Chapter 111
Sancho didn't hold any particular personal sentiment towards Viktor.
Although he highly valued Viktor's excellent leadership and cold judgment shown on the battlefield, this was closer to analysis than sentiment.
Until he got into the carriage and started the conversation, he had expected to have only short and bleak exchanges, just as Viktor had pursued extreme efficiency on the battlefield.
However,
"What do you think?"
Viktor's voice was agitated as if filled with resentment, and his gaze was so intense it felt piercing.
When that image overlapped with a face much younger than expected, one that could be called young for a commander,
"...You are young."
Sancho, who had intended not to answer before properly grasping Viktor's intentions, was swept up by Viktor's seemingly immature attitude and inadvertently opened his mouth.
"...!"
"Hah..."
Seeing Viktor's surprised expression, Sancho sighed and leaned back.
He felt regret for showing too much vulnerability, but he couldn't take back the words he had already spoken.
"If you really want to know my thoughts..."
Thinking it was too late to hide now, Sancho slowly opened his mouth, choosing appropriate expressions.
"...Well. I don't intend to make a fuss about it now."
Viktor quietly leaned forward, slightly narrowing the distance.
"As you said, I did expect that such a situation would come to me someday. Aren't all nobles similar in some ways?"
"..."
"Having lived my entire life in the Esperian Kingdom, I wasn't unaware. I just stayed still, using the excuse that I lacked the power and ability to change the current."
Sancho raised his head and calmly recited a recollection close to a confession.
"I think this series of events might be a punishment given to me."
"A punishment?"
"Yes. And if I, who commanded both of the greatly lost battles, don't take responsibility, who will?"
Thinking he couldn't reveal all his thoughts to Viktor, who was still an enemy general, Sancho gave an answer that loyal officers would typically give, but,
"Do you really, sincerely think that?"
"...Hmm?"
Viktor, unsatisfied with this answer, pressed more strongly.
"You might be different because you were a high-ranking noble, but I can't understand their actions."
"Hmm..."
"More than anything else, I absolutely cannot understand why they willingly sold you out."
Sancho looked at Viktor with slightly narrowed eyes.
"You mean me?"
"I did my own investigation. Your position, as I heard it, was that of the only noble who could unite the nobles regardless of factions, having achieved merits in numerous battlefields."
As praise close to flattery suddenly came out, Sancho forced down the corners of his mouth that were trying to rise on their own.
"Rumors tend to be exaggerated."
"From my perspective, the difficult battlefields were Al Berdo Pass and Vitabeya Plains, not the other formidable fortresses."
"...It's not convincing when you say that after achieving overwhelming victories."
"We were superior to the kingdom's army in many aspects including weapons, discipline, and elite status. If it had been an overwhelming defeat as you say, about half of your forces wouldn't have succeeded in retreating."
"..."
Sancho smiled bitterly in silence, knowing that Viktor's confident assessment was all true.
"If it was visible even to my eyes as an enemy, the kingdom's nobles must know it better. Yet they sent you to us without hesitation."
"Corps Commander Viktor."
"For a peace that isn't even permanent, they gave up many things."
"..."
"Capable nobles including you, land, capital... The nobles might have been satisfied with the treaty and withdrawn, but can the Esperian Kingdom, having lost all of that, survive?"
Sancho touched his mouth as he met Viktor's seemingly blazing eyes.
Seeing that passionate appearance, Sancho was reminded of conversations with Carlos, who had already passed away.
He too used to come to Sancho often, complaining with similar eyes.
"They shouldn't have abandoned you, at least. I don't know if there was a power struggle internally, or if nobles who disliked you colluded, but if only you had remained in the kingdom, there might have been some hope."
"...Corps Commander Viktor."
"Just as the Rus Kingdom that sold me out perished, the Esperian Kingdom will soon disappear into history. Don't you resent the nobles who don't care what happens to the country as long as their positions are maintained?"
As Viktor wasn't hiding his intentions at all, Sancho could easily understand what kind of answer Viktor wanted.
