Chapter 24: To Be Different (2) | Semi-Coercive Imperialist
Rustle-!
After tearing down the wall, Julian moved. The cartel's forces were spread out, but he maneuvered like the wind. There was no mercy in his hands. Ten minutes was enough to deal with the dozens of organization members from the first to the third floor.
"...."
I strapped the long sword back to my waist. There was nothing for me to do. When I trudged up to the third floor, Julian was sitting on some kind of box.
He was wiping the blood off his sword with a handkerchief.
"Good work."
In the meantime, the police arrived.
"Loyalty! We will begin the search!"
After saluting, they turned the building inside out.
"There is a suspicious passage here!"
Another space underground was revealed. I went down there too. A secret room reeking of a vile stench, where people kidnapped by the cartel were being held.
─Thump.
The virus reacted faintly.
"...?"
Could one of them be an Ezenheim?
I tilted my head, but they were not Ezenheim. The cause was the sofa placed in the middle of the secret room. I took a closer look at the sofa.
"Max. What are you doing?"
Julian, who had come down before I noticed, asked.
"I think I found something."
I pointed to the sofa. Julian sliced it open, but inside there was only cotton and dust.
"What exactly did you find?"
"...Perhaps."
I placed my hand on the leather of the sofa and sent mana through it. The outer leather melted away like liquid and condensed into strange crystals. It was quite a large amount.
Julian's eyes widened slightly.
"It's a drug. The purity is very high."
"Yes."
I picked up one of the crystals. At that moment, the virus reacted. Information about the mana compound surged into my mind.
In numerical terms, purity over 97%. The structure was a double helix. Extremely addictive.
"...."
It seems my virus also has the talent of analyzing 'mana'.
"They rearranged the structure of the substance with mana to hide it. What kind of bastard-"
Julian uncharacteristically trailed off. That's how groundbreaking the technique must have been.
The culprits were obviously them. The ones who would do anything to throw the Empire into chaos- the otherworldly species Ezenheim.
"Max."
Julian suddenly turned to me.
"Well done."
It was praise from a superior. It didn't sound bad. I swallowed a smile and gave a slight bow.
Just then, the police appeared. They widened their eyes at the drugs found inside the sofa.
"May we confiscate this?"
"No."
I dismissed them.
"We will be doing the confiscation."
"Yes!"
Julian stared at me quietly.
"We knights shouldn't trust the police too much either."
This was enough for at least tens of thousands of doses. Even stealing just one-tenth of it could change someone's life, and the police station was full of rats.
Julian chuckled faintly. He seemed to agree, but as if to test me, he asked:
"Then who do you trust?"
The answer was already decided.
"Only oneself."
Julian nodded. That meant it was the right answer.
***
Schatz regulated her mana while repeating deep breaths inside the room of the residence. It was meditation to organize the flow that had been suppressed for years by restraints, and it was training to carry out Maximilian's words- "Become stronger".
Knock knock.
With a sudden knock, a man entered.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Dieter Schmidt."
Dieter glanced around the interior. Mattress, small refrigerator, bedding, personal belongings. Other than that, there was nothing.
"This is just a temporary residence, so I'm afraid it's lacking in many aspects. Please bear with it for a while. We don't have sufficient funds yet."
Schatz tilted her head.
Ebenholtz lacking in funds? Those words didn't seem to go together at all.
"...Ah. I understand."
So treatment depends on one's capability.
Schatz understood it that way.
"Yes. Would you please step outside for a moment?"
Dieter guided Schatz outside. The two stood side by side in the open space behind the building.
"Please show me your mana."
Dieter requested a demonstration from Schatz while holding a notepad.
Accurately identifying and noting down the abilities of personnel was an important task.
"Yes."
Schatz gathered mana at her fingertips. Blue sparks crackled and flared intensely.
Pazzzzzzt!
As she extended her arm and fired, an electromagnetic pulse soared 10 meters and struck the ground.
"Hmm. Electromagnetic type? That's excellent. You've been born with a very rare mana property."
"Thank you."
"Yes."
"...."
"...."
She was naturally quiet. Dieter was also the type to only speak when necessary.
The two silently surveyed the surroundings of the open space for a moment.
"There's nothing around."
To Schatz's comment, Dieter replied.
"Yes. It's still undeveloped land, but we are in the process of purchasing it step by step."
"─Planning to build a city here."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind.
It was Knight Maximilian. Schatz immediately straightened her posture.
"I stopped by on my way. Dieter, what do you think? Can this place become a city?"
"It looks fine."
"You can speak honestly."
"It's not far from the center, but the lack of transportation makes it virtually isolated. Additionally, monster appearances are frequent, so the conditions aren't ideal."
