Chapter 2. Crisis is Opportunity (1)

Around 10 years after I fell into this world.

"General Viktor."

"Hmm."

I had become a general of the kingdom.

Not just an ordinary general, but I had risen to the position of interim commander-in-chief.

The army of the Rus Kingdom, just before the war began, even began recalling retired officers due to a personnel shortage, and their call reaching me was the start of everything.

Thanks to the cheat-like mini-map and tactical map, as well as the well-trained soldiers who rose along with me, I was able to accumulate notable military achievements.

Of course, I didn't forget the lessons I learned back at the military academy, so I was always careful with my conduct, and the result was the previous commander-in-chief recommending me as his successor when he stepped down due to injury.

Of course, my current position was a temporary title that could be given due to wartime, but I was receiving proper treatment, including being able to command all troops except the royal guard.

Although there's an apparent intention to use me as a scapegoat if we lose, it's fine as long as we don't lose.

Even the nobles who were initially upset about a commoner becoming the commander-in-chief have recently become very quiet, allowing me to crush the imperial army without worry.

...If there was a problem, it was just that my shoulders have become too heavy to run away as originally planned.

"It's time for lights out, sir."

"Ah, is it?"

Anna, who served as my adjutant, said with only her face peeking through the gap in the cloth covering the entrance of the tent.

Perhaps because she handled all the matters that didn't reach me, dark circles were deeply set under her faintly smiling face.

When she first became my adjutant, she didn't trust me at all, but now she's one of the people I'm grateful for as she takes on difficult tasks.

"The adjutant should sleep first."

"But sir, you should..."

"Shh."

"...Thank you."

Anna bowed her head once and slowly left the tent.

Currently, the Rus Kingdom has been at war with the Dragonian Empire for two years.

When I played as the empire, the Rus Kingdom would be conquered in three months, but we're still engaged in a battle of offense and defense at the capital city of the Rus Kingdom.

"Hmm."

Looking back, it seems I've achieved my initial goals to some extent.

I've risen to the position of commander-in-chief in the Rus Kingdom, where generals who make mistakes had their heads cut off left and right, and most people, except for the nobles who focused all their attention on power and such, were favorable towards me.

Even my adjutant Anna's attitude has changed a lot since our first meeting, so I think I've done quite well.

Of course, if I had started in the empire, I wouldn't have needed to struggle like this every day.

Poor technology, insufficient resources, and the nobles' checks and balances.

I could feel it with my entire body why the Rus Kingdom was blocked from being selected in the game.

It's annoying to have to explain the reasons for moving troops to the capricious nobles every time, and I'm tired of persuading them that the current situation is favorable.

Every time I'm summoned to the palace, it feels like debating one against dozens, so I always come back drained.

"Haah..."

Sighing in regret, I focused on the neverending pile of documents.

The desire to move to the empire still remains, but my existing plan to 'naturally' move to the empire has a big problem: justification.

It doesn't matter that it's the empire we've been fighting against until now.

Although they use the same imperial army flag, those troops belong to the noble faction that's in conflict with the Empress.

For me, hoping for the Empress employment, it might be more advantageous not to let them go alive.

The important thing is that to be properly utilized even after surrender, that surrender must appear as an 'unavoidable decision to save the lives of soldiers' rather than betrayal.

Historically, when evaluating those who surrendered, the process carries a very large weight, and this wasn't easy.

It wouldn't be right to drive soldiers to their deaths just for my own benefit, so a situation where we lose despite doing our best should occur.

But such an ideal situation had never happened even once until now.

Perhaps because it's a collection of vassals without the Empress influence.

The imperial army's attacks were so simple and sloppy that they could be predicted even without the mini-map, to the extent that being captured by losing to such people would greatly damage my reputation.

The last chance to surrender would have been at the beginning of the war when the difference in military strength was seriously wide, but at that time, there wasn't much I could do.

In the end, should I bury my bones in the Rus Kingdom?

Rather, we could eat up some of the empire's territory with this war, and use that power to conquer the world.

It would be difficult, but I didn't think it's impossible.

Even in the game, world conquest was possible with countries much weaker than the Rus Kingdom.

Although I didn't like it, I didn't have many options left.

"Ah, that's it."

I decided to focus on what I need to do now.

As I was wrestling with documents for a long time, relying on the lamplight,

"Hm?"

The border of the mini-map flashed red several times.

