Chapter 23. ...Turns Traitor (1)

At 1 AM, when most were asleep except for those on night guard duty.

To make it look like an opportunity for the nobles, I decided to use a spacious tent on the outskirts of the camp instead of the central tent I used to use.

There were fewer guards coming this way and many places to hide around, making it the easiest place to be attacked among the places where I could naturally stay.

With the horse I brought tied at the entrance so the nobles wouldn't be confused, I was watching the mini-map with my eyes closed when,

"General, are you asleep?"

Anna, who had been reading documents beside me, spoke.

A few hours earlier.

When I said I wouldn't use the general's tent, she followed me into my tent with documents to process.

This tent was originally used by about 10 soldiers, so I had planned to bring soldiers to secure troops for emergencies under the pretext of sleeping together after a long time.

If I chose elite ones, I could wake them up and respond in time when I confirmed enemies approaching on the mini-map.

However, with Anna's arrival, that became unnecessary.

She entered the tent with six soldiers and naturally started working.

Anna had always been quick-witted.

Even while walking around during the day, she often glanced at places where there were red dots on the mini-map, seeming to have sensed something.

If the nobles knew this fact, they might hesitate to attack, but it's probably fine since they likely don't know now.

If she stays in my tent for a few more days, rumors might spread, but not right away.

"I'm not a general anymore, though."

"So, you weren't sleeping after all."

"...Haha."

"If you go to sleep soon, General, I can rest too, can't I?"

Although she had treated me a bit awkwardly in the morning, perhaps because we spent time together during the day.

She was now treating me exactly the same as before I was taken away.

"Or, if you could help a little..."

She even kept trying to show me documents containing internal military information, so I shifted my gaze towards the soldiers sitting on the cots ready since earlier.

They were sitting on the cots with their armor and equipment ready to wear at any time beside them.

I had clearly told them they could sleep comfortably, and even offered to lend them eye masks.

"Aren't you all tired?"

"Not at all, sir."

"...Hmm."

They didn't seem to have any intention of sleeping.

I was at a loss for words at one soldier's firm answer.

"It's an honor for us to be able to protect you directly, General."

"..."

Rather, another soldier was looking at me with bright eyes saying it was an honor and such.

Perhaps because they were soldiers I had conversed with during the day, they were overflowing with enthusiasm.

If an attack comes tonight, these will be the ones who suffer the most.

As I was looking at them with mixed feelings,

"...Hmm."

Suddenly, the border of the mini-map flashed red.

Red dots were slowly approaching the tent.

There were too many people to just be for surveillance, and unlike those who were watching during the day, they didn't stop at a certain distance.

To think they would move before even a day had passed since my arrival.

I don't know whose instigation it is, but it must be someone in a very urgent state of mind.

"Anna."

"Yes, General."

"...Do you trust me?"

Instead of insisting I wasn't a general anymore, I asked directly to emphasize the urgent situation.

"Of course."

Anna, realizing from my serious tone that this wasn't a joke, put down her documents and adjusted her posture.

"...Right now, an unknown group is approaching. Eleven in number."

The moment I mentioned what I had confirmed on the mini-map, the soldiers immediately started moving to put on their equipment.

Perhaps because they had experienced detecting ambushes in advance with the mini-map during the war, there was no hesitation in their actions.

"Then...!"

"Wait a moment."

I stopped Anna as she was about to blow the whistle she had just taken out.

"There's no need to wake everyone up in an uncertain situation."

"But General..."

"These soldiers are protecting us, so it's not too late to use it after we observe a bit more."

For a proper justification, we needed a situation where a clear threat was made.

If those red dots ran away without even attempting an attack because of the whistle, it would be meaningless.

"...Understood."

Seeing the soldiers who had instantly put on their armor and weapons, she put the whistle back in her pocket.

"Their approach speed isn't fast. It seems they're approaching slowly to avoid being noticed."

"If it's an attack, what should I do?"

As I was about to tell Anna my thoughts in response to her asking how to deal with it.

Suddenly, I recalled her behavior when I was being taken away.

'Rebellion? Not bad.'

When Andrei shouted about rebellion, it was Anna who drew her sword saying it wasn't bad.

Given that she had already considered rebellion before.

Rather than me giving various instructions, her acting on her own might be more likely to lead to an extreme situation.

Now the goal is to regain control of the army by creating an incident from a small matter.

The bigger and more hardline the 1st Corps' response, the better.

If there's a clear justification like an attack, it's not difficult to move the army that has already secured support.

"I'm just a prisoner after all, Anna. I trust you, so trust your own judgment."

"...Yes."

She had pointed a sword at the Royal Guard who came with the king's order, so what more if the opponent was an unknown attacker.

"This time, I will definitely protect you."

Feeling the determination in her voice and gaze, it seemed I could look forward to it.

"Everyone hide behind the furniture."

"Understood."

She hid the soldiers inside the tent and fastened the sword she had put down beside her to her waist.

"Let's wait in this state."

"Alright."

Anna and I remained seated in our chairs, waiting for the gift that would come.

A small spark that would burn down the entire mountain that was the Rus Kingdom.

