Chapter 34
Dragons are fundamentally capricious creatures, but when they become fixated on something, their obsession is even stronger than other creatures.
Especially among dragons, Red Dragons, famous for their volatile emotions, have an even more extreme polarization.
"Hmm..."
After closing the door of the guest room, Louise brought her hand to her face, feeling as if it was burning.
She thought what she wanted was just a human hero.
She believed she desired abilities that were hard to see as those of an ordinary human, and achievements that were difficult to see as accomplished by humans, born from those abilities.
That's why she kept collecting mainly those with outstanding abilities among humans, even while experiencing repeated disappointments.
But after meeting Viktor.
More precisely, after seeing his audacious appearance daring to threaten a dragon.
Louise, who realized what she truly desired, no longer gathered information on new humans.
"It's fascinating."
The rumored Viktor was a typical hero who saved his country, but Louise's attraction to him wasn't just because of his overwhelming military achievements in clearly disadvantageous situations or his flawlessness.
Rather, it was the opposite.
Through several observations and pressure using her aura, Louise could see various negative emotions like fear, worry, and anxiety in his powerful eyes.
She also noticed his appearance hidden behind his confidence through the slight trembling of his fingertips and his legs straining to endure.
Although Viktor was skillfully hiding it, he couldn't escape the dragon's eyes, and.
That fact stimulated Louise's heart.
Tired of heroes who were only perfect in stories, she chose this play to closely observe the multifaceted aspects of humans.
In that respect, Viktor was a human who perfectly showed the reason why humans in legends are depicted as perfect, even though no human can be perfect in all aspects.
"A human who seems perfect..."
Not a perfect human, but a human who 'seems' perfect.
Viktor was a human striving for perfection.
Louise found it difficult to imagine how much effort Viktor was putting in to appear perfect.
Even she had doubted whether Viktor might not be human before deeply observing him while raising her aura.
Viktor's consistent appearance continued to impress Louise, and as that interest overlapped with her disappointment in other humans.
Before she knew it, her interest shifted from observing humans to observing Viktor, and she came to hold great expectations for him.
Therefore,
This order was Louise's final verification to confirm whether she should use this entire play for him.
Louise was half-certain that it was impossible for a human like Viktor to appear again in this era, so the moment he disappoints her, she intends to let go of her attachment and end the play.
"I hope you succeed."
Louise, her vertically slit red eyes flashing, sincerely wished for Viktor's success.
---
In war, I think it's always important not to give the opponent room to respond.
-Clop. Clop. Clop.
"Lord Viktor! A little! Slower..!"
That's why, instead of riding in a carriage, I'm riding at full speed on horseback with my guards.
The very next day after the order was given, I quickly departed carrying Louise's order.
I have to move to the garrison in the Zabinsk direction, persuade my subordinates, and then take them to join Gerhart's corps.
The fact that I'm leading troops to participate in the war against the Brotan Kingdom probably won't spread quickly, but it's clearly better to reduce any time wastage.
Even if there are attempts to attack me, this speed itself will nullify most attempts.
The Empress suggested using Phlegethon, but I declined, regretting the resources it would take.
There's no need to arrive before Josef's garrison ahead of the Empress' letter, so hurrying to a normal extent is enough.
"Let's rest for a moment."
"Hah, hah..."
However, for the sake of those attached as guards, I'm moving with more leeway than when I was alone.
Unlike me, who only packed simple things like the uniform and order, the guards are wearing armor and even carrying weapons.
The horses tire quickly due to that weight, and the guards' stamina is quickly depleted.
"...Do you always travel like this?"
"Hmm."
Since they already see me as a strange person, I didn't bother mentioning that I originally ride even at night while looking at the mini-map.
"Have you all rested enough? Let's depart again."
"...Yes."
As we weren't far from the post station, I urged the guards sprawled on the grass.
***
A few days later.
As I gave plenty of leeway at the end, my party was able to arrive at Josef's garrison in a decent state.
"...You came quickly."
Josef greeted me with a sour expression.
"Has the messenger arrived?"
"Yes. Viktor, I heard you're deciding the treatment of prisoners, is that true?"
He won't be pleased with me.
Me directly deciding the treatment of prisoners under the Empress' order is close to the Empress' declaration that the prisoners are not under Josef's jurisdiction.
"I have something important to talk about regarding that."
"Hmm..."
To persuade him, I entered his tent alone, leaving the guards outside.
"Something to talk about?"
"That's right."
Although it was attached with temporary and special conditions, I'm still a corps commander, so.
Ignoring his suspicious gaze, I pulled up a chair and sat in front of him.
