Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Betrayed General Betrays
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Dragons are fundamentally capricious creatures, but once they fixate on something, their obsession runs deeper than that of any other being.
Especially among dragons, the red dragon—renowned for its wildly fluctuating emotions—exhibits this polarity to an even greater extreme.
"Mm..."
Luise closed the cabin door behind her, then pressed a hand to her face, which felt burning hot.
She had thought what she wanted was simply a human hero.
Abilities beyond those of ordinary humans, and the feats born from them that no human could easily comprehend.
That was why, despite her repeated disappointments, she had kept gathering humans who stood out for their exceptional talents.
But after encountering Victor.
More precisely, after witnessing his audacious boldness in daring to threaten a dragon.
Luise realized what she truly desired, and she stopped collecting information on new humans.
"It's fascinating, isn't it."
The Victor of the rumors was the epitome of a hero for his nation, but Luise's attraction to him wasn't solely due to his overwhelming achievements in situations of clear inferiority or his impeccable integrity.
Quite the opposite.
Through repeated observations and pressure exerted via her aura, Luise had glimpsed various negative emotions—fear, worry, anxiety—in the depths of his powerful gaze.
She had also detected the vulnerability hidden behind his confident facade: the faint tremors in his fingertips, the tension straining his legs as he held firm.
Victor concealed it masterfully, but he could not escape the eyes of a dragon.
And that fact stirred something deep within Luise.
Weary of the flawless heroes from tales, she had chosen this amusement to observe humanity's multifaceted nature up close.
In that regard, Victor exemplified precisely why legendary humans were portrayed as perfect—though no human could truly be flawless in every way.
"A human who seems perfect..."
Not a perfect human, but one who appears perfect.
Victor was a man striving relentlessly toward perfection.
Luise couldn't even begin to guess how much effort he poured into maintaining that flawless image.
Before she had heightened her aura for a deeper scrutiny, even she had doubted whether he was human at all.
Afterward, Victor's unwavering consistency continued to impress her, and as that fascination intertwined with her growing disillusionment toward other humans...
Before she knew it, her interest had shifted from observing humanity in general to fixating solely on Victor, brimming with expectations for him.
Thus.
This command was Luise's final test—to determine if she could devote her entire game to him.
Half-convinced that no human on par with Victor would emerge again in this era, she planned to sever her attachment the instant he disappointed her and end the charade.
"Please... succeed."
Luise's vertically slit red eyes gleamed as she sincerely prayed for Victor's victory.
In warfare, I always believe it's crucial not to give the enemy any breathing room to respond.
-Clop clop clop.
"Victor, sir! Slow... down a bit..!"
That's why, instead of riding in a carriage, I'm charging at full gallop on horseback alongside my escorts.
The very next day after the command arrived, I grabbed Luise's edict and set out at once.
I need to reach the garrison near Zabrinsk, rally my subordinates, and then join Gerhard's legion with them in tow.
The news that I'm leading troops into the war against Brotan Kingdom won't spread quickly, but minimizing any wasted time is an obvious advantage.
Even if someone tries to attack me, this pace alone will foil most attempts.
The Emperor suggested using Phegethon, but I turned it down—the resources were too precious.
No need to outpace the Emperor's letter to Josef's garrison; hurrying via normal means is plenty.
"Short break."
"Haa, haa..."
Still, for my escorts' sake, I'm taking it slower than I would alone.
Unlike me, who only packed essentials like the edict, they're weighed down by armor and weapons.
The horses tire faster under that load, and their stamina drains quickly too.
"...Do you always travel like this, sir?"
"Mm."
They already see me as odd, so no point mentioning nighttime runs guided by my minimap.
"All rested? Let's move out."
"...Yes, sir."
The relay station was close, so I prodded the escorts sprawled on the grass.
A few days later.
In the end, with ample rest, my group arrived at Josef's garrison in fine shape.
"...You made good time."
Josef greeted me with a sour expression.
"Did the messenger arrive?"
"Yes. Victor, is it true you decide the prisoners' treatment?"
He clearly wasn't thrilled to see me.
Me showing up under direct imperial orders to handle the prisoners was tantamount to the Emperor declaring they weren't under Josef's purview.
"On that note, I have urgent business."
"Hmph..."
To win him over, I left my escorts outside and entered his tent alone.
