I seriously wondered if I should change my approach before it was too late. Maybe I should strike up a conversation nonchalantly, as sociable people tend to do, as if nothing had happened.

It would be better to break the ice, even if it meant shattering the image I’d been crafting, rather than arriving in the capital in total silence. Even if the first impression is awkward, I could always rebuild trust later.

Appearing as a light-hearted person would be much easier than standing before the Emperor with nothing to show for it.

There was a way. Of course, it would come with risks greater than simply responding to someone else’s question.

"Um, should I address you as Viktor?"  
"Yes."

Fortunately, Erika spoke first before I had to resort to my backup plan.

I let a bit of irritation and frustration seep into my voice on purpose. If I showed that I was in a bad mood, she'd likely interpret it as, "He's still upset over being betrayed," and understand my tone accordingly.

"Uh, um..."  
"..."  

Instead of reacting negatively to my curt reply, she kept fumbling her words, avoiding my gaze, and nervously flipping through the notebook she’d taken out from her coat. She glanced at me, then went back to her notebook, and repeated this a few times.

It seemed like the problem wasn’t that she hadn’t been given instructions by the Emperor—she was simply too timid to start the conversation.

That notebook probably contained pre-prepared questions or some information about me.

“I’m Erika, from the House of Count Baumann.”  
“I’m Viktor.”  
“Oh! I-I wasn’t trying to brag or anything...! Ouch!”

She seemed to realize she’d made a mistake by mentioning her noble status in front of me, a commoner. In her panic, she bit her tongue while trying to explain herself.

If the situation were different, I might’ve found her flustered state endearing. But right now, I just wanted her to ask her questions already.  
I wasn’t offended by her status, nor was I unused to being looked down upon for being a commoner.

“Ugh, hic...”

I watched her carefully for a moment.  
Her attire was modest but elegant, with her hairstyle and accessories indicating that she’d put effort into not being underestimated. Her necklace, the most expensive-looking piece she wore, didn’t show much wear, suggesting she didn’t usually wear it.

She looked over 20 but wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, meaning she wasn’t married yet.

Could she really be just a throwaway piece?

If she wasn’t married and came from a family with no clear heir, there probably wasn’t anyone waiting for her at home. She had restrained herself from indulging in luxury even in front of royalty and foreign nobles, so she was either famous enough to not need to show off, or her family wasn’t wealthy enough to afford extravagance.

Since her family, the Baumann house, never appeared in the game, and I hadn’t heard of them elsewhere, the latter seemed more likely.

If she was someone insignificant, then her role could simply be to escort me back after the negotiations.  
She must have hesitated because she wasn’t sure whether her task was to speak to me or not.

It’s best not to expect too much from her.

"Um, Viktor?"  
"Yes."  
“I-I...”

I lowered my expectations. While the Emperor might trust her to some extent, she was likely someone whose absence wouldn’t be deeply felt.

Aside from the Emperor’s backing, she seemed like a typical young noblewoman—one who might have been intimidated by the rumors she had heard about me and the impression I made at the palace.

Rumor had it that some Imperial citizens threatened their children with my name to scare them into behaving, so it made sense that she would be hesitant to speak to me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Viktor!”

...Or maybe not?

After much hesitation, her words shattered all my prior assumptions. Unlike before, Erika now seemed slightly excited as she started speaking quickly.

“I even looked up the battles you commanded! Like the Battle of Serkutsk Gorge!”

At this moment, Erika resembled more of a fan meeting her idol than an emissary on an important mission. Whether this was part of her approach or genuine, I couldn’t be sure.

“...Is that so?”  
“Yes! Your swift troop maneuvers and breakthroughs—people are even suggesting they should be used as textbook examples!”

I could already tell that the Empire had more resources and time to analyze than Ruth Kingdom. That battle at Serkutsk was a confrontation between the Empire and Ruth Kingdom about two years ago, but she was talking about it as if it had nothing to do with her.

