-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: A Final Request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Unlike that morning, Waraticas left her attendants outside the door and entered the room alone.
In the morning, anticipation had been evident on her face, but now her footsteps were far more composed.
"You don't need to be so tense. I've only come to satisfy my curiosity a bit."
She sat down naturally across from me, as if it were her reserved seat.
"First, let me apologize for my rudeness this morning. I fled without even having a proper conversation."
"..."
The direction of her apology felt a bit off, but the fact that she intended to apologize at all meant she was interested in me.
I gave a slight nod.
"Thank you. Your display was truly impressive, so I wanted to have a calm conversation."
I wasn't worried up until she called it impressive.
Her expression had been somewhat dark as she said it.
"Generals' reports, rumors circulating in the empire, even Erika's report. When I first heard them, I thought they were full of exaggerations and lies."
"..."
"So when you lived up to those rumors, I was quite surprised."
Waraticas's words felt more like a review than a conversation.
Her voice carried not joy or expectation at discovering new talent, but a thick sense of regret.
It was quite unfamiliar.
I hadn't wanted her to show interest in recruiting me, but I hadn't expected it to feel this awkward.
As she muttered these strange impressions to herself,
"If only you were an imperial citizen..."
She left those final words and exited the room.
What had happened in the past few hours to make Waraticas act like this?
I felt a slight sense of crisis.
***
For the next few days, the same situation repeated.
Waraticas visited me every day, chatting about this and that.
She even shared updates on the Ruth Kingdom—nothing particularly noteworthy yet.
If there had been purges or demobilizations, the empire would have noticed, so my subordinates seemed to be holding out for now.
How long could they last without me?
...Anyway.
From her attitude alone, it seemed she quite liked me, but she only repeatedly expressed regret that I wasn't imperial.
She never mentioned any recruitment offer.
It wasn't like her at all—the woman who tossed out recruitment offers like a human collector in the game.
As I pondered this, Theodore visited my room again.
He showed up suddenly and said to me,
"Her Majesty summoned me and asked how you were. So I told her. You're clearly talented, but convincing you to come to the empire is realistically impossible."
He claimed he had convinced Waraticas to give up on hiring me.
"A great general like you wouldn't bend your principles, right? Abandoning your men to cling to the empire for your own survival doesn't make sense."
His logic for convincing her was simple.
If I joined the empire, it would give the Ruth nobles a pretext to turn their blades on my remaining subordinates. Thus, Viktor, who cared for his men, couldn't be swayed until their issues were resolved.
"Her Majesty had high hopes. Too bad, huh?"
Theodore must have used that logic to sweet-talk Waraticas too.
It wasn't wrong, so she would have understood quickly.
Her not asking about my willingness to defect might have been her own form of respect.
If so, it wasn't bad.
"A hero completed by death—how heroic. So heroic."
He was still marked red on my minimap.
He had probably recited reasons to kill me every time he met Waraticas.
He must have said similar things in the council chamber too.
"Farewell, Viktor."
Theodore was brimming with confidence that things would go his way.
In truth, his attack using his influence and position was somewhat threatening.
My unstable subordinates and the lack of a base to counter him.
Without resolving those two, my stable career change and dreams of world conquest were doomed.
That's why I had prepared my "last resort" for a time like this.
A method I planned to use when I lacked justification for betraying the Ruth Kingdom.
I had been saving it since it could only be used once, but now was not the time to hold back.
If I was going to betray, I had to go big and flashy to the end—my plan for "betrayal by presumptive intent."
I reviewed the plan and waited for the right opportunity.
***
Time passed, and it had been about a week since I arrived in the empire.
-Click.
As always, Waraticas came alone today.
"...Welcome."
She no longer bothered hiding it—regret dripped from every word.
On the minimap, she was green.
'Viktor' was a well-crafted character, so it made sense a normal ruler wouldn't want to let him go easily.
She had even subtly asked a few times if I wouldn't come to the empire.
I had only refused out of necessity.
"Viktor. Your..."
She broached the subject carefully,
"...execution date has been set. One month from today."
She had filled in the final puzzle piece I'd been waiting for.
"I know it's rude, but I must ask. Truly, truly, do you have no intention of changing your mind?"
Was it because she was young for a dragon?
Perhaps drawn by instinct to what she couldn't have, she asked me almost petulantly.
"Even imprisoned, destined to die?"
"..."
"As expected..."
Taking my silence as refusal, Waraticas let her head droop in deep disappointment.
Now was the moment.
"One thing."
"Hm?"
"A final request."
"..."
An opportunity to steer the situation my way while minimizing damage to my image.
I could say it because I had consistently shown 'Viktor's' true colors so far.
Because I had kept emphasizing my care for my subordinates and my sense of responsibility as the kingdom's commander-in-chief.
"Speak."
