Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Provoking the Nobles
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I could only hope Anna was holding out well in the kingdom, but unlike the original plan where I wanted the emperor to come begging to me.
This "betrayal by imperfect intent" plan was more like reeling in all the traps I'd scattered up until now.
The details would shift depending on the situation, but the goal was singular.
To provoke the Ruth Kingdom's nobles into handing me a perfect pretext.
All I had to do was seize that pretext and wield it.
It was a plan made possible because I'd lived among the Ruth Kingdom nobles for so long, observing them, and knew exactly what they'd been up to since the war began.
-Clop. Clop. Clop.
The most crucial part was arriving in Zabrinsk at the precise timing.
Not too fast, not too slow.
In the Ruth Kingdom, power was dispersed among the nobles, so decision-making took forever.
Even though Vladimir Savinkov was taking the lead, he didn't have the strength to bulldoze through the nobles' opposition and force his views.
As an example, right before the Northern War broke out.
When the empire's vassal forces assembled, the nobles based near the border, those around the capital, and those in the rear responded in completely different ways.
Once the imperial forces stalled without moving for several days, the debates among the nobles only intensified.
They split between those insisting on mustering troops immediately to confront them and those arguing for negotiations or observation even now.
In the end, it took over a week for the nobles to unite on resistance.
By then, the imperial army had already crushed the kingdom's forces that had attacked on their own initiative.
This plan stemmed from that realization.
When it was decided to send me to the kingdom, a public document with those details must have been dispatched.
"Fastest a week, latest ten days."
Even rushing relay couriers from Rainesberg to Zabrinsk took at least a week.
These nobles felt threatened enough to abandon their territories and sell me out, so arriving in Zabrinsk before that document was dangerous.
If I suddenly showed up, the nobles would set aside their squabbles and quickly band together.
No matter how incompetent they were, once united, they gained power that couldn't be easily toppled.
For similar reasons, arriving too late was no good either.
I had to get there before their opinions coalesced.
I also needed to give my subordinates advance warning so they could react appropriately.
So the timing I settled on was within three days after the Ruth Kingdom received the document.
They might brainstorm countermeasures, but it wasn't enough time to gather the nobles' consensus.
Burst in before they could devise a clear plan, forcing desperate mistakes or unilateral actions from the nobles.
With all I'd built up so far, just acting as Victor would make them panic on their own.
After that, it would be straightforward.
Pick the right pretext based on the situation and rise up with the army.
"...Phegethon seems to be earning its keep."
In the original plan, I'd have had to ride through the night to catch the couriers, but thanks to the emperor letting me use Phegethon, I had some leeway.
I headed toward Zabrinsk at a moderate pace that wouldn't strain the horses.
"Halt! Who... Huh?"
A week after departure.
I arrived at the garrison where I'd first been captured.
Perhaps my Ruth Kingdom officer uniform looked suspicious, because after encountering soldiers, I ended up bound and facing the garrison commander.
"...Well, damn."
Familiar tent, familiar bald head, familiar portly build.
It was General Josef Steiner, whom I'd met on the way to the empire.
"You're lucky. The document saying you'd come arrived just two days ago."
He approached me, still tightly bound, and untied the ropes.
Whether because of the emperor's token in my pocket or because he figured I was a dead man anyway, he was far more cooperative than our last meeting.
By the way, the document arrived two days ago.
"When did that document reach the kingdom?"
"...No idea why you're asking, but the messenger entered Zabrinsk yesterday."
Right on schedule—perfect timing.
The nobles must be in an uproar by now.
"What'll you do?"
"I'll head out at dawn tomorrow."
"Fine, suit yourself."
After some more talk with Josef, his newfound generosity got me a lidless cart, a white flag, an archer to shoot arrows, and writing supplies.
Yesterday, the letter from the empire's emperor arrived in the Ruth Kingdom.
It simply stated that Victor was en route to Zabrinsk.
It hadn't even been a month since the nobles handed him over to the empire.
"Victor's coming back?"
"Ridiculous!"
The Ruth Kingdom's nobles had been in meetings for two straight days.
They'd plopped the king haphazardly at the side and huddled urgently to put their heads together.
"Sh-should we protest to the empire?"
"Protest? If they were the type to listen, they wouldn't have sent this notice!"
The letter also mentioned Victor would return to the empire, but that was irrelevant.
Just the thought of Victor setting foot in Zabrinsk again, even briefly, was a nightmare for the nobles.
"We haven't even touched his army yet..."
"We have to stop him! Somehow!"
"How?!"
The bloated army was untouchable for the nobles.
Andrei had raged about Anna and Victor's subordinates attempting rebellion, but they'd shelved it on the excuse of no evidence.
During wartime, they could easily purge under defeat's blame, but now the war was temporarily halted.
Purging the famous 1st Legion was too burdensome for the nobles.
Plus, with only a one-year truce, it was problematic.
The nobles' private troops and mercenaries had mostly been shredded early in the war.
The current Ruth Kingdom army was over 90% hastily conscripted levies.
With half their territory lost, they had no way to rebuild forces and couldn't arbitrarily shrink the army.
In that situation, news of Victor's return—someone they'd thought gone for good—split the nobles' opinions sharply into two camps.
"We have to stop Victor, even if it means killing him!"
"Seal the gates and start the purge now!"
Those insisting on confronting him since no one knew what might happen if he entered the castle, and
"For now, let's watch. He'll only stay in Zabrinsk a few days at most. What big trouble could arise?"
