Chapter 3
Viktor, the orphaned teenager with nothing, couldn't escape to the empire.
Not only did he lack the numerous belongings, money, and stamina needed for travel, but above all, he had no means of escaping from the clutches of robbers and thieves waiting outside the city.
Even with the help of the mini-map, he wasn't confident in escaping from grown men chasing after him with swords.
After entering the kingdom's military academy, it became difficult to even bring up favorable talk about the empire.
The Dragonian Empire and the Rus Kingdom were already on bad terms even before I fell into this world.
More accurately, it was closer to the nobles of the Rus Kingdom unilaterally hating the empire, and there were many noble children in the military academy.
If he had mentioned the empire, it wouldn't have been strange if he had suffered even worse harassment.
After being assigned as a soldier, he completely lost the opportunity to escape.
It's common sense in all armies that desertion was a serious crime.
As his military achievements accumulated, more and more imperial generals were eager to catch him, so if he just surrendered, they might have cut off his head first.
Therefore,
The words about handing me over to the empire seemed like a lifeline descending from heaven.
"Hehe."
"Are you really crazy? Laughing in this situation?"
"Hahaha..."
Andrei's amateurish sarcasm didn't bother me at all.
Because all the problems that had been blocking me were being solved at once.
For now, I could gather many clues from Andrei's actions.
The fact that they only brought ropes meant I needed to be alive, and judging by how he was just chattering beside me without violence, it was likely that the superiors had ordered not to use violence.
If there had been no mention of it, Andrei would have punched me in the face as soon as he thought I was completely tied up.
"If you're dragged away, what will happen to you..."
Andrei's free provision of information didn't stop.
According to his babbling, the Rus Kingdom had proposed the ceasefire first.
The Empress of the empire specifically mentioned me and demanded my person, and the kingdom accepted this.
The important fact here is that the Empress of the empire mentioned me directly.
As the saying went, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so there's no reason for the Empress to have any particular ill feelings towards me, who greatly weakened the power of the noble faction.
Rather, since the current Empress of the empire was serious about employing talented individuals to the extent that there were special events prepared for persuading and employing enemy generals or advisors, it's highly likely that he demanded that I use my abilities.
If so, what I need to do is simple.
"Let's go, Andrei."
"...Hah."
I just needed to be dragged along quietly.
After all, things seemed to be flowing exactly as I wanted.
---
I laid my tired body on the now-familiar field bed.
"Phew..."
It had been about a year and a half since I became General Viktor's personal adjutant.
At first, I thought it was a demotion.
In the military tightly controlled by high-ranking nobles, being appointed as a secretary to an officer of commoner origin wasn't a good sign.
Moreover, since I wasn't of noble origin either, my suspicion was great.
I had experienced the nobles' peculiar class division, saying commoners should stick together, several times since military school.
Furthermore, at that time, he was a young lower-ranking officer who had graduated from the military academy only about 4 years ago, so I was needlessly worried that I might die being dragged into his crazy actions.
The characteristic ambition of new officers...
I never want to experience that again.
Viktor was different.
Some saw him as incompetent because he kept retreating even when winning battles, while more aware commanders admired his strategy and tactics shown in successful retreats and counterattacks.
In my opinion, both of these evaluations missed the core.
Of course, it's true that he kept retreating, and his strategies and tactics were excellent.
But I believe his core lies in his charisma in leading soldiers.
This was something you would only understand if you've been under his command.
The feeling of his instructions entering your head no matter how far away you were, and your body moving to the right place as if enchanted.
Once you've experienced his command, it's hard to be satisfied with the slow and dull commands of ordinary commanders.
From the early days when he handled dozens or hundreds of soldiers, to now when he moved tens of thousands or more troops, there were no gaps in his command.
Moreover, unlike others who saw soldiers as mere numbers and pushed them into dangerous situations, under his meticulous command, casualties were extremely low.
Even the soldiers' morale noticeably rose on hearing that General Viktor is in command.
General Viktor was promoted at an incredibly fast pace.
In fact, unless you were completely ignorant, it was impossible not to know that the war was continuing thanks to the general, so it wasn't strange at all.