"Even a few days would do. I want to set foot on the soil of my homeland, Zabinsk."
I could make such a request.
As if clinging to lingering attachment until the very end, even knowing it was impossible.
Instead of questioning my words, Waraticas drummed the table in thought.
The moment she didn't dismiss it as absurd outright, my goal was all but achieved.
"I understand your feelings, but... it seems difficult."
After hesitating, she gave the response I had hoped for.
She had no reason to send me back, and there was the risk I wouldn't return, so it was only natural.
Now for the final blow.
The wedge to move her—one I could use only because I had experienced this world through the game.
Incredibly useful, but only once.
A threat usable only when Waraticas had no intent to kill me, like now.
"...Waraticas."
I uttered her true name and watched the minimap.
The reason dragons appear only once or twice—or even just once—in the 'Great War' is a basic premise: dragons fundamentally cannot interfere in the world.
For a dragon to mingle with humans, beyond various restrictions limiting their power to human levels, one more condition is required.
Never get caught. Absolutely.
The moment I shouted at the execution ground, 'Luise is the red dragon, Waraticas!'
Even if others didn't believe me, her game would be forcibly ended.
She could just kill me on the spot, but I had diligently built our relationship for exactly this moment.
"...!!!"
Her eyes widened in shock, but instead of raging or lunging at me,
"Haha. Hahaha. Hahahahaha!"
She burst into loud laughter.
On the minimap, she stayed green.
I kept tension on my face to avoid betraying my sense of accomplishment.
Waraticas laughed for a while before calming down.
"So that's what you meant by not fearing death?"
"...Yes."
"Interesting. Very interesting."
She glanced around briefly, then began emanating pressure toward me with a smiling expression.
"A threat, right? On the condition that you don't interfere with my amusement."
"Exactly. I will return for certain."
The pressure was like the first day, but having experienced it once, it wasn't as overwhelming.
She seemed to be scanning for suspicious signs, but since I was speaking only truth, I was utterly confident.
I had no plans to mention her name again, and I would definitely return to the empire.
"...Haha."
She let out a small laugh and withdrew her pressure.
"If you break your promise, I will burn everything you hold dear. Without fail."
"..."
Luise glared at me with her usual half-lidded eyes.
No pressure infused, but her words, spat out like she wanted to devour me, were more threatening than any aura.
I nodded once.
I wasn't just returning—I'd come back laden with gifts.
"...No next time."
With that, Luise rose from her chair and left the guest room.
Now that she had accepted, everything depended on me.
Once the atmosphere of 'the emperor granting a final request out of admiration for Viktor' took hold, even the odd situation of temporarily releasing a prisoner could be somewhat justified.
Her reputation for treating talent well was already widespread, and everyone knew I still harbored strong attachments to the Ruth Kingdom.
Now it was my turn to show them.
Viktor, the betrayed famous general's righteous and flashy betrayal.
I would collapse the Ruth Kingdom with my own hands.
---
As soon as her conversation with Viktor ended, Luise convened an emergency meeting.
She sat on the throne, waiting for the nobles to arrive.
Since the emperor—who rarely voiced opinions even in regular meetings—had called it, the nobles hurried to the audience chamber in confusion, sensing something unusual.
Emperor faction nobles, led by Theodore, arrived first and quickly filled their seats, followed by all the noble faction members remaining in the capital.
The audience chamber filled up in an instant, despite the late hour as the sun set.
Theodore Offenshtat usually ran the meetings, but since the emperor had called this one personally, even he sat quietly awaiting Luise's words.
"...Enough are gathered, so we shall begin."
As Luise declared the meeting open, all eyes turned to her.
"The agenda I, Luise Zaunburg, propose is the disposition of the Ruth Kingdom's general, Viktor."
"...Your Majesty."
The moment she mentioned Viktor's name, an emperor faction noble seated to the right shot to his feet.
"Lord Ralph. Speak."
"Hadn't you already decided to execute Viktor? I wonder at the reason for convening this emergency meeting."
Many nobles nodded at Ralph's question.
It was a natural doubt—why call an emergency session for a settled matter?
"What are you saying to Her Majesty right—"
"Enough."
An emperor faction noble beside him tried to intervene at the potentially rude remark, but Luise raised her hand to stop him first.
"I am not seeking to reverse the execution decision."
"Then..."
"But."
Before continuing, she swept her gaze over the room to seize the initiative.
Ralph sat back down, and the whispering nobles fell silent under her stare.
Soon, it was so quiet the breathing of neighbors could be heard.
"If we execute him like any common enemy general, it could intensify Ruth's resistance without need. His fame and prestige won't vanish with his death. Isn't that right, Lord Theodore?"
"Ah, yes. Indeed."
She made a reasonable point while looking at Theodore.
It had been mentioned multiple times in prior meetings, so he quickly agreed.
