Count Vladimir Savinkov was loyal to the Ruth Kingdom.  
It wasn’t just because he was related to the king; he genuinely loved the kingdom where he was born and raised.

The economy, resources, population—there wasn’t a single aspect of the kingdom that was functional, and yet, it was Vladimir who had kept it running for so long. He was the one who managed, somehow, to unite the constantly bickering nobles. 

Although, in the end, he failed to control them and ended up contributing to Viktor being sent to the Empire.

“Ha…”

It was late at night, when most people were already fast asleep.

Vladimir sat alone in the council room, deep in thought, trying to come up with a plan.  
He needed to find a solution and summon the nobles once again for another meeting.

“This is difficult…”

But even Vladimir, who had solved countless problems before, was struggling to come up with an answer now, when misfortune seemed to pile upon misfortune.

The military had been a ticking time bomb ever since Viktor was sent away. With a war against the Empire looming in just a year, there was no option to reduce the size of the army.

Especially the 1st Corps—they would likely erupt into a full rebellion if provoked.  
Having fought the longest, they were the elite of the kingdom, incomparable to the other corps in both discipline and organization.  
With Viktor, their former commander, gone, it was not hard to imagine them turning their blades against the nobles at the slightest opportunity.

This was why Vladimir had deliberately refrained from touching Anna, the successor Viktor had appointed as the interim commander.

For now, his plan was to keep an eye on them, making sure they didn’t cause any problems.  
He would wait until their discontent subsided, then appoint a new commander through proper procedures to regain control. That seemed to be the best course of action in his mind.

Eventually, in a year, whether they liked it or not, the entire army would unite to face the Empire.  
Vladimir's goal was to buy time until then, hoping that things wouldn’t explode in the meantime.

He didn’t know if the Ruth Kingdom, now without Viktor and having lost significant territory, could survive against the Empire. But at least, he figured, it was better than the kingdom collapsing right now.

“Of all the times for Viktor to return… Why now?”

Viktor’s sudden return had thrown everything into chaos.  
Vladimir had been the one who allowed the nobles to push Viktor into exile in the Empire, but from the moment he betrayed Viktor, all Vladimir had hoped for was that Viktor would never return.

The moment Viktor bore a grudge, he became a bomb that could destroy the Ruth Kingdom at any time.

And yet, due to the whims of the Emperor, Viktor had set foot in Zabinsk once more.

“...Could this be part of the Emperor’s scheme?”

The timing of Viktor’s return was too perfect, leading Vladimir to suspect that this might all be part of some imperial plot.

Barely two days after they received notice of Viktor’s return to Zabinsk, he arrived.  
No one had expected him to come so soon, and the nobles, thinking they still had time, continued squabbling among themselves as usual.

To force someone with Viktor’s influence into submission required the support of a majority of the nobles, at least.  
But Viktor, with perfect timing, had exploited the short window before the nobles could gather and align their views.

If Vladimir had just seven days, no, even five days for an issue as grave as Viktor, he was confident he could rally the nobles.  
But before he could make any preparations, Viktor had already rejoined the 1st Corps.

Now that Viktor had regained power, it wouldn’t be surprising if things spiraled out of control at any moment.

“Mikhail, Andre, Nikolai…”

Vladimir was worried about the nobles who had stormed out of the meeting.  
If they made any rash moves that provoked the 1st Corps, Viktor, now with a legitimate cause, wouldn’t hesitate to mobilize his troops.

Although Vladimir had discreetly warned the Royal Guard and the commanders of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Corps to be on alert, he didn’t have much hope in their ability to stop Viktor, given the overwhelming support he had from the military.

“Please, just stay quiet…”

If Viktor made a move, the Ruth Kingdom would be doomed.  
Vladimir poured over the documents outlining the current state of the kingdom, praying fervently that nothing would happen before the next meeting.

But then—

“Count Savinkov! The 1st Corps is marching toward the royal palace!”

