As a poor, orphaned teenager, Viktor had no means of escaping to the empire. He lacked the money, supplies, and stamina for such a journey, and even if he did, there was no way to avoid the robbers and bandits that would undoubtedly be waiting for him outside the city. Even with the help of his mini-map, Viktor wasn’t confident he could outrun armed men chasing him with swords.

Once he entered the Ruth Kingdom's military academy, it became impossible to even talk about the empire in a favorable light. The Dragonnia Empire and the Ruth Kingdom had been enemies long before Viktor arrived in this world. To be precise, it was the nobles of Ruth who harbored a deep hatred for the empire, and the academy was full of those nobles’ children. Had Viktor mentioned the empire, he would likely have been subjected to even worse harassment.

After becoming a soldier, any opportunity to escape completely vanished. Desertion was a grave crime in every military, and as Viktor’s achievements mounted, more and more imperial generals had their sights set on capturing him. Surrendering could very well mean losing his head.

And so, when Andrei told him that the kingdom intended to hand him over to the empire, it felt like a rope from the heavens had descended to save him.

“Hehehe.”

“Have you lost your mind? Laughing in a situation like this?” Andrei sneered.

“Hahaha…”

Andrei’s poorly delivered taunts didn’t faze Viktor. After all, this development solved all of his problems at once.

There were several clues Viktor could gather from Andrei’s actions. The fact that he brought only ropes meant they intended to hand him over alive. Andrei’s reluctance to use force, preferring to hurl insults instead, suggested that he had likely been ordered to refrain from violence. If he hadn’t received such orders, he would have already punched Viktor the moment he thought Viktor was fully restrained.

“What do you think they’ll do to you when they take you away?”

Andrei continued to supply Viktor with free information. According to him, it was Ruth Kingdom that first proposed the truce. The emperor of the Dragonnia Empire specifically mentioned Viktor by name, demanding his transfer, and the kingdom agreed to the terms.

The fact that the emperor personally requested Viktor was critical. As the saying goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Viktor had significantly weakened the noble faction of the empire, which meant the emperor likely didn’t harbor any personal grudge against him. In fact, the current emperor of the Dragonnia Empire was well known for recruiting talented people from enemy nations, sometimes even creating special events in the game to hire them. It was very likely the emperor wanted to use Viktor.

That made Viktor’s next move simple.

"Let’s go, Andrei," Viktor said calmly.

"...Huh?" Andrei looked puzzled.

Viktor only needed to be led away without resistance. After all, everything was falling into place just as he had hoped.

---

Now, Viktor lay on the familiar hard cot in his tent, utterly exhausted.

“Phew…”

It had been a year and a half since I became General Viktor's personal adjutant.

At first, I thought it was a demotion. In a military controlled by high-ranking nobles, being assigned as an adjutant to a common-born officer wasn’t exactly a good sign.

I was suspicious from the start. After all, I wasn’t a noble either, and I had experienced the nobles' toxic hierarchy firsthand since the academy. The idea that "commoners should stick together" was something I had learned through bitter experience.

On top of that, Viktor was still a young officer who had only graduated from the academy four years earlier. I worried that following him would get me killed due to some reckless ambition. I'd seen enough of that typical sense of honor in young, inexperienced officers to last a lifetime. I didn’t want to experience it again.

But Viktor was different.

Some considered him incompetent because he often retreated after winning battles. More perceptive commanders admired his strategy and tactics during successful retreats and counterattacks. However, I believe both views missed the point.

Yes, he frequently retreated, and yes, his strategies and tactics were exceptional. But what truly set him apart was his charisma in leading soldiers.

You can only understand this after serving under his command. Even from a distance, his instructions would sink into your mind, and before you knew it, your body would move exactly where it needed to be. After experiencing his command, it was hard to be satisfied with the sluggish leadership of ordinary commanders.

Whether it was back when he commanded a few hundred soldiers or now, when he led tens of thousands, there was never a gap in his leadership. Unlike other commanders who saw soldiers as mere numbers to throw into harm’s way, Viktor’s meticulous guidance led to an extraordinarily low number of casualties. His soldiers were always motivated when he was in charge.