That was the reason such a large area remained undeveloped. Monsters were the greatest obstacle to construction. If monsters attacked at night, everything would be demolished. Deploying additional personnel for defense would greatly increase the cost.
"Ebenholtz can make it happen."
"...More than anything, we lack the funds to build a city."
"What about the mine?"
"The results will probably come out within next week."
"Have faith and wait."
Maximilian turned to Schatz.
"Are you still thinking about Mason?"
Schatz gave a brief answer.
"...Yes."
"There's no need to be obsessed. If you wait, the opportunity will come eventually."
The founder of Mason is not a pure Imperial. Though he's 'disguised' that way, he will inevitably be exposed as a mixed-blood. Just that fact alone would bring ruin to Mason Industries.
That kind of era is coming for us.
"And, this is your first mission."
Maximilian handed her a document containing someone's profile.
"Find this person."
"Yes. Understood."
"Aren't you curious who it is?"
"What kind of person is it?"
Only then did Schatz express curiosity, and Maximilian gave a short answer.
"A Revolutionary forces member."
***
Summer hadn't even begun yet, but my peers had already formed factions.
Tiana and Leon aligned themselves with senior knight Jerome's group.
Follow Jerome upward and you reach Adria, then further up to Anton.
In other words, they belonged to Deputy Knight Commander Anton's faction.
Anton was highly respected. That's why the Revolutionary forces clung to him.
As I've said before─ the high-ranking knight "Adria" was a spy for the Revolutionary forces.
"Sir Knight. This came from Empire Point."
A staff member handed me a letter.
He was a guard from the western prison. One deputy warden who played a key role in saving Schatz and two guards were all now employed as my knight administration staff.
I took the letter. It was high-quality parchment stamped with the Empire Point seal.
[To Knight Maximilian von Ebenholtz of the Sentinel Knight Order]
[For the benefit of our academy's outstanding cadets, we respectfully request your visitation and evaluation to share your noble experience and knowledge...]
Empire Point often sends such requests to Sentinel knights. It's a kind of master class.
"...Looks like I'll have to go."
If there's an Ezenheim at Empire Point, that would be the worst-case scenario. That place is the shortest path to rising to the core of the Empire.
Besides...
'—There must have been a better way. I'm sure.'
The first Ezenheim I killed, Jacob. I'm also curious what that bastard's peers are up to.
Bzzzzt─.
My terminal rang.
─This is Schatz. I've located the target.
Already?
No. That's expected. Her abilities are as good as anticipated.
I left the office. Sitting for so long analyzing mana residue had left me restless.
"Max... milian!"
As I was about to take the elevator, some knights called my name.
They were noble-born knights: Reynel, Zionne, and their de facto leader, Chiron.
"Knight Chiron would like to see you."
Reynel pointed to Chiron standing behind them.
Chiron gave me a smile.
"Maximilian. We finally meet face to face like this."
"...Yes. Good to see you, sir."
I bowed my head to him.
Fleeting memories from before the Regression flashed by.
Chiron. A noble from the Capital, he aimed to bring down Deputy Knight Commander Anton.
However, Chiron lacked a foundation. Though Anton was a fallen noble, his unique charisma attracted knights. Chiron, by contrast, came from a nouveau riche family that had only recently succeeded.
The reason Chiron had been able to pull off a coup in the previous timeline was due to his cooperation with the Imperial Guard.
"Lately, there's been a lot of talk about you in social circles."
The Imperial Guard is power. The Knight Order is honor. Both wield tremendous authority, but the way they operate, and their natures, are completely different.
The Imperial Guard will carry out ethnic cleansing. The Knight Order will wage war.
Both... are perhaps necessary evils for me.
"The Third-Class Golden Lion Medal. Did I receive that at twenty-two?"
Chiron smiled as he glanced at the medal on my chest.
"Shall we have a brief talk?"
"Certainly."
Chiron gestured to his subordinate knights. They backed off with practiced tact.
"Let's talk on the way down. You must be busy too."
"Yes."
We got on the elevator together.
As the doors closed, Chiron spoke in a low voice.
"Maximilian. The world is changing. It'll change even more drastically from now on. Probably far beyond what you can imagine... The central government is already in turmoil."
He had a face like a snake, and a voice that matched that face.
"But I always worry. Will our Sentinels be able to handle that massive wave?"
Chiron had made similar proposals before the Regression.
Back then, I hadn't even fully understood what he meant.
"Are you referring to Deputy Knight Commander Anton?"
Now, I had enough knowledge to cut straight to the point.
"...Sharp, aren't you. Yes. The next Knight Commander election isn't far off. At this rate, Anton is the leading candidate."
