《Do Your Own Revolution》 Prologue ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­!¡± Two shadows were running down an old alley. Their trench coats, berets, and brass wing-shaped magical engravings indicated they were members of the revolutionary army. ¡°Where¡­ How on earth did the plan leak?!¡± It had been a perfect plan. They were supposed to stage simultaneous uprisings in the outskirts of the capital to disperse the Imperial Army, and during that time, their infiltration team would take care of the Emperor. The security was lax, and there weren¡¯t any mages guarding ¨C all they had to do was pull the trigger. But in an instant, all their plans went awry. Bang-! ¡°Gah?!¡± A bullet pierced through one of the shadows as it cut through the air. A magic bullet infused with magical power. The fallen comrade was screaming while clutching his ankle. It was remarkable accuracy. To hit an ankle precisely from hundreds of meters away. ¡°G-go ahead! I¡¯m done for!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! How could I throw away a comrade who shared our great cause like an old shoe¡­!¡± ¡°You should have thrown him away like an old shoe.¡± While they hesitated for a moment arguing, a voice emerged from the dark shadows. ¡°After all, at least one of you should survive to plan for the future, right?¡± It was a languid voice. A casual tone as if out for a stroll. However, when they realized who the voice belonged to, the revolutionaries¡¯ faces turned deathly pale. ¡°Eugene¡­ Lorentz¡­!¡± The moment that name was called, chains appeared from magical circles that materialized in the air. Clash-! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Magical chains bound both his arms. For his fallen comrade, they were wrapped around his neck instead of his arms. Shame crossed both their faces as the revolutionary fighters, meant to liberate the Empire, were bound like slaves. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you siding with them! Eugene!¡± As he shouted as if spitting blood, a man walked out from the darkness. The Imperial Special Magic Forces uniform, a pistol in one hand, and the tremendous magical power swirling around him. All the various titles used to describe this man flashed through their minds. The Great Hero of the Western Front. The Emperor¡¯s Spearhead. The Empire¡¯s Hound. The Demon of Magic Bullets. And finally, the Natural Enemy of the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Weren¡¯t you also a poor man like us! A refugee! So why¡­ why¡­!¡± ¡°Why did I side with the Emperor instead of you guys?¡± Eugene pressed the gun muzzle against the man¡¯s face. His eyes were cold as he looked at the terrified man. ¡°It¡¯s simple. This game¡¯s ending is getting betrayed while doing the revolution with you guys.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± It was incomprehensible. Game? Ending? What was he talking about? But Eugene hadn¡¯t really expected an answer to those words either. Bang-! S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The magic bullet struck the man¡¯s face. It was a non-lethal impact round rather than a penetrating bullet. This guy will have lots of information to extract. Eugene thought as he watched the man lose consciousness and collapse. ¡°Do your own revolution.¡± Eugene put a cigarette in his mouth and spoke to the air. ¡°I¡¯ll sell you out and live well on my own.¡± Since falling into this damned game world, that had been his one and only goal from start to finish. Author''s ThoughtsHi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 1: #001 Thud-! The battered man¡¯s body tumbled onto the dreary prison floor. The clothes he wore were the uniform issued to revolutionary army officers. ¡°Cough! Hack¡­!¡± Blood that had pooled in the man¡¯s mouth spurted out along with his coughs. The soldiers silently locked the prison bolt, leaving behind the man who was twitching in pain. ¡°¡­¡­¡± If anyone who knew this man had been in this prison, they would have been quite puzzled. He was Eugene Lorentz, Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Army. What reason could there be for this man, who should be toasting with high officials of the revolutionary government by now, to be thrown into this dark underground prison while covered in blood? Had the revolution failed? No, that wasn¡¯t it. The corrupt Emperor had his head cut off by angry citizens, and the new head of government declared they would make this country a nation of citizens. ¡°Let¡¯s go together! Whether it¡¯s the monsters that threaten us, or Westraine in the west! Together we can overcome them!¡± ¡°Hurrah-!¡± ¡°Long live the Revolutionary Army-!¡± Citizens who came out to the streets scattered flower petals. They waved flags celebrating the success of the revolution. But amid that fever of jubilation. This man alone, who had been the greatest contributor to the revolution, could not join in that parade. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eugene. However¡­¡± Deputy Commander Claude in military uniform squeezed his eyes shut. He avoided Eugene¡¯s gaze when their eyes met. He was a comrade who had fought alongside Eugene on the battlefield. ¡°I regret that things turned out this way. But please understand. In this country where the Emperor is gone¡­ a hero like you is no longer needed.¡± Randall, dressed in an elegant suit, lowered his eyes. He was a businessman who had supported the revolutionary army and would be the chancellor of the newly born country. ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to understand our decision, Eugene. However, this is absolutely necessary.¡± The last to speak was Prince Baker. Having supported the revolution, he had gained the position of Emperor in the constitutional monarchy. ¡°Ha, haha¡­!¡± The era no longer needed heroes, and there was no place for him in the new world. Upon hearing those words, Eugene forcefully lowered his gaze to the floor. His former comrades looked at Eugene like this, then turned their backs and left the prison. ¡°¡­Just as expected.¡± Eugene realized. No matter how much he sympathized with and devoted himself to their cause, they only saw him as a tool. Though he had burned his entire being trying to save the world, in the end, he couldn¡¯t save himself. The wounded hero of the revolution slowly closed his eyes like that. His devotion went unrewarded, and now he had nothing left. ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ [And so, the story of Eugene, the hero who burned his entire being for revolution, came to an end.] [One who sought to save the suffering masses and save the world, but in the end could not save himself.] [He will be forever remembered as a hero of the revolution, becoming a symbol for those who used him¡­] ~ Empire Revolution 2 ~ [END] ¡°¡­What, the, fuck?¡± What the hell did I just watch? Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Did I see that wrong? No way, right? Though I tried to deny reality multiple times and run through happy circuits, it was useless. The moment [END] appeared on the monitor, my patience that I had been holding back shattered completely. ¡°Hey you crazy bastards-!¡± Bang-! When a fierce shotgun blast hit the keyboard, a kitten that had been napping on the wall jumped in surprise and ran away. No, the cat isn¡¯t the issue right now. This¡­! This kind of¡­! ¡°Is this really the ending? Really?! What the fuck, it was going so well and then what kind of shitty ending is this! What is this! Aaargh-!¡± Empire Revolution 2. Unrivaled gameplay that overshadowed its backward graphics. While opinions varied, it was a masterpiece RPG that touched hearts once you immersed yourself in it, sweeping my personal GOTY ¨C the sequel to ¡®Empire Revolution.¡¯ I had insane expectations. I even brought camping equipment and lined up in front of the store from the day before, and quit my shitty job I¡¯d hated for a while, staying up without sleep to focus on it. ¡®Screw Manager Kim, screw the company! Screw work, screw everything! Fuck, I was born for this day!¡¯ The game I had such crazy expectations for, screaming like a madman ¨C why¡­ why on earth¡­! ¡°Why kill off the protagonist like this at the end! Aaargh-!¡± The protagonist had already lost most of his family-like companions in the previous game, and even sent away his beloved. But at least his comrades remained and the revolution was going smoothly, so I thought it would be a happy ending. But how¡­ how could they betray us like this¡­! And moreover, what kind of game ends so hastily like this? What about the source of the monsters? What about Westraine? How many loose ends are there, and you suddenly end it like this? And they say there won¡¯t even be a sequel! ¡°Give me back my time you bastards! Did I spend nearly a month for this kind of moronic story¡­!¡± The anger that had risen to my head showed no signs of cooling down. While I was making a fuss like that for a while in that heated state. Crack- ¡°Ugh?!¡± Along with a burning sensation that heated up the back of my head, something snapped in my mind. Crash-! The chair I was leaning on fell over. A dull impact rang through my head. ¡®Ow shit, my head¡­¡¯ Look at my state. No matter how heated I got, how could I fall like this. Ugh how embarrassing. I should get up quickly and sort this out. As I thought that and tried to get up. ¡®¡­What the fuck is this.¡¯ Something was strange. No, it was very strange. I definitely tried to speak out loud but¡­ why are single quotes appearing? ¡°Uh, uh, uh¡­¡­¡± When I squeezed my voice with all my might, finally double quotes appeared. No, that¡¯s not the issue right now, those quotes. ¡°Uh, ah¡­?¡± Words wouldn¡¯t come out. I tried to get up again, but my body sprawled on the floor wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me.¡¯ By this point, I could somewhat figure out what was happening. The reason I opened my eyes wide was simply because I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®Am I¡­ in shock right now? From playing a game? Really?¡¯ Strictly speaking, it probably wasn¡¯t just because of the game. I had been grinding away all day without holidays for nearly half a year, so the fatigue that had built up probably burst all at once. ¡®Now¡¯s not the time to think about the cause. Somehow, a phone. No, I need to call someone, anyone for help.¡¯ The moment I thought that, I realized. I live alone in this house, and my phone is on the desk. No, even if I had my phone, who would I contact? ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡­¡± This is bad. My consciousness is getting fuzzy. My vision became increasingly blurry like paint being mixed. This is dangerous. No, this passed the level of dangerous long ago. ¡®Don¡¯t fuck with me.¡¯ No, seriously don¡¯t fuck with me. I¡¯m dying like this? From rage while playing a game? Really? This meaninglessly¡­? ¡°You bastards¡­! Th-this is really¡­! This can¡¯t be¡­¡± The moment I shouted using my last bit of strength. Click. My consciousness cut off. There wasn¡¯t even time to realize I was dying, or space to think it was unfair. Suddenly and without warning, like a TV being unplugged. The life of Seong Yu-jin ended so meaninglessly¡­ just like that. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ No, I thought it had ended. ¡°¡­Huh, huh?¡± When I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling appeared. An old ceiling with traces of time visible here and there. It was a ceiling I had seen many times whenever starting the game. ¡°What the hell. This bastard, you finally woke up?¡± My viewpoint is low. My right cheek is throbbing and there¡¯s a metallic taste in my mouth. When I tried to move, my whole body ached. There wasn¡¯t a single spot that wasn¡¯t hurt. ¡®That face¡­¡¯ But there was an even more serious problem than the pain I felt right now. The guy clicking his tongue while looking at me. Though he was just a fourteen-year-old kid, his build was no less than a full-grown adult. I knew who this guy was. ¡°Saul?¡± ¡°¡­Who the hell do you think you are, you beggar bastard, saying my name so casually? Huh?¡± Smack-! ¡°Gah?!¡± When he kicked my chest, I couldn¡¯t withstand the force and collapsed to the floor. Splash! The place where my face hit was a wooden floor covered in dirt and filth. Only then did I realize this was inside an old warehouse. ¡®This, this situation¡­!¡¯ Inside a shabby warehouse. The gang of vagrants surrounding me. And the man watching from behind. There was no doubt. Everything was exactly as it had been in the game. ¡°You piece of shit, I should smash your face¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Saul.¡± As Saul grabbed my hair and lifted me up, the man standing behind stopped him. Unlike the others in worn shirts, he was wearing a neat suit. Another familiar face. ¡®Chapter 1¡¯s main villain, Action Leader Hans¡­?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. How could game characters be alive and breathing in front of me, what the hell is going on? ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry boss! For a beggar bastard like this, you don¡¯t need to step in¡­¡± ¡°I said that¡¯s enough, you fucker.¡± Saul¡¯s shoulders flinched at the suddenly lowered voice. The man was clearly displeased. ¡°I clearly told you, didn¡¯t I? That¡¯s enough. So who are you to tell me what to do? Are you my master?¡± ¡°N-no sir! I¡¯m sorry!¡± The grip holding me loosened at the chilling voice. ¡°Cough, hack, hack¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Sigh. What kind of bullshit is this in the middle of the night.¡± The man who sighed while looking at me took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. With a hiss, the cigarette light appeared and gradually came closer to me. ¡°Kid. As you probably know well, you¡¯re in this state not because of yourself. It¡¯s because of your father who died first.¡± ¡°F-father¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. Your old man Yuri Lorentz who died last week.¡± The man who flicked away his finished cigarette lowered himself to meet my eyes. ¡°Listen well. The money your father borrowed from the gambling house before he died. Get it by next week no matter what. If you try to run away again this time¡­¡± His voice got lower as he looked at me gasping for breath. ¡°I¡¯ll grind you up in the butcher¡¯s meat grinder and scatter you next to your parents who died earlier. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± This sensation of my lungs being blocked, this voice. And even the unique musty dampness of the back alleys and strong cigarette smell. Though my mind was confused, this confirmed it. ¡®This isn¡¯t a dream. This is¡­¡¯ A father killed while trying to run away after accumulating gambling debts. And the protagonist being dragged out and beaten in the back alleys in his place. ¡®This is Empire Revolution¡¯s prologue.¡¯ I had become¡­ the protagonist of that terrible game whose ending I had just seen. ¡°¡­Hmph, seems like you finally understand.¡± Did he think my confused expression was from fear? Hans slowly stood up after examining my complexion. ¡°I¡¯m leaving first. Make sure to educate him properly so he doesn¡¯t get any funny ideas. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, yes boss!¡± After saying what he needed to say, Hans left the warehouse building. But I knew. That Empire Revolution¡¯s prologue didn¡¯t end here. ¡®If my memory is correct, next comes¡­¡¯ I turned my head to look at the guys surrounding me. Saul and his gang showing vicious smiles while looking at me. ¡®Ah, fuck, really.¡¯ The real ordeal was just beginning. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 2: #002 ¡°I¡¯m fucked.¡± After hours of being beaten. While walking down the street with my tattered body, I instinctively covered my mouth, startled by the words that had escaped. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..! ¡­¡­!¡± Fortunately, Saul¡¯s gang was far away, and they didn¡¯t come back trying to catch me. ¡°Phew.¡± After taking a deep breath and thinking it over two, three times, I spoke again with a clear and lucid mind. ¡°I¡¯m absolutely fucked.¡± [Revolution Empire] is a game that combines a diesel-punk world view with dark fantasy genre. The time period is set in the transitional period between World War I and II. Science and magic coexist, wars never end, and monsters and mutants swarm outside the cities. It¡¯s literally a world like a sewer. As if the world setting wasn¡¯t shitty enough to live in, I possessed the protagonist. Into a sewer life where no one could match its misery! What? You¡¯re asking if I¡¯m not excited about falling into the world of a game I liked? To whoever thinks that way, I sincerely hope you wake up tomorrow morning as Isaac Clarke in the Ishimura¡¯s hangar. Try having a deep kiss with a Necromorph, and then you can do a backflip while saying ¡°Wow, game possession is so amazing!¡± Right? Clap, clap-! Let¡¯s stop. I feel like I might actually commit suicide from self-loathing at this rate. Like a madman, I slapped both my cheeks, trying to get a grip somehow. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get it together, Yu-jin. You can¡¯t keep acting pathetic like this forever.¡± This unexpected second life, I can¡¯t just die. Flutter- While thinking that, an old piece of paper flew to my feet. ¡°This is¡­?¡± A red wing symbol printed in the corner of the old paper. It was propaganda distributed by the Revolutionary Army. [Those who want revolution, come anytime! The red flag is always waiting for you!] Text scrawled with low-quality charcoal. Reading it, I let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Right. The protagonist picked up this flyer too.¡± [Revolution Empire]. As the title suggests, the main story of this game is about starting a revolution against the Empire. The story of a hero who joins the Revolutionary Army at a young age, meets comrades and grows, and takes down the corrupt officials of the Empire one by one. And this flyer in my hands right now was, without exaggeration, the beginning of that heroic epic. ¡°However, things are different now.¡± I grabbed the Revolutionary Army¡¯s flyer with both hands. And tore it in half. Rrrip-! Not just once. Twice, three times. After tearing the poster into complete powder, I scattered it into the air. ¡°When I already know the game¡¯s ending, you want me to follow the main story and join the Revolutionary Army? Did you get shot in the head?¡± If I dare guess, there must be some reason why I was possessed into the protagonist¡¯s body. Maybe to save the protagonist¡¯s unfortunate life, or to succeed in the revolution and save the world, something like that kind of mission. If so, I would confidently answer this: S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Go fuck yourself with all of that. ¡®I don¡¯t know who dumped me here, but they seriously misjudged me.¡¯ Salvation of the masses? National cause? Go fuck yourself. World-saving protagonist? Hero? You guys can do that all you want. The goal of Eugene who experienced an unexpected game possession is just one thing: survival. Revolution or whatever, you guys can do that amongst yourselves. ¡®First, what¡¯s important is that the point I possessed isn¡¯t the main story but the prologue.¡¯ I recalled the original game¡¯s story. The story of [Revolution Empire] begins when the protagonist turns fifteen. That¡¯s when he beats up Hans and Saul¡¯s gang, and while fleeing from their revenge, joins the Revolutionary Army. But my current age is eight. What this means is that according to the story, the protagonist has to do errand work and pay tribute money to those bastards until he turns 15. In the game, they might gloss over that time with a narration saying ¡°7 years later¡­,¡± but how could that work when the game has become reality? ¡°I need to deal with Saul and Hans.¡± Getting a stroke while playing games and getting possessed into the protagonist¡¯s body is already hopeless enough. And now you want me to do errand work in this damn back alley for 7 years? Don¡¯t fuck with me. As fast as possible. If possible, I needed to escape this back alley life right now. ¡°The problem is how to deal with them¡­¡± The opponents are stronger than me, and there are more of them. Plus, they had the backing of the gang that controlled this area. Was it even possible for a powerless eight-year-old kid to defeat those guys? Though the conditions were overwhelming just thinking about them, I knew the answer. ¡°I need to awaken my magic power.¡± The method the protagonist used to defeat them in the original. The only way for a back alley beggar to suddenly subdue gangs. Right now, I needed to become a magician as soon as possible. *** If I had to name one of the few advantages of this game world, it would be that the time period is roughly after the Industrial Revolution. At least in name, there exists a ¡°Continental Human Rights Charter,¡± and thanks to that, even a slum beggar like me could enter a hospital and see a doctor¡¯s face. ¡°Look elsewhere, kid. I don¡¯t have a hobby of clearing away child corpses.¡± The place I ran to was the ¡®Karl Hiram National Hospital¡¯ located in the middle of the Grey Quarter district¡¯s downtown. The doctor, adjusting his glasses while looking at the chart, waved his hand without even looking at me. ¡°There¡¯s no other hospital nearby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to accept you, you idiot!¡± As if annoyed by my talking back, the doctor looked up from the chart and started yelling at me. ¡°That damn propaganda is ruining all the kids¡¯ behavior! What awakening surgery without even a magic power test? Go back right now!¡± The doctor¡¯s voice ordering me out grew increasingly louder. Judging by his irritation, it seems many people like me had visited before. ¡°There won¡¯t be any legal issues. And magic awakening is better the younger you are¡­!¡± ¡°You young brat, even so!¡± The doctor frowned at my retort and looked at me. ¡°Go back when I tell you to! If you do something useless, you want to live as a one-armed person at that age¡­!¡± The doctor had to stop mid-sentence when he looked at my face. ¡°You¡­¡± Upon seeing my face, his angry voice suddenly became calm. Split lips, bruised cheeks, and even cigarette burn marks on my forehead. My current appearance must have looked quite miserable even to the doctor. ¡°Did gang members target you?¡± The doctor immediately mentioned gangs, especially after seeing the cigarette burn on my forehead. In this world, cigarettes were quite an expensive luxury, and in the slums, only those bastards could afford to smoke them. I nodded and said. ¡°It¡¯s because of my father¡¯s debt. They said if I can¡¯t pay it back within a week, they¡¯ll grind me up and sprinkle me in the pig pen.¡± The ¡°next to your dead father¡± that Hans mentioned earlier was precisely the pig pen. Wow, thinking about it again, this life difficulty is really hell. Why didn¡¯t I commit suicide earlier? Should I just do it now? ¡°I¡¯ll die anyway if things stay like this. If I¡¯m going to die, I should at least try something before dying.¡± ¡°Hey, kid. Even so¡­!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t blame you even if my arm flies off. It¡¯s my responsibility even if I die! So please just do the surgery. Please!¡± I quickly spilled out the words and bowed my head to the doctor. After watching me for a moment, the doctor sighed ¡°phew¡± and scratched the back of his head. ¡°¡­Fine, sit down. I can¡¯t just send you back with those injuries.¡± Saying that, the doctor asked a nurse to bring bandages and ointment. ¡°¡­Sigh, I really should leave this damn neighborhood or something.¡± Watching him, I smiled inwardly with satisfaction. ¡®Got it.¡¯ Grey Quarter National Hospital¡¯s doctor NPC, [Otto Klautz]. Despite his fierce appearance, his character alignment is [Good]. Especially weak to children¡¯s pleas. Everything was exactly as it appeared in the game. *** ¡°Magic awakening surgery is a dangerous procedure with a mortality rate exceeding 15%. Not everyone becomes a magician just because they have the surgery.¡± A few minutes after treating the wounds on my face. Following the nurse¡¯s guidance, I sat on the operating table, and Otto slowly grabbed my right arm and fixed it to a machine called the ¡®Circuit Opener¡¯. ¡®It looked brutal in the game, but seeing it in person makes it look even more savage.¡¯ Dozens of awls were aimed in a circular pattern at various points of my arm, surrounding the mechanical device that encompassed my entire arm. I gulped at that fierce appearance, but fortunately, Otto didn¡¯t seem to notice. ¡°Starting from your fingertips all the way to your shoulder blade, we¡¯ll insert 72 stimulus needles all at once. We¡¯re forcibly opening magic nerves to create a path for magic power to flow.¡± Is explaining the surgical procedure a doctor¡¯s duty? Doctor Otto didn¡¯t stop talking to me even while operating the machine. ¡°The opened nerves will maintain for 30 minutes. If magic power doesn¡¯t flow by then¡­¡± ¡°The wounds in the arm will never heal. The right arm must be amputated before backflow occurs, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Opening nerves by piercing various parts of the arm with stimulus needles, then healing the surgical site with the practitioner¡¯s magic power. I knew it from the setting, but it was quite a crude method. Moreover, the unnecessarily detailed description suggested that Otto was hoping I would get scared and refuse the surgery. ¡®But not a chance.¡¯ I needed to awaken my magic power as soon as possible to see any light in this sewer life, there was no time to waste here. And there was another reason why I was getting magic development surgery at such a young age. ¡®Magic becomes stronger the younger you develop it. I¡¯ll pass on messing around with output like in the original.¡¯ A magician¡¯s magic power depends on the output of the ¡®magic circuit¡¯ formed near the heart during first awakening. In the original, the protagonist awakened his magic power at a late age, and because of that, he suffered from chronic magic power deficiency. With low magic power, he couldn¡¯t even use items that consumed high amounts of magic power, and had to hand over all the hard-earned items to his NPC companions. ¡®And then those carefully nurtured companions stabbed the protagonist in the back.¡¯ The more I think about it, the more it sounds like a sucker¡¯s life. But now it¡¯s different. At the prologue point, I¡¯m eight years old. If I awaken magic power now, I¡¯ll become the Empire¡¯s youngest magic awakener, and my magic circuit output will reach the Empire¡¯s highest level. It meant I could monopolize all the items that had to be handed over to NPCs. ¡°Tch, I thought you¡¯d be at least a little scared, but you¡¯re not even blinking. All preparations are done.¡± While I was thinking that, Otto, who had finished preparing for surgery, attached restraints to both my shoulders and legs. They say it¡¯s because you might get hurt if you struggle from the pain, but it felt like being a patient in a mental hospital. No, if I had to make a comparison, would this be Frankenstein? Igor, Igor! Where did you put my brain! ¡­Let¡¯s stop. This is embarrassing. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, but it¡¯s still not too late to¡­¡± ¡°Please start.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll stop talking.¡± I bit down on the bundle of cloth Otto handed me, and he silently activated the machine. Clank-! ¡°Nnnghh¡ª?!¡± As dozens of steel needles pierced my arm simultaneously, terrible pain rushed in. Even though I was biting down on the thick cloth bundle, it felt like a couple of molars broke, and due to using too much force, I could taste the sticky blood flowing from my nostrils and eyes. However. ¡°Ha, haha¡­! Hahaha¡­¡­¡± Thump-! The burning sensation felt near my heart along with the pain. Feeling that, I could laugh even amid the pain. ¡®Success.¡¯ The magic development surgery received 7 years earlier than the original protagonist. The result was a great success. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 3: #003 ¡°Eugene! You bastard, stop right there?!¡± ¡°Where does that orphan bastard think he¡¯s running to¡­!¡± In the Kalhyram Empire, an unexpected chase was unfolding in the slums of the capital, Central. The one being chased was a child with a small build. The pursuers were thugs as big as mountains. Hans, who was observing the chase from a step away, pulled out a cigarette from his chest and put it in his mouth. ¡°Tsk, this is why these slum rats¡­¡± He had given the young one some time when he begged to repay the money somehow, but sure enough, he ran away. Seems like he inherited his dead father¡¯s habits after all. ¡°Big brother! Over here!¡± It didn¡¯t take long to corner the boy in a dead end. ¡°He said he wanted to join the organization, so I tested him¡­ Not bad for a rat.¡± Hans muttered to himself while looking at Saul and walked into the alley with leisurely steps. Eugene was already surrounded by the gang. Being a dead end, there was nowhere to run. ¡°What should we do, big brother?¡± When Saul, who was leading the rats, asked, Hans exhaled cigarette smoke and said. ¡°That one, does he have any skills with his hands?¡± At Hans¡¯s question pointing to Eugene, Saul immediately answered. ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. When his father was alive, he was good at making things like brooms.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll throw him in the factory and work him for about 10 years.¡± Thud- Something fell at Saul¡¯s feet. Looking down, there lay a sharp axe with a blue blade. Hans had thrown it to him. ¡°B-Big brother? This¡­¡± When Saul asked, Hans gestured with his chin toward the axe and said. ¡°Cut off his legs. Then he won¡¯t be able to run away again.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± At those words spoken without hesitation, Saul and his gang turned pale. ¡°C-Cut them off¡­¡± ¡°B-Big brother. Even so, that¡¯s¡­¡± No matter how hardened these back alley thugs were, they were still young boys who hadn¡¯t even reached adulthood. Hans¡¯s lips twisted at the sight of them hesitating in fear. ¡°¡­Hah, but these bastards get cocky when you go easy on them.¡± And the next moment. Slap-! With a sharp sound, Saul¡¯s face whipped to the side. Hans had struck his cheek with full force. ¡°B-Big brother¡­?¡± ¡°Who said you could call me big brother, you stupid rat.¡± Crack! This time it wasn¡¯t a palm but a fist that flew. Saul, who was slammed against the wall, looked at Hans with wide eyes, but it was useless. Crack! Thud! Crunch-! Hans stomped on Saul, who was cornered against the wall, for a long time. After several minutes, Hans spoke to Saul, who was curled up and trembling, covered in dirt. ¡°Get up.¡± Saul immediately stood up straight in front of Hans. Hans, who had been quietly looking at Saul, immediately grabbed his collar. ¡°Kuhk?!¡± ¡°Hey. Are you crazy? You said you wanted to join the Valks gang, but now you¡¯re trying to back out of a simple errand? Huh?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± Saul shouted desperately. His expression was filled with terror. ¡°And didn¡¯t I tell you last time? Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s right! Yes!¡± ¡°Then hurry up and cut him, you bastard. If you hesitate one more time, I¡¯ll cut off your head instead. Understand?¡± At the fierce threat, Saul frantically gestured to his gang. One of the gang members picked up the axe and handed it to Saul, who approached Eugene with trembling hands. ¡°Seriously, these idiots only listen when you rough them up. Stupid bastards.¡± Hans crossed his arms while thinking this, throwing away his finished cigarette. Gulp! Saul swallowed hard and turned his gaze. The target, Eugene, was pressed against the wall, glaring at him and his gang. ¡®Right. Once I join the gang, I¡¯ll be doing this kind of thing countless times anyway¡­!¡¯ Saul wanted to escape from these back alleys. He wanted to join the gang and play in bigger waters. And to do that, he had to become cruel. ¡®I have to do it. I¡¯ll join the gang, and then this slum¡­!¡¯ Just as Saul gritted his teeth and was about to take a step forward to do the ¡®job¡¯¡­ Twitch. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Something was wrong. He clearly tried to move his foot, but his legs were frozen in place as if stuck. ¡°What. Why won¡¯t my body¡­¡± He tried to move several more times but it was useless. No, it got even worse. ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t move a single finger. It was as if he was caught in an invisible trap. ¡°Hey. What are you bastards¡­¡± Hans frowned as he watched Saul and his gang standing still for a long time. But that didn¡¯t last long. Hans, who tried to uncross his arms, also noticed something was wrong. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this, why can¡¯t I move?¡± Something was wrong. Just as he thought that, a boy¡¯s voice was heard from the end of the dead-end alley. ¡°Why? Because it worked.¡± Saul, his gang, and Hans¡¯s gazes focused on one person. ¡°Eu¡­ gene?¡± Only then did Hans notice something strange about the boy¡¯s appearance. Eugene¡¯s right arm extended toward them. It was wrapped in bandages with scabs stuck here and there. Rustle- Before they could figure out what it was, Eugene unwrapped the bandages from his right arm. And when they saw what was hidden under the bandages, the gang members¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± It was a forearm riddled with numerous holes. Space was distorting and rippling around that forearm. ¡°Why is that bastard¡¯s arm like that?¡± While Saul and his gang could only look bewildered, not knowing anything, Hans¡¯s reaction was different. ¡°This, this crazy¡­!¡± Hans¡¯s face turned pale. The arm covered in wounds, the unknown force rising from it. It was all something he had heard about before. ¡°Magic Awakening? That little brat underwent that surgery?¡± Just as Hans said that with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too late to notice now.¡± Fwooosh¨C! Along with the boy¡¯s words, a dazzling light began to envelop the alley. And only then could Hans fully grasp the situation before his eyes. Magician. Those who awaken to magic through either innate bloodline or surgery, and can manipulate it. Human weapons who can deflect bullets with their bare body and cut off limbs with their bare hands. The boy who had been kicked around until last week was now¡­ transformed into a monster. *** Boom¡ª! The back alley shook entirely with the thunderous sound. A basic shockwave that concentrated magic at one point before releasing it. It was a technique that anyone who had awakened to magic could use, but its power was undeniable. ¡°Ku, kuhk¡­!¡± ¡°Aagh¡­! Wh-What is this¡­!¡± Saul¡¯s gang members, slammed against the walls, were groaning in pain. Saul, who took the shockwave head-on, had his nose crushed, and the rest seemed to have at least one broken limb each. ¡®I guess this¡­ settles the debt from a week ago.¡¯ Of course, I wasn¡¯t completely fine either after using magic. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­!¡± There was no problem with casting the magic. The problem was my physical condition. ¡°One more of these and I¡¯ll really die¡­¡± An eight-year-old child¡¯s body that hadn¡¯t fully grown, plus the lingering after-effects of surgery. Using this much magical power with such a body, it couldn¡¯t handle the recoil. ¡®No, no way.¡¯ Blood seeped from burst wounds, and my legs trembled from exhaustion. But I somehow managed to hold onto consciousness. ¡®Get it together, Seong Yu-jin. If you collapse here, all your suffering until now will be for nothing.¡¯ Step- Step- I walked past them through the alley. My destination was behind Saul¡¯s gang. There, the man who had threatened me a week ago lay sprawled face-down. ¡°Im-Impossible¡­! How can he use magic¡­!¡± Though he couldn¡¯t steady himself, probably due to broken ribs, his consciousness was clear. ¡®Tsk, it would¡¯ve been better if he had just passed out.¡¯ After clicking my tongue briefly, I took out what I had prepared from my chest. A pocket knife made by sharpening a broken glass bottle and wrapping bandages around the handle. Though crudely made, it was enough to kill one defenseless man. ¡°Wait. You crazy bastard¡­?¡± Hans¡¯s face turned pale when he saw what I was holding. ¡°Wait! Wait a minute!¡± Hans shouted at me. ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard! Do you know what you¡¯re trying to do?! Huh?!¡± ¡°I know well. That I have to kill you here.¡± ¡°Know my ass! What are you going to do after you kill me, you idiot?!¡± Seeing me speak calmly, Hans¡¯s shouts became more urgent. ¡°Listen well. I¡¯m a member of the Valks gang. If you kill me here, what do you think will happen? Huh?!¡± I didn¡¯t bother answering Hans¡¯s words. Seemingly frustrated by my response, he ranted desperately toward me. ¡°The Valks boss will find you and take revenge! Understand?! You¡¯re not just messing with me alone, but with the entire Valks gang!¡± ¡°Idiot, talking nonsense.¡± But I cut off his words with an emotionless voice. ¡°If I kill you, your organization will take revenge on me? Sorry, but that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± I dropped the childish act. It wasn¡¯t necessary anymore, and I didn¡¯t have the luxury for it either. As my voice lowered, Hans¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°I¡¯m just an eight-year-old kid. Can¡¯t even be called a youngster, just a snot-nosed brat.¡± ¡°Wh-What does that have to do with¡­!¡± ¡°Use your head if you have one. The Action Leader who rules this area got killed by a kid like me. If this gets out, how do you think other gangs will view your group?¡± Hearing my words, Hans¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Th-That¡­!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably think like this: ¡®If a gang executive gets killed by an eight-year-old kid, how pathetic must his underlings be?¡¯ And they¡¯ll also think: ¡®If the Valks gang is that pathetic, maybe we should try taking them on?''¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hans¡¯s face rapidly hardened. He finally understood the situation. ¡°The moment an organization appears weak, it¡¯s over. You know that better than me, right?¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. What I just said was about the Valks gang¡¯s downfall that I saw in the original story. Seven years from now, the protagonist who awakened to magic will break into the Valks gang¡¯s headquarters and defeat their boss, Valks. A gang that had ruled Grey Quarter for nearly 10 years gets taken down by a fifteen-year-old kid. That shocking news spreads throughout the back alleys, and after facing numerous challenges, the Valks gang disbands. Their boss Valks gets killed on the street. But this time it¡¯s not even a 15-year-old youth, but an eight-year-old kid? The outcome was obvious without even looking. ¡°Sp-Spare me.¡± As if finally realizing what situation he was in, Hans began to beg me. ¡°I¡¯ll forget all about your debt. No, I¡¯ll give you whatever compensation you want! So please, please just spare my life¡­!¡± ¡°Pft, hahaha!¡± I burst out laughing at his appearance. This man who was threatening to put me through a grinder just yesterday becomes this pathetic when faced with death. ¡®Really¡­ It¡¯s exactly like in the game.¡¯ I looked at his face once more. Though his tear-stained face kept begging for mercy, my resolve didn¡¯t change. ¡°No, you die here.¡± I put my body weight into the hand holding the knife. The pocket knife that dug into his throat penetrated Hans¡¯s neck. ¡°Please! Please! Please sp- Kuheeeek¡­!¡± As the blade went deeper, his struggling intensified. I almost fell over from his constant twisting, but that didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Kruk¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thud- Hans¡¯s body went limp like a puppet with cut strings. He drowned in the bubbling blood rather than bleeding out. ¡°Whew¡­!¡± After confirming Hans¡¯s death, the aftermath of murder began to hit me belatedly. ¡°Ugh, urk¡­!¡± The sensation of stabbing a living person transmitted directly through my hand. It was a horrible feeling. The vibration through the blade, the sensation of cutting through flesh and twisting bone. Nausea surged up, but I desperately suppressed it. ¡®I need to get used to this quickly.¡¯ There are seven years until the main story begins. In seven years, the empire will fall into chaos, wars will be endless, and countless incidents and deaths will be scattered. I had to survive that massive current. To survive, I needed to build up my strength as soon as possible. The guilt of first murder? It would be nothing compared to what I would have to face in the future. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 4: #004 ¡°¡­¡­What is this.¡± My mind was hazy. I managed to open my eyes with great effort, but my body felt as heavy as a water-logged cotton. ¡°Finally awake?¡± I was lying on a bed. Looking to the side at the gruff voice, Otto was examining my right arm while wearing a doctor¡¯s coat. ¡®I must have passed out.¡¯ Only then did I recall last night, when I had killed Hans. ¡°Hee, heek?!¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­ Re, really dead¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Fuck¡­ This fucking¡­¡­!¡± About 30 minutes after I killed Hans. When Saul and his gang finally came to their senses, they collapsed on the spot in horror upon seeing Hans¡¯s corpse. My blood-stained arm and pocket knife, and Hans who had become a corpse. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to piece together what had happened. Step When I took a step forward, Saul¡¯s gang, their faces turned blue, immediately fell to their knees. ¡°N-no! We just did what, what that bastard told us to do! Really!¡± ¡°Th-that beating from before! That was all Saul¡¯s fault! S-Saul said we needed to teach you a lesson first¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Th-these bastards trying to save only themselves¡­! You all agreed to it too!¡± ¡°Please. Please! We¡¯ll do anything, just please spare our lives¡­!¡± ¡°Shut your traps.¡± At my single command, Saul and his gang closed their mouths. Ah, so noisy. As if my stomach wasn¡¯t churning enough, here they were kneeling, begging, and throwing each other under the bus¡­ What a complete mess. ¡®Still, this should work as a temporary measure.¡¯ ¡°Hey.¡± Flinch! Saul and his gang trembled at my voice. Just yesterday they were threatening to kill me, but now they couldn¡¯t even meet my eyes as they shook in fear. I wanted to mock them thoroughly, but the situation wouldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°Want to live?¡± The gang members nodded in unison at my words. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you live. But there¡¯s a condition.¡± I pointed my finger at a spot in the alley. Hans¡¯s corpse was there. ¡°You handle that. Then I¡¯ll spare you.¡± What I told them to handle was Hans¡¯s corpse. Their faces turned pale at the sight of the cold, lifeless body. ¡°W-we handle the corpse?¡± ¡°What else? Should we just leave it in the back alley? Think you¡¯ll be safe when Valks gang finds this?¡± ¡°B-but. That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Unlike the others paralyzed with fear, Saul seemed reluctant and kept beating around the bush. Seeing this, I broke out in a cold sweat internally. ¡®Tch, sharper than he looks.¡¯ Saul¡¯s behavior was rational. Disposing of Hans¡¯s corpse meant cooperating in his murder. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In other words, becoming my accomplice. Having served under Hans for quite some time, Saul must have instinctively caught onto my intentions. ¡®This could be troublesome¡­ Should I push a bit more?¡¯ With that thought, I spoke with the most composed expression I could manage. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, can¡¯t be helped. Can¡¯t leave witnesses alive either¡­¡­¡± I deliberately showed my pocket knife and flexed my right hand. Of course, I had neither the strength to stab with this knife nor a drop of magical power left. But Saul¡¯s gang, who couldn¡¯t know this, immediately turned pale. ¡°Hee, heek?!¡± ¡°W-wait, wait!¡± ¡°W-we¡¯ll move it! To a sewer where no one goes! Th-that¡¯ll work, right?!¡± In the end, Saul was the first to give in. ¡°Get to it if you understand.¡± ¡°Y-yes! Hey! Hurry and grab that side¡­¡­!¡± Once I had established dominance, Saul took the initiative and grabbed Hans¡¯s legs. When their lives were immediately threatened, even the fear of touching a corpse seemed to vanish. ¡°Hey, lift properly¡­!¡± ¡°Before anyone sees! Hurry!¡± And so Saul and his gang disappeared down the alley while keeping an eye on me. Once they were out of sight. Thump-! Completely drained of strength, I collapsed and could finally catch my ragged breath. ¡°Al-almost got fucked¡­!¡± Kill them with magic? Leave no witnesses? What bullshit was I spouting. I had already squeezed out every last bit of strength killing Hans, how could I possibly kill guys bigger than me? All I could do just now was put up a front using Hans¡¯s corpse as leverage. Good thing it worked, because it was a dangerous gamble that could have failed with the slightest mistake. ¡®But¡­ This will do.¡¯ Now those guys will wander the slums carrying Hans¡¯s corpse and dump it in the sewers. And this slum has more eyes than it appears. ¡®If by chance the Valks gang comes seeking revenge, they¡¯ll track those guys first instead of me.¡¯ Saul and his gang had become both punching bags to take revenge in my stead and an early warning system to alert me of pursuit. ¡°But, no time to relax.¡± I¡¯d removed one big problem and awakened my magical power. However, this didn¡¯t mean the problems were solved. ¡®Once word gets out that their Action Leader is gone, Valks gang will start searching the alleys. Saul and his gang will be crushed first, and they¡¯ll spill information about me.¡¯ Those guys were both an alarm system and a time bomb. I needed to escape this slum before that bomb went off. As quickly as possible while their attention was focused on Saul. ¡°The question is where to go¡­ bu¡­¡­¡± Just as I was thinking this and tried to stand up. ¡°¡­¡­Huh?¡± My body wouldn¡¯t move. No matter how hard I tried to stand up, it was useless. My legs remained completely immobile. ¡°Wait. Don¡¯t tell me?¡± And only then did I remember one fact I had forgotten. The fact that magicians who completely deplete their magical power suffer from a status condition called ¡®magical power exhaustion¡¯. [Magical Power Exhaustion] A status ailment that occurs when MP is completely depleted, which in the game reduced total HP by 1% per second. Certainly, when the remaining HP reached 0, the player died, right? And considering the time since I used up all my magical power¡­¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fucked¡­¡­!¡± Only then did I realize the gravity of the situation, and crawled along dragging my unmoving body. At this rate, forget survival or anything else, I was going to die on the street before I could do anything. So I squeezed out whatever strength I had left and headed toward Karl Hiram National Hospital. *** ¡°And that¡¯s how I ended up at this hospital.¡± ¡°And I picked you up unconscious in front of the hospital and brought you in here. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly right, doctor¡­ Ack?!¡± Thwack-! Back in the hospital bed. After hearing my explanation, Otto immediately gave me a knock on the head. ¡°It¡¯s only been a week since your development surgery. You fool! Using up magical power that you just awakened so recklessly? Why don¡¯t you just advertise everywhere that you want to die!¡± Though the hospital had long been closed, Otto was still guarding the ward. It was thanks to him that I survived. ¡°What if I hadn¡¯t been at the hospital?¡± ¡°What else? I¡¯d be in the Kalhyram Cemetery next door.¡± ¡°You little?!¡± Thwack-! This time the knock that came was even harder than the previous one. ¡°Sigh, how did I end up with such a troublemaker.¡± Otto let out a deep sigh as he drank the coffee sitting on the table. But even while doing so, Otto was carefully checking the chart recording my magic circuit status. ¡°There¡¯s no abnormality in your magic circuit. However, never do something this reckless again. You¡¯re lucky I found you early¡­ Do you know how serious magical power exhaustion is?¡± ¡°Hehe, thanks to you I survived.¡± ¡°This brat grinning away¡­¡± As Otto said, I too never wanted to do something this reckless again. If I hadn¡¯t killed Hans in one strike or if Saul hadn¡¯t fallen for my bluff, I would have already been a corpse dumped in a back alley. It was a dangerous tightrope walk even thinking about it now. ¡°Huh, so Hans is dead?¡± I told Otto about killing Hans. He was the only person I had any connection with, since I had no home, money, or acquaintances, so I was hoping to gain some sympathy. Otto listened to my story with a grave expression. ¡°So, are you done with those gangsters now?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± ¡°For now?¡± When Otto asked like that, I looked at my right arm with its surgical scar and said. ¡°I¡¯m already as good as marked by the Valks gang. If I keep staying in Grey Quarter like this, my ending will be one of two options.¡± ¡°Die, or become a gangster.¡± ¡°You know well.¡± Otto¡¯s expression darkened at my words. That¡¯s generally how life went for children born in the back alleys. Either die being exploited by gangs, or die being a gangster. ¡°¡­¡­Eugene.¡± Otto called me with a stern expression. He was looking at my face with a somewhat troubled expression. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let me be honest. The reason I saved you¡­ wasn¡¯t simply out of compassion.¡± A serious voice unlike before. I furrowed my brows at this. ¡®Why is this person suddenly acting like this?¡¯ Not simply out of compassion? Is he saying he had other motives? No, that can¡¯t be. In the story, Otto was an NPC with good alignment, and there weren¡¯t any suspicious settings about him¡­¡­ Knock- knock- As I was lost in thought, there came a knock at Otto¡¯s examination room door. ¡°Are you in there?¡± A voice followed from outside the door. ¡°It¡¯s open. Please come in.¡± Otto called toward the door. His voice was gravely subdued. ¡®A doctor using honorifics means they must be at least nobility. But nobility in Grey Quarter¡­¡­?¡¯ Just as I swallowed dryly at the inexplicable anxiety. Creak- The door opened, and the owner of the voice revealed himself. Gray hair swept back neatly, a cold impression. And even a black cloak emblazoned with a silver wolf emblem. ¡°Is this the child?¡± As the man asked this while looking at me, I felt my heart sink. ¡®Lupeon. Elcidore¡­¡­?¡¯ Lupeon Elcidore. The game designation, [Lupel the Slaughterer] The head of House Elcidore, ranked 3rd among the Empire¡¯s 12 Great Mage Noble Houses, and Eugene¡¯s archenemies in the Revolutionary Army. But this person wasn¡¯t supposed to appear until the middle of the main story. Someone who shouldn¡¯t show his face for at least 8 more years, why has he appeared now? As I was thinking this to myself, Otto spoke to me. ¡°Greet him, Eugene. This is Lord Lupeon Elcidore, head of House Elcidore.¡± And at Otto¡¯s next words, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°He has highly evaluated your talent¡­ And has decided to take you in.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± He came to take me. One of the 12 Mage Nobles. The man who was the protagonist¡¯s archenemy. What¡­ What the hell is this nonsense? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 5: #005 ¡°It¡¯s true. You awakened magical power.¡± Looking at the surgical scar on my right arm, a glint appeared in Count Elcidore¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is this child really eight years old?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Otto bowed respectfully to the count¡¯s question and handed over the documents. They were records of my magic circuit¡¯s output and surgical progress after I received the awakening surgery. ¡°I¡¯ve performed countless surgeries over many years, but I¡¯ve never seen a child like this. It hasn¡¯t even been two weeks since the awakening surgery, yet his magical power output surpasses that of an average adult magician¡­¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was asking about.¡± The count, who had stopped Otto¡¯s explanation, lowered himself to look at me. A piercing gaze that seemed to pierce through my head. Eventually, a faint smile spread across the count¡¯s face. He had sensed something from me. ¡°You¡¯ve killed someone before, haven¡¯t you?¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It felt like my heart had dropped to my stomach. ¡®How did he know? Was I being watched?¡¯ No, that wasn¡¯t it. Maybe the Valks gang would, but a nobleman of such high standing would have no reason to monitor a back alley kid like me. As I silently stared at him for a while, the smile on the count¡¯s face grew deeper. ¡°You neither hastily answer nor avoid my gaze. I like you more and more.¡± Is that a compliment? No, it¡¯s not. I could tell instinctively. That wasn¡¯t the gaze of someone evaluating another person, but rather the look of someone appraising a quality hunting dog or a fine horse. The count wasn¡¯t thinking of me as a person. ¡°Give me the papers. Originally, I was planning to just see his face and make a decision later¡­ But I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± At the count¡¯s words, Otto handed over the documents he was holding. What he handed over was a guardianship certificate. The count quickly scanned the document before signing it with elegant handwriting. ¡°Doctor, what exactly is this¡­¡­¡± While he was focused on the documents, I pressed Otto for answers. Why was Lupeon here? And why did he know about me? When I looked at Otto¡¯s face, he began explaining with a slight sigh. ¡°Our hospital is a national hospital. Anyone who awakens magical power here must have their personal information reported to the Imperial Magic Department.¡± ¡°Then, my information too?¡± ¡°Of course it was reported to the Imperial Magic Department. And as you can see, the count contacted us.¡± Saying that, Otto showed me a note bearing the seal of the Imperial Army¡¯s Magic Corps. ¡®In the setting, the Elcidore count family has a grip on the Magic Corps¡¯ personnel rights.¡¯ It made sense. The Magic Department, upon receiving the documents, first reported this to their head, the count, and the count took an interest in me. And it would be impossible for a mere doctor living in the slums to ignore a noble¡¯s orders. ¡°I¡¯m sorry things turned out this way. But since it¡¯s come to this¡­ Think of it as a good opportunity.¡± Otto tried to maintain a calm expression as he spoke to me. ¡°You have the guts and talent to undergo magical power surgery at such a young age. It would be a waste for you to mess around with gangs in these back alleys.¡± I looked at Otto¡¯s face. When our eyes met, Otto avoided my gaze with a troubled expression. ¡°Besides, Count Elcidore is a highly respected person. He provides a lot of support for poverty relief, and personally runs an orphanage. There probably won¡¯t be¡­ any discrimination just because you¡¯re from the back alleys.¡± That¡¯s a lie. While it was true that the Elcidore count family was involved in poverty relief projects, it was merely an activity for maintaining reputation among the nobles. A noble treating commoners without discrimination? A doctor who treats patients in the back alleys wouldn¡¯t believe such sugar-coated words. He just wanted to reassure me. ¡°Thank you for introducing the child. As promised, the Elcidore count family will clear the debts owed to this hospital.¡± ¡°Thank¡­ you.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s not all. Since you¡¯ve given me a precious child, I¡¯ll personally show my gratitude as well. You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Gratitude. Hearing those words, I recalled the state of Otto¡¯s hospital. Walls with cracks everywhere and old medical equipment. Medical staff leaving because they couldn¡¯t endure the low wages, and the endless stream of patients. How many people would refuse if the situation could be improved by giving up a child they¡¯d known for less than a week? ¡®So I have no choice.¡¯ The count had already made up his mind to take me, and the deal with Otto was done. Even if I, an eight-year-old child, struggled and refused to go, it would only make things worse. If you can¡¯t choose the best option, you should choose the lesser evil. Having finished my thoughts, I bowed to the count. ¡°Though I am humble, I will serve you faithfully. I look forward to your guidance, Count.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Oh!¡± Seeing me prostrated on the floor, the count let out an exclamation of surprise. And shortly after. When the count gestured, a man who appeared to be an attendant came in to guide me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Eugene. But I¡­¡­¡± Just as I was about to leave the hospital, Otto tried to say something to me as I was leaving. ¡°Doctor!¡± However, I cut off his voice and said with a smiling expression. ¡°Put the hospital bill on my tab.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± To him, I must have been a connection that could be ignored. After all, I was just another smelly beggar, one he could have ignored and dismissed. But he listened to my request and showed his own kind of goodwill. That alone was enough. At least he was better than the Revolutionary Army who betrayed me at the end. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll come back and pay it.¡± With those words as my last, I left the hospital. Magical power, determination, and a bit of connection. I guess I¡¯ve gotten everything I could from this place. *** Beeeeeep¡ª Along with the horn sound, the heavy vehicle rushed along the rails. Inside the armored train heading to the count¡¯s territory. Although the path to the territory was in a clean zone far from monster territories, Lupeon still used armored trains even in places like this. It was to prevent possible attacks or assassination threats. ¡°Hic, hiccup¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll definitely be able to return¡­¡­¡± I was in the cargo car located in the middle of the armored train. It was more like a prison than a train compartment. Inside, other children were huddled up besides me. ¡®These children¡­¡­¡¯ The other children might not be able to feel it, but to me who had completed the awakening surgery, it was clearly visible. ¡®I can feel faint magical power. They¡¯re children born with it naturally.¡¯ Come to think of it, Count Elcidore had also taken me after hearing that I had awakened magical power. Recalling that fact, I could figure out why Elcidore had sought me out. ¡®Knifehead. I didn¡¯t expect them to recruit like this.¡¯ Knifehead. An assassination group created by gathering children with magical power aptitude from all around the country, training them, and implanting specially modified magic circuits. A suicide squad that willingly gives up their lives at the family head¡¯s word and doesn¡¯t hesitate to self-destruct if necessary. In the game, they were mob enemies that would pop up just when you thought you could rest after getting through tough patterns, to the point where parties would specifically assign members to deal with them. But now I have to become one of those Knifeheads? ¡°Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡± At the tender age of eight, I already want a cigarette. If I had known this would happen, I should have lifted some from Hans¡¯ corpse. It¡¯s clear that the monkey¡¯s paw has blessed me. Think about it. I wished ¡®I want to get away from the Valks gang!¡¯ and it said ¡®Alright¡¯ and then threw me into the Elcidore count family? Life is f*cked. The more I think about it, the more annoying it gets. Why is my life difficulty set to hell? Is it bugged? ¡®Whew. Calm down, calm down.¡¯ Even the energy to lament is precious. After regaining my composure, I immediately started thinking. ¡®Think positively. Come to think of it, this situation isn¡¯t entirely bad.¡¯ I¡¯ve caught the attention of someone who ranks in the TOP 10 for broken personalities in the game. Sold to a villain to be worked like a dog and destined to be used as a suicide assassination drone. It seemed like a situation that couldn¡¯t get any worse, but nevertheless, it wasn¡¯t without its advantages. First: Even as a tool, I¡¯ve got a foot in the door of a noble family. In terms of the story¡¯s timeline, this is 7 years before the main story begins. Originally, I would have been begging for food in the back alleys at this point. Rather than wasting time as a beggar, it¡¯s better to leave the back alleys and enter a noble family as quickly as possible. Moreover, most of the important characters in the story are nobles. Though the chances are low, if I play my cards right, I might be able to make contact with the game¡¯s key figures. Second: The very fact that I¡¯m being raised as a Knifehead. I awakened magical power at a young age, and my magical power quantity was outstanding. However, that was just being ahead of my peers, a difference that could be easily caught up to if training randomly in the back alleys. But the Elcidore count family is among the top magical houses that rule the empire. While I probably can¡¯t dream of the high-grade magic circuits used by nobles, I should be able to learn enough of the fundamental magical power operation techniques and mental methods. ¡®Thinking about the magic circuit I¡¯ll create in the future¡­ This might actually be better.¡¯ Third: Quality of life. Actually, this part is important enough to throw away the previous two points. A clean bed and clothes! Regular baths! Normal meals! All of these were luxuries I couldn¡¯t even dream of until now. ¡®As Otto said, this is still several times better than living as a beggar in the back alleys.¡¯ Honestly, even without the first two points, I would have begged to be taken into the count¡¯s family just for this alone. Turn over while lying down and some damn mouse squeaks ¡°honey, do I look different today?¡± Try to eat bread and maggots pop out saying ¡°how do I look today?¡± These filthy clothes that even I can¡¯t distinguish from rags! Living in that beggar-like environment for 7 years? Being sold as a suicide drone to a noble family is a hundred, no, a thousand times better. What? I might die during training? A 21st-century modern person would commit suicide within a week if thrown into that cesspool. I guarantee it! Clunk- ¡°Ugh?!¡± While such internal conflicts continued for a while, the armored train carrying me jolted once. Looking at the commotion outside, it seemed we had reached our destination. Screech-! The armored train stopped at a freight station located inside the fortress. As the door opened with the mechanical sound of hydraulics, a foggy, musty air greeted me and the children. ¡°Everyone out!¡± The attendant who had guided me removed his black robe and revealed his face. It was a face that exuded intimidation, with angular features and black hair swept back. ¡®Ben Herkes¡­!¡¯ The final named monster of Chapter 7¡¯s stage, the Elcidore mansion dungeon. Count Elcidore¡¯s shadow and dagger in his breast. The hidden figure who elevated Elcidore from a low-ranking magic family in the frontier to the status of a count family. Rumble¨C Behind him appeared a group of people. Black tanned leather armor and earth-colored cloaks. Where there should have been a family seal on their chests, there was instead a dagger. Faces hidden by hoods and gas masks. Seeing that, my breath caught in my throat. It was exactly the same as what I had seen in the game. ¡®Knifehead.