"Upon hearing of his execution, Viktor requested to tread the soil of Zabinsk one last time."
"...!"
"So my proposal, as a gesture of respect toward Viktor, is this: before execution, temporarily send him back to the Ruth Kingdom."
Noble faction nobles stirred at her proposal, and as soon as she finished, an armored noble faction member stood.
"Your Majesty!"
"Lord Reinhardt."
"The Dragonia Empire is not weak! There's no reason to do so, and above all, Viktor..."
Taking her nod as a cue, Reinhardt unleashed his opinion laced with anger.
Having resented Viktor's lack of imprisonment from the start, he strongly opposed granting his request.
Other nobles shot glances at Luise in agreement.
Theodore had preached Ruth's weakness in previous meetings, so they saw no need to humor Viktor.
"I disagree."
"...Theodore."
Surprisingly, it was Theodore—the one who had most pushed to kill Viktor—who quelled Reinhardt as he gained momentum.
"Treating prisoners with respect brings long-term benefits. It aligns with Your Majesty's reputation for valuing talent, so there's no reason to refuse."
Upon reflection, Theodore had no cause to oppose.
His desire to kill Viktor stemmed from removing a rival for the emperor's attention.
Far from it, he was delighted that Viktor was distancing himself from the emperor.
Even imprisoned, she had visited him, showing keen interest.
She wouldn't chase him all the way to the kingdom, surely.
"Even so..."
"Lord Reinhardt seems worried Viktor won't return, but his not returning would benefit the empire more."
"...What do you mean?"
"If he returns, it ends with execution, but if not, the empire gains three advantages."
Backed by the emperor's support and authority, Theodore poured out his words fluently.
"Handing over Viktor was a negotiation condition, so if he doesn't return, we can use that pretext to scrap the deal anytime. That's first."
"..."
"Viktor has poor relations with the kingdom's nobles, so refusing to return would plunge the kingdom into chaos. We can strike while he clashes with them—that's second."
He cleared his throat and continued.
"Viktor is feared not just for talent, but for his reputation in the empire and overwhelming support in Ruth. But if he stays in the kingdom, it won't stop at cries of broken faith."
Reinhardt gaped, unable to interject into Theodore's airtight logic.
"Spread rumors that war broke out because he didn't return—his support in the kingdom weakens, and a single blemish on his perfect image plummets his reputation. That's third."
Though he said this, Theodore predicted Viktor wouldn't even reach the kingdom easily.
The nobles were incompetent, but not blind to the massive threat of his return.
Viktor wasn't superhuman in combat, and the nobles weren't above dirty tricks.
Theodore trusted them on that front.
"And if Viktor flees, Your Majesty won't let it slide."
"Correct."
The defeat was the noble faction's, not Dragonia's.
Everyone knew the elite 'Imperial Guard' only the emperor could mobilize, and the emperor faction's momentum, led by Theodore, pierced the heavens.
The moment she declared personal action, nobles could shed any lingering fear of Viktor.
"...We might even encourage flight by forgoing escorts or surveillance. Publicly set a clear deadline, and no blame falls on the empire."
Theodore had prepared thoroughly for Viktor to die en route.
Even setting aside his unrequited feelings for Luise, a general basking in imperial favor threatened him.
For him, eliminating Viktor took priority.
"...Very well."
Luise rose from the throne.
"Tomorrow, we send a diplomatic note to the kingdom and temporarily return Viktor. If any objections, speak now."
"..."
No brave noble dared challenge the emperor and her faction head.
"I take your silence as agreement."
Confirming the seated nobles, Luise left the throne first, and the others followed suit, watching their cues.
"...This should be fun."
Luise was curious about what would unfold.
Her acceptance stemmed partly from the veiled threat, partly from fondness for him.
But it also held a selfish grudge against the Ruth Kingdom for rendering him unusable.
She knew what it meant for a sold-off hero to return.
She knew they'd refuse if asked.
Of course, as a dragon, she only cared if it amused her.
"Summon the mages."
Anticipating his results, Luise prepared a small gift for him.
---
The next day.
I thought it would take days, but I departed the very next day after my request.
Even better, I was to travel alone without an entourage.
I understood Theodore's push—likely scheming something—but with my minimap, solo travel wasn't risky.
"Viktor."
As I donned my freshly laundered uniform and prepared, Luise approached with her attendants.
She handed me a badge emblazoned with a golden dragon emblem.
"Show this at post stations in cities or villages to procure a horse. I've prepared Phlegethon too—go and return swiftly."
"...Thank you."
Infusing genuine gratitude, I addressed her formally for the first time.
She hesitated briefly, then left without replying.
"See you again!"
I called a farewell after her retreating figure and headed to Phlegethon.
Phlegethon again, huh.
...Maybe the empire dumps all its development funds into this.
Though handing over the entire Ruth Kingdom would more than compensate.
>