Chapter 30
We finished an early lunch in Zabinsk and departed.
To avoid making the soldiers, who were all infantry, feel uncomfortable about only some officers riding horses, I marched at the front with the officers without riding horses.
The horses provided by Josef were coming along with the carriages, and the carriages were arranged to be driven primarily for soldiers with physical difficulties.
"Hmm."
"What's wrong?"
"...It's nothing."
My taking the lead was also to keep checking the mini-map.
The smaller the range displayed on the mini-map, the better each dot could be seen, allowing for faster and more accurate detection of suspicious movements.
I could actually confirm gray dots occasionally lingering around us.
The frequency of gray dots appearing seemed higher than when I departed, suggesting Josef had moved some troops.
As the number of gathered dots was small and they maintained a certain distance before returning towards Josef's camp, I didn't pay much attention.
"We've arrived. We'll camp here for a day and depart tomorrow morning."
"Yes!"
Moving at a slow pace with rest breaks, we were able to arrive at the planned location around 7 PM.
We unloaded and organized the luggage from the carts and set up temporary tents.
I kept checking the mini-map, and not long after we stopped, I could see a group of gray dots approaching.
Guessing the identity of that group, I prepared to greet them with a few officers with a comfortable mind.
A moment later.
"Josef Steiner."
"Good to see you, Viktor!"
The garrison commander, Josef Steiner, approached, waving his hand.
That friendly and light reaction simultaneously revealed his delight at the achievement that had rolled in on its own and the composure of feeling he was in a superior position.
I walked towards him with a hardened face.
He approached while still on horseback and looked over the temporary camp without dismounting.
"So the letter was true. Unable to know what happened in Zabinsk, I was worried the letter might be part of a strategy."
I didn't bother pointing out his attitude of continuing to look down on me while speaking.
The movements of someone who thinks they're in a superior position and at ease are the easiest to predict.
"The condition is guaranteeing the soldiers' safety. Their treatment shouldn't change even after I leave for Rainesburg."
"Of course! As long as they don't cause trouble, the empire is always merciful to those who choose to surrender!"
I'm sure you are.
Apart from the empire's policy on treating prisoners, Josef has no reason to mistreat this force that could potentially become his troops in the future.
Although they're conscripts, they're still soldiers who survived two years of war.
Josef is greedy.
In the game, he went so far as to claim leadership of the noble faction for power, and coming here first like this is probably to insert his stake in my surrender.
Unless prisoner treatment is decided separately, he'll likely claim credit by directly managing the surrendered soldiers at his camp.
There's a high possibility he'll attempt to persuade them to encourage the Rus Kingdom's surrender or to increase his own power.
The more he desires to use these forces, the better the soldiers' treatment will be.
Not bad.
"...I'll trust you."
"Hahaha! Wise decision! You'll arrive at the camp tomorrow, right? I'll prepare tents for you to stay in."
"Alright."
However, I shouldn't show that I was waiting for this situation, and Josef is also deliberately looking down on me as if trying to make me feel humiliated, so.
I answered gritting my teeth as if trying not to appear servile while trembling with clenched fists.
"Good. See you tomorrow!"
Seemingly satisfied with my reaction, he left our temporary camp smiling.
"General."
"..."
I stared at his retreating figure for a moment.
"Hah... Let's move. The soldiers must be struggling, so we should help too."
"Understood."
Although not all hostility has disappeared, to appear as if I've swallowed my pride for the soldiers.
I deliberately relaxed the expression I had contorted while looking at the officers standing nearby.
---
Early morning.
Intending to personally lead Viktor's army, I left the camp early with a few officers.
To make myself feel like a contributor and leader of this surrender, I wore a crisply ironed officer's uniform instead of armor.
Arriving around 9 o'clock, Viktor's forces had just finished organizing and were preparing to march.
"About time to depart?"
"..."
Viktor, at the front, quietly nodded with a displeased expression.
Looking down on him from horseback, the one who had made him suffer all sorts of hardships on the battlefield, felt quite good.
"I'll personally guide you to the camp."
"...Alright."
Seeming to understand the intention behind my words about guiding, he hesitated briefly before answering.
He seemed to know well that the moment he became a surrendering general, the initiative passed to me.
"Let's depart!"
"Yes!"
He rode a warhorse borrowed from me, following about one horse head behind me.
While quietly advancing towards the camp.
"By the way, Viktor."
"Hmm?"
After gesturing for the officers to fall back slightly, I approached Viktor's side and spoke.
Having heard that his return was part of the agreement with the Empress, this was the only opportunity to get information from him before he would soon leave.
"It seems like it hasn't been many days since you entered Zabinsk. What on earth happened?"
It hadn't even been a week since Viktor entered Zabinsk alone.