¡¯ Though hidden behind gas masks, I could be certain. The climax of Chapter 7, the Belkers Revolutionary Army uprising. Facing that, they released poison gas throughout the Belkers count¡¯s territory, killing all 100,000 residents¡­ The demons of Belkers. Those demons I had faced in the game were now facing me and the children. Swoosh- As Ben, standing in the center, raised his hand, the lined-up members all took their positions at once. What is it? Weapons? Or gas shells? It might be part of training to deal with unexpected situations. Just as several children tried to hurriedly get up with similar thoughts. Clap clap clap clap-! Along with perfectly rhythmic applause without a single error, the masked members called out to me and the children. ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation, Terion Lucas!¡± ¡°Welcome to hell-!¡± As Ben called out the name, the members gave their greeting. It was an incredibly ominous greeting. ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation, Juliana El!¡± ¡°Welcome to hell-!¡± ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation, Kenig Sebas!¡± ¡°Welcome to hell-!¡± ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation, Eugene Lorentz!¡± ¡°Welcome to hell-!¡± Me and the 100 children in the train. Each time a name was called, the child whose name was called flinched. Waaaa¡ª! The members who finished calling names erupted in thunderous applause and cheers. Though they were shouting with enthusiasm, not one person made a different sound. Though it was passionate applause, not one person missed the rhythm. Somewhere between passion and restraint, cheers and screams. Whatever it was, receiving such a fervent welcome that was somehow hot, I thought. ¡°F*ck.¡± When things go wrong, they really go wrong. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 6 #006. Each of the 12 Magic Nobles who form the foundation of the Empire has their own military group symbolizing their family. For example, the Red Lion Knights of the First Seat, House Valkheim. Their magic crest, ¡®Steel Wall Lion,¡¯ earned them the nickname ¡°Shield of the Empire¡± by effortlessly deflecting 270mm siege gun armor-piercing shells mounted on armored trains. The Second Seat, House Nachtval, specializes in large-scale firepower warfare using custom-made armored trains, and Duke Nachtval himself is one of the three great magicians who control all battlefields of the Kalhyram Empire. In comparison, what about Count Elcidore, holder of the Third Seat? While his magical power is certainly formidable, it hasn¡¯t reached the level of absolute power. Though his forces and knights are exceptional, there are a few areas lacking that prevent them from claiming to be the empire¡¯s finest. Put kindly, they¡¯re versatile; put unkindly, they¡¯re mediocre. The reason House Elcidore holds the Third Seat among the empire¡¯s magic nobles is due to the numerous black operations he commands. Assassinations, sabotage, kidnapping, information manipulation. Count Elcidore possessed abilities superior to anyone else in these areas, and he carried out operations without distinguishing between friend or foe. And at the forefront of these black operations stand we who were trained solely for this purpose. The [Knifehead]. Whoosh¨C The downpour was so heavy I could barely see ahead. The wind blowing from the side made it feel like I might be blown away at any moment, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable. Crack-! The sharp spike blade dug into the castle wall. Below my feet was already a thousand-foot drop. It was far too late to turn back. ¡°No¡­! No more¡­! Why do I have to do this here¡­!¡± Mark, who was climbing the castle wall beside me, whimpered. ¡®That looks dangerous.¡¯ I observed his physical condition. Judging by his trembling hands gripping the spike, his mind seemed to have reached its limit. ¡°Send me home! I, I can¡¯t do this anymore! Please save me! Someone help me!¡± Crack-! That¡¯s when his hands slipped from the spike. ¡°Uh, urk?!¡± Mark¡¯s face turned pale. The situation I¡¯d worried about had happened. ¡°N-Nooooo¡ª!¡± With a piercing scream, Mark¡¯s body fell. A child of about twelve was falling, but there was no one to catch him, no one to worry about him. Splat-! After the sound of a watermelon splitting on the ground, Mark¡¯s voice was heard no more. He had talked big about being the top trainee when he first arrived, but this was how it ended. No time to think about the dead. I hurriedly climbed the castle wall, driving spikes into it. Boom-! The target point was the top of the castle wall. Lightning briefly illuminated everything. At the top of the cliff, a woman with a smiling face was watching me. ¨C Fourth evaluation complete. Eugene Lorentz, 10 points. ¡°Whew-!¡± As soon as I heard Supervisor Ben¡¯s voice, I took off my gas mask. Blood scabs and sweat were mixed all over it; I had no idea how to wash it. Well, what¡¯s the need to wash it? I could just take one from the corpses of my classmates below. ¡°Eugene, you did amazing!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, senior.¡± While I was grumbling inside, the senior member who had supervised my test stuck her face close to mine. Red hair and a lively face. It was Karin, a member of the 39th generation of Knifehead. ¡°Only me and Dwayne from our class got 10 points in all subjects, you know? But how did a rookie get 10 points? And the youngest one at that¡­!¡± ¡°Wait a moment¡­ I feel like¡­ I¡¯m about to die¡­¡± While restraining the excited Karin, I glanced back at the training ground I had just gone through. Five forged documents, both Westraine and Imperial style. Shooting four death row inmates acting as observers, then kidnapping the target. After clearing the obstacle course, executing the kidnapped person at the designated location. Then destroying all evidence, including the corpse. Every task was too burdensome for a child¡¯s strength, but I managed somehow. ¡°Aaaaargh¨C!¡± While I was catching my breath, a similar scream came from far away. Another child who had met the same fate as Mark earlier. Splat-! Watermelon splitting sound, take 2. Looking down at the ground, corpses of blood-covered children were strewn about like garbage. At first, I vomited and cried my eyes out, but now I¡¯m even sick of looking at it. I wiped the sweat from my head and took in the dark scenery of this place. Rain pouring like a waterfall. Friends falling with the raindrops, and their corpses pooling like rainwater. It was truly a fucking miserable sight. ¡°Sigh¡­¡­¡± Count Elcidore¡¯s territory, Belkers. It had already been two years since I was brought here by the Count for training. Chapter 7¡¯s boss, Lupeon Elcidore. A notorious mass murderer who slaughtered 100,000 territory residents under the pretext of rooting out the Revolutionary Army, and simultaneously a power-mad monster eyeing the imperial throne from behind. True to his villainous setting as the very epitome of evil, the Count¡¯s training methods for me and the children were beyond horrific. ¡®Ah, aaargh?!¡¯ ¡®The blood¡­ The blood won¡¯t stop!¡¯ ¡®It hurts¡­ It huuurts¡­¡­..!¡¯ Every child who entered the Count¡¯s house underwent forced magical power opening surgery without exception, and five died from its side effects. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ can¡¯t do it anymore. Please¡­ water¡­¡­¡± Two died from exhaustion during high-intensity training for magical power cultivation. ¡°No! I, I¡¯ve never killed anyone before!¡± ¡°Still refusing to kill at this point¡­ This one¡¯s useless.¡± Two were executed for refusing to participate in prisoner execution training. After going through such ¡®basic training¡¯ for two years, the final selection test awaited the surviving children. Only those who passed all parts of this test would finally become Knifehead. ¡°Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± ¡°I said the test difficulty is fucked up. Senior, how did you pass this?¡± Just as I tried to change the subject, Ben¡¯s voice came from afar. ¨C What about the remaining personnel? Supervisor Ben asked through amplification magic from the watchtower. Seeing the hand signals from other seniors, I felt deflated. It seemed I was the only survivor from this test. ¨C Confirmed. Karin, begin final evaluation. ¡°Yes yes!¡± ¨C Answer once. Following Ben¡¯s instruction, Karin took an exaggerated stance. The woman who had killed three of my classmates in previous tests. She gave me a sweet smile before putting on her gas mask. ¡®Crazy bitch.¡¯ As I thought that and got into position. Whoosh-! Without delay, Karin¡¯s roundhouse kick came flying. ¡°Kuh?!¡± ¡°Wow, you dodged it! Even though it was a surprise attack!¡± Though Karin spoke with an innocent voice, from my position, it was nothing to laugh about. What came was clearly a kick, but the air cracked as if a whip had been swung. ¡®One beat slower and I would¡¯ve died instantly from brain trauma.¡¯ A chill ran down my spine, but sadly, I had no time for further thoughts. Ping-! A dagger flew toward my face. I managed to dodge by lowering my body, but the tip of my gas mask was slightly cut off. It was a threatening move, but this wasn¡¯t the real attack. ¡®According to training. Just as the supervisor taught.¡¯ I focused on Karin¡¯s movements rather than the dagger, while drawing magical power from my magic circuit. As I expected, she rushed in almost simultaneously with the dagger, throwing a punch at me. Whoosh! Pak! Crack-! In an instant, fists and feet crossed as we exchanged dozens of moves. The final task of the Knifehead selection test was one-on-one combat with a senior generation member. Unlike her earlier casual demeanor, Karin was now relentlessly targeting my vital points and gradually increasing the pressure. Even though it was called sparring, there was no mercy in her movements. Each strike was a lethal assassination technique. A direct hit would mean death. ¡®However!¡¯ I calmly defended against the senior¡¯s attacks while looking for an opening. Checking attack patterns and finding the timing to slip through. Thud-! During this, Karin¡¯s attack route concentrated on the front. She was in her mid-teens; being larger than me, a ten-year-old, she intended to overwhelm me with her weight class. ¡®Now!¡¯ I grabbed her fist with my right hand and her neck with my left, immediately drawing magical power from my magic circuit. ¡°Uh, uhh?¡± Subduing an opponent larger than myself was an extremely dangerous tactic. However, with a body enhanced by magical power, it was a different story. I easily gripped Karin¡¯s neck and. Thud-! Pinned her down, securing both her arm joint and neck. ¡°Kh, khk¡­¡­¡± ¡°Signal surrender. Otherwise, I¡¯ll really break it.¡± As I said this and concentrated magical power into the hand holding her neck, Senior Karin¡¯s struggling intensified. Five minutes until the strength enhancement ends. Until then, I could break her neck with one hand. Senior Karin nodded and raised her hand toward Supervisor Ben. It was a sign of surrender. ¨C Stop. As soon as Ben¡¯s order came down, I released my hold on Karin. ¡°Kehek?! Kek! Wow, I really almost died¡­¡­¡± Shortly after I assumed attention position, Senior Karin stumbled to her feet. After some time passed, Supervisor Ben came down from the watchtower and approached me. ¡°Is Eugene the only test passer?¡± Ben asked, looking at me and the other members lined up. ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s just how it turned out. Our junior was really good¡­¡± Wham-! Before she could finish her answer, Senior Karin¡¯s body went flying. Ben had kicked her away. Crash! Bang! Several wooden barrels shattered as Karin crashed into the corner of the training ground. ¡°Karin Felice. You¡¯re in charge of cleaning the training ground. Eugene stays here, the rest may leave.¡± ¡°Pft!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you get, Karin! We¡¯re heading out first!¡± After Ben finished speaking, the senior members headed to the cafeteria while teasing Karin. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave any food for me, I¡¯ll kill you all!¡± Karin¡¯s voice came from amid the broken box debris. Despite the gut-wrenching impact, her face was still smiling. ¡°Cough, cough! Ah Supervisor! What if I can¡¯t have children later because you keep kicking my stomach! Are you going to take responsibility?! Huh?!¡± ¡°If your body was that fragile, you wouldn¡¯t have made it here! Shut up and go clean up!¡± At Ben¡¯s thunderous shout, Karin approached me with a pouty face. ¡°Supervisor must be unmarried. Don¡¯t you think so too, Eugene?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into this. I don¡¯t want to get involved.¡± I said while gently pushing away Senior Karin who was sticking her face close to mine. Whether it was Supervisor Ben who led with his fists rather than words who was crazy, or this woman who kept grinning after getting hit like that. No, maybe the craziest one was the person who questioned this after entering this place. In a village of cripples, the one who doesn¡¯t use crutches is the fool, after all. ¡°Eugene.¡± ¡°Yes, Supervisor.¡± I almost missed responding in time. Got to stay alert. As I faced Ben with an expressionless face, he looked at me for a moment before speaking. ¡°You¡¯ll be deployed to actual operations starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± My back stiffened at the words ¡®actual operations.¡¯ But at the same time, I had questions. Field deployment was supposed to start from at least the third year of training, so why deploy me so early? ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No, sir. I¡¯m just curious about the mission details.¡± I answered immediately. For a Knifehead member, refusing a mission wasn¡¯t an option, and even showing such an inclination was forbidden. ¡°Take it.¡± Looking at me like that, Ben handed me a newspaper. ¡°This is¡­¡­¡± As I received it, I couldn¡¯t help but frown at the all-too-familiar phrases. [The time has come to end the Empire¡¯s oppression! The time has come to return Kalhyram to its citizens! Rise up, oppressed people!] A revolutionary newspaper distributed by the Revolutionary Army throughout the Empire. However, the reason for my frown was different. [Claude Elcidore, heir to House Elcidore. Defected to Revolutionary Army?!] S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The mission is a VIP kidnapping. The target is¡­¡± And when I heard that name, I could finally recognize the boy¡¯s face. ¡®I¡¯m sorry Eugene. However¡­¡­¡¯ The ending of [Revolution Empire]. One of the protagonist¡¯s companions who offered a pathetic apology to the protagonist imprisoned and covered in blood. One who fought countless battles and hunted numerous monsters alongside the protagonist, growing to eventually usurp the position of Revolutionary Army Commander-in-Chief. ¡°Count Elcidore¡¯s successor, Claude Elcidore.¡± The protagonist¡¯s comrade who betrayed him. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 7 #007. ¡®Claude Elcidore¡­¡¯ The name displayed in the game, [Young Master Claude]. As an NPC companion who could be recruited from the early stages of [Revolution Empire], he was one of the companions known as ¡®national treasure¡¯ among users. With excellent base stats and intelligence bonus, and particularly outstanding magical attack power, he was a widely used all-around versatile dealer. I thought he would have already joined the Revolutionary Army by the time the protagonist joins, but who would have thought his escape would be happening now. The timing was impeccable. ¡°Young Master Claude disappeared a week ago. The Revolutionary Army started distributing this newspaper yesterday. Thankfully, not many people believe it yet.¡± In Ben¡¯s office on the second floor of the Knifehead dormitory. When Ben handed over the revolutionary newspaper, the expressions of the senior members assigned to the operation hardened. [Elcidore¡¯s Heir Defects to Revolutionary Army!] [The Cruel Truth of Imperial Noble Society That Even a High Noble Couldn¡¯t Endure!] [The Revolutionary Army Does Not Discriminate by Status. To Those Who Wish to Become Comrades, Come to Us¡­¡­!] ¡°The higher-ups must be in chaos.¡± ¡°Sevian the butler was beheaded. If we fail, we¡¯ll be next.¡± In House Elcidore, failure means death. If they could kill a butler who served the family for years in an instant, it was obvious what would happen to disposable pawns like us. Understanding the gravity of the situation, the senior members asked Ben. ¡°Search and tracking are our specialty, but it will take time to search the entire city.¡± ¡°We need to set up checkpoints on the roads and blockade the train station and airport, but what is the Knight Order doing?¡± The seniors¡¯ questions were reasonable. Knifehead¡¯s area of operation was outside the territory. Traditionally, matters concerning family members were handled by the Knight Order. However, Ben¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°No, the Knight Order will not be involved in this. And there will be no blockades or checkpoints. These are direct orders from the Count.¡± ¡°What?¡± The senior members¡¯ expressions twisted as if they couldn¡¯t understand Ben¡¯s words. ¡°No blockades or checkpoints? There¡¯s a high possibility he¡¯ll escape outside the territory.¡± ¡°For the Knight Order to remain inactive when the heir has fled, I think that¡¯s too careless a judgment.¡± Though the seniors¡¯ behavior was bordering on insubordination, none of them were kicked away like Karin. They couldn¡¯t refuse missions. However, they were free to voice their opinions about the missions. This peculiar rule, whether stifling or progressive, was established by none other than Ben. ¡°¡­¡­Eugene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ben asked me, who had been silent throughout. ¡°Do you think the same?¡± No. My thoughts were different. After a brief pause, I looked at Ben¡¯s face and spoke. ¡°Searching for Young Master Claude or censoring the newspaper would be the worst strategy at this point.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± When I said that, the gazes of the senior members lined up beside me all turned toward me. ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Before I could respond to the seniors¡¯ cold stares, Ben¡¯s voice urged me on. ¡°If it were just about Young Master Claude joining the Revolutionary Army, blockades and checkpoints would be the quick solution. But the problem is¡­ This newspaper.¡± I pointed at the newspaper on the table. ¡°Whether citizens believe it or not, news of the young master¡¯s escape has already spread. If the Knight Order starts responding publicly now, it will look like the Imperial Knights are being swayed by the Revolutionary Army¡¯s newspaper.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s also why they¡¯re not blockading the train station or airport. If we stir things up unnecessarily, it will only make people more interested.¡± At my words, the senior members held their chins in thought. ¡°But are you saying we should search this vast city by ourselves? What if he escapes in the meantime?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been gone for a week already. There¡¯s a possibility they¡¯ve already smuggled him out.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not likely.¡± When the seniors¡¯ questions came in, I firmly countered them. ¡°When the Revolutionary Army promotes their achievements, they always attach photos. Since Imperial media dismisses revolutionary newspapers as complete fabrications, they need evidence to refute that.¡± Despite appearances, I climbed to the top of the Revolutionary Army in my previous playthrough. If there were a Revolutionary Army Psychology degree, I¡¯d have at least a master¡¯s in it. Why not a doctorate? Well, if I were that good, I wouldn¡¯t have been betrayed, damn it. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡­¡± At my words, the seniors and Supervisor Ben looked at the revolutionary newspaper again. While the newspaper was excitedly trumpeting Claude¡¯s name, there was nothing that could serve as evidence, like a photograph. ¡°The Revolutionary Army members hiding in Elcidore are few. They wouldn¡¯t have expensive equipment like cameras.¡± ¡°But since Claude¡¯s defection is true, they just announced it first?¡± ¡°If they do that, Elcidore will react, and that movement will become the biggest evidence.¡± While saying this, feeling a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, I turned to look at the seniors. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Something was odd. Their gazes, which had been looking at me like a neighborhood kid until now, had completely changed. Shock, surprise, admiration¡­ Each one had an expression like they were looking at some kind of monster. ¡°Supervisor. This child¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everything is as Eugene said.¡± Just as the senior in the front row was about to say something, Ben¡¯s voice cut in between. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing he missed, it¡¯s that Burken has been turning the territory upside down looking for that damn brat.¡± When the butler¡¯s name came up, low laughter erupted among the seniors. ¡°The esteemed Knight Commander must be quite hurt in his pride. To ask us for help.¡± ¡°Indeed. How desperate must he be to ask us to clean up after him?¡± The seniors chuckled at Ben¡¯s dry joke. The strange looks directed at me had somehow turned into gossip about the Knight Commander Burken, and Ben left us be for a while. After a moment. ¡°You three, lead your members and take charge of the airport and train station respectively. Capture and interrogate anyone suspicious. Find out Claude¡¯s location.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± After giving orders to the senior members, Ben¡¯s gaze turned to me. ¡°Eugene. Take these.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following this, Ben handed me two photographs and a nameplate with mission details. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A scenario for infiltration.¡± I looked at the photos Ben gave me. The first photo showed a man and woman looking at each other affectionately, and in the second photo, the same couple was being tortured. ¡°The man¡¯s name is Landon Phelps. The woman is Lucy Phelps. They were Revolutionary Army members captured by Elcidore ten years ago. From now on, you¡¯ll disguise yourself as their son and find the Revolutionary Army¡¯s location.¡± After finishing his words, Ben held out a prisoner¡¯s nameplate to me. The blood-stained metal nameplate had the name ¡®Leon Phelps¡¯ engraved on it. ¡°A fake name?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve prepared quite a backstory too.¡± Ben explained the life story of the fictional character ¡®Leon Phelps¡¯ to me. ¡°Lucy Phelps was pregnant when she was arrested. She gave birth to a child while doing forced labor in the underground prison, and Elcidore planned to use it as an experimental subject. Your parents killed a guard and escaped to protect you. They were caught after a chase, but you alone managed to escape the mansion alive¡­ That¡¯s roughly the story.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°How moving. It¡¯s quite heartfelt for something you made up, Supervisor.¡± The senior members snickered at Ben¡¯s explanation. Ben smiled back at the seniors and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Made up? This actually happened a year ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The real Leon Phelps is buried in the castle moat. He would have joined as a trainee in the 40th batch¡­¡± So it was based on a true story. Seeing Ben¡¯s slightly upturned lips, the seniors shook their heads saying, ¡°Of course, typical.¡± ¡®This guy is a real devil.¡¯ No Revolutionary Army would turn away a child seeking revenge for their parents. Especially considering who the leader of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s Belkers branch was. Moreover, since the Revolutionary Army didn¡¯t even know about Knifehead¡¯s existence, it was truly a flawless infiltration plan. ¡®He came up with this operation in just a week.¡¯ I could truly appreciate how outstanding Elcidore¡¯s intelligence capabilities were. Of course, I also keenly felt just how much of a psychotic group these bastards were. ¡°Eugene.¡± As the seniors who had received their missions left Ben¡¯s office one by one, when it was finally my turn, Ben called me with a gesture and opened his desk drawer to take something out. Clunk- What was placed on the table was a small wooden box the size of a ring case. When opened, it contained a thinly crafted piece of glass. Two strokes intertwined like chains. Though I¡¯d seen it countless times in the game, I asked Ben just in case. ¡°Supervisor. Is this¡­¡­¡± ¡°A magic imprint.¡± Magic imprint. An output device that processes magical power generated from magic circuits into the form of magic, and ¡®Magic Awakening¡¯ users become ¡®magicians¡¯ only after implanting this. ¡°Everyone deployed in actual operations gets this implanted without exception. It¡¯s grade 4 with ice attributes. The stored formulas are Rapid Freezing, Ice Spear, and Magical Power Barrier.¡± After stating the magic circuit¡¯s specs in a plain voice, Ben gestured with his chin at me holding the circuit. ¡®So he wants me to implant it here.¡¯ There was no time to hesitate. This was an order, and members who don¡¯t follow orders die. I immediately brought the magic circuit to the back of my hand and embedded it into my skin. Thump-! The pain of tearing flesh and the sensation of a foreign object piercing the skin. And the cold numbness transmitted from it. Before long, blue light leaked from the magic circuit that had been like transparent glass, and then disappeared without a trace. The back of my hand where the glass piece had been embedded was clean as if nothing had happened. ¡°Good.¡± Ben, who had carefully observed everything, spoke. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. From today on, you are officially a member of the Knifehead.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Serve Elcidore loyally until the day you die. Dismissed.¡± There were no congratulatory words. After confirming Ben¡¯s gesture, I left his office immediately. ¡°Until the day I die, huh.¡± Feeling the subtle sensation in my right hand, I frowned. Ben had said there were three formulas engraved in this magic circuit. But that was a lie. ¡®A grade 4 magic circuit can store two formulas in one stroke¡­¡¯ In other words, this two-stroke circuit could store four formulas. And I knew what the fourth formula was that Ben hadn¡¯t mentioned. [Brand of Dominance.] A brainwashing formula that gradually erodes the user¡¯s mind from the moment of implantation, and ultimately makes them obey their master¡¯s commands. A safety device to prevent possible escape or rebellion. At the same time, it was the secret behind creating Knifehead, Elcidore¡¯s loyal dogs. ¡°According to the settings, I have about 2 years left.¡± I held up my right hand where the circuit was implanted. 2 years. The time remaining until Elcidore¡¯s circuit eats away at my mind and I become his puppet. Then before that happens¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll have to kill him first.¡± What needed to be done was clear. I must kill Count Elcidore before I turn twelve years old. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 8 #008. ¡°To the left. Just a little further.¡± Low footsteps echoed through the narrow alley. This was the slum located on the outskirts of Belkers city. Walking down the deserted street, I recalled how I ended up here. ¡®What, Revolutionary Army?! This guy¡¯s asking for trouble!¡¯ ¡®Get lost, you crazy bastard! If you want to die, die alone!¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know! I-I don¡¯t know anything!¡¯ The reactions from the people of Belkers territory when I mentioned the name Revolutionary Army were truly spectacular. No, this was probably normal. This is Count Elcidore¡¯s territory, Belkers. One careless word could endanger not only yourself but your family as well. After spending half a day stopping passersby and inquiring about the Revolutionary Army¡¯s whereabouts. Just when I thought today would be fruitless, at the entrance of a back alley, a man appeared and blocked my path. ¡°Are you looking for the Revolutionary Army?¡± A hoarse voice, as if his vocal cords were damaged. When I looked up, a man in a neat suit was looking down at me. ¡®Girael Alberk.¡¯ A familiar face. The staff officer of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s Belkers branch. In the original work, he appeared as an NPC during the Elcidore subjugation battle, providing dungeon layouts and briefing monster information. ¡®So they were monitoring after all.¡¯ Trained as a Knifehead ¡°Mom and Dad told me. To go outside and show this to the Revolutionary Army. They said those people would know what to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When I said that, Girael¡¯s eyes became clouded as he received the nameplate. It seemed he had a personal connection with the nameplate¡¯s owner. ¡®This might be easier than expected.¡¯ Girael was known for being suspicious. Even in the original work, he was an unlikeable NPC who constantly questioned the protagonist¡¯s background and past while remaining vigilant. However, his gaze toward me lacked that characteristic hostility. The fake identity and story prepared by Supervisor Ben, along with my young age of ten, had broken down his wariness. ¡®He¡¯s still suspicious, but he probably thinks I¡¯m just bait sent by Elcidore. He¡¯s not doubting me personally.¡¯ ¡°Follow me.¡± While I was thinking this, Girael, who had been staring at the nameplate for a while, guided me. And now, I was heading to the ¡®contact point¡¯ with blindfolds over both eyes. ¡®They¡¯re checking for any tails.¡¯ Having grasped their intention, I inwardly smirked. Even magicians with magical power-enhanced senses can¡¯t easily find a trained Knifehead. There¡¯s no way these ragtag bunch, mostly farmers and laborers, could find me no matter how vigilant they are. By guiding me to their hideout at this point, these guys had already fallen into our operation. ¡°Leon.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oh, that startled me. I hurriedly answered the sudden voice calling me. ¡°Walk forward.¡± The place Girael pointed to was a pub. A shabby entrance that made one wonder if it was even in business. Creeak- As soon as I entered through the door, it closed behind me, and hands from behind removed my blindfold. The place I had entered was a run-down pub. Revolutionary Army members sitting around were looking at me, and at the center, a man was tilting his glass. Unkempt hair and a dark face. He looked no different from any vagrant rolling around nearby, but the blue eyes shining through held a fervor unseen in ordinary people. ¡®There he is.¡¯ His name was Refin Phelps. The man who led the Revolutionary Army here in Belkers under Elcidore¡¯s rule. ¡°Refin? How can you come out personally?! We need to verify first¡­!¡± Girael exclaimed upon seeing Refin¡¯s face, but he raised his hand to stop Girael. Step, step. Refin slowly approached me and reached out his hand. As if checking whether I was really Leon, he stroked my hair once and caressed my cheek. ¡°The hair color is Landon¡¯s, and the eyes are Lucy¡¯s.¡± It was the right choice to dye my hair blonde and eyes blue in case of any situation. The hair color changed by magic potion would last for a week. To put it another way, there was only a week left. ¡°Really¡­ Is your name Leon? Leon Phelps?¡± Refin asked me. To his trembling voice, I silently nodded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s true. When I found this child looking for the Revolutionary Army on the street, he gave me this.¡± The supplementary explanation came from Girael, who had followed in. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± As Refin received the two nameplates from his pocket, his hands began to tremble. Writing scrawled on blood-stained iron nameplates. Though heavily rusted, he seemed to know what these nameplates were. ¡°These are Landon¡¯s nameplates. I, I made these myself for him¡­ The Revolutionary Army¡¯s proof¡­!¡± It turned out to be quite a meaningful item. While I was thinking this to myself, Refin, who had been fiddling with the nameplates, suddenly embraced me tightly. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­!¡± Refin¡¯s shoulders trembled uncontrollably as he held me. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left you behind then! I shouldn¡¯t have abandoned you all¡­! I, I¡­!¡± Refin wept loudly, recalling his past transgressions. Seeing him like this, the Revolutionary Army members around hurriedly turned their heads away. Seeing how they were all holding back tears, my fake parents must have been quite well-respected in this organization. ¡®Geez, this is taking forever.¡¯ But from my perspective, this was all just nonsense. If I had to comment, I¡¯d say it was unpleasant having my shoulder getting wet. It was a moment when I freshly realized how dried up my sensitivity had become. However, regardless of my indifference, Refin and his fellow Revolutionary Army members began approaching one by one to comfort me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Leon. The Revolutionary Army is with you now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Not just your uncle, but everyone here is your comrade!¡± ¡°Never again¡­ We¡¯ll never abandon you again! I promise¡­!¡± As the entire building turned into a sea of tears, one boy was watching me from a corner of the building. ¡°¡­¡­¡± A young master-like impression with flowing silver hair, appearing about fourteen years old. While everyone was crying with emotion, one person stood alone, watching the scene from the sidelines. ¡®Found him.¡¯ The boy¡¯s name was Claude Elcidore. He was the target of this mission. *** ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll stay here. Welcome to the Revolutionary Army, Leon.¡± The Revolutionary Army hideout disguised as an old inn. The Revolutionary Army member who guided me to the room placed coarse black bread and soup on the table while consoling me. You¡¯ve been through a lot, let¡¯s overthrow Elcidore together. Enthusiastically nodding to the lengthy speech I¡¯d been hearing from below was quite an ordeal from my position. ¡°Phew, finally they¡¯re gone.¡± My room was located on the third floor of the building. After the Revolutionary Army members who guided me left and I waited a moment, I immediately activated the magic imprint. ¡®From what I saw in the game, among the Revolutionary Army stationed in Belkers, only Refin has magical power¡­ At this distance, there¡¯s no worry about being detected.¡¯ Woong- The characteristic cyan light of Elcidore swirled around my hand, and the magical power spreading from the magic imprint filled my entire body. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Captain Refin cry like that since I came here.¡± ¡°Just the captain? Even the founding members were all in a frenzy.¡± ¡°Still, letting someone into the hideout just like that¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s the captain¡¯s nephew. Saying things like that will only make you look bad.¡± As the magical power in my body activated all my senses, voices that were inaudible until now became clear one by one. ¡®Six people on guard duty. And not even one watching me.¡¯ I thought there would be at least one person monitoring from behind the wall or in front of the door, but to think they wouldn¡¯t even post a guard. ¡°No wonder the protagonist went through such hardships in the original with the organization being this sloppy.¡± Muttering this, I chuckled thinking about the original story that would unfold six years later. The protagonist and companions who decided to support the Belkers branch Revolutionary Army to overthrow Elcidore. However, their process of joining was nothing but a series of hardships. ¡°Their movement plans were already leaked and ambushed by the Knifehead. The train derailed from the Elcidore Knight Order¡¯s attack, and if wandering through the Elcidore Forest wasn¡¯t enough, they had to break through the magical beasts that jumped out from the forest.¡± It was so bad that the user community said ¡®The Chapter 6 boss isn¡¯t Elcidore but that bastard Refin.¡¯ ¡°But now, this is rather good.¡± Now I¡¯m not the one being caught but the one doing the catching. From my perspective, Refin¡¯s actions weren¡¯t frustrating at all; rather, I felt like doing something for him out of gratitude. He was such a villain when he was on our side, but now that he¡¯s an enemy, he¡¯s like an angel. Bam- After checking the surroundings for safety, I opened the window and sent a magical power signal into the air. ¡®Infiltration successful. Six guards.¡¯ ¡®Target and key personnel location confirmed.¡¯ ¡®Awaiting further instructions.¡¯ It had long since become midnight outside, and I sent the signal toward the sky covered in pitch darkness. But soon after. Flash-! A magical power signal came from a senior member who confirmed my hand signal. ¡®Signal confirmed.¡¯ ¡®Currently eliminating sentries.¡¯ ¡®Will commence upon securing target.¡¯ After confirming the signal, I flashed the magical power light twice to indicate understanding. ¡°So they¡¯ll raid simultaneously when Claude is secured.¡± It seemed Count Elcidore planned to use this opportunity to root out all the Revolutionary Army members hiding in his territory. Sending members to the train station and airport must have been for that purpose. Bang- While thinking this, the room door opened without warning. Looking toward the door, two Revolutionary Army soldiers armed with rifles were gesturing to me. ¡°Come out, Leon. We need to go somewhere urgently.¡± ¡°G-Go somewhere?¡± Acting as much as possible like a frightened child while asking, the two men nodded gravely. ¡°A hideout located on the outskirts of the city. There¡¯s a doctor dispatched from headquarters.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯s just a simple examination.¡± Hearing this, I inwardly clicked my tongue. A simple examination. In other words, they intended to check if there were any magic imprints on my body. ¡®I thought I could slip by with the identity of being the branch leader¡¯s nephew, but of all times, right before the operation¡­¡¯ I already had the magic imprint implanted from Elcidore. If they used professional examination equipment, my identity being exposed was a foregone conclusion. Having made my decision, I deliberately stepped backward while making excuses. ¡°N-No! Un-Uncle Refin said to stay here¡­ He said there¡¯s nothing wrong anymore¡­!¡± The two soldiers who heard this approached me with grim faces. ¡°Sorry, little one. But we have no choice.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon, don¡¯t worry. Now, raise your arm here¡­¡± Just as they lowered themselves to lift me up at that moment. Slash-! I pulled out my hidden dagger and slit the throat of the man reaching for me. ¡°Kh, khuk¡­?¡± As if unable to properly grasp what situation he was in, the soldier looked at me with a stupid expression. I jumped over his falling back and stabbed my dagger into the lung of the remaining person. ¡°Kheuh, kheuuh¡­?¡± One couldn¡¯t speak because his throat was cut, and one couldn¡¯t make a sound because his lung was pierced. Thud-! After confirming the two people collapsed on the floor, I pulled the dagger from the dead soldier¡¯s chest and sheathed it. ¡°Tsk, trying to make things easy but they just had to complicate it.¡± Thanks to the fake identity, I got into the hideout, so it wasn¡¯t a losing deal, I suppose. Thinking this, I transmitted my voice toward the magic imprint. ¡°Unexpected situation occurred. From this time, will track and secure Young Master Claude. Plan B. Request all personnel to commence.¡± After finishing the report, I immediately ran out of the room. Now this operation was a race against time. I had to secure Young Master Claude before those two corpses were discovered. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 9 #009. ¡°The Captain¡¯s nephew¡­¡± In a private room on the second floor of the hideout. A boy with a delicate face that didn¡¯t match the shabby building was chewing on bread with a dubious expression. The boy¡¯s name was Claude Elcidore. He was thinking about the child named Leon whom he had heard about from afar. Parents who sacrificed their lives to escape the detention camp to save their child, and a child who sought out the Revolutionary Army to avenge such parents. As a member of the Revolutionary Army, it was a heart-warming story, but he couldn¡¯t hide his suspicious feelings. ¡°It matches too well to dismiss as coincidence.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It had been a week since he, the heir to the Elcidore family, had joined the Revolutionary Army. A child escaping from Elcidore at such a time ¨C anyone would find it suspicious. Several other members seemed to share similar thoughts, but¡­ ¡°Then again, I¡¯m not in a position to say anything.¡± Though he had devoted himself to the Revolutionary Army, their gaze toward him wasn¡¯t friendly. This was Belkers, Elcidore¡¯s territory. The first-generation Revolutionary Army members who had been persecuted by his father Lupeon were still clamoring for Claude to be expelled. They were more suspicious of him than of the questionable kid named Leon. In the end, Claude could only sigh toward the floor. ¡®No, don¡¯t get discouraged here. This is what you prepared for from the start.¡¯ After a moment of gloom, Claude shook his head and steadied his resolve. The moment he fled the mansion, he had made a vow. To judge Lupeon who caused his mother¡¯s death, and to overturn the corrupt empire. For that, he would endure anything and achieve everything! Recalling the oath he made that day in the dark cell, Claude gritted his teeth. ¡°Two days. I just need to endure until then.¡± He had been told he would receive training at the Revolutionary Army headquarters in the capital, not here. They said there were many nobles-turned-Revolutionary Army members in the capital, so he should be able to properly operate there. So if he could just endure until then¡­ Then¡­ Knock knock- ¡°Huh?¡± As Claude was trying to soothe his troubled mind, someone knocked on his door. ¡°Who is it? There shouldn¡¯t be anyone looking for me except Staff Officer Girael.¡± As Claude muttered this and opened the door, there stood a truly unexpected figure. ¡°You¡­?¡± A boy four or five years younger than himself. Leon, whom he had just been thinking suspicious of, was standing there looking at him. No, that wasn¡¯t the issue right now. The blood soaked thoroughly on his face and body. What was that about¡­? ¡°In place of Lord Lupeon who is not present, I deliver this message to Young Master Claude Elcidore.¡± Claude¡¯s brief confusion turned to dismay. As soon as the name Lupeon left the boy¡¯s lips, Claude¡¯s face turned deathly pale. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­!¡± He had just met this child today. Yet this child knew Claude¡¯s name and family name, and even managed to find his room. There was only one fact this situation revealed. Claude¡¯s prediction had come true. ¡°Everything that happens from now on is entirely your doing.¡± In the most desperate way he could imagine. *** ¡°That was too hasty an action, Refin.¡± In the underground conference room of the Revolutionary Army hideout. Sitting across from Refin, Girael spoke while looking at the liquor in his dented cup. ¡°It was just yesterday that we announced the Young Master Elcidore¡¯s defection in the revolutionary newspaper. Taking in a child of unclear background at such a sensitive time ¨C it¡¯s unthinkable.¡± ¡°Ha, are you saying that child is an Elcidore spy?¡± ¡°We¡¯re dealing with Elcidore. We must keep all possibilities open.¡± Hearing Girael¡¯s words, Refin likewise emptied his cup of liquor. Now they¡¯re even suspecting children? He could feel how the fatigue from constant battles was eating away at Girael¡¯s mind. ¡°Girael, I understand your anxiety. I also don¡¯t think Elcidore let that child go unscathed.¡± ¡°Then why did you let that child¡­!¡± ¡°Because we¡¯re different from them.¡± Girael¡¯s words stopped at Refin¡¯s single statement. Seeing this, Refin patted his shoulder and spoke as if to soothe him. ¡°Girael, we are the Revolutionary Army. Wings of freedom bound by bonds and beliefs. If we fall into paranoid suspicion and turn away our comrades and their children, who would stand with our Revolutionary Army?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°C-Captain! Captain!¡± As Refin was in the middle of persuading Girael, a Revolutionary Army soldier came running breathlessly toward the two. ¡°Garrison? What¡¯s the sudden matter?¡± Seeing the soldier rushing over frantically, Refin and Girael¡¯s faces frowned simultaneously. They should be keeping their voices down to avoid potential inspections, yet he was being so loud. However, the news that flowed from the soldier¡¯s mouth was even more shocking. ¡°Young Master Claude has d-disappeared!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­No, what do you mean all of a sudden? Disappeared? Young Master Claude?¡± The moment Refin and Girael asked simultaneously at the sudden news. Eeeeeeeeee¡ª! Along with the siren, the hideout began to shake everywhere. ¡°A-An attack!¡± ¡°Everyone up! The hideout has been discovered¡­!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t the alarm go off?! What were the guards doing?!¡± Hearing the soldiers¡¯ screams, Refin and Girael hurriedly left the conference room. The Revolutionary Army hideout disguised as a bar had already turned into hell. Screech-! Scratch-! Unidentified attackers wearing gas masks. They were decimating the Revolutionary Army soldiers who still lacked proper training. Thud-! Some soldiers who regained their senses pulled out rifles, but even that wasn¡¯t enough. Ice harpoons fired from their right hands flew toward the soldiers¡¯ heads, and those made of magical power tore through the soldiers¡¯ brains like paper. ¡°E-Everyone evacuate! Take the secret passage to hideout number 2¡­! Kuaak?!¡± Despite the sudden raid, Girael was commanding the soldiers when he suddenly screamed. ¡°Girael-!¡± Unlike himself who had a magic imprint implanted, Girael was a civilian without combat power. Refin shifted his gaze belatedly, but it was already too late. A blue blade was embedded in Girael¡¯s chest that entered Refin¡¯s field of vision. ¡°G-Girael! No, no¡­!¡± ¡°Protect the Captain!¡± ¡°This way!¡± The soldiers who quickly regained their senses supported Refin and ran toward the corner of the building. The screams of soldiers echoing throughout the corridors, and blood splattered everywhere. The Revolutionary Army hideout had now become hell. *** How much time had passed? Having barely repelled the attack, Refin was dragging his wound-covered body toward the second hideout that had been prepared in advance. The soldiers who had been guarding him were already slaughtered, and he was also injured while fighting them. Finally, he stopped in a dark alley. He was briefly recovering his tired body by drawing magical power stored in his magic imprint. ¡°Uncle!¡± However, at that moment, a young boy¡¯s voice called out to Refin. Uncle. When Refin turned his head at those words, there stood Leon, his nephew. ¡°Leon¡­?¡± The face of his nephew found after 10 years. Just as Refin was about to feel relieved seeing the child¡¯s face, he recalled what Girael had said earlier at the hideout. ¡®Could it be, Leon?¡¯ ¡°Uncle?¡± At the voice calling him again, Refin flinched and looked at Leon¡¯s face. Leon looking up at him with anxious eyes. His shoulders trembling continuously, appearing to anyone as a frightened child. However¡­ ¡®This child who disappeared from the hideout¡­ Why is he here of all places right now?¡¯ When coincidence repeats twice, it¡¯s no longer coincidence. As Refin recalled Girael¡¯s face shouting at him, at that moment, Squish. As his vision turned red, Refin¡¯s head could no longer think. ¡°Uh, uh¡­?¡± What his nephew held was the same dagger as the intruders. The blade that pierced his neck had torn through Refin¡¯s artery. Thud! ¡°Leo¡­ Le-Leon¡­!¡± Collapsed on the ground, Refin asked Leon. Though he could barely pronounce words with blood filling his throat, even then Refin was reaching out toward Leon. ¡°Wh-Why¡­?¡± ¡°You should have listened to the staff officer. Showing favoritism because of family ended up getting the whole organization wiped out. Right?¡± However, Leon¡¯s¡­ no, Eugene¡¯s eyes looking at such a Refin were nothing but cold. ¡°Come to think of it, even among NPCs, you were especially useless. While being no help at all, you had so much damn backstory to sell, going on about who died in which corner¡­¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± Leon, who had been muttering to himself, sneered at the choking Refin. Gone was the childlike appearance he had shown until just now, replaced by a jaded, languid voice. Moreover, what was he saying now? Game? NPC? Not a single thing he said made any sense. ¡°St-Stop tal¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no need to know. Just letting you know.¡± Crunch-! As if there was no need to say more, Eugene twisted the dagger piercing Refin¡¯s neck. ¡°Throughout the whole game, I never liked you guys.¡± A murder without a shred of emotion, like butchering meat at a butcher shop. As his spine severed, Refin¡¯s body that had been struggling collapsed to the ground like a puppet with cut strings. Thud- A revolutionary fallen in a pool of blood from his own neck. However, Eugene didn¡¯t even glance at that horrific sight, instead stretching as if having completed a task. ¡°When you were allies, you were really damn frustrating, but meeting as enemies makes this so easy.¡± As he muttered incomprehensible words, Knifehead members appeared behind Eugene. Team 1 who had raided the hideout to support Eugene. A familiar face walked out among them. ¡°Supervisor Ben.¡± The supervisor of Knifehead, Ben. Given the situation, he too had come to the field directly to command the mission. ¡°What of Young Master Claude?¡± ¡°I knocked him out and handed him over to Team 2. They should have arrived at the mansion by now, but¡­¡± Just as Eugene¡¯s report continued, magical power communication arrived for all members at the scene. [Team 2 annihilated. Target currently fleeing toward airfield after joining with unidentified male.] What was this about. They had eliminated all of the Revolutionary Army, but there was someone else helping Claude? Moreover, Team 2 who were escorting Claude were annihilated? While they were bewildered by the unexpected situation, Ben let out a deep sigh and spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°Causing trouble until the end. Damn brat.¡± The sharp killing intent felt in those words. As the surrounding members swallowed dry saliva, Ben ordered Eugene and the other members. ¡°Signal team, relay this. As of now, remnant hunting and hideout sweep mission transferred to Knight Order. All Knifehead members are to pursue Young Master Claude.¡± After finishing his words, Ben handed a gas mask to Eugene. Taking it, Eugene secretly slumped his shoulders. Just when he thought it was finally over, more overtime. Talk about being cursed with work. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 10 #010. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I found such an excellent blade.¡¯ On the way to the airfield. While running at the front, Ben slightly turned his gaze to look at the boy following behind him. ¡®Eugene Lorentz¡­¡¯ He was just a disposable tool. If he wasn¡¯t discovered, he would be a good informant, and if he was caught or defected, Ben could just explode his magic circuit using the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯. (+)[1]TLN: The first one this appears, the author uses the word ¡°??? ??¡±. And this time it¡¯s ¡°??? ??¡±. Either way, he was a throwaway card with nothing to lose. That¡¯s why Ben had no expectations, but that boy showed surprising results that broke through his predictions. He played his assigned role and infiltrated the Revolutionary Army. He attacked Young Master Claude at the right timing. He predicted Commander Refin Phelps¡¯ escape route and succeeded in eliminating him. His handling of matters was efficient, as if he knew all of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s behavioral patterns and escape routes. Even among the active Knifehead members, there weren¡¯t many who had achieved similar results. ¡®At just ten years old, to be this capable¡­ I can¡¯t just use him as a disposable tool.¡¯ While thinking this about Eugene, a report came through Ben¡¯s magic imprint from the advance team. [Reporting current situation.] [The one who took Young Master Claude is confirmed to be one person. We confirmed they have implanted magic imprint. It¡¯s at least 5 lines or more.] [Currently, the Knight Order stationed near the airfield is responding, but the situation isn¡¯t good. They¡¯re barely holding on.] Upon hearing this report, Ben couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows. ¡®If it¡¯s 5 lines or more, that¡¯s equal to the Lord¡¯s magic imprint.¡¯ The imprint manufacturing technology was not only the core of the Empire¡¯s military power but also a top-secret matter under the intense management of the Magic Department. Even in the enemy nation Westraine, they could only make 4-line imprints at best, yet a Revolutionary Army nobody has 5 lines? That wasn¡¯t the only strange thing. Though his qualities were certainly excellent, Young Master Claude was still a novice who hadn¡¯t even had a magic imprint implanted. To face three knights while carrying such a burden¡­! ¡°My Lord. This is Ben, the Knifehead supervisor.¡± -Speak. When Ben spoke into the magic imprint, Lord Lupeon¡¯s voice flowed into his head. Only three people could communicate directly with the Lord through magical power: Butler Sevian, Knight Order Commander Burken, and himself. When Lupeon¡¯s voice was heard, Ben opened his mouth with a chilling voice. ¡°¡®Informant M¡¯ has appeared in Belkers territory.¡± Informant M. As soon as that name was mentioned, Lupeon¡¯s response came immediately. -I¡¯m coming. With those words, the magical power communication was cut off. However, the weight carried in that single word Lupeon uttered was beyond imagination. Lord Lupeon was moving personally. He had judged that this situation couldn¡¯t be resolved with just the Knight Order or Knifehead. Without a trace of displeasure or doubt. Although it was an action that distrusted both the Knight Order and Knifehead, Ben didn¡¯t feel any displeasure. Because the name ¡®Informant M¡¯ carried that much weight. The Empire¡¯s public enemy who assassinated the First Prince in the middle of an imperial military parade and escaped. The author of the forbidden book ¡®Shackles of Obedience¡¯ which became the spiritual foundation of the Revolutionary Army, and the first proposer of the ¡®Kalhyram Republic Declaration of Independence¡¯. The phantom thief who escaped from the Crystal Palace containing the essence of imperial magic with five magic imprints. The leader of the Revolutionary Army had now shown himself here in Belkers. *** Informant M. The moment that name flowed from Ben¡¯s mouth at the front, the puzzles scattered in my head started fitting together one by one. ¡®Ah, now I understand.¡¯ In the original work, the protagonist first meets Claude at the Revolutionary Army headquarters. In other words, at this moment in the original work, Claude succeeds in breaking through the Knifehead and Knight Order¡¯s encirclement and escaping from Belkers territory. However, how was that possible? The Revolutionary Army lurking in Belkers was a ragtag group that barely deserved to be called an army, and Elcidore¡¯s attack was carried out persistently and thoroughly. Who could rescue Claude in that chaos, break through Elcidore¡¯s encirclement, and reach the airfield? ¡®Among the Revolutionary Army, from what I remember¡­ there was only one person capable of that.¡¯ In the original work, he was the one who noticed the 15-year-old protagonist and invited him to join the Revolutionary Army. The only person the protagonist Eugene Lorentz ever followed, and the master who passed on magic imprint and magic to him, allowing him to grow as a hero of the revolution. His alias and stage name: Informant M. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s supreme leader, ¡®Maximilien de Lascol¡¯. Swish-! At the entrance leading to the airfield. The moment we entered the building, the Knifehead members, including myself, immediately blocked the retreat route and prepared to rush in with daggers drawn. ¡°Kuh, kuhuk¡­!¡± ¡°Im-impossible¡­ How could such magical power¡­!¡± Most of the knights were already exhausted, having depleted their magical power, and only Knight Order Commander Burken and a few senior knights were barely maintaining their positions. However, the man standing in the middle of that encirclement had his arms crossed leisurely as if we weren¡¯t even visible to him. ¡°Ooh~! After the knights, it¡¯s assassins? Kuhahaha! As expected of trash nobility, secretly raising things like this?¡± His frivolous tone and behavior. Wearing a shabby trench coat, with messy white hair tied up carelessly ¨C a slovenly appearance. At first glance, he looked no different from any vagrant you might see on the street. But those eyes. Those eyes looking around at me and the members were somehow different. The biting cold harbored in those seemingly lifeless eyes. The directionless anger hidden beneath. Like most Revolutionary Army NPCs, they were eyes burning like flames. ¡°Third squad, charge in with me. The rest provide support from range. We buy time until the Lord arrives.¡± As soon as Ben¡¯s order fell, the members formed battle formation and closed in on Maximilien. I, too, activated the magic imprint issued by Elcidore, but I couldn¡¯t muster the courage to think about defeating that man. ¡®This has really gotten complicated.¡¯ Of course it has. After all, I knew exactly what magic was imbued in that coat, what was sleeping in that old pistol. So to survive, what I needed to do now wasn¡¯t to fight hard. Rather, I should try to blend in among the members as much as possible. Clang-! Led by Ben, the assault team of four attempted close combat. Meanwhile, the remaining members fired Ice Spears targeting Maximilien¡¯s blind spots. Group tactics practiced dozens of times even during trainee days. However, Maximilien was skillfully avoiding it while exchanging attacks with the four members including Ben. ¡°Kuhaha! Good coordination, and excellent attention diversion! Much more useful than those knight nobodies who only had lots of magical power!¡± ¡°You never stop running your mouth. You parasite¡­!¡± Cutting off Maximilien¡¯s continued evaluation, Ben made hand signals toward the members. Keep distance and suppress all escape routes. The members who received the signal immediately changed formation and threw their weapons. Four daggers and dozens of Ice Spears raining down simultaneously. But even in such a situation, Maximilien maintained his relaxed expression. ¡°Hehe, parasite, you say. Still, you shouldn¡¯t use such harsh words against someone who claims to be revolutionary.¡± Click- Then Maximilien fired his revolver toward the ground. ¡°What right do you parasites have to talk, when you¡¯re just worms sucking the blood of the common people?¡± An enormous shockwave instantly overwhelmed all attacks aimed at him. Kuqwaang¡ª! ¡°Kwaak?!¡± ¡°Wh-what is this¡­!¡± It was a shockwave that would be believable if someone said a bomb had gone off there. Ice Spear fragments flying everywhere, gusts of wind, and vibrations. Some members were blown away unable to maintain balance, but thanks to the pre-deployed barrier, we could somehow endure. However, just because I endured doesn¡¯t mean this situation would improve. ¡®The formation has collapsed.¡¯ The encirclement formed to buy time was shattered by a single attack. Most members were stunned by Maximilien¡¯s magic, and even Ben at the front couldn¡¯t maintain his balance. This is dangerous. I didn¡¯t know how long it would take for Lupeon to arrive, but at this rate, that person¡¯s escape was just a matter of time. It was impossible to stop the Revolutionary Army¡¯s supreme leader with the body of a child who had just turned ten. However¡­ ¡®Butler Sevian was beheaded. If we fail, we¡¯ll be next.¡¯ Recalling Ben¡¯s words, I gritted my teeth. ¡®While Ben the supervisor shows his face in the original work, there¡¯s no guarantee that I, a regular member, will survive.¡¯ Tools that have outlived their usefulness get discarded. In other words, if I can¡¯t buy time here, I die. ¡°Huu¡­¡± A sigh escaped involuntarily. Stand alone against the Revolutionary Army¡¯s supreme leader, or become a worthless tool and be discarded. A hellish dilemma with no way out either way. But I had to choose one of the given options. ¡°Sh*ty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡± There is no best choice. What a powerless child can do is just choose the lesser evil. ¡°Hmm?¡± When the small-bodied kid blocked his path, Maximilien¡¯s eyes showed interest. But that was only for a moment. Seeing the gas mask I wore, a cold glint returned to his eyes. ¡°Step aside, kid. I don¡¯t have a hobby of shooting children.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not possible.¡± Shwak-! I drew the dagger attached to my chest. I activated the magic imprint engraved on my right hand at maximum output to create five Ice Spears. ¡°You are an enemy of Elcidore, and a rebel who kidnapped Elcidore¡¯s heir. If I let you escape, I will die.¡± ¡°Then do you want to die now?¡± Click-! Maximilien¡¯s gun barrel pointed at me. A weapon that shattered Knifehead¡¯s encirclement with a single shot. A tingling sensation ran down my spine, but I clenched my fists and racked my brain. ¡®I can¡¯t defeat Maximilien in combat. Forget buying time, I¡¯ll lose my head just for pretending to attack.¡¯ Then there was only one way left to stop him. Using the knowledge of a game incarnation. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll say this one last time, kid. If you don¡¯t move¡­¡± ¡°The palace raid plan in a month will fail.¡± At those words that came out disorganized, Maximilien¡¯s expression, which had been relaxed all along, hardened. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a traitor at headquarters. Hans Gunter from the Charles Group. He leaked the raid plan to the Imperial Intelligence Department, and they¡¯re setting up a trap. He sold you out to save his family who were taken hostage¡­¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Tang-! Just as I was about to continue, Maximilien¡¯s gun spat fire. However, the bullet only created a crater in the ground right next to my foot, not through my head. A chilling threat. Looking again, Maximilien was glaring at me with a face like a demon. ¡°How do you know about that?¡± It was a natural reaction. The Revolutionary Army was operated as a cell organization, and information about members¡¯ lists and plans was managed by only a handful of Revolutionary Army leadership. Of course he¡¯d be surprised that a kid he¡¯d never seen before knew confidential information that couldn¡¯t have leaked anywhere else. ¡°Answer me! Just who are you¡­!¡± However, unfortunately, Maximilien¡¯s interrogation of me didn¡¯t continue any further. Kuqwaqwaqwang¨C! Dozens of ice pillars striking down from the sky. As the surrounding air rapidly froze, a chilling voice interrupted his words. ¡°How lucky today is. To think I¡¯d get to catch the Revolutionary Army¡¯s supreme leader personally.¡± ¡°Tch¡­!¡± Appearing alongside the knights lined up on both sides was Lupeon Elcidore. With a cold smile on his face, his magical power was surging. ¡°Ha, haha¡­ F*ck¡­¡± The Revolutionary Army¡¯s supreme leader and the Lord of Elcidore. As the two mages worthy of being called absolute beings met, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I survived.