His servant rushed into the council room, panicked.

“...Explain in detail.”

“Anna, the interim commander of the 1st Corps, has raised the troops, claiming she must root out traitors!”

Vladimir, feeling dizzy, clutched his head.

Traitors? He couldn’t even begin to guess how such a terrible word had come into play.

“Traitors?”

“Yes! The Royal Guard was tricked by a forged royal decree and attacked them, so she claims she’s hunting down those responsible for forging the orders!”

“Where is Andre, the captain of the Royal Guard?”

“No one knows! Even the guards say they haven’t seen him since he left the palace a few hours ago…”

“Damn it!”

– Thud!

Vladimir, in frustration, threw the papers he had been holding and stood up.

He didn’t even ask about the size of the force.  
If Anna was claiming to be hunting down traitors, it was safe to assume that all 8,000 soldiers of the 1st Corps were marching.

There was no time to wake the king and obtain his approval.  
Vladimir pulled out several blank royal decrees he had prepared in advance and quickly filled them in, handing them to his servant.

“Deliver these to the commanders of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Corps as quickly as possible. Tell them the 1st Corps has started a rebellion, and they must act immediately to stop them!”

“That’s…! Yes, sir!”

He abandoned any hope of explanation.  
If Anna, who had shown no prior movement, suddenly mobilized the entire corps, it meant she had sufficient evidence to support her claims.

Even though the situation wasn’t entirely clear, Vladimir had used the word “rebellion” to ensure the other corps would rally to his side.  
Facing Viktor, who had the military’s full backing, he needed the maximum possible cooperation, and accusing them of rebellion was necessary to gain support.

Once the situation was under control, they could worry about proving it later.  
Evidence could always be fabricated by the victor. First, they would capture Viktor and then accuse him of attempting a coup.

After sending his servant away, Vladimir quickly made a decision.

With such a large force mobilized, it was clear that the 1st Corps' target was the royal palace.  
They would need the king’s authority to secure any legitimacy.

The best course of action was to join up with the 2nd or 3rd Corps and declare the 1st Corps traitors in the king’s name, giving the other corps a reason to move.

Knowing this, the 1st Corps would already be advancing rapidly toward the palace.

The Royal Guard, without Andre, was left in command of the palace, but there was no way they could stop the 1st Corps.

The best option was to escape the palace with the king before the 1st Corps arrived.

Vladimir was about to leave to retrieve the king, but—

– Bang!

“Count Savinkov! Please, spare us!”

Nikolai’s faction burst into the council room before he could move.

They were drenched in sweat, and some of them, in their haste, hadn’t even removed the sacks from their heads before collapsing on their knees before Vladimir.

“What’s the matter?”

“The 1st Corps soldiers suddenly started chasing us, and we barely escaped!”

“...I see.”

Vladimir looked at their disheveled state and quickly grasped the situation.

They had simply panicked and fled.  
Choosing the palace was likely their desperate attempt to seek refuge.

“Do you even know what’s happening?”

“We have no idea!”

“...Of course you don’t.”

Vladimir gave up on escaping.

These nobles, dressed as suspiciously as they were, had snuck into the palace, which meant the 1st Corps would undoubtedly storm the palace to “search” for them.  
Even if he handed these nobles over, the soldiers would find every excuse to push their way into the palace.

After sending the nobles away, Vladimir gathered his orders and headed toward the Royal Guard’s barracks within the palace.

With no way to escape, the only remaining option was to rely on the Royal Guard.

Though Vladimir didn’t trust their competence, there was no other choice left.

However, even that last hope quickly crumbled.

“The Royal Guard won’t move.”

“...What?”

“Are you refusing a direct order from His Majesty?”

“With Captain Andre gone, we cannot act.”

“Ha.”

Vladimir brandished the royal decree in an attempt to pressure them, but the moment the deputy commander heard that their opponent was the 1st Corps, he gave up.

“The Royal Guard won’t act while the palace is under threat?!”