The *Northern War* wasn’t *her* war.  
If she had fought in it, she wouldn’t be making these kinds of light-hearted comments.

Paul, sitting next to her, was also beginning to frown. Perhaps it bothered him that he had been the commander during the Serkutsk battle, or maybe it was the fact that an Imperial citizen was showing this much interest in me.

Talking about battles didn’t seem like the best way to break the ice.

“I also know about the Battle of Angelkorod! It was your first command, and you only lost 13 men under your direct control...”

I was at a crossroads.

I could take her strange approach as genuine and use it as an opportunity.  
My military record didn’t need exaggeration; simply recounting what I had accomplished for Ruth Kingdom would be enough to showcase my abilities.

As a noblewoman, she could easily spread rumors that would further enhance my image.

Or I could view her remarks as a mistake or a test and respond cautiously, keeping my answers consistent with how *General Viktor* would respond.

"...Viktor?"  
"..."  

Though I leaned toward the latter, her enthusiasm didn’t seem fake, which made me a little worried. She hadn’t even glanced at her notebook since mentioning the battles.

It would be smart to play along with her.  
After all, she was the Emperor’s representative, and making a good impression on her wouldn’t hurt.

But bragging about my battle records wouldn’t be to my advantage right now.

I wasn’t part of the Empire yet.  
The negotiations were about transferring me as a prisoner, not hiring me, so technically, I was still a general of Ruth Kingdom. If, just a few hours after leaving the kingdom, I started bragging about my exploits?

While it might not be considered outright treason or betrayal, it would still make people question my character.  
A commander in charge of an army is expected to be serious, and being seen as frivolous would be damaging to my reputation.

Bragging about military achievements was common enough, but it didn’t make for a good impression of a skilled leader.  
Erika was already well aware of my accomplishments, so there was no need to dwell on them.

Still, rather than outright rejecting her, it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters.  
She was young and inexperienced, so she might have simply asked those questions out of naivety. If she was probing me, then I’d know to be more careful with her going forward.

What should I say?

“...Angelkorod. Yes, I remember it.”  
“Yes! That time...”

I had shown enough competence and loyalty already, and I’d kept up a serious demeanor.  
It was time to reveal a deeper, more human side of myself.

“Viktor.”  
“...Yes?”

I carefully opened my mouth.

“Ivan, Georgi, Ilya, Anton...”

At first, Erika was confused, but as I continued naming names, her face turned pale.

“...Pyotr.”  
“...”

I recited the names of the 13 men from my unit who had died during that battle.

“Viktor... He had the same name as me, so the others used to tease him about it. Every time he was called, he’d glance over at me.”

I shared a brief story about those 13 soldiers.  
Erika covered her mouth with her hand and averted her gaze, while Paul gave me an odd look.

“His father wasn’t in the picture, but he had a mother and younger siblings waiting for him back home. After the battle, we packed his things and sent them back to his family.”

“Oh...”

By the time I finished, Erika seemed just as timid as she had been before she first spoke.

“Do you have any more questions?”  
“...No.”

She quietly shook her head and lowered her gaze. At some point, she had been jotting down notes in her notebook, but now she had stopped, looking down at it without any more questions.

Paul, meanwhile, turned his gaze back to the window as if nothing had happened, but his eyes looked slightly reddened.

Success.

It had been a gamble to show her how I viewed war and who I was as a person.  
To someone who only saw war as a series of victories, my response might have seemed out of place.

I had trusted the Emperor’s judgment in choosing someone competent, and it seemed Erika had taken my words to heart.

It hadn’t been difficult. After all, it had only been two years, and I remembered every detail of those men’s faces and their stories.  
I had even sent what little I could to their families, so I didn’t think they’d hold any grudges against me.

...Feeling a little strange, I leaned back in my seat.

I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift to the faces of the soldiers who had fought by my side on the battlefield.