Our party headed toward the prison located deep beneath the royal palace. Andrei quickly regained his composure, mocking me all the way there. His snickering finally made sense when we arrived at my destination.

This wasn’t just any ordinary prison cell with iron bars.

We stopped in front of a solitary confinement cell, entirely made of stone, including the door.

Inside, there was only a roughly hewn stone bed and a deep, narrow pit in the ground. The cell had a small window set high in the wall, barely letting in any light, and a food slot in the door—the only connection to the outside world. The cell was so small that I doubted I’d even be able to stretch fully inside.

“How long am I supposed to stay here?” I asked Andrei, who was grunting as he worked to open the door.

“No idea,” he snapped.

“A day? Hm, that doesn’t seem right. Three days? A week?” I continued, feigning innocence.

“Shut up.”

“It’s probably not that long. Five days, maybe?”

“…You son of a—” he growled, unable to hide the twitch in his eye or his shaking hands.

His transparent reaction gave me all the information I needed. According to Andrei’s all-too-clear response, it seemed like I’d be stuck here for around three days. Hastily, he shoved me inside without even bothering to untie the ropes binding me.

“Let’s see how tough you are when you come out,” Andrei sneered.

“Good luck,” I said calmly.

“…Damn it!” he cursed, slamming the door shut behind me.

Once the door closed, the room was plunged into complete darkness. I let out a small sigh of relief and immediately loosened the ropes. I had been secretly untying the poorly knotted restraints as we walked, and the moment I relaxed my hands, the ropes fell to the floor.

“As expected, he’s an idiot,” I muttered.

It’s common sense that when locking someone up, especially in solitary confinement, any items that could be used for self-harm or escape should be removed. Sharp objects are obvious, but even the ropes Andrei left behind could be repurposed.

But considering Andrei usually spent his days sipping tea with other nobles, I wasn’t surprised by his ignorance.

“He’s lucky,” I said to myself, stretching my limbs. If I were some violent criminal, leaving something like these ropes would have been a massive oversight. But I planned to play the role of the model prisoner.

My goal here was to present myself as a loyal subject, someone who follows orders no matter how unjust they may seem. I wanted to be seen as a commander who obeys even the most unreasonable commands. With my capabilities already proven, I wasn’t worried about coming across as weak. 

The plan was simple: appear loyal and obedient to the kingdom, while subtly signaling my willingness to serve the empire. When the emperor inevitably offers me a position, I’ll act as though I’m reluctantly swayed by their charm, accepting their offer as if they’ve won me over. 

How the emperor approaches me remains a variable, but I’m confident in my ability to read the situation and play my part. Worst case, I can always claim I was "emotionally weakened" and accept right away.

For now, though, my main task is to lay low and behave. Thankfully, I’ve spent more time than most in these kinds of solitary conditions, so I’m confident I’ll be just fine.

I groped around in the dark until I found the stone bed and lay down.

“Let’s get started,” I said, closing my eyes and focusing.

As soon as I concentrated, my small minimap transformed into a tactical map, filling my vision.

This was a feature I had discovered back in military school—my minimap could evolve into a full-scale tactical simulation, complete with all the units and terrain I had encountered in the game. It wasn’t just a visual aid; I could replay previous battles and even simulate new ones based on the information I had.

Ever since discovering this feature, I had spent countless hours running simulations. I’d often stay up for days, losing myself in the possibilities of each battle. The experience I gained from these simulations proved invaluable in real combat.

“Let’s do some practice,” I said, preparing a simulation where I commanded the empire’s troops, facing off against the neighboring states along the imperial borders.

"Impressive," I mused.

Compared to the poorly equipped and underwhelming Ruth Kingdom forces, the empire’s troops were on a completely different level. Just thinking about commanding these well-trained and well-equipped soldiers made me feel a surge of excitement—and, surprisingly, loyalty to the empire.

With no distractions and plenty of time, I dove fully into the simulated battlefield in front of me.