Viktor had risen through the ranks at an impressive speed. It was no secret that he was the reason this war had dragged on for two years, and only those completely unaware of reality would fail to see it. He had not only proven his capabilities but had also kept the war going against all odds.

Recently, he’d been talking about how the time for a counterattack was approaching, boosting morale among the troops. Even from afar, it was clear that the imperial forces were in bad shape. Soldiers were already starting to get excited, wondering if they might actually win this war.

I owe Viktor a lot. He kept me and the other soldiers alive when things looked bleak, like when other divisions were wiped out. He even insisted I rest while he stayed up until dawn, the light in his tent never going out.

That’s why, despite falling into bed each night in a state of exhaustion, I couldn’t resent him. If it weren’t for Viktor, I’d have long since died serving under some incompetent officer.

Maybe it was because the end was in sight, but lately, before I drifted off to sleep, I’d let my mind wander, imagining what life with him would be like after the war. Not Viktor the ironclad general, but Viktor the man. I would fantasize about spending time alone with him, though I always woke up before things could heat up too much. Still, even that brief daydream wasn’t so bad.

And so, I finally fell asleep...

“By order of His Majesty the King!”

The sound of someone shouting, followed by a commotion outside, jolted me awake. Since I had fallen asleep in my uniform, I quickly put on my boots, grabbed my weapon, and rushed outside the tent.

"...What’s going on?"

A group of unfamiliar soldiers had surrounded General Viktor's tent, which was right next to mine. They weren’t wearing helmets, just simple leather armor, and they were armed with nothing but ropes. The symbol of the royal family, a red trident, was emblazoned on their chests.

"The royal guard?"

Our soldiers stood around in confusion, unable to approach Viktor’s tent. I started to move toward the tent myself, but the soldiers guarding it immediately blocked my path.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“I’m Viktor’s adjutant, Anna.”

“The captain of the royal guard is carrying out the king’s orders. No one can interfere.”

“...The captain of the royal guard?”

“Watch your mouth,” one of the guards said, his voice laced with arrogance and a hint of mockery.

Why had the captain of the royal guard come to General Viktor’s tent in the middle of the night during a war? I didn’t know, but something definitely felt off. I pulled a whistle from my chest and blew it.

*Piiiiiiii!*

“What the hell are you—”

The emergency whistle cut through the confusion, and the soldiers quickly snapped to attention. They began to form a perimeter around Viktor’s tent, realizing that their commander might be in danger. Every torch was lit, and fully armed soldiers began to approach, causing the royal guards to grow visibly nervous.

“What the... what do you think you’re doing?”

“I can’t trust you. I need to see for myself.”

“How dare you speak to us like that? Who do you think—”

I was getting closer to the tent, but no sounds were coming from inside, which made me increasingly anxious. If these royal guards had harmed General Viktor...

*Pii!*

A short whistle, and the soldiers advanced another step.

“You lunatic! Are you defying the king’s orders?”

“Defying? Where’s the proof of these orders?”

“The captain...”

“Exactly, I need to see it for myself!”

I was debating whether to blow the whistle again when—

*Flap.*

“What’s all this commotion?”

“Captain!”

The tent flap opened, and out stepped Andrei, the captain of the royal guard, holding a rope in his hand.

And behind him was General Viktor, tied up and dragged along.

"...General?"

He remained silent, head bowed. There were no visible injuries, but being bound like that was not a good sign.

“That wench dared to defy us!” one of the guards shouted, trembling as he ran to Andrei, who had just emerged. His panicked behavior resembled a child tattling to his parents, which made me wonder if these men were really royal guards.

“She tried to resist a royal order?”

“...”

If the king’s order was legitimate, I could be in danger now too. Disobeying the king's orders was treason, a crime punishable by death, especially for soldiers.

“We’ve got another one to arrest,” Andrei said, pointing a finger at me.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

Suddenly, a booming laugh echoed through the camp.