was far more comfortable to be seen as a lighthearted person than to stand before the Emperor without any help.
It wasn't that there were no methods.
It was just that any response to the approaching horse would inevitably carry greater risk.
"Um, should I call you Viktor-sama?"
"Yes."
Fortunately, before he could resort to his second-best plan, Erika spoke up first.
He deliberately infused his tone with a mix of gratitude, irritation, and frustration.
If he showed he was upset, she would assume on her own, 'He must be really hurt by the betrayal.'
"Th-that..."
"..."
Instead of showing displeasure at his curt reply, which could come off as brusque, she kept stammering and averted her gaze.
Then she pulled out a notebook from her bosom, flipped through it, glanced at him furtively, and flipped through it again.
...It wasn't that there were no orders from the Emperor; she was just too timid to speak up.
That notebook probably had pre-prepared questions or information about him jotted down.
"I'm Erika from the Bauman Count family."
"I'm Viktor."
"Ah! Um, I-I'm not trying to brag or any— Hic!"
"..."
Perhaps thinking it a mistake to flaunt her status in front of a commoner like him, she tried to make a hasty excuse and bit her tongue.
If he were in a relaxed situation, he might have found it cute, but right now, he just wished she would hurry up and ask her questions.
He didn't feel looked down on for her mentioning her status, and being scorned as a commoner was something he was used to anyway.
"Eek, hic..."
"Hmm..."
He observed her for a moment; she seemed utterly scatterbrained.
She was dressed in slightly modest attire, with her hairstyle and accessories fitting just enough not to be ignored.
The most expensive-looking item was her necklace, but it showed no signs of frequent wear.
She looked over twenty outwardly, yet she wore no ring, suggesting she wasn't married.
Was she really just a disposable pawn?
Unmarried, and from a count family, she probably wasn't the heir, so there were likely no waiting family members holding her back.
If she restrained her extravagance even in meetings with foreign kings and nobles, it meant she was either famous enough not to need boasting, or her family was so minor that luxury was a burden.
The Bauman Count family didn't appear in the game, and he'd never heard of them, so the former was unlikely.
If she were truly insignificant, it wouldn't be strange for her to just be tasked with escorting him in case negotiations happened.
The Emperor sending someone so painfully shy that she couldn't even speak?
It was far more convincing that she was hesitating because it wasn't part of her mission.
For now, it seemed best not to expect much from this woman.
"Um, uh, Viktor-sama?"
"Yes."
"I, um, you see..."
He lowered his expectations a notch.
Someone the Emperor trusted to a degree, but whose absence wouldn't leave a big void.
If she was just an ordinary noble lady without the Emperor's halo.
There was plenty of possibility she was scared of him, surprised by the rumors and his first impression at the palace.
Rumors even said Imperials threatened sleepless children with his name, so it made sense she couldn't easily speak up.
"I've, I've heard a lot about you for a long time, Viktor-sama!"
...Or not?
The words that emerged after tremendous hesitation shattered all his prior assumptions.
Unlike before, she began spilling words in a slightly excited manner.
"I've even looked up the battles you commanded yourself! Like, uh, the Serkutsk Gorge battle!"
Right now, Erika looked like a fan meeting a celebrity.
He wasn't sure if this was her way of approaching or if she truly felt that way,
"...Is that so."
"Yes! The nimble unit deployments and maneuvers, the breakthrough! They're even talking about putting it in textbooks!"
It was clear the Empire had more leeway than the Ruth Kingdom.
That Serkutsk battle had happened just two years ago between the Empire and the Kingdom, yet she spoke of it like it was someone else's story.
The Northern War wasn't her war.
If she'd participated in combat herself, she couldn't spout such nonsense.
Paul's expression, sitting beside her, was gradually twisting.
He had taken part as commander in the Serkutsk battle, and it might discomfort him that she, an Imperial subject, was showing such interest in him.
To Viktor, battle talk felt like the worst icebreaker material.
"I know about the Angelk로드 battle too! Your first battle, and the unit you commanded personally had only 13 casualties..."
He was at a crossroads.
He could accept Erika's bizarre approach as genuine and an opportunity.
His achievements didn't need exaggeration; just plainly recounting what he'd done in the Ruth Kingdom would easily showcase his abilities.
A noble lady would be handy for spreading his image via rumors.
Or he could treat it as a slip-up or probe and respond cautiously.
Consistently, with answers befitting 'General Viktor.'
"...Viktor-sama?"
"..."
The latter appealed more now, but her enthusiastic chatter didn't seem like acting, which worried him a bit.
Since mentioning the battle, she hadn't even glanced at her densely noted notebook.
Normally, flattering her would be advantageous.
After all, she was the Emperor's messenger; what harm was there in currying favor?
But excitedly recounting battle tales to please her now didn't seem beneficial for him at all.
For one, he wasn't Empire-affiliated yet.
The negotiations were strictly about transferring his person, not a job change, so he was still a Ruth Kingdom general.
If that Ruth Kingdom general started boastfully recounting exploits just hours after leaving the castle?
It wouldn't merit cries of treason or betrayal, but it would inevitably raise doubts about his character.
Receiving the evaluation of a light person upon ascending to the weighty position of Commander-in-Chief would be a huge loss.
Moreover, while boastful generals were common, whether they seemed excellent was another matter.
She didn't seem ignorant of his feats, so there was no gain in mentioning them himself.
Still, rather than outright refusing, probing what kind of person she was now wasn't bad.
She was young, so she might have asked immaturely out of inexperience, and if it was to gauge his reaction, he could just be more careful with her.
What should he say?
"...Anghelgorod. I remember it."
"Yes! Back then..."
He'd shown plenty of competence and loyalty, and holding weight like this was sufficient.
Now it seemed okay to reveal a slightly deeper side.
Just the image so far might make him feel too distant.
A glimpse of his humanity.
"Viktor."
"...Yes?"
He opened his mouth cautiously.
"Ivan, Georgi, Ilya, Anton..."
Erika, confused at first about what he meant, grew paler as the names continued.
"...Pyotr."
"..."
He calmly recited the names of the 13 out of the 100 troops who had followed him up.
"Viktor had the same name as me, so he was often teased by comrades. He'd shoot me glances every time his name was called."
He briefly shared their stories.
Erika covered her mouth with her hand and lowered her gaze, while Paul beside her looked at him with a strange glint in his eyes.
"...No father, but he said his mother and sibling waited at home. After the battle, I packed his bag with this and that and sent it home."
"Ah..."
By the story's end, Erika had shrunk back like before he spoke.
"Anything else you're curious about?"
"...No."
At some point, she'd been jotting down his words in her notebook, but she replied weakly and bowed her head.
Paul turned to the window as if he hadn't been watching, but his eyes were slightly red.
Success.
It was a gamble to show how he viewed war and what kind of person he was.
To someone who saw battles merely as achievements, it would sound out of left field.
He trusted the Emperor wouldn't send such a frivolous person, and fortunately, Erika took it seriously.
Since it was just two years ago, remembering their stories and faces wasn't hard.
He'd sent his own sentiments home with their belongings, so they wouldn't mind him sharing a bit.
...Feeling a bit strange, he leaned back in his chair.
He closed his eyes and recalled the faces that had rolled through the battlefield with him.