¡± Time-buying successful. Somehow, I managed to survive another day. 1. TLN: The first one this appears, the author uses the word ¡°??? ??¡±. And this time it¡¯s ¡°??? ??¡±. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 11 #011. Bang-! Bang¨C! The head of House Elcidore, Lupeon Elcidore. The founder of the Revolutionary Army, Maximilien de Lascol. When the magic cast by these two mages collided, a tremendous shock that shook the entire city reverberated through. ¡°Damn it, what kind of magic is this¡­!¡± ¡°Everyone maintain distance! Getting involved means death!¡± Though the situation seemed evenly matched, neither we nor the knights nearby could rashly intervene in that battle. A wave of magical power that even Knifehead, let alone knights with third-tier imprints, couldn¡¯t withstand. Careless intervention would leave nothing of our bodies. ¡°Huu-!¡± Lupeon, who had been unleashing magic, took a moment to catch his breath. His magic imprint, ¡®Rider of the Ice Prison.¡¯ The Elcidore magic that commanded cold was transforming the surrounding area into a pure white frozen wasteland. Crack, crack¡­! The well-paved road was splitting, unable to withstand Lupeon¡¯s cold. If a foot were to touch that area, the cold penetrating through shoes would tear apart every blood vessel in the body. ¡°Pierce through!¡± With a short incantation, he launched dozens of Ice Spears. It was the same technique as the Ice Spear implanted in me, but the issue was their size. Each one was overwhelmingly large, no different from siege ballistas. A direct hit would leave no remains. Boom-! ¡°Tch!¡± However, despite deploying such powerful magic, Lupeon¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t bright. Step- Step- Walking leisurely through the smoke was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s founder, Maximilien. Even while facing the head of House Elcidore, he maintained his composure while keeping Claude hidden behind him. ¡°Wings of Crimson¡­¡± Seeing the red energy flowing from his right arm, Lupeon ground his teeth and spoke. ¡°A magic imprint stolen from the Imperial archives, I see.¡± ¡°Spare me the petty talk about not using stolen things. You couldn¡¯t use this imprint anyway, could you?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± As Lupeon¡¯s face contorted and he tried to use magic again, Maximilien aimed the gun he was holding. Bang-! Flames burst forth as he pulled the trigger. Lupeon¡¯s half-formed Ice Spears were caught in the flames and vanished without a trace. ¡°Tch!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Your expression is quite something to behold, noble sir! Things not going quite as planned, are they?!¡± The cold that had dominated the space couldn¡¯t threaten Maximilien. The flames from his gun barrel thoroughly dismantled Lupeon¡¯s magic. The battle that had initially seemed even was gradually tilting in Maximilien¡¯s favor. ¡®Their output is almost equal, and their skill levels are matched¡­ But the compatibility isn¡¯t good.¡¯ Watching their battle from a distance, I thought to myself. Lupeon¡¯s magic imprint, ¡®Rider of the Ice Prison,¡¯ possessed ice attributes. In contrast, Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint had fire attributes. Moreover, since those ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ would be a key item for defeating Lupeon in Chapter 7, it was natural that Lupeon was being pushed back. Bang-! After exchanging another round of magic, the distance between Lupeon and Maximilien widened. Both sides had consumed significant magical power, giving them a moment to catch their breath. Click. So now, it was time for the Knifehead and the Knight Order to step in. ¡°Haaah-!¡± As Lupeon raised his hand, the knights he had brought immediately charged toward Maximilien. While Knifehead was also taking battle positions, I instead raised my head to look at the sky. If the leader had shown himself here personally¡­ There was no way ¡®that ship¡¯ wouldn¡¯t come. Boom¨C! ¡°Argh?!¡± ¡°What! Where did that come from?!¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What intercepted between the knights and Maximilien wasn¡¯t magic. High-explosive bombs dropped from the sky. Lupeon frowned and, like me, raised his head to look up at the sky. Whoosh¡­ Like lifting a veil, an airship appeared in the empty space. A black gas envelope and twelve cannons attached to the hull. And a red wing emblem carved in the middle of the gas envelope. ¡°The Liberty¡­¡± A small airship with magical power concealment, the Liberty. This would be the airship that would serve as the protagonist¡¯s base while traveling the world in the future. ¡°So that¡¯s why they fled to the airfield of all places.¡± With Ben¡¯s words that sounded like a sigh, all twelve cannons mounted on the airship aimed at us. And the next moment. Boom¨C! A volley of fire without the slightest deviation began tearing apart the ground where the knights and we stood, ravaging the earth. Eeeeeee¨C! Sirens blared throughout the Belkers territory, and searchlights from defensive positions illuminated the airship above. ¡°Hahaha! Now this is what I call perfect timing?!¡± As Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint glowed with his hearty laugh, Lupeon gritted his teeth at the sight. ¡°Are you running away!¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m running! We¡¯ve gotten everything we came for, so why stay?¡± A red magic circle appeared beneath his feet. As the spatial coordinates inscribed on the airship were input, the light of the magic circle grew increasingly bright. Spatial movement. One of the forbidden magics impossible to use in the Empire. ¡°Ah, and one more thing before I leave.¡± As the technique finally activated, Maximilien¡¯s face, which had been smirking the whole time, hardened. ¡°The grudge of our comrades you killed today will definitely be paid for with your blood.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Was this anger that hadn¡¯t shown during the battle finally erupting? Maximilien¡¯s face was overflowing with killing intent as he looked at Lupeon. ¡°Remember this, Lupeon Elcidore. The flames of revolution¡­!¡± Flash-! With a red flash, Maximilien¡¯s figure vanished. Though he disappeared before finishing his last words, I knew what would have followed. ¡°The flames of revolution will surely return.¡± A phrase he would repeatedly utter like a habit in the game, and something that was like the Revolutionary Army¡¯s identity itself. While I was recalling those words from my memory, Lupeon ground his teeth and shouted at the knights. ¡°What are the anti-air watchers doing! Shoot down that airship now!¡± Ratatat¨C! As if responding to Lupeon¡¯s shout, anti-aircraft guns installed throughout the territory opened fire. They had enough firepower to destroy a small airship, but sadly, it was too late. Whoosh-! A red spherical barrier enveloping the airship. Maximilien inside had deployed a barrier. Though Lupeon immediately created Ice Spears and aimed at the airship, their Liberty had already ascended above the clouds and disappeared. ¡°Tch, they got away.¡± In the end, Lupeon had no choice but to dispel his magic with a rough gesture. Combat terminated. All that remained were the bodies of Revolutionary Army members, Knifehead members, and the knights Maximilien had killed. ¡°Burken!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, Lord!¡± Lupeon, covering his face with his hand, called for Knight Order Commander Burken. The moment he stepped forward, Lupeon¡¯s clenched fist struck Burken¡¯s face right there. Smack-! Cold energy still lingered in his hand. As the magically frozen skin burst open, his face became covered in blood. ¡°I clearly ordered the Knight Order not to move. So why were you and your subordinates out here?¡± ¡°Th-That is¡­!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to hear excuses. Useless.¡± Having said his piece, Lupeon waved his hand as if he couldn¡¯t stand the sight. The Knight Order would be going through some changes soon. As I heard a senior member muttering that, Supervisor Ben bowed his head to Lupeon as the next in line. ¡°We failed to secure Young Master Claude. I deeply apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We couldn¡¯t have expected the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader to come personally, so this is fortunate in our misfortune.¡± Unlike with Burken, no physical punishment came. Instead, Lupeon shook his head and suppressed his rising anger. ¡°The raid on the Revolutionary Army¡¯s hideout was excellent. At least now there won¡¯t be revolutionary newspapers and such trash circulating in Belkers.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Plus, we killed their captain and staff officer, and captured many Revolutionary Army internal members as prisoners¡­ This achievement is enough to cover the failure.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Lupeon was a villain, but not an incompetent one, and certainly not someone ruled by emotions. Looking at it properly, letting Maximilien escape was the responsibility of him, the family head. Unlike other corrupt nobles, he wouldn¡¯t use this as an excuse to kill me and Knifehead. ¡°My Lord. Then, regarding the successor position¡­¡± ¡°Though talents like Claude are rare, there¡¯s no need to obsess over it.¡± To Ben¡¯s question, Lupeon waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Prepare the next successor within a month. This time, I¡¯ll educate them properly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll begin the search immediately.¡± Having given his instructions, Lupeon turned and walked toward the mansion. The knights followed behind him, while I and the Knifehead members lowered our bodies to show respect to the family head. Step- Meanwhile, Lupeon¡¯s footsteps toward the mansion stopped at one point. Keeping my head bowed but raising my gaze slightly, I could see the hem of Lupeon¡¯s premium boots. ¡®What the hell.¡¯ He should just go to the mansion quietly, why did he suddenly stop in front of me? As I was thinking this, Lupeon¡¯s voice was directed at me. ¡°Raise your head.¡± Damn, he really was talking to me. I immediately raised my head and met Lupeon¡¯s eyes. Lupeon, who had been quietly observing my face, lowered himself and removed the gas mask I was wearing. ¡°As I thought, it was you.¡± A cold gaze, like appraising a fine horse. Though I got goosebumps, I spoke to Lupeon without changing my expression. ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation, Eugene Lorentz. It¡¯s an honor that you remember¡­¡± Grab. Before I could finish speaking, Lupeon¡¯s hand seized my chin. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lupeon examining my eyes, turning my face this way and that. But this was brief, and he released his grip on my face without saying anything particular. ¡°I thought perhaps, but the magical power wavelength doesn¡¯t match. This one can¡¯t be used.¡± After saying these cryptic words, Lupeon patted my shoulder as if commending my achievement. ¡°Continue to serve Elcidore faithfully.¡± ¡°I will serve with my life.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s how it should be.¡± Having finished our brief conversation, Lupeon walked toward the mansion. There was a hint of disappointment in his voice. But the moment I heard those words about not being able to use me, I felt both relief and terror simultaneously. ¡®Damn, that was really close to being screwed.¡¯ Why did Lupeon choose Claude as his successor? Claude, who had different personality, different ideology, and even harbored grudges against him. And when such a Claude escaped, he said he¡¯d choose a new successor within a month? This was behavior incomprehensible from the perspective of ordinary nobles. But I knew. What the word ¡®successor¡¯ meant in House Elcidore. And the real reason why Claude risked his life to escape the family. ¡®Fortunately, I avoided becoming a lab rat.¡¯ I had just nearly had my body taken by Lupeon. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 12 #012 Thud-! ¡°Ku, kugh¡­!¡± In the yard of an unknown mansion. A man in antique clothing collapsed on the grass lawn, clutching his neck while choking. Ding-a-ling- ¡°Hahaha! Did that really happen?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. And when that lady saw that¡­¡± He tried desperately to call for help, but it was useless. The sounds of music and conversation from inside the mansion drowned out his voice. Looking around, even the security guards had disappeared somewhere. Elmes, the Imperial Eastern Security Bureau Director who hosted this party, glared at the culprit who had reduced him to this state. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± It was a small boy. Judging by his attire, he seemed to be the child of one of the party guests, and appeared to be lost. They had searched for his parents together, and all he did was accept a candy shyly offered as thanks. But that was his mistake. The child¡¯s parents weren¡¯t on the guest list, and what he had swallowed was poison. ¡°Lord Elmes.¡± A monotone voice flowed from the child¡¯s mouth. A cold tone devoid of any emotion. It seemed almost unbelievable that this was the same child who had been bouncing around cheerfully just moments ago. ¡°Who¡­ who the hell are you¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯re the ones asking questions here, not you.¡± The boy who said this waved a vial in front of his face. ¡°This is the antidote. If you answer our questions sincerely, we¡¯ll give it to you. If not, we¡¯ll leave. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Elmes hurriedly nodded. There was nothing else he could do. ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s begin with the questions.¡± The boy nodded with satisfaction, and bringing his face close, he opened his mouth. ¡°The names of the police executives who supported the Revolutionary Army with you, your meeting locations, and the location of the Revolutionary Army hideout concealed in the outskirts of Belkers territory.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Elmes¡¯s face turned pale at the words coming from the boy¡¯s mouth. ¡°H-how did you know that¡­?¡± ¡°I believe I made it clear just now.¡± The dagger in the boy¡¯s hand touched Elmes¡¯s neck. ¡°We ask the questions. You shut your trap and answer them.¡± *** Whoosh- ¡°The Revolutionary Army prisoners are spilling quite useful information. With this, we can wipe out all the Revolutionary Army members hiding in Belkers.¡± In the Knifehead operation room. Supervisor Ben threw the report he had just finished reading into the fireplace. The fact that he disposed of the report immediately without pointing out any issues meant there were no flaws in its contents. Though it wasn¡¯t apparent, Ben was quite satisfied right now. ¡°Mission complete. Go back and get some rest.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After finishing the report and leaving Ben¡¯s office, Senior Karin who had been standing beside me stretched. ¡°Whew~! I thought I was going to suffocate!¡± The dress she had worn for disguise must have been quite uncomfortable, as she was grumbling with a pouty expression. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about those dresses that everyone wears them. They¡¯re uncomfortable to move in, cumbersome¡­¡± ¡°I thought it suited you quite well though? Don¡¯t you think so, Eugene?¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± The one who spoke from the opposite side was Dwayne Rockfin, a fellow 39th batch member with Karin. With his gentle smiling face, he looked like any ordinary countryside youth. But don¡¯t be fooled by that kind face. They say you can¡¯t judge a psycho by their face, and that bright smile of his didn¡¯t stop him from gouging out people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hm? Where¡¯s Eugene going? What about food?¡± ¡°I have something stashed in my quarters. I¡¯ll make do with that.¡± After arriving at the dormitory and parting with my seniors, I walked through the corridor to my private room. A small single room about the size of a boarding house room. Being part of a prestigious magic family meant this was too good for a street rat like me. ¡®Good. No one¡¯s watching.¡¯ After opening the window and looking around, I immediately jumped out. Opening a manhole cover past the soldiers on patrol, I found the secret passage of the Elcidore mansion that I had frequently used in the game. Splash- Splash- ¡®I¡¯ve checked this route already, next is here.¡¯ Though it was pitch black inside the passage with not even a hand visible in front of me, I was exploring the underground using touch and experience. Why am I doing this right after returning from a mission? Obviously to create an escape route. ¡®Two years left. Within that time, I need to kill the Count and escape from here.¡¯ The Mark of Control was slowly eating away at my body even now. At this rate, becoming the Count¡¯s puppet was just a matter of time. So before that happens, I needed to somehow destroy this magic imprint and escape from Count Elcidore. ¡®Of course, they¡¯re not the type to let me leave just because I want to.¡¯ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Empire is a country where human trafficking is legally prohibited. A noble of such a country buying children with money and brainwashing them into loyal tools for their family? It¡¯s a scandal that wouldn¡¯t do well being exposed. Knowing they wouldn¡¯t let me go easily, I started checking the mansion¡¯s internal structure since adapting to this place. Fortunately, the Elcidore mansion¡¯s structure was almost identical to the game, and so was the layout of the secret passages underground. Days spent training during the day and mapping escape routes through secret passages at night. Though it had been quite sparse lately due to missions, this half-year-long plan was showing good progress. ¡®Route 1 is almost complete, just need to make Route 2 as a backup¡­¡¯ As I was deep in thought checking the passage structure. ¡°Sob¡­ it hurts¡­ it hurts¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Crying sounds came from beyond the wall. Looking to the side, there was a small ventilation duct in the ceiling. Peeking through the vent, there was a cage blocked by iron bars. ¡®There¡¯s someone there. From the voice it sounds like a woman, but who?¡¯ I compared my current location with the Elcidore mansion¡¯s structure I knew from the game. Where I am now is the experimental wing behind the mansion. It was a facility for Count Elcidore¡¯s research, and in the game, it was a hidden dungeon where synthetic creatures like chimeras would pop out. Usually, I should be hearing the cries of failed byproducts or chimeras¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± When I activated the magic imprint to emit some light, the owner of the crying voice in the isolation cell appeared. It was a girl. Similar build to me with trembling movements. Disheveled hair covering her entire face, and amethyst-colored eyes visible through the gaps. She was a beauty that even her dirty appearance couldn¡¯t hide. With a face like that, she probably wasn¡¯t an extra¡­ ¡®¡­Wait a minute. Amethyst-colored?¡¯ Thinking I might have seen wrong, I channeled magical power into a distant magic orb. ¡°Hii, hiik?!¡± As the magic orb¡¯s light brightened, the girl¡¯s face became clearly visible. No doubt about it. They were purple. That¡¯s why I was even more surprised. In [Revolution Empire], eye color was inherited through bloodline. And characters with purple eyes¡­ there was only one in this game. ¡°Irene¡­?¡± I called out the name on a hunch. When the name left my mouth, the startled girl stepped back towards the iron bars. ¡°H-how do you know my name? Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­Holy shit.¡± Seeing her reaction confirmed it. Irene Elcryer. Her name in the game, [Black Witch Irene] She¡¯s the woman who kills the Duke of Elcryer, one of the Empire¡¯s 12 great magic houses, and becomes an enemy of the Empire. But why¡­ why is she here like this? *** Irene Elcryer. To describe this game character in one sentence, she was arguably the craziest character in the game¡¯s history. [Hi, hehe¡­! Look! It¡¯s the sun! The black sun has risen! Now we¡¯ll all be liberated from this hell-!] The Black Sun Incident ¨C where she turned the Elcryer duchy into wasteland and used 100,000 territory residents as sacrifices to open a gate to another world. The girl before my eyes was the very perpetrator of that catastrophe. ¡®But¡­ her image is quite different now?¡¯ I observed Irene again. Even while fidgeting, her occasional glances my way made her look like just a shy little girl to anyone watching. She was completely different from that crazy witch I saw in the game. ¡°Um, excuse me¡­ that¡­¡± When I remained silent for a while, Irene started trembling anxiously. Come to think of it, being scared was natural. She was crying in an isolation cell when suddenly there were signs of movement in the ventilation duct. And then someone even called her name. What kid wouldn¡¯t be scared in this situation? It would be trouble if she screamed and guards came running. I needed to calm Irene down first. But how? As I was deeply pondering this. Growl- A sound came from Irene¡¯s stomach. ¡°Ah, uh, this is¡­¡± Irene fidgeted restlessly with her face bright red. Just pick one ¨C either be scared or embarrassed. While thinking this, I examined Irene¡¯s appearance. I thought she might be a bit thin for her age, but it seemed they weren¡¯t feeding her properly. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± When I asked, Irene, head hung low, weakly nodded up and down. ¡®Ah, that reminds me.¡¯ I pulled out two steamed potatoes I had taken from the dining hall. Originally I was planning to eat them as a snack during my passage exploration, but this seemed like perfect timing. Thunk- I threw the two potatoes through the ventilation duct. Seeing the potatoes that fell on the bed, Irene stared at them blankly. ¡°Eat. It¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± Plain steamed potatoes that had gone cold. Irene hesitantly picked them up. It felt like feeding a stray cat. Munch munch¡­ After quickly devouring the two steamed potatoes, Irene looked at the ventilation duct. Her wariness had noticeably decreased ¨C indeed, if you want to make friends with someone, you should feed them first. Now, this is where it gets important¡­ ¡°First, you can relax. I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°A-are you a fairy?¡± Fairy, what? When I lost my words at the sudden nonsense, Irene timidly spoke towards the ventilation duct. ¡°M-my nanny told me. If you curl up alone and tremble, a fairy will come help you. So, um¡­¡± Ah, right. Come to think of it, I¡¯m ten years old now. If Irene is around the protagonist¡¯s age, she¡¯s probably only about eight. If this were Korea at this age, it would be prime time for running around looking for Elsa dresses and burning up mom¡¯s wallet. Rather than telling such a child ¡°Hi? I¡¯m a trainee who escaped from the training facility next door! I¡¯m going to run away from this family someday!¡± with a detailed explanation¡­ it might be better to just play along as a fairy. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a fairy. The great Fairy of the Ventilation Duct.¡± ¡°I-I knew it!¡± Wow she really believes it. This is fucking embarrassing. But what can I do, this is much better for talking with kids this age. Seeming completely at ease now, Irene trotted over to the ventilation duct and crouched by the wall. ¡®¡­This might be an even better opportunity than I thought?¡¯ Right now I had two goals. First was killing the Count, second was escaping from the Elcidore mansion. And this girl¡¯s power¡­ it could possibly provide a clue for both these plans. At this point before she¡¯s grown up, I could build a relationship and use her. ¡°So, I, the Fairy of the Ventilation Duct, am curious about something.¡± I spoke to Irene while acting out my most gentle voice possible. ¡°How did our friend end up here?¡± The Ventilation Duct Fairy, now open for business. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 13 #013 ¡°Huaaahm~!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been oversleeping lately. Eugene, is something wrong?¡± Early morning. Hearing my yawn, Senior Dwayne showed his characteristic friendly smile. There¡¯s a hidden meaning in that question. While I was carefully choosing my words, wary of his intent, Senior Karin jumped into the conversation with perfect timing. ¡°Of course he¡¯s tired! Making a ten-year-old run around day after day, how could his body keep up? Right, Eugene?¡± ¡°¡­Well, unlike us, Eugene is still growing.¡± Hearing Karin¡¯s words, Senior Dwayne nodded as if somewhat convinced. ¡®This is dangerous, are they starting to get suspicious?¡¯ Behind that friendly smile, there was a hidden coldness. Not missing that, I walked down the corridor pretending to be casual. There was still a year left until the imprint completely consumed my mind. It had been half a year since I started exploring the underground passages at night. While I had already completed the escape route I planned while traversing the underground passages, the method to kill Count Elcidore was still unclear. ¡®But at least, the time invested has paid off.¡¯ My magical power capacity was incomparable to when I first arrived. My skill in handling the imprint had also improved, and I was steadily gaining practical experience through repeated missions. Particularly significant changes were seen in the magic imprint implanted in my arm. In addition to the two marks initially implanted, one more mark had been added. This was proof that my position within the Knifehead had risen, and that I had gained Ben¡¯s trust. It had been half a year since I became an official member of Knifehead. For what I¡¯d achieved in such a short time, it was quite impressive. ¡®Plus, I¡¯ve made a useful companion too.¡¯ After our first meeting half a year ago, Irene and I had many conversations. How we spent our childhoods, what we grew up seeing. Irene talked about her unfortunate life story and became sad, and I comforted her while playing the role of a ¡®fairy¡¯. Those conversations that started in the middle of the night would end only at dawn, and as they continued, Irene and I were soon calling each other friends. ¡®Irene is a boss monster with one of the highest difficulty ratings in all of [Revolution Empire]. If you fail to defeat her at the first encounter, she becomes an existence that leads the entire game scenario to a bad ending.¡¯ Meeting such an entity in childhood and building a relationship was quite an encouraging achievement. Even if not now, it would be useful someday. ¡®Eugene! So you¡¯re Eugene!¡¯ I revealed that I wasn¡¯t actually a fairy about a month after we met. I blurted it out in frustration since continuing to lie seemed impossible, but thinking about it now, it seemed like the right choice. ¡®Hehe¡­ Friend, friend. Not a fairy friend, but a real friend¡­ hehehe¡­¡­¡¯ ¡­That was the right choice, right? Knock knock- ¡°Come in.¡± Opening the door to Ben¡¯s voice, Ben greeted me and the two others, sitting in his usual manner. Dwayne, Karin, and Eugene. At some point, the three of us had started working together frequently as a team, and this summons was no different. ¡°It¡¯s a mission.¡± Along with that dry statement, a single document was handed over. There were no detailed briefings or specific mission instructions like before. We just had to check the contents written on the document and turn around to leave. ¡®I probably won¡¯t be able to visit her for about three days¡­ I should buy a cookie to bring when I go visit.¡¯ Thinking of the ¡®friend¡¯ waiting in the laboratory, I turned around. A mission like any other, a target no different from usual. Right now, I was cutting off the Revolutionary Army¡¯s limbs. *** ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Miss Karin Wesper, Mr. Dwayne Wesper, and Mr. Leon Wesper. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± To the station attendant¡¯s question, dressed in a neat uniform, Senior Karin responded with a fresh smile. ¡°Confirmed. Then, this way please¡­¡­¡± Thuck- The moment the attendant lowered his body after seeing that, the operation began. The attendant, with a dagger in his lung, looked at Senior Karin with a pale face before his breath soon ceased. Thud- ¡°By the way, this is really twisted. Why am I the only one using an old alias while you two use your real names?¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Blood stains would raise suspicion. While freeze-treating the dead attendant¡¯s body and asking that, Senior Karin and Senior Dwayne giggled. ¡°Hey, Leon is a pretty name~ Right, Dwayne?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also the name our youngest official member used when killing the Belkers branch director. Seems pretty monumental if you ask me.¡± ¡°Monumental, really¡­¡­¡± This time¡¯s fake identities were of three siblings from the frontier noble family Wesper. With the setting of heading to a resort for summer, I had to faithfully play the role of an excited child among them. Acting like a child always felt fucking awful, but at the same time, it was the most efficient strategy I could employ. Plus, this time I got a free cookie to give to Irene. Despite being embarrassing, it was quite a useful skill. Guuuuung¨C! As we were talking, the armored train carrying me and my companions started moving with the sound of artificial magic circuit activation. A sturdy train car that would pierce straight through the contaminated zone infested with magical beasts. But before we could admire its majesty, as soon as the train started moving, the three of us took out the equipment hidden in our luggage. Specially made adhesive explosives and detonators. And the daggers used by the Knifehead. ¡°Reconfirming mission details. Eugene?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Senior Dwayne was commanding this mission. Following his instructions, I delivered Ben¡¯s operation plan to the two. ¡°This armored train is operated by Count Keldin¡¯s family, carrying weapons to be supplied to Revolutionary Army occupied territories.¡± ¡°Keh, that damn Revolutionary Army again? Don¡¯t they ever get tired?¡± ¡°Karin.¡± Dwayne, stopping Karin¡¯s complaints, gave me a look. It meant to continue. ¡°¡­Our mission is to blow up the weapons loaded in the cargo car and falsify the recipient¡¯s name for the cargo. After killing all passengers, we¡¯ll disguise it as Revolutionary Army terrorism.¡± Like any other operation, it was horrifically cruel content. ¡°The problem is the Revolutionary Army hidden in the cargo car¡­ They¡¯re not pushovers.¡± Despite his friendly face, Dwayne couldn¡¯t hide the cold sweat on his forehead. It was as he said. There were dozens of Revolutionary Army members inside the cargo car. Some of them were elite soldiers who had completed Magic Awakening. ¡°To break through that with just three people, then handle the information manipulation and explosion¡­¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯ve been thinking~ Don¡¯t our missions seem to be getting tougher?¡± I expressed mild agreement with Senior Karin¡¯s complaints. Usually, when you do work well, more work comes your way. Hearing the grumbling, Senior Dwayne smiled slightly and assigned the missions. ¡°Karin, standby between the passenger car and cargo car. Take care of the attendants and guards.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the evidence manipulation and ¡®process¡¯ the passengers. Eugene¡­¡± ¡°Enter the cargo car, eliminate Revolutionary Army, plant bombs on the stored artifacts. Confirmed.¡± After hearing my response, Senior Dwayne nodded and put on his gas mask and hood. It took less than 10 minutes for three harmonious siblings heading to a resort to transform into three assassins. Whoosh- After checking the gas mask¡¯s operation status, I gave Senior Dwayne a thumbs up. After confirming Senior Karin¡¯s hand signal, Senior Dwayne took out two chemical bombs and. ¡°Operation start.¡± With those words, the train we were on was enveloped in poison gas. *** ¡°Cough, cough¡­!¡± ¡°Aagh! My eyes¡­ My eyes¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s happening suddenly¡­¡­¡± The technicians Elcidore had recruited in advance were more capable than expected. Most of the air circulation systems had stopped working as soon as the train departed, and all windows were welded shut. This armored train, having left the station and entered the tracks, had now become a gas chamber on rails. ¡°What, what¡¯s going on!?¡± ¡°Poison gas, who would do such a crazy thing¡­¡­¡± That¡¯s when the Revolutionary Army members hiding in the cargo car made their move. News that all passengers on the train had turned into corpses. The moment they came out of the cargo car in shock, the Ice Spear I had created in advance shattered the head of the Revolutionary Army member who jumped out. Crash-! ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°A-an attack?!¡± Before they could even be surprised, a small figure appeared from the darkness. A small shadow wearing a gas mask and hood. And the Ice Spears floating around it. The remaining Revolutionary Army members immediately took combat positions. This was now a well-known sight within the Revolutionary Army. ¡°It¡¯s him! That one!¡± ¡°Elcidore¡¯s little devil¡­¡­¡± The assassin who killed Belkers branch captain Refin and murdered countless Revolutionary Army collaborators. At some point, the Revolutionary Army had started calling that existence ¡®Elcidore¡¯s little devil¡¯. Grab-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± After blocking the incoming Ice Spear, the boy¡¯s small body immediately rushed in. Several Revolutionary Army members tried to respond by drawing up magical power, but the situation wasn¡¯t good. This was inside a small train car, and the boy was already tangled with their comrade. Thuck- ¡°Gyaaaargh?!¡± In an instant, two Revolutionary Army members lost their lives, and the boy¡¯s Ice Spears were looking for their next target. Like that, one by one. After about 20 minutes, all ten Revolutionary Army members hiding in the cargo car had turned into cold corpses. ¡°Whew-!¡± Was it combat fatigue? After dealing with all the Revolutionary Army members, Eugene took off his gas mask and let out a heavy breath. But the mission wasn¡¯t over here. Eugene immediately took out the bombs he had kept and started attaching them to the ammunition stored in the cargo car. High-explosive shells, machine gun bullets, rifles, and other military supplies including combat engineer explosives. It was enough quantity to turn the entire train into a fireball if it caused a chain explosion. ¡°Mission complete.¡± Boom-! After creating several Ice Spears, he detonated them on the spot. The cargo car¡¯s outer wall, reinforced with thin steel plates, tore like paper, and the murky landscape of the contaminated area came into full view. Flash- Not long after, a small light flickered in between. The wandering merchants recruited in advance to help with the escape. As their signal came, Karin and Dwayne waiting in the next car jumped out. ¡°Eugene!¡± As Eugene heard Karin¡¯s call for him, just as he was about to jump out last. ¡°Eugene. So that was your name?¡± Grab-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± Someone grabbed Eugene¡¯s neck. ¡°What, what¡¯s this!?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t eliminate all of them?!¡± Both people¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden situation. Eugene also seemed surprised, turning his head to look at who had grabbed him. ¡°Long time no see. Isn¡¯t that right, little one?¡± ¡°Y-you¡­¡­¡± Revolutionary Army leader, Maximilien was there. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Karin and Dwayne hurriedly looked back and exchanged hand signals. The Knifehead¡¯s principle. When mission failure becomes apparent, the Knifehead member must commit suicide. Karin shook her head saying no, but Dwayne gritted his teeth and activated his magic imprint. The family¡¯s principles were absolute, and no traces could be left from missions. Woong-! The explosives Eugene had planted ignited, and Eugene and Maximilien were instantly caught in the explosion. Red-tinted vision, and hair burning in the middle of it. Just as they reached out their hands, Eugene¡¯s figure became impossible to find, hidden by the train¡¯s explosive smoke. *** ¡°Ugh, ugh¡­¡­¡± My body feels heavy. Memories are hazy, and my head feels dizzy as if hit by something. But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t remember what happened. ¡°Hack!¡± As I immediately got up, the surrounding landscape came into view. Purple-infected undergrowth and barren wasteland. And a single campfire illuminating that desolate land¡­ ¡®Where is this? How did I survive?¡¯ That¡¯s when I was thinking. ¡°Are you conscious?¡± A familiar. Therefore, a voice that shouldn¡¯t be heard came from behind me. When I hurriedly turned around, there was a face I never wanted to meet again. ¡°Maximilien¡­!¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± He showed his teeth while looking at me and smiled, then opened his mouth. ¡°When I pressed Hans, he spilled everything.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was what I had told him when we met last time. ¡°Thanks to that, the operation was cancelled. A few informants were sacrificed, but we should consider the damage minimized.¡± After saying that, Maximilien slowly stood up and pointed a gun at me. ¡°So, this time I¡¯ll ask you properly. Boy.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You who have never met us. You who have never seen us¡­ Why do you know every detail about our plans and even our traitors? How exactly?¡± I can¡¯t answer. Would he believe me if I started talking about game transmigration or whatever? Instead, I thought desperately. ¡®Killing Elcidore alone is nonsense, and it¡¯s not something I can do by myself.¡¯ ¡®The only variable I have left is Irene. But even that is too early to use.¡¯ ¡®Then¡­¡¯ The thought was quick, and the decision was even quicker. I will use Maximilien, use the Revolutionary Army. Make the Revolutionary Army bring down Elcidore, and survive. After making my decision, I threw my gambit. ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± ¡°¡­A deal?¡± ¡°Yes. A deal.¡± The most dangerous move to break through this situation. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to bring down Elcidore?¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 14 #014 ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What an amusing fellow.¡± That was his first reaction to my disorganized statement. ¡°I asked you to answer my questions, and suddenly what? You want to destroy Elcidore? Are you saying you¡¯ll betray your master?¡± ¡°I have no intention of answering your questions, and even if I did, you wouldn¡¯t understand anyway. I apologize, but we don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Time?¡± In response to Maximilien¡¯s question, I raised one arm. The three magic imprints transplanted from Elcidore were emitting a blue light. ¡°These magic imprints have a ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ inscribed on them. As long as I¡¯m alive, they continuously emit magical power signals.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He fell silent for a moment. The reason was obvious without explanation. He probably didn¡¯t know about it. He¡¯s careless when it comes to these things. ¡°So let me ask, how much time has passed since you brought me here?¡± ¡°¡­¡­About four hours.¡± ¡°Then headquarters already knows I¡¯m alive.¡± The Knifehead doesn¡¯t rescue fallen comrades. As proof, Senior Dwayne, who led the team, activated the detonator as soon as he confirmed I was captured. He meant for me to perish along with the Revolutionary Army¡¯s train before becoming a prisoner. ¡°A tracking team will arrive within two hours. Either to rescue me or dispose of me. Probably the latter¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­You.¡± While listening to my muttering, Maximilien looked at me incredulously and said. ¡°You, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ten years old. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Ten, years old¡­¡­.¡± Upon hearing my words, Maximilien sighed deeply with his head bowed. ¡°They were making a fuss about a little devil, and it turns out they were humiliated by a mere ten-year-old¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I understand his sighing. Before the protagonist joins, the Revolutionary Army must have been in quite a state. But that¡¯s not my concern. I clapped my hands to get his attention, and Maximilien nodded at me. It meant he would listen. ¡®Now, this is the crucial part.¡¯ I was already in a position of being a discarded card, and my being alive was an unexpected situation and risk factor for Ben. Even if I returned, I would face endless suspicious glances, and might even be killed. In such a situation, this connection with Maximilien was my only chance. If I failed, there would be no second chance. ¡°¡­¡­Count Elcidore is currently preparing for an eastern wasteland expedition.¡± Internal information about House Elcidore flowed from my mouth. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Of course, this wasn¡¯t information I had discovered directly. It was a card I could play because I thoroughly knew the settings and timeline of the original game. ¡°That¡¯s also why he¡¯s trying to deal with the Revolutionary Army within his territory.¡± ¡°To prevent future troubles?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± The Revolutionary Army¡¯s Belkers branch led by Refin was a thorn in Elcidore¡¯s eastern expansion plans. However, with my killing of Refin, that constraint had been removed. With the Knifehead¡¯s black ops eliminating the Revolutionary Army in the territory, the Count would have nothing to hold him back. ¡°Thanks to the elimination of the Belkers branch Revolutionary Army, most of the Elcidore Knight Order is currently deployed in the eastern uninhabited zone. Currently, only a small security force and Knifehead remain in the territory.¡± ¡°You mean, if we strike now, we might have a chance?¡± ¡°With an internal collaborator, you could attempt it right now.¡± Once you start something, you need to do it properly. The opponent is the leader of the Revolutionary Army. Half-hearted psychological warfare isn¡¯t even worth considering. ¡°What¡¯s needed is one moment of chaos and one decisive strike. I can create the chaos.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to deliver the decisive strike?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done it once before, haven¡¯t you? The second time shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Maximilien had already infiltrated the territory from the air using ¡®Liberty¡¯. Using the secret passage I¡¯ve secured, escape wouldn¡¯t be difficult either. ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense, but¡­ there¡¯s one uncertain factor.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± Maximilien stirred the campfire once and asked me. ¡°For such a major undertaking as the eastern expedition, is there any reason for the Count himself to remain in the territory?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± His gaze was sharp as he looked at me. As he said, even if the territory was empty, there was no guarantee the Count himself would remain. However, I opened my mouth to meet his gaze with certainty. ¡°The Count himself cannot leave Elcidore territory.¡± Then, instead of giving a specific answer, I smiled while looking at Maximilien¡¯s face. ¡°If you¡¯ve secured young master Claude, you should know the reason why.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± His question wasn¡¯t expecting an answer. What I mentioned was Count Elcidore¡¯s most fatal secret. By revealing that I knew this, my seemingly nonsensical talk became a ¡®proposal¡¯ worth serious consideration. As if my prediction was correct, Maximilien fell into deep thought with his chin resting on his hand. ¡°I can sense my companions¡¯ magical power signals.¡± However, I didn¡¯t have time to wait for his answer. ¡°You have 30 minutes left to decide.¡± If he doesn¡¯t agree, this is as far as I go. Ben and the Count will monitor me until the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ inscribed on me is fully activated, and I¡¯ll inevitably become the Count¡¯s puppet. If that happens, I¡¯ll have no more attachment to this life. It would be better to commit suicide and wait for the next reincarnation. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Got it. I can use Maximilien! I desperately held back my legs that were about to give out from relief. ¡°Understood. Then I¡¯ll go back and prepare.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your companions would kill you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my problem to handle. I have my ways.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Hearing my words, Maximilien looked at me as if he was dumbfounded. Well, it¡¯s understandable to be shocked when a ten-year-old kid talks about killing or saving a Count. ¡°¡­¡­Did you say your name was Eugene?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± After exchanging contact methods and some details, Maximilien called out to me. His gaze seemed to be searching for something in me. After a moment, he said this to me. ¡°Hey, after this is over, would you consider joining the Revolutionary Army?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± For a moment, it felt like my breath stopped. That was the line I had heard in the game. Specifically, it was what he directly said to the protagonist after defeating Hans, the Chapter 1 boss. ¡°You want to bring down Elcidore, right? And you said your companions are coming to dispose of you.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then run away with me instead. Become part of the Revolutionary Army, and fight against this corrupt empire.¡± When I remained silent, Maximilien emphasized once more. ¡°I¡¯ll break the magic imprint right here. I¡¯ll prepare a new magic imprint too. With your talent, you could reach much higher levels than now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Come with me, Eugene.¡± Those passionate eyes I had seen in the game were now directed at me. ¡°You have the qualities of a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hero.¡± That single word, which made my heart race just hearing it, cooled my heart. I know better than anyone the current state of the Revolutionary Army. People driven only by passion and anger. Idealists who sympathize with them without any sense of reality. Collaborators full of wolves looking for a quick profit, and a command structure that isn¡¯t even properly established. Honestly, if it weren¡¯t for Maximilien, the current Revolutionary Army would have fallen apart long ago. ¡®What such a Revolutionary Army truly needs to become the spark that changes the empire is¡­ a new hero.¡¯ A leader who would become the Revolutionary Army¡¯s idol and guide them. Originally, it should have been Eugene Lorentz, the protagonist¡¯s role. It should have been my role. But. ¡°What do you say? Join the revolution with me¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Do it yourselves.¡± I already know the ending of this game. I know how their passion and ideology become distorted and corrupt. I know the betrayal they will deliver to the protagonist, to me. And because of that, I looked at Maximilien with cold eyes. While he was certainly a great revolutionary, the organization he created was not. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in revolution.¡± I will not be betrayed again. Rather than being betrayed, I will betray first. *** ¡°There! Over there!¡± Hearing Karen¡¯s voice from afar, I amplified my magical power signal even more. It took about 3 minutes for my companions to get closer. However, instead of welcoming me, they drew their daggers and blocked my escape route. ¡°This is surprising, Eugene. You¡¯re still alive.¡± The one who appeared saying that was Dwayne. The very person who activated the detonator to blow up the train with me. I held no particular ill feelings. It was Knifehead¡¯s principle, and he just acted according to it. ¡°However, what you did is against the rules, Eugene.¡± Shing- Dwayne¡¯s drawn dagger touched my neck. He looked ready to slit my throat at any moment. ¡°Did you forget? Knifehead¡¯s principle.¡± ¡°No, I remember it.¡± Knifehead Code of Conduct #1. The highest priority rule. ¡°During a mission, if discovered or captured, eliminate all evidence and witnesses¡­ then commit suicide.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Dwayne¡¯s blade drew even closer to me. ¡°So, why are you still alive?¡± One mountain after another. Thinking that, I maintained my composure and said. ¡°Because I was neither discovered nor captured.¡± Saying that, I raised my hand and pointed to one side. In a corner of the bushes where the campfire was lit, there lay a brutally mutilated corpse. ¡°Don¡¯t try to deceive me, Eugene. One corpse won¡¯t clear your suspicions¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°I detected a serious threat against Elcidore.¡± My words made Dwayne¡¯s hand stop. ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I remained alive instead of committing suicide. Please send me to the supervisor. It¡¯s urgent.¡± Blood trickled from where the blade tip dug into my neck, but I continued speaking regardless. ¡°A threat? What kind of situation is it?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t information I can share with a senior. I need to return and meet Supervisor Ben.¡± This isn¡¯t information you¡¯re qualified to handle. Hearing those words, a hint of displeasure appeared on Dwayne¡¯s face. ¡°Information you can¡¯t share? How do you get to make that judgment¡­¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s information I obtained after interrogating the Revolutionary Army members who captured me. This is a matter only Supervisor Ben can decide! So hurry¡­¡­!¡± While I was speaking regardless of his reaction. ¡°Now this is interesting to hear.¡± Among the members surrounding me, a distinctively large figure emerged. Ben Herkes. Elcidore¡¯s first confidant was looking down at me with sunken eyes. ¡°Speak, Eugene Lorentz,¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°What exactly is this major threat to Elcidore?¡± A chill ran down my spine. ¡®Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡¯ The deal with Maximilien, the chaos I was supposed to create. And now Ben interrogating me. Nothing was going according to plan. But even so, I choose. With the sensation of walking on a blade¡¯s edge, burning away the gradually diminishing time. ¡°The Revolutionary Army is targeting the Count.¡± And thus, I will survive. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 15 #015 Clang- It had been several hours since I boarded Elcidore¡¯s transport train. As I emerged through the iron door, the familiar Elcidore mansion was waiting for me. The only difference from usual was that my arms were bound. ¡°Go this way.¡± The place Ben and the members guided me to wasn¡¯t the Knifehead station. The place they took me was the interrogation room. Who would have thought that after 2 years, I¡¯d enter as a prisoner into the place where I used to bring prisoners? The life of a 10-year-old kid sure is spectacularly messed up. Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real. Thud- The members seated me in a wooden chair and bound my arms. Were they planning to torture me before questioning? Anxiety crept in, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Is this the one?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Just hearing the voice made my ears feel like they would freeze. It wasn¡¯t just a psychological feeling, but a sensation I could physically feel on my skin. A chill that could cut through flesh. When I raised my head, the source of that coldness was looking down at me. ¡°I am honored to meet you, Count.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Lupeon Elcidore. A member of the Empire¡¯s 12 Great Magic Noble Houses, the head of House Elcidore. One of the worst villains I was supposed to meet 5 years later spoke to me. ¡°I heard what you had to say through Ben. The Revolutionary Army is targeting me?¡± The Knight Order Commander Burken, standing beside the Count, gave a nod. It was a signal that I could answer. ¡°With utmost respect, that is correct, Count.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Along with the cold dismissal, the chill emanating from Lupeon¡¯s body grew stronger. ¡°The Revolutionary Army within Belkers has been completely exterminated, and they have no rat holes to hide in here. Targeting me in this situation? It¡¯s not even funny.¡± The cold air circling the room began to constrict around me more tightly. When the Elcidore magic imprint embedded in my right arm detected his cold energy, pain like my blood vessels were being torn apart swept through my entire body. ¡°Kuh, kugh¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Moreover, you were captured by the Revolutionary Army and lost contact. You should be dead by all rights. Did you think I would believe the words of someone like that?¡± He doesn¡¯t believe it. Even if I possessed the protagonist¡¯s body, my essence is that of a powerless civilian. For someone like me to deceive this monster who ascended to the position of Count through suspicion and betrayal was impossible from the start. ¡®But still¡­!¡¯ However, that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s absolutely no way. My only strength is information. I knew things Lupeon didn¡¯t know, and I knew things only Lupeon knew. The difference in knowledge. The gap in information. To survive against that monster, I had to utilize everything I had. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, we¡¯re done. What a waste of time¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army won¡¯t appear at the victory celebration in a month.¡± Just before the hand with the magic imprint was about to become necrotic. Hearing my words, Lupeon temporarily halted his magical power operation. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°The Imperial Intelligence Department¡¯s operation failed. Their planted internal collaborator was discovered, and the Revolutionary Army withdrew.¡± Hearing my words, Lupeon¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. He was startled when the words ¡®victory celebration¡¯ came out of my mouth. ¡®The Imperial Intelligence Department¡¯s operation details are top-level military secrets. Not the kind of information that should come from the mouth of a child who¡¯s never been near the capital.¡¯ And simultaneously, it meant that Lupeon, as one of the magic nobles, knew this information. ¡°Where did you get that information?¡± ¡°As I reported. I captured a Revolutionary Army executive, and this is the information obtained through interrogation.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop here. Limited time. I laid out all the cards I could play. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They know that Elcidore is planning an eastern expedition. The Knight Order¡¯s location and deployment status chart has been leaked. There¡¯s a traitor within the Knight Order!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Hearing my words, Knight Order Commander Burken shouted. ¡°A traitor in the Knight Order! You rats who live off the Count¡¯s mercy dare to try to manipulate the Count with your worthless tongues!¡± ¡°I am merely reporting the information I discovered.¡± ¡°You still dare to¡­¡­!¡± Burken¡¯s words didn¡¯t continue. Because Lupeon raised his hand to stop him. ¡°The name of the traitor you discovered?¡± ¡°Rugen Felburst. The third son of Viscount Felburst.¡± ¡°Burken.¡± Lupeon¡¯s gaze turned to Burken. ¡°Is there a knight by that name in the Knight Order?¡± ¡°Th-that is¡­¡­.¡± After thinking for a moment, Burken opened his mouth with a sour expression. ¡°He-he¡¯s one of the lower-ranked knights. I remember seeing the name while preparing the roster.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite interesting.¡± Hearing Burken¡¯s words, Lupeon questioned him. ¡°The Knight Order¡¯s personnel information should be strictly under the Knight Order Commander¡¯s jurisdiction. Have you ever handed over the Knight Order roster to Ben?¡± ¡°Th-that is¡­¡­!¡± There¡¯s no way that happened. The Knifehead and the Knight Order were at odds with each other. They barely shared operation details, let alone personnel information. ¡°Then how does this Knifehead member grunt know the name of a lower-ranked knight?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± When Burken couldn¡¯t answer, Elcidore spoke in a chilling voice. ¡°Interrogate this knight Rugen. Let¡¯s cross-check the information.¡± At the Count¡¯s order, two knights immediately left the interrogation room. His gaze turned back to me. ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack plan, and now an internal traitor¡­ If the information you¡¯ve revealed is true, it would be a great achievement.¡± ¡°I have not spoken any falsehoods.¡± ¡°Yes, I hope so.¡± Otherwise, you won¡¯t die peacefully. The Count laughed lowly as he said this and asked me. ¡°If all you say is true, then you have saved me and House Elcidore. So what do you want from me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Do you want money? Or perhaps a new life? Or are you eyeing Ben¡¯s position as his successor?¡± He won¡¯t give any of those. In this situation where he¡¯s not even sure if it¡¯s true or false, there¡¯s no way he would make such sweet offers. This is a test. ¡°I want nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What did you say?¡± Knowing this, I lowered my head with a resigned expression. ¡°A blade that has served its purpose should be broken ¨C that¡¯s what the supervisor always said, what he always emphasized.¡± And this answer would be exactly what he truly wanted to hear. ¡°¡­Knifehead 41st Generation Eugene Lorentz. I have completed my report.¡± After finishing my words, I gave a signal to one of the members guarding my sides. It meant to kill me now that the report was complete. ¡°Knifehead¡¯s First Principle. I shall fulfill it, albeit belatedly.¡± The member who received my gaze hesitated for a moment, then drew the dagger from his chest and approached me. The blue blade slowly approached, aiming for my neck. ¡°For Elcidore.¡± With those words, force was applied to the dagger aimed at my neck. ¡°Stop!¡± But at that moment. At the Count¡¯s shout, the blade that was about to cut my throat stopped moving. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± If the Count¡¯s order had been even slightly delayed, my neck would have been cut. Relief almost made me exhale, but I desperately held it in. ¡°Count.¡± It was then that a knight ran up to the Count. Though he was whispering in his ear, I could easily guess the content. ¡°Rugen has escaped.¡± Then, hearing those words, Lupeon¡¯s shoulders shook as if he couldn¡¯t contain his amusement. ¡°Heh, hehe¡­ Hahahaha¡­¡­!¡± I turned my head at the eerie laughter. ¡°Excellent.¡± When I raised my head at his voice, the Count¡¯s gaze had changed. From displeasure and hostility to interest and curiosity. ¡®It worked.¡¯ Just as planned with Maximilien. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s insider had safely escaped, and I had proven my words were true. ¡°Release his bonds.¡± At the Count¡¯s order, the chains binding me fell to the floor. ¡°You will be confined to a private room. You will be under surveillance, and will be shot immediately if you show any suspicious behavior.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Still not letting go of his suspicions even in this situation. It was a dizzying level of suspicion, but I didn¡¯t mind much. At least regarding the Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack plan, the Count trusted me. ¡°If what you say about them coming is true, then the important thing is their infiltration route. Have you discovered anything?¡± Knowing the enemy¡¯s intentions meant being one step ahead of them. To the Count¡¯s question, asked with rising interest, I slowly set the plan in motion. ¡°I was told the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader himself will command the invasion. They plan to cause simultaneous disturbances before he infiltrates alone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the best news I¡¯ve heard. If that happens, I can finish the fight we couldn¡¯t complete before.¡± And restore the family¡¯s authority that Claude had tainted. Speaking thus, Lupeon showed no sign of fear even at the mention of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader coming. It was the composure that only an overwhelming powerful being could have. I will exploit the gap created by that composure to proceed with the plan. ¡°And the means they will use for that invasion is¡­¡± I raised my finger upward. ¡°The sky. The airship they used to take Young Master Claude.¡± Now it was time to tell lies, not truth. *** ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡­¡± In the dark forest. Knight Rudel, who had been running until he was about to lose his breath, realized there were no pursuers and gasped for air. ¡°Rudel, this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± A familiar voice from the undergrowth. When he turned his gaze, a face he knew well appeared. Claude Elcidore. The young noble who had escaped from Elcidore and joined the Revolutionary Army. His golden hair, contrasting with Lupeon¡¯s, was shining in the moonlight. ¡°Were there any pursuers?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be certain. If they¡¯re following me, we might already be in danger¡­¡­¡± While Rudel was speaking, Claude¡¯s eyes flashed as he pressed down on his shoulder. Ping-! A dagger that grazed past his face. The shape of that blade was familiar to both Claude and the escaped Rudel. ¡°The Knifehead¡­¡­¡± As expected, they hadn¡¯t lost him. They had just been waiting, using him as bait. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Young Master Claude.¡± The one who stepped forward saying this was Dwayne. The commander of Knifehead¡¯s tracking unit. Along with his voice, gas masks appeared from all around, aiming throwing knives at him. ¡°Y-Young Master¡­¡­¡± ¡°Call me Claude. I am no longer nobility.¡± He had already exhausted all his magical power while escaping. Claude, who stood blocking Rudel¡¯s front, slowly extended his right arm. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Dwayne narrowed his brows as he saw Claude¡¯s arm. What was engraved on Claude¡¯s right arm was a red magic imprint that appeared to be burning, contrasting with Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint. It was the magic imprint used by the Revolutionary Army. ¡°The magic imprint bestowed by the Count¡­ You discarded it?¡± ¡°Magic imprint? No. That was a shackle. A shackle created by the Count to oppress me and you all!¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Whoosh¡­¡­! As the air froze, dozens of Ice Spears floated in the air. He was surrounded on all sides. However, Claude, without showing fear, activated his magic circuit. Whoosh-! ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As if opposing the cold energy aimed at him, hot energy spread out from Claude¡¯s center. The wing-shaped magic imprint rose up high. Though it only had two strokes, the magical power emanating from it was enough to startle the Knifehead members surrounding him. (+)[1]TLN: I¡¯ll be using ¡°stroke(s)¡± instead of ¡°line(s)¡± from now on. ¡°I said it was because of me.