---

The personnel for Operation 'Return' was supposed to consist of Baron Oleg Rikov, who was to command the operation according to Mikhail's instructions, and 9 Royal Guard members, totaling 10 people.

However, 11 people were moving now, including the Royal Guard Captain Andrei Komarov.

Although Andrei originally shouldn't have participated directly due to the risk in case of failure, Oleg couldn't break his stubbornness.

Andrei, who appeared just as the operation time was approaching, threatened not to move the Royal Guard if they didn't include him, and he had even prepared the king's order from somewhere.

Oleg didn't even check that order properly and had no choice but to turn a blind eye to his joining.

"...How frustrating."

Andrei kept fiddling with the black cloth covering his face.

He was very proud of his appearance, so having to wear a mask was itself displeasing to Andrei.

If Baron Oleg Rikov, who joined on Mikhail's orders, hadn't cautioned him, Andrei would have thrown off the mask.

Even the Royal Guard members covering the outside of their armor with black cloth was due to Oleg's desperate request.

"Wasn't it the Royal Guard Captain's choice?"

"I know, I know."

Andrei blamed all this discomfort on Viktor.

Covering his shining face, having to cover the proud royal symbol engraved armor with mere cloth.

Come to think of it, even his forceful joining was to finish Viktor with his own hands.

Andrei's hatred towards Viktor kept growing.

-Thud.

"...Reduce your footsteps!"

He scolded the member who made a noise nervously.

As the Royal Guard had never experienced such an operation.

Although they only wore leather armor to reduce noise, they hadn't thought to wrap their shoes with cloth.

The swords they brought according to Andrei's instructions would make noisy sounds if worn on the waist as usual, so the members carefully moved, holding the swords along with ropes in their arms.

They had to move forward focusing all their attention on the sounds they were making.

There were many shortcomings for this to be the appearance of the Royal Guard that Andrei boasted was invincible, so Oleg kept considering whether he should run away even now.

"...Is that the tent?"

"It should be. That horse, it seems to be the one he rode."

Thanks to timing it with the guard shift change and Viktor staying in an outer tent, they were able to arrive without being detected.

Light was leaking from inside a large tent of the same shape as those used by soldiers.

"The light is on."

"I don't see any others. We just need to deal with it quickly."

Oleg felt uneasy at Andrei's groundless confidence, but having come this far, it was impossible to run away.

He reluctantly checked the plan with Andrei to somehow increase the chances of success.

"The plan is simple. We quickly approach the tent, kidnap Viktor, and escape the way we came in. Once we reach the rendezvous point, the main Royal Guard force will be waiting."

"...Understood."

While Andrei roughly spat out the original plan, he was harboring different thoughts inside.

He hoped Viktor would resist desperately and mess up the plan.

That way, he could kill him outright saying it couldn't be helped.

He thought that if he just cut off the head, the rest would stay still as they had done until now anyway.

"...Let's go."

Oleg followed Andrei, clenching his trembling hands.

Fortunately or not, there was no interference at all while the Royal Guard members surrounded the tent.

As discussed beforehand, 6 out of 9 Royal Guard members remained outside to surround the tent.

Andrei, Oleg, and 3 Royal Guard members entered the tent.

"...!!!"

"Oh dear."

Contrary to the expectation that Viktor would be alone, inside the tent was not only Viktor but also Anna, who had been his adjutant.

In any case, kidnapping Viktor who was just a commoner and laying hands on Anna, who was essentially the commander of the 1st Corps, had completely different weights.

"We should run..."

Although Oleg thought they should escape even now seeing her quickly stand up and search inside her clothes,

"...Anyway, I didn't like that woman either."

Andrei, confirming that Viktor and Anna, the two he disliked most, were together, rather saw it as an opportunity and drew his sword.

"Are you mad...!"

Oleg was very surprised by Andrei's sudden action, but when the members who followed in also drew their weapons, he had no choice but to draw his sword as well.

Having come in with them, he had to go to the end no matter what happened.

Viktor, who had watched all of this,

"...Is that Andrei?"

Said while looking at Andrei without showing any sign of surprise.

"You should have shown the courtesy of changing your sword. Is this the king's will? Or..."

"...Ha."

Andrei looked down at the sword with its handle lavishly decorated with royal emblems and jewels, was momentarily flustered, but gaining courage from the situation that still seemed advantageous, he threw off his mask.

"Still acting tough in this situation, Viktor?"

He muttered while gripping the sword with both hands.

"Can you still chatter when your head falls to the ground..."

Before Andrei could finish his words,

-Piiiiiiiiiiiii!

"What?"

The adjutant took out a whistle and blew it loudly.

"Atta-attack!"

Andrei rushed at Viktor with those words, but was blocked by soldiers who sprang out from under the cot, behind the desk, and inside the wardrobe.

"What!"

"It's an attack!"

While they were blocked by those soldiers, the adjutant kept blowing the whistle while shouting, starting to gather soldiers.

"Protect the General!"

"You, you bastards!"

Andrei rushed in swinging his sword as he had been taught, but no one feared his clumsy swordsmanship.