During that short period, he became commander-in-chief again, brought out the soldiers, and surrendered.
It must be related to the rebellion said to have occurred in Zabinsk, and soon those who have gathered information will report, but.
I wanted to hear an explanation from Viktor, who would have led the situation inside the castle.
"What happened?"
"I heard news of a rebellion, but..."
As soon as he heard the word rebellion, he glared at me strongly.
I could feel strong anger and hatred in that gaze, as if things hadn't gone as he wanted.
"So it was true."
"..."
He, who had been glaring at me continuously,
"...That's right."
As if not intending to say more, he briefly acknowledged and looked forward again.
"Could you tell me the story?"
Not satisfied with just confirming the fact of the rebellion, I asked him again.
It doesn't matter much if the situation has already been resolved.
With the main force lost and Viktor gone, there's nothing to fear even if the Rus Kingdom is given about a year, so at that time, we just need to leisurely wait for the ceasefire to end.
But if their surrender came from extreme chaos, it's better to move as quickly as possible.
Then, with the Rus Kingdom having lost most of its forces, there's a high possibility they'll decide to surrender with just a little pressure from me.
At that time, even the Rus Kingdom's surrender would become my achievement, allowing me to recover a significant portion of the losses from the Northern War.
"..."
His gaze looking at me was strange.
"Didn't you already know everything?"
"What?"
"I thought you intended it since you approached quite close. I guess the army's movement was coincidental."
While I was flustered that he knew even about such small movements as increasing the guard forces.
He drove his horse, narrowing the distance until he was almost touching my leg.
"You'll know soon anyway, but I'll tell you in advance. Most of the nobles were executed for treason, and a new king from a collateral line ascended yesterday."
"...Ha."
Viktor, who had quietly leaked the information, moved away again as if nothing had happened.
"Haha."
This is as good as telling everything.
Execution of nobles, new king, divided army.
With sufficient information, I can easily infer the situation.
The king must have died in a rebellion by the nobles, and then some conflict arose in the army that suppressed this for some reason.
Although I can't know the details, this surrender must be the result of friction between the newly constituted court and the army.
The reason for choosing surrender in the name of the commander-in-chief, not the king, and moreover, leaving some forces behind, must be related to that friction.
It's also important that the scale of the surrendering army and supplies are not at all at a level that could be hastily prepared.
This means that the opposing forces that would remain in Zabinsk now are too weak to prevent this surrender.
Then.
If I move troops slightly to apply pressure, and show the image of treating prisoners well to tempt them?
The Rus Kingdom will likely surrender without much difficulty.
"Hmm, hmm."
As it's still just a hypothesis, I calmed my excitement.
I can't understand why Viktor spoke so readily, and there's still not enough evidence that everything he said is true.
"Why did you tell me that?"
Having no reason to be mindful of Viktor, I approached him again and asked.
He hesitated for a moment, then,
"...Let's just say I have something I want."
He said only that and looked forward.
"I see."
Although he seemed to try to hide it, I confirmed that his expression distorted slightly as soon as he heard my question.
Revenge against those who drove him out?
Hatred towards those he conflicted with?
If it were emotions harbored towards me, he would have tried to hide them more thoroughly, so it's probably not emotions directed at me.
Then it's fine.
Although there's an uncomfortable feeling of being used a bit, the reward of the Rus Kingdom is too sweet to not move just because of that discomfort.
...I should move after securing a bit more credibility.
"..."
I advanced towards the camp, weighing the risks and rewards in my mind.
---
After Viktor's army left Zabinsk Castle, those remaining immediately entered into a meeting.
Although nominally the king who ascended and the nobles of the court held authority as the council dissolved, because their positions were gained relying on Viktor's authority and power.
It was completely useless in preventing Viktor's sudden action, and those who knew this didn't even attempt it.
Yuri Igorev and Pavel Andreyev refused to surrender, but only about 4,000 soldiers remained under them.
The current court is too weak in both authority and control over the country.
Even if they start gathering forces now, it's nearly impossible to grow to a scale that can stop the imperial army within a year.
"What should we do?"
"Should we surrender?"
"But the ceasefire still remains."
"The troops are already moving!"
The anxiety of those remaining in the kingdom reached its peak, and only negative words continued to be exchanged in the meeting.
"For now, let's observe the situation more."
"...Let's do that."
It was decided to postpone for now due to the persuasion of Yuri and Pavel, who hoped for the kingdom to hold out a little longer, but they felt that the nobles and the king had already leaned towards surrender.
To this, Yuri secretly approached Pavel after the meeting ended.
"It's a moment that requires a decision."
"..."
At Yuri's words, Pavel quietly led him to the inner part of the tent.