¡± Even now when he closes his eyes, he remembers. That small devil who came looking for him and the hellish scene that unfolded afterward. Even himself, trembling in fear and powerlessly fleeing. That devil too must have worn the same appearance as them. ¡°But I won¡¯t run away anymore.¡± His master had said. That he was born with the qualities of a hero. That he would become the flame to change this corrupt world by burning himself. So he would burn it all. The house that imprisoned his mother and let her die in despair. His detestable father who tried to continue his filthy life by making him a sacrificial lamb. And this rotten empire that gave such nobles their power! Boom-! The red magical power devoured the assassins surrounding him in an instant. His name was Claude Elcidore. He was a magician who inherited the red wing imprint, And a hero of revolution who would burn the empire. 1. TLN: I¡¯ll be using ¡°stroke(s)¡± instead of ¡°line(s)¡± from now on. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 16 #016 ¡°Huu¡­ Huu¡­¡­¡± A month since being confined to a private room. I gritted my teeth at the cold sensation flowing from my right arm. ¡®This is getting dangerous.¡¯ My senses were gradually dulling, and my emotional fluctuations were becoming fainter. The auditory hallucinations about being loyal to the Elcidore family were constantly muddling my thoughts, and occasionally, I felt the urge to let go of my consciousness. Symptoms close to late-stage corruption. I could feel the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ engraved in the magic imprint gradually eating away at my body. ¡®Of course, I¡¯m probably the only one who can feel this physically.¡¯ The other members probably wouldn¡¯t even notice that the imprint was consuming them. Originally, the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ was a technique whose very existence was classified. If one doesn¡¯t know about the technique¡¯s existence, they won¡¯t even realize they¡¯re being controlled by someone. They¡¯ll think that they naturally developed loyalty as they adapted to the organization and made comrades. However, even in this situation, my mind hadn¡¯t surrendered. The pain and cold I¡¯m feeling in my arm right now is proof of that. My mind, which should have been infiltrated long ago, continued to resist, causing the magic imprint to react adversely. ¡°I hope it¡¯s not too late¡­¡± I muttered while activating my magic circuit. I circulated unprocessed, raw magical power through my blood vessels, suppressing the cold emanating from the magic imprint. Then, when the cold that had been enveloping my entire body somewhat subsided. Sssss- A small spider appeared through the window gap. ¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯ A reddish tint different from ordinary spiders. The faint magical power emanating from it. It was certain. The ¡®internal collaborator¡¯ that Maximilien had hinted at during our brief two-hour meeting. It was a contact sent by the Revolutionary Army. Pit, pipit, pit. Red spider web spurted from the spider¡¯s rear. Slowly and quietly, the formed web was conveying this message to me: [Execute. Today.] I let out a short breath and checked the time. About 5 minutes until lunch would be brought. Fortunately, it was perfect timing. Thump- thump- By the time footsteps were heard from afar, the spider had already left the room. Soon after, the door opened, and two familiar faces shrugged their shoulders while looking at me. ¡°Food¡¯s here, Eugene.¡± Vale and Han. They were Knifehead members assigned to watch me for the past month. ¡°Here, today¡¯s meal.¡± Han handed me two pieces of bread and a cup of water. There was no sign of wariness. After all, I was in a fairly well-liked junior position, and my relationship with the members was relatively smooth. ¡°It¡¯s been a month since you were confined, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the supervisor is thinking. If he¡¯s going to kill him, kill him, if he¡¯s going to let him live, let him live, what¡¯s with this waste of time?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± I pretended to be calm while agreeing and waited for my chance. Ben¡¯s reason for confining me was simple. If left alone for a month, the Elcidore magic imprint would infiltrate my entire body, eliminating any possibility of betrayal. In fact, I hadn¡¯t caused any problems during this month, and proportionally, their vigilance towards me had loosened. ¡°Senior Karin was really worried about you. When you get out, at least say hello to her.¡± ¡°Did you know she particularly likes you? Always asking how Eugene is doing, if you¡¯re hurt anywhere¡­¡± Eventually, as the topic shifted to Senior Karin, the two seniors completely dropped their guard. This was my chance. ¡°Anyway, I hope things work out well, Eugene. Even Dwayne feels sorry deep down, so talk¡­¡± Swoosh- Just as the casual conversation was about to start, I initiated my action. Two Ice Spears pierced through Han and Vale¡¯s lungs. After catching their falling bodies, I made them sit on the floor. ¡°Kuh, kuh¡­?¡± ¡°Eu, Eugene¡­?¡± Looking at the two who were staring at me with wide eyes, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Good. I only pierced their lungs while they¡¯re still alive.¡± If either of them had died here, the magical power reaction from the magic imprint would be cut off. If that happened, Ben in the garrison would notice something was wrong and immediately track me down. That¡¯s why I froze their wounds with Ice Spear while piercing their lungs, stopping the bleeding. ¡®About 30 minutes. Perhaps.¡¯ They would live until the ice melts, and until then, my escape wouldn¡¯t be noticed. There was no time. ¡°You, you¡­?¡± ¡°Really¡­ be, trayed¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. I betrayed you.¡± Looking at the two seniors with their eyes wide open, I smiled mournfully. ¡°Before I got betrayed myself.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± I won¡¯t live like a protagonist. This was my first resolution after being possessed into this damn game, and it was an absolute proposition that would never change. I will not be used by anyone. Whether it¡¯s Elcidore or the Revolutionary Army, it doesn¡¯t matter. Rather than getting caught up in events, I¡¯ll create them, and rather than being betrayed, I¡¯ll voluntarily become a traitor. I won¡¯t become a hero. I won¡¯t become a tool. I won¡¯t become a slave. I will merely become a survivor. *** Eeeeeeeee¡ª! The siren sound that rang out from the watchtower spread throughout the Belkers territory. Several flares shot through the thick dark clouds, and soon the red light revealed the identity of the intruders hidden by the clouds. Wooooo¡­¡­ Dozens of airships floating in the airspace above Belkers territory. Leading them was an airship that every imperial citizen would recognize. The Liberty. The flagship leading the Revolutionary Army¡¯s air fleet and Maximilien¡¯s, the Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader¡¯s ship. Soldiers stationed throughout the territory hurriedly began evacuating citizens. ¡°Air raid warning! Air raid warning!¡± ¡°Everyone take shelter indoors! The Revolutionary Army is attacking the territory!¡± ¡°Hey there! Don¡¯t go outside! You might get hit by stray shells!¡± Though it was a surprise attack, the soldiers moved quickly. Soldiers at the anti-aircraft gun positions pulled their levers to align their sights, and soon dozens of anti-aircraft guns began firing shells into the sky. Thung-! Thung-! Thung-! Shells fired at regular intervals. However, instead of tearing through the airships¡¯ gas cells, they were blocked at a certain point and exploded in mid-air. Kuwakwakwang¡ª! Acrid smoke rose thickly, but none of the soldiers watching cheered. Aerial assault using airships was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s specialty. There was no way they couldn¡¯t break through such basic anti-aircraft defenses. Tuhwak-! As they expected, the Liberty leading the formation emerged through the smoke. A translucent red barrier enveloping the airships including Liberty. Upon confirming this, the soldiers immediately released their prepared messenger birds. ¡°Confirmed mages aboard the enemy airship fleet. These airships are real.¡± The communication officer assisting the family head received the messenger bird sent by the soldier. Hearing his report, Lupeon smiled and stepped forward. ¡°Just as he said.¡± Where he stood was the top floor of the Elcidore mansion. Standing at the top of the spire, Lupeon stretched his hand toward the airship fleet invading his territory. ¡°The knights?¡± ¡°All preparations are complete. Whenever the family head gives the order¡­¡± ¡°Good. Tell all knights stationed at the mansion.¡± Looking at Knight Order Commander Burken with a resolute expression, Lupeon gathered magical power. ¡°Begin technique synchronization. Activate the strategic magic circle.¡± Paaaat-! Dazzling blue light erupted from the magic imprint engraved on his hand. And taking that as a signal, blue lights began rising from all over the mansion. One, two, ten, thirty. The blue lights that had multiplied into dozens changed from points to lines, beginning to connect with each other like threads being woven together. A circle encompassing the entire mansion. And Lupeon standing at its center. Feeling the tremendous magical power flowing toward him, Lupeon was overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of omnipotence. ¡°Seuuuu¡­¡­¡± When he exhaled, white breath leaked out. The ground he stood on was already frozen, with icicles sprouting up. Magical power that couldn¡¯t be contained even by the family head¡¯s imprint was now gathered in his hands. ¡°Entangle.¡± Shupaat-! When Lupeon stretched out his hand, a blue magic circle formed above the airship fleet. A magic circle large enough to cover the entire fleet. Soon, using that magic circle as an entrance, an ice structure slowly revealed its form. Jjeojek- jjeojeojek¨C! Ice thorns that spread out like growing tree branches began ensnaring the airships one by one. The branches condensed with magical power mercilessly tore through the red barrier and began crushing and grabbing the airships within. An upside-down ice tree pierced through each of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s airships approaching the territory. When the technique succeeded, a cold smile spread across Lupeon¡¯s face. Kkudeuk-! The moment Lupeon clenched his fist, all the ice branches entangling the airship fleet twisted at once and. ¡°Victory.¡± With those words, the airship fleet that had maintained regular intervals became one mass. Like crushing a handful of insects into a ball. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship fleet, entangled in Lupeon¡¯s ice prison, was crushed and turned into a massive sphere of scrap metal and garbage. His magic imprint was [Rider of the Ice Prison] And that was his most powerful large-scale strategic magic, [Thorn Tree Castle]. Kung-! The airship fleet turned to scrap metal fell to the ground. It was deliberately done without injuries, allowing survivors to remain. ¡°Go.¡± The Imperial mobile forces stationed at Elcidore charged toward where the fleet had fallen. Seeing this, a cold smile played across Lupeon¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had such good news.¡± He had shot down the Revolutionary Army¡¯s flagship, Liberty. The group technique he had been developing for years had succeeded brilliantly, turning dozens of airships into scrap metal. It was thanks to knowing their invasion plans a month ago and preparing the group technique in advance. ¡°Ben will have a lot of work to do.¡± Now the Revolutionary Army members who would crawl out of those airship wreckages would bring a handful of information for Elcidore¡¯s operations. Elcidore would use that information to exterminate the revolutionary elements that had infiltrated the Empire. And with such merit, Elcidore could take another leap forward. First seat among the Empire¡¯s magic noble families, surpassing Valkheim and Nachtval. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The right to mix blood with the imperial family. ¡°Just a little more. Just need to endure a little more¡­!¡± The title of hero who subjugated the Revolutionary Army. The right to infiltrate the imperial family through marriage with royalty. Even possession magic that steals the body of the recipient by embedding one¡¯s consciousness in the magic imprint. Soon all conditions would be met. He, born as a mere frontier noble, would grasp the Kalhyram Empire in his hands! If that happened¡­ if that happened, finally¡­! Kuwaaaang¨C! ¡°¡­?¡± An unexpected explosion sound broke Lupeon¡¯s reverie. An explosion that occurred behind him, not from the Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship fleet. When he turned around, Lupeon couldn¡¯t help but doubt his eyes. Flutter-! A red flag was planted in the center of the mansion. The hateful enemy symbol with a pair of soaring wings embroidered on it. And the one holding that flag was someone who shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°I enjoyed watching your performance with all your might, Count Elcidore. It was a splendid spectacle.¡± The Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader, Maximilien. And hundreds of Revolutionary Army mages lined up behind him. They were preparing for battle one by one as they looked up at him. ¡°H-how¡­?¡± As if unable to understand, Lupeon¡¯s expression twisted uncontrollably. He couldn¡¯t comprehend this situation right now. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 17 #017. ¡°Underground passage?¡± The day I was caught by Maximilien. I revealed to him the existence of a secret passage that could lead into Belkers territory. ¡®Originally, I was planning to make Irene go berserk when all the Elcidore Knight Order had left, and then look for an opportunity.¡¯ She is the possessor of an immense power that would later cause the ¡®Black Sun¡¯ incident. Despite not even being ten years old, Irene had that potential. Being young, it would have been easy to induce her to go berserk, and if she died along with Elcidore, that would have been perfect, but¡­ ¡®From the moment I was captured by Maximilien, this plan was over.¡¯ I had begun to be suspected, and Lupeon wouldn¡¯t leave me be. So instead, I planned to use this Revolutionary Army. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Originally, it was an escape route I devised for my own escape. It¡¯s a direct route from the center to the outskirts of the territory.¡± ¡°So we climb up that route in reverse and attack Elcidore?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense.¡± Upon hearing this, Maximilien snorted at me. ¡°You¡¯re Elcidore¡¯s trained hound. You¡¯re an enemy who deserves to be torn apart right now. And you want me to believe you and follow the route you¡¯ve shown to enter Elcidore territory? Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°Then why did you keep me alive?¡± Maximilien hesitated at my question. But it didn¡¯t matter. I knew what I needed to say. ¡°It¡¯s because the emperor assassination operation was canceled, isn¡¯t it? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Maximilien¡¯s eyes narrowed at my words. ¡®Seems like I¡¯m not wrong.¡¯ Before the main story began, the Revolutionary Army was nothing but a ragtag group of misfits except for its founder, Maximilien. What they had prepared by gathering all the capabilities of such a Revolutionary Army was an event that occurred 5 years before the story began. ¡®The Emperor Assassination Plan.¡¯ Of course, in the main story, that operation ended in failure, but the changes that occurred to the Revolutionary Army afterward more than made up for that failure. ¡°The only group that attempted to assassinate the emperor. That fact alone would significantly increase the Revolutionary Army¡¯s presence.¡± From that incident onward, the Revolutionary Army would step up from being a mere rebellion organized in a moment to become a major force threatening the empire¡¯s foundation. ¡°Numerous talented individuals wanting to change the empire would concentrate on the Revolutionary Army, opening the floodgates for the Revolutionary Army¡¯s organizational systematization and talent recruitment. In other words¡­¡± After taking a breath, I spoke slowly toward Maximilien. ¡°Whether the result was success or failure, the emperor assassination operation was an operation that had to be carried out.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± However, I had informed him about the presence of an internal traitor, and the existence of the traitor was true. Maximilien¡¯s conviction had cracked, and the emperor assassination plan was canceled. They had gathered all of Revolutionary Army¡¯s total force for this plan, yet that goal had disappeared in an instant. ¡°Right now, the Revolutionary Army needs something else to turn its prepared blade toward. If they disperse now without doing anything, the Revolutionary Army will never again achieve this level of organization.¡± After saying that, I asked him in return. ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Hmph, what an impudent brat.¡± It was a reaction I often saw in the game. When he responds like this, it means I¡¯m half right. ¡°You¡¯re right. I had stirred up the entire organization for the plan and even gave a grand speech, but in the end, we had to scrap it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In that situation, I caught you like a drowning man clutching at straws, and that led us to where we are now.¡± In other words, he had been waiting for me to make this proposal. ¡®Despite having the knowledge of a possession victim, I was still played.¡¯ Crazy bastard. While thinking that, I said to Maximilien. ¡°However, this plan isn¡¯t without weaknesses.¡± I didn¡¯t engage in half-baked psychological warfare or number games. There wasn¡¯t time, and I was the one at a disadvantage. ¡°There¡¯s only one secret passage leading to the mansion. It will take time for the entire Revolutionary Army to use it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°If Elcidore notices the invasion and starts to surround us during that time, you¡¯ll be eaten alive instead. Then it¡¯s all over.¡± After saying that, I waited for Maximilien¡¯s response. Then, after a moment. ¡°Then, we just need to make sure they don¡¯t notice, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Maximilien grinned and said to me. ¡°In that case, we have a way.¡± ¡°A way? What is it?¡± At my question, Maximilien chuckled and waved his hand. ¡°Listen, kid. No matter how much information you provide, you¡¯re still a potential enemy. Why would I reveal that? Just know that we have a way.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± ¡°Why not join the Revolutionary Army? I¡¯d welcome you anytime¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the location of the secret passage. That concludes our deal.¡± ¡°Ah, this kid. Playing hard to get unnecessarily¡­¡± With a mischievous smile, Maximilien kept poking my shoulder. In the main story, Eugene and Maximilien often talked like this. Whew, that was dangerous. I almost called him master. *** ¡°I heard they had a way, but I never thought they¡¯d use this method¡­¡± Rewinding to the present. I was dumbfounded watching the chunks of airships falling from the sky in one mass. ¡°An air squadron with one mage assigned to each airship¡­ They¡¯re using the whole thing as bait?¡± Dozens of mages capable of using defensive magic formulas, and dozens of airships they were riding. They used all that tremendous manpower and equipment as bait to divert Elcidore¡¯s attention, and in that gap, they infiltrated through the underground passage. I could understand using bait. What shocked me was those mages assigned to the bait role. That absolutely insane mindset of carrying out what amounts to a suicide mission without any hesitation. ¡®Well, come to think of it, the Revolutionary Army was full of such crazy people.¡¯ They don¡¯t hesitate to face death to save their comrades. They jump into dangerous situations without any reservations if needed for the operation. They were truly brave warriors worthy of being the protagonist¡¯s companions, lacking nothing. That was the true strength of the Revolutionary Army, and the driving force that would allow them to overturn the empire in the future. In four words, revolutionary spirit. It was the ¡®unbreakable will¡¯ that was essential for any RPG protagonist. Bang-! While I was thinking this, the entire Elcidore castle where I was standing shook greatly. Whoosh¡ª! Along with the sound of magic circuit activation that split the entire sky, two massive magic circles spread across the heavens. The blue thorny vine pattern, and the red wing pattern. Lupeon, the head of Elcidore, and Maximilien, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, had clashed. ¡°Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡± Muttering that, I entered through the mansion¡¯s back door and headed to the basement. A battle between two absolute powerhouses, Lupeon and Maximilien. And I had to slip through that gap and secure the variable that would decorate the end of this battle. That variable¡¯s name was the Black Witch, Irene. She was located in the experimental wing in the mansion¡¯s basement. Looking at the two magic circles clashing in the sky, there wasn¡¯t much time left. *** ¡°Ugh, aaaaah?!¡± ¡°Save me¡­! Save meeeee!!¡± In the dark laboratory. The researchers were trying to flee in a hurry, but unfortunately, not many succeeded in escaping. Squelch-! ¡°Kuh, keuuk¡­!¡± Black tentacles stretching out from the darkness pierced their bodies, dragging them into the deep prison basement. Kyaaaaaah¨C! After some time passed with spine-chilling screams echoing. From the deep darkness underground, snow-white bare feet appeared. ¡°Hun¡­ gry¡­¡­¡± It was a black-haired girl. A girl who looked to be barely ten years old, with black eyes gleaming through her disheveled long hair. However, what sprouted from her back was something incomprehensible to the human mind. Crunch- crunch- Hundreds of teeth moved grotesquely, chewing on the bones of the researcher they had just taken. But whatever had sprouted from the girl¡¯s back wasn¡¯t satisfied with its hunger, as it rolled dozens of eyes scattered across its body, searching for the next prey. Creeak- At that moment, the laboratory door that had been confining her opened. A small light appeared in the middle of the blood-soaked dark laboratory. As if uncomfortable with the light they were seeing for the first time in almost a year, the things growing from the girl¡¯s back slightly shrank back. ¡°Irene.¡± However, soon after. When a familiar voice was heard from that light, Irene¡¯s expression immediately brightened. ¡°Waaah¡­!¡± It was a voice she hadn¡¯t heard for months. The voice of a friend she thought she would never meet again. The voice of the only being who had comforted her endless loneliness and hunger. ¡°Eugene!¡± Irene called out the boy¡¯s name. A boy with black hair similar to hers was approaching her. ¡°Is it Knifehead?!¡± ¡°Perfect timing! Contact the Count! Pl-please! That monster¡­! That monster has escaped from the experimental wing¡­!¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t escape.¡± Slash-! When other researchers hurriedly approached the boy, he slit their throats with the dagger he was holding. ¡°I set her free.¡± Saying that, the boy kicked the bodies of the researchers he had killed, pushing them toward the girl. ¡°Eu, Eugene. This is, well¡­¡± Like a zookeeper feeding prey to a beast. When Irene hesitated, Eugene slowly approached and placed his hand on her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You can eat.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing the boy¡¯s bright smile, life returned to the girl¡¯s hollow face. He smiles at me. Even on the day I was despised as a monster, even after seeing this monstrous evidence sprouting from my back. He even gives me food! He doesn¡¯t say eating people is wrong! Rather, he permits me to eat people! Chomp! Crunch! Crack-! With a happier heart than ever before, Irene ate people. She was filled with satisfaction and fulfillment she had never felt before. After her hunger had somewhat subsided. The boy tore off a gown from one of the dead researchers and wiped the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. We have quite a long way to go.¡± A long way to go? As Irene tilted her head, the boy said to her. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this place together.¡± And at the boy¡¯s single sentence, a bright smile bloomed on Irene¡¯s face. ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°But before that, there¡¯s something we need to do.¡± ¡°What is it? What do I need to do? I¡¯ll work hard!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Pleased with her energetic response, the boy stroked her head once more. ¡°To leave here together¡­ we need to kill everyone here. Every single person, without exception.¡± Words that would have horrified anyone else who heard them. But the boy, undeterred, asked Irene again. ¡°Can you do that for me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Irene didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment. ¡°Good girl.¡± As soon as he heard her answer, the boy took Irene¡¯s hand and led her. The result of the Elcryer family¡¯s horrific biological experiments. An aberration created by mixing human and monster. A monster who had been imprisoned underground due to her danger, never to be released to the surface again. The girl who would later be known as the ¡®Black Witch¡¯ emerged into the world with a bright smile. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 18 #018 Ku-kwa-kwa-kwang¨C! A series of magical power collisions occurred in succession. Unable to withstand the impact, the mansion¡¯s roof was blown completely off. ¡°Hahaha¡­! I heard you were the master of ice magic, but you¡¯re quite disappointing compared to what I expected!¡± As Maximilien emptied his revolver of used bullets and said that, Lupeon who was watching ground his teeth. ¡°You lowborn scum, how dare you¡­!¡± Though his anger boiled, he had to acknowledge it. The attributes of his magic imprint ¡®Rider of the Ice Prison¡¯ were freezing and binding. On the other hand, Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ possessed the properties of explosion and expansion. Ice and fire. One who creates prisons, and one who destroys them. Whether considering magical attributes or properties, Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint formed a perfect counter to Lupeon¡¯s magic imprint. It was as if someone had prepared this long ago specifically to bring about Lupeon¡¯s downfall. ¡®Currently, only the Empire¡¯s Magic Corps can respond immediately, not the family¡¯s Knight Order. However¡­!¡¯ Though the Magic Corps stationed at the territory¡¯s outskirts were hurrying here, even that couldn¡¯t resolve the current situation. The Revolutionary Army had appeared at the heart of the Elcidore mansion. Emerging from behind, the Revolutionary Army had slaughtered the few knights remaining in the territory and quickly occupied the mansion. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And the Elcidore mansion was structured to function as a fortress in case of worst-case scenarios. The Magic Corps, who had to enter the mansion from the outside, were now in a situation where they had to wage a siege battle against the Revolutionary Army occupying the mansion. A perfect trap. Without knowing his entire plan, it would have been impossible to even attempt such a strategy. Without an internal betrayer, such an operation wouldn¡¯t have even been possible. ¡®Then who could it be¡­!¡¯ There weren¡¯t many suspects. Knight Order Commander Burken wasn¡¯t ambitious enough to pull something like this off, and he had personally beheaded the head butler. The only one left was Ben, but that too was impossible. He was the one who had been most strongly and longest subjected to the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ that Lupeon had devised. As proof, wasn¡¯t it true that he had completely exterminated the Revolutionary Army that had infiltrated Belkers! Ku-kwa-aang-! Just as his thoughts were about to continue, Maximilien¡¯s reloaded revolver spewed fire. Along with a boom more like artillery fire than a gunshot, magic circles spread out, and red flames blocked Lupeon¡¯s view. Lupeon gritted his teeth. Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about traitors. Chwareuk-! An ice wall rose from the ground to block the advancing flames. As the flames touched the cold ice wall, white steam enveloped the entire battlefield. Neither side could see ahead in this situation. However, this situation was an opportunity for Lupeon. ¡®There you are!¡¯ Dozens of ice chains spread from his feet like a spider web. They detected Maximilien¡¯s position and clearly showed what movements he was making. Lupeon immediately created Ice Spears and launched them toward Maximilien. Baang-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± As expected. As his hastily raised barrier shattered, Maximilien¡¯s surprised face was revealed. ¡°This bastard¡­!¡± ¡°You thought you could catch the head of Elcidore inside the Elcidore mansion? What a fool!¡± The gap created by the difference in magical power attributes. What offset that was this battle¡¯s location. For a mage, their residence was a fortress prepared specifically for them. Inside the Elcidore mansion, Lupeon could fight at optimal efficiency. Detection spells spread throughout the mansion, auxiliary magic controlling the internal environment, and various items amplifying Lupeon¡¯s magical power. ¡°Bind him.¡± Lupeon could know Maximilien¡¯s location even with his eyes closed. He could hear his voice even with his ears covered. Jja-aak-! Ice spikes sprouting from the ground entangled Maximilien. The ice, glowing blue with Lupeon¡¯s magical power. They were spikes of death that would freeze skin on contact and cause tissue necrosis. Jjak! ¡°Kuuugh-!¡± Unable to dodge several of the dozens of spikes, Maximilien fell to one knee. Got it, hit his leg! Inwardly rejoicing, Lupeon summoned Ice Spears and moved the ice spikes to attack Maximilien. Ka-ka-ka-kang-! Maximilien¡¯s barrier blocked the ice spikes and Ice Spears, but it wasn¡¯t perfect. Puk-! One Ice Spear pierced his shoulder. Maximilien¡¯s face contorted in pain. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± A cruel smile played across Lupeon¡¯s face. His opponent was fatally wounded and had lost momentum. There was no time to waste. Lupeon immediately gathered his magical power and created numerous spikes and Ice Spears. ¡°This is the end.¡± Along with those cold words, Lupeon¡¯s spikes descended upon Maximilien. Sswaeeaek-! Dozens of death-bringing projectiles rained down toward him. ¡°Huu¡­¡± However, instead of dodging, Maximilien opened the cylinder of his revolver. ¡°Ice Prison, huh? The more I see it, the less I like it.¡± Click-! After removing the spent magic bullets, he inserted new ones. Unlike ordinary bullets, these glowed red. The wing pattern engraved on the bullet head responded to his magical power, glowing as if ablaze. ¡°Shatter.¡± Aiming straight ahead, Maximilien spoke a short command and pulled the trigger- Ku-kwa-aang¨C! Along with an explosion that shook the entire space, Lupeon¡¯s magic shattered to pieces. ¡°Wh-What¡­!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t beat a noble in their mansion? There¡¯s no way to defeat a mage entrenched in their stronghold?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Facing the visibly shocked Lupeon, Maximilien sneered. A doctrine that could be called common sense in magical warfare. However, Maximilien lightly mocked that law. ¡°You nobles who spouted such things¡­ What do you think happened to them all in the end? Hm?¡± ¡°You¡­ bastard¡­!¡± The magic used by the Revolutionary Army generally possessed the properties of flame. This was because the original source of their magic imprints was Maximilien¡¯s ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯. However, Maximilien had mixed his ideology with this fact, elevating it into the Revolutionary Army¡¯s unique magical warfare doctrine. ¡°The rotting firewood scattered in the underbrush is our shelter, and the barren wilderness our battlefield.¡± The Revolutionary Army¡¯s mages don¡¯t create strongholds. They were always invaders who attacked other mages¡¯ traps and conquered their established defenses. They were forced to fight in disadvantageous environments, and they had always emerged victorious. The result was the creation of ¡®magic bullets¡¯. These were crystals of condensed surplus magical power, which when fired, directly injected massive amounts of magical power into the magic circuit. ¡°Magic bullets. You insane third-rate mage¡­!¡± ¡°Third-rate mage, you say.¡± The Empire¡¯s nobles who had mastered magic called Revolutionary Army mages third-rate. Magic bullets were unstable items that overloaded magic circuits and wore down magic imprints in exchange for providing explosive magical power. It was a short-sighted method of trading a mage¡¯s future for immediate power. Magic nobles spent long years training in magic and ultimately inherited their family¡¯s magic imprint. To them, those magic bullets were an abomination they could never accept. ¡°Then watch carefully from the afterlife.¡± Click-! However, mages who had experienced even one battle with the Revolutionary Army couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge it. ¡°Watch how these third-rate mages you despise bring down this empire.¡± That abomination devised by vulgar third-rate mages had now become the most efficient weapon for killing magic nobles. Kwa-rung-! When Maximilien pulled the trigger, the thick steam instantly burst into flames. Ku-kwa-aang¨C! Pulling the trigger again, an arrow of flame concentrated into a single point mercilessly shook Lupeon¡¯s barrier. ¡°Kuuugh-!¡± Compatibility and output. As he began to lose on both fronts, a look of dismay crossed Lupeon¡¯s face. ¡®What on earth is the Magic Corps doing! Are they having this much trouble dealing with mere Revolutionary Army rabble?!¡¯ Even considering it was a surprise attack, the Revolutionary Army that had infiltrated the mansion numbered only about a few hundred. It made no sense that the Magic Corps, which outnumbered them more than tenfold, still hadn¡¯t entered the mansion. Even though the Elcidore mansion was fortified, this was an incomprehensible amount of time. Why weren¡¯t they coming? Had something happened outside? What about the Knifehead?! What on earth was happening outside¡­! Click- In the midst of these thoughts and calculations. That irritating characteristic sound of loading came from right in front of Lupeon. ¡°Looking away while I¡¯m right here, did you really think so little of the Revolutionary Army, noble sir?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A fatal mistake. While he was preoccupied with the external situation, Maximilien had closed in to point-blank range! ¡°This is the end.¡± There was no time to dodge or defend. The hammer of the revolver aimed at Lupeon¡¯s chest struck the primer of the loaded magic bullet and. Ku-kwa-aang¨C! The flames that erupted from the muzzle crushed Lupeon¡¯s chest. Revolutionary Army Leader, Maximilien de Lascol. Empire¡¯s Magic Noble Third Seat, Lupeon Elcidore. In the battle between these two absolute beings, victory belonged to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader. *** ¡°Huk¡­! Heuk¡­! Kuhk¡­!¡± Both hands trembled from the magic bullets¡¯ aftereffects. The overloaded magic circuit felt like it would burst into flames at any moment, and the magical power circuit formed in his right arm was torn to shreds. ¡°Damn¡­ bastard¡­!¡± The number of magic bullets used in this one battle was sixty-three. Considering his daily limit was twenty shots, he had expended an impossible amount. He was in such a critical state that even a slight touch could make him collapse. Nevertheless, Maximilien¡¯s mind was filled with nothing but satisfaction. ¡°An achievement comparable to¡­ assassinating the Emperor.¡± The significance of this battle wasn¡¯t simply eliminating one of the magic nobles. Elcidore was a massive family holding the third seat among the Empire¡¯s 12 magic nobles. They had engaged such a massive family in direct combat and killed their leader. Moreover, the one they had killed was from the notorious Elcidore family. Known by the alias ¡°Emperor¡¯s Hunting Dogs,¡± they were villains who had persecuted countless innocent imperial citizens under the pretext of ideological verification. ¡°With this¡­ the Revolutionary Army¡¯s reputation will be firmly engraved in the imperial citizens¡¯ minds.¡± The Revolutionary Army, standing over Lupeon¡¯s corpse, would become the vanguard of the Empire¡¯s liberation, and numerous talented individuals would knock on the Revolutionary Army¡¯s door. Now all that remained for the Revolutionary Army was to escape this mansion. The fact that the Magic Corps hadn¡¯t stormed in meant that their comrades were still outside. Bang-! ¡°The head of Elcidore who persecuted imperial citizens, Lupeon, is dead!¡± Maximilien, bursting through the mansion doors, shouted while displaying his trophy in his right hand. What he held was Lupeon¡¯s right arm. The arm with Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint, ¡®Rider of the Ice Prison¡¯. ¡°Comrades! The operation was successful! Quickly retreat¡­!¡± Maximilien, trying his best to keep his back straight despite his condition, said this while looking at the mansion¡¯s outer walls where battle had continued and. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Seeing the sea of blood spread before his eyes, he realized something was terribly wrong. Gooooo¡­ Everyone was dead. The Revolutionary Army who had followed him here, the Magic Corps who were trying to push into the mansion to stop them. The maids, servants, butlers, messengers. Even the Knifehead members who should have attacked from behind. They had all become brutally mangled corpses, dyeing the mansion red. Crunch- Crunch- And in the middle of that red pile of corpses, there was a girl. A girl biting the neck of a red-haired girl in assassin¡¯s attire she had caught. ¡°What, what is this¡­?¡± The moment Maximilien took a step forward to try to understand this horrific scene even slightly. ¡°Wings of Crimson, Rider of the Ice Prison. And even sacrifices to raise Irene.¡± A familiar boy¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Eu, gene¡­?¡± The moment Maximilien spoke the boy¡¯s name, seeing his face covered in blood. ¡°The plan is successful.¡± Puk- The dagger in the boy¡¯s hand pierced Maximilien¡¯s heart. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 19 #019. ¡°Kuh, kuheuk?! cough-!¡± Maximilien¡¯s body, his heart pierced, lost balance and collapsed. In the Elcidore mansion where not even an ant stirred, only his coughing and the sound of Irene gnawing on bones echoed. However, this desolate scene didn¡¯t last long. Having seemingly grasped the situation, Maximilien broke the silence with a bewildered expression. ¡°You¡­ Was this your doing? Eugene?¡± How remarkable that he still had the strength to speak even with a knife in his heart. Admiring his extraordinary survival ability, I looked at Maximilien. Well, he was an NPC who made people say ¡®how is he not dead yet¡¯ even in the main story. Though he does eventually die in the later chapters. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? That the plan was a success.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Enough with the idle thoughts. Upon hearing my answer, his face, which had been full of questions, hardened. ¡°You, you¡­!¡± ¡°You seem curious about how things ended up like this.¡± No matter how tenacious one¡¯s life force might be, one cannot rise after having their heart pierced. I approached Maximilien and slowly began to speak. Still, he was one of the important NPCs, and in the main story, he was the protagonist¡¯s mentor. I thought it was only right to at least explain why he was dying. ¡°I informed you about the existence of the secret passage and induced Revolutionary Army¡¯s surprise attack. I leaked false information to Lupeon to make him think your main force would be the airship fleet.¡± The smoke screen operation that Maximilien and I jointly orchestrated. Lupeon fell for that deception and deployed the Magic Corps outside the mansion. For the Revolutionary Army, it was a golden opportunity. And from my perspective, it was the first prerequisite for the plan. ¡°Thanks to that, you had no choice but to concentrate all your forces at the Elcidore mansion, and Lupeon had to deploy the Magic Corps outside the mansion.¡± Maximilien had to use the Revolutionary Army, the blade he had carefully honed, and Lupeon had to activate large-scale tactical magic to stop it. One side had no choice but to throw precious mages into the heart of enemy territory, while the other had to deploy their maximum forces externally. A precarious deadlock where both sides shouldered risks. The battle between the two forces began in that dangerous tug-of-war. [Most of the Knight Order isn¡¯t here! Stop them from joining Lupeon! For the revolution!] [Waaaaaah-!] The Revolutionary Army gathered in the underground passage deployed their magic at maximum output, turning the mansion into literal wasteland. An elite force created by scraping together as many available mages as possible from the Revolutionary Army, which didn¡¯t have many mages. The concentrated power of the Revolutionary Army was enough to qualify as any Knight Order. [Revolutionary Army?! Where the hell did they come from?!] [Damn it, the lord is isolated! All remaining knights and combat troops charge! We must join up with the lord!] In response, the knights remaining in the Elcidore mansion rushed out. Even though the majority of their forces were deployed to the eastern front, they were elite mages ranking 3rd in the empire. As if trying to make up for their previous mistake of letting Maximilien escape, they fiercely pushed back against the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Leaking information to both you and Elcidore was to create exactly this situation.¡± Hearing my words, Maximilien coughed up blood-mixed phlegm and spoke. ¡°The Revolutionary Army lacking in absolute numbers, and the Knight Order unable to receive support from the Magic Corps¡­¡± A deadlock where neither side could gain the upper hand. The battle naturally flowed into a war of attrition, and the fatigue of forces on both sides gradually increased. ¡°And at the end of this fierce struggle¡­¡± I raised my hand to point at Irene, who was filling her stomach in the midst of this tragedy. ¡°The greatest variable on this chessboard appears.¡± When both sides¡¯ magical power was depleted, and they didn¡¯t even have the strength to grip their swords. When fatigue from battle reached its peak, though there were few casualties due to the evenly matched forces. Creeak- Irene, having created a large black sphere above her head, opened the small door leading to the basement and walked out. [Uh, huh?] Thump, thump Irene slowly walking out to the center of the battlefield. [What is that?] [Looks like a girl, but¡­] The Revolutionary Army, who had no way of knowing about her existence, was bewildered by the appearance of this out-of-place figure. [Wait. If she came from the basement, could it be¡­] [Ah, aah¡­ Aaaah¡­!] The Elcidore knights, who knew of her existence even if only through rumors, could only be overwhelmed with despair. [Hee~!] After looking around at both sides, Irene, feeling terrible hunger, stretched out her hand. [Kwoooooo¡ª!] Dozens of mouths protruding from the black sphere began to roar at them. 30 minutes. That was how long it took for the brightly smiling Irene to completely annihilate the exhausted Knight Order and Revolutionary Army. ¡°Finding that child was a coincidence. Although Elcidore had been conducting experiments away from the Imperial Magic Department¡¯s eyes for a long time, to think they would put a monster¡¯s core into a human body¡­¡± Grab! While I was enthusiastically continuing my explanation. Suddenly, Maximilien grabbed my collar and shouted at me. ¡°Why¡­!¡± Blood flowing from his mouth and eyes. Transformed into a demon-like appearance, Maximilien was growling at me. ¡°Why on earth did you do this¡­!¡± Looking at that sight, I stopped my explanation and met Maximilien¡¯s gaze. ¡°If you wanted to escape the life of an assassin, you could have asked me for help. If you wanted wealth and glory, you could have revealed the real entrance¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you did neither. You destroyed both the Revolutionary Army and Elcidore¡­!¡± The defeated revolutionary was crying out to me in anguish. Resentment, hatred, doubt, despair. His voice, mixed with countless emotions, was directed at me, and I could clearly feel his anger, but¡­ Well. I didn¡¯t particularly feel any guilt. It seemed that ten-year-old Eugene¡¯s heart had worn away completely at this young age. ¡°Why¡­ Why would you do such a thing¡­!¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s the only way I can live my life completely as my own.¡± At my words interrupting his, Maximilien¡¯s voice stopped. ¡°If I kill Elcidore, I become a traitor who killed an imperial noble. If I join the Revolutionary Army with you, I¡¯d have to live my life being hunted.¡± That¡¯s why I killed both sides. To remain as an innocent imperial citizen caught in the fight between the Revolutionary Army and magic nobles. ¡°When we first met, you said it, didn¡¯t you? That you saw the qualities of a hero in me.¡± It wasn¡¯t just me. You said that to all your disciples. However, while playing this game, I had a special sentiment about that title of hero. ¨C You are the hero of the Revolutionary Army. ¨C Only you, the hero, can do this. ¨C This is what a hero must do. The word ¡®hero¡¯ that I heard endlessly throughout [Revolution Empire]. That title was a guarantee to accept impossible missions, and a free pass to dangerous zones with slim survival rates. Those who praised the protagonist as a hero all betrayed him one by one, and protagonist Eugene could only realize this fact when he was at death¡¯s door. Having experienced countless such incidents and dangers, I could say this. Hero, protagonist, warrior, hero. All those countless titles were truly¡­ ¡°Sickening.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Maximilien wore an expression of complete incomprehension at my words. But it didn¡¯t matter. Facing Maximilien who was looking at me with eyes full of disbelief, I spoke slowly and deliberately. ¡°A hero is nothing but a tool to fulfill the objectives of those who use them. Their life is not that of a human but of livestock, and their sacrifice is merely exploitation dressed up in the fine clothes of the word ¡®sacrifice¡¯.¡± I won¡¯t live like that anymore. I didn¡¯t want to live bound by the role of protagonist, as someone¡¯s tool. Revolution? The empire¡¯s transformation? The world¡¯s salvation? Do it all yourselves. I¡¯m out. In this game world where only miserable endings exist, Eugene Lorentz¡¯s purpose is just one thing. To survive. To survive and live completely according to my own will. Click I picked up Maximilien¡¯s gun that had fallen to the floor. One magic bullet remained in the cylinder. ¡°This should be enough.¡± The ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ Maximilien possessed was a 7-stroke magic imprint. And this magic bullet was a monstrous round that even the highest-level magic imprint comparable to the head of a magic noble family could barely withstand. It had enough power to shatter my mere three-stroke magic imprint. ¡°Eugene. You¡­!¡± ¡°Farewell, master.¡± Though Maximilien seemed to have more to say, I didn¡¯t listen anymore. The cold muzzle of the gun aimed at its owner¡¯s heart- ¡°It was nice meeting you, even if briefly.¡± Bang! With the gunshot, the founder of the Revolutionary Army lost his life. *** Thud! Maximilien¡¯s body, having served its purpose, crumpled lifelessly. ¡°Eugene. If you¡¯re done, can I eat this person?¡± ¡°No. He¡¯s someone I know.¡± Patting Irene¡¯s head who had approached my side, I said that. Maximilien¡¯s corpse staring at me with wide-open eyes. Ignoring that gaze, I picked up Lupeon¡¯s right arm that had fallen at his feet. ¡°Still¡­ As expected, it hasn¡¯t disappeared.¡± Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint still hadn¡¯t lost its light despite losing its owner. When I concentrated, I could still feel the characteristic cold chill continuing inside the arm. Wondering if perhaps Lupeon was still alive, I checked inside the mansion, but Lupeon¡¯s entire upper body including his heart had been crushed. Then there was only one conclusion. Even at this point when its owner Lupeon was dead, the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ was still alive. ¡°Good thing I killed them beforehand.¡± Saying that, I looked at the corpses strewn across the mansion courtyard. Revolutionary Army in trench coats. Knights in red coats and ornate medicine cases. And finally, the Knifehead members in gas masks and hoods. ¡°Huu¡­¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Taking in their corpses with my eyes, I looked up at the sky with a dejected expression. The Knifehead seniors I had lived and worked with for almost 2 years. I wondered if there wasn¡¯t a way to release the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ without killing them, but it was impossible after all. ¡°Then, there¡¯s only one troublemaker left.¡± The Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack was fierce, and Elcidore¡¯s resistance was intense. The Knifehead gave up the advantage of stealth and confronted them head-on, so there¡¯s no need to say how desperate they were. Irene¡¯s black sphere killed them all. However, among all those corpses, only one person¡¯s corpse couldn¡¯t be confirmed. ¡°Ben Herkes.¡± The supervisor who oversees everything in Knifehead. The moment I quietly spoke his name. Clang! The black tentacle Irene summoned deflected a dagger aiming for my back. ¡°I thought you were just an excellent member, but I never expected this level. Eugene.¡± A giant in a robe was walking towards me. Dozens of daggers filled his waist, legs, and arms all over. The black daggers that the Knifehead members wore on their chest. ¡°You¡¯re more sentimental than I thought. Collecting the members¡¯ daggers.¡± ¡°They¡¯re guys I¡¯ve personally trained for decades. Even if they¡¯re not my children, I have at least the affection of a master for his disciples.¡± Saying that, Ben stood in the middle of the mansion courtyard and drew the sword at his waist. ¡°Creating a clash between the Revolutionary Army and Elcidore, causing the lord¡¯s death, then eliminating the Revolutionary Army leader¡­ Truly impressive.¡± ¡°Your survival wasn¡¯t part of the plan, Supervisor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate then. It means my skills haven¡¯t rusted yet.¡± The five-stroke magic imprint shining on his right arm. Except for Knight Order leader Burken, it was the most powerful magic imprint in the Elcidore family. ¡°Eugene!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Stay there.¡± Using Irene would have been safer, but I held her back. She had already consumed too much blood. If she were to devour a magician¡¯s body full of magical power now, there was a real possibility she would go berserk. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to test it this soon.¡¯ Thinking that, I pulled out the gun from my breast pocket. ¡°Hooh¡­!¡± Seeing Maximilien¡¯s gun in my hand and the new red magic imprint engraved on my right arm, Supervisor Ben let out a short exclamation. ¡°Wings of Crimson¡­! Ah, so that was your goal!¡± ¡°Though I didn¡¯t expect to obtain it this way.¡± To think I¡¯d obtain the magic imprint that the protagonist inherits in the original work like this. Saying that, I slowly aimed the gun at Ben. Then Ben pointed his sword at me and spoke in his characteristically monotone voice. ¡°Knifehead 41st Generation Official Member, Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are Knifehead¡¯s final target.¡± Whoosh! With Ben¡¯s words, dozens of ice shards flew towards me. Such powerful magical power that my previous self couldn¡¯t have even responded to. However, instead of deploying a defensive barrier, I channeled magical power into my right arm holding the gun. Whoosh! The [Wings of Crimson] accepting my magical power emitted a red light. And the magic engraved there began to unfold at the muzzle. Since I killed my master from my previous life with my own hands. Now it¡¯s time to kill my master from this life. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 20 #020 Boom¨C! The flames that burst from the muzzle instantly incinerated the shards of ice rushing toward me. Overwhelming firepower that effortlessly devoured magic worthy of a Knight Order Commander. It was truly power deserving of the name ¡®Flames that Burn the Empire.¡¯ ¡®Here it comes!¡¯ However, instead of being surprised by its power, I immediately pulled my body back to prepare for the next attack. For the named monster I knew, Ben Herkes. There was no way he would die from just one attack like this. Whoosh-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± Ben¡¯s sword swept through the spot where I had been just moments ago. The second strike rushed in without delay. However, one dodge bought me enough time to respond. Thwack-! Crack! After kicking away his sword, I struck away Ben¡¯s hand that tried to grab my clothes. Ben¡¯s main combat style was grappling, utilizing his unique physique and strength. The moment I get caught in those hands even once, he would crush my skull right there. ¡°You fed Karin to that monster.¡± Ben said during our close combat. ¡°Did you know that one admired you? I heard she even had quite promising plans for the future.¡± It was news to me, but I felt no particular emotion. Her brain was already infiltrated by the Mark of Control. I couldn¡¯t save her, and she wasn¡¯t valuable enough to be worth saving and utilizing. It was a bit touching that she called my name when she died, but that¡¯s no longer my concern¡­ ¡°Eugene.¡± In the middle of these thoughts, I realized. ¡°What are you doing getting distracted by psychological warfare?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± To spend four sentences explaining the justification for killing. I suppose I¡¯m more emotional than I think I am. Wham-! Ben¡¯s fist struck my abdomen with full force. Fuck. Why does it sound like being hit with a mace when he¡¯s using his fist? ¡°Kuluk! Kek, uwek¡­! Kek¡­!¡± After being thrown far and sprawled on the ground, I desperately held back the urge to vomit. Ben¡¯s fists ¨C no matter how many times I get hit, I can¡¯t get used to them. However, Ben seemed quite surprised by my next action, as he took his stance with renewed interest. ¡°Getting up right away, your endurance has improved.¡± ¡°It has. Thanks to someone.¡± I raised my gun toward Ben with a smirk. However, the current situation wasn¡¯t good. ¡®This is¡­ dangerous¡­!¡¯ The wounds from Ben¡¯s hits weren¡¯t the problem. Well, thinking about it, that¡¯s a fucking big problem too, but anyway, that wasn¡¯t what mattered. ¡®I¡¯m running low on magical power.¡¯ Just using magic imprint once consumed 20% of my accumulated magical power. In my current physical state, I couldn¡¯t handle the magical power consumption of this ¡®Wings of Crimson.¡¯ ¡®Well, when you think about it, it makes sense.¡¯ The body of a ten-year-old child. Immature magic circuit and underdeveloped magical power circuit. Such a fragile body equipped with one of the highest-tier magic imprints in this world. It¡¯s like putting a motorcycle engine in a supercar chassis and flooring it. The engine couldn¡¯t handle it, and the car couldn¡¯t run properly. ¡®If this were a game, it would be the worst build possible.¡¯ That thought made me laugh involuntarily. If I could have grown optimizing for maximum efficiency, I wouldn¡¯t be struggling like this. Thinking this, I gauged the amount of magical power I had left. ¡®I can use magic about three more times¡­ Any more than that and it¡¯s straight to Magical Power Exhaustion.¡¯ The status ailment I experienced two years ago fighting Saul¡¯s gang, Magical Power Exhaustion. But the situation now was different from then. There was no hospital here to treat my collapsed body, no kind doctor. The moment I collapse, I die. Click- ¡®Still, it¡¯s not like I have no chance of winning.¡¯ I recalled the exchange I just had with Ben. One clash, and an ambush. Ben¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t negate mine, and he had no choice but to settle it in close combat. ¡®In speed, strength, and stamina, Ben has an overwhelming advantage. However¡­!¡¯ The one element where I overwhelm him ¨C firepower. Then what I could do was already decided. ¡®Short decisive battle using overwhelming firepower advantage.¡¯ No choice but to pour everything into one exchange. After making this decision, I drew out as much magical power as I could from within my body. Thud-! ¡°?!¡± When I stepped forward holding up my dagger, Ben seemed uncharacteristically surprised. But that was only for a moment. As if indicating he wouldn¡¯t avoid the challenge, he received my attack with a faint smile. Clang! Clang-! Clang-clang¨C! Close combat continued without pause. I desperately swung my dagger looking for Ben¡¯s openings, and Ben skillfully blocked it using his arms and legs. Don¡¯t ask why blocking a knife with limbs makes metallic sounds. Even I who¡¯m fighting right now don¡¯t understand it at all. ¡°You were hasty, Eugene. Close combat against a mage of Elcidore?¡± At that moment. Along with that brief comment, the magic imprint engraved on Ben¡¯s right arm activated. Crackle-! What I felt then was a coldness that seemed to tear at flesh. Looking at the ground, the earth around Ben began to slowly freeze. ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°This is a technique used by the knights of Elcidore. Originally, I developed it.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the air and ground that were freezing. The cold instantly penetrated my body, and my attack speed noticeably decreased. That slight gap that was created. Ben didn¡¯t miss it. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± The giant¡¯s fist swung greatly aimed at my abdomen and. Thud¨C! Lifted my body up, about to crush my internal organs. ¡­No. Should have crushed them. ¡°Got you.¡± Thunk-! ¡°?!¡± When the dagger stabbed into Ben¡¯s arm, a look of bewilderment crossed his face. Despite taking his strike head-on, I was still alive. How am I alive? Surely all my internal organs should have been destroyed? The content of his thoughts was crystal clear. Click- I gripped the gun in my empty right hand. ¡®Heresy.¡¯ Maximilien¡¯s unique item, its effects when equipped were removal of ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ usage penalties and instantaneous regeneration ability. Through Ben¡¯s attack just now, I realized these effects were being applied to me. And through close combat, I induced his attack and caught my opportunity. The instantaneous regeneration ability that activated the moment Ben¡¯s fist tore through my internal organs. That turned the tide of this battle. ¡°I said my endurance improved, didn¡¯t I? Supervisor?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Looking at Ben¡¯s face still not recovered from shock, I quietly murmured. ¡°That was a lie.¡± With those words, I pulled Heresy¡¯s trigger. Screech-! I awakened magical power seven years earlier than in the original work. I desperately increased my magical power capacity and optimized my magical power circuits using all the knowledge I had. Those two years of enduring and bearing with it. I poured all of that into this single moment. *** ¡°Wait¡­ What exactly does that mean?¡± Inside the armored train heading to Belkers territory. Hearing the staff officer¡¯s report after reading the code table, the middle-aged man in uniform dropped his cigarette. ¡°Count Elcidore¡¯s magical power signal disappeared? Is this true?¡± His name was Keiren Valkheim. The fourth son of the Valkheim duchy, he was the division commander of the Empire¡¯s 72nd Division stationed on the eastern front. ¡°It¡¯s certain, Major General. The amount of magical power communications from the Knight Order has surged, and the atmosphere is unsettled.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hearing the staff officer¡¯s report, Major General Keiren cupped his chin in thought. ¡®Something happened to that viper?¡¯ Originally, the eastern wasteland expedition was a joint operation between Elcidore and Valkheim. More precisely, it was a joint operation between Lupeon, who held supreme command of the Empire¡¯s Magic Corps, and Keiren, the 72nd Division commander. However, the relationship between the two who had to pioneer the eastern wasteland together was extremely awkward. [The expedition¡¯s top priority is eliminating the monsters settled in the wasteland, and the Magic Corps is central to monster warfare. The 72nd Division should follow our command.] [It¡¯s the 72nd Division¡¯s infantry, not the Magic Corps, maintaining the eastern front, and the supply lines built in the wasteland were created with our soldiers¡¯ blood. If you want to keep your footing on the front lines, the Magic Corps should refrain from independent action and support the 72nd Division¡¯s operations.] A simple difference of opinion during meetings. However, as disagreements continued, this difference of opinion escalated into a pride battle between the Magic Corps and the 72nd Division. [A non-awakened who can¡¯t do anything against monsters wants to command us? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.] [Those who can¡¯t do anything without protection from these non-awakened, what are you going on about?] As more time passed, this dispute evolved into an emotional conflict between the awakened and non-awakened, and eventually the two groups on the eastern front became so antagonistic they had to monitor each other¡¯s communications. In the midst of this, the Elcidore Knight Order and Magic Corps suddenly executed a full withdrawal. Keiren, the 72nd Division commander, was heading to Belkers territory to protest this decision. ¡°This is maddening. I thought it was just a ploy to gain control of the front lines, but to think something actually happened¡­¡± ¡°Ma-Major General, over there! Look over there!¡± While lost in thought sitting in the VIP compartment, Staff Officer Rick called out to him. ¡°Those wreckage are from the Revolutionary Army¡­!¡± ¡°What did you say? Revolutionary Army?¡± Looking where the staff officer¡¯s finger pointed, Major General Keiren¡¯s eyes widened. Because he saw numerous airship wreckage crashed together in one mass. And the black hull protruding from that pile of scrap metal. The infamous Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship fleet. The Liberty, which served as the fleet¡¯s artillery ship, lay face down on the ground like garbage. ¡°That bizarre appearance¡­ It was shot down by magic.¡± It was only momentary that he shuddered at the tremendous power that had handled the Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship fleet like toys, which wouldn¡¯t even be scratched by ordinary anti-air defenses. Major General Keiren realized smoke was rising from within Belkers territory. Judging by the location, the source of the smoke was the Elcidore mansion located in the center of the territory. As his staff officer reported, something had clearly happened to Elcidore. ¡°Rick.¡± ¡°Yes, Major General!¡± After finishing his thoughts, Keiren spoke to his staff officer. ¡°How many soldiers are on this armored train?¡± ¡°The 1st, 7th, and 12th battalions are aboard. About 1,000 men total.