The prisoners from Ruth Kingdom usually acted rude and unruly, completely unconcerned that they were now in enemy hands.

Especially the noble captives.  
They would go on and on about their high status back in Ruth Kingdom and how insignificant the Empire was.  
Then, when they were about to face death, they would spill everything they knew—pleading to be spared, promising their family would pay a ransom to secure their release.

Most of that information was useless, but Imperial commanders would usually release these incompetent nobles for ransom, hoping they’d return to command positions and make the same mistakes again.  
This approach had worked very well, at least until Viktor took control of Ruth Kingdom's forces.

Given that experience, I had expected my conversation with Viktor to follow a similar pattern.  
He had agreed to speak much more easily than most captives, who were usually difficult to engage with at all.

I had set out to collect information, just as the Emperor had ordered, while also indulging my curiosity a little.  
After all, I had heard so many rumors about Viktor and wanted to know what kind of person he really was.

But things had taken an unexpected turn.

“...Hic.”

I bit down hard to stop myself from crying.  
This wasn’t the response I had anticipated.

I didn’t expect him to boast about his accomplishments, especially given the circumstances.  
Still, I had thought he might subtly show off, pretending to be reluctant while casually dropping his achievements, or perhaps giving a humble and measured response.

That’s how the high-ranking officers I had met in the past behaved, including General Gerhardt, with whom I’d often interacted, as well as various commanders and knights.  
Even officers from other nations would get excited when they talked about battles they had participated in.

And if it was their first official battle?  
They would start by praising their enemies, then go into great detail about how brilliant their tactics were, how glorious the victory had been. They would boast about the enemy’s casualties, all while conveniently omitting the losses on their own side.

It always gave me an indescribable feeling of discomfort, as if something was off.  
I could never quite put my finger on it, and I hadn’t dared speak up about it. I had just kept my feelings bottled up.

But after hearing Viktor’s story, I finally understood what had been bothering me all this time.

None of the officers I’d met had ever spoken about the fallen soldiers on their side.  
Sometimes, someone might briefly mention "honorable sacrifices," but even that was rare.

I had thought Viktor would be no different.  
After all, he had used the blood of his soldiers as an excuse to urge the king to continue the war, so I assumed he was just another high-ranking officer.

I thought he was someone who loved war, who had built his impressive military career because of his obsession with battle.  
I assumed that he fought so fiercely because of his love for Ruth Kingdom and led his troops with unwavering commitment, sometimes even fighting on the front lines himself.  
I thought, like other soldiers, he saw death on the battlefield as a form of glory—something he neither feared nor particularly dwelled on.

But I had been wrong.  
Viktor’s perspective aligned more with that of ordinary soldiers than with the other officers.

He felt a deep sense of doubt about war, carried guilt for the soldiers who had died, and bore the weight of responsibility.

When I mentioned his first major battle, the Battle of Angelkorod, a battle that should have been a triumphant memory for him, he didn’t focus on his victory.  
He didn’t mention the fleeing Imperial troops, or the opposing commander, or even his own tactics.

Without hesitation, he recited the names of the fallen soldiers.

It had been two years since that battle.  
He hadn’t only commanded those 100 soldiers; he had led thousands, maybe tens of thousands, since then.  
And yet, he still remembered the names and stories of those who had fallen in that first battle.

He spoke in a calm and composed tone, but I could see the sadness in his eyes.

This was something Imperial military academies never taught.  
They glorified going to war and treated death as something honorable. They taught us to celebrate victorious battles and encouraged us to be cold and unfeeling, telling us that weak men couldn’t become generals.  
We were trained to see soldiers as mere numbers, to be dealt with efficiently.

Ruth Kingdom’s military academies were probably the same.  
Any cadet who showed Viktor’s attitude would have been ostracized.  
They might have been mocked as cowards or given other derogatory labels. Viktor had even mentioned having conflicts with his peers during his time at the academy.

What mattered was that Viktor had proven he was different.

He wasn’t weak at all.  
He didn’t follow the conventional belief that generals should be cold, distant from their soldiers, only focused on strategy and tactics. And yet, he had become Ruth Kingdom’s hero.

Perhaps he had turned his guilt over the fallen soldiers into a sense of duty, channeling it into leading his troops more effectively than anyone else.  
As a result, he became known as unbeatable, and his corps earned the title “The Undying Corps” because of their incredibly low casualties.

Up until now, I had thought Viktor was someone who knew no fear.  
Even when he was surrounded by royal guards, with the eyes of dozens of nobles and the king on him, he had remained calm and composed.

He had likely buried those thoughts deep within himself so that his men could trust and follow him without hesitation.  
Even the Imperial reports that had sought to uncover his weaknesses had concluded, "There are no openings."

If he hadn’t been betrayed by Ruth Kingdom’s king, I doubt he would have ever shared such thoughts with me.

“...”

Strangely enough, after seeing this side of him, I felt even more intrigued by him.

He had seemed so distant before.  
I respected General Gerhardt, but I had never wanted to get to know him personally. And as for Empress Louise, she was simply someone I owed loyalty to.

Likewise, I had only admired Viktor for his brilliance in strategy and tactics.

But now, things were different.

I could see why the soldiers of Ruth Kingdom were so loyal to him.  
Hearing his story made me think that, if I were a soldier, I would want to serve under him as well.

I wanted to speak with him more.  
Not just about work—about personal things, too.

But Viktor had closed his eyes, clearly signaling that the conversation was over for now.

Given that his own country had discarded him like trash, his thoughts were probably in turmoil.  
As much as I wanted to know more, it wouldn’t be polite to keep pressing him.

I should be grateful he had shared as much as he did.

*Scribble, scribble.*

I pulled out my notebook and began recording our conversation.  
My hand trembled slightly as I wrote.

Something about Erika’s gaze had warmed up a bit since earlier.  
And then—

"Viktor."  
"…?"

Paul, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.  
He had seemed deep in thought while Erika and I were talking.

“You’re… peculiar.”

“...”

It was such an odd remark that I checked the minimap to confirm that Paul’s dot was now gray.

What?  
What had he heard in my story that made his desire to kill me vanish?  
What had he been thinking?

“Isn’t that right?”  
“Mm.”

Erika and Paul exchanged glances and nodded at each other.

I didn’t understand what was going on, so I closed my eyes again.

“...I’m sure your thoughts are heavy. You should rest,” Paul added, as if he had no idea he was the cause of my troubled mind. Then he went back to looking out the window, acting like he’d done something good.

“We’ve arrived.”

By the time the sun had nearly set, the carriage came to a stop.  
Through the window, I could see the Imperial flags fluttering over the military camp.

Inside the camp, soldiers were busy setting up tents and unloading supplies.  
It had taken longer to get here than I expected, but it seemed the Empire had already moved its forces to the rear, anticipating the ceasefire agreement.

The soldiers’ faces were bright, probably relieved to hear that the war was on pause.  
The guards on duty were casually chatting with their comrades, and the officers overseeing them didn’t bother to intervene.

It was quite the contrast to Ruth Kingdom’s soldiers, who had kept their intense watch until my carriage disappeared from sight.

Looking at the Imperial soldiers, with their different uniforms, equipment, and tents, I was finally hit with the reality that I had been handed over to the Empire.

At least now, there shouldn’t be any major incidents before I reach the Emperor.  
Paul, the last potential threat, had turned neutral, so unless something unexpected happened, my life wasn’t in immediate danger.

Relaxing a bit, I allowed myself to take in the sight of the Imperial army I would soon be part of.