"Business?"
"Yes."
Temporary and special or not, a legion commander is still a legion commander.
Ignoring his skeptical glance, I dragged over a chair and sat before him.
Using my minimap to ensure no eavesdroppers, I drew the Emperor's edict from my bosom.
"This is the Emperor's edict."
"Mm."
Josef unfolded it, scanned the contents, then flushed crimson and crumpled the paper before hurling it to the floor.
"Hands over prisoner treatment entirely to you? What a joke. I'm the one housing them right now—Josef Steiner. Think flashing an imperial edict fixes everything? You're dreaming..."
The expected reaction.
No matter how pressed the Noble Faction was by the Emperor Faction, having prisoner treatment decided without his input would feel like a slap in the face.
I picked up the discarded edict from the floor.
-Rip!
"...What the—?"
And tore it in half.
Shock and fury flashed across Josef's face, swiftly morphing into confusion.
"Managing prisoners isn't easy. Especially in such numbers."
Before he could regain his composure, I cut straight to the chase.
"You've pulled thousands for guard duty, hemorrhaging massive supplies daily. Supplies we don't even need for holding Ruth Kingdom right now."
"..."
"You'd love to disband these headaches, but a mass release is tough to authorize solo. Sorting them? Near impossible unless they fully cooperate."
Josef didn't argue—instead, he fixed me with a glare mixing bewilderment and irritation.
"His Majesty tasked me with deciding their treatment, but if you have conditions, I'm open to accommodating them as best I can."
"Open to it?"
"Here's my proposal: I take the risky ones—the defiant types, or those who could rally others, like Legion Commander Anna. We sort out prisoners whose homes are in Empire-held Ruth territories and send them back. You keep a slimmer, easier-to-manage group. Ruling Ruth long-term? Better start erasing grudges now."
Even after hearing it, his stiff expression didn't soften.
"Victor. What's your angle?"
Rather than commit, he questioned my motives for shredding the Emperor's edict while pitching something so favorable to him.
The proposal appealed to him too, so I offered a faint smile.
"Josef Steiner. Word is you're with the Noble Faction."
"...Barely joined the Empire, and you're already picking sides?"
"Not quite."
Stuck on the frontier, his intel lagged—but lies would unravel eventually.
So.
"I hate Theodore Offenstadt."
I laid out the truth, infusing raw emotion over cold logic.
Josef's eyes widened for a split second.
"Elaborate."
"Struts around like he's the Emperor just because the real one's got his back. Nitpicks and undermines me at every turn. Wants me dead? Ordered me—with a legion of prisoners—to fight Brotan Kingdom."
I exaggerated my fury toward Theodore as I spoke.
I'm better known for emotion than icy calculation: warmth toward my men, loyalty to the king.
During the surrender, I hadn't hidden my humiliation—so Josef likely figured I wore my heart on my sleeve.
Plus, tearing the edict myself? That screamed disavowing imperial ties.
No frisking from him now, so the duplicate edict tucked away stayed hidden.
"...Explains the 'temporary special legion commander' bit."
"Hate dancing to his tune, but orders are orders. To succeed, I need your help."
I'd pitched the legion role first, but Theodore sent me to Brotan—so no denial there.
"Means you're eyeing the Noble Faction?"
"Theodore's Emperor Faction. Close enough. Even if I'm no noble."
"Ha!"
Truth was, he had nothing to lose.
Josef barked a hearty laugh, suspicion evidently eased by my candid gripe.
"Prisoners have been a royal pain. Fine! We'll cooperate—for now."
I clasped his outstretched right hand firmly amid his booming acceptance.
With Josef on board, wrapping up at his garrison went swiftly.
Safety of the prisoners was my main justification, so I prioritized disbandments over demanding defections.
Result: Roughly 5,000—including Anna and Aleksandrov Kalichin—opted to stick with me. We sorted about 10,000 from Empire-held Ruth territories and sent them home.
They departed thanking not just me, but Josef's mercy too—a fact that left him quite pleased.
Not bad for me either.
Fewer numbers, but these were the most reliable: elites who chose to follow even after I floated disbandment first.
"...Heading out?"
"Yes."
To avoid raising alarms, my troops packed only essentials—water, rations—no weapons—and set off toward General Gerhard's legion.