¡± 1,000 men. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Major General Keiren immediately organized the situation in his head. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship fleet on the ground. The incident with Count Lupeon and the burning Elcidore castle. The size of Elcidore¡¯s forces excluding those deployed to the eastern front. ¡°Relay to each battalion commander. All forces prepare for combat. All train artillery batteries load high-explosive shells for urban suppression and move according to division commander¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Major General. Then¡­!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The deliberation was brief, and the decision was quick. Major General Keiren immediately ordered his staff officer. ¡°Revolutionary Army surprise attack confirmed. The 72nd Division will enter the city and eliminate the Revolutionary Army inside.¡± Along with the division commander¡¯s order, dozens of field guns mounted on the armored train slowly began to move. Seeing this, Keiren hardened his expression and took out a cigarette from his breast pocket. Boom-! An explosion was heard from the direction of the distant Elcidore mansion. Judging by how the explosions and screams were dying down, it seemed there wasn¡¯t much time left. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 21 #021. ¡°All troops disembark!¡± Screech-! The infantry of the 72nd Division, disembarking from the armored train, immediately began securing various parts of the Belkers domain. ¡°As of this moment, the Belkers domain is under Imperial Army control, and all trains and airships are to cease operations!¡± ¡°Imperial Army?! What? Why are you people here¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Q-quick, remaining personnel, stop them! If they get inside the mansion¡­¡­!¡± The Magic Corps mages stationed at the outskirts tried to stop the Imperial Army, but it was futile. Boom¨C! ¡°Ugh, urk?!¡± The sound of the howitzer mounted on the armored train shook the entire domain. It was a blank shell with no warhead. Not meant for actual killing, but a show of force to demonstrate firepower superiority. ¡°Drop your weapons! Now!¡± ¡°A-alright! D-don¡¯t shoot¡­!¡± ¡°Imperial Army, what¡¯s the meaning of this suddenly¡­¡­!¡± As hundreds of gun barrels pointed at them simultaneously, the Magic Corps lost their will to fight. With their forces depleted trying to break through the mansion occupied by the Revolutionary Army, and the magical power signature of the head of the household, Elcidore, now gone. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In this situation, it was impossible to stop the Imperial Army advancing with their armored train. ¡°It¡¯s quiet. Despite the battle at the castle.¡± Major General Keiren remarked while walking down the deserted main road. For this level of disturbance, there should be at least someone coming out to check the situation or domain residents trying to escape, but there wasn¡¯t a single one. It seemed to show at a glance how much Elcidore had oppressed the domain¡¯s residents. Clank- Clank- Eventually, Keiren and his soldiers arrived at the main gate of the Elcidore mansion. Looking at the facility that was closer to a fortress than a mansion, Keiren let out a sigh. ¡®So this is why the Magic Corps couldn¡¯t rashly enter.¡¯ The battle took place inside the mansion. Even if the Magic Corps stationed at the outskirts tried to enter belatedly, the Revolutionary Army that had infiltrated would have occupied the towers and fortified their position. To think they would have to siege a fortress they themselves built. Keiren couldn¡¯t understand why Lupeon made such a decision. ¡°The gate is locked, but there are no signs of life on the other side. This is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Blow up the gate and enter.¡± At Keiren¡¯s order, the combat engineers immediately began setting up explosives. Military explosives were plastered all over the Elcidore mansion¡¯s main gate with its classical decorations. Bang¨C! With an explosion, the gate disappeared without a trace. At Keiren¡¯s gesture, soldiers with rifles raised rushed into the mansion interior en masse. Past the thick castle walls like a fortress and the heavy main gate. As they stepped inside, the faces of the soldiers who saw the mansion¡¯s interior turned pale. ¡°M-Major General?!¡± ¡°This is, what¡­¡­!¡± The mansion¡¯s interior was a sea of blood. A space covered in blood and torn body parts scattered here and there. It was an unbearably horrific sight even to Major General Keiren, who had been through countless battlefields. ¡°Ugh, urgh?!¡± Upon witnessing this unexpected carnage, several soldiers retched. However, they couldn¡¯t stop the search because of that. The soldiers swallowed hard and began searching throughout the mansion with their rifles at the ready. ¡°Revolutionary Army, Elcidore knights¡­. What¡¯s with these gas masks?¡± They checked the bodies strewn across the mansion courtyard. ¡°Look here. All the servants and coachmen were killed too.¡± ¡°What in the world happened here¡­¡­?¡± They started searching for survivors inside the mansion. ¡°These bones buried under the castle wall¡­.¡± ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve been buried for a while¡­. Wait, aren¡¯t these children?¡± ¡°This place looks like a training ground and barracks no matter how you look at it¡­.¡± ¡°What were these crazy Elcidore bastards doing inside this mansion?¡± As they thoroughly searched the completely destroyed Elcidore mansion. ¡°Found it! It¡¯s Lord Lupeon¡¯s body!¡± ¡°It-it¡¯s Maximilien! We-we found the Revolutionary Army leader¡¯s body!¡± At the two pieces of news that came simultaneously, Keiren frowned. The bodies of the two men were soon brought out on stretchers. Looking back and forth between Lupeon and Maximilien¡¯s bodies, Keiren fell into deep thought. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s certain that Maximilien killed Lupeon.¡¯ Lupeon¡¯s corpse had his chest completely crushed, and the arm that should have had the magic imprint was cut off. ¡®The Revolutionary Army won the battle between the two factions, and Maximilien had enough leisure to retrieve Lupeon¡¯s magic imprint. But why¡­¡­¡¯ How could the victor Maximilien be dead? Keiren examined Maximilien¡¯s body. A huge hole in the heart area, as if pierced by a massive bullet. ¡®This isn¡¯t a trace of Lupeon¡¯s ice magic. This is Maximilien¡¯s own magic.¡¯ To die by his own magic, does that mean he committed suicide? Keiren looked at Maximilien¡¯s right arm. The magic imprint ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ that should have been implanted there was nowhere to be found. ¡®Elcidore¡¯s right arm hasn¡¯t been found yet, and Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint has also disappeared. Then¡­.¡¯ Spitting out his finished cigarette, Keiren reached a conclusion. ¡®An unknown third party must have taken everything for themselves.¡¯ If that¡¯s the case, the problem becomes even more serious. ¡®Rider of the Ice Prison¡¯ and ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯. To think two magic imprints equivalent to strategic weapons have disappeared. If these were to leak to the Revolutionary Army or a foreign country like Westraine¡­¡­! As Major General Keiren¡¯s concerns deepened. ¡°Two survivors found! They¡¯re children!¡± ¡°Oh, ooh!¡± At the shout from a corner of the mansion, color returned to the soldiers¡¯ faces. ¡°Children? Really?¡± ¡°Yes! One girl and one boy! We¡¯ll protect them now!¡± The reporting soldier slung his rifle on his back and took out a chocolate bar from his pocket. ¡°Here, this way kids. Don¡¯t be scared, take uncle¡¯s hand.¡± Soon after, small hands emerged hesitantly and grabbed the soldier¡¯s hand. A boy and girl who had been hiding in a closet in a corner of the mansion. Eugene Lorentz and Irene Elcryer. *** Two days after the search of the Elcidore mansion was completed. Keiren and the 72nd Division cleaned up the blood-soaked mansion and made it their temporary base. They still had work to do, such as confirming the identities of the fallen and their military achievements. Processing the bodies and maintaining public order. ¡°Even for internal affairs of a noble family¡­. This went too far.¡± What particularly caught Major General Keiren¡¯s attention were the children¡¯s bones piled up inside the Elcidore mansion and the torture chamber. Flipping through unsettling photos and reports, the major general put a cigarette in his mouth. ¡°So they¡¯re still not saying anything?¡± ¡°Yes, Major General. It seems they¡¯re quite shocked after seeing that carnage firsthand¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, understandable.¡± Though the major general agreed with the staff officer¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something was off. After pondering for a while. The major general finally put down the report he was reading and stood up. ¡°Guide me to the children. I¡¯ll talk to them directly.¡± ¡°M-Major General will speak to them personally?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The staff officer who heard Keiren¡¯s words immediately led the way. The children were in one of the guest reception rooms located in a corner of the mansion. It was a luxurious room but had few pieces of furniture. Two beds and a desk in the middle of the room, and chairs. The original furniture had been removed to suit its purpose as an interrogation room. The soldiers probably took any valuable items while they were at it. ¡°Are these the children?¡± Keiren asked, looking at the two children sitting at the desk. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The two kept their distance while watching him warily. Judging by their complexion, he could imagine how the soldiers and staff officers in charge of interrogation had treated the children. ¡°Soldier there.¡± Keiren called to the soldier guarding the interrogation room. ¡°P-private First Class! Benny Ra¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Benny. Sorry, but could you give us some space?¡± When the soldier stammered at the division commander¡¯s words, he smiled and patted the soldier¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go out. The kids must be scared with soldiers glaring at them.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, tell the staff officer outside. Tell him to brighten up the interrogation room¡¯s atmosphere and bring some combat rations.¡± Maybe they¡¯ll open up if I give them some crackers or candy. After making that request, Keiren slowly approached and sat in the chair placed in the center of the room. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Keiren didn¡¯t ask questions first. He merely looked back and forth between the two children with a faint smile. ¡°¡­¡­Um.¡± After some silence continued that way, the boy who couldn¡¯t bear the awkwardness opened his mouth. ¡°Are you¡­. Not going to ask questions?¡± It was the boy sitting on the left. Eugene was his name, wasn¡¯t it? Looking at the boy¡¯s seemingly frightened face, Keiren narrowed his eyes. ¡®That child, something¡¯s different.¡¯ Though he was acting like a frightened child, years of military experience and instinct warned him. This boy named Eugene. He wasn¡¯t simply trembling in fear. ¡°You said you¡¯re Eugene?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡­¡± Looking into the eyes of the boy who was looking up at him dejectedly, Keiren asked. ¡°You¡¯re not an innocent victim, are you?¡± ¡°Ye-yes¡­?¡± He seemed to try denying it for a moment but it was useless. Keiren looked into Eugene¡¯s eyes with his chin resting on his interlocked hands. ¡°Among the boy soldiers scattered across battlefields, there are children with eyes similar to yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hiding daggers behind the mask of a child, waiting for an opportunity. Waiting for the opponent to let their guard down, ready to go for the throat at any time.¡± The look in the eyes of children who survived while bearing responsibilities unfitting for their young age. Eyes that children of that age shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°By my guess, you¡¯re not an innocent survivor. At least a party to or collaborator in the incident that turned Elcidore upside down¡­. Perhaps even the mastermind.¡± The girl sitting next to him, seemingly frightened by the relentless words, hid behind the boy¡¯s back. ¡°So there should be no lies in answering this question I¡¯m about to ask.¡± Sorry to that child but it can¡¯t be helped. Suppressing his guilt, Keiren spoke to the boy. ¡°Who killed Maximilien?¡± If he insisted on denying until the end, there was no choice. A torture specialist would be dispatched, and real interrogation would begin. The current empire was that cruel of a country after all. Please take off the mask. Thinking that, Keiren waited for the boy¡¯s answer. ¡°¡­¡­Haa.¡± Eventually, as if having made a decision, the boy dropped the frightened posture he had maintained throughout. ¡°Major General Keiren Valkheim, right?¡± Speaking in a languid voice unfitting for his age, he addressed Keiren. ¡­Wait. How does that child know my name? I never once mentioned Valkheim? ¡°Before making my statement, I have one request.¡± Such thoughts were brief. The boy, now sitting comfortably as if a different person from moments ago, said to Keiren. ¡°Perhaps, do you have a cigarette?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Hearing the words of the boy called Eugene, Keiren was dumbfounded for a moment. This child seemed to be much stranger than he had thought. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 22 #022. The harsh cigarette smoke seeped into the ten-year-old body. Though my throat burned and my head spun, I still enjoyed this feeling. ¡°Phuuu¡­¡­¡± A cigarette I¡¯m smoking for the first time in 10 years since reincarnating. Savoring that lingering sensation slowly, I looked at the man in military uniform sitting across from me. Keiren Buckenheim. A figure belonging to the Second Prince¡¯s faction who had the highest right of succession to the throne, known as the empire¡¯s last great general who blocked the Revolutionary Army in the final chapters. The master of defensive warfare who decimated the Revolutionary Army with strategy and tactics alone, even after they had defeated all the prominent family heads and upper magic nobles. An NPC who should appear in the final chapters was now looking at me with incredibly interested eyes. ¡®I got mixed up in something bad.¡¯ All the main figures of the Elcidore family died in the battle with the Revolutionary Army. What remained were only the executives and knights belonging to the Magic Corps. I thought I could somehow manage to deal with just that much when I caused this mess, but who knew I¡¯d meet this person at this timing. Nothing was going according to plan. ¡°Is that¡­ really true?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t believe me. I¡¯m the only one who can properly testify anyway.¡± In the end, I dropped the act of being an innocent victim and spilled everything. ¡®I could try to play more mind games¡­ but it¡¯s too dangerous.¡¯ The reason I could deceive Maximilien was because he believed in me. The reason I could manipulate Lupeon was because he looked down on me. Right now, I was just a street urchin, a child, and someone marked with the Mark of Control. One side with sympathy, one side with carelessness. However, unlike those two, Keiren neither sympathized with nor underestimated me. His sense of privilege diluted through countless battlefields experienced firsthand. His tenacity to doubt everything regardless of appearance or background. And the unique circumstance of being the only survivor of a mansion turned into a sea of blood. The situation wasn¡¯t favorable enough to handle with half-baked psychological warfare. ¡°Maximilien killed Elcidore, and both the Revolutionary Army and Elcidore¡¯s side were nearly annihilated. I killed Maximilien when he was mortally wounded and took his magic imprint.¡± After saying that, I rolled up my sleeve to show the magic imprint implanted in my arm. ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Keiren let out an exclamation when he saw the ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ emitting a red light. ¡°Then what about that child next to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just an ordinary girl. I rescued her from the underground prison.¡± However, while revealing my own cards, I concealed information about Irene sitting next to me. She was a being who had a monster¡¯s core implanted instead of a magic circuit, and who grew stronger by eating people. If it became known that she had massacred the mansion¡¯s people, there was a possibility that Keiren¡¯s attitude towards us would completely change. Besides, I was the one who ordered that. If we¡¯re found out, both of us die, that¡¯s what I mean. ¡°We confirmed Count Elcidore¡¯s corpse in the center of the mansion.¡± Seeming quite satisfied with my smooth testimony, Keiren asked while relaxing his expression. ¡°I heard his right arm, which should have had the magic imprint, was completely torn off. Do you happen to know where it is?¡± ¡°I do. Because I hid it.¡± ¡°You hid it? A magic noble¡¯s magic imprint?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± With that, I leaned forward slightly and opened my mouth while looking at Major General Keiren. ¡°Because I wanted to make a deal with someone from the empire who came looking for me.¡± ¡°¡­ Heh, a deal.¡± Hearing my words, Keiren¡¯s eyes narrowed. He probably thought it wasn¡¯t even worth laughing at, a 10-year-old kid talking about making deals with an imperial division commander. But I didn¡¯t think he would refuse. ¡®He won¡¯t be able to resist hearing it.¡¯ I had deceived both the Revolutionary Army and Elcidore¡¯s side, killed the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader, and usurped his magic imprint. Unlike before, I was no longer just an ordinary child. As if my prediction hit the mark, Keiren gestured with his chin for me to continue. ¡®Now, this is where it really begins.¡¯ After clearing my throat, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll give you both the achievement of killing Maximilien and Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint, Major General.¡± And hearing those words, Keiren stared at me with wide eyes. ¡°Major General suppressed Elcidore¡¯s Magic Corps and immediately cleaned up this mansion. With testimony from me, the only survivor, you could easily claim the achievement.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Though Keiren nodded, he seemed somewhat suspicious. ¡°Why make such an offer? You could just report directly to the imperial capital under your own name.¡± ¡°Would the imperial family believe my word?¡± ¡°If you show that magic imprint, they would. If needed, I could even submit the report under my name.¡± ¡°I appreciate the offer, but that won¡¯t work.¡± I shook my head at Keiren¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m just a child without any backing. If someone like me tries to claim the achievement¡­ I don¡¯t think the Elcidore family would leave me alone.¡± ¡°Oho.¡± Though Count Elcidore was dead, his influence was still intact. Numerous lower houses, branch families, and nobles connected to Elcidore. If I tried to make deals with Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint, they wouldn¡¯t leave me be. Moreover¡­ ¡°And if you report to the imperial capital, you¡¯d also lose the ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ implanted in your right arm. Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The second reason. And the most important reason came from Keiren¡¯s mouth. ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ was one of the five imprints stored in the imperial palace underground. Moreover, it was the most powerful among them. Originally, someone like me shouldn¡¯t have been able to possess it, nor should I have it. ¡°You¡¯ll give me the achievement of killing Maximilien and Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint, in exchange for keeping quiet about yourself?¡± I nodded and added an explanation. ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader Maximilien was designated as an imperial achievement, with a huge bounty on his head. Whoever kills him would instantly gain the Emperor¡¯s exclusive favor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°And on top of that, Lupeon¡¯s magic imprint would fall into Major General¡¯s hands. You could probably get quite a price if you negotiate with the Elcidore side.¡± ¡°With Lupeon¡¯s magic imprint of all things, they¡¯d certainly struggle desperately to obtain it.¡± An opportunity that would make any noble¡¯s eyes roll back. However, Keiren¡¯s reaction to my words was lukewarm. ¡°But everything you¡¯ve mentioned so far cannot be established as trading material.¡± What came from his mouth next was a cold rejection. Keiren¡¯s eyes sank coldly as he looked at me. ¡°Do you know why?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± How could I not know. ¡°Because Major General, you could just take everything I mentioned.¡± Hearing my answer, Keiren finally nodded with satisfaction. It was frustrating, but I couldn¡¯t deny it. He was the commander of the Empire¡¯s 72nd Division. The hidden magic imprint could be found by searching the mansion, and the achievement of killing Maximilien could naturally be obtained by torturing me. An overwhelming difference in power. I had no material to threaten him with, and he could take what was mine at any time. ¡®Is the negotiation falling apart.¡¯ If he¡¯s going to be like that, I have nothing left to hold back either. I started slowly channeling magical power into my magic imprint. ¡°If Major General intends to do that, I¡¯ll destroy what I have. If I make the magic imprint go berserk right here¡­¡± However, at that moment. ¡°Kuk, kuhahahahaha¨C!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Keiren¡¯s cold atmosphere that he had maintained all along changed in an instant. ¡°Wrong.¡± The cunning eyes that seemed ready to use any trick were gone, replaced by Keiren chuckling as if he found this situation absolutely hilarious. Wrong? What? ¡°The reason your conditions don¡¯t stand isn¡¯t that.¡± As I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, Keiren leaned back against his chair and spoke in a much more comfortable voice. ¡°The real reason is that I have no intention of accepting it.¡± What nonsense is this now. Won¡¯t accept it? The achievement of killing the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader and Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint, you¡¯re just going to give up on them? ¡°I¡¯m planning to retire soon.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Planning to retire? The person who would later become the Imperial Army¡¯s Commander-in-Chief? My head became complicated. He seemed like a completely different person from the Keiren I knew in the game. ¡°I¡¯m a major general. Having reached this rank means I¡¯ve done everything I could as a soldier.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if I accept your deal and climb higher, all I¡¯d do is engage in petty politics. Rather than that, I¡¯d much prefer watching my daughter¡¯s antics back in my territory.¡± Moreover, what Keiren said next was even more outrageous. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t really like this situation where we¡¯re fixated on the Revolutionary Army while setting aside our main enemies, the monsters and Westraine.¡± Don¡¯t like going after the Revolutionary Army? That Keiren? As if noticing my surprised gaze, Keiren shrugged and said. ¡°Surprised to hear an imperial army general say such things?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I am.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t help it. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s uprising is nothing but the empire¡¯s karma.¡± Saying that, Keiren pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. ¡°The magic nobles who led us to victory in the Monster War suddenly rose as the empire¡¯s new power. The Magic Corps controlled by magic nobles threatened the imperial army¡¯s authority, and the imperial family became nothing but a puppet that couldn¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°As the imperial family¡¯s authority weakened, checks on magic nobles became lighter, and the magic nobles who gained power are eating away at the empire. It¡¯s ridiculous that individual families possess knight orders in a country ruled by an emperor in the first place.¡± As if these were thoughts he had held for quite some time, Keiren began enthusiastically criticizing the current empire. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s the ordinary imperial citizens caught in the middle who suffer. How could they stay quiet when the country isn¡¯t fulfilling its role?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s rise was inevitable. We can¡¯t stop it, nor do we have any justification to stop it.¡± Is this really something that should come from an imperial division commander¡¯s mouth? If others heard this, they might arrest this person for treason rather than Maximilien. ¡°How should I put it¡­ You¡¯re quite scathing.¡± When I muttered in bewilderment, Keiren smirked as if he understood well. ¡°It is rather amusing. A magic noble defending the Revolutionary Army.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± As Keiren looked at me while lighting his cigarette, I shook my head as if it was nothing. The reason I found Keiren unexpected was for a different reason. ¡®Is this really¡­ Keiren Buckenheim?¡¯ The Keiren who appeared in the original work was someone desperate to kill the Revolutionary Army. [Even in death, I will curse you¡­ I will hunt you down and slaughter you all!] [Until I kill all of you Revolutionary Army members, I¡­ I¡­!] Poisoning water sources, luring monsters to encampments, taking the protagonist¡¯s companions hostage. He was a vicious character who would use any means necessary just to kill one more Revolutionary Army member. To the point of cursing the Revolutionary Army until his dying moment. That¡¯s how intensely he hated the Revolutionary Army. But what is this now? What exactly happened before the main story? ¡°I¡¯ll process it as Maximilien and Count Elcidore mutually destroying each other.¡± While I was thinking, Keiren casually spoke words that were anything but casual. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We conducted a search but couldn¡¯t confirm either of their magic imprints. Based on circumstances, I¡¯ll report that the Revolutionary Army retrieved them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine for me, but you plan to hide Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint too?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I plan to do.¡± When I asked that, Keiren nodded. ¡°I saw Elcidore¡¯s internal documents. They were assassinating allies for power and experimenting on children. Rather than returning the magic imprint to such people, it¡¯s better for you to keep hiding it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint had completely fallen into my hands. Moreover, I even got confirmation that a member of the Buckenheim duchy would cover for me. An unexpected harvest. No, such a huge harvest that I couldn¡¯t figure out how to handle it. ¡°And for this whole process¡­¡± Saying that, Keiren looked straight into my eyes and slowly spoke. ¡°I plan to adopt you as my child.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Wait. What did he just say? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 23 #023. [Breaking News: Imperial Hero Lupeon Elcidore Perishes Along with the Heart of the Revolutionary Army!] [On August 21st, the brutal and heinous rebels, led by their infamous airship ¡®Liberty¡¯, oppressed the innocent imperial citizens of Belkers territory.] [Count Lupeon Elcidore, along with his knights, annihilated the rebel¡¯s air fleet and achieved a great victory by killing the rebel leader, the wanted criminal ¡®Maximilien de Lascol¡¯. However, Lord Elcidore himself did not survive the battle¡¯s aftermath.] [In response, the Imperial Court has posthumously awarded Count Elcidore the title of Imperial Hero for defeating the rebel leader and sacrificing himself for the Empire. A funeral ceremony will be held this December¡­] ¡°D-Don¡¯t joke around¡­!¡± The boy¡¯s hands trembled like aspen leaves as he read the newspaper. ¡°It¡¯s a lie! All of it is a lie-!¡± Even after reading it two, three times, the newspaper¡¯s content remained unchanged. A scream-like cry burst from the boy¡¯s clenched mouth, and the imperial newspaper in his hands was torn to shreds. ¡°He can¡¯t be dead! Master couldn¡¯t have died! The Empire is lying!¡± The plan had been perfect. Using the air fleet as bait for deception, occupying the mansion with an elite small force, and the assassination of Lupeon. It was an operation they had pondered and discussed countless times. It was supposed to be their masterstroke, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s first symbolic dagger thrust at the Empire! But, but why¡­! ¡°Claude.¡± ¡°The Empire is spreading false information! They must have captured Master, they¡¯re trying to deceive us! We need to organize a rescue team quickly¡­!¡± ¡°Claude-!¡± A young man in a suit spoke to the staggering Claude. ¡°The newspaper¡¯s contents are true.¡± ¡°What are you saying! Even you, Brother Randall¡­!¡± ¡°We got word from our informants. Imperial forces entered the territory and retrieved Maxim¡¯s body.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Randall Clark. He was one of the merchants secretly supporting the Revolutionary Army and a member in charge of gathering intelligence for this operation. ¡°You need to accept it. Maxim is¡­ dead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ impossible!¡± Upon hearing his words, Claude clutched his head and collapsed to the floor. He should have gone with them after all. He should have returned to Elcidore Castle together and punched that detestable Lupeon in the face. He should have torn that little devil apart with his own hands, the one who had given him such terrible feelings of powerlessness! If only he had. If only he could have convinced Maxim to go together, maybe¡­! ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Claude.¡± While he was lost in self-blame, a firm hand gripped Claude¡¯s shoulder. A giant of a man with an unkempt beard, Vark Urgon. A metal magic imprint was embedded in the middle of his steel-like forearm. ¡°Vice Commander Vark¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the seed of a hero personally chosen by Maxim. If someone like you shows such a disheveled appearance, who should our members following you believe in?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Vark¡¯s words landed heavily. Claude looked at the magic imprint engraved on his arm. ¡®Red Wings¡¯, Claude¡¯s imprint that Maximilien personally created by extracting the essence of ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯. It was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s first self-created magic imprint and would become the standard armament for Revolutionary Army mages. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. You¡¯re our youngest and most talented mage. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the future of the Revolutionary Army of your generation rests in your hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve chosen to live as a hero, don¡¯t turn away from that responsibility. Understand?¡± At Vark¡¯s resolute advice, Claude slowly raised his head. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Vark was one of the founding members who established the Revolutionary Army alongside Maximilien. Perhaps he was the one most shocked by his death. ¡®When someone like him is holding back his resentment, I¡­¡¯ Inwardly reproaching himself, Claude slowly bowed his head. ¡°Yes, Uncle Vark. I¡¯m sorry.¡± But that didn¡¯t last long. Randall, who had been listening to the conversation, cut through the tense atmosphere between the two. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so down, Claude. You¡¯re already doing plenty well in your position.¡± Randall¡¯s eyes glanced at Vark as he said this. ¡°Right, Vark?¡± Aren¡¯t you putting too heavy a burden on someone who just joined the Revolutionary Army? Under such silent pressure, even Vark had to take a step back. ¡°¡­Go upstairs and rest. You must be heartbroken.¡± If he pushed any further and Claude broke down, it would truly be irreversible. Thinking this, Mark sent Claude back to his room. ¡°So, what are your plans going forward?¡± After confirming Claude had left. Randall, his expression changed, asked Vark who stood with his arms crossed. Though Maxim had designated him as successor, Claude leading the Revolutionary Army would only be possible after at least 5 more years. In the current Revolutionary Army, which had lost its leader Maximilien, only the second-in-command Vark could lead. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°The funeral ceremony. Anyone can see it¡¯s a trap set by the Empire.¡± As Randall spoke while picking up the torn newspaper pieces, Vark twisted his face with gritted teeth. ¡°We¡¯ll go and turn it upside down.¡± The hatred and anger he had been trying to suppress leaked out. Though it was clearly an emotional decision, Randall had no intention of stopping Vark. ¡®Lupeon¡¯s funeral ceremony is the Empire¡¯s declaration of war against the Revolutionary Army. If we just leave it be, the Revolutionary Army will become known as cowards who ignored their leader¡¯s death and ran away.¡¯ That was exactly what the Empire was aiming for. Their intention was to lure out the Revolutionary Army remnants by holding Lupeon¡¯s funeral as grandly as possible. It was a tactic commonly used by the pigs sitting atop the Imperial Palace. However¡­ ¡°We¡¯ve already lost many comrades. Even if we attack the funeral site, I wonder how many volunteers would remain¡­¡± Randall¡¯s mind became complicated. They had already expended considerable elite mages in attacking the Elcidore mansion. If they lost more comrades, more magicians here, it would mean losing the majority of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s fighting force. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that.¡± But that was brief. Speaking in a chilling voice, Vark looked at a letter placed on one corner of the desk. ¡°As soon as they heard Maxim died, those ¡®sponsors¡¯ happily contacted us.¡± A letter printed by mechanical press, different from imperial format. Seeing it, Randall exclaimed in shock. ¡°Vark. Don¡¯t tell me those sponsors are¡­!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t avoid fighting, and losing comrades must be avoided even more. Then there¡¯s only one option left.¡± Saying this, Vark tore open the letter and channeled magical power into it. In one corner of the letter was stamped the seal of the People¡¯s Republic of Westraine. *** ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡± What in the world is all this. While taking in the wasteland and monster nests visible through the train window, I tried to calm my bewildered mind. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate there was a clothing shop in Belkers. We couldn¡¯t have let you into the mansion looking like that.¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡­¡± What I¡¯m wearing now is a white silk shirt with suspenders, shorts, and boots that noble children usually wear. It was the first time in my 10-year life wearing such expensive clothes. ¡°Eugene. This feels weird. It¡¯s cumbersome.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Irene, sitting next to me, kept pulling at the hem of her frilly dress, seemingly uncomfortable. But the reason I felt so uncomfortable wasn¡¯t simply because I wasn¡¯t used to the clothes. ¡°It would be best to get used to it quickly. Once we enter the mansion, I¡¯ll have to introduce you to the family members, and there will be much to learn.¡± Keiren said this while looking at Irene and me seated at the table. The reason I felt uncomfortable in this situation was none other than because of that man. ¡®Things are going too well.¡¯ He didn¡¯t demand Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint from me. Even when I took out Elcidore¡¯s arm and held it up, he waved it away. On top of that, he helped hide the ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ I had stolen and even adopted Irene and me. These were extraordinarily generous conditions, beyond unexpected. ¡®But the important thing is¡­¡­¡¯ I narrowed my brows while looking at Keiren¡¯s face as he picked up the newspaper. ¡®Why is Keiren showing such kindness to me?¡¯ Keiren¡¯s disposition as shown in the game was neutral. He wasn¡¯t a villain as heinous as Lupeon, but neither was he a good person like Otto from Grey Quarter. Why would someone like that adopt a vagrant like me? While I was contemplating how to negotiate my future treatment, he came out with this out of nowhere. I couldn¡¯t guess his intentions at all. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking suspicious since yesterday. Are you unhappy about becoming my adopted son?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not unhappy. It¡¯s just¡­¡­¡± Well, there¡¯s no point in beating around the bush. Might as well hit it head-on. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your kindness, but I¡¯m just a vagrant with nothing. Showing such grace to someone like me¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡± What do you want from me? Just say it quickly. When I spoke like that, a faint laugh came from behind the newspaper. ¡°Why? Think I¡¯ll assign you assassination missions like Count Lupeon?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯d feel more at ease if that were the case.¡± Keiren had already searched through the Elcidore mansion and examined all sorts of internal documents. He must have found out long ago how I¡¯ve lived until now and what kind of things I¡¯ve done. That¡¯s why it makes even less sense. Not a sponsor but an adopted son? Just what kind of fucking job are you planning to make me do to offer something like this? ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. This will probably be quite a good deal for you as well.¡± ¡°A good deal¡­¡­¡± Keiren was looking at me from behind the newspaper. It definitely wasn¡¯t the way one would look at a 10-year-old child. ¡®He¡¯s the best among the nobles I¡¯ve met so far.¡¯ He neither looked down on me like Lupeon nor pitied me like Maximilien. The way he treated me was as a complete stranger. Sitting at the same table, conversing as equals. Slowly, I was starting to quite like this Keiren fellow. Though I shouldn¡¯t blindly trust him, of course. Knock knock knock- Meanwhile, with a knocking sound, the train car door opened and a soldier appeared. ¡°Reporting, Major General. We¡¯ll soon arrive at Orland territory.¡± ¡°Understood. Get ready.¡± Keiren waved off the soldier and stood up. Just as I was about to stand up holding Irene¡¯s hand to follow him. ¡°Huh?¡± I turned my eyes to the newspaper Keiren had been reading until just now. Propaganda published by the Imperial Court. It reported Lupeon¡¯s death and his funeral ceremony schedule. ¡°December, huh.¡± I could guess well enough the intention behind the funeral ceremony. With Maximilien¡¯s death being reported, the Revolutionary Army must be in turmoil right now. ¡®The funeral is three months from now. If Maximilien is dead, the current commander must be Vark.¡¯ They will definitely raid the funeral ceremony. While thinking this, a phrase written in the last part of the newspaper caught my eye. [Furthermore, the Imperial Palace has announced that this funeral ceremony will be personally presided over by the noble and almighty ruler of the Kalhyram Empire, Kalhyram II.] [This will be the first time His Imperial Majesty appears in public since his coronation, showing how great the imperial citizens¡¯ grief is for losing a hero¡­¡­] ¡°¡­The Emperor is personally attending?¡± The Imperial Emperor will show himself. At a highly dangerous event where the Revolutionary Army is sure to come. Reading that newspaper article, an ominous premonition flashed through my mind. The Emperor showing himself to the public for the first time since his coronation. The Revolutionary Army aiming for the Emperor¡¯s head. And the nobles pretending not to notice it all. This is¡­ ¡®This is exactly the same situation as Chapter 1!¡¯ Every situation was identical to Chapter 1 of [Revolution Empire]. The Emperor who was supposed to appear at the victory ceremony 5 years later was trying to appear now. Maximilien and Lupeon. The deaths of those two had changed the original history. ¡°This is properly messed up.¡± The situation itself couldn¡¯t be better. History being changed meant, in other words, that my fate as the protagonist had also changed. But I frowned. If my thinking is correct. If what will happen at the funeral ceremony is identical to Chapter 1 of the original work¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no time.¡± The funeral ceremony three months later. There, the Emperor of the Kalhyram Empire will be assassinated. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 24 #024. The world setting of [Revolution Empire] is a cesspool. If I were to list all the reasons why, it would fill more than 100 pages of manuscript paper with 200 characters each. However, if asked to pick the single most important reason among those countless ones, everyone would point to this existence without any disagreement. ¡®The Great Rupture.¡¯ A black hole that pollutes the continent¡¯s land and spews out tens of millions of monsters. It first revealed itself in the midst of that insufferable war. Hundreds of thousands of corpses from the war merged together to form a massive black sphere, and that black sphere collapsed all existing systems of the continent. Once-fertile farmlands were covered in slime spewed by monsters, and the monsters that flowed into the sea submerged all fishing boats and cargo ships crossing the ocean. They lost both roads and sea routes, countless resources and lives. Yet even in such circumstances, what the humans of this continent chose was another war. ¡®Kalhyram started the war! The Empire¡¯s greed caused the appearance of the Great Rupture!¡¯ ¡®Look at those vicious biological weapons that Westraine used! Look at the countless Imperial citizens they killed! The Great Rupture was created by their grudges!¡¯ The railways that should have been lifelines for humanity became the domain of armored trains armed with artillery. The airships that dotted the sky headed to battlefields instead of refugee camps, and scattered bombs instead of relief supplies. The war between the Empire and the Republic continued. Despite the monsters¡¯ territory expanding moment by moment. This was why I called this game world a cesspool. ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Irene, who was holding my hand, let out an exclamation as if amazed by the majesty of the mansion spread out before us. I had similar impressions while looking at the same scenery. What was I just saying earlier? Monster invasion? Continuing war? Cesspool? No, it seems like none of that exists. Keiren¡¯s mansion located in Orland territory was so luxurious that it made me think such things were just illusions. ¡®I thought the Elcidore mansion was plenty splendid, but this¡­¡­¡¯ It¡¯s not incomprehensible though. Elcidore was not a family with deep history, and Lupeon, the head of the family, wasn¡¯t particularly interested in luxury. His mansion was closer to a fortress, and his vast wealth was spent on maintaining that fortress and the laboratory hidden underground. ¡®And Keiren and his soldiers never found that basement.¡¯ Recalling the structure of the Elcidore mansion in the game, my eyes lit up. It means that now I¡¯m the only one who knows about Lupeon¡¯s laboratory hidden underground. Someday, there will come a time when that laboratory will be put to good use. ¡°You seem quite surprised.¡± I didn¡¯t bother to answer. I just turned to look at Keiren standing behind me with newfound eyes. Seeming awkward under my gaze, Keiren shrugged with a troubled expression. ¡°Unfortunately, this isn¡¯t my house. It¡¯s a mansion owned by the family.¡± To the third son. If this is the kind of mansion given to a son who lost the succession race, what kind of place does Duke Buckenheim himself live in? No, rather, how many mansions of this scale does Buckenheim own? Comparing the scenery of the slums with this place, the overwhelming wealth gap became apparent. ¡°Welcome, Lord Keiren.¡± Meanwhile, an elderly gentleman in an immaculate suit approached and bowed respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Walter.¡± ¡°It has been half a year since you were dispatched to the eastern front. Dinner has been prepared, please come inside.¡± Walter said with a smile, then his eyes turned toward me and Irene. ¡°However, these children¡­¡­¡± At his somewhat suspicious gaze, Irene hid behind my back. ¡°They¡¯re children I took in from the battlefield. I¡¯m thinking of adopting them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± A member of the ducal family adopting war orphans. While most nobles would faint at such news, the butler Walter showed no sign of surprise. ¡°Lord Keiren. Then these people¡­¡­¡± He only showed a worried expression while speaking like that. Just as I noticed that hint, ¡°Papa! It¡¯s Papa!¡± ¡°Mari!¡± A girl with bright blonde hair sprang out from behind Walter. Seeing how Keiren¡¯s face instantly brightened, she seemed to be his daughter. ¡°Are you coming home today? How long will you stay? Will you tell me interesting stories?¡± ¡°Hahaha, of course! Come, let¡¯s go inside. I¡¯ll tell you how bravely Papa fought!¡± ¡°Yay-!¡± The two people hugging each other with bright smiles, and the butler watching them with fond eyes. It was a warm atmosphere different from other noble families. ¡°But Papa, who are they?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Perhaps it had been a while since she¡¯d seen children her age. At Mari¡¯s curious question, Keiren chuckled and introduced me to her. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Say hello. This is Eugene and Irene. They might become your siblings.¡± ¡°Siblings?¡± There would be no benefit in standing stiffly here. I bowed my head politely, as one would to any noble. ¡°Pleased to meet you, young lady. I am Eugene, visiting this territory thanks to Major General Keiren¡¯s grace.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Irene¡­¡­¡± Irene, hiding behind my back, seemed to grasp the atmosphere and awkwardly followed proper etiquette. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± After hearing my introduction, Mari squinted her eyes and stared intently at my face. From the looks of it, she seemed about eight years old. We might even be the same age, but her uniquely energetic atmosphere made her appear younger. ¡°Good. You pass!¡± ¡°?¡± Pass? What¡¯s she talking about? ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. She¡¯s always like that when she sees boys her age.¡± ¡°?¡± Shaking his head while picking up Mari, Keiren turned his gaze toward me. Looking where he gestured with his chin, I saw butler Walter slowly bowing his head while looking at me. ¡°Welcome to Elrond territory. Please, follow me this way.¡± (+)[1]TLN: I swear, before it was Orland (???) and now it¡¯s (???). A slight mistype, maybe. With those words, the butler guided me to an annex located at one side of the mansion. As if word had already been sent, warm tea and refreshments were prepared in the room. ¡®So he wants to discuss the details through the butler?¡¯ I could roughly guess. It probably meant listen to the terms of the deal and stay if I agree, or leave if I don¡¯t. I felt rather relieved that they were drawing a clear line. If they had tried to act sympathetic, saying we¡¯re family from today or whatever, I would have thrown away the deal and everything else long ago. ¡°Cookies! Eugene! Can I eat those?¡± ¡°Probably. Just don¡¯t be too noisy.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Is this all she can see in this situation? When I patted her head lightly, Irene charged toward the cookies with a bright smile. ¡°You are Eugene Lorentz, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Walter, who had been looking back and forth between me and Irene, said as he sat down at the table across from me. Is he not considering Irene as part of the negotiations? Glancing at Irene just in case, I saw her grinning with her mouth full of cookies. She probably meant she¡¯d follow whatever I decided. My shoulders felt heavier again. ¡°I heard from Lord Keiren. Awakening magical power at that age, and crossing that death line¡­ We¡¯ll be serving quite a remarkable young master.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t lower your speech. I haven¡¯t agreed to anything yet.¡± ¡°Hahaha, regardless, you are Lord Keiren¡¯s guests. As a butler, I cannot speak casually.¡± Walter, who rejected my suggestion, seemed to be choosing his words for a moment. The small talk was over, and now it was time for the main topic. ¡°Earlier, you greeted Young Lady Mari, correct?¡± And immediately, the name of Keiren¡¯s daughter, Mari, came up. ¡°She is a bright child. Sharp-minded, and found her magical power aptitude at the young age of eight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, she dreams of becoming an officer like Lord Keiren, which makes me, as her butler, extremely proud.¡± Though it seemed like random small talk, I could gather a lot of information. She¡¯s two years younger than me. A magical power aptitude holder. And her future dream is to become a soldier. ¡®I roughly understand what this means.¡¯ I could somewhat understand Keiren¡¯s intentions. I also figured out why he couldn¡¯t tell me directly. ¡°However, unfortunately, Lord Keiren¡­¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t want to send his daughter to the battlefield, right?¡± Therefore, I cut off the butler¡¯s roundabout words and said. ¡°But since the young lady has already shown magical power aptitude, she can¡¯t avoid conscription. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No, you are exactly right.¡± The Empire was a nation at war, a nation with conscription, and this was no exception even for nobles. Moreover, the Buckenheim family was the first seat of magic nobles who took monster subjugation as their mission. If Mari awakened magical power at such a young age, there was no reason not to send her to the military. However, there is one truth that penetrates both the Kalhyram Empire and 21st century South Korea ¨C if you can avoid military service, avoid it. That¡¯s why Keiren was making this proposal to me through his butler. ¡°You want me to be registered as Major General Keiren¡¯s adopted son and fulfill the ¡®military duty¡¯ in place of Mari. Is that right?¡± In other words, ¡®Please serve in the military instead of my daughter.¡¯ ¡°Huu¡­¡­¡± A deep sigh welled up from the depths of my chest. Ah, draft dodging. That deep and ancient tradition. Seeing my expression souring in real-time, Butler Walter cleared his throat. ¡°Personally¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad deal.¡± Noticing my reaction, Butler Walter added. ¡°If you accept the contract, Eugene, you¡¯ll immediately become Lord Keiren¡¯s adopted son. You¡¯ll become a member of the Empire¡¯s magic nobles.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, we¡¯re not sending you to the front lines as a common soldier. Here¡­ He has prepared a recommendation letter for the Imperial Military Academy.¡± Saying that, Walter handed me a piece of paper. Imperial Youth Military Academy cadet selection happening in two years. There was one empty space in the recommendation list prepared for noble children. ¡®Indeed, it¡¯s not a bad deal.¡¯ Noble status. Imperial Youth Military Academy recommendation letter, And the economic support from the Buckenheim Duke family that would come with it. Moreover, considering the development of magical power and magic imprint that could be achieved through this¡­ It could be said there were no alternatives. ¡®If I want to build strength without joining the Revolutionary Army, I¡¯ll have to join the military anyway.¡¯ In the Empire, only nobles and soldiers had the legal right to possess and develop magic imprint. If I were to hole up somewhere in the countryside training magic alone, I¡¯d be reported by the surrounding farmers and sent straight to the northern detention camp. Rather than that, it would be much more beneficial to serve as a substitute once and receive officer status. ¡°I understand your hesitation. After all, you¡¯ll have to go to the front lines and put your life on the line.¡± While I was thinking this, Walter, who thought I was hesitating, opened his mouth with a short sigh. ¡°We won¡¯t force you. This is also what Lord Keiren asked me to say. If you¡¯re not interested, we¡¯ll prepare a train¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± However, I spoke before he could finish. These were far better conditions than what I had with Elcidore. It was too important an opportunity to pass up. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. However¡­¡­¡± Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like to discuss a few conditions.¡± I¡¯m not going to agree quietly. 1. TLN: I swear, before it was Orland (???) and now it¡¯s (???). A slight mistype, maybe. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 25 #025. ¡°So. That¡¯s what he said?¡± Late at night in the mansion. Keiren was stroking the hair of Mari, who had fallen asleep after playing, when he smiled with interest upon receiving Walter¡¯s report. ¡°Walter. What do you think?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to add more conditions at that point. However¡­¡­¡± Walter pondered the boy¡¯s words before answering Keiren¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an unreasonable request.¡± The boy called Eugene didn¡¯t ask for material things like money or magic stones. Instead, what he demanded was Keiren¡¯s oath. He wanted several promises made in the name of the Buckenheim family. The first promise concerned Irene, who escaped with him. He demanded that her identity be concealed and that she be provided with an education befitting a noble¡¯s child. ¡®From what I heard about the terms, Major General only needs me. Once the situation stabilizes, there¡¯s a possibility that Irene might be abandoned.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®She¡¯s a child who followed me from that basement trusting only in me. I can¡¯t let her be abandoned, not even as a remote possibility.¡¯ S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The second demand that followed was to keep his magical power training and imprint development strictly confidential. Unlike the first one, this request was puzzling even from Walter¡¯s perspective. ¡®The mages of Buckenheim are all among the empire¡¯s finest. I assure you they would be of great help in Young Master Eugene¡¯s training, but¡­¡¯ Despite Walter saying this, Eugene just shook his head. ¡®I cannot explain the reason. Please just relay that to the Major General. He will judge the rest.¡¯ As the boy said, when Keiren heard his demands, he nodded with a willing expression. ¡®The first condition is to avoid tracking by the Elcryer family.¡¯ Irene¡¯s surname was Elcryer. She was the daughter of the Elcryer family, which held the seventh seat among the 12 magic nobles. If such a child had been imprisoned in the Elcidore mansion, there was only one fact that could be inferred. ¡®An illegitimate child.¡¯ The Duke of Elcryer¡¯s womanizing was well-known even among the nobles. A family¡¯s shame born from the head¡¯s adultery. A bloodline of the Elcryer family that shouldn¡¯t exist. A child who shouldn¡¯t have been born. If such a child were still alive, the Elcryer family wouldn¡¯t sit still. Rather than face embarrassment before other families, it would be more efficient to erase her previous identity and treat her as Eugene¡¯s sister. ¡®And the second request is because of the magic imprint that boy possesses.¡¯ One of the five imprints sleeping in the imperial underground, ¡®Wings of Crimson.¡¯ If Buckenheim¡¯s mages were to see it, it would immediately be reported to the imperial family. A situation where he could lose his magic imprint while trying to develop his magical power. The boy said he would rather give up Buckenheim¡¯s education than risk that. ¡°Good. I accept the deal.¡± ¡°I will prepare the signing ceremony.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± After finishing his report, Walter left the room. ¡°To think a ten-year-old child would surprise the commander of the Eastern Front.¡± The reason Keiren had shown Eugene this mansion was to demonstrate what he could offer in advance. A luxurious life never experienced from the boy¡¯s perspective. By showing Eugene a part of it directly, Keiren had attempted to gain the upper hand, so to speak. ¡®However, that¡¯s where I got caught instead.¡¯ Even after seeing the grandeur of the Buckenheim mansion, the boy wasn¡¯t intimidated. Rather, he gauged his own value through his and Walter¡¯s actions, and secured more benefits for himself. A mere ten-year-old child had negotiated with a magic noble. ¡®This isn¡¯t just genius level. Eugene, that boy¡­ he¡¯s already a complete force to be reckoned with.¡¯ A mage with advanced combat training and practical experience at the young age of ten. With his patronage added on top of that, just how far could that boy rise? ¡°Even after retirement, this should be quite entertaining to watch.¡± While indulging in some pleasant imagination, Keiren stroked the face of his sleeping daughter Mari. ¡°¡­¡­¡± And not long after, the smile on his face gradually faded away. All that remained in the dark room was the sound of Mari¡¯s steady breathing. While stroking Mari¡¯s red hair, Keiren spoke to himself with self-deprecation. ¡°I made an utterly despicable decision, Anna.¡± Growth potential? Outstanding talent? What laughable self-justification. ¡°To save my daughter, I¡¯m pushing someone else¡¯s child onto the battlefield. I took advantage of the harsh environment that child was in, and used his weaknesses to steal his entire life¡­!¡± Confessing to his sleeping daughter, he clenched his fist. A fact that couldn¡¯t be hidden no matter how much he tried to dress it up. Each time he spoke it aloud, Keiren¡¯s heart grew heavier. ¡°But even so¡­ I can¡¯t send this child to the battlefield.¡± As he muttered these words, Keiren thought of his departed lover. Her smile that shone even on the harsh battlefield, her voice encouraging discouraged soldiers. The scent of coffee shared in the trenches at dawn, and her tears when receiving flowers from a rough soldier. And even himself, that fool who could only cry helplessly when he found the engagement ring in the giant monster¡¯s stomach. ¡°Anna. Would you accept the decision I¡¯ve made now? Or would you curse me as a cowardly craven?¡± There was no answer. Only the lamp lit at Mari¡¯s bedside gave off a soft magical power glow. ¡°Haa.¡± He couldn¡¯t stay so gloomy in front of his daughter. After kissing Mari¡¯s forehead, Keiren turned off the lamp and got up. He needed to smoke a cigarette and finish reviewing next quarter¡¯s supply plans. Keiren¡¯s footsteps grew distant as he carefully closed the door. And¡­¡­ Rustle Mari, who had been lying in bed, slowly sat up. *** Thanks to butler Walter¡¯s competence, the adoption procedures for Irene and me were completed much faster than expected. ¡°Everyone, let me introduce you. These are Eugene and Irene, who will be joining us today as my adopted children.¡± Although it was said to be a mansion owned by the Buckenheim family, there were no knights here. Instead of the Buckenheim Knight Order, the mansion was guarded by soldiers wearing imperial army uniforms. Judging by the shield emblems on their shoulders, they were all from the 72nd Division. ¡®So everyone in the mansion is Keiren¡¯s person?¡¯ I thought this while receiving the ceremonial welcome from the soldiers and servants. Even if I was adopted, those people wouldn¡¯t treat me like a young master, and I wasn¡¯t expecting such treatment anyway. ¡°Young Master Eugene and Miss Irene will be staying here.¡± The next item on the agenda was introducing our quarters. A room twice the size of the guest room we stayed in on the first day, with two enormous beds, welcomed us. ¡°W-woooow¡­¡± Surprised? I¡¯m surprised too. From a beggar¡¯s hovel in the slums to the Elcidore family barracks, and now to the Buckenheim family¡¯s ultra-luxury private room. I must be the only one in the empire who has achieved such a rise in status in just 2 years. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s not going to be given for free.¡¯ The Imperial Military Academy is an educational institution where the empire¡¯s most promising talents gather. Even with a recommendation letter from a division commander-level person and noble status, it wasn¡¯t a place you could enter freely. Numerous theory tests, practical tests, and magical power measurement tests. You couldn¡¯t enter the military academy without passing all of those. So what do I need to do now? ¡®These fucking studies.¡¯ Thud-! A tower of books too tall to even count crashed down before my eyes. Imperial Literature History, Basic Mathematics, Imperial National Identity, Etiquette Manual, Tactical Manual, Introduction to Military Science, and so on¡­ ¡°Woooow¡­¡­¡± ¡°Irene. You know you¡¯ve been making that sound all day, right?¡± And what are you even amazed about? About 30 percent of those are things you have to do. While I was counting the towers of books placed before me one by one, Mrs. Maybelle, who had personally brought these books, pushed up her glasses. ¡°Young Master Eugene, you are far behind in studies compared to other children your age. To catch up with all of that, you don¡¯t have a single day to waste!¡± Hearing that all-too-familiar high-pitched voice, a fucking awful feeling crept up from deep inside my chest. Entrance exam studies. Who would have thought I¡¯d encounter this fucking word again in this strange game world after suffering through 12 years of elementary, middle, and high school. However, compared to the hardships I¡¯d endured until now, this was rather decent. ¡®Right, whatever. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t handle entrance exam studies.¡¯ I recalled what I had done to get here. I escaped from back alley gangs, desperately survived from a crazy assassin group, and sent a magic noble of the 12 families and the head of the Revolutionary Army to their graves. I planned and schemed all of that, so how could I not handle mere studies? Thinking that way, I sat down following Mrs. Maybelle¡¯s guidance. Entrance exam studies? That¡¯s nothing compared to what I¡¯ve done so far. Bring it on. I can definitely do this! ¡­¡­¡­Several hours after I immersed myself in studying like that. ¡°No, no, Young Master Eugene! The Berkelian grammar requires verb conjugation here, and you need to use the dative case here! I can¡¯t believe you couldn¡¯t handle even such basics¡­¡­¡± I realized that in my past life, my grades in Korean, English, and Math had been 4, 6, and 6. ¡­That¡¯s right. I was a complete mushroom. *** ¡°Your language and mathematics scores are nearly at rock bottom. We¡¯ll have to start education from the basics again.