"Exactly. Without his rank insignia, Victor's just a common orphan civilian, isn't he?"
Those who'd prepared to flee or had no qualms, advocating observation without action for now.
"What big trouble? Have you forgotten how he glared at us like he wanted to kill us in the palace?"
"That was when he was still commander. Now his position's officially revoked. Do you really think soldiers will follow a powerless, status-less commoner?"
Opinions clashed fiercely.
A day passed in that state, but their debate showed no progress.
Vladimir, who usually mediated the nobles, watched them spit while screaming at each other and became convinced the kingdom was doomed.
Split on vague themes like "kill him" or "watch," choosing either would just spark more arguments.
If "kill," how? If "watch," what then? Nothing was specified.
With no clue when Victor would arrive, they'd decided nothing.
Looking at the trembling king amid the nobles' chaos, Vladimir regretted his past choice.
One general with overwhelming power, or nobles checking each other to balance authority.
He didn't believe in superhumans, so he'd trusted the latter more,
"Ha, no use talking. We'll handle it ourselves."
"...Handle it? You mean assassination?"
"Why not... coward."
"You're mad! Go ahead and try!"
But the result was this pandemonium.
Clutching his head from the vise-like headache, Vladimir groaned.
Moments later, when the pain subsided and he looked up.
The meeting hall was empty.
"Ha..."
Sergei, a 1st Legion soldier guarding Zabrinsk Castle's gates, sighed while staring at the distant horizon.
His hometown, Garogorod, had fallen to the empire.
He knew surviving was luck itself, but even Victor—the one he'd been grateful to—had been sold to the empire.
"Ah, I wanna desert."
"Yeah."
He had no attachment to the Ruth Kingdom anymore.
He even thought surrendering to the empire might let him return home, and Dmitry beside him was in the same boat.
"What'll you do if you go back?"
"Dunno..."
Sergei leaned against the gate, trading idle chatter with Dmitry.
This mood wasn't limited to them.
The Ruth Kingdom soldiers just followed orders mechanically; the hope they'd felt under Victor was gone.
Rations dwindled, supply quality from above visibly worsened.
Their morale had nowhere left to sink.
The two gate guards just killed time, with no real intent to stand vigilant.
Then.
-Thwack!
"...Huh?"
"You hear that?"
"Yeah."
At the sudden sound of something flying and embedding, Sergei and Dmitry tensed and scanned around.
Still bright daylight, so they quickly spotted the source.
"That?"
About fifty meters from their post, an arrow with a note tied to it was stuck in the ground.
Sergei picked it up and, out of curiosity, unfolded the paper to read.
"What is it?... Gasp."
"What, what is it?"
After staring blankly at the note, Sergei inhaled sharply and thrust it at Dmitry.
Dmitry read it too, mouth agape, staring at Sergei.
After exchanging glances,
"Wooooah!"
They screamed and bolted toward their comrades inside the gate.
"The general's coming back!"
The note, in handwriting, read: 'Victor. Return via main gate, 9 AM tomorrow.'
Sergei dashed to the 1st Legion general's tent, note in hand.
-Flutter.
"Anna!"
"...Ah."
Anna was alone in the tent.
At the sudden intrusion, she hastily hid the duster behind her back and edged away from Victor's seat.
"What is it?"
Composed, she greeted Sergei,
"News of General Victor!"
At his words and mention of Victor, she snatched the note and read it.
"...Hm."
Then she returned to her spot, pulling out documents Victor had previously annotated.
-Gulp.
As Anna compared the handwriting to the papers, Sergei waited tensely.
He'd made a huge fuss bringing the note; if it was a prank, his comrades might beat him to death.
"...It matches the general's handwriting."
"Then...? Gasp!"
With Anna's confirmation, Sergei bolted out to spread the great news.
"Haa..."
Anna wanted to cheer too but kept her composure.
Handwriting matched, but it was just this short note.
She yearned for Victor's safety—his return—more than anyone, but false hope crushing her terrified her more.
She needed more clues for hope.
Solid proof Victor might return.
"..."
"Anna! Message from the 4th Legion commander!"
Another soldier arrived as she pondered.
Current 4th Legion commander Aleksandrov Kalichin was a noble but owed Victor his life multiple times, so he'd been cooperative.
He couldn't openly help Anna under other nobles' eyes but aided indirectly, like sharing their movements.
"Today, the nobles held an emergency meeting."
"I see."
"And after, orders from Count Mikhail Kapayev to strengthen alert status and stand by for deployment."
"...Count Kapayev?"
Anna sensed something off.
Whenever nobles issued orders to the army before, it was always from Count Vladimir Savinkov.
No other noble had singled out a specific legion.
And the orders were telling.
Strengthen alert: deploy more troops.
Stand by for deployment: ready unassigned forces to move anytime.
The 4th Legion guarded Zabrinsk's rear gate.
Why suddenly bolster rear gate defenses? Not the main gate.
No war outbreak, yet idling thousands?
No similar orders since Victor's departure, and right after an emergency meeting?
"...We'll increase 1st Legion alert personnel too. Relay immediately."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Unsure what was coming, but the 1st Legion needed prep.
After ordering the soldier, Anna sat back down.
Pondering quietly, she
-Rustle. Rustle. Thud.
neatly gathered the piled work documents with trembling hands and placed them on Victor's old desk.