Chapter 11
I seriously considered changing my approach, thinking it wasn't too late even now.
Like a sociable person would, casually striking up a conversation as if nothing had happened.
It's better to break the ice even at the cost of breaking my image than to arrive at the capital without any conversation.
Even if the first impression is ambiguous, trust can be built later with effort.
Being seen as a light-hearted person is much easier than standing before the Empress without any help.
It's not that there's no way.
It's just that the risk is bound to be greater than simply answering questions.
"Um, may I call you Lord Viktor?"
"Yes."
Fortunately, Erika spoke first before I had to implement my second-best plan.
I deliberately put a mix of gratitude, irritation, and frustration in my tone.
If I show signs of being in a bad mood, they'll naturally think, 'He must be very sad about the betrayal.'
"Um, um..."
"..."
Instead of expressing displeasure at my response that could sound curt, she continued to stammer and avoid eye contact.
Then she took out a notebook from her breast and kept flipping through it, glancing at me and then back to the notebook repeatedly.
...It seems it wasn't that she didn't have orders from the Empress, but that this person was just too timid to speak up.
That notebook probably contains prepared questions or information about me.
"I am Erika of the Bauman Count family."
"I'm Viktor."
"Ah! Um, I'm not trying to bra... Eek!"
"..."
She seemed to think it was a mistake to assert her status in front of me, a commoner, and bit her tongue while trying to hurriedly explain herself.
If I were in a more relaxed situation, I might have found it cute, but right now, my wish is for her to just ask her questions quickly.
I didn't feel like she was looking down on me by asserting her status, and I'm used to being looked down upon for being a commoner anyway.
"Eek, hic..."
"Hmm..."
I observed her for a moment as she seemed completely flustered.
She was dressed somewhat modestly, and her hairstyle and accessories seemed to be adjusted to a level that wouldn't be disrespected.
The most expensive-looking item was her necklace, but it seemed unused, as if she didn't wear it often.
Judging by appearances, she seemed to be over 20 years old, but she wasn't wearing a ring, suggesting she wasn't married yet.
Really, is she just a throwaway card?
She's unmarried, and being a noble of about count rank, there should be an heir, so we can assume there's no family waiting for her.
If she's restraining from luxury even at a meeting with foreign kings and nobles, it either means she's famous enough not to need to show off, or her family isn't grand enough to afford luxury.
Since the Bauman Count family didn't appear in the game and I've never heard of them, the former possibility is ruled out.
If she's really an insignificant figure, it wouldn't be strange if she was only assigned the role of bringing me along in case negotiations actually took place.
The person sent by the Empress is too shy to speak up?
It's much more convincing to think she's hesitating because it's not part of her mission content.
For now, it seems better not to have high expectations for this woman.
"Um, Lord Viktor?"
"Yes."
"I, I..."
I lowered my expectations a bit.
To the level of someone the Empress somewhat trusts, but whose absence wouldn't leave a big gap.
If she's just an ordinary noble lady, excluding the Empress' halo.
It's entirely possible that she's afraid of me, surprised by the rumors she's heard and the first impression I gave at the palace.
I understand why she might have trouble speaking easily, given that there are reportedly imperial people who threaten children who won't go to sleep with my name.
"I, I've heard a lot about you, Lord Viktor!"
...Or not?
The words that came out after tremendous hesitation shattered all the assumptions I had been making.
Unlike before, she started pouring out words with a slightly excited look.
"I even looked up the battles you personally commanded! Like, the Battle of Serkutsk Gorge!"
Right now, Erika looked like a fan meeting a celebrity.
Whether this is her own approach or if she genuinely thinks like this, I'm not sure, but,
"...Is that so?"
"Yes! The agile troop deployment, maneuvers, and breakthrough! It's being said that it should be included in textbooks!"
I could certainly tell that the empire was more relaxed than the Rus Kingdom.
The Battle of Serkutsk was a battle between the empire and the kingdom just about two years ago, yet she's talking about it as if it's someone else's story.
The Northern War wasn't her war.