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re quick to admit it. However¡­¡­¡± Mrs. Maybelle couldn¡¯t help but sigh while looking at the devastatingly poor assessment test. But that was only for a moment. When she turned her attention to other subjects, she soon let out an exclamation of surprise. ¡°Your history and military science are remarkably excellent. Especially in history, you¡¯re on par with university students¡­¡± ¡®Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯ve memorized all this game¡¯s settings.¡¯ If there was any silver lining in this misfortune, it was that I wasn¡¯t completely hopeless in every subject. Of course, after killing Maximilien, the future became completely unpredictable, but at least I knew everything that had happened until now. ¡­Of course, most of what the history books say is lies. ¡°Looking at the first three subjects¡¯ scores, I was worried about how this would turn out¡­ but now I see hope.¡± Language and mathematics. Since I only needed to study two subjects, at least I wouldn¡¯t get grades like 4, 6, 6 like in my past life. No, I¡¯d have to work like crazy to prevent that from happening. As Maybelle left the room and I was left alone wrestling with textbooks. ¡°Wow, you really suck at math.¡± A red-haired girl who had somehow approached behind me was saying that while looking at me. ¡°¡­Lady Mari?¡± It was incredible. The first words she says to someone she met just a day ago are ¡®you really suck at math.¡¯ The mushroom¡¯s heart ached at this heavy fact-bomb. ¡°Eugene, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Unlike me, who was adopted, Mari was this household¡¯s precious daughter. Even if I became her brother, how would the people of this house view me if I suddenly started treating her like a little sister? As I responded politely with that in mind, Mari looked at me with an unfitting blank expression. ¡°Can you use magic?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± When I asked back, she spoke with her arms crossed as if she knew everything. ¡°I know everything. You¡¯re the kid Papa brought in to send to the army instead of me, right?¡± Wow, what¡¯s with this heavy fact that hits right on the mark? From what I could see, this child clearly had a talent for fact-violence. And Keiren, you sir. What am I supposed to do when your daughter finds out just a day after making the deal? ¡°Then that means you have much higher magical power than me and can use magic, right?¡± ¡°¡­That would be correct.¡± What¡¯s the point of lying when she already knows? When I confirmed it, Mari raised her finger at me as if she had made up her mind. ¡°Alright, then make a deal with me!¡± ¡°A deal?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± When I responded, Mari exclaimed confidently while looking at me. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you language and math. In return, teach me magic!¡± And the mushroom who heard those words. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Rejected that proposal as if it were only natural. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 26 #026. ¡°¡­Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°I said I refuse.¡± Ah, I know that expression well. It was the typical expression of someone experiencing rejection for the first time in their life. ¡°Y-Young Lady Mari? My sincerest apologies, but Young Master Eugene is currently studying¡­¡± ¡°Maybelle, be quiet for a moment!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Maybelle, who was standing beside her, tried to smooth things over, but even that didn¡¯t work. By the way, Mrs. Maybelle? You were freely throwing harsh words at me just earlier about having ¡®no basics¡¯ and ¡®no proper education,¡¯ but now you¡¯re as meek as a lamb in front of the young lady? ¡®Well, she¡¯s not a completely bad kid though.¡¯ I recalled Mari¡¯s first request to me. She had proposed to help me with my lacking studies if I would teach her magic. Rather than a one-sided order, she had proposed a somewhat reasonable deal. In this world¡¯s context, that alone would put her in the top 10% of nobility in terms of character. It seems Major General Keiren has done a solid job raising our precious child. And look at her now. Her face is bright red like she¡¯s about to explode, but she¡¯s still trying her best to hold it in. ¡°Eugene. She¡¯s weird. Her face is really red.¡± ¡°She¡¯s experiencing and enduring rejection for the first time in her life. Watch her with warm eyes.¡± ¡°¡­Eugene¡¯s words are too difficult.¡± While I was having such a casual conversation with Irene who was hiding behind my back. ¡°Huff¡­¡± Mari, who had finished her intense internal struggle, managed to suppress her boiling anger. Compared to other noble children her age, it was an remarkably mature attitude. ¡°Why, why¡­?¡± She asked me with a forced smile while suppressing the anger seeping from her face. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to teach you.¡± ¡°Hey¨C!¡± She exploded the moment she heard my answer. Well, she did well to hold out that long. While giving her three mental claps, I asked Mari a question. ¡°First, let me ask you something. Young lady, you don¡¯t really need to learn magic from me, do you?¡± ¡°Huh, what?¡± Buckenheim holds the first seat among the Empire¡¯s 12 great magic houses. If Keiren wanted to teach his daughter magic, he could have lined up the Empire¡¯s finest professors to teach her. ¡°If you¡¯re seeking me out instead of a magic instructor, doesn¡¯t that mean Major General Keiren hasn¡¯t given permission?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°How can I do something the Major General has forbidden? Give up.¡± When I said that, Mari hung her head low as if at a loss for words. Her hands were trembling, and it seemed like she might cry if pushed any further. ¡°Young lady. Usually, if you can avoid joining the military, it¡¯s better not to join. While other noble children would be making a fuss about not wanting to join, you should consider this a good opportunity¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Mari shouted and said through her tears. ¡°I¡­ I want to be a soldier¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll become a soldier¡­ and crush all those who bully and bad-mouth my papa!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Bully? As I wondered about that word, Mari spoke as if she had expected this reaction, sniffling. ¡°You, do you know how amazing my papa is?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± A villain who constantly tormented the protagonist and Revolutionary Army throughout the late game. A master of defensive warfare who could only be defeated through aerial infiltration and assassination because he was impossible to overcome through strategy and tactics. And the Empire¡¯s final guardian. That¡¯s about all I know. ¡°All the soldiers on the Eastern Front know my papa! They call him a hero!¡± Hero. It was a title quite different from the Keiren I knew, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unwarranted. The Empire¡¯s eastern plains, infested with large monster habitats. It was Keiren¡¯s 72nd Division that was personally holding back the monsters pouring out from that contaminated land. ¡°But whenever papa returns to the main family, people whisper everywhere. They insult him, calling him a fool who couldn¡¯t awaken magical power.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Only then did I realize why Keiren belonged to the Imperial Army rather than the Knight Order, and why he didn¡¯t participate in the succession race for the Buckenheim duchy. The third son of a magic noble family, born without magical power. It was obvious how the family would have viewed him. ¡°But I have magical power! The doctor said I could become a really powerful mage with training. So¡­!¡± ¡°You want to become a mage in Major General Keiren¡¯s stead, and achieve military accomplishments to raise Major General Keiren¡¯s honor. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it! Exactly that!¡± When I helped finish her thought, Mari answered excitedly. A daughter wanting to join the military for her father who is despised by his family, and a father trying desperately to keep that daughter away from the battlefield¡­ It was truly a heartwarming father-daughter relationship, but sadly, I couldn¡¯t just watch them warmly. ¡®In the original game, the character Mari isn¡¯t mentioned at all. In other words, this child is a character who will disappear before the main story begins.¡¯ Mari, who proudly declares her dream of becoming a soldier. Her vanished traces, without leaving any mark. And Keiren¡¯s endless hatred toward the Revolutionary Army in the original story. As I alternately recalled these things, I could guess how this father and daughter¡¯s fate would unfold. ¡°You understand now? So hurry and teach me magic¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Five years until the main story begins. Within those five years, probably¡­ ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡­this child will be killed by the Revolutionary Army. *** Clatter, clatter. The first meal with all four family members gathered. Perhaps because the Major General himself was attending, the dining table was even more abundant than usual. ¡°Nom¡­ nom¡­¡± ¡°Eat slowly, Irene. You¡¯re getting food everywhere.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°You should swallow before answering.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Am I eating dinner or raising a child right now? Irene holding her fork and knife in both hands to cut her steak, and me wiping her mouth. And Mari, gritting her teeth while staring intently at me. For the first family meal together, the atmosphere was quite chilly. ¡°¡­Mari. Why are you suddenly so angry? Did Eugene do something wrong to you?¡± ¡°Wh-What? I¡¯m not angry! Eugene didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me at all!¡± When Keiren asked that, Mari pretended not to know anything. ¡°Right, Eugene?¡± She probably wants to keep what happened during the day a secret. While teaching Irene how to use a fork and knife, I casually played along. ¡°Yes. Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Which means, something did happen during the day.¡± When Mari blurted out what could be ¡®Phobos Magazine¡¯s #1 line spoken by angry women,¡¯ Keiren gave a bitter smile as if giving up. ¡°I won¡¯t ask what happened. However, I won¡¯t tolerate fighting between siblings. You understand, Mari?¡± ¡°Yes~¡± ¡°Good. As long as you understand.¡± Well, at least she listens well. Keiren smiled contentedly at his daughter and began to focus on the meal before him. He probably thinks it¡¯s just a minor quarrel that happened while the children were playing. ¡°Come to think of it, Mari. An invitation came for you from the Elcidore family.¡± As if trying to change the chilly atmosphere, Keiren waved an ornate letter in his hand. ¡°An invitation? From Elcidore?¡± Looking at Mari¡¯s reaction, it seems the tension has mostly passed. Major General Keiren smiled at this and said to Mari. ¡°Count Elcidore¡¯s funeral ceremony will be held three months from now. It¡¯s an invitation asking you to attend and grace the occasion.¡± ¡°W-Wow!¡± As he said this, Keiren listed the attendees of the funeral ceremony. From the Nachtval duchy¡¯s special envoy to the heads of each noble family, and even a parade of knights from each noble house. Most importantly, Keiren and Mari had been selected to lead the delegation from the Buckenheim duchy. ¡®¡­This is becoming more and more similar to the original story.¡¯ However, from my perspective as I overheard the details, this funeral ceremony three months from now was deeply concerning. ¡®While regular noble families are sending their heads directly, the magic nobles are adjusting their level of participation by just sending delegations.¡¯ The true significance of the funeral ceremony isn¡¯t to mourn the deceased Lupeon. The real significance is that this will be the Emperor¡¯s first public appearance since his coronation ceremony. This funeral ceremony has become a venue for announcing the Emperor¡¯s existence to the entire Empire and sorting out the subtle relationship between the Imperial family and magic nobles. ¡®Not only the elder nobles buried in their territories, but delegations and mourning parties from various countries will visit to have an audience with the Emperor. There couldn¡¯t be a better opportunity for politicians¡­¡¯ In such a situation, only the heads of magic noble families were keeping their distance from this huge event, merely maintaining appearances. They were barely saving face by sending expendable third sons or branch family members as mourning delegations. It was chilling how the current situation was flowing in exactly the same pattern as the original game. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have that too, right? The soldier uncles¡¯ parade! I want to see that!¡± ¡°Hahaha, then we¡¯ll need to get you a new dress. Right, Mari?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mari¡¯s expression brightened at the prospect of visiting the capital after so long. However, even while smiling at his daughter, Keiren¡¯s gaze remained fixed on the invitation. ¡®Keiren must sense something suspicious too.¡¯ His years of military experience seemed to be warning him of something. If Keiren has similar thoughts, I shouldn¡¯t hesitate anymore either. ¡°Major General Keiren.¡± Having finished my thoughts, I called out to Keiren with a serious expression. ¡°Eugene. I told you to call me father.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll do so when I get used to it. But more importantly.¡± Just as when suggesting operations at the Knifehead, I spoke while looking into Keiren¡¯s eyes. ¡°For this upcoming funeral ceremony, would it be possible for me to attend as well?¡± ¡°¡­You?¡± Keiren¡¯s eyes narrowed at my request. You want to go to Elcidore¡¯s funeral ceremony? Really? To his questioning gaze, I slowly nodded. ¡®The funeral venue is practically guaranteed to be infiltrated by the Revolutionary Army.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll need to extract Young Lady Mari when the opportunity arises, won¡¯t we be short on manpower?¡¯ When I spoke in a quiet voice so Mari couldn¡¯t hear, Keiren nodded as if seeing the point. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When Keiren gave his permission, I bowed my head, and Mari looked at me with a sullen expression. ¡°Lord Keiren.¡± As dinner was nearing its end. Butler Walter, who had entered through the dining room door, spoke to Keiren with a respectful gesture. ¡°Word has come from the family members who will be accompanying the delegation. They say they will oversee the funeral ceremony preparations from this mansion, and wish to stay here during that time¡­¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The nobles of House Buckenheim who would head to the imperial capital with Keiren. When she heard they would be visiting, Mari¡¯s face scrunched up about three times more than when dealing with me. ¡°Let them do as they please. It¡¯s not like we have the right to refuse anyway.¡± Keiren also didn¡¯t seem very pleased, but he waved his hand as if there was nothing he could do. Come to think of it, this mansion belongs to the family, not an individual. What a pitiful situation for the third son who¡¯s just living here. ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice to meet your relatives after so long?¡± I approached Mari, who was irritated to the point of bursting, and asked. Mari recoiled as if I had said something absurd. ¡°Nice? What¡¯s nice about it! Everyone in the family is stupid! They¡¯re bad people who say mean things to my papa!¡± Hmm. Good. Friend or foe identification complete. Everyone except Keiren and his subordinates are enemies, it seems. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 27 #027. It had already been two months since I entered this mansion, accepting Keiren¡¯s deal. Two months. That time was enough to become somewhat familiar with the mansion¡¯s residents, and sufficient to reconcile with Mari, who had acted like she would never see me again. ¡°Excellent! You¡¯re now able to apply high school basic mathematics to some extent. Shall we move on to the next level, Young Master?¡± With a Crack! Mrs. Maybelle closed the book and nodded with satisfaction. Mrs. Maybelle had prepared a hellish study plan to fill in my educational gaps, and I was struggling to keep up with that schedule while recovering my body with magical power. ¡°P-please kill me¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, die after passing the military academy entrance exam! Now open your book, Young Master. For our Lady Mari¡¯s sake!¡± Is that something you should say to the young master of the house, you crazy woman? Even while thinking that, I gathered my wits and opened ¡®Imperial Middle School Mathematics Volume 2.¡¯ ¡®If only she was an incompetent teacher, I could refuse the lessons, but that¡¯s not the case.¡¯ In just two short months, I, who couldn¡¯t even handle elementary school math, had managed to build up enough academic knowledge to somewhat handle middle school mathematics. In other words, Eugene Lorentz, who received the lowest grade in the evaluation test, had evolved from an oyster mushroom to a golden mushroom in just two months. ¡­Ah, this is really driving me crazy. Have I become a mushroom in the head from being called an oyster mushroom so much? Why does everything look like mushrooms? ¡°Now then, for the next lecture¡­¡± Just as I opened the textbook feeling gloomy. ¡°¡­It seems we¡¯ll have to end today¡¯s lecture here, Young Master.¡± Mrs. Maybelle stopped her lecture after glancing at the scenery outside the window. A procession of luxurious carriages had already arrived at the mansion¡¯s entrance. The delegation that would go to the imperial capital with Keiren had arrived. Knock knock- Simultaneously, a servant entered the room and bowed. ¡°Young Master Eugene. Lord Keiren is looking for you.¡± With those words, he gestured to guide me. ¡°That ¡®Young Master¡¯ still doesn¡¯t sound natural even after two months.¡± Thinking that, I straightened my clothes and stepped outside. According to Lady Mari, everyone except the people in this household is an enemy. Then I should prepare accordingly. *** ¡°I heard the main family was preparing directly¡­ but I didn¡¯t expect you to come in person, Brother.¡± Those were Keiren¡¯s first words upon meeting the relatives who had come from the main family. Unlike Keiren in his neat military uniform, the man wore an elaborate Knight Order uniform and coat. He was Carlos Buckenheim, heir to the Buckenheim duchy and head of the Knight Order. ¡°This is an important audience with His Majesty the Emperor. If there are any shortcomings, the entire family will become a laughingstock.¡± Keiren¡¯s lips twisted at Carlos¡¯s words. ¡°How very thorough of you. If it¡¯s such an important position, wouldn¡¯t it be better if you went yourself, Brother?¡± ¡°Father personally gave you this opportunity. How dare you show such an insolent attitude instead of being grateful?¡± ¡°The Duke giving me an opportunity? There¡¯s a limit to jokes.¡± While Carlos referred to the Duke of Buckenheim as ¡®Father,¡¯ Keiren called him ¡®Duke.¡¯ It was a clear indication of both their differences in succession order and their feelings toward the Duke. ¡°By the way, who is that child? I haven¡¯t seen that face before.¡± While the servants were busy attending to Carlos¡¯s family, Carlos asked, looking at me standing next to Mari. ¡°Ah. This child is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll introduce myself, Lord Carlos.¡± Before Keiren could finish his sentence, I stepped forward and bowed. ¡°I am Eugene, recently adopted as Lord Keiren¡¯s son.¡± I didn¡¯t add the name Buckenheim after my name. If he looked down on Keiren, the third direct descendant, there was no way he would look kindly upon me. ¡°¡­Adopted son?¡± As if proving my prediction right, Carlos frowned with displeasure upon hearing my introduction. ¡°I found a child with good potential, and I plan to raise him as an officer. When he comes of age in two years, I plan to send him to the military academy.¡± ¡°¡­Hah, unbelievable.¡± Carlos let out a mocking laugh after hearing Keiren¡¯s words. ¡°Picking up some lowborn who rolled around in who-knows-what gutter, and giving them the Buckenheim name? Adoption? Do you have any sense at all?¡± Wow, look at the attitude on this bastard. A lowborn who rolled around in the gutter. It¡¯s all true so I can¡¯t even argue against it? ¡°Eugene¡­¡± Keiren called my name at the verbal abuse taking place at the entrance. What, asking if I¡¯m okay? Compared to the insults I took during training, this is like classical music. ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear more. No doubt you did this just to hover around your daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°To think you¡¯d stoop to such measures to avoid conscription. This is why Father finds you so disappointing.¡± Hearing those words, Keiren responded with a sneer. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but unlike you, Brother. I have no intention of trying to look good for the Duke.¡± ¡°¡­Such an impudent bastard.¡± While the brothers continued their war of words. ¡°Hmm?¡± One of the young men standing behind Carlos approached me. Arrogantly raised eyes and golden hair characteristic of the Buckenheim direct line. ¡®This guy must be¡­¡¯ Delling Buckenheim. The legitimate heir of the Buckenheim family, Carlos¡¯s eldest son. How old was he again? I remember he¡¯s about the same age as Claude¡­ ¡°I heard about you. You¡¯re going to enter the Imperial Military Academy?¡± Hearing that, I naturally looked at the badge on his collar. A golden medal given to the top student at the Imperial Military Academy. So that¡¯s why he was acting like that, seems he¡¯ll be my future senior. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s the plan.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Ah, I take back that senior thing. He¡¯s just a rude bastard. ¡°The Imperial Military Academy is a place only for proven talents. It¡¯s a place that only those who have prepared steadily since childhood can enter.¡± ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± ¡°So what have you done until now? Have you trained? Have you disciplined your magical power? No, you haven¡¯t done anything at all. Am I wrong?¡± Well, I am a bit lacking in prior learning. All I¡¯ve done up until this age is kill someone when I was 8, train with an assassination group for 2 years, and then kill all of that assassination group and their higher-ups. Oh my, if I¡¯d known it would be like this, I should have lived more diligently. Right, you rude bastard? ¡°Delling.¡± While I was in the midst of self-reflection, Carlos, who had been listening to the exchange between Delling and me, gestured to Delling. Probably meaning there was no need to deal with me further. With Delling in tow, Carlos slowly moved to pass by Keiren. Thump. However, that didn¡¯t last long. ¡°What is it? I thought we were done talking.¡± ¡°No, I apologize, but the most important question remains.¡± When Carlos came close, Keiren grabbed his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m asking this not as a member of the Buckenheim family, but as an Imperial Army general.¡± ¡°Fine. Speak.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you and the Duke attending the funeral in person?¡± A low voice that had settled down, unlike his previous mocking tone. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just you. Nachtval, Lutes, Elcryer¡­ The heads of the magic noble families are all pulling out of this funeral one after another.¡± Keiren¡¯s face grew increasingly fierce as he looked at Carlos. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent. What are the magic noble faction plotting in the imperial capital?¡± ¡°¡­Hah, the nonsense just keeps coming.¡± Watching Keiren question him with a murderous aura, Carlos gestured over his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Uncle Keiren.¡± Whoosh-! Delling, who had been standing behind him, released magical power, pressing down on Keiren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, Papa?!¡± ¡°Lord Delling!¡± Mari standing nearby gasped, and the soldiers guarding Keiren reached for their waists. ¡°Father is the heir to the Buckenheim duchy. No matter if you¡¯re my uncle, I cannot overlook you interrogating such a person with baseless suspicions.¡± ¡°Ugh, uugh¡­!¡± Delling¡¯s magical power was gradually pressing down on Keiren from above. Even with their opposition, using magical power against the family¡¯s third son? Keiren¡¯s face twisted with the shame he felt. ¡°Stop, Lord Delling! Using magic against a non-awakened!¡± ¡°Withdraw your magical power! This is clearly a violation of imperial law¡­!¡± Shing-! The shocked soldiers drew their guns to stop him, but even that was useless. The knights guarding Carlos drew their swords and blocked their way. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who should step back.¡± ¡°For the Imperial Army to try to intervene in Buckenheim¡¯s internal affairs. Don¡¯t you know that is the true violation?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A magician oppressing a non-awakened with force. The Imperial Army powerless against the Knight Order, and an emperor who had become a puppet of the nobles. And nobles who wielded their absolute power as they pleased. This nauseating sight was the shameful self-portrait of the current Kalhyram Empire. You¡¯re all really having fun, you idiots. This is why you keep getting wiped out by the Revolutionary Army. Woong- But the Empire being stupid is a problem for later. I passed by Mari, who was frozen in fear, and released magical power from the magic circuit I had warmed up. Tss tss tss tss¡­! ¡°?!¡± When Delling realized another¡¯s magical power was interfering, his eyes twitched. When his gaze finally turned toward me. Crash-! I released additional magical power, completely dispersing Delling¡¯s magical power that had been pressing down on Keiren. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Delling¡¯s eyes widened at once, seemingly surprised by the unexpected situation. The surrounding knights also turned to look at me in shock, but from my perspective, it wasn¡¯t much of a big deal. If I had to comment, I¡¯d say Senior Karin was better at controlling magical power. ¡°Let me point out something first. Lord Delling, you directly used magical power against a non-awakened, correct?¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°And you forcibly obstructed the Imperial Army trying to stop that through improper procedures.¡± While Keiren was at fault for raising suspicions and being disrespectful, it was Carlos¡¯s side that crossed the line by using magical power. In other words, there are no legal issues here. Woong-! Since I couldn¡¯t reveal my magic imprint, I limited the attack attribute to non-elemental. The spell is Impact of History and Tradition. Since he¡¯s a noble¡¯s son, no physical injury, but maximum pain. ¡°Therefore, you started this magical duel, and all responsibility lies with you.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Having finished my preparations, I exploded the magical power I had condensed at Delling¡¯s chest- Boom¡ª! Delling¡¯s body flew in a straight line and planted his head in the lawn outside the mansion. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-wait just¡­!¡± The knights, soldiers, Keiren and Mari, even Carlos. While everyone watched with shocked eyes, I slowly walked outside the mansion while adjusting my magical power. ¡°Stand up, Lord Delling.¡± Come to think of it, this was perfect timing. My magic circuits were getting stiff from studying, and here walks in such an excellent practice dummy for magic training. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay dearly right here for tarnishing my adoptive father¡¯s honor.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just stand there with your mouth open, Father. Your adopted son¡¯s service is coming right up. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 28 #028. ¡°Kuhk, kuhak¡­! Wh-what is this¡­!¡± The shockwave I used on Delling was more effective than I thought. He couldn¡¯t even get up from his spot, just trembling while clutching his chest. Did the recent attack twist his respiratory system? Such thoughts crossed my mind, but when I sensed Delling¡¯s magical power, that wasn¡¯t it. Then there was only one conclusion. This guy just wasn¡¯t used to pain. ¡°You! How dare you launch a surprise¡­!¡± Crack-! While Delling tried to say something as he staggered to his feet, I didn¡¯t give him the chance. I immediately rushed in, kicked his jaw, and stomped on his shoulder as he fell back to amplify the pain. Crunch-! ¡°Aagh?! Aaaagh¨C!¡± Delling¡¯s screams echoed throughout the mansion. The attention of late-arriving guests and collateral branch members instantly focused on me. The legitimate heir of House Buckenheim, screaming under the foot of an unknown child. As if feeling the shame, Delling¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°Remove your foot this instant! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have your head¡­!¡± ¡°Three minutes.¡± Cutting off Delling¡¯s continued ranting, I spoke in a cold voice. ¡°That¡¯s how long it took from your first attack until you were subdued by me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Not only did you fail to withstand a mere shockwave and miss your chance to counterattack, but you dare to give me orders when you should have focused on getting up quickly.¡± I spoke with an expression of disbelief. ¡°How can you be so complacent as the heir of a magic noble house? Do you think you can command the monsters of the battlefield?¡± ¡°Y-you lowly worm, how dare you try to lecture the bloodline of Buckenheim?!¡± Boom-! A shockwave swept through the crowd along with Delling¡¯s roar. Though he was shamefully subdued, he was still the legitimate heir of a magic noble family. He was indeed a powerful figure whose magic circuit output ranked among the highest. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­!¡± While I stepped back to avoid the shockwave, Delling staggered to his feet and drew up his magical power. Tstststs-! Magical power crystals generated from magic imprints began sprouting all over Delling¡¯s body, eventually enveloping him completely. He wore the materialized magical power mass like armor. This was ¡®Steel Wall Lion¡¯, the special magic imprint used by the Buckenheim Knight Order. Thud-! When Delling took a step forward wearing his magical power armor, a shockwave traveled through the ground. The extremely condensed magical power and the overwhelming force emanating from it. Indeed, it was an intimidating presence worthy of the alias ¡®Walking Armored Train¡¯. ¡°No, Lord Delling! To manifest full body armor¡­¡± ¡°Are you planning to blow away the entire mansion?!¡± Despite the knights¡¯ urgent voices, Delling paid no attention and shot towards me. Swoosh! What formed in his hand was a great sword made of magical power crystals. One hit would be enough to blow away my upper body. Of course, that¡¯s only if I quietly let myself get hit. Whoosh-! ¡°Y-you dodged?!¡± When I easily avoided his attack, the other knights¡¯ eyes widened. The weapon Delling created was a great sword. While each strike was powerful, there were many gaps between attacks. Well, I understand. Since he could deflect most attacks with his magical power armor, he focused on destructive power rather than attack speed. ¡®His magical power quantity and formulas are really good¡­ But the core using them is rotten.¡¯ After exchanging about three moves with Delling, I made my assessment. ¡®His combat techniques and martial arts are nearly beginner level, and his attack movements are full of unnecessary flourishes.¡¯ The only thing he could do was swing his sword relying on the armor¡¯s defense and power. It was such a poor technique it couldn¡¯t even be called swordsmanship. If I had to grade it, it would be at the level of a child playing with a sword. ¡®Now.¡¯ The gaps between the ornately decorated magical power armor. The moment I confirmed those, I immediately dove into his attack path. Kriik-! ¡°What?!¡± While Delling was startled, I placed my hand on his chest and moved my fingers. Woong- There wasn¡¯t even a need to draw up more magical power. All I needed was a bit of magical power to penetrate the gaps in the magical power crystals. After infiltrating it in a thin concentrated form¡­ Crack! Just spread it from the inside. Bang¨C! ¡°Kuh, kuuuh?!¡± Part of the magical power crystals covering Delling¡¯s body burst out. The exploded area was his chest. More precisely, near where his heart was located. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ After confirming that, I prepared my next attack. The vital point clearly exposed, his sluggish movements unable to respond. I sharpened my hand blade and reinforced it with magical power. Delling would probably offer up his heart without even knowing what hit him. After finishing that thought, I thrust my fist toward his heart without delay and- Clang¨C! ¡­A crystal much harder than Delling¡¯s blocked my fist. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I turned toward the voice behind me. Delling¡¯s father Carlos was looking at me with an expression like he¡¯d bitten into a bug. *** ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± Eugene¡¯s assassination attempt aimed at his heart, and Carlos¡¯s magical power crystal blocking it. Realizing this belatedly, Delling stepped back with a pale face. ¡®If Father hadn¡¯t blocked it in time¡­!¡¯ A cold chill ran up Delling¡¯s spine. The first fear of death he¡¯d felt in his life. He couldn¡¯t control his trembling lower jaw at all. ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Seemingly noticing his son¡¯s state, Carlos spoke to Eugene with an unpleasant expression. ¡°This should be enough. So stop here.¡± ¡°Should I take that as a request from Lord Carlos?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t let my only son die after all.¡± Hearing those words, Eugene slowly withdrew his magical power, and Delling¡¯s complexion turned pale. What did Father just say? Request? The legitimate heir of Buckenheim negotiated with such a lowly thing? Be-because of me¡­? ¡°N-not yet!¡± His face flushed with shame. Beyond shame, an even greater chill and fear than before crept over his body. He had just tarnished the names of Buckenheim and his father¡­! ¡°It was a battle that started with a cowardly surprise attack! I didn¡¯t have a chance to respond!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This, this match is invalid!¡± Carlos¡¯s gaze turned toward him. A cold gaze as if looking at a bug rather than his son. Delling¡¯s fear grew increasingly larger. ¡°Pl-please give me one more chance, Father! As the legitimate heir of Buckenheim, I¡¯ll take that arrogant bastard¡¯s head¡­!¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He had to make up for it somehow. With that single thought, Delling desperately pleaded to Carlos, but- ¡°You embarrass me until the end, Delling.¡± Slap-! With that cold statement, Carlos simply struck Delling¡¯s cheek. ¡°¡­Eh, eh?¡± It took quite a while to realize what had happened. He was hit. By his father. The cold violence that he inflicted on servants had now fallen upon him. ¡°Fa-fath¡­ er¡­¡± Though Delling finally managed to gather his wits and tried to call out to Carlos after a while¡­ Slap-! Smack-! Thwack-! Carlos simply continued striking his cheeks as if trying to shut Delling¡¯s mouth. Two times, three times, four times. How much more time passed like that? ¡°Hic¡­ Sniff¡­! Kuh¡­¡± ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Only when Delling was about to collapse, unable to endure anymore, did Carlos finally seem to vent his anger and adjust his clothes. ¡°A spoiled child who can¡¯t even accept the results of combat has no qualification to be Buckenheim¡¯s legitimate heir.¡± ¡°So-sorry, I¡¯m so sorr¡­¡± ¡°Start your training over from the beginning, Delling. I will not tolerate such humiliation a second time.¡± Leaving the completely stunned Delling behind, Carlos stood before the boy called Eugene. ¡®¡­Indeed, he has useful qualities.¡¯ Eugene¡¯s flowing magical power and the precision with which he controlled it. And that ruthlessness he showed in the battle with Delling. He examined and admired Eugene¡¯s qualities and spirit from various angles. ¡®He wasn¡¯t even using his full power. Moreover, the magical power he used was non-elemental¡­ His magic imprint wasn¡¯t even activated.¡¯ Just a tiny amount of magical power. With only that, this boy had defeated the successor he had carefully raised into such a state. ¡°Your name is Eugene, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± However, more impressive than his magical power and combat techniques was his attitude. Unlike Delling who lashed out unable to contain himself, the boy¡¯s demeanor was serenity itself. Seeing this, Carlos¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®Keiren, you¡¯ve picked up quite a gem.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t simply a child with outstanding qualities. He was a proper mage who could be deployed in actual combat right now. Even the attack on Delling must have been a pre-planned action. ¡°Let me make a straightforward proposal.¡± Greed flickered in Carlos¡¯s eyes. As a mage, this boy was talent he didn¡¯t want to let slip away. ¡°Eugene. How about leaving Keiren and working for me instead?¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± As if not expecting his words, Keiren, who had been observing the fight, bristled. ¡°Brother, what are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°The most Keiren would have offered is probably just a letter of recommendation. But I¡¯m different. As Buckenheim¡¯s successor, I can give you countless opportunities you couldn¡¯t even imagine.¡± Keiren was saying something but he paid no attention. ¡°What do you think? Wouldn¡¯t it be more beneficial than staying with a nobody who doesn¡¯t even have magical power?¡± He thought the boy would accept this proposal. This child prioritized benefits above all else, and was prepared to betray anything for them. Because he was the same type as himself. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As if it was quite an unexpected proposal, the boy tilted his head in thought, and eventually¡­ ¡°I refuse.¡± He rejected his proposal without any change in expression. ¡°¡­Why?¡± The answer came after a while. He couldn¡¯t understand no matter how much he thought about it. Carlos asked the boy standing before him. ¡°Is it because of the battle just now? Or have you grown attached to them in the meantime? If not that then¡­¡± ¡°Ah, no. Excuse me, but it¡¯s not for such reasons.¡± However, the boy shook his head with an awkward smile. ¡°I think¡­ following Lord Keiren would be more beneficial than following Lord Carlos.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At those words from the boy, Carlos frowned unpleasantly. ¡°How absurd. Are you saying some soon-to-retire imperial officer is better than me, the heir of Buckenheim?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what I think.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± The boy¡¯s words were clearly a rejection. ¡®Is he trying to repay the kindness shown to him, or does he already have other schemes in mind.¡¯ Either way, recruiting him now would be impossible. Having finished his thoughts, Carlos clicked his tongue and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m heading to the inner building.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll prepare some drinks. This way¡­¡± As Carlos and his entourage disappeared into the mansion, Keiren who had been watching the situation approached Eugene. ¡°First, I should say thank you.¡± ¡°Not at all. As your adopted son, this much is natural given the kindness you¡¯ve shown me.¡± When the boy said that, Keiren smiled slightly and patted his shoulder. ¡°I hate to say it myself, but it might have been better to accept that offer just now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you want to grow as a mage, following a magic noble would be better. Though I hate to admit it, everything that guy said was correct.¡± At those words, Eugene smiled slightly and shook his head. ¡°Even if that were true¡­ Lord Carlos is not the one.¡± The boy called Eugene thought to himself. ¡®With Maximilien and Elcidore¡¯s deaths, the original story of this game has been twisted. Despite that, the events that happened in the previous work are trying to occur again in different forms. As if some kind of forcing power is at work.¡¯ Therefore, Eugene thought. If this phenomenon continued. If similar events were destined to occur even if history was changed, he shouldn¡¯t have accepted that proposal. Because Carlos Buckenheim¡­ ¡®Is destined to be killed by the Revolutionary Army.¡¯ Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 29 #029. The Kalhyram Empire is a setting sun. The economy collapsed as soon as the Great Rupture appeared. The tyranny of magic nobles who seized power through the gaps. The collapse of people¡¯s lives, and the subsequent emergence of the Revolutionary Army. The current empire was so broken that it was impossible to know where to begin fixing it, and no one thought about trying to change such an empire. The nobles only thought about exploiting the empire for their own desires. The Revolutionary Army wanted to burn the empire completely and build a new country on its ashes. However, there was just one person. Someone who tried to somehow change this precarious empire that no one cared about. ¡®Friedrich Franz Kalhyram.¡¯ The legitimate heir of the Franz Imperial family, the first seat magic family, and the master of the empire holding full authority over the imperial army. The only monarch who could have changed this empire on the brink of collapse. And in Chapter 1 of [Revolution Empire], he also served as a device showing how the empire¡¯s fate had completely tilted when he was assassinated. ¡®But now it¡¯s different.¡¯ The main story of [Revolution Empire] begins with the collapse of the Kalhyram Empire. And the collapse of the Kalhyram Empire begins with Emperor Friedrich¡¯s death. However, now that I¡¯ve fallen into the game world. The emperor hasn¡¯t died yet, and I had enough power to intervene in the direction of the story. I could break the premise of the main story. ¡®Of course, it might be pointless.¡¯ Even if I save the emperor, I won¡¯t be able to extinguish the flames of revolution that have already been lit. I probably can¡¯t control the magic nobles who have already solidified their power base either. The exploitation by magic nobles will continue, and the spark of revolution will burst someday. The Kalhyram Empire has already reached its limit, after all. ¡®But at least I can survive.¡¯ [Revolution Empire] has two endings. Either die in prison after completing the revolution, or face the gallows after failing the revolution. A gutter story where death is the only outcome either way. However, by preventing the emperor¡¯s assassination, I can escape from this deadly dilemma. I can choose a path that the protagonist couldn¡¯t choose in the original work. A future where I¡¯m not used as a tool of revolution or exploited as a tool of nobility. Throwing this game¡¯s story into an unpredictable swamp that no one can foresee. *** During the month-long period, preparations for attending the funeral proceeded without a hitch. From condolence gifts for the Elcidore family who lost their head, to formal attire for Keiren and his daughter, knights to escort the delegation, and branch family members to accompany them. After meticulously checking each item and person heading to the imperial capital, Carlos promptly returned to Buckenheim¡¯s jurisdiction. ¡®How refreshing it is to no longer have to see that face!¡¯ That¡¯s what Keiren said when he heard Carlos had left. Although siblings are programmed to kill each other, they still growl at each other whenever they meet. They might be half-brothers in name, but at this point, their relationship was practically that of sworn enemies. Of course, complicated matters like delegations and guests were all adult business. These things didn¡¯t apply to Eugene Lorentz, the energetic ten-year-old child of the new nation. So what did our young Eugene do during this month-long period? ¡®Very good, Young Master Eugene. At this rate, you¡¯ll easily pass the written exam.¡¯ ¡®Ugh, ugghhh¡­¡­¡¯ What else could it be? Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Military academy entrance exam study. ¡®From now on, we¡¯ll focus on solving past exam questions for written preparation, and concentrate mainly on practical skills.¡¯ After looking at my evaluation sheet, Mrs. Maybelle allowed me to leave with a satisfied expression, and I gave a thumbs up while sprawled across the desk. ¡®Thank¡­ you¡­¡¯ ¡®Not at all. It must have been a difficult schedule, but I¡¯m glad you followed through so admirably.¡¯ It had been three months since I started studying for the military academy entrance exam. In that short time, I had barely managed to exceed the passing cutline for the military academy¡¯s written test. To think that I, who had been a 466-level mushroom in Korean, English, and Math, could enter a military academy. The brightness of my teacher¡¯s boundless grace was almost blinding. ¡°If Maybelle said so, then I can rest assured.¡± And so now, in the armored train heading to the imperial capital. Keiren, upon hearing my report, wore the same gentle smile as when we first met. Usually, he would have had a cigarette in his mouth, but what he held in his hand now was a steaming cup of coffee. When one¡¯s precious daughter is in the same train car, even a chain smoker knows to exercise restraint. ¡°We won¡¯t need to worry about the practical portion. Not after what you did to Carlos¡¯s only son.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be careless. I heard the military academy¡¯s practical tasks change every year.¡± ¡°Haha, so that¡¯s how it¡¯s changed now? In my time, there was only hand-to-hand combat.¡± Just as Keiren was about to start his back-in-my-day story, I turned my gaze toward Mari sitting next to him. Mari¡¯s eyes lit up, seemingly noticing my look. After I knocked down Delling at the mansion, Mari¡¯s attitude toward me had noticeably softened. ¡®Mari. Your father¡¯s starting again.¡¯ ¡®Okay. Got it!¡¯ Good, transmission received. Just as Keiren¡¯s rambling was about to get longer, Mari interrupted him by pointing at the scenery outside. ¡°Papa! Look there! There, there!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± What she was pointing at was the cityscape spread out beyond the window. The view of Central, the capital of the Kalhyram Empire. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be amazed just yet, Mari. Where we¡¯re going is the highest place in Central.¡± ¡°Really? Higher than this?¡± ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right. Now, if you look over there¡­¡± I watched the father and daughter chatting with smiling faces. I watched Mari taking in every corner of the city with bright eyes without a hint of shadow. And then shortly after, I turned my gaze to look at the bottom of the city laid out beneath the railroad tracks. ¡®¡­Returning after two years, huh.¡¯ Though it was meant to divert Keiren¡¯s attention, looking back now brought new emotions. Central. The protagonist¡¯s hometown and the place where [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story begins. I was returning to the city I had left when led away by Lupeon. ¡®When I left, I was in the cargo car of a military armored train, but now I¡¯m returning in Duke Buckenheim¡¯s luxury train¡­¡¯ Leaving as a commoner and returning as a noble. Wouldn¡¯t this qualify as a triumphant return? Though I thought that, I soon shook my head with a bitter smile. ¡®Triumphant return my ass, I¡¯m walking straight into death¡¯s door.¡¯ The special administrative district located in the center of the capital Central, the imperial capital. The Elcidore funeral to be held there was an event where the Revolutionary Army¡¯s invasion was expected. No, it would be more accurate to say it was an event held to lure out the Revolutionary Army. Lupeon, the protagonist of this funeral, was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s sworn enemy who had killed Maximilien, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader. Pinning medals on such a person¡¯s corpse was no different from poking a hornet¡¯s nest called the Revolutionary Army. ¡®The Revolutionary Army will definitely infiltrate the ceremony. And if my prediction is correct¡­¡¯ I looked at Mari, who was now completely absorbed in Keiren¡¯s story. The most dangerous existence in today¡¯s attack and the turning point for Keiren¡¯s descent into villainy. And simultaneously, someone I absolutely had to protect for my military academy admission. ¡®According to Keiren, there¡¯s more than enough security personnel. However¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t carelessly trust that security. If the Revolutionary Army that infiltrates the ceremony uses magic bullets, regular soldiers or lower-ranked knights won¡¯t be able to handle it. ¡®The basic plan is to prevent the emperor¡¯s assassination. I can¡¯t abandon that to protect Mari.¡¯ So I decided to take out an insurance policy for Mari. ¡°Irene.¡± By assigning my current maximum fighting power to Mari. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m here!¡± Hearing my voice, Irene, who was munching on cookies in the next seat, raised her hand high. While wiping cookie crumbs from around her mouth, I said to her. ¡°I have something I need you to do.¡± ¡°Okay! What do you want me to do?¡± Not doing it wasn¡¯t even an option. What she showed me was blind trust. Like a newly hatched chick recognizing the first thing it sees as its mother, she blindly followed my words. Just as I had done at the Elcidore mansion, I spoke to Irene with a smile. ¡°Can you protect Mari for today?¡± ¡°Protect? Lady Mari?¡± ¡°Some scary people will be coming.¡± Speaking thus, I checked Keiren and Mari¡¯s reactions. Since they didn¡¯t respond, it seemed they couldn¡¯t hear our conversation. ¡°Then¡­!¡± After hearing my words, Irene thought for a moment, then spoke to me with an expectant look. ¡°Those ¡®bad people¡¯ coming for Lady Mari, can I eat them?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sparkling eyes, lips glistening with appetite. And sharp teeth visible between those lips. Looking at that, I spoke to Irene while acting out a gentle smile. ¡°Of course, you can.¡± Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t been able to feed her properly while at the mansion. She¡¯s done well holding back until now. I patted Irene¡¯s head approvingly. ¡°You can eat as much as you want.¡± ¡°Wow¡­!¡± Irene beamed at my words. ¡®This might turn out to be more profitable than expected.¡¯ Prevent Keiren¡¯s corruption by protecting Mari, while simultaneously securing sacrifices for unlocking Irene¡¯s abilities. If I can accomplish two things at once, it¡¯s all profit for me. *** ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright? A child going alone into Central city¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m familiar with it.¡± At the VIP quarters prepared by the imperial palace. When I refused the security personnel, Keiren glared at me suspiciously. ¡°You¡¯re not doing some double agent work somewhere again, are you?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± Keiren¡¯s casual joke had a sharp edge to it. It was something he could say because he knew what I had done at the Elcidore mansion. ¡°No better offers than the military academy recommendation have come in yet.¡± ¡°Kuk, kahaha!¡± Jokes must be met with jokes. After this exchange, Keiren personally prepared a carriage. ¡°I know nothing about the young master going out alone.¡± ¡°I understand well enough, just please depart.¡± ¡°Of course. Where shall I take you?¡± Hearing those words, I stroked the handle of ¡®Heresy¡¯ in my chest. Currently, the only person who could command the emperor assassination operation was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s vice-commander, ¡®Vark Urgon¡¯. And to counter his magic imprint, I needed to adjust the ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ embedded in my arm. And excluding the imprint users of the imperial army and Revolutionary Army, the only person in the capital Central who could do that was¡­ ¡®Just one person.¡¯ After finishing my thought, I spoke to the coachman. ¡°Grey Quarter district.¡± ¡°P-pardon?!¡± Grey Quarter. When those words left my mouth, the coachman¡¯s eyes immediately widened. ¡°Y-young master? I apologize, but that¡¯s the slums. If we carelessly enter there, who knows what people might say¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, just please depart.¡± A customer¡¯s demands must be met. As the coachman started the horse with a sour expression, I leaned back against the seat with a fresh feeling. My destination was Grey Quarter National Hospital. It seemed the time had come to pay back the hospital bills I had left on credit. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 30 #030. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Doctor Otto, having finished his day¡¯s work, sat down while forcefully keeping his tired eyes open. The day at Grey Quarter National Hospital, which he operated, was like a war. Woefully insufficient beds and medicine. Slum patients flooding in with unheard-of diseases. The Imperial government that wouldn¡¯t even show interest, let alone provide support, no matter how much help was requested. He thought that his time as a military doctor on the Eastern Front might have been better than this. ¡°Now really¡­¡± Finally, he let out the words he had been holding in his heart all along. ¡°Is it time to quit?¡± Usually, he wouldn¡¯t have thought this far. The difficult hospital operation was commonplace, and he could endure the physical exhaustion. What shook Otto¡¯s resolve was a newspaper published a few months ago. [Elcidore Manor Engulfed in Flames.] [Major Battle Breaks Out Between Revolutionary Army and Count Elcidore¡¯s Forces.] [No Survivors Inside the Manor¡­¡­] There was a boy who had survived thanks to his help. A boy who said he would escape the slums, who had dozens of steel needles inserted into his young body. At the moment when he could finally be free, he had sold the boy to Elcidore. He justified it by telling himself there was no choice. That this would be better. That being a noble¡¯s servant would be better than being a beggar in the slums. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Otto was able to treat many patients with the money he got from selling the boy. Without investing a single penny in himself, he used the sponsorship money generously for the hospital and patients. As if doing so would free him from the guilt of selling the boy, he lived like that for two years. And this newspaper that came to him showed the stark reality of such escapism. The Elcidore territory had burned, and the boy had died. He was the one who had driven the boy there. When his thoughts reached that point, Otto collapsed in despair. His sense of duty as a doctor and his will to save lives all became meaningless. Both body and mind had finally reached their limit. ¡°Let¡¯s end it here.¡± Finally, he made his decision. After treating the current patients, he would leave the capital and retire. Return to his hometown, and maybe open a small clinic there¡­ Thump thump-! ¡°Hm?¡± A midnight knock pulled him from his thoughts. Another emergency patient? Feeling slightly tired, Otto left the examination room and opened the hospital door. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to take emergency patients to the next district! We don¡¯t even have hemostatic agents here anymore, nor blood for transfusions¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Has the hospital gotten that bad in the meantime?¡± Hearing the unexpected voice, Otto¡¯s irritated voice stopped mid-sentence. ¡°Y-You¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Standing at the hospital door was Eugene. The boy he had driven to his death. The boy who had been taken to Elcidore because of him was smiling at him. ¡°I¡¯ve come to pay my medical bills.¡± *** Otto¡¯s face was deathly pale, as if he had seen a ghost in the middle of the night. ¡°How are you¡­ No, but they said there were no survivors¡­¡± ¡®No survivors,¡¯ huh. Seeing that not just the Imperial newspaper but other media said the same thing, it seemed Keiren¡¯s information manipulation had worked quite well. There shouldn¡¯t be any issues regarding Irene¡¯s whereabouts. Thinking that, I shrugged my shoulders demonstratively. ¡°Doctor. How can an Imperial doctor trust the media? I¡¯m alive and well, so don¡¯t worry¡­¡­¡± I tried to make a light joke to calm Otto down, but my words didn¡¯t finish. Because Otto suddenly lowered himself and wrapped me in a tight embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± While I was frowning, wondering what this was about. ¡°Ah.¡± Seeing Otto¡¯s back trembling as he hugged me, I could guess why he was acting this way. He must have been thinking about how he sold me to Elcidore, how I died because of him. That¡¯s usually how good-aligned NPCs are in this game. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have sent you there then. I, I don¡¯t know what to say to you¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Doctor. Please calm down.¡± However, I didn¡¯t have time to indulge in this emotional reunion. There were only three days left until the funeral ceremony, and I needed to adjust my magic imprint within that time. I peeled off Otto, who was grimacing with guilt, and rolled up my right sleeve to reveal my magic imprint. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Seven red marks extending to the elbow. Seeing this, Otto¡¯s eyes grew even wider than when he first saw me. ¡°You, this is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Since we don¡¯t have time, I¡¯ll ask directly. Please answer as quickly as possible.¡± I understand his surprise. A seven-stroke magic imprint. It was no different from having a nuclear bomb in the hands of a three-year-old child. However, instead of explaining how I obtained the magic imprint, I extended my right arm to Otto and said, ¡°Can you adjust this magic imprint?¡± ¡°Adjust?¡± Hearing my words, Otto¡¯s expression turned strange. A magic imprint was the most important organ for using magic and a special weapon exclusively managed by the Knight Order and Magic Corps. Asking a neighborhood doctor working in the slums to adjust such a thing was nonsensical. ¡°There¡¯s no time. Just tell me if you can adjust it or not. If not, I¡¯ll leave right away.¡± However, I was certain. The doctor of Grey Quarter district, Otto Klautz. This doctor, who appears from Chapter 1 of [Revolution Empire], wasn¡¯t just an ordinary back-alley doctor. ¡°¡­¡­Haah.¡± While I was thinking that to myself, Otto, who had been quietly watching me, stood up from his seat. ¡°Follow me.¡± Success. *** ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± The place Otto guided me to was in front of the medical equipment where he had performed the magical power development surgery two years ago. After I placed my arm on the Circuit Opener, Otto carefully examined my magic imprint through the lens connected to the machine. ¡°As I thought. The connection state is a complete mess.¡± ¡°A mess?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The red marks glowing on my right arm. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After staring at them for a while, Otto spoke with an exasperated expression. ¡°The magic imprint you were previously using was broken internally for some reason. And without removing it, a new magic imprint was inserted in its place.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± How does he know this so well? Did he somehow witness the battle situation? Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face. Otto, as if it was nothing special, pressed various points on my right arm while speaking. ¡°Here and here. Fragments of the original magic imprint remain in the circuit, causing interference. It won¡¯t perform at full capacity like this. There¡¯s magical power leakage from the interfered circuits.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®ah¡¯!¡± When my reaction was lukewarm, Otto¡¯s voice grew louder instead. ¡°It¡¯s magical power leakage! If something went wrong, the entire circuit could have necrotized from magical power mixing! What kind of madman would make an imprint like this¡­¡­¡± That would be me. I was in quite a hurry. I wanted to say that, but Otto¡¯s expression was so scary that I had to swallow my words. ¡°Anyway, in this state, adjustment would be pointless. We need to extract it and reimplant it.¡± ¡°Reimplant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After saying that, Otto adjusted the hydraulic devices attached to the machine and replaced the end attachments. Click, click. The stimulus needles that had wrapped around my arm in a circle were removed, replaced by claw-shaped extraction tools and thin needles. It looked twice as menacing as what I saw two years ago. Feeling uneasy, I looked at Otto, who silently attached restraints to my shoulders and legs. The trauma from two years ago was starting to surface. ¡°These are very familiar preparations.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to extract the magic imprint and reimplant it. If you struggle and the magic imprint breaks, it¡¯s over.¡± Ooh, that wouldn¡¯t be good. I obediently bit down on the towel Otto had carefully rolled up for me. ¡°¡­You still don¡¯t even blink.¡± Shaking his head, Otto operated the Circuit Opener without delay. Unlike during the magical power development surgery, the extraction devices moved rhythmically as if they were living creatures. Seeing those, the terrifying pain I experienced two years ago came flooding back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no life-threatening danger like during the awakening surgery.¡± Clank- Clank- Along with the machine sounds, the extraction devices gradually approached my arm. ¡°Instead, it¡¯ll hurt enough to make you beg for death.¡± And the moment one of them dug into my arm. ¡°Ngggh¡­¡­¡± An all-too-familiar pain engulfed my entire body. Ah, this nostalgic sensation. It¡¯s been two years. Biting down on the towel in my mouth, I screamed internally. ¡®Sh*tty reincarnation difficulty for real.¡¯ *** ¡°You bastard, what did you just say?!¡± Crash bang-! Along with the shout, a chair in the examination room went flying. The one who threw the chair was a huge man covered in tattoos. On his prominently displayed arm was a black snake tattoo indicating his membership in the Valks gang. ¡°Say that again, you son of a bitch!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it as many times as needed. I don¡¯t want your money, so get out of my hospital right now.¡± ¡°You fucking¡­!¡± Crash-! The enraged giant threw down the doctor whose collar he had been gripping. ¡°Kyaaak?!¡± ¡°Oh, Doctor Otto!¡± ¡°Everyone stay back!¡± Otto, who had been thrown out of the examination room, rolled twice on the floor. Though the muscular giant glared at him as if ready to kill, there was no fear in Otto¡¯s eyes. ¡®This arrogant bastard¡­¡­!¡¯ A doctor who always looked soul-dead, mechanically treating patients. That¡¯s why they had barged in so forcefully. They thought he would cower with just a few threats. But that wasn¡¯t the case. Far from shrinking away from the fierce threats, he gritted his teeth and shouted at them to leave. ¡®Can¡¯t let this slide.¡¯ If they backed down here, other rabble would look down on the Valks gang too. They couldn¡¯t allow that, especially in the middle of an ongoing war with neighboring organizations. And above all, he didn¡¯t like that arrogant attitude staring him down. ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s how you want to play it?¡± As if his patience had reached its limit, a pistol appeared from the giant¡¯s clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll say this one last time. Take our boss for treatment right now. Otherwise, right here¡­¡­¡± An old military pistol commonly seen in back alleys. When it was pointed at Otto¡¯s head, the faces of the hospital staff and nurses turned pale. But at that moment. ¡°Saul?¡± From one side of the hospital, someone called his name. ¡°You bastard, who dares to say my name so casually! Huh?!¡± An unfamiliar voice. Not many people in this alley knew his name. Who is it? The Jake gang¡¯s people? Thinking that, he turned the gun muzzle, and there stood an unexpected figure. ¡°¡­¡­Eugene?¡± ¡°Saul. It really is you, isn¡¯t it?¡± A ten-year-old boy in a clean shirt that only nobles would wear. Though he looked unrecognizable compared to before, Saul could still identify the boy. ¡°How are you here¡­? No, more than that, that appearance¡­¡­¡± ¡°A lot has happened. But that¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now¡­¡± Eugene, who spoke friendly as if meeting an old friend, raised his hand. ¡°You just pointed a gun at a noble, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± Puhsuk-! With those words, Saul¡¯s chest burst open. Thud-! Saul died without even making a sound. ¡°Doctor, you should hide for now.¡± Eugene smiled while looking at his magic imprint, which now glowed brighter than before, without even glancing at the corpse. ¡°I¡¯ll pay back everything today ¨C the overdue medical bills and the adjustment fee.¡± Valks, Jake, Dallas. The gangs that had spread like parasites throughout Grey Quarter district. He planned to exterminate them all as a warm-up before the funeral ceremony began. Along with getting revenge for the protagonist¡¯s parents, who were killed over debt and thrown into a pigsty. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 31 #031. The scenery of the slums that I returned to after two years hadn¡¯t changed much. Makeshift buildings haphazardly constructed with rotting wood and all sorts of waste materials. Dark streets without a ray of light, blocked by these temporary structures. People emanating a musty stench, and gangs extorting money from these people. As always, it was a filthy and dangerous place. However, if I had to point out a few changes, it would be the number of gang members watching me from every alley. According to Valks gang¡¯s principles, it was common for one member to manage one alley, but now that number had increased to two or three members. This didn¡¯t happen in the original story. I interrogated Saul¡¯s senior gang member, whom I had restrained with magic, about the reason. ¡°You bastard, why should I tell you¡­!¡± Crack-! ¡°Arghhhh?! I-I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll tell you! Please¡­!¡± After a brief commotion, the man with one arm missing started explaining with a friendly attitude. ¡°W-well¡­ Two years ago, a gang member was murdered. But that¡­¡± The gist of what he said was this. A gang member was killed. And not just any member, but a mid-ranking one who had over a dozen subordinates under him. However, the strange thing was that no one knew who killed him. ¡°The body was found in the sewers, and it was so eaten away by rats and insects that we couldn¡¯t even guess how he died. We suspected some kids from that neighborhood, but none of them would open their mouths¡­¡± A complete mystery death. The gang took out their anger on some beggars in the alley, turning them into corpses, but even then, his explanation was that they couldn¡¯t find the culprit. ¡°That dead gang member¡¯s name was Hans, right?¡± ¡°H-how did you know that¡­?¡± Why? Because I was the culprit, that¡¯s why. Thinking that, I could roughly deduce the situation. In the original story, the protagonist defeated the Valks gang five years from now. Until then, the Valks gang was supposed to grow steadily without any incidents. ¡®But Hans¡¯s death changed the situation.¡¯ An action leader of the organization died. And the boss, Valks, not only couldn¡¯t avenge his dead executive but didn¡¯t even know who the killer was. ¡®No, he probably knew but buried it.¡¯ But that alone wasn¡¯t enough. The members below distrusted Valks, and other organizations eyeing the interests of Grey Quarter seized the opportunity. Once authority starts being undermined, it keeps getting challenged. Just as I said when I killed Hans, the Valks gang was continuously being challenged from the outside. ¡°That¡¯s why there are so many guys out there. We don¡¯t know when Jake or Dallas¡¯s guys might raid us, so we were ordered to maintain strict surveillance¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you for explaining.¡± Crunch-! I twisted the magical power chain around the man¡¯s neck, cutting off his breath. He probably didn¡¯t even feel pain, let alone realize he was dying. I threw the man¡¯s corpse in a corner of the alley and activated the adjusted magic imprint. Woong-! The imprint glowed with a red light. However, unlike before when all seven strokes glowed, only four strokes were glowing on my arm now. ¡®I deliberately deactivated the three strokes above. There¡¯s no point activating them now since my magical power can¡¯t handle them, and it would just waste magical power unnecessarily.¡¯ I recalled the formulas contained in the deactivated magic imprint. [Solar Wind Manifestation], [Focused Heat Shell], [MOAF], [Solar Ray], [Heliosphere]. ¡­And that final magic that would eventually be unlocked. Using any one of them in the city would cause chaos and expose the magic imprint¡¯s identity. I can¡¯t do that when I haven¡¯t even started the modification work yet. ¡°Hey. Th-that!¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that corpse, isn¡¯t that Jake?¡± ¡°This crazy bastard, killing our member right in Valks¡¯s front yard!¡± The Valks gang members who had been tailing me from the hospital immediately jumped out. Two moved forward, while the other two went to report to the organization. This was even better. I could sweep away all the ones rushing in and then go after Valks and the others. ¡°Kill him!¡± Bang! Ta-tang-! Bang! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The gang members surrounding me fired their concealed pistols. Most of the flying bullets were small-caliber pistol rounds and hunting ammunition. They couldn¡¯t penetrate my fully activated barrier. ¡°Wait, that¡­!¡± ¡°Magic! It¡¯s magic!¡± Seeing the translucent barrier surrounding my body, the Valks gang members¡¯ faces showed dismay. The basic formula stored in the first imprint, [Barrier] Unlike the barrier received at Elcidore, this was a special defensive formula that covered all directions ¨C front, back, left, and right. ¡°So far, twelve have gathered.¡± The next formula was detection magic, [Eye of Horus]. When I focused on the main threats like guns and weapons, I could clearly see the gang members hiding behind walls and inside alleys. ¡®As soon as they realized I¡¯m a magician, they seek cover and wait for an opportunity¡­¡¯ It was a formation that well reflected the character of the gang¡¯s boss, Valks Frederick, who had a military background. ¡®But it¡¯s nothing compared to the Magic Corps.¡¯ While this formation might have been threatening in the early stages of learning magic, it¡¯s neither a threat nor anything at this point. I immediately activated the attack formula. Chwararuk-! Dozens of small magic circles spread around. From the red glowing magic circles, dozens of fireballs appeared. A variation of the basic fire attribute attack formula [Fireball]. It was a form that minimized the size while extremely increasing the number of attacks. Wuung- The fireballs that started spinning in place burned fiercely as if they would shoot out at any moment. ¡°Full volley.¡± With a short incantation, the fireballs that had reached their critical point were fired simultaneously at the gang members. Kukwakwabang¨C! As seen when the Knifehead members used Ice Spear, originally mages¡¯ basic attack magic travels in a straight line. However, the [Eye of Horus] I activated earlier. When using this detection formula that simultaneously confirms target location and sets attack coordinates, even ordinary fireballs become guided missiles that track enemies on their own. ¡°Aaaaagh?!¡± ¡°Fuck, what¡¯s this! Why is the magic curving?!¡± ¡°Fire, fiiiire¨C!¡± The fireballs that stretched out in dozens of curved lines instantly burned the members and shattered the encirclement surrounding me. ¡°Over there!¡± ¡°A fire attribute magician?! Jake¡¯s guys, what kind of monster did they bring¡­¡± Meanwhile. Over a dozen gang members who arrived late as reinforcements entered my detection range. Gang members rushing in clustered together. Instead of reaching out toward them, I grabbed Heresy¡¯s handle from inside my clothes. Hwarak-! A magic circle formed at the black muzzle tip, with a fireball burning above it. This time, without [Eye of Horus]¡¯s assistance, it was a form focused purely on power and range. ¡®Even without magic bullets loaded, if I use the auxiliary formula engraved on the gun¡­¡¯ Kuooo¨C! The fireball that was only fist-sized grew to the size of an adult¡¯s head, and eventually became so huge it could completely cover my body. ¡°Uh, uuh!?¡± ¡°Hey, you crazy, what is that¡­!¡± The gangs belatedly realized something was wrong, but the terrain wasn¡¯t favorable. The alley was narrow, and there were no side paths. ¡°Fire.¡± The moment I pulled the trigger of the empty gun, the massive fireball flew toward the gang members. BOOOM¨C! With an air-splitting explosion, the gang members gathered in the alley instantly turned to ashes. Tuduk. Tuk. Tuduk¡­ After the battle ended, all that remained in the alley were burned corpses, remaining flames, and soot. After gauging the state of my magic imprint and remaining magical power, I clenched my fist. ¡°Finally got on the right track.¡± A magic imprint adjusted to near perfection. An enormous amount of magical power incomparable to the original protagonist. Formula synchronization flowing like water, and combinations without a single hitch! In the original [Revolution Empire], this was power that could barely be approached in the middle of the chapter. To achieve this five years before the story starts, at the young age of ten. Combining the items and weapons from my memories, I could obtain power on a different dimension from the previous protagonist. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll put off the detailed plans.¡¯ I need to finish what I have to do now first. Thinking that, I looked around the alley strewn with corpses. ¡°It¡¯s quiet.¡± There were no more gang members charging in for revenge, and the Valks gang members watching from the outskirts had disappeared. But there was no need to be hasty. ¡°After stirring up this much trouble, they¡¯re probably preparing to run away.¡± When a similar situation occurred in the game, Valks¡¯s behavior pattern was set. He would probably pack up all the money in the safe and try to escape with his core members. Leaving the expendables who could be replenished anytime as bullet shields, to plan for the future. ¡°In the original, they went through all sorts of trouble chasing after that, but it¡¯s nice that I don¡¯t need to do that this time.¡± Muttering that, I recalled the map structure of [Revolution Empire]¡¯s Chapter 1. The distance between Valks¡¯s residence and the alley where I was standing now. After calculating that, I started looking for the passage with leisurely steps. Even walking slowly like taking a stroll, it didn¡¯t seem like I would miss Valks. *** ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± A middle-aged man with a thick beard was running through the foul-smelling sewer. The boss of the Valks gang that ruled Grey Quarter district, Valks Frederick. He was now fleeing Grey Quarter district with only a few executives. ¡°Boss, what was that exactly? Why would a magician¡­¡± ¡°Jake¡¯s guys must have pulled something! A magician suddenly, these crazy bastards¡­¡± The executives¡¯ voices continued, but Valks couldn¡¯t be sure of anything. ¡®Jake hired a magician to hit us? No, that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯ The magicians he had seen on the battlefield were beings who lived in a different world from them. In other words, they weren¡¯t the type to move for money offered by back alley gangs. Then the most likely possibility was personal grudge. And Valks had one thing he suspected. ¡®The kid who killed Hans. Could it be¡­¡¯ Although it was handled as an unexplained death, Valks knew the inside story of Hans¡¯s murder. A boy struggling with his father¡¯s gambling debts, like any back alley vermin. If that boy who killed Hans and ran away had returned? Then he¡­! Kukwaang-! Just as he was thinking that, a fireball flew from the opposite side of Valks. One executive instantly turned to ashes. Without even time to scream, that¡¯s how he disappeared. Step- Step- While everyone stopped, a small shadow appeared with footsteps. Black hair and black eyes. And the red magic imprint glowing brightly on his right arm. ¡°Found you.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°H-how did you get here!¡± The boy looked at him and his subordinates with a broad smile. And the moment he saw that face without shadows, Valks instantly knew his guess was right. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± The back alley beggar who killed Hans and ran away. That beggar had returned as a monster. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 32 #032. ¡°This wraps things up nicely.¡± In a dilapidated underground storage room with scorch marks scattered about. Three men were kneeling side by side in what used to be a cattle shed. ¡°Mmph¡­! Mmmmph¡­!¡± ¡°P-please spare me¡­! Please¡­¡± ¡°Nnnngh¡­!¡± Ah, what was I thinking? I hadn¡¯t gagged Dallas. After yanking his hair up, I grabbed a handful of straw and stuffed it in his mouth. Now it¡¯s finally quiet. I looked at the three men in turn, then checked the modest spoils obtained from them. ¡®Gold bars, drugs, bearer bonds, and jewels¡­ Less valuable than I expected.¡¯ I roughly assessed the items piled in one corner of the storage room. I¡¯ll keep the gold bars, burn the drugs¡­ Otto can handle the rest properly if I hand them over. But more than these things, there was an unexpected windfall. A list of nobles who dealt with these guys and their transaction details. Looking at the names of the nobles listed, it was clear just how corrupt the so-called nobles of Kalhyram were living. ¡®Most of the purchased items are banned monster byproducts, and drugs made from them¡­¡¯ This could get quite interesting if I hand it over to Keiren. I put the ledgers obtained from the three organizations into my bag. ¡®Now that I¡¯ve gathered everything, time to wrap this up.¡¯ After finishing that thought, I activated the mechanical device that remained in my memory. Clank-! Along with the sound of a cultivator, what started turning was a grinder used in meat processing plants. The very thing that had ground up Eugene Lorentz¡¯s parents. ¡°Hans said this. If I don¡¯t bring the money by next week, he¡¯ll grind me up and scatter me next to my mom and dad.¡± ¡°Mmph?! Mmmmph~~!¡± Of the three who heard my words, Valks¡¯ face in particular turned deathly pale. The furiously spinning grinder, the shabby storage that used to be a pig pen. It seemed he finally realized where this place was, and what I intended to do. ¡®Come to think of it, I wonder if this is really necessary¡­¡¯ Looking at the frantically spinning grinder and the faces of the three men covered in tears, that thought suddenly crossed my mind. After all, the one who lost his parents was ¡®Eugene Lorentz¡¯ in the game, not ¡®Seong Yu-jin¡¯. Honestly, I personally had no particular feelings about these people. Yet I deliberately sought out this place and this grinder, and deliberately captured these three people alive and tied them up in this storage room. I had to admit it. Right now, I was acting uncharacteristically irrational. ¡°Kuhk?! S-sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I committed a mortal sin! So please, please¡­!¡± The gag must have come loose while being dragged, as Valks¡¯ voice burst out while in my grasp. ¡°My parents probably made similar sounds too, right, boss?¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­! Please, p-please¡­!¡± Unexpectedly, an agitated voice leaked through between my teeth. Along with that came this unpleasant feeling, and a dark pleasure. When I felt that, I became quite confused. No matter how immersed I was in this game, I was originally an outsider to this incident. There was no reason for me to feel such emotions. ¡®Come to think of it, it wasn¡¯t just now.¡¯ The slight anger I felt when I saw Claude¡¯s face at Knifehead. The sense of familiarity I felt the moment I met Maximilien. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even the bitter aftertaste I felt when killing him. While they were all dramatic moments in their own way, the emotions I felt from them had some degree of dissonance for ¡®Seong Yu-jin¡¯ the gamer to feel. ¡®Does this mean the emotions I¡¯m feeling now aren¡¯t those of ¡®Seong Yu-jin¡¯? That ¡®Eugene Lorentz¡¯s¡¯ personality is partially mixed in?¡¯ Even as these thoughts continued, my body didn¡¯t stop. My hand holding Valks threw him into the grinder without hesitation- ¡°N-no¡­!¡± With that final death cry, Valks literally became minced meat scattered across the pig pen floor. ¡°Mmph¡­ Mmmph¡­!¡± ¡°Mmmmmph¨C!¡± Valks¡¯ blood and minced flesh spurting from the grinder¡¯s outlet covered the bodies of the remaining two. There¡¯s a scene in the movie ¡®War of the Worlds¡¯ where aliens spray human blood everywhere ¨C it was exactly like that. Ugh, disgusting. While it was satisfying, I didn¡¯t think it was worth doing twice. Crack-! Thud-! ¡°Hm?¡± When I heard strange sounds coming from the other two, I turned to look. In the blood-covered pen were Dallas and Jake, lying dead. ¡°One bit his tongue, the other smashed his head in to commit suicide.¡± Rather than end up like Valks, they must have thought it better to die first. After checking their causes of death by prodding the corpses with my foot, I gladly got up from my spot. It¡¯s a gain for me since there¡¯s less work to do. Now I should grab the goods and ledgers and get out of this storage room quickly. *** As in any detective or mystery story, the police arrived an hour after everything had wrapped up. Police spread throughout the alley, and criminals being arrested one after another. Those who wouldn¡¯t bat an eye at whatever happened in the alleys in the game are now acting like this just because they heard a magic noble was involved. ¡°To think that the young master of the Buckenheim family would be involved in such an unfortunate incident!¡± ¡°For a young lord of a magic noble family to personally step forward to uphold justice in these back alleys¡­!¡± ¡°As expected of Lord Keiren¡¯s son. You¡¯ve done a truly great deed!¡± And what surprised me most of all was the police chief who came with all those police forces. ¡®We don¡¯t have a single officer to spare for trash like you!¡¯ ¡®Get your hands off! You parasites of the empire!¡¯ Who would have thought that this embodiment of authoritarianism, who used to spout such lines as naturally as breathing, would possess such excellent ass-kissing skills? If he were dealing with someone who enjoyed being entertained, he would have the technique to increase the sensitivity 3000 times and send them to Hong Kong in just 2 seconds. ¡°Y-you killed them all? Every single one?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, not everyone.¡± After pushing aside the police chief¡¯s song of praise. To Otto¡¯s question asked with a dumbfounded expression, I waved my hand with an embarrassed face. ¡°I only directly dealt with the leaders and executives of each organization. I did it in front of the regular gang members, so there shouldn¡¯t be anyone trying to run a gang for a while.¡± Especially in Valks¡¯ case. When I showed them the blood and minced meat saying ¡®Say hello, this is your boss,¡¯ some of them fainted on the spot. Even if they pop up again, they¡¯ll probably be no more than neighborhood thugs. Hearing my words, Otto shook his head with a somewhat dejected expression. ¡°To think that those who ruled the back alleys for over ten years would be exterminated by a single magician¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that they couldn¡¯t do it. They just left it alone because it didn¡¯t harm them.¡± Not much different from the real Korea. No matter how much they boast about being a nationwide organization or an underworld big shot, the moment public authority steps in seriously, the underground world crumbles. The reason they don¡¯t disappear isn¡¯t because of lack of ability, but lack of will. ¡®The scraps they bring from that side must be pretty sweet too.¡¯ If there¡¯s a difference to be found, it¡¯s that in this world, it¡¯s nobles who wield public authority, not judges. And right now, I was, at least in name, a member of those nobles, and moreover, a magic noble, and among them, a magician who had reached quite a high level. In other words, I had both the ability and will to clean up the alleys. ¡°I was worried, Young Master. When you went off alone, to think you would do such an incredible thing¡­¡± The one who approached me saying those words was Walter, the butler who had directly called these police officers. He had the police handle the cleanup right as I finished my work. In other words, this person had been watching me since I arrived here. It sends chills down my spine. Why? Because I couldn¡¯t detect that person even while using ¡®Eye of Horus¡¯. ¡°¡­Still, thanks to you, butler, I feel relieved. You called the officers at just the right time.¡± ¡°I was worried it might have been too late. It would be a serious matter if Lord Keiren¡¯s son were to be hurt in such an incident.¡± Now, let me translate this noble conversation into my style: ¡®Looking at the police¡¯s timing, you deliberately left me alone, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®If you can¡¯t handle even this much alone, how dare you enter the military academy as Keiren¡¯s son? What, should I spoon-feed you next time?¡¯ The big bones hidden in the exchange of pleasantries. Learning as I go, but these noble bastards really live in an exhaustingly complicated way. ¡°Since you seem to have handled your personal business, I¡¯ll escort you to your lodgings now.¡± ¡°Yes. Please do, butler.¡± ¡®If you¡¯re done with your work, return to base.¡¯ ¡®OK¡¯ After this exchange, I got into the carriage Walter had prepared. ¡°Ah, right. Butler.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Eugene?¡± Before closing the door, I called Walter and took out a ledger from my pocket to hand to him. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°I found it during my personal business. I thought it might be useful to father. And¡­¡± Lowering my body slightly, I whispered in Walter¡¯s ear. And shortly after. Walter¡¯s gaze, after examining the ledger I handed over, turned toward the police chief standing far away. What was written in the ledger was details of underage human trafficking, and the police chief¡¯s name written at the end. ¡°Well, this is unexpected information.¡± ¡°I leave it in your hands.¡± ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Walter, saying this with a smile, closed the carriage door with an even more polite gesture. Police chief bastard, you were planning to quietly take credit for the gang cleanup, weren¡¯t you? Sorry, but the only thing you¡¯ll be eating is black bread in the Northern Prison. *** Clop clop clop clop¡­! The carriage carrying Eugene left Grey Quarter at twice the speed it had arrived. It was understandable that the driver was scared, as this was a high-crime area that no sane Imperial citizen would even think of entering. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find you here, Otto.¡± Walter, changing his tone after the young master he had to serve disappeared, turned his gaze to one side. Otto Klautz, the back alley doctor in worn medical gown. He, too, seemed quite surprised, looking at Walter with a strange expression. ¡°Walter¡­ Major.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t add the rank anymore. We¡¯re both civilians now, after all.¡± Saying this, Walter looked in the direction where the carriage carrying Eugene had disappeared. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve been working as a doctor here.¡± ¡°For about 10 years.¡± ¡°So you came here right after discharge. You really¡­¡± Walter¡¯s gaze, trailing off, looked at Otto. The worn-out medical gown, disheveled hair. Even the glasses with rust covering the frames. Though he no longer wore a military uniform, he was still the same military doctor who had shared hardships on the frontlines 10 years ago. ¡°You seem to be acquainted with Young Master Eugene as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask. Young master, you mean¡­ could it be that the one who took in that child was¡­¡± ¡°Your guess is correct.¡± It was truly a strange connection. Who would have thought that those whose spirits were broken after ¡®that incident¡¯ on the frontlines would meet again in a place like this? And that at the intersection of that meeting would be one boy? ¡°So with that in mind, I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°A¡­ proposal?¡± With those words, Walter stepped closer to Otto and spoke. Exposing the police chief¡¯s crimes was secondary. The first task Eugene had instructed him about was related to Otto. ¡°Would you become Young Master Eugene¡¯s personal physician?¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 33 #033. ¡°Good day, madam! We met at Castle Chegrund last month, do you remember?¡± ¡°We have some fine wine that just came in. Would you like to join us for a drink sometime¡­¡­¡± ¡°A fish farm in the western coastal region? Ho ho ho, well this¡­¡­¡± Lupeon¡¯s funeral wasn¡¯t as solemn as I had expected. Rather than a funeral hall, it felt more like an outdoor social gathering for nobles. If a funeral in Korea had this kind of atmosphere, it would be considered a ¡°good death.¡± ¡®Well, dying after catching the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader would be considered a good death.¡¯ What would Lupeon, lying in his coffin, think about these thoughts from the one who caused his death and stole his magic imprint? That thought crossed my mind briefly, but it wasn¡¯t my concern anymore. If he¡¯s upset, he can tear open his coffin and resurrect himself. ¡°Invitation confirmed.¡± ¡°Lord Keiren Buckenheim. It¡¯s an honor to have you.¡± Seeing me following Keiren, the servants bowed respectfully. To think I¡¯m now walking proudly through the front gate of a place I used to sneak into during my Knifehead days. It might have been a touching moment, but sadly, there wasn¡¯t time for such sentiments. ¡®They¡¯re already starting to show up one by one.¡¯ Among the nobles attending the funeral, the servants carrying food, and the occasional street vendors. Familiar faces could be spotted between them. Lower-ranking Revolutionary Army members who carried out missions with the protagonist in the original [Revolution Empire]. They had already finished their preparations and were waiting for the Emperor to appear. ¡°The security is terrible. Suspiciously so.¡± Unlike me who was observing the people, Keiren¡¯s gaze was fixed on the soldiers lined up throughout the venue. ¡°The snipers on the roof don¡¯t even have proper scopes, and the patrolling forces are all regular soldiers. There¡¯s a lot of them, but the quality is completely lacking.¡± ¡°You can tell right away?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been smelling gunpowder on battlefields for decades. I can tell just by looking at the rifles they¡¯re carrying.¡± Having said that, Keiren spoke while looking at the soldiers standing at attention. ¡°Those soldiers guarding us now¡­ They¡¯re greenhorns who¡¯ve never seen actual combat.¡± After hearing Keiren¡¯s words, I took another look at the soldiers¡¯ attire. Clean faces and pristine uniforms. Even their boots were gleaming without a trace of wear. They looked more like actors in military costumes than actual soldiers. ¡°The Imperial Guard Captain is Niphelheim duchy¡¯s man. That cunning bastard deliberately redirected the elite troops elsewhere.¡± Hearing Keiren¡¯s words, I assessed the current situation. Security weakened by magic nobles¡¯ schemes. Revolutionary Army already hiding everywhere, waiting for their chance. Nobles enjoying the reception in the middle of the planned attack site. The Emperor who would soon appear would be nothing more than a feast prepared for the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Walter and our soldiers will handle the primary security. However, if things go wrong¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need to escape with the young lady. I understand.¡± Of course, I couldn¡¯t be certain. There wouldn¡¯t be time to look after Mari while preventing the Emperor¡¯s assassination. I watched Mari bouncing around holding Keiren¡¯s hand, with Irene following behind her. ¡°Irene! You¡¯re sticking too close!¡± ¡°Hehe! Sorry, Young Lady!¡± When I told her to stay close to Mari, I didn¡¯t expect her to literally stick to Mari for three days straight. Seeing how the two had grown close, I nodded. At least I had insurance in place, so they shouldn¡¯t die. Thud- Just then, a man wearing a fedora bumped into the child¡¯s side. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sorry. Are you hurt?¡± A gentleman who lowered himself and asked in a kind voice. A handsome man with well-groomed blonde hair and blue eyes. And the moment I saw that face, I realized something was wrong. ¡®Gideon Leonhart¡­?¡¯ Why would a Westraine Republic intelligence agent be at Lupeon¡¯s funeral? *** In a space without a hint of light. The Revolutionary Army members gathered around Vark were reviewing their upcoming operation. ¡°How¡¯s the deployment of members?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already done. We can have everyone move in as soon as the funeral starts.¡± ¡°I checked the security forces, they¡¯re terrible. Are the magic nobles saying they don¡¯t care whether the Emperor lives or dies?¡± Vark¡¯s concerns deepened as he received the members¡¯ reports. He wasn¡¯t worried because breaking through security would be too difficult, but because it would be too easy. Other members seemed to share similar thoughts, as one of them asked Vark. ¡°Vark. The Imperial Army¡¯s deployment¡­ Doesn¡¯t it seem strange?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about it. It¡¯s intentional.¡± The answer came immediately. The Imperial Army¡¯s unreasonably weak security. It was too unnatural to claim ignorance. ¡°We got a communication from our ¡®sponsors.¡¯ The Imperial Army¡¯s main force has all been deployed to the outskirts of the capital. They say it¡¯ll take at least 30 minutes to arrive even at their fastest.¡± 30 minutes. Enough time for Vark and his members to kill the Emperor and escape. ¡°What¡¯s going on? They must have known we would attack¡­¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. Have the magic nobles abandoned the Emperor?¡± When several members asked this, Vark showed his teeth as he spoke. ¡°No, it¡¯s worse than abandonment.¡± His gaze fell on the Emperor¡¯s insignia on one side of the capital¡¯s map. ¡°Those bastards are now begging us to kill the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And they plan to leisurely appear after we kill the Emperor and strike us from behind.¡± Vark became uncomfortable. Even if the operation succeeded at this rate, they would be playing into the magic nobles¡¯ hands. However, they couldn¡¯t abandon the operation now. Lupeon¡¯s funeral was the Empire¡¯s ploy to insult Maximilien¡¯s death. If they remained silent about their leader¡¯s death, what fool would join the revolutionary cause¡­! Creak- ¡°It seems all preparations are complete.¡± As his worries deepened, a man entered the dark space. ¡°Our personnel are also ready, whenever the leader gives the order, we can begin at any time.¡± A handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Though he wore the same attire as the Revolutionary Army members, what emanated from him wasn¡¯t the Revolutionary Army¡¯s characteristic passion. Rather, what he possessed was the cold air typical of those with power. He was fundamentally different from them who desired revolution. ¡°We thank you for your cooperation. Without the Republic¡¯s support, this operation would have been impossible.¡± ¡°Save your thanks for after the operation. For example¡­¡± A faint smile appeared on the man¡¯s face as his words trailed off. ¡°After retrieving the Emperor¡¯s head according to our proposed conditions.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing those words, Vark stood up with a sigh. This man named Gideon was one of the ¡®sponsors¡¯ dispatched from Westraine. Having reached out to them for help, it was impossible to stop the operation now. ¡®If the operation fails, it¡¯s a futile struggle, and even if it succeeds, we¡¯re being played by them.¡¯ The power struggle between magic nobles and the Emperor. The Republic stirring up chaos in the Empire amid that power struggle. In these massive currents, the Revolutionary Army was merely a sword handle being played by their objectives. Waaaaaah-! The sound of citizens cheering could be heard from outside. The sound of fireworks booming loud enough to shake the heavens, mixed with the music of numerous instruments. Members watching the situation outside gave a signal. The Emperor had appeared. ¡°Shall we go, Leader?¡± ¡°¡­Drop the title of leader. I¡¯m merely Maxim¡¯s proxy.¡± Vark stood up in response to Gideon¡¯s words. It was too late to abandon the operation now. Either kill the Emperor and die gloriously, or die without killing him. That was all that was possible for him now. However¡­ ¡®However, next time will be different.¡¯ Vark thought of the numerous young bloods remaining at headquarters. The revolutionary heroes personally trained by Maximilien, and the many promising individuals following him. They were new recruits who joined the Revolutionary Army after Lupeon¡¯s death, and would continue the revolution even after his death. ¡®The seeds have been sown. Then all that remains is to ignite that spark with the Emperor¡¯s blood¡­!¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if they were being played in a dirty power struggle. It didn¡¯t matter if they became puppets of the Republic. The Emperor meeting his end at the Revolutionary Army¡¯s hands. That fact alone would remain in history, becoming nourishment for the next generation of revolutionaries. Bang-! When the door of the cargo wagon they were riding opened, the capital filled with countless people came into view. Nobles who filled their bellies with the blood of the poor, and the hideous parasites living off those nobles¡¯ pus. They had gathered together, cheering the Emperor¡¯s name. Thump- Thump- There were people moving busily through the gathered crowd. The disguised members gradually picked up speed, revealing their disguises one by one and firing their prepared magic bullets. And- Flutter-! ¡°Huh, huh?¡± ¡°Wait. That¡­¡± ¡°Red flags!¡± Among the crowd calling the Emperor¡¯s name, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s red flags rose. One, two, ten, twenty. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the flags increased, the Imperial Army¡¯s confusion grew, and the terrified crowd began to leave their places one by one. It didn¡¯t matter. Lupeon¡¯s coffin and the vehicle carrying the Emperor were already in the middle of the main road, and the Revolutionary Army had already surrounded them. Shing- The military sword at Vark¡¯s waist was drawn. The light bursting from [Red Wings], derived from Maxim¡¯s magic imprint, began to blaze fiercely along the blade. Vark charged in a straight line holding the flag. His eyes caught sight of the Emperor¡¯s vehicle and the Imperial Army guarding him. ¡°Kill the Emperor! Shatter the heart of this corrupt Empire¨C!¡± The first strike would be his. And Westraine¡¯s sponsors would provide fire support. The positioning was perfect, and all that remained was his strike. ¡°For the revolution¨C!¡± ¡°Waaaaaah-!¡± ¡°For the revolution!!!¡± With the cries of numerous members, Vark raised his weapon and charged toward the Emperor¡¯s vehicle and. Boooooom¡ª! With a tremendous explosion, the entire escort procession guarding the Emperor was engulfed in flames. Rumble¡­¡­! As the roar that shook the entire capital subsided, the thick smoke slowly cleared. And what should have appeared next was the Emperor¡¯s shattered corpse. ¡­¡­or rather, that¡¯s what should have happened. ¡°I really hoped it wouldn¡¯t come to this.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­!¡± When the quiet voice was heard, a look of dismay appeared on Vark¡¯s face. Crack- Crack-! What had received his strike wasn¡¯t the Emperor¡¯s vehicle, but a translucent red barrier. The one who had spread the multiple layers of barriers was a young man who possessed the same red magic imprint as himself. ¡°Who are you. Why, why do you have the same colored magic imprint as us¡­!¡± Judging by the state of the shattered barrier, the impact on the young man seemed significant. However, the young man paid no attention to this and growled while staring directly at Vark¡¯s face. ¡°Vark Urgon. You idiot, do you know what you¡¯ve just done?¡± ¡°?!¡± What? Who is this young man? How does he know my name? As such questions were about to continue, shocking words came through the young man¡¯s lips. ¡°You just sold the entire Revolutionary Army organization to Westraine.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 34 #034. ¡°Betrayed the Revolutionary Army, what does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s something for you to figure out.¡± Crash-! I created distance between Vark and myself by exploding the nearly broken barrier. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± You can¡¯t dodge while floating in the air. I immediately summoned dozens of magic circles and loaded them with Fireballs. There was no need to use Eye of Horus. There was only one target. ¡°Fire all rounds.¡± Boom boom boom boom¨C! Dozens of Fireballs were fired in sequence, continuously pouring towards Vark. Of course, I didn¡¯t expect this to kill him. Unlike those gang members who burned with a single Fireball, he was a magician with a five-stroke magic imprint. I¡¯d be lucky if my Fireballs could leave even a scratch on him. Whoosh-! Vark emerged from the thick smoke and pointed his sword at me. As expected, the magic I had fired couldn¡¯t leave a single scratch on him. Vark Urgon. He¡¯s an NPC known as the number 2 of the first generation Revolutionary Army before the main story of [Revolution Empire] begins. A cornerstone of the Revolutionary Army who maximized the growth of the magic imprint ¡®Red Wings¡¯ created by Maximilien. Living up to his reputation, his first strike was more powerful than I had imagined. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t put up a triple barrier, forget blocking it ¨C I might have gone to the next world along with the Emperor.¡¯ And that¡¯s not all. When I activated the Fireball along with the barrier, the magic imprint became overloaded. Without Otto¡¯s adjustments, I would have had to prepare for a backflow. However, I saw the Emperor¡¯s carriage stopped behind me. The Emperor wasn¡¯t dead. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s primary objective had failed. ¡®No, not yet. I can¡¯t be certain yet.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t relax just because I blocked one attack. While catching my breath, I surveyed the funeral venue that had already turned into chaos. ¡°It¡¯s an attack! Everyone maintain formation!¡± ¡°Focus firepower on the front to create an escape route! Walter! What happened to Mari?!¡± ¡°She headed to the train station first with the guard forces! Lord Keiren, this way!¡± The square was being defended against the Revolutionary Army¡¯s offensive mainly by Keiren¡¯s soldiers, but it was impossible for such a small force to control the entire venue. They could only manage to evacuate Keiren himself, those around him, and Mari. I saw Irene disappearing into an alley with Mari from a distance. With that one around, at least Mari won¡¯t die. ¡°The Revolutionary Army?!¡± ¡°Run! Everyone ru- kuhek¡­!¡± ¡°You traitors, how dare you, in this place¡­!¡± Unlike Keiren¡¯s forces moving in perfect unison, the situation with other nobles wasn¡¯t looking good. ¡°Target those with luxurious decorations and medals first!¡± ¡°The guard forces are nothing but scarecrows! Eliminate them all-!¡± ¡°Kyaaak-!¡± Most of the nobles who had close relationships with the Emperor, or were trying to establish them, were dying from the Revolutionary Army¡¯s attacks. As Keiren had predicted beforehand, most of the guard forces were just a disorganized rabble that couldn¡¯t even help. And amidst all this, what caught my eye were the Westraine magicians moving through the chaotic funeral venue. ¡°Kuhk?!¡± ¡°First objective complete. Next target?¡± ¡°This one¡¯s done too. Moving to the next.¡± Magicians using only non-attribute magic and enhancement magic to minimize imprint exposure. Unlike the Revolutionary Army indiscriminately killing those who appeared to be nobles, their targets were the key figures in charge of the Empire¡¯s administration. ¡®Though it¡¯s 5 years earlier than the original work¡­ Up to this point, it¡¯s flowing according to the main story.¡¯ Due to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s uprising, the imperial faction officials who ran the Empire would be largely killed off, and magic nobles would take their place. A deal between the Westraine Republic, which wanted chaos in the Empire, and the magic nobles who were looking for an opportunity to purge the imperial faction. From this incident onward, the delicate balance between the imperial faction and noble faction would collapse. The Empire would fall into the hands of magic nobles, and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s anger would only grow hotter. Never knowing until the end that it was they themselves who had turned their world into hell. ¡®It¡¯s quite funny when you look at it from afar.¡¯ Those who wanted reform in the Empire were pushing its fate toward the abyss. The revolution had long since been tainted by countless malicious intentions, becoming a tool to be used by them. Just being used as such a tool of revolution, only to be discarded in the end. That would have been the fate originally given to this body. ¡°But not anymore.¡± I stole Maximilien¡¯s magic imprint, found Otto again, and had him adjust the forcibly implanted magic imprint. I trained to death until this day came to increase my magical power to its maximum limit. As a result of all my efforts to survive coming together, I was able to intervene at this game¡¯s most important turning point. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I could now distort this story from its very foundation ¨C the story that begins with the Emperor¡¯s death. ¡°Form ranks! Synchronize the imprints! Protect His Majesty the Emperor!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Are you alright?!¡± ¡°Call the Knight Order!¡± By the time my thoughts were ending, the guards who had belatedly grasped the situation surrounded the Emperor¡¯s carriage. Wooong¨C! A solid barrier created by the synchronized magical power of dozens of people. Though the guards¡¯ magic imprints were only two-stroke, they could hold out to some extent when dozens used the same spell simultaneously. Kuuu-! However, at that moment, a fierce killing intent was directed at me. ¡°You dare¡­!¡± Vark, with a face like an evil spirit, slowly approached me with his sword raised. The magical power flowing from the sword in his hand made me feel like I could be crushed at any moment. ¡®Right. That¡¯s how you should react.¡¯ It must have been an operation that was practically guaranteed to succeed. In this situation without any arch-magicians, there should have been no one who could stop Vark. However, at this moment, everything became distorted. By blocking Vark¡¯s first strike, I bought time for the guards to surround the Emperor. ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Vark¡¯s voice leaked through his clenched teeth. And simultaneously, I felt magical power that was incomparable to what I had felt just before. It was the Revolutionary Army¡¯s special weapon, magic bullet. ¡°Just one magician and a handful of imperial guards.¡± When he raised his magic circuit output to the extreme, an overwhelming magical power that rivaled Maximilien¡¯s from before assaulted me. Ugh, insane. No matter what, I can¡¯t win against that. While I was thinking this, Vark took his stance while concentrating his magical power. ¡°This time, the Emperor¡¯s life¡­!¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re too late.¡± With magical power raised to that extent, there was nothing I could do. I had used most of my magical power blocking the first strike, and my magic imprint was overloaded. However, that was enough. This brief moment of time I bought by pouring out all my magical power. This single moment was enough time to summon the ¡®real one¡¯ who was waiting in the imperial palace. Kukhwaaang¨C! A brilliant light struck down from the sky. A massive impact like a meteor falling. The shockwave it created was enough to push back Vark who was preparing his attack. ¡°This unfaithful one who could not accompany His Majesty¡¯s procession due to falling for a vile trick. I shall repay with my life when all is done, Your Majesty.¡± Along with the dignified voice, a man appeared from within the light. A white-haired old knight wearing the Imperial Knight Order uniform. Upon seeing his face, Vark¡¯s face burned with rage. ¡°Andrei, Leonhardt¡­!¡± The Imperial Knight Order Commander, Andrei Leonhardt. The shield that protects the Emperor had joined the battlefield. *** ¡°Young Lady! This way¡­!¡± ¡°Just a bit further!¡± While the battle with the Revolutionary Army was raging at the funeral venue. The 72nd Division soldiers under Keiren¡¯s orders were guiding Mari and Irene to the train station. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­!¡± Though she was running with the soldiers¡¯ guidance, Mari¡¯s face was deathly pale. The scattered gunfire and screams. Blood soaking the clean streets. Even her father who was desperately trying to evacuate her. Everything was unfamiliar and terrifying. ¡°This alley! This is the shortcut¡­!¡± The moment the soldier leading the way shouted that. Bang-! With the gunshot, a bullet hole appeared in the soldier¡¯s temple. ¡°Kya, kyaaak?!¡± ¡°Damn, an ambush?!¡± ¡°Why all the way here¡­!¡± Mari¡¯s confusion grew even more as she saw someone die right before her eyes. Walking leisurely towards such a Mari were Revolutionary Army members in trench coats. However, seeing the pistols they were holding, one of the soldiers guarding Mari gritted his teeth. ¡°These bastards aren¡¯t Revolutionary Army. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re from Westraine¡­?¡± ¡°Impressive? To think a mere common soldier could distinguish such things.¡± An admiring voice flowed out from among the Revolutionary Army members who had already surrounded them. A man with blonde hair and blue eyes, Gideon. He clicked his tongue in displeasure while looking at Mari who was trembling at the sight of him. ¡®Things have gotten quite complicated.¡¯ Originally their target wasn¡¯t this child Mari, but Keiren himself. He was the Empire¡¯s brilliant general who had utterly defeated Westraine¡¯s main force in the last great war. Westraine had been determined to eliminate him somehow but never managed to find an opportunity. However, Gideon was skilled in espionage and found an answer within the Empire. Carlos, the heir of Buckenheim who viewed Keiren as a thorn in his side. He had approached Westraine, offering to deliver Keiren¡¯s head in exchange for instigating this Emperor assassination. This was the result of the deal made under the surface. However, when Vark¡¯s attack was blocked, all plans went awry. ¡®The Imperial Knight Order has arrived and is securing the scene. There¡¯s not enough time to target Keiren directly in this situation.¡¯ Thus, Gideon and the republic agents decided to target Keiren¡¯s daughter, Mari. If they could kidnap Mari and use her to trap Keiren, they could get what they wanted. ¡°You son of a bitch! The Republic and Empire are in a ceasefire¡­!¡± ¡°Remove them.¡± Ratatata-! The agents¡¯ bullets instantly killed Keiren¡¯s soldiers. These were all magicians possessing magical power. They weren¡¯t beings that regular soldiers could handle. ¡°Hmm?¡± At that moment, as the agents who had killed all the soldiers approached Mari. A young girl standing behind Mari stepped in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch our Young Lady!¡± ¡°Ah, Irene¡­!¡± A black-haired girl they hadn¡¯t expected. Other agents tilted their heads at her appearance. ¡°What¡¯s this kid? A maid?¡± ¡°What should we do? She wasn¡¯t in the report¡­¡± ¡°¡­Well, what can we do.¡± Gideon understood why his subordinates were looking at him. Even if it was a mission, killing a child left a bad taste in their mouths. He raised his gun with an unconcerned expression. It was his role as their superior to ease his subordinates¡¯ guilt. Bang-! Gideon planted a bullet in the girl¡¯s face without much hesitation. The girl with a bullet hole in her forehead staggered a few steps before collapsing like a puppet with cut strings. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± The problem was Mari standing beside her. When the girl¡¯s blood splattered on her face, Mari, overcome with terror, fainted on the spot. If anything, this worked out better. They had been wondering how to keep her quiet if she started screaming unnecessarily while being transported. ¡°Put a gag on her beforehand. If we use sedatives and she happens to die¡­¡± However, Gideon¡¯s matter-of-fact voice didn¡¯t continue. Thump- Something caught Mari¡¯s body as she collapsed unconscious. ¡°Sleep well, Young Lady Mari.¡± At that moment, the black-haired girl who had collapsed beside Mari got up. The girl who stood up with a bullet still in her face. Seeing this sight, the startled agents stepped back. ¡°W-what?!¡± ¡°She took a bullet to the face, why is she still alive¡­!¡± Unlike the agents¡¯ reaction, Gideon¡¯s gaze was fixed above the girl¡¯s head. ¡°That¡­ What is that?¡± Where his gaze landed, there was a black sphere floating ¨C something he had never seen in his life. ¡°Heehee!¡± With a laugh full of anticipation, the girl licked her lips while looking at them. At that moment, Gideon instinctively realized. Something. Something very important had gone wrong. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 35 #035. Cavalry poured out from the Imperial Palace entrance where the Emperor¡¯s procession had departed. Their uniforms gleamed golden, with ornate decorations adorning their rifles. Though they appeared no different from an honor guard at first glance, the golden imprints embedded in their hands were not mere decorations but real. ¡°The Imperial Knight Order!¡± ¡°Damn it, we took too long!¡± ¡°Vark!¡± As dozens of rifle barrels aligned in formation pointed at them, dismay spread across the faces of the other Revolutionary Army members. They looked up hoping for support, but as expected. The mages dispatched from Westraine had already left their positions. ¡°Those opportunistic bastards¡­!¡± Anger surged, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that. The Imperial Knight Order Commander blocking Vark¡¯s path. Though they had been launching fierce attacks continuously, not a single one had penetrated that barrier. The Emperor¡¯s Shield. At this point, with his entry into the battlefield, the operation had failed. Clang-! Despite the Knight Order Commander¡¯s appearance, Vark¡¯s attacks did not cease. If ranged spells wouldn¡¯t work, then the fight had to be decided at close range, and close combat was Vark¡¯s specialty. As Andrei blocked the sword Vark swung, small cracks began forming in his barrier. ¡°Your plan is already over. If you surrender quietly¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. If I was going to pathetically beg for my life, I wouldn¡¯t have started this revolution in the first place!¡± Click-! Click-! When he pulled the trigger attached to his sword, over ten magic bullet casings were expelled in an instant. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ten magic bullets at once, forcibly pushing the magic circuit output. Given Vark¡¯s capabilities, this was far beyond the permissible limit. ¡°I must¡­! I must get the Emperor¡­!¡± Magical power gathered on Vark¡¯s sword as he forcibly increased the output. As the surging magical power grew stronger, the cracks in Andrei¡¯s barrier deepened as well. But that was only momentary. ¡°How pitiful.¡± ¡°?!¡± Andrei, who had been watching Vark with stern eyes, spoke in an even tone. ¡°So this is all the Revolutionary Army amounts to after losing its central figure, Maximilien.¡± ¡°What¡­?!¡± Ignoring Vark¡¯s startled voice, Andrei reactivated the magic imprint in his arm. Screech¨C! Golden magical light blinded Vark¡¯s eyes. The Imperial Knight¡¯s magic imprint, [Shield of Radiance] ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Vark tried to withdraw his attack then, but it was already too late. When his vision recovered, Andrei¡¯s sword of light was positioned before his eyes. Boom¨C! The barrier exploded with a thunderous roar. Not from Vark¡¯s attack, but because it couldn¡¯t withstand Andrei¡¯s magical power bursting from within. ¡°Ugh, uwaagh?!¡± ¡°Maintain the barrier! The shockwave will sweep us away!¡± Andrei¡¯s strike didn¡¯t stop at subduing Vark. A shockwave that swept through the entire hall. When its aftermath finally subsided, everything was over. ¡°Kah¡­ Kuhk¡­!¡± Vark lay bloodied on the ground, with Revolutionary Army members who couldn¡¯t withstand the shockwave collapsed in their positions. And the knights¡¯ rifles aimed at each of them in turn. ¡°Listen, all of you!¡± After confirming Vark could no longer move, Andrei raised his voice toward the banquet hall where fighting was still ongoing. ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader who attempted to assassinate His Majesty has been subdued! Rebels, drop your weapons and surrender immediately!¡± ¡°Vark¡¯s been captured?!¡± ¡°This is insane¡­!¡± Seeing the knights surrounding them, the remaining Revolutionary Army members began their final struggle. ¡°Kyaa, kyaaak?!¡± ¡°Everyone back off! Or right now I¡¯ll¡­¡± Some Revolutionary Army members who hadn¡¯t managed to escape grabbed nobles as hostages and began a standoff. Behind them, the remaining members escaped from the hall. While one group drew attention by taking hostages, their aim was to allow as many members as possible to escape. ¡®That won¡¯t do.¡¯ Mari¡¯s safety still hadn¡¯t been confirmed. If you let them go now, there¡¯s no telling what the Revolutionary Army members who reached the outskirts might do. Instead of activating my magic imprint, I drew out ¡®Heresy¡¯ from my chest. Using the auxiliary spells engraved in the item, I could still use the overloaded magic imprint to some extent. Dozens of magic circles targeted the fleeing Revolutionary Army members¡¯ backs and. Boom¨C! The dozens of branching Fireballs mercilessly burned them. ¡°Aaaagh-?!¡± ¡°Gah, gyaaaagh-!¡± ¡°What?! What¡¯s happening¡­!¡± At the screams of the fleeing Revolutionary Army members, those holding hostages wavered for a moment. Ratatat-! The gun barrels aimed at them spewed fire, completely eliminating the Revolutionary Army¡¯s remaining forces. Emperor assassination failed. Even the escape of remaining forces failed. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s planned uprising had completely failed. ¡°Whew¡­!¡± Once the situation was completely over, exhaustion finally swept through my body. Seeing the pain rising from my overloaded magic imprint, I¡¯d probably need to spend a day in the hospital. I wondered how things went with securing Otto as I¡¯d requested. But contrary to such thoughts, I forcibly raised my staggering body. ¡®There¡¯s still something I need to confirm.¡¯ Having prevented the Emperor¡¯s assassination, half the plan was successful. The remaining half was confirming the survival of my foster father Keiren and Mari. The Imperial Knight Order would handle the cleanup, so I could now slowly leave. ¡°Boy there.¡± However, at that moment, Knight Order Commander Andrei, who had been standing with his back to me, spoke. ¡°You protected His Majesty¡¯s life and bought time for my arrival. What is your name?¡± The old knight¡¯s eyes were already looking at me. A gaze mixed with goodwill rather than wariness. Having saved the Emperor¡¯s life, I could probably get whatever I wanted later. I spoke while keeping my head bowed. ¡°I am Eugene Lorentz. I serve under Division Commander Keiren of the Imperial Army¡¯s 72nd Division.¡± I deliberately didn¡¯t mention being family or his adopted son. It wasn¡¯t a status worth proudly declaring, and with the Imperial information network, finding out would be simple anyway. ¡°Major General Keiren. The heretic of Buckenheim. So he participated in this memorial service as well?¡± ¡°He attended as Buckenheim¡¯s representative.¡± ¡°And his life was threatened, I assume. Just as His Majesty was.¡± Andrei seemed to have some grasp of what was behind this memorial service. Well, that¡¯s probably how he was able to bring the Knight Order immediately when the situation broke out. After confirming my face, Andrei nodded with a pleased expression. ¡°The moment of time you bought saved the Empire. Eugene Lorentz. I shall remember your name.¡± ¡°¡­It is an honor.¡± Though I wanted to make a direct impression on the Emperor, there wasn¡¯t time for a longer conversation. Confirming Mari and Keiren¡¯s survival. To confirm that, I activated my magic imprint to send a voice message. ¡®Irene.¡¯ And not long after. ¡®Yes! I¡¯m here!¡¯ A bright voice responded to my magical power communication. With this I could feel relieved for now. At least Mari had survived. *** ¡°What do you mean Mari hasn¡¯t arrived?!¡± The nobles who fled from the chaotic banquet hall headed to the nearest train station. An armored train specially manufactured by House Buckenheim stood at the station. However, hearing the station attendant¡¯s explanation, Keiren felt as if his world was crumbling. ¡°We did protect several nobles who escaped from the banquet hall¡­ but Young Lady Mari was not among them.¡± ¡°The soldiers, have no soldiers arrived?!¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­! Major General, you¡¯re the first military personnel to come here¡­¡± Bang-! Blood dripped from Keiren¡¯s fist as he struck the train¡¯s armor plating. ¡®Could Mari have gotten caught up in it¡­?¡¯ The moment the attack began, he had seen Westraine¡¯s agents moving busily. It was already known that he was one of their main targets. That¡¯s why he sent Mari separately. While using himself as bait to draw attention, to safely move that child to the train. So that even if he died, at least Mari could live. But the situation flowed opposite to his expectations. It was he who arrived at the train first, not Mari. ¡°You must first regain your composure. The situation still isn¡¯t certain¡­¡± ¡°How can I stay calm-!¡± A scream burst from Keiren¡¯s mouth. His voice was more agitated than anyone would have thought possible for his usual self. ¡°Mari¡­!¡± Mari was the only existence left behind by his deceased wife. The most precious treasure that Anna and he had created together. To lose Mari like this. To lose her again, just as he had lost Anna. ¡®If something has happened to Mari¡­¡¯ Helplessness welled up. And proportional to that helplessness, murderous intent toward the Revolutionary Army surged. ¡®If they, who colluded with Westraine, try to propose some pathetic deal using Mari¡­!¡¯ He could swear. The bacterial weapons sealed in the division¡¯s arsenal, torture technicians, poison gas. And all the vicious weapons he had forbidden until now. He would use them all to completely wipe out every last seed of the Revolutionary Army. No. For Mari¡¯s revenge, he would do even worse¡­! ¡°Found you!¡± ¡°?!¡± Just as dark thoughts were about to continue, a familiar voice rang out from one side of the station. ¡°Hehe!¡± A black-haired girl waving her hand with a bright smile spread across her face. And following behind her was¡­ ¡°Young Master Eugene¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± The butler Walter recognized him first. Eugene walking up covered in wounds. And on his back was the existence Keiren had been so desperately searching for. ¡°Mari-!¡± Rushing over in a single step, Keiren hurriedly took Mari¡¯s body into his arms. Ah, dear God. Though she seemed unconscious, thankfully there were no wounds on her body. Holding the unconscious Mari, Keiren shed tears of relief. ¡°Just what happened? The soldiers who went with her¡­¡± Unlike Keiren who was relieved at Mari¡¯s survival, what Butler Walter focused on was Eugene¡¯s physical condition. A body pushed nearly to exhaustion, irregular breathing. His right arm trembling like an aspen leaf, and the smoking magic imprint. He¡¯d heard they escaped together, but what had happened? Didn¡¯t he look like he¡¯d just been through a war? ¡°There was an attack from Westraine. Check the back alley of Imperial City 4th Avenue. And¡­¡± Speaking in a voice near death, Eugene opened his sunken eyes and said. ¡°At Grey Quarter hospital, Otto¡­ please¡­¡± Before finishing his words, he collapsed forward. ¡°Damn it!¡± Seeing the boy collapse, a curse rang out from behind Walter. The doctor Otto, who had arrived at the station carrying his bag. After checking Eugene¡¯s collapsed condition, he shouted at the soldiers nearby. ¡°Clear a hospital bed in the train, bring water and ice! Set up the imprint regulator in my bag too! Hurry!¡± ¡°Uh, uhh?!¡± ¡°Lieutenant Otto?¡± ¡°To hell with Lieutenant!¡± Though some soldiers who recognized him called out, sadly his only concern was Eugene. ¡°What are you doing! Are you planning to let the guy who saved your young lady die in the street?!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing those words, Walter and the soldiers moved urgently. Saving Mari¡¯s life was as good as saving Keiren¡¯s life. If they let him die like this, who knew what Keiren would say when he came to his senses. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 36 #036. ¡°Ugh, my head¡­¡± I got up from my bed while clutching my throbbing head. I was planning to just pretend to be in pain to gain some sympathy, but it seemed I was actually hurt. ¡°Where is¡­¡± I looked around at my surroundings. The place where I had been lying was a well-furnished private room. A luxurious space with gold leaf decorations everywhere. ¡°What¡¯s this? Am I in some inn?¡± While I was muttering to myself, a gruff voice came from one side of the room. ¡°What inn? You¡¯re on a train.¡± The one who appeared while saying that was Otto, the doctor from Grey Quarter. ¡°Doctor?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had a patient like you in all my years. Not even a day after I told you not to overdo it, and you end up like this¡­¡± For some reason, he was dressed neatly in a clean doctor¡¯s coat. He sighed deeply and tapped the communication device installed in the hospital room. It appeared to be military-grade equipment, and he seemed quite proficient in using it. *** ¡°All train operations have been blocked. The reason given is to catch the remaining Revolutionary Army forces. The interior of the Imperial Capital is currently being searched under Lord Andrei¡¯s direction.