"Yes. I'm aware. Many people seem to like Deputy Commander Anton."
"Do you, as well?"
Ding.
The elevator stopped. As I walked toward the parking lot, I thought.
Deputy Commander Anton Zefren.
He's a good man.
...But only a good man.
"Of course not."
"Then what don't you like about him?"
Chiron asked again. I raised my head and looked him in the eye.
"He seems to place too much faith in the innate goodness of mankind."
Anton is a man who values the outdated romanticism known as 'chivalry'. That's why, when I killed a young Ezenheim, he expressed concern.
I will continue killing Ezenheim without end, and Anton will be an obstacle to me.
"He doesn't understand the duties of a knight, nor the reason for our existence."
As I continued speaking, Chiron's face began to twitch.
He was trying not to laugh.
"He only wants to see the good in this world."
From a broken Empire, ruin will bloom. The Empire must function as the lesser evil, and the cleansing of races must go forward.
"At that point, he's no different from a blind man with open eyes."
An old man trying to plant a single flower in a hellish world.
That is Anton.
"Hahaha!"
Chiron laughed heartily. He clapped his hands and placed one on my shoulder.
"Well said. Truly well said. Ha! I've been bested by a new recruit. No, not even that- Maximilian, it's hard to call you a new recruit. You're the heir of Ebenholtz, after all."
Chiron's expression quickly turned serious again.
"Maximilian. The Imperial Family will likely continue investigating Anton. They'll come to you, and to your father, asking many things."
"I doubt my words will carry much weight."
"Don't be so modest."
Chiron paused for a moment, then twisted one corner of his mouth upward.
"I hope you'll be just as honest there, and whatever else is said, just keep quiet about it."
It meant he would blatantly fabricate and implicate him.
Chiron raised his eyebrows with a peculiar expression.
"A so-called noble who used to sell straw mats becoming the Knight Commander of Sentinel... isn't that ridiculous? I'm sure your father thinks so too."
I nodded. I didn't like how he kept bringing up Sebestian, but tact was necessary.
"Yes. Speaking honestly is easy enough."
"...Ha."
Chiron let out a low chuckle.
"Good, then. Let's meet again later. Go ahead. You seem busy."
"Yes."
With that, Chiron left, and I got into my car.
As I stepped on the accelerator, I let out a sigh.
"So many people overstep their place."
Mentioning Sebestian so lightly meant they were looking down on me, but for now, I had to endure it.
I was still nothing more than Sebestian's young pup. Being perceived that way was actually beneficial for the moment.
....
"...Sir Knight. Do you think Max is any help?"
In the Sentinel Knight Order's parking lot, noble-born knight Reynel asked with clear displeasure.
"Max has already fallen out of Sebestian's favor. Now there's even a rumor that he's planning to adopt Edmon. You saw it yourself, didn't you? That stiff neck of his."
At that, Chiron frowned.
"Watch your words. 'Stiff neck'?"
"Ah, pardon?"
"And since when would Sebestian adopt a half-blood? He's the most pureblooded noble of all."
"...My apologies."
Reynel and the other knights quickly bowed. Chiron clicked his tongue.
"Don't treat him carelessly. Maximilian is someone you can have a proper conversation with."
"Ah... Is that so?"
"Yes. How long are you going to hold that grudge? You're the ones who were in the wrong from the beginning. Maximilian was absolutely right. No matter how well you knew him personally, you shouldn't be calling him 'Max' in an official setting."
'—Do not call me Max.'
Those words Maximilian once said had left a bad impression among the senior knights.
"He's an Ebenholtz. He's not on the same level as you. He's a noble of an entirely different class with a legacy you could never match."
Even if he had been their junior as a cadet, they were never in the same league from the start.
And yet, these idiots tried to treat him lightly just because they remembered their time together at Empire Point.
"I'm saying don't stir up trouble unnecessarily."
"...Yes. We apologize."
The knights bowed again.
"─Oh my. Is there a meeting happening in the parking lot?"
Everyone flinched and turned. Chiron glared at her.
Adria von Hardenberg.
One of the central figures in Anton's faction, and the knight Chiron despised the most.
"You all look rather undignified. Knights gathering in a group like that."
"It was just... a discussion about lunch options."
Chiron swallowed a curse and forced a smile. Adria smiled faintly too.
"I see. Well, you people do like to make everything sound grand. Take care."
Adria got into her knight vehicle. Chiron watched her, then signaled to the others.
"Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
Chiron had confirmed that Maximilian of Ebenholtz shared his views. That was enough for now.
After all, there's no way someone raised that nobly would take a liking to lowborn scum like Anton.