We had a quick early lunch at Zabinsk before setting out.

So that the soldiers—who were all on foot—wouldn’t feel resentful seeing only the officers on horseback, I decided to walk alongside them. The horses provided by Josef were arriving with the carriages, which were prioritized for transporting soldiers who were injured or unwell.

“Hm.”
“What’s troubling you, sir?”
“…It’s nothing.”

I had taken the lead partly to keep a constant watch on the mini-map. By keeping the viewing range narrow, each dot appeared more clearly, allowing me to detect any suspicious movements quickly and accurately.

I could see occasional gray dots hovering around us, and the frequency of these sightings had increased compared to when we first departed. It seemed Josef was indeed mobilizing his troops.

Although the number of dots remained small and they kept a consistent distance before returning in the direction of Josef’s camp, I didn’t feel the need to pay them any more mind.

“We’ve arrived. We’ll camp here for the night and set out again tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, sir!”

With breaks along the way and a slow pace, we reached our intended location around 7 p.m. We unloaded the supplies from the carts, organized them, and set up temporary tents.

As I continued to monitor the mini-map, I noticed a group of gray dots approaching soon after we stopped. Guessing who it was, I prepared to meet them with a few officers by my side.

Shortly after...

“Josef Steiner.”
“Viktor! Good to see you!”

The Imperial camp commander, Josef Steiner, approached, waving his hand.

His warm and casual greeting reflected his eagerness to claim credit for this situation and his confidence in his upper hand.

With a stony expression, I walked toward him.

He approached us on horseback, surveying our temporary encampment without dismounting.

“So, the letter was true. Without knowing what happened in Zabinsk, I was worried it might be part of some trick.”

I didn’t bother pointing out his condescending tone, looking down at me from atop his horse. People who believe themselves to be superior are the easiest to predict.

“The condition is that the soldiers’ safety is guaranteed. Even after I depart for Reinesburg, their treatment must not change.”
“Of course! As long as they cause no trouble, the Empire is always merciful to those who choose to surrender!”

I was sure he would be.

Regardless of the Empire’s policy on prisoners, Josef had no reason to mistreat soldiers who might eventually serve him. Though conscripts, these men were experienced, having survived two years of war.

Josef was an ambitious man. In the game, he’d gone as far as to declare himself the leader of the aristocratic faction to gain power, and his eagerness to meet us now was likely to claim a share of the credit for my surrender.

Unless prisoner treatment was otherwise decided, Josef would likely manage these surrendering soldiers directly in his camp, asserting his claim to this achievement. He might even try to use them to influence or subdue the Kingdom of Rus or expand his power.

The more he desired to make use of these soldiers, the better they would be treated.

Not a bad outcome.

“…I’ll trust you on this.”
“Hahaha! Wise decision! Tomorrow you’ll arrive at the camp, yes? We’ll have tents prepared for you all.”
“Fine.”

Though it was clear he’d been waiting for this, Josef acted as if he held all the power, speaking to me from above with a smug look.

I clenched my fists and answered, gritting my teeth in an attempt to maintain dignity while appearing to swallow my pride.

“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow then!”

Satisfied with my reaction, he left our encampment with a smile.

“General.”
“…”

I watched his retreating back for a moment.

“Let’s get moving. The soldiers must be struggling—let’s help them.”
“Understood, sir.”

I allowed my expression, intentionally contorted with frustration, to soften as I looked at the officers standing beside me, as though I was setting aside my pride for the soldiers’ sake.

---

Early the next morning, Josef set out with a few officers to personally escort Viktor’s forces to the Imperial camp. He dressed in a crisp officer’s uniform rather than armor, wanting to project his role as the orchestrator and overseer of this surrender.

Arriving around 9 a.m., he found Viktor’s forces completing their preparations for the march.

“Just about ready to move, I see?”
“…”

Viktor, at the head of the column, simply nodded with a look of displeasure. From his elevated vantage, Josef was enjoying watching the man who had endured countless hardships on the battlefield.

“I’ll personally guide you to the camp.”
“…Understood.”

Aware of Josef’s intent to assert dominance, Viktor hesitated before replying.

It was clear he understood that control had shifted now that he was a surrendering commander.

“Let’s move!”
“Yes, sir!”

Riding on a borrowed horse, Viktor followed about a horse-length behind me.

As we silently advanced toward the camp...

“By the way, Viktor.”
“Hm?”

I gestured for the officers to fall back slightly, then rode up beside Viktor. With the Emperor’s agreement, Viktor would soon leave, and this might be my only chance to gather information from him directly.

“It’s only been a few days since you entered Zabinsk. What exactly happened?”