If she had directly participated in the battle, she couldn't speak so frivolously.
The expression of Paul sitting next to her was also gradually distorting.
It might be because he participated as a commander in the Battle of Serkutsk, or he might be uncomfortable with her, clearly an imperialist, showing such interest in me.
Even to me, battle stories seem like the worst icebreaker material.
"I know about the Battle of Angelkorod too! It was your first battle, but the casualties in the unit you directly commanded were only 13..."
It seems I'm at a crossroads.
I could accept Erika's bizarre approach as sincere and an opportunity.
My military achievements don't need exaggeration, so I could easily show off my abilities by simply talking about what I accomplished in the Rus Kingdom.
If she's a noble lady, it would be easy for her to spread my image in the form of rumors.
Or I could consider it a mistake or a probe and respond cautiously.
Consistently giving answers that 'General Viktor' would likely give.
"...Lord Viktor?"
"..."
For now, I'm leaning towards the latter, but I'm a bit worried because her excited talking doesn't seem like an act.
After mentioning the battles, she's not even glancing at her densely written notebook anymore.
Originally, it would be advantageous to humor her.
After all, she is the Empress' messenger, so what harm could there be in making a good impression?
However, excitedly talking about battles to humor her now doesn't seem advantageous to me at all.
For one, I'm not yet part of the empire.
The content of the negotiation was clearly not a job transfer but a handover of my person, so I'm still a general of the Rus Kingdom.
If a general of the Rus Kingdom starts boasting about his exploits just hours after leaving the castle?
Even if it's not enough to be called treason or betrayal, it would inevitably raise doubts about me as a person.
For someone who has risen to the weighty position of commander-in-chief, being evaluated as a frivolous person itself is a big loss.
Moreover, while it's common for generals to boast about their military achievements, whether such a person is seen as an excellent general is another matter.
She doesn't seem unaware of my accomplishments, so there's no need to mention them directly.
Still, rather than outright rejection, it might not be bad to use this opportunity to probe what kind of person she is.
Given her young age, she might have asked such things out of genuine inexperience, and if she asked to see my reaction, I just need to be more careful when dealing with her.
What answer should I give?
"...Angelkorod. I remember."
"Yes! At that time..."
I've shown enough of being capable and loyal, and this much should be sufficient for maintaining gravity.
Now it seems I can reveal a slightly deeper aspect.
The image I've shown so far might make me seem too distant.
I'll show a tiny bit of my humanity.
"Viktor."
"...Yes?"
I opened my mouth carefully.
"Ivan, Georgi, Ilya, Anton..."
Erika, who was confused not knowing what I was saying, gradually turned pale as she heard the continuing names.
"...Pyotr."
"..."
I calmly recited the names of 13 out of the 100 unit members who had come up with me.
"Viktor had the same name as me, so he often played jokes among his comrades. He would glance at me every time his name was called."
I briefly told the stories of those 13 people.
Erika lowered her gaze with her hand covering her mouth, and Paul sitting next to her looked at me with a strange gaze.
"...He had no father, but said his mother and younger sibling were waiting at home. After the battle, I filled his packed bag with various things and sent it back home."
"Ah..."
By the time the story ended, Erika was as intimidated as she was before speaking to me.
"Do you have any more questions?"
"...No."
She, who had been taking notes of my story with her notebook at some point, answered weakly and lowered her head.
Paul turned his gaze back to the window as if he hadn't been looking at all, but the corners of his eyes were slightly red.
It's a success.
It was a gamble I took to show how I think about war and what kind of person I am.
To someone who only thinks of battles as military achievements, it would have sounded like an out-of-place story.
I trusted the Empress' judgment not to send such a frivolous person, and fortunately, Erika seems to have taken it seriously.
It wasn't difficult because it was just two years ago, and I remember all their stories and faces.
I sent some sincerity to their homes, so they probably won't be angry that I talked a bit about their stories.
...Feeling a bit strange, I leaned back in my chair.
I closed my eyes and recalled the faces of those who had rolled through the battlefield with me.