The other Royal Guard members who jumped in surprised by the sound were similar in skill to him, so it was impossible to push back the soldiers who had rolled through war for months and were fully equipped with armor, with different levels of armament, in time.

Seeing Andrei subdued in an instant, Oleg gave up resistance.

"...Damn it!"

As 1st Corps soldiers rushed in afterwards, the Royal Guard members also put down their weapons in fear.

The attack team was captured without a single person escaping, and they were tied up with the ropes they had brought themselves, waiting for their fate.

"This is by order of His Majesty the King! How dare you try to defy it!"

Andrei, who still hadn't come to his senses even in this situation, was relying on the king's order in his possession.

Although it was a hastily forged order due to his desire to deal with Viktor personally, he had the groundless thought that they couldn't do anything rash as long as there was an order.

Anna, who was already furious at the fact that Viktor had been attacked, such trivial things meant nothing.

After searching Andrei's pockets and finding the order, she,

"Yes! That's exactly..."

Unfolded the order to check its contents, then grinned and put it in her own pocket.

After pondering for a moment, Anna approached Viktor and whispered something, and he, who initially shook his head, nodded after her long persuasion.

"After that..."

"Andrei for now..."

After asking Viktor a few more things, Anna picked up the mask Andrei had thrown off and put it back on his face.

Then.

"...Do you understand? Now..."

-Thwack!

"Ugh."

She knocked out Andrei, who kept chattering, with a hard blow to the head using her scabbard.

Leaving Andrei sprawled out, Anna dragged one of the other Royal Guard members outside the tent.

"The mastermind behind the attack has been revealed!"

She gathered the soldiers' attention with a shout,

-Rip. Rip.

Tore off the black cloth covering the member's body, then brought a torch close.

"Those who attacked us were the Royal Guard!"

"...The Royal Guard?"

"The Royal Guard, what is this...!"

The soldiers murmured as they confirmed the royal emblem hidden under the cloth.

"The attackers had a forged order claiming to be from His Majesty!"

She took out the order Andrei had forged from her pocket.

"They dared to forge the royal seal and attack me, the 1st Corps commander! This is an attack on the 1st Corps and treason against His Majesty the King!"

With Anna, who had been leading the 1st Corps reliably after Viktor's departure, saying this, and Viktor standing behind nodding his head.

The soldiers didn't doubt her words at all.

"All 1st Corps members, begin the search as soon as you're ready! We must find the traitors!"

"Yes!"

Thus, Anna instantly took control of the 1st Corps, numbering 8,000 strong.

Later, as soldiers discovered Royal Guard members waiting to take custody of Viktor, the 1st Corps, gaining confidence, began to systematically occupy the capital.

Viktor followed behind Anna, who was enthusiastically commanding, covering his rising smile with his hand.

In Viktor's own words, it was the beginning of a 'piggybacking coup'.

---

"Search!"

"Don't let them escape!"

At the sound of soldiers shouting and running around, the nobles who were trying to flee by carriage hid trembling in Nikolai's mansion.

"I told you, you should have packed moderately!"

"No, what about you!"

A few nobles who had agreed to flee together were late because they packed too much wealth, and as a result, they missed the appropriate departure time and were isolated in the mansion.

While blaming each other, but not raising their voices for fear of being discovered,

"It seems the ones moving now are the 1st Corps."

At the words of a noble who went out to check the situation, they were greatly alarmed.

"1st Corps? ...Viktor?"

"No, no, no, no!"

At the news that those roaming outside with an ominous atmosphere were essentially Viktor's private army, the 1st Corps, the nobles fell into panic.

To them, it felt as if Viktor had moved his troops to kill them.

"What, what should we do...!"

"We need to move!"

"Uh, uuuh...!"

They trembled with anxiety.

Nikolai's house was a mansion famous in the capital for being large and luxurious, so it couldn't escape the eyes of the soldiers.

As various places like the basement or warehouse were mentioned as hiding spots,

"...The palace."

Nikolai, pondering where to escape, muttered while looking at the royal palace visible through the window.

"That's it! The palace!"

A noble who heard that mutter shouted.

"If we just get into the palace, the Royal Guard will protect us."

"Moreover, with the king there, even Viktor won't be able to storm in as he pleases!"

The nobles, recalling Viktor's appearance of showing loyalty to the king until the end and the Royal Guard protecting the palace, decided on the palace as their destination after a brief discussion.

Conveniently, Nikolai's mansion wasn't far from the royal palace.

"...We should use these, I suppose?"

"To avoid being spotted..."

The nobles emptied the sacks they had brought to hold their treasures and put them over their heads, then carefully began to move towards the palace after leaving the mansion.

Of course, as they were people with no experience in exercise or moving stealthily,

"Stop!"

"Identify yourselves!"

"Eek!"

They were instantly spotted by soldiers and fled headlong to the palace.

"Stop! This is the royal palace..."

"Huff, huff... I, I'm Nikolai Smilov! Hurry and move aside!"

"...Count? Ah, understood."

Nikolai took off the sack on his head while asserting his name, and the guard, after confirming his face, hurriedly let them in.

Instead of chasing them further, the 1st Corps soldiers reported to their superiors.

That a group of suspicious nobles had fled into the palace.