“...”

“How can you stand there, not even ashamed of the insignia you wear on your chest?”

Vladimir seethed in fury, looking around at the gathered men.

Neither the Royal Guards nor the terrified nobles, including Mikhail, who had likely instigated all of this, met his eyes.  
Vladimir gave up trying to push them further.

“If you’re not going to use it,

 might as well take one.”

“...Understood.”

Vladimir stuffed a sword into his coat and left the barracks.

He stumbled down the empty corridors of the royal palace, eventually collapsing onto the floor.  
It was as if he could already see the palace being overrun and the 1st Corps purging the nobles.  
He regretted the choices he had made in the past.

“...For those bastards, I…”

The nobles, who should have united to lead the country, had scattered for their own interests, and the Royal Guard, tasked with protecting the palace, had chosen their own lives over the kingdom’s safety.

“If it were Viktor…”

Had he chosen Viktor, who had always exemplified perfection, instead of these nobles…  
Had he supported Viktor rather than trying to hold him back out of fear of that perfection…

If it were the Ruth Kingdom under Viktor’s leadership…

“Aah…”

As Vladimir imagined the Ruth Kingdom under Viktor’s rule, he reflected deeply on what his final choice should be for the sake of the kingdom.

After sitting there for several minutes, lost in thought, he finally made up his mind.

“If the kingdom is truly at its end…”

With determined eyes, Vladimir stood up and headed toward the king’s chambers, where the monarch would still be sleeping.

---

For a smooth and clean betrayal, the first, second, and third most important thing is justification.  
As long as you have proper justification, the power and opportunity to betray will naturally present themselves, and it becomes far easier to weather the aftermath.

The same holds true now.

Thanks to Andre’s brash actions, I’ve been handed the perfect justification.  
Forging the king’s order and launching a surprise attack.

He gave me such excellent material to work with that simply preparing it properly will provide all the justification needed to take care of the nobles.

Most importantly, they forged a royal decree.

It was so sloppily done—hastily scribbled, with the king’s signature and seal clumsily drawn beside it, as if they had used the real one as a rough guide.  
The forgery was so bad that it would have been strange if anyone had actually been fooled, but now that the document is in our hands, the quality of the forgery is irrelevant.

Had we not obtained that decree, I wouldn’t have been able to move this confidently.

The Royal Guard isn’t my true target here, it’s the nobles behind them.  
This means the 1st Corps should only move once we have the proper justification to eliminate the nobles.

A mere attack isn’t enough.

The nobles involved have already prepared to cut their losses, and Olek Rikov, the baron who isn’t part of the Royal Guard, has said nothing.  
If the nobles claim that the Royal Guard acted alone, it will be difficult to touch them.

Of course, Andre is too cautious to have acted without orders from the nobles, but suspicion alone won’t be enough to implicate them.

If we end things by punishing only those who participated in the attack, all I could do would be to strengthen our defenses, keeping the troops ready to move at a moment’s notice.  
I would have to wait for the right moment to deal with the nobles all at once.

But now that the Royal Guard carried a fake decree during the attack, the situation changes.

This is the same Royal Guard that once stormed into the center of the 1st Corps, relying solely on a royal order to arrest the supreme commander.  
Since the Royal Guard is known for blindly following the king’s orders, it’s not unreasonable to claim that, having been deceived by a false decree, they could launch a massive attack on the 1st Corps commander.

The fact that Olek participated in the attack supports the idea that the nobles were behind it.  
A noble who isn’t part of the Royal Guard joining the attack suggests that it wasn’t planned by the Royal Guard alone.

This leads to the conclusion that someone was pulling the strings behind the attack.  
Someone who had the ability to send the Royal Guard a forged decree and plan an assault on the 1st Corps alongside them.

Since the Royal Guard is stationed inside the palace, the mastermind must be someone who can move freely in and out of the palace.

The only ones who fit that description are the nobles.

