The Betrayed Master Betrays In Turn

Chapter 10

The carriage set off without any incidents.

Since the soldiers had quietly let me go, I figured the hardest part was over. Thanks to Nikolai’s timely intervention, I had shown everything I needed to, and the woman sitting in front of me, Erika, was now marked as green on my minimap.

I assumed they would start asking me questions soon, and as long as I stuck to the persona I had been displaying, I’d just need to answer accordingly. While I still had lingering feelings about the kingdom, I could make it seem like I wasn’t entirely impossible to persuade.

“...”

“Ahem! Ahem.”

But I had been too hasty. The crisis wasn’t over yet.

I wasn’t bothered by the fact that I was still tied up. They had tied the ropes loosely enough that I couldn’t move my arms, but I wasn’t uncomfortable otherwise.

What was more concerning was the silence from the two people sitting in front of me.

I could understand why Paul Richter, sitting directly to my left, was fidgeting uncomfortably. He wasn’t the type to enjoy being part of a negotiation delegation.

Paul was the commander overseeing the forces of the aristocratic faction in the *Northern War*, a character in the game. He managed to secure lands from Ruth Kingdom after his victory and eventually rose to a position of near-kingly power.

In this world’s version of the *Northern War*, he had likely commanded the Empire’s forces. From what I experienced, he wasn’t a brilliant commander capable of overcoming the chaos that arose from multiple feudal lords’ armies or the overwhelming advantage of my tactical map.

He didn’t seem to be a hot-headed person, but he often made mistakes, moving his forces too hastily, likely because he had to show results to the aristocrats who had entrusted him with command.

What’s important now is that Paul is a key figure in the aristocratic faction.

His presence in the delegation was an unusual move. My guess is that if the Emperor appointed him, Paul was probably intended as a scapegoat.

They had minimized the size of the delegation but still needed to maintain authority, so they brought along Paul as the commander of the northern army to give the group weight.

If the negotiations went wrong and he were taken prisoner, it wouldn’t affect the Emperor much.

Thankfully, Paul seemed to understand his precarious position. Though marked red on my minimap, he was quietly staring out the window without expressing his frustration too openly.

People like him aren’t a problem. It’s the volatile, impulsive ones who scare me more than the capable ones.

A skilled person’s actions are predictable and can’t easily outmaneuver my minimap or tactical map. In a world where magic is limited to simple fireballs, the sheer amount of information I have gives me an overwhelming advantage.

But unpredictable people?

If Paul had anger management issues, he could’ve drawn his sword and taken my head off right now. Bound as I am, I wouldn’t have been able to resist.

Thankfully, Paul isn’t one of those people. If he were someone like Andrei—irrational, violent, and impulsive—I’d be far more concerned. But since he isn’t, I didn’t pay him much attention.

What worried me now was...

“Ahem, ahem...”

The woman sitting next to Paul, Erika Baumann, who had been coughing awkwardly for some time now.

I hadn’t heard of her name before, but the carriage she arrived in was adorned with the royal emblem of the Empire, so she had to be aligned with the Emperor. Paul certainly wasn’t an Imperial loyalist, so she must be the one acting on the Emperor’s orders.

Her behavior, then, should provide clues about the Emperor’s intentions.

“...Hmm!”

But her reactions had been odd from the start. She kept coughing and glancing at me, and when I looked up, thinking she wanted to speak, she would shrink back and make strange noises.@@@@

Why?

Just a short while ago in the main hall, I had been confident I could carry out the Emperor’s orders. I had written down everything I observed about Viktor, and I had prepared questions in advance.

I had even witnessed him being betrayed by his king and losing faith in the nobles.

Before I boarded the carriage, I had imagined myself persuading him to join the Empire.

The Emperor’s orders were only to gather information, but I thought if I could sway his loyalty a little, it would make things easier.

*Clatter.*

“Eep!”

But no. Nearly an hour had passed, and I hadn’t said a single word to him.

As the eldest daughter of Count Baumann, who had extensive experience in diplomacy, I had assumed I could handle anyone. I had accompanied my father to numerous meetings with nobles of various ranks and had broadened my knowledge over the years.

I had even met with military leaders before.

I had no trouble talking to General Gerhardt, who was old enough to be Viktor’s grandfather, and I had even participated in knight training and military expeditions a few times.

But here I was, unable to say a word to a man who was merely tied up in front of me.

Despite his handsome and noble-like appearance, something about his expression—or perhaps the way he sat there with his eyes closed—gave off the impression that if I said something wrong, he would kill me on the spot.

And Paul was no help at all.

From the start, he hadn’t hidden his discomfort, and now he was just staring out the window, making the heavy atmosphere even heavier.

“Huff.”

Still, I couldn’t return empty-handed.

Even if I couldn’t have a personal conversation with him, I had to say something—anything—otherwise, I didn’t know what kind of reprimand I’d face from the Emperor.

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

“Um, Viktor?”

“...”

He opened his eyes sharply at the sound of my voice.

The intense expression he had shown in the royal palace flashed in my mind, and I felt a cold sweat start to form.

I clenched my fists tightly.

“May I ask you a few questions?”

I asked as politely as possible.

“...”

After a brief pause, Viktor, who seemed to be contemplating, finally answered.

“...Yes.”

His voice carried a weight of emotion, but he had agreed.

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

If you want to buy me a coffee /santos_28