Chapter 7
After being tied up again by the Royal Guard members and being led out of the underground prison, a group of soldiers approached us.
Judging by their unit insignia, they weren't Royal Guard members but troops temporarily assigned to guard the royal palace during the war.
"We'll take over from here."
"Ah, yes."
They pressured the Royal Guard members with an intimidating aura, holding spears in one hand.
Since Andrei had left before us, the guards couldn't refuse and hesitantly handed me over to them.
"...Are you alright?"
After the Royal Guard fled, the man who seemed to be the leader asked me.
"Yes."
"Sniff."
The soldiers showed a strange reaction as they supported me and entered the royal palace.
"General. We will always remember you."
"Those damn noble bastards..."
"...Thank you."
Whether they were soldiers who originally knew me or not, they kept saying various things to me as we walked together.
They left me in a guest room inside the palace and disappeared.
Was it the soldiers' arbitrary action?
Or from someone higher up?
As if not wanting to give me time to ponder, shortly after, several maids working in the palace entered the guest room.
"Wow, it's really him!"
"Lord Viktor! We've wanted to meet you!"
They lifted me, who couldn't properly balance my body, and moved me to the bathroom.
"We'll wash you! No need to answer!"
After entering what looked like a large bathtub.
With skilled hands, they removed my clothes covered in dust and washed away the grime stuck to my body.
"Oh my, his hair is completely ruined."
"His skin is so dry too. Why on earth in prison..."
"Is it okay for us to do this?"
As I was soaked in warm water, my eyes closed involuntarily, and I couldn't properly hear the conversation between the maids.
Although these women were probably daughters of noble families since they were palace maids, I accepted their treatment quietly because their touch and tone were kind.
"We're finished."
"...Thank you."
"If you're grateful, please give us just one autograph!"
"..."
After signing something like a handkerchief for them and being led by moving hands, I found myself in a guest room that looked better equipped than my own home.
The maids busily fixed my hair and even dressed me before leaving the room.
The clothes the maids put on me were a rather elaborate formal uniform of a kingdom officer.
Having always worn comfortable clothes under armor on the battlefield, the formal uniform that tightened around various parts of my body felt very awkward.
"Please have something to eat."
An older-looking maid approached me as I sat blankly in a chair and put down a bowl of soup.
Although I wasn't very hungry, probably because I had starved for too long, I picked up the spoon because the soup smelled good.
After confirming that I carefully brought the soup to my mouth, she bowed once and left the room.
"...Hmm."
It was a completely unexpected treatment.
I had never felt this well-treated even when I visited the royal palace as a commander-in-chief.
Those who sold me out wouldn't have prepared something like this.
The nobles are always busy doing nothing but playing, and Andrei had only said to tie me up and lock me away, not to treat me like this.
It's probably the personal favor of the soldiers and maids who helped me.
I hope they don't get in trouble for helping me.
"Phew..."
...Maybe because I'm human too.
Although I'm worried, I feel a bit better thanks to their help.
I gained some confidence.
Confidence that my actions so far haven't been wrong.
Since they've shown courage, I should muster my strength too.
After finishing the plate clean, I closed my eyes and leaned back in the soft chair.
***
-Thump thump thump!
I opened my eyes to the sound of someone knocking on the door.
Judging by the sun not having set outside, it doesn't seem like much time has passed, but my body feels refreshed as if I've had a full day's sleep.
"Viktor! Are you in here!"
"Haah..."
As if not expecting an answer, Andrei entered the room with a frivolous voice.
"So you were hiding here. The guests are waiting in the hall!"
"...The negotiation."
"It's long over. Ah, finally such a day has come."
Andrei, with extremely high tension, and the Royal Guard members looking deflated in inverse proportion, burst into the guest room.
Is he obsessed with tying me up?
Andrei was holding a bundle of rope in his hand this time too.
Including him, even his subordinates were wearing silver-shining armor and ceremonial swords, looking quite impressive on the outside.
Although they were showing in various ways that they hadn't properly experienced war, such as the positioning of joints and equipment, that probably doesn't matter at all to them or to those watching.
I pinched my thigh to completely shake off the drowsiness.
To build a perfect image, I need to be fully alert from now on.
The importance of first impressions can't be emphasized enough, so I need to decide in advance how I want to appear.
"You must be weak from not eating properly, so support him."
As soon as I heard Andrei ordering his subordinates, I started rotating my brain furiously.
What kind of appearance should I show to the imperial side?
Do I have any fears or weaknesses?
Since the visitors are probably from the imperial faction, there's nothing special.
Am I really so weak that I can barely support my body, as Andrei said?
Considering that I've starved and haven't slept, I'm in quite good condition.
There might have been something special in the soup I ate earlier.
What was my previously known image?
According to investigations, what mainly spread in the empire were my military achievements, and almost no information about me personally was known.
