The carriage came to a stop in a clearing crowded with Imperial soldiers.  

Familiar banners fluttered in the distance—these must have been the troops that once surrounded Zabinsk and had now relocated here. The soldiers glared intensely at the carriage, as if fully aware that I was inside.

The minimap was filled with red dots, making me feel as though I was dropped alone right into enemy territory.  

...Though I might feel a strange sense of personal connection, it was indeed enemy territory for now.

I had to act cautiously. There’s always at least one madman in every army, and typically, the ratio is quite high. If I didn’t stick closely to Erika and Paul, I could end up killed without anyone knowing.  

"Wait here for a moment."  

Before stepping out of the carriage, Paul finally untied the ropes that had bound me. I hadn't felt too uncomfortable, but the moment the restraint was lifted, I could feel blood rushing back into my hands, a tingling sensation spreading to my fingertips.

Erika and Paul watched me shake out my hands, appearing slightly apologetic. Perhaps they had genuinely forgotten that I was still bound, or maybe they hadn’t felt it was appropriate to release me earlier due to the tense atmosphere.

Regardless, the fact they freed me was a good sign, offering some reassurance. Although I trusted the minimap, it’s always more convincing to see such gestures firsthand.  

I followed closely behind Paul and Erika as we stepped out of the carriage. The soldiers' hostile gazes burned into me, but I controlled my body to show no sign of discomfort, as though completely unbothered.  

*Thud, thud.*

"Ah, General Paul! You’ve returned!"

After a few moments, a stout, middle-aged man in Imperial military regalia approached us, parting through the gathered soldiers. He bowed respectfully to General Paul.

His familiar appearance stirred a vague sense of recognition in me.  

"General Josef Steiner. Has everything been in order?"  
"Yes, sir! A few soldiers got indigestion from eating too quickly, but nothing major!"  

Hearing the name Josef Steiner jogged my memory. He was one of the dukes who had participated in the Northern War. In the game, he was portrayed as the leader of the aristocratic faction.

Unlike Paul, who seemed content with his given territory, Josef was highly ambitious, seeking more power and clashing with the Emperor.  

"General Josef, greetings! I am..."  
"Hmm. Let’s discuss this inside."  
"...Ah, yes."

Josef, who was notorious for his loyalty to the aristocratic cause, blatantly ignored Erika and instead shot me a look brimming with hostility.

"...This is Viktor, isn’t it?"  
"Hmm."

Josef didn’t even bother addressing me directly, preferring to ask Paul instead.

Of the aristocrats, he and Paul were the most powerful, and I recalled that he had invested heavily in the Northern War. Even though the Empire had technically won, the losses Josef sustained were likely beyond calculation.

The aristocratic faction had started the war with 80,000 troops, but by the end, less than half remained. And now, with the Emperor intervening in the negotiations, the spoils of victory had to be shared with him.  

Josef had poured resources into this war, and he would have suffered substantial losses—both in men and supplies. It was no wonder that his gaze bore into me with such hatred.  

His hand twitched near the hilt of his sword, as though barely restraining himself from drawing it.  

"...Sigh. General Paul, I’ll escort you to the tent."  
"Very well."

Josef broke off our silent staring contest and turned to lead the way.

For some reason, the back of his head seemed balder than I remembered from the game. The sudden twinge of guilt made me follow him without a word.  

"Are we heading out immediately?"  
"We’ll rest here for the night and set out tomorrow."

Once inside the tent, Josef sat opposite Paul, completely ignoring Erika and me, focusing only on Paul.

"I’ve kept your tent ready for you, General. Please make use of it."  
"Thank you."  
"Uh, excuse me, what about..."  
"Hmm."

Josef glanced briefly at Erika when she tried to speak, but he quickly dismissed her again. Erika, shrinking back, moved closer to me for comfort.

It was obvious that Josef’s anger was directed at me, and despite the tension, I thought her choice of seat beside me was a surprisingly safe one.  

"...I’ll brief you on troop deployment."  
"Mm."

Meanwhile, I found Josef’s attitude rather surprising. Outside, he looked ready to explode, yet here in the tent, he maintained an almost respectful demeanor, keeping his fury in check.  

Could it be that he had prepared something else?  

Instead of focusing on the conversation, I tuned in to the footsteps coming from outside the tent. Checking the minimap, I saw a large number of red dots steadily converging toward us.  

"Then, I’ll take my leave. Keep up the good work."  
"Yes, General Paul."

Their conversation ended swiftly. Bracing myself, I followed Paul outside the tent.

"...What’s going on?"  
"General, move aside!"  

Outside, a crowd of Imperial soldiers had gathered, their weapons drawn and ready. They glared at me as if on the verge of striking, showing no intention of backing down, even in front of General Paul.  

Some of the soldiers were bandaged, indicating they were the ones who had fought me previously and now bore personal grudges.  

Could this be an independent action by the soldiers?  

I doubted it.  

"Disperse."  
"How can we back down with our enemy standing right here in front of us!?"

Despite the commotion outside, Josef did not emerge from the tent. Whether this was an unspoken agreement or something Josef had planned all along, it was clear he had no intention of intervening.  

"By the Emperor’s orders! Step aside immediately!"  
"And who are you?"  
"I’m from the Bauman family, and..."  
"Ah, the Emperor’s lapdog."  
"What did you just say?!"

Erika was of no help. She was immediately mocked and silenced, retreating behind General Paul in a huff.  

It should have been enough to mention she was a noble, but the soldiers seemed emboldened, probably supported by someone in the background.

The situation looked tense, but I felt no real sense of danger.  

Why?  

"...Are you defying orders?"  
"General Paul, but...!"

As long as Paul was marked as neutral on the minimap, there was no reason for him to let me die here. I just needed to stand still and let things play out.

"Why are you protecting that man?"  
"...Disperse!"

If Paul allowed me to be killed here, I’d surely die, but the key was that Erika was with me. If Erika were killed, too, the Emperor would be forced to intervene directly.

The aristocratic faction, weakened as they were, wouldn’t want to face the full wrath of the Emperor.

So, even if only I were killed, Paul would be implicated. Erika would return to the Emperor and report the incident, accusing Paul of complicity in my death.

At that point, the aristocrats would have two choices: either sacrifice Paul as a scapegoat or defend him and openly oppose the Emperor.

Either way, the Emperor would have the upper hand, leaving the aristocrats in a precarious position.  

Paul was shrewd enough to know that killing me would only bring him harm, so, for now, we were bound together by a temporary alliance. Keeping me alive and delivering me to the Emperor was his safest option.

If Paul was truly bent on killing me, I’d be helpless, but given that he wasn’t marked red on the minimap, I doubted he had any strong desire to see me dead.  

Why throw away his life when there was an easier path?  

"Disperse now, or I’ll have you court-martialed!"  
"...Grr."

Reluctantly, the soldiers backed away under Paul’s authoritative command.

With that, the most immediate threat was neutralized. Though there was still the chance that someone might try to kill me during the night, a few sleepless nights wouldn’t hurt.

"...Thank you."  

I was curious how Paul felt about protecting someone who had been his mortal enemy, but considering his rank and my status as a prisoner, I held back and offered a simple thank you instead.

"The law is the law."  

Paul, clearly uncomfortable, adjusted his graying hair before setting off at a brisk pace.