After confirming there were no listening ears even using the mini-map, I took out the Empress' order from my chest.
"This is the Empress' order."
"Hmm."
Josef unfolded the order to check its contents, then flushed red and crumpled the paper, throwing it on the floor.
"Leave the treatment entirely to you? Ridiculous. The one accommodating the prisoners now is me, Josef Steiner. If you think everything will be resolved because you brought the Empress' order, you're mistaken..."
It was an expected reaction.
No matter how much the noble faction is pushed back by the imperial faction, having the prisoners' treatment decided regardless of Josef's will would feel like an insult.
I picked up the order that had fallen to the floor,
-Rip!
"...What?"
And tore it right there.
Surprise and anger flashed across Josef's face, which soon turned to bewilderment.
"Managing prisoners isn't easy. Especially if the scale is large."
Before he could calmly grasp the situation, I immediately got to the main point.
"You must have pulled out thousands of troops for surveillance, and an enormous amount of supplies must be draining out every day. In fact, it's not even particularly necessary for occupying the current Rus Kingdom."
"..."
"You probably want to disband those troublemakers, but it's difficult to decide on a large-scale disbandment unilaterally. Classification? That would be difficult unless they come out completely cooperative."
Instead of refuting my words, Josef glared at me with a mixture of bewilderment and irritation in his eyes.
"Although Her Majesty ordered me to decide the treatment of prisoners, I'm willing to meet your requirements as much as possible if you have any."
"Willing?"
"How about this? I'll gather and take away those who could be dangerous, like rebellious ones or those who could become focal points like Corps Commander Anna, and I'll classify and disband those whose hometowns are in empire-occupied territories. You'll just be left with fewer, easier-to-manage prisoners. If you're going to rule the Rus Kingdom in the future, it's better to eliminate antipathy from now."
Even after hearing my proposal, he didn't loosen his hardened expression,
"Viktor. What's your intention?"
Instead of making a decision, he doubted my intention for proposing in a direction favorable to him while tearing up the Empress' order.
As it meant the proposal itself sounded positive to him too, I gave him a faint smile.
"Josef Steiner. I heard you're a member of the noble faction."
"...You haven't been with the empire for long, are you already trying to form connections?"
"It's a bit different."
Josef is bound to be late with information being out in the frontier, but lies will eventually be discovered.
So,
"I dislike Theodore Oppenstadt, that man."
I told the truth and filled it with emotion instead of logic.
Josef's eyes widened for a moment.
"In detail."
"I don't like how he acts as if he's the Empress just because he has the Empress' backing, and how he keeps trying to keep me in check at every turn. He seems to want my death, telling me to fight the Brotan Kingdom leading a corps made of prisoners."
I spoke exaggerating my anger towards Theodore.
I'm more known for emotional aspects like warmth towards subordinates and loyalty towards the king, rather than cold and rational appearances.
Even when surrendering, I didn't hide my appearance of feeling humiliation, so Josef probably thinks I'm not good at hiding emotions.
Moreover, tearing up the Empress' order with my own hands would have looked like denying my connection with the Empress.
It's not a problem that I have another order with the same content in my chest, as Josef won't search my chest right away.
"...So that's what the temporary special corps commander was about."
"I don't like moving according to his will, but I have no choice but to follow since orders were given. I need your help to succeed."
I didn't deny that Theodore was right in sending me to the battlefield with the Brotan Kingdom, as I had proposed the corps commander position myself.
"Does this mean you're interested in the noble faction?"
"Since Theodore is of the imperial faction, it could be seen that way. Although I'm not a noble."
"Ha!"
In fact, it was a proposal with nothing to lose for him.
Josef seemed to have dismissed his suspicion at my joke-like words and laughed loudly once.
"I was having a headache because of the prisoners. Alright! Let's cooperate for now!"
I firmly grasped the right hand he extended with his boisterous acceptance.
***
As Josef cooperated, the work to be done at his garrison was quickly finished.
As my main justification was the safety of the prisoners, I prioritized disbanding prisoners over demands for defection.
As a result, about 5,000 people including Anna and Alexandrov Kalichin said they would continue to follow me, and I classified and sent home about 10,000 prisoners from Rus Kingdom territories that had now become empire-occupied territories.
They left thanking not only me but also Josef for his mercy, which greatly satisfied Josef.
It's not bad for me either.
Although the number is small, they are the most reliable and elite among those who chose to follow even though I mentioned disbandment first.
"...Are you leaving?"
"Yes."
My forces, who packed only essential supplies like water and food without weapons to avoid unnecessary wariness, departed towards General Gerhart's corps.