---

Meanwhile, things were going well for me on a different front, too. The nobles, particularly the so-called "Noble Faction" who always bragged about their lands, had finally grown quiet.

For the longest time, I had been annoyed by their constant squabbling, each claiming to be more important than the others. But with the tide of war turning, they didn’t dare make much noise anymore.

“Your Majesty!” one of the nobles called out.

“Speak,” I responded.

“Why did you refuse the request for supplies? If it weren’t for the treaty, General Paul could have been stranded in enemy territory!”

If anyone dared to raise their voice in protest,

“You refused aid from the start! You didn’t even bother mentioning the management of the territory you occupied, and now you cry for help when things go wrong? How does that make any sense?”

The so-called "Imperial Faction," a group of nobles who supported me, would immediately step in to silence them.

“That’s enough! If it weren’t for His Majesty’s desire for peace, you wouldn’t even be standing here today!”

Although some of those supporting me were nobles I personally placed, many others claimed to support me simply because they opposed the Noble Faction. Still, I didn’t mind their allegiance as long as they were useful.

At the head of this group was Duke Theodor of Oppenstadt, a young and shrewd noble who had quickly risen to prominence. He had aligned himself with my faction and was now representing the Imperial Faction in nearly every dispute.

The once-powerful Noble Faction had been weakened, not only by Theodor’s attacks but also by their failures in the Northern War. Theodor, though still in his twenties, now commanded more influence than some of the older dukes, so much so that people began to view him as the true power behind the throne.

“Your Majesty,” Theodor interrupted my thoughts.

“Yes?”

“The delegation is almost here,” he informed me.

“I see.”

Despite his outward politeness, I never quite liked Theodor. I could sense the ambition in his eyes, a hunger that went beyond merely leading the Imperial Faction. His calculating gaze often sent shivers down my spine, making me regret crafting my appearance to be so... alluring. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t yet have the power to deal with him. Even though I had secured the legendary "Sword of the Bloodline," which gave me legitimacy, I wasn’t strong enough to freely remove high-ranking nobles like Theodor.

The ongoing rivalry between the Imperial Faction and the Noble Faction had kept them in check, but it had become clear that I needed my own power base. I realized too late that I should have built my strength long before now. The Noble Faction had become so weak that they no longer posed a real threat.

Still, I couldn’t let Theodor’s influence grow unchecked. If some of the people I trusted were secretly aligned with him, it could spell disaster.

"Is that one person really enough? The delegation might demand something more substantial,” Theodor said, his voice laced with doubt.

“He will be more than enough,” I replied confidently.

The negotiation we were about to conduct was crucial.

I needed someone untouched by Theodor’s influence, someone who could stand up to him and be loyal to me alone. Someone skilled, capable, and without ties to the existing nobility.

I had found the perfect candidate.

“They call him ‘Invincible,’ right? I’m curious to meet him,” I said with a smirk.

“Are you really going to use him?” Theodor asked.

“I need to see him first. But yes, if he’s as good as they say.”

If Viktor was as capable as his reputation suggested, I would take him under my wing. He had no loyalty to the nobles, and his prowess had already earned him a fearsome reputation among even the empire’s most formidable soldiers. If he proved himself skilled in governance, I would station him in the occupied territories as a governor. If not, I’d send him to continue the conquest of the Ruth Kingdom once the truce ended.

And if he was truly useless... well, I could always have his head put on a spike.

“Understood,” Theodor replied, though his expression suggested he had more reservations than he let on.

But to me, Theodor’s allegiance meant little. Nobles were all the same. Their loyalty was as thin as the flags they waved. 

For now, my sights were set on Viktor—the man known as "Invincible."

"Very well. Let’s end this meeting," I said.

As I heard rumors of Viktor’s impressive looks, I felt a strange excitement building within me—a rare emotion I hadn’t experienced for some time amidst the company of dull and insipid nobles.