Reflexively grasping the sword I had set aside, seeing this intuitive display of a dangerous situation.

Checking the mini-map, a group of red dots was approaching in a straight line towards where I was.

"Assassins?"

It's strange considering that I'm in the middle of a military camp.

I've encountered assassins who hide their presence with magic or magical tools, but they weren't fools who would cross through the army instead of going around.

-Shing.

As the speed of the approaching dots increased, I stood up from my chair and drew my sword.

Green dots representing allies began to appear around the group of red dots, but the red dots didn't slow down at all.

For some unknown reason, the allies were just being pushed aside.

It's even harder to understand because the mini-map has never lied even once until now.

A puzzling situation where they're enemies to me but not to my allies.

There are some things that come to mind, but...

"Move aside! By order of His Majesty the King!"

"Ah."

As if to solve my curiosity, thanks to a familiar voice shouting from afar, I could roughly understand what was happening.

At least, it's not someone trying to assassinate me or act as a spy.

He's a bit lacking to be entrusted with such an important task.

I put the sword back and sat down, and the owner of the voice lifted the tent flap and entered.

"It's good to see you like this, Viktor."

"Captain Andrei of the Royal Guard. What brings you here?"

The uninvited guest was Andrei, the captain of the Rus Royal Guard.

He was one of the people who had been quite uncomfortable with my rising position, a man full of the arrogance typical of high nobles and the incompetence of non-field officers.

I heard he's popular in social circles with his princely appearance of blonde hair and blue eyes.

Unlike his usual attire of just wearing a uniform, he was wearing shining new armor and had a jewel-encrusted sword on his left hip.

Andrei approached the desk with a vile smile.

I had an ominous feeling as this person, who had been jumping up and down saying we should kill everyone when we retreated, approached with a creepy smile.

"Come in!"

The royal guards stepping inside while watching Andrei and me were wearing stiff leather armor that hadn't been broken in at all, and were holding bundles of rope instead of weapons.

Although they were showing signs of extreme tension all over their bodies, seemingly inexperienced in being deployed for operations, the equipment they had was clearly high-quality, made by master craftsmen at a glance.

I wondered if these guys also bragged about great war stories when they met women.

"I've never been so glad to see you until now. Do you know what this is?"

Suppressing the rising unpleasantness, I looked at the scroll held in his outstretched right hand.

The paper itself looked expensive, and even the thread tying the scroll was gold, symbolizing a royal decree, making it easy to guess that it contained something unusual.

"Curious? You must be curious."

He unrolled the scroll and thrust it in my face.

Its contents were quite extraordinary.

"...An arrest warrant?"

"Yes. His Majesty orders your arrest."

The scroll concisely stated the king's order to arrest me, the current interim commander-in-chief Viktor.

As it was just an order to carry out the arrest mission, the reason for my arrest wasn't written.

Although it's said to be the king's order, it doesn't seem likely that the 14-year-old king would suddenly order the arrest of an allied commander in the middle of a war.

As expected, could this be the work of the nobles who have been trying to keep me in check?

No matter how precious power was, this was too much.

Suddenly arresting an allied commander who's directing the war was incomprehensible to my common sense.

"Do you know what this means?"

"At least better than you do."

He put down the scroll and thrust his face uncomfortably close to mine.

I wanted to punch that sneering mouth, but for now, I couldn't act rashly as he had brought the king's order.

Also, the royal guards who were just watching now would rush in at a word from Andrei.

"You don't seem to know, but this isn't a simple arrest."

"...Then."

With an expression full of mockery, he snatched a rope from a nearby royal guard and approached me, sitting down, and started tying my arms and legs himself.

"It's confidential, but I'll tell you since you look wronged. You're going to be offered as a sacrifice for peace."

He whispered this shocking news in my ear while tying me up.

"Peace?"

I felt bad hearing him, who usually just wandered around the palace with a club regardless of the war, talk about peace, but instead of picking at that point, I tried to get a little more information from the babbling Andrei.

"In exchange for handing you over to the empire, we've agreed to a one-year ceasefire. It means peace is coming."

"A ceasefire, you say."

"Yes. We've gained a year for your one life, quite a good deal, isn't it?"

Andrei was telling me what might seem like a desperate story, that the kingdom I had been a part of for the past few years had abandoned me, but…

I lowered my head to hide my rising smile.

This was an opportunity.

An opportunity to escape from a place with no future.