Armed with this conclusion, we can now march toward the palace, claiming that our goal is to protect the king and root out the treacherous nobles plotting against him.  
With this justification in hand, there will be no need for unnecessary bloodshed, as long as the situation doesn’t spiral too far out of control.

I’m planning to return to the Empire, as per my agreement, so I need to think beyond the immediate future.

Though the 1st Corps is particularly loyal to me, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Corps don’t lack support for me either.  
If I execute the plan properly, using the justification I’ve been given to swiftly eliminate the nobles, none of them will resist me.  
Even if they do, it won’t be a significant threat.

Depending on how things unfold, they might even become my allies later.  
But if I move without sufficient justification, the chances of unnecessary friction with them will increase dramatically.  
There’s nothing more inefficient than cutting off your own strength, so it’s best to avoid that if possible.

There’s also the matter of my personal reputation.  
Though I’m not technically the one leading the troops, everyone will know that I’m pulling the strings behind this.  
There’s a high likelihood I’ll be labeled as the general who led a coup.

To counter that, I need to start preparing my defense now.

The fewer casualties there are, and the stronger our justification, the more I’ll be able to say in my own defense.  
In the best-case scenario, I might even be able to brand the nobles as the traitors.

“Let’s drive out the traitors!”  
“Protect His Majesty the King!”

The soldiers of the 1st Corps already see this march as a mission to crush the traitors.  
They’re so driven by their resentment of the nobles that they’re ready to break down the doors of any noble’s house, chasing down those they suspect of fleeing.

That’s the nature of soldiers.  
Once they gain momentum, it’s hard to stop them.

Now, I just need to gently guide their direction.

There was a meeting of the nobles yesterday, so most of the key nobles should still be in Zabinsk.

We’ll round up all the nobles we can find, detain them in the name of ensuring their safety, secure the king, and then accuse the nobles of treason and purge them.

“Make sure none of the captured nobles are killed. We don’t know exactly who’s involved yet.”

“Understood. No killing of the nobles! Capture them alive!”

“Yes, sir!”

I didn’t forget to keep reminding Anna to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

After talking with some of the soldiers earlier, I realized their resentment toward the nobles was even deeper than I had expected.  
To prevent any issues later, I made sure to subtly guide Anna while adjusting the soldiers' actions along the way.

“Huh? Where am I…”

Amidst all this, Andre, whom I had been dragging along in case we had to deal with the Royal Guard, finally woke up.

– Thwack!

“...”

Before he could say much, Anna’s sword scabbard struck him.

“Anna.”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“...Right.”

I glanced at her briefly, then turned my attention to the approaching footsteps ahead.

“Anna!”

A soldier was running toward us, calling her name urgently.

“There’s a suspicious group wearing strange cloths on their heads! They’ve entered the royal palace! Some of the search party is standing by in front of the palace, awaiting orders!”

He hurriedly reported to Anna.

A suspicious group?  
I didn’t know who they were, but there was no reason not to take advantage of this.

“The king might be in danger.”

“...We must move faster! We have to protect His Majesty!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I whispered my thoughts to Anna, and she immediately understood, giving the order I had wanted.

When I checked the minimap, there were no signs of anyone blocking the road to the palace.  
The occasional Royal Guards we encountered were too startled by the sight of our soldiers and fled without a fight.

We pressed on, heading straight for the palace.

It felt like the end of the Ruth Kingdom was drawing near.

 

 

________________

TL NOTE: 

Starting from this point, we will be using "Kingdom of Rus" instead of "Ruth Kingdom" in the translation. This decision was made to ensure greater consistency with the novel’s original tone and context. The term "Rus" carries historical and cultural connotations that align more closely with the setting and atmosphere of the story, evoking the sense of a traditional kingdom reminiscent of the Slavic and Eastern European world that the author intended.

Using "Kingdom of Rus" maintains the intended authenticity and preserves the nuances that might otherwise be lost with a different term. Thank you for your understanding!