After proving his abilities, he dragged out the war that seemed hopeless for two years.
These days, he's boosting morale by saying that the time for counterattack is approaching.
Even from afar, it's clear that the state of the imperial army is terrible, and there are quite a few soldiers who are getting excited, wondering if we might really win.
I'm grateful to him for many things.
For preserving my life and the lives of the soldiers when desperate news came from other places about troops being annihilated.
For telling me to rest first, while the light in his tent doesn't go out until dawn.
That's why I don't resent him even though I fall asleep like I'm fainting every day.
If it weren't for him, I would have worked under an incompetent commander and fallen into eternal sleep.
...Perhaps because the end is slowly coming into view.
These days, before falling asleep, I often fantasize about spending time alone with him after the war ends.
Imagining what Viktor the man might be like, not General Viktor who seems like iron incarnate.
Although I always wake up when things start to heat up, just experiencing that process isn't bad.
After falling asleep like that,
"By order of His Majesty the King!"
I quickly got up at the sound of someone's shout and the bustling noise.
As always, I had fallen asleep in my uniform, so I immediately put on my shoes, grabbed my weapon, and left the tent.
"...What's this?"
A group of unfamiliar soldiers was surrounding General Viktor's tent right next to mine.
They were wearing peculiar armor of leather without helmets and carrying ropes, with the royal symbol of a red trident engraved on their chests.
"The Royal Guard?"
Our soldiers standing around were in confusion, unable to approach the tent.
As I tried to enter the general's tent alone in this incomprehensible situation, those guarding the surroundings immediately stretched out their arms to stop me.
"Don't come any closer."
"I am Anna, General Viktor's adjutant."
"The captain is currently executing His Majesty's order. No one can interfere."
"...The captain of the Royal Guard?"
"You'd better watch your words."
They spoke to me with firmness and a hint of mockery.
Why would the captain of the Royal Guard personally lead soldiers to a general's tent in the middle of a war, and in the middle of the night at that?
I didn't know, but.
For now, it was certainly a suspicious situation, so I took out the whistle from my breast pocket.
-Pheeeeeeeee!
"What are you..."
As I blew the whistle used for emergencies, the confused soldiers came to their senses and started forming ranks to surround the general's tent.
Those who realized that the general was in danger glared at the Royal Guard members with fierce eyes.
All the torches that had been set up were lit, and as fully armed soldiers started approaching, I could see the Royal Guard members beginning to panic.
"Wh-what are you doing!"
"I can't trust you. I need to see for myself."
"Informal speech? What are you..."
Even though I had gotten quite close, I couldn't hear any sound from inside the tent, making me increasingly anxious.
If they were to harm General Viktor...
-Peep!
At the short whistle sound, the soldiers advanced one step.
"You madwoman! Are you daring to defy His Majesty's order?"
"Defying? Where's the evidence of this order?"
"The captain has..."
"That's why I'm saying I need to see for myself!"
As I was considering blowing the whistle once more while maintaining a firm stance despite my trembling legs,
-Flap.
"What's all this commotion?"
"Captain!"
As the tent flap opened, a man holding a rope in his hand walked out.
He was Andrei, the captain of the Royal Guard that the guards had mentioned.
And following him, General Viktor was dragged out, his entire body tied with ropes.
"...General?"
The general kept his head down and said nothing.
Although there were no visible injuries, the fact that he was tied up with ropes was already not a good situation.
"Th-this woman, now, she dared to...!"
"Oh?"
The Royal Guard member who had been terrified rushed to Andrei as soon as he came out and complained about what had just happened.
The scene looked more like immature children tattling to their parents rather than soldiers, making me doubt if these were really members of the royal guard.
"So you tried to resist the king's order."
"..."
Separately from that, if it was really the king's order, I could be in danger now too.
Refusing the king's order, especially for a soldier, could be a serious crime that could endanger one's life under the pretext of treason.
"The number of people to arrest has increased..."
The moment Andrei raised his finger to point at me.
"Hahahahaha!"
A hearty laugh echoed through the camp.