Just as he had easily denied it earlier, he could deny it again with similar reasons, but,
"..."
As Viktor reminded him of the problems he had been trying to ignore, Sancho couldn't answer immediately like before.
"I've already told others not to approach, so you don't need to worry about anyone else hearing. And I'm not the kind of person who goes around leaking such conversations."
Sancho's mind became complicated.
He too was a person before being a loyal subject of the kingdom, and a noble.
He wasn't without resentment towards the kingdom that had discarded him like an old shoe.
Telling such things to an enemy general was no different from exposing a weakness, and it was difficult to speak freely now when his fate hadn't been decided, but.
Seeing Viktor's resentful appearance, showing signs of obsession, who seemed to have experienced a similar situation, the thought crept up that it might be okay to say what was, in a way, obvious.
Viktor was also talking in front of an enemy general, after all.
"Hah..."
Finally,
"Alright. I've lost."
"Are you thinking of speaking?"
"Yes."
Sancho also leaned forward, adjusting his posture.
"Thinking about it now, money and power. Those two were always the problem."
"..."
"I can't say that my family's influence didn't affect my decision to join the military after graduating from the military academy, but it was because I wanted to enjoy the glory of protecting the country."
"Is that so?"
Although Sancho felt a slight sense of dissonance as Viktor, who had seemed to be burning with passion until just now, calmly listened, it wasn't enough to make him change his mind.
"Money was needed to some extent, but I didn't even think about things like power. However, other nobles were different."
"..."
"Troop movements, command, distribution, formations, distribution of spoils... They fought over every single thing. I didn't want to care about factions and such, but after inheriting the count's position, I couldn't help but pay attention."
Sancho continued speaking frankly.
"This war was the same. Even though the country was in crisis, we couldn't make the best choices while being mindful of the nobles and other countries, and I became a commander-in-chief in name only, swayed by the officers."
"Ah, that charge at Vitabeya Plains..."
"It might be because my leadership was lacking, but I guess I'm old now too. That defeat seems like their problem, and I'm not so sad despite losing badly. I even thought it might be fortunate that we lost."
"...Isn't that the fate of allied forces?"
"Well, you would know too. The 5th Corps, was it? Except for the last battle, it didn't feel like they were moving according to your command. Am I right?"
"That's correct."
Thus, Sancho and Viktor exchanged conversations, mentioning events they had each experienced.
As Viktor mostly talked about the Rus Kingdom while avoiding stories about the empire as much as possible, Sancho could also easily bring up stories at a level known publicly.
Their conversation that started like this,
-Whistle!
"...Ah. It seems we have to end our conversation here."
"Is that so?"
Continued until the whistle signaling the carriage's arrival sounded.
Sancho felt a strange regret towards Viktor who was getting up, and twitched his fingertips in surprise at himself.
"I hope we can talk again next time."
"..."
He tried to hide his reaction and responded with silence, but Viktor got off the carriage with a bright smile.
"Hah..."
Sitting in the quiet carriage, Sancho fell into thought, recalling the conversation they had just had.
---
My main goal was to open up a conversation.
The more I talked with him, Sancho was too valuable a talent to just lock away in the capital.
Not just his abilities, but it's not easy to find someone as moderate and upright among the nobles.
"For now, transport the hostages to the capital. I'll speak to Her Majesty myself."
"Understood."
He seems to have a somewhat weak spot for emotions.
I intentionally didn't mention defection and such, and decided to start with gradually becoming closer for now.
I can't spare time right away, so it will probably be just exchanging letters, but it seems we've become close enough to receive replies to those letters.
This much should be enough for now.
"Deputy Corps Commander Axel Lübeck. Prepare for departure. We need to leave before sunset."
"...Understood."
I prepared to handle urgent matters.
For now, the plan is to leave most of the troops at the Ceres Gate, and move to Mannzheim first with just myself, Anna, Erika, and Axel.
We need to respond quickly to the changes in the south, and,
"General. Count Volker Rommel has regained consciousness."
"Oh..."
The work here isn't finished yet either.
I should handle it quickly.