¡± Keiren came running not long after. According to his explanation, quite a lot had happened during the day I was unconscious. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. To think even a noble like Buckenheim can¡¯t move in this situation.¡± ¡°Once His Majesty¡¯s life was threatened, they say they can¡¯t leave any trace of the Revolutionary Army. Well, that¡¯s probably half an excuse.¡± The Magic Corps, which had been waiting on the outskirts to move in if the Emperor died, ended up just watching the attack on the Emperor without being able to do anything. In such a situation, Buckenheim¡¯s train being unable to move was less about the search operation and more of a show of force against magic nobles. ¡°And, above all else, there¡¯s something I needed to tell you first.¡± After exchanging a few words like this, Keiren, who had been answering my various questions, turned to me with a somber expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was so focused on Mari¡¯s return that I failed to look after you.¡± ¡°No, I understand.¡± ¡°And thank you again. You, you saved Mari¡­¡± ¡°Major General. Please calm down first.¡± I grabbed Keiren¡¯s shoulders as he tried to bow his head. ¡°If Miss Mari hadn¡¯t survived, the deal between me and the Major General would have fallen through. I saved her to prevent that.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I acted purely for my own benefit. So rather than thanks, give me compensation for my dedication. That¡¯s easier for me.¡± Though my attitude was excessively formal, this was my own way of handling the situation. Whether I saved his daughter or not, they were nobles and I was low-born. If Keiren were to bow his head to me over this, there was a risk of earning the resentment of Walter and others. To them, I was just a stand-in to be sent to the battlefield in Mari¡¯s place. It wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant sight for their superior to bow to such a person. ¡®And personally, this is much more comfortable for me too.¡¯ Just as they saw me as Mari¡¯s stand-in, this family was merely a stepping stone for my admission to the military academy. A relationship of mutual use, where each takes their benefit and goes their separate way. A lukewarm relationship where either party could cut ties at any time if things went wrong. That was the most ideal relationship for me. After all, giving human trust and faith only leads to betrayal. Having seen this game¡¯s ending, I couldn¡¯t help but think that way. ¡°¡­¡± Keiren silently stared at me for a while. Come to think of it, it must be quite surprising to hear such words from a child who¡¯s only about ten years old. After seemingly finishing his own thoughts, Keiren nodded and said to me. ¡°Fine. Then what do you want?¡± Hearing Keiren¡¯s words, I thought about it. I had earned enough money from raiding the back alleys to cover tuition and living expenses if needed. If I had to pick something I needed, it would be a catalyst for magic imprint transformation¡­ but that¡¯s something even the Emperor himself couldn¡¯t get, let alone Keiren. It would have to be retrieved from inside the Great Rupture, and who would be crazy enough to go get that? ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything specific right now. I just woke up, after all.¡± When I answered that way, Keiren, who had been watching me intently, spoke up. ¡°Then let me ask you¡­ a somewhat strange question.¡± ¡°A strange question?¡± ¡°Yes. Strange and out of nowhere.¡± After building up to it like that, Keiren spoke with a serious expression. ¡°Eugene. What do you think of the current Empire?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± This was truly a sudden and strange question. Bringing up politics out of nowhere to a ten-year-old. What¡¯s this? Did YouTube exist in this world too? Come on, Major General. I understand you¡¯re bored, but about those weird fake news¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a necessary question. Perhaps it might be a topic worthy of discussing the compensation you mentioned.¡± Hmm. Judging by his tone, this didn¡¯t seem like pointless political talk. Considering Keiren¡¯s usual personality, I probably didn¡¯t need to moderate myself either. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Empire¡­¡± As I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°¡­is a country that¡¯s falling apart.¡± I stated the current situation of the Empire without sugar-coating it. ¡°A falling country.¡± ¡°The ever-increasing monsters, the western front that endlessly devours soldiers while remaining in a stalemate. The magic nobles who will stop at nothing to seize complete control of the nation, and an Emperor who can do nothing under their pressure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s natural for a revolution to occur in this country. No, it¡¯s strange that a revolution hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡± After I said that, Keiren asked me. ¡°Then in such an Empire, what is your goal?¡± ¡°To survive.¡± I answered immediately, but Keiren shook his head as if it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°I could give you suitable accommodation and stable income right now. But that¡¯s not what you want, is it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no point in building a house and tending fields in a country that¡¯s about to be overthrown.¡± When I said that, Keiren¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°The country being overthrown?¡± Then he said. ¡°This incident was certainly significant, but not enough to overthrow the country. The Revolutionary Army has suffered unprecedented losses and will soon decline. Yet¡­ you say the country will be overthrown?¡± Hearing those words, I inwardly sneered. While maintaining a serious expression on the outside, of course. ¡°Even if the Revolutionary Army¡¯s power weakens immediately, the Empire¡¯s unreasonable structure remains unchanged.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, the Revolutionary Army has left significant marks by killing Count Elcidore and attempting to assassinate the Emperor.¡± In the midst of all this, their leaders Maximilien and Vark died so they lost their central figures? The Revolutionary Army falling apart? What nonsense. ¡°The Revolutionary Army won¡¯t disappear. Far from disappearing, they¡¯ll gather even faster around a different central figure.¡± Though that central figure would likely end up being Westraine¡¯s puppet. Hearing my words, Keiren seemed to understand to some extent. ¡°Then¡­¡± However, afterward, Keiren asked me with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join the revolution?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously¡­¡± The reason was simple. Because betrayal was predetermined in the future. Because I had seen with my own eyes how the revolution¡¯s outcome would be corrupted. Whether the Empire prospered or not wasn¡¯t my concern, it was just for that one reason. But since I couldn¡¯t say that, I just smirked and dodged the question. ¡°Because I¡¯m a loyal and good imperial citizen.¡± ¡°¡­Pft! Hahahahaha!¡± Hearing my words, Keiren burst into laughter. Apparently, he quite liked my joke. *** ¡®Is this¡­ Is this truly the thinking of a ten-year-old child?¡¯ Just like when they first met, Keiren couldn¡¯t help but be amazed every moment he conversed with Eugene. His insight into the Empire¡¯s current situation. His certainty about the future, and clear self-principles. It felt like dealing with a mature strategist rather than a ten-year-old child. ¡®Moreover¡­ those words just now.¡¯ Why not join the Revolutionary Army? To that question, the boy answered like this. That he was a ¡®good imperial citizen.¡¯ The moment he heard those words, Keiren could guess. ¡®This child is different.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t simply venting anger at the Empire¡¯s injustices. Rather than burning the Empire from below, he was trying to change it from above. He was using others¡¯ goodwill as a stepping stone to climb higher, aiming to paint a bigger picture! ¡®This child¡­!¡¯ A thrill ran down his spine. The thought he had when bringing Mari turned into certainty. The tremendous magical power at such a young age, and the strategy and ambition to back it up. He was more than worth investing in for his purposes. ¡°Eugene.¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± Keiren opened his mouth as he looked at the boy¡¯s face. ¡°From now on, I plan to swallow the entire Buckenheim family whole.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Eugene asked back with an uncharacteristically surprised expression. Keiren spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°The magic nobles pushed the Emperor into a place where the Revolutionary Army¡¯s invasion was clearly expected. Along with his close associates, allowing even the Emperor to be killed.¡± He thought it didn¡¯t matter. With the forces he had, he could surely protect himself and Mari. His role in this incident was to be bait to blind the Emperor¡¯s eyes. He thought that if he just protected Mari in this incident, the family would no longer interfere with him. ¡°However, that was a naive judgment.¡± He was included in their targets. Some of them directly targeted and attacked Mari. If it weren¡¯t for Eugene, what he would be holding now would be Mari¡¯s cold corpse. ¡°In this situation, even if I retire and step back from the front lines of power, we¡¯ll have to live with such threats for the rest of our lives. As long as the family remains intact, forever.¡± Looking at Mari sleeping in the next room, Keiren continued speaking. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll crush them first. That¡¯s the conclusion I¡¯ve reached.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I¡¯m telling you this because I have a proposal for you.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± Keiren looked at Eugene as he said this. ¡°From the point you enter the military academy, your connection with our family ends. You probably won¡¯t even be able to use the Buckenheim name.¡± Eugene silently nodded. Even as an adopted son, he was still a commoner, and it wasn¡¯t uncommon for people to enter the military academy for similar reasons. As an example, Eugene¡¯s name was still Eugene ¡®Lorentz.¡¯ ¡°So as compensation for saving Mari¡¯s life¡­ let¡¯s make a pact.¡± ¡°A¡­ pact?¡± ¡°Yes. A pact between the future grown Eugene and the future Keiren who will devour Buckenheim.¡± After a brief pause, Keiren slowly opened his mouth while looking at Eugene. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. Would you consider becoming my official successor, not just a temporary adopted son?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing Keiren¡¯s words, the boy¡¯s eyes widened instantly. It was a genuinely surprised expression, something rarely seen from him. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 37 #037. ¡°Really¡­ What a sudden proposal.¡± I almost stammered. The proposal Keiren presented to me was that sudden, and it was an offer difficult to refuse. ¡°Do you understand why I made this proposal?¡± ¡°Well, I understand roughly.¡± I thought it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for Keiren to devour Buckenheim. His military tactics and strategies described in [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story were so meticulous and vicious that no general in the empire could imitate them. However, there was the biggest obstacle blocking Keiren. That was¡­ ¡°Because you yourself¡­ are a non-awakened.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± With those words, Keiren revealed his right arm that had been hidden under his military uniform. Hole-like scars scattered across his arm. They were traces of Magic Awakening surgery. ¡°Buckenheim is a family ruled by mages. Even if I succeed in taking control of the family, if a non-awakened sits in the head family seat, the power structure becomes unstable.¡± The position of head of a magic noble family isn¡¯t simply given to someone who leads the family. The one who claims the seat of the head family must be the most powerful mage in that family. It was impossible from the premise for Keiren, a non-awakened. ¡°And you defeated Carlos¡¯s successor, Delling. That¡¯s why I¡¯m making this proposal.¡± ¡°If I were to face Delling in the succession competition, winning would be natural.¡± It was quite an arrogant statement, but I had no intention of denying it. Even if Delling changed his mind and grew properly, he¡¯d only be about Carlos¡¯s level, and with the strategy in my head, I could handle that much easily. ¡°I will use every means at my disposal to seize control of the family, and you will deal with the mages who threaten me. And¡­¡± ¡°When it¡¯s time for the Major General to retire, I would become the head of the Buckenheim family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± My concerns deepened. An opportunity to become a real noble, not just one in name. Moreover, I would ultimately be able to control Buckenheim, the first seat of magic nobles, so it wasn¡¯t a bad choice even in the long term. To be honest, it was a sweet proposal that would have no downsides to accept right away. However, I knew. That this man called Keiren never makes a losing deal. ¡°If I accept this proposal, the method of becoming Major General¡¯s successor becomes the issue.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. The method is¡­¡± ¡°A political marriage with Lady Mari?¡± Having already exposed each other¡¯s ulterior motives, I didn¡¯t bother choosing my words carefully. Hearing my words, Keiren nodded with a slight smile. ¡°Rather than handing my daughter over to someone the family chooses, this is much better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. Given Major General¡¯s personality, I thought you would leave marriage to the lady¡¯s will.¡± ¡°¡®Be with whoever you want?¡¯ Sorry, but I¡¯m not such a fool who doesn¡¯t understand reality.¡± Keiren¡¯s voice turned cold as he continued. ¡°If you can¡¯t protect what¡¯s important when the moment comes, it¡¯s useless no matter how much you love them.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± There was a somewhat self-deprecating tone mixed in that sharp voice. His personality of cherishing Mari dearly and his deceased wife. Combining these two keywords, I could easily guess the reason. Keiren was now talking about himself. ¡°From the moment we enter the succession competition, Mari and I will face endless threats. We might even lose our lives if we fail. If that happens¡­¡± ¡°You want me to protect Lady Mari in your stead, Major General.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s exactly it.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. The foundation of his determination to devour the family was Mari¡¯s safety. And the reason for offering me the position of family successor was also to protect Mari. ¡®So this is how twisted a father with a daughter becomes when someone tries to take his daughter away¡­¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t kept Irene close, agents disguised as Revolutionary Army would have captured Mari, and she would have been killed in what would be covered up as ¡®some accident.¡¯ Keiren would have begun to fall from that shock, becoming the villain I knew well. The ¡®Ghost of the Imperial Army¡¯ who would use biological weapons and poison gas without hesitation. ¡®But, this confirms it.¡¯ With Mari¡¯s survival, Keiren¡¯s fall didn¡¯t occur. The ¡®Ghost of the Imperial Army¡¯ obsessed with revenge was never born. Instead, he points his sword at the family that drove him into a deadly situation. If it meant being able to strike at magic nobles and take their magic imprint, it was welcome news from my perspective. ¡®If marriage with Mari is a precondition, it serves as some guarantee too.¡¯ Both as proof of trust, and as a hostage if needed. ¡°Then there¡¯s one thing you should be prepared for.¡± ¡°Prepared?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having finished my thoughts, I spoke to Keiren with a smile. ¡°After entering the military academy, I was planning to squeeze various things out of my father-in-law.¡± ¡°¡­Pfft, hahaha!¡± Hearing my words, Keiren laughed heartily as if in good spirits. I decided to accept Keiren¡¯s proposal. *** Thud- Thud- There was a man walking down the corridor laid with red carpet. Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander, Andrei Leonhardt. When the elderly knight with white hair approached the end of the corridor, the guard who saw him saluted. ¡°I¡¯m here to see His Majesty. Report it.¡± ¡°Actually, His Majesty commanded that when Sir Andrei arrives, he should be shown in immediately. This way.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Andrei frowned at the guard¡¯s words but silently nodded. He had surely come to see the Emperor without notice, so how could the guard have been informed in advance? Despite serving the Emperor for decades, this strange sense of discomfort that he felt every time they met never got easier to handle. Creak- When the door opened, it revealed a cozy bedroom with a fireplace. ¡°You¡¯ve come.¡± And at a desk placed in one corner of the bedroom, an elderly man was writing something. This elderly man with a peaceful expression moving his pen was the Emperor of the Kalhyram Empire. ¡°Andrei Leonhardt. I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.¡± Approaching the elderly man, Andrei immediately knelt on one knee. ¡°No need for such formality, Andrei. Given our relationship.¡± ¡°That would be improper. Your Majesty is the master of the Empire.¡± ¡°Hehe, this fellow.¡± The same conversation continuing for decades. The Emperor, smiling pleasantly while looking at Andrei, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°There must have been many events while I was unconscious. What became of the Revolutionary Army?¡± When the Emperor asked, Andrei immediately began his report. ¡°We captured the main perpetrator Vark Urgon and three executives alive, and they are currently being interrogated underground.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°After investigating their armaments, it appears the Republic provided ammunition and supplies to the Revolutionary Army. However¡­¡± ¡°The Republic wouldn¡¯t admit to that. They¡¯d say the Revolutionary Army merely stole their military supplies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± While continuing his report, Andrei observed the Emperor who maintained a gentle expression. ¡®After experiencing such an incident¡­ How can he remain so calm?¡¯ The Revolutionary Army¡¯s magic had come within arm¡¯s reach. There were reports that he had lost consciousness for two days due to the effects of that magic. Yet after experiencing such an incident, rather than being angry or afraid, he was writing as if nothing had happened? As always, Andrei could not understand the Emperor¡¯s actions at all. ¡®Come to think of it, his attendance at this funeral was the same.¡¯ This event was practically guaranteed to be invaded by the Revolutionary Army. Moreover, the magic nobles in charge of security refused the Knight Order¡¯s escort, making their intentions all too obvious. That¡¯s why he had advised against attending several times, but the Emperor headed to the funeral hall without any objection. An action no different from throwing oneself into the enemy¡¯s gun barrel. If that boy called Eugene hadn¡¯t intervened, the Emperor surely would not have survived. ¡®I simply cannot understand. Wasn¡¯t this like walking to his own death¡­?¡¯ While thinking this briefly. ¡°I heard from the guard. The one who saved my life was a boy from Buckenheim?¡± At the Emperor¡¯s voice calling him, Andrei quickly came to his senses. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Perhaps, do you know that boy¡¯s name?¡± This was quite an unexpected question. It was quite rare for the Emperor to show interest in others. ¡°Eugene. His name was Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°Eugene. Eugene¡­¡± When Andrei answered without hesitation, the Emperor quietly repeated that name. His appearance no different from usual. However, the Emperor¡¯s subsequent action astonished Andrei. Thump- ¡°?!¡± The Emperor put down his pen and closed the book he had been writing in. ¡®He closed¡­ the book?¡¯ That book had remained open even when eliminating dissidents, when signing for war with Westraine. Even when it was revealed that the First Prince Heylen¡¯s death was poisoning, when news came that the First Empress Lady Cecil had hanged herself¡­ The Emperor had continued writing in that book. Yet he closed that book. He closed it before the ink could even dry, so the pages the Emperor had been writing would be ruined. ¡°To think the flame that should burn the Empire protected me.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Burn the Empire? That child? While pondering these incomprehensible words briefly. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sir Andrei.¡± The Emperor, having put down his pen, called Andrei with a clearer voice than ever before. Taking off his glasses and rising from his seat, the Emperor emanated an imposing presence never seen before. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Has Buckenheim¡¯s armored train left the capital?¡± ¡°No. All trains parked in the capital are on standby.¡± No one could leave the capital until the investigation was complete. It was an order Andrei had given personally. ¡°I see. Then that child called Eugene¡­ Summon him to the palace.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Bring an outsider into the palace? And by the Emperor¡¯s direct order? Though inwardly shocked, Andrei did not question the Emperor¡¯s directive. A direct order from the Emperor. Expressing doubt would itself be an act of disloyalty. ¡°As you command, Your Majesty.¡± There was no objection. Rising from his position, Andrei immediately left the room and headed toward the capital¡¯s central station where the armored train was parked. ¡®This is different from before.¡¯ By the time he got into the car heading to the station, Andrei thought. ¡®His Majesty, who had been in seclusion all this time, personally rising and bringing another into the imperial palace¡­¡¯ Something that had never happened in the decades of serving the Emperor. While thinking this, the car carrying Andrei began speeding toward the capital¡¯s central station. ¡°Please hurry.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± After urging the driver, Andrei sank into the back seat cushion. Something was happening in this suffocating empire. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 38 #038. ¡°Am¡­ I alive¡­?¡± When Mari finally got up from her bed, the first thing she felt was terrible fear. The gun barrel pointed at her. The soldiers dying while spewing blood. Irene getting shot while protecting her, and Irene¡¯s blood spraying on her face¡­! ¡°Young Lady!¡± ¡°Kyaaahh?!¡± When Irene suddenly popped out from under the bed, Mari almost fainted again within a minute of regaining consciousness. ¡°Irene? But you were definitely shot¡­¡± ¡°Shot? What¡¯s that?¡± Irene tilted her head while saying that, then as if suddenly remembering something, she lifted her bangs to show Mari her forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Lady! I¡¯m not hurt at all!¡± On Irene¡¯s forehead, where there should have been a bullet hole, there wasn¡¯t even a scratch. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Knock knock The knocking sound came at just that moment. ¡°Are you alright? I heard you fainted.¡± ¡°Ah, Brother.¡± The one who opened the door and entered was Eugene. His attire was clean as usual. However, the fatigue visible on his face suggested he had just finished dealing with some troublesome matter. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Nothing hurts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important! Irene¡­!¡± ¡°You mean how she got shot but didn¡¯t die?¡± Mari¡¯s expression became even more bewildered at Eugene¡¯s casual remark. However, Eugene calmly began speaking as he pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s partly why I stopped by. I wanted to talk about something before heading to the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°Imperial Palace?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a thing. I don¡¯t know why life difficulty had to spike to inferno level at age ten.¡± Grumbling like that, Eugene tucked the letter he was holding into his chest pocket. The glimpse Mari caught showed it was sealed with golden wax ¨C a color she knew only the Imperial family could use. But no, this wasn¡¯t the time to ask about that. ¡°What did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯m sure you have many questions, but let me start with the most important thing first. It will probably be shocking, sudden, and also infuriating news.¡± What could it be? The Eugene that Mari knew had an iron-faced personality that was indifferent to worldly matters. So why was this Eugene being so hesitant? While she was thinking this, Eugene looked at Mari with a complicated expression and slowly said: ¡°We¡¯re going to get married in 5 years.¡± ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± *** ¡°So to summarize what Brother just said¡­¡± Even though she was an eight-year-old child, I had no intention of explaining things vaguely. After I explained in detail the terms of the deal between myself and Keiren, Mari furrowed her brows and finally spoke after a long while. ¡°Papa decided he wanted to properly fight against our family members, and because he needed a skilled and talented mage for that, he decided to make you his heir?¡± ¡°Nice and concise summary.¡± ¡°But since adopted son status isn¡¯t enough to formally become Papa¡¯s heir, he¡¯s going to have us marry after you graduate from the military academy?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± When I nodded, I could feel Mari¡¯s fists clenching tightly. Countdown to explosion: 3, 2, 1¡­ ¡°What kind of nonsense is that-!¡± As expected. Right when Mari¡¯s patience exploded with the predicted outburst, I quickly covered Irene¡¯s ears and took a defensive stance. ¡°Where did my opinion go in this arranged marriage?! Dad actually approved this? Really?!¡± More than just approval, he was the one who proposed it. I thought about saying that but immediately decided against it. In the current situation, saying that would likely make her blow up the entire train. ¡°He thought this was better than sending you off to another noble family for a political marriage¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet!¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± I decided to keep my mouth shut until her anger subsided. It was natural for her to react this way when life¡¯s biggest decision was made while she was sleeping. After spending dozens of minutes shaking my shoulders, crying, getting lost in thought, and laughing like she¡¯d lost her mind¡­ ¡°Sniff Sniff¡± Finally accepting everything, she was now wiping her tear-stained face with the handkerchief I gave her. ¡°Don¡¯t look like the world is ending. The marriage will just be on paper anyway.¡± After confirming she had calmed down somewhat, I reassured her in a gentle tone. ¡°The marriage isn¡¯t happening for another 5 years anyway, and I have no intention of interfering in your private life just because I¡¯ll be your husband.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For nobles in the Kalhyram Empire, adultery was like a level 1 snail throwing skill. It was an era where it was natural for men to take concubines and women to have lovers. Keiren, who only looked at his deceased wife his entire life, was the abnormal one. ¡°If you really can¡¯t accept it, I can talk to him. Say we should look for another way¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Mari¡¯s hand grabbed me as I was about to get up from my seat. ¡°Like Brother said, it¡¯s just a marriage on paper¡­ And Papa made this decision himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he made this decision for my sake. Saying he couldn¡¯t let me die like Mom.¡± Looking at Mari speaking like this, I was newly surprised. ¡®I thought she was just an immature noble young lady, but that¡¯s not quite right.¡¯ As Walter said before, Mari is more mature than her age would suggest. While she acts like an innocent child in front of Keiren, even I as a transmigrator find it surprising. One example of this was Mari¡¯s reaction to hearing about the arranged marriage. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The part she got angry about wasn¡¯t the fact of marrying someone she didn¡¯t know, but rather that her opinion wasn¡¯t included in the marriage process. In other words, this child understood what her political marriage meant and was also prepared to accept it. And this was a normal eight-year-old child, not a transmigrator like me. ¡®¡­Wait a minute.¡¯ If she can understand and accept all that at age 8¡­ Can we really call that a normal 8-year-old child? ¡°I get it roughly. I¡¯ll talk to Papa about the rest.¡± Mari interrupted my thoughts and shifted her gaze to Irene, who was clinging close to my side. Ah, right. This was what she was most curious about. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Show that to Mari.¡± ¡°That?¡± When I said that, Irene asked me back with a puzzled expression. ¡°Can I really show her? Eugene told me to keep it secret.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been found out. Then it¡¯s better to explain properly.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Nodding her head, Irene approached Mari with small steps. ¡°Young Lady, watch carefully. Okay?¡± ¡°U-um¡­ okay¡­¡± After hearing Mari¡¯s response, Irene spread both hands with a bright smile. Then her hands were dyed in black shadows¡­ Guruk With an eerie sound, two eyeballs popped out from Irene¡¯s blackened hands. ¡°Ta-da!¡± ¡°Ky-kyaaah!? W-what is that?¡± Although Mari was shocked, thankfully she didn¡¯t faint. Perhaps she had gotten used to being surprised by now. ¡°Irene is an experimental subject created through hybridization experiments between monsters and humans. She was imprisoned in the underground lab of the noble house where I was, but she escaped with me when the mansion collapsed.¡± An even more sensitive piece of information than my engagement to Mari came out. Since I asked Keiren to assign someone to her, Mari would be the only one hearing this information. That¡¯s why I could tell her the truth about Irene without holding anything back. ¡°Irene was also the one who dealt with the guys who attacked you.¡± ¡°They were delicious!¡± ¡°De-delicious¡­?¡± ¡°But I told the Major General that I was the one who saved you.¡± Oh dear, Irene. How do you think a noble young lady will view you if you say you ate people in front of her? I quickly covered Irene¡¯s mouth and changed the subject. ¡°Brother did?¡± Thankfully she went along with the change. I nodded and said: ¡°A hybrid of human and monster is dangerous just by existing. If Irene¡¯s power is discovered, she¡¯ll be dragged back to the laboratory.¡± As I patted Irene¡¯s head while saying this, she smiled brightly and clung to me again. She felt noticeably heavier than before, probably from all the feeding during this recent attack. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, and I¡¯d like you to match stories with us if you end up being questioned. That¡¯s what I came to ask.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She probably doesn¡¯t want to lie to Keiren, even if it¡¯s fine with other investigators? Thinking that, I said to Mari with a smile: ¡°Surely you wouldn¡¯t want to send your lifesaver to a laboratory?¡± ¡°¡­Alright. I won¡¯t say anything.¡± Good. That takes care of Mari keeping quiet too. Just as I was thinking that and about to get up¡­ ¡°But in exchange!¡± Mari stopped me, raising her finger with shining eyes. ¡°I have one request.¡± ¡°Request?¡± What is she going to ask for now? As I looked at her with an uneasy heart, Mari grabbed her blanket and said to me: ¡°I¡¯m going to get the Magic Awakening surgery.¡± ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°So when I awaken, teach me magic. I¡¯ll accept everything ¨C keeping Irene¡¯s secret, the marriage, all of it!¡± I thought she had given up back then, but she¡¯s still saying she wants to learn magic? I looked back at Mari thinking that, but I couldn¡¯t immediately say no like before. Instead of her previous childish expression, she had a serious, composed look. In the end, rather than flatly refusing, I asked for her reason. ¡°¡­Why do you want to learn magic so badly?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to remain just a burden who only receives protection!¡± Mari shouted at me in a clear voice. Her hands gripping the blanket were trembling slightly. ¡°So many soldier uncles died just to help me escape. And there will be more incidents like this in the future, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°So am I supposed to just let other people die in my place every time? No! I want to protect my body and my people myself!¡± As her speech continued, almost reaching the level of eloquence, the trembling in her hands gripping the blanket gradually ceased. And when that trembling completely stopped, Mari shouted at me with clearer eyes than ever before: ¡°I am the daughter of Keiren Buckenheim, the Shield of the Empire-!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing those words, I felt pure admiration for the first time in a while. Her first encounter with death. The shock and fear she experienced from it. Yet instead of becoming withdrawn after experiencing that, she overcame it in this short time. And she was only eight years old. ¡®This is¡­!¡¯ Maximilien¡¯s words about the protagonist came back to me. The ability to not succumb to fear, maintain clear convictions, and lead people with honest eyes. It was certain. My fianc¨¦e¡­ possessed the ¡®qualities of a hero.¡¯ ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°R-really?!¡± When I said that, Mari¡¯s face lit up. From now on, Mari would no longer be a powerless protection target, but an ally worth investing resources in developing. I had been wondering how to spend the 2 years until entering the military academy, and this was truly an unexpected harvest. ¡°Well, I should get going now. Seems like we¡¯ve sorted things out.¡± ¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡± Mari, who had been excited, asked as I got up from my seat. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? I just stopped by before going to the Imperial Palace.¡± Saying that, I pulled out a letter from my chest and waved it. An Imperial decree handed directly by the commander of the Imperial Knights Order. Now, I had to go meet this game¡¯s final prophet. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 39 #039. ¡°You¡¯ve come, Eugene.¡± ¡°I heard it was an important matter, but it ended quicker than expected.¡± As I stepped out of the train, two people were waiting for me. One was Keiren. And the other was the one who delivered the letter to me, Andrei Leonhardt. Despite meeting for the first time today, there was no awkwardness between the two. No, far from awkward¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve heard what Major General Keiren had to say. I¡¯ll speak to His Majesty the Emperor, and we¡¯ll arrange a meeting later.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then the remaining matters through correspondence¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Watching them shake hands and converse amicably, anyone could see they were villains plotting something. ¡®Even though he said hostility towards the family wouldn¡¯t start for several more years¡­ Has he already started laying the groundwork?¡¯ It seemed Keiren was planning to keep the emperor at his back. Come to think of it, in the original game, Keiren appeared as part of the imperial army, not as a magic noble. No, was it the emperor¡¯s side that reached out first? I couldn¡¯t tell. The emperor was a character who would meet his death before the main story began. What kind of personality he had was completely unknown. ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t expect Lord Andrei to come personally. And to think Eugene saved His Majesty¡¯s life¡­¡± Keiren trailed off as he looked my way. He seemed quite surprised that I had managed to save both the emperor and Mari in such a short time. ¡°I just blocked something that was flying towards us. I didn¡¯t know His Majesty¡¯s carriage was behind.¡± Looking at me as I deflected, Andrei furrowed his brow. His eyes said, ¡®That doesn¡¯t seem right,¡¯ ¡®Anyone could see it was intentional.¡¯ Oh, shut up and just go along with it. If you¡¯re so upset, you should have saved the emperor yourself. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need for such modesty. Whether by chance or not, the fact remains that you saved His Majesty¡¯s life.¡± With those words, Andrei gestured, and an imperial knight who had been waiting opened the rear door of the car. A luxurious automobile with gold decorations on its black body. As I sank into the plush seat alongside Andrei, the car that carried me immediately glided towards the imperial palace. After driving through the upper city where the imperial capital was located for quite some time, and then riding the elevator at the palace entrance for another long while¡­ sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®We¡¯ve arrived.¡¯ At a dizzying height where the entire capital could be seen below. With numerous airships flying beneath our feet, and a massive iron gate blocking my view. I had arrived at the heart of the empire. *** Inside the imperial palace. Even as I followed the guard¡¯s guidance, my eyes were busy taking in every corner of the palace. ¡®Seeing it so intact feels strange somehow.¡¯ In the original game, entering the palace happened in the very last part of the story. The palace was already engulfed in flames, and the imperial army remnants, centered around the crown prince, had laid gas traps and other hazards everywhere. Therefore, the Kalhyram Palace that appeared in the game had a desperate atmosphere rather than a magnificent one. It was burning while containing all the glorious history of the empire. ¡°This way.¡± Finally, reaching the end of a corridor with red carpet, guards who saluted Andrei opened the doors. To think the monster would personally open the boss room door. With that thought, I entered the room, and there was a truly familiar face. ¡®Imperial Emperor, Friedrich Franz Kalhyram.¡¯ The master of the empire who should have died was gazing at me with deeply sunken eyes. ¡°I am honored to be in Your Majesty¡¯s presence.¡± One cannot raise their head in the emperor¡¯s presence. As I slowly bowed according to protocol, the emperor who had been watching gestured to Andrei. ¡°I wish to speak with him alone. Please leave with the guards.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Andrei was startled by the emperor¡¯s words. To not have even the Knight Order Commander, let alone the guards. ¡°I ask this of you, Andrei. This matter is that important.¡± However, with the emperor himself insisting so strongly, Andrei couldn¡¯t say anything more. He could only look at me with disbelieving eyes. ¡°I shall obey your command.¡± After Andrei left with the guards, the emperor who had been sitting at his desk slowly rose and approached me. ¡°Raise your head.¡± I immediately raised my head at the emperor¡¯s command. The face of an enlightened old man who had weathered all of life¡¯s turbulent periods was looking at me. ¡°Yes. So you are Eugene.¡± The emperor¡¯s gaze fell on my eyes. After carefully observing my pupils, the emperor formed a faint smile on his face. ¡°Do you know why I called you here?¡± ¡°It is because I had the honor of protecting Your Majesty¡¯s precious life with my humble magical power.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s wrong.¡± Of course not. If it was about giving rewards, he could have done it through Andrei easily. Nevertheless, the reason why the emperor wanted to meet me personally. That was¡­ ¡°The reason I called you is to question you.¡± At the word ¡®question,¡¯ I immediately responded. ¡°If it is something I know, I will answer anything.¡± ¡°Good, then I shall ask.¡± After briefly choosing his words while looking at me with my head bowed, the emperor spoke in a leisurely tone. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. What was your reason for pulling me from my predetermined death?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Why did the revolutionary hero who would burn the empire save me?¡± Predetermined death. And revolutionary hero. Hearing these two keywords, I was certain. ¡®What appeared in the original story was true.¡¯ I recalled the original content of [Revolution Empire]. In the very last part of the main story. When the protagonist and companions entered the burning palace, they came upon the study where Emperor Friedrich had resided. What could be found there were numerous books the emperor had written during his lifetime. Before entering the boss room, players could search the bookshelf and read the contents of these books. [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. With my death, the signal flare of revolution illuminates the sky.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. Elcidore Castle is engulfed in flames, and the corrupt mage¡¯s head is severed by the angry mob.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. The empire¡¯s flag falls to the ground, and those bearing the Red Wings dominate the empire.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. The hero who has served his purpose is discarded, and the Red Wings become tools of the republic.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. The empire falls, and the republic¡¯s exploitation reaches its peak.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. The vanished Black Sun reveals itself once again.] [Year ¡ª Month ¡ª Day. The Great Rupture spreads across all lands, and the otherworldly hordes¡­] What was written in Friedrich¡¯s books were the player¡¯s past actions. And sentences hinting at this game¡¯s ending, along with what would happen afterward. Records left by the late emperor who died at the prologue. Though players only realized the outcome of this revolution then¡­ [Ominous records left by the late emperor. No, is it a curse? It¡¯s chilling. Let¡¯s not worry about it.] Our protagonist Eugene doesn¡¯t believe these records and rushes to the center of the palace for the final boss battle. No. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe, but that he didn¡¯t want to believe. ¡®Even now, I really don¡¯t understand.¡¯ After delivering such an amazing story for Part 1, why did they destroy the story at the end? Why? Because the story writer suddenly got delusions of grandeur, that¡¯s why. What? A predictable happy ending doesn¡¯t match their aesthetics? Then they shouldn¡¯t have made Part 1¡¯s story so good in the first place. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s stop. I might die from anger again.¡¯ What if I wake up in front of the Ishimura after dying again? (+)[1]TLN: The author really like Dead Space, huh¡­ Ah, btw. Ishimura or USG Ishimura is a kind of spaceship from Dead Space. Since I haven¡¯t played Dead Space yet, I can¡¯t say more about it. There¡¯d be no hope even if I committed suicide there. Thinking that, I slowly met the emperor¡¯s eyes. Why did I save him? That answer was already decided. ¡°To survive.¡± ¡°To survive?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± For someone who knows the future, there¡¯s nothing to hesitate about. I opened my mouth towards the emperor. ¡°To avoid being used as a tool by the Revolutionary Army and suffering from the republic¡¯s exploitation.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The emperor¡¯s eyes widened immediately at my answer. What I had mentioned was the future of this game that his diary had prophesied. I revealed to the emperor that I knew this world¡¯s fate. And I told him that I would change this future that was destined for destruction. ¡°Truly, you are the flame that will burn the empire.¡± How much time had passed since hearing my answer? After a long while, the emperor spoke with a smile spread across his face. ¡°However, its color has changed. Not a fire blazing with anger, but a freezing cold flame.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What made it so? Did another causality I couldn¡¯t see change the flame? Or¡­¡± Muttering incomprehensible words, the emperor slowly spoke while looking at me. ¡°Was it a different spark from the beginning?¡± A different spark. Hearing those words, I could finally understand the emperor¡¯s meaning. The color of flame he spoke of probably meant the original personality of the protagonist, or his will towards revolution. The change in color meant that I made different decisions from the protagonist. And those words about a different spark¡­ Tap. While thinking about this, the emperor suddenly lifted my right arm without warning. ¡°¡­!¡± As his hand rolled up my sleeve, there was a red magic imprint glowing there. Wings of Crimson. The magic imprint stolen from the imperial armory. ¡°As I thought, you took Maximilien¡¯s imprint. That¡¯s how you could protect me from their magic.¡± Possessing an imperial magic imprint was, by itself, a capital crime of treason. It wouldn¡¯t be strange to be executed immediately. However, the emperor, upon seeing this magic imprint, instead of issuing a stern command, slowly placed his hand on the imprint. And at that moment. Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu¡­! The imprint, shaped like spread wings, was folding as if wrapping around something. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ A phenomenon I¡¯d seen in the game. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡®Imprint alteration? It should be impossible without a catalyst, how¡­¡¯ ¡°Now it¡¯s done.¡± Amidst my confusion, the emperor¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Unlike moments ago when he seemed like an enlightened old man, his voice now carried a subtle vigor. ¡°Your Majesty, when you say it¡¯s done¡­¡± ¡°I removed the royal factor from the magic imprint. No one will recognize your imprint now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was an unexpected gain. I had originally planned to extract it when entering the military academy, but to think it would be resolved like this. ¡°Now that the revolutionary hero has joined me, the empire¡¯s future has brightened somewhat.¡± Saying that, the emperor patted my shoulder with a satisfied expression. ¡°You may go now. I will watch you closely and support you in every way.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I immediately bowed my head at the emperor¡¯s words. The magic imprint that had become completely mine, and the emperor¡¯s favor. Though there were many surprising things, I had gained everything I could. *** ¡°Andrei.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± After Eugene left. At the emperor¡¯s sudden call, Andrei immediately bowed his head. Unlike in the past, the emperor¡¯s voice that called him carried a subtle dignity. ¡°I had originally intended to die at this funeral.¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty!¡± Andrei cried out in shock at the emperor¡¯s sudden words. ¡°Despairing at a future that wouldn¡¯t change no matter what, I had intended to give up everything.¡± Because he knew the future, the emperor could do many things. He kept the magic nobles in check, suppressed the Revolutionary Army, and somehow held together this declining empire. But the future didn¡¯t change, and he kept growing older. The firm resolve he had at first had long since disappeared. ¡°However, one boy gave this old man another chance.¡± The emperor assassination attempt occurred, and the emperor didn¡¯t die. The emperor who should have died survived, and the Revolutionary Army was suppressed. Things that didn¡¯t happen in the future he had seen. Through Eugene¡¯s intervention, his future had changed. By saving him, the boy showed the possibility that the future could be changed. And seeing that possibility, the emperor felt the need to repay the boy¡¯s actions. Therefore. ¡°I will change the empire from its roots.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The emperor intended to rise once more. ¡°The magic nobles who eat away at the empire for their own benefit. The Revolutionary Army who think only of burning the empire without considering the future. And Westraine in the west, who manipulates the Revolutionary Army from behind, trying to swallow the empire whole.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will destroy everything that stands in the empire¡¯s way and proudly face the predetermined destruction.¡± Life gradually returned to the aged emperor¡¯s eyes. The atmosphere he exuded was no longer that of a sick old man, but rather emanated the spirit befitting the master of an empire. Andrei, his fists trembling, bowed his head. The empire¡¯s last emperor, Friedrich Franz Kalhyram. Ending his long seclusion, he had shown himself once again. 1. TLN: The author really like Dead Space, huh¡­ Ah, btw. Ishimura or USG Ishimura is a kind of spaceship from Dead Space. Since I haven¡¯t played Dead Space yet, I can¡¯t say more about it. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 40 #040. ¡°Today is the day.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s today.¡± Two years had passed since preventing the Emperor¡¯s assassination. From a street urchin to a villain¡¯s tool, and now to a duke¡¯s son-in-law. Unlike the Bitcoin-rivaling ups and downs of my life until I turned ten, my life until twelve had been drawing a relatively peaceful parallel line. Of course, my life was peaceful only because I was still a child. Looking at the adults¡¯ chaos reported in the Imperial newspapers, it was an absolute mess beyond description. ¡°I saw the newspaper articles. The Imperial Capital is brutal.¡± ¡°How do you think I feel, being directly in that Capital? I¡¯d rather return to the Eastern Front at this rate.¡± Keiren, sitting across from me, lit a cigarette while grumbling. ¡°But, we¡¯ve finally gotten past one worry.¡± After the Emperor¡¯s assassination attempt failed, magic nobles¡¯ influence rapidly diminished. It was natural, considering that the Revolutionary Army appeared at an event where they were in charge of security, and their magic even reached for the Emperor. ¡®In the original game, magic nobles filled the void left by the Emperor¡¯s death. That¡¯s how the Imperial family became their puppet.¡¯ But not now. Of course, when looking at the overall power structure, magic nobles who held regional interests still had the upper hand, but what mattered was that the Emperor was still alive. A week after the incident, when the Emperor ended his long seclusion and came out, the first thing he did was hold magic nobles accountable. ¡®What was the Magic Corps doing when the Revolutionary Army was violating the Emperor¡¯s procession?¡¯ The security chief from the Nachtval family was executed by firing squad, and numerous magic nobles involved in the Emperor¡¯s security were demoted and stripped of their positions. The Nachtval duchy protested that it was excessive, but the Emperor already had justification. Not many supported their voice, and Duke Nachtval had to suffer the humiliation of bowing directly to the Emperor. ¡°Consider it a message sent to magic nobles and the neutral elders.¡± ¡°A message?¡± ¡°Despite experiencing an assassination attempt, his will remains unbroken, and he cannot hand this country over to magic nobles. That¡¯s what His Majesty is saying.¡± That¡¯s what Keiren, who had become my political mentor over these two years, said. Ah, saying mentor feels a bit awkward. It feels like Ben and Maximilien might rise from their graves yelling, ¡°You bastard with three masters! Get out of here!¡± Is this how the illegitimate child of a brothel with three fathers felt? How nice to have three fathers, haha. ¡°And thanks to that, I was able to enter the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°And you got promoted along the way too.¡± Buckenheim was able to avoid the Emperor¡¯s blade aimed at magic nobles. This was because Keiren, who attended as Buckenheim¡¯s representative, had led the suppression of the Revolutionary Army. ¡®We hereby award the Imperial Lion Medal to Major General Keiren, who bravely fought against the Revolutionary Army¡¯s surprise attack¡­¡¯ Through this achievement, Keiren was able to enter the Imperial Capital, and now, two years later, he had established himself as one of the Emperor¡¯s confidants. With such rapid growth, his position within the Buckenheim family naturally rose as well. As a result, Keiren¡¯s once-quiet mansion was now bustling with constant visitors, and Carlos, the heir, began to perceive Keiren as a threat. ¡®Originally, it should have been Carlos, not Keiren, who entered the Imperial Capital.¡¯ The Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack created numerous holes in the Imperial Capital¡¯s administration. In the original work, magic nobles dug into those holes, but with the Emperor alive, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Instead of magic nobles, those who filled the power vacuum in the Capital were people loyal to the Emperor and Imperial Army personnel who had long been at odds with the Magic Corps. And among them, the one who took the largest position was Major General Keiren. No, since he was promoted, he¡¯s Lieutenant General now. [House Cairald caught in illegal drug distribution! Imperial investigation launched¡­] [Continuous misconduct by magic noble houses! Where is the nobility¡¯s honor?] [Imperial Investigator: Part of drug distribution network detected flowing to Westraine. Could be considered high treason¡­] ¡®I knew interesting things would happen, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this interesting.¡¯ Keiren¡¯s assigned mission upon entering the Imperial Capital was to eliminate remaining security threats. And what appeared at that timing was the ledger of gang transactions I obtained from the Grey Quarter back alleys. Upon receiving it, Keiren began arresting the nobles listed in the ledger as soon as he entered the Capital, and suspicious magic nobles had no choice but to lay low. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. To shake up the Empire¡¯s power structure like this in just two years¡­¡± ¡°Most of it was arranged by His Majesty. I merely followed orders.¡± Liar. It was a trap you set yourself. While I was thinking that to myself, Keiren, rolling his stiff shoulders, asked me. ¡°So, how is Mari¡¯s condition?¡± ¡°Excellent. Couldn¡¯t be better.¡± Although I promised to teach Mari magic, I hadn¡¯t actually done much. Otto carefully performed the awakening surgery, and the magic imprint was the two-stroke magic imprint created by Buckenheim personnel. Professional mages were in charge of basic training, overseeing magical power increase and magical power control techniques. ¡®From the start, I¡¯m someone who uses magic, not teaches it.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t want to teach magic from the basics. There were far better instructors than me in this field, so why should I do it? Then what did I teach Mari during these two years? Practical sparring and feedback. ¡®I lost again-!¡¯ ¡®No, it would be strange if you won.¡¯ From the moment she could use barriers and basic attack magic, Mari and I entered into daily sparring sessions. Efficient magical power operation, magic circuit output distribution in combat situations, handling emergencies, and even actual hand-to-hand combat. ¡®Just throwing magic around won¡¯t work. The preparation movement when spreading barriers, the gaps that appear when using magic consecutively. You need to exploit those to succeed.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t see any gaps when fighting with you, Brother.¡¯ ¡®I showed plenty. You just couldn¡¯t see them.¡¯ ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Although I spoke harshly on purpose, Mari was following the training more diligently than I had expected. ¡°She has strong aspirations, and her growth curve matches that. While her magical power amount is average¡­ her technique and intuition are probably top-level among her peers.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°If she continues training and increases her magical power, she could become a formidable mage.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She wasn¡¯t called a genius for nothing. To come this far in just two years. Even as I said this, Keiren sighed, seemingly regretful. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. I wanted to avoid the awakening surgery until the end¡­¡± ¡°Think positively. At least she won¡¯t be dragged to the front lines.¡± Because I¡¯ll be dragged there instead. ¡°Besides, how could we stop someone who wants to protect themselves? She¡¯ll need it more considering what¡¯s ahead.¡± ¡°¡­Right. That¡¯s true.¡± The day Mari was attacked became a huge trauma for Keiren. For that daughter-obsessed man who shouted ¡®I won¡¯t allow anyone to put a blade to my daughter!¡¯ to authorize development surgery, that says it all. As our conversation with Keiren, who had returned from the Capital after a long time, was reaching its peak¡­ Knock knock- With the knock, butler Walter appeared. ¡°Young Master Eugene. The train has arrived.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m coming.¡± Time already? I got up from my seat, put on a black uniform coat, and draped a red cape over it. With the hat from the military academy, preparations were complete. Seeing this appearance, Keiren nodded with a satisfied expression. ¡°It suits you well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particularly happy about it.¡± Though I wasn¡¯t happy, it was a strange feeling. To wear the Imperial Army uniform I had gleefully killed in the game, and to go to military academy to become an Imperial officer. It was a moment when I truly felt I was living a different life from the protagonist. ¡°Eugene!¡± As I stepped outside, Irene, neatly dressed in maid clothes, was waving at me. Most students entering the Youth Military Academy were nobles, and in this game, nobles meant idiots who couldn¡¯t even change clothes properly without servants¡¯ help. In such a school for nobles, each incoming student could bring one servant. ¡®It could have been trouble otherwise.¡¯ Originally, I planned to bring one of the mansion¡¯s servants, but I refused that idea. Leave Irene here alone? How would I know what she¡¯d eat for midnight snacks when I¡¯m not watching? ¡®Ah~! I want to eat people for midnight snacks!¡¯ ¡®Irene. You shouldn¡¯t say such things out loud.¡¯ So I asked Keiren to let me take Irene, and was able to get approval easily. Thus, while I trained Mari, Irene¡¯s daily routine became learning letters and work. ¡°We¡¯ll be together for four years at school?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You might go hungry quite often there, will you be okay?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be fine!¡± Ah, to think this child who was practically a wild animal could now have normal conversations after two years. I was nearly moved to tears by Mrs. Maybelle¡¯s hard work. Mrs., you are truly the real master for both Irene and me. While self-proclaimed master Mr. B and previous life master Mr. M are crumpled in their graves. ¡°School life won¡¯t be smooth. You¡¯re already famous, Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes. I know well.¡± Walter, who had been bickering with me throughout our time together, now seemed regretful¡­ as if! His noble way of speaking really makes me sick every time I hear it. ¡®Still, he¡¯s mellowed out a lot since the beginning.¡¯ Thinking that, I handed Walter a document. It was quite thick, clearly over dozens of pages at a glance. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°Please give it to Lieutenant General Keiren. It¡¯s necessary for the plan.¡± After saying that, I boarded the train holding Irene¡¯s hand. Four years at military academy. That should be enough time for Keiren to prepare sufficiently. *** ¡°Eugene handed this over?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Keiren, taking the documents Walter handed over, read them with suspicious eyes. But that didn¡¯t last long. Rustle, rustle. Page by page. His expression, changing with each turned page, was filled with shock by the time he reached the final page. ¡°¡­Lieutenant General Keiren?¡± When Walter quietly called out to him, noticing his hands trembling while holding the documents, a response came after a while. ¡°Walter. Prepare a letter to send to His Majesty. Say that I will seek an audience soon.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s urgent. Please.¡± After Walter bowed and left the office, Keiren looked at the documents again in disbelief. ¡°Really¡­ What an unthinkable idea.¡± It was a dangerous plan. However, if successful, it could shake the very foundation of magic nobles¡¯ power base. Their greatest monopolized power. A plan that could take away the very existence of mages. ¡°Four years. Might be tighter than expected.¡± Keiren put a cigarette in his mouth and placed the documents he was holding on the desk. [Special Magical Power Unit ¡®Knifehead¡¯ Establishment Proposal] On the very last page of the document thus titled, Lupeon Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint was emitting a blue light. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 41 #041. Though I hadn¡¯t particularly looked forward to it, the school life I¡¯d been waiting for had finally begun. Of course, just because I started school life didn¡¯t mean my life genre suddenly drifted into an academy story. If you want to know why, just take a look at this school¡¯s daily schedule that was distributed upon admission. [05:50 Wake up with a wake-up call. Change into workout clothes after making bed] [06:00 Assembly at the parade ground in the center of school. Roll call and physical training on an empty stomach.] [07:30 Brief wash-up, change into uniform, inspection, and salute to portraits of past emperors.] [08:00 Breakfast] [08:30 Quarters inspection followed by theoretical classes.] [12:00 Lunch break.] [13:00 Practical training and magical power development training. Combat ability improvement through peer sparring every Friday.] [16:00 Bath and weapons maintenance followed by personal time.] [18:00 Dinner.] [19:00 Review theoretical class content in study hall followed by free time.] [21:00 Evening roll call.] [21:30 Lights out] Looking at it again, it still takes my breath away. How is this a schedule for kids¡¯ school? It¡¯s just a military daily routine. As evident from this rigid schedule, students admitted here had no chance of a bright and lively school life. It may be called a school, but in reality, it¡¯s no different from a military base. ¡°Training complete! Return to quarters!¡± ¡°Thank you for your guidance!¡± With those resounding commands, another day of training came to an end. ¡°How was training today?¡± ¡°Instructor Kirel is really scary. I heard he¡¯s exclusively in charge of second years, I don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll manage¡­¡± ¡°Is this the tactical exam cheat sheet? Thank you, Senior!¡± I watched the students gathering in small groups, laughing and chatting. Even though it was a military academy, interaction between students wasn¡¯t completely forbidden. The Imperial Youth Military Academy was established for the early education of noble children. After completing grueling training, it was natural for there to be warm consolation and