The imperial people who came as negotiators probably only know me as a capable general of the Rus Kingdom army.
The appearance I show from now on will create my image.
I imagined what image would be advantageous and could decide quickly.
From now on, I am a general with a firm mind who is loyal to the country and the king.
Always dignified and unyielding, no matter how unfavorable the situation.
In reality, my opinion wasn't considered at all in the decision-making process, and I've never harbored such loyalty, but that's not important.
If the imperial people, especially the Empress, think so, that becomes the truth.
"Understo..."
"No."
I stood up from the chair before the Royal Guard members could approach.
---
As Viktor abruptly stood up, the members surrounding him stepped back hesitantly.
His fierce gaze and the energy he exuded didn't seem at all like someone who had starved for three days, and the Royal Guard members, already intimidated by the name Viktor itself, couldn't easily approach him.
"I'll walk on my own."
"What..."
Andrei, who had been suppressed by Viktor during the arrest and held a grudge, was about to order again, angry that the members were just watching,
"I will."
"W-what..."
As Andrei tried to speak, Viktor approached him slowly, step by step.
From the beginning, Andrei didn't understand the current situation.
The Royal Guard members he had sent to tie Viktor up well came back saying strange soldiers had taken Viktor away, and he had only found the missing Viktor after searching hundreds of guest rooms in the palace.
Moreover, Viktor, who seemed to have even bathed, was glaring at him in full uniform.
Faced with Viktor approaching while muttering in a low voice as if chewing his words, Andrei could only move his lips slightly.
Even though they weren't directly facing Viktor, the members felt an indescribable pressure from his low, rumbling voice and his frighteningly calm gaze.
"On my own."
"Uh, uh..."
Although none of them were smaller or less built than Viktor, being well-fed and trained noble sons, the Royal Guard members, having little experience of being under pressure, all stepped back hesitantly or averted their gaze.
"I said I'll go."
Viktor stopped right in front of Andrei and spoke as if pronouncing a sentence.
"Ah, alright! I get it!"
In the end, Andrei shouted as if screaming and stepped aside.
Viktor walked steadily through the still-open door.
Andrei and his members were frozen for a moment before following behind Viktor, who was moving ahead.
If he had gone the wrong way, Andrei might have said something, but Viktor walked with confident steps precisely towards the main hall of the palace, their destination.
"What are you looking at? Get lost!"
"..."
Embarrassed by the sight of following behind someone he had arrested and feeling overpowered, Andrei shouted at the guards or maids he saw passing by instead of saying anything to Viktor.
Seeing Andrei sneaking glances at Viktor while doing this, even those being scolded barely held back their laughter as they left, almost running away.
Andrei could only stamp his feet, unable to vent his building anger.
A moment later.
Viktor stopped in front of a huge door decorated with gold and jewels.
It was the door blocking the main hall of the palace where the negotiations had taken place.
"Is this it?"
"Yes. Wait a moment... Hey!"
Andrei tried to tie Viktor up even here, as he had been ordered to bring him tied up, but Viktor opened the door himself before the soldiers guarding it could approach.
Once the door was opened, Andrei couldn't easily pounce on him to tie him up.
"...I sent the Royal Guard, so soon... Huh?"
"Ah, that guy..."
The main hall became noisy due to Viktor's sudden entrance.
The nobles of the Rus Kingdom gathered to the left of the throne were flustered to see Viktor, who should have been dragged in tied with ropes, walking in on his own feet and even dressed in uniform, while the negotiation team from the empire observed Viktor with interested looks.
The Royal Guard members, including Andrei, quietly followed Viktor into the hall, thinking they couldn't cause a commotion in front of everyone's gaze.
Viktor approached the king in a straight line, regardless of the gazes pouring on him.
Count Vladimir Savinkov, standing right next to the king, sighed with various meanings after confirming Andrei timidly following behind Viktor.
"Viktor, Commander-in-Chief of the Rus Kingdom Army, has arrived."
Viktor, who stopped at the foot of the throne, bowed politely and knelt on one knee, lowering his head.
The king seated on the throne desperately rolled his eyes as a completely different situation unfolded from what the nobles had told him in advance.
As it was difficult to give any instructions to the king immediately in this atmosphere, Vladimir couldn't respond to the king's desperate gaze.
"...Rise."
"Yes."
After an uncomfortable silence that lasted for dozens of seconds, the king barely recalled the response he should give.
Viktor, who had shown respect as if he had never been arrested, scanned the audience.
As Viktor glared at them vigorously despite having gone through solitary confinement, most of the nobles lowered their heads or turned sideways, avoiding his gaze.
Having dominated the atmosphere of the audience with a single movement, he,
"Your Majesty. As the commander of the kingdom's army, I have something to say about this war."
He began with a solemn tone.