It had been less than a week since Viktor entered Zabinsk alone. In that short time, he had re-established himself as Commander-in-Chief and led the soldiers out in surrender.

The rebellion in Zabinsk was likely connected, and while my scouts would soon report back with details, I was curious to hear Viktor’s version of events.

“What happened?”
“I heard there was a rebellion…”

The moment he heard the word “rebellion,” Viktor glared sharply at me.

His intense gaze conveyed strong anger and resentment, as if things hadn’t gone his way.

“So it was true.”
“…”

After glaring at me for a while, he responded curtly.

“…Yes.”

Without elaborating, he turned his gaze forward again.

“Would you care to share more?”

Simply confirming the rebellion wasn’t enough; I pressed him again.

If things were already resolved, it didn’t matter much. With the kingdom’s main forces weakened and Viktor gone, I would only have to wait until the truce ended to act at my leisure.

However, if this surrender had emerged from severe internal chaos, it might be advantageous to act sooner. The Kingdom of Rus, having lost most of its forces, might be pushed to surrender with minimal pressure.

In that case, the Kingdom’s surrender would be credited to me, helping to offset the losses from the Northern War.

“…”

Viktor’s gaze toward me was odd.

“Haven’t you already figured it out?”
“What?”

“I thought your approach was intentional, as you were close enough to observe. So those troop movements were mere coincidence.”

I was caught off guard, surprised that he had noticed even the slightest shift in the guards.

With a quick shift in his stance, Viktor closed the distance between us until his horse was nearly brushing against mine.

“You’ll find out soon enough, but I’ll tell you now. Most of the nobles were executed for treason, and a new king from a cadet branch was crowned just yesterday.”

“…Ha.”

Leaking this information quietly, Viktor then moved away as if nothing had happened.

“Haha.”

This told me everything I needed to know.

Executed nobles, a new king, a fractured army.

The information was sufficient to form a solid picture of events.

It seemed that the rebellion had resulted in the king’s death, and some form of discord must have arisen among the forces that had suppressed the rebellion.

I couldn’t be certain of the details, but it was likely that this surrender had resulted from a clash between the newly formed government and the military. Viktor’s decision to surrender, with some forces left behind, was probably linked to that conflict.

The scale of the surrendering forces and their supplies indicated that this hadn’t been a hastily arranged affair. This implied that the opposing faction remaining in Zabinsk was too weak to obstruct the surrender.

If that’s the case...

If I move my forces forward to apply slight pressure, presenting myself as a benevolent force by treating prisoners well, then?

The Kingdom of Rus would likely surrender without much resistance.

“Hmm, hmm.”

Though still hypothetical, I calmed myself.

I didn’t know why Viktor had shared this so freely, nor did I have solid proof that everything he said was true.

“Why did you tell me this?”

Since I didn’t need to hold back, I approached him again and asked directly.

He hesitated for a moment before replying.

“…Let’s just say I have something I want.”

“I see.”

He tried to hide it, but I noticed a brief flicker of emotion at my question.

Revenge against those who drove him out?
Hatred toward someone with whom he had clashed?

If it were anger directed at me, he would have hidden it better, so his animosity was likely not aimed at me.

In that case, it didn’t matter.

Though I felt slightly uneasy at the thought of being used, the allure of claiming the Kingdom of Rus far outweighed any lingering doubts.

…Once I’ve secured more credibility, I’ll make my move.

“…”

With my mind balancing the risks and rewards, I continued toward the camp.

---

After Viktor’s forces left Zabinsk Castle, those remaining convened an emergency meeting.

While the Council had technically dissolved, leaving the new king and court nobles in authority, their power relied heavily on Viktor’s influence. Consequently, they were unable, and unwilling, to oppose Viktor’s sudden actions.

Yuri Igorev and Pavel Andreyev opposed the surrender, but with only about 4,

000 soldiers left under their command, they lacked the strength to challenge Viktor’s authority.

The current government held neither the authority nor the control to consolidate power. Even if they managed to gather additional forces, it was nearly impossible to build up the strength to fend off the Imperial Army within a year.

“What do we do?”
“Should we surrender as well?”
“But the truce is still in effect.”
“But aren’t they mobilizing troops?”

Uncertainty reached a peak among those remaining in the kingdom, filling the meeting with anxious discussions.

“For now, let’s observe further developments.”
“…Agreed.”

Despite Yuri and Pavel’s efforts to persuade them to hold out, they sensed that both the nobles and the new king had already leaned toward surrender.

After the meeting, Yuri secretly approached Pavel.

“It’s time for a decisive choice.”
“…”

In response to Yuri’s words, Pavel quietly led him further into his quarters.