At first, Andrei Komarov had been elated to shove Viktor into solitary confinement. He couldn't stand how a commoner like Viktor had risen to the position of commander-in-chief, let alone how everyone praised him as the best. 

Even though Andrei had never set foot on a battlefield, he was convinced that he would outperform Viktor if given the chance. After all, he had always dominated in war games against other officers, so much so that they began avoiding his invitations out of fear or frustration.

To Andrei, Viktor was just a lucky commoner. In his mind, the only reason the empire had lost to Viktor was due to their incompetence. If Andrei had been in command, the enemy wouldn’t have even reached the Ruth Kingdom’s capital.

Because of this, Viktor’s calm demeanor as he was being dragged away infuriated Andrei. The questions, the seemingly humble attitude—it all rubbed him the wrong way.

Shoving Viktor into solitary confinement wasn’t just a professional decision; it was a personal one. Although Count Sabinkov had only ordered Viktor to be held in an appropriate cell until the negotiations were complete, Andrei took that as permission to do whatever he wanted. And what he wanted was to see Viktor suffer.

Andrei relished the idea that after a few days in solitary, Viktor’s confident facade would break down, revealing his true self.

"Sir, the food we’ve sent hasn’t been touched," a guard reported.

"Let him do as he pleases. We’ll let him out in a few days anyway," Andrei replied dismissively.

He wasn’t worried. Missing a meal or two wouldn’t cause any serious harm. Andrei left the guards with instructions to stop reporting minor updates and made his way to attend a party hosted by the nobles.

---

Meanwhile, rumors about Viktor’s capture spread rapidly. The soldiers in the capital heard the news almost immediately, and it caused a much larger stir than anyone had anticipated.

Because most of the military forces were concentrated in the capital, Viktor’s capture spread like wildfire among the troops. While it was also common knowledge that peace negotiations were underway, the timing of Viktor’s arrest and these negotiations was too suspicious to ignore.

The soldiers knew all too well what had happened before Viktor became commander. The constant losses, the deaths of countless officers and soldiers—it was a dark time. But Viktor had turned things around, especially for the 1st Corps, which had become known as the "Undying Legion" due to their remarkably low casualties under his command.

The majority of the troops were conscripts, young men who just wanted to survive and return home. For them, Viktor was a hero. He was the reason they were still alive. The lower-ranking officers, who were typically sent to the frontlines and faced high mortality rates, felt the same. Viktor had the love and loyalty of almost everyone in the military, save for the aristocrats.

Viktor’s sudden imprisonment enraged many soldiers. On top of that, rumors began to spread that Viktor had been captured to be handed over to the empire. Tensions reached a boiling point when it was revealed that Viktor had been thrown into the palace dungeon and hadn’t even been given proper meals.

There were even whispers among the troops of storming the palace to rescue Viktor. Anna, Viktor’s trusted aide, was approached by many soldiers asking her to take action, and even some noble officers who had always been friendly to Viktor quietly made contact with her. While Anna declared that she would hold off on any drastic action for now, those who had made up their minds began preparing for the worst. The word "rebellion" was being spoken openly in some circles.

The royal guard and the nobles weren’t entirely unaware of the unrest, but dismissing it was a common mistake. Discontentment was not new, and past complaints from the soldiers had often been dealt with through harsh purges or suppression. The nobles believed this situation was no different, thinking they could get rid of Viktor’s supporters after the negotiations and move on.

The few who genuinely worried about the brewing storm were a minority.

In their arrogance, the nobles were too busy celebrating. They were confident that by handing Viktor over to the empire, they had solved their biggest problem. This air of triumph only served to fan the flames of discontent among the soldiers.

Although the war had paused, the tension in the capital of the Ruth Kingdom continued to rise.

---

[Victory!]
[Empire forces: 1,500 soldiers; Casualties: 724]
[Ruth Kingdom forces: 6,200 soldiers; Casualties: 5,882]

"Phew."

It had been a grueling battle.

In the simulation, I was tasked with defending a city using only the city’s guards against a counterattack from the Ruth Kingdom. I had cranked up the difficulty to the highest level, and the enemy forces had been far stronger than their real-world counterparts. In the actual war, the Ruth Kingdom’s soldiers would have fled at the sight of imperial knights, but in this scenario, they fought like warriors with nothing to lose.

It was only due to the Ruth Kingdom’s weakness in cavalry and ranged attacks that I managed to hold them off, defeating them in small groups. If they had attacked all at once, my poorly armed guards would have been overwhelmed.

As the battle ended and the tension lifted, an overwhelming hunger suddenly hit me.

"How long has it been since I last ate?"

I had taken short breaks for water and other necessities, but I hadn’t eaten anything substantial. I’d filled my stomach with water, but now I was starting to feel the effects.

It had been a long time since I’d been able to lose myself so fully in a simulation. 

Before arriving in this world, I used to spend entire holidays sitting in front of the computer, skipping meals and sleep just to keep playing. The nostalgia hit hard.

I opened my eyes and pulled down the cloth I had been using as a makeshift blindfold. Sunlight streamed through the high window, signaling that it was already midday. I had covered my eyes with the cloth to block out the sun and had no idea how much time had passed.

"I guess it doesn’t matter."

I had no way of knowing exactly how many days had passed. I had run too many simulations to count, and estimating based on the number of battles wouldn’t be accurate.

But it didn’t really matter. I trusted Andrei’s nervous reaction when I had mentioned three days. If he was wrong, I could always keep myself occupied with more simulations.

Glancing at the pieces of bread scattered on the floor, it seemed they had continued delivering meals. In some ways, this confinement was more comfortable than being a commander in the field. Seeing the food made me hungrier, but I knew eating now would make me sleepy, so I pushed the bread back into the corner where it had been left.

"Just a little more," I muttered.

Once I reached the empire, I would be busy. Whether it was securing my position or finally chasing my dream of world conquest, I would have my hands full. Who knew when I would next have time to relax like this? I drank some water to dull the hunger and lay back down on the bed.

Just as I blindfolded myself and prepared to dive back into the simulation—

*Clank, clank, creeeeak.*

The sound of a door opening echoed through the cell. I removed the blindfold and sat up. A moment later, the heavy door swung wide open.

"Heh, tough bastard, aren’t you? How did you—wait, never mind," a familiar silhouette grumbled as he stepped into the cell.

"Andrei," I said.

"Three days without eating? What’s wrong with you, huh?"

Andrei’s gaze swept over the room, lingering on the untouched food. His expression was one of disbelief, as though he couldn’t understand how I had survived so long without eating.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You’ve just been lying here for three days, drinking water. Were you protesting or something?" he sneered.

So, three days had already passed. The sudden realization made me feel a wave of exhaustion.

"Seems like it," I replied nonchalantly.

"Get him out of here," Andrei ordered, sounding impatient.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. Being confined to this cell with nothing but simulations to keep me company had been surprisingly enjoyable. Now that I was being released, it felt like my carefree days were coming to an end.

"I could stay a bit longer," I joked.

"You’ve lost your mind," Andrei muttered. "Get him up and restrain him."

Two guards entered the cell and helped me to my feet.

"Ah, I’m going to miss this," I said wistfully.

"Excuse me?" one of the guards asked, looking confused.

But my time in solitary confinement had come to an end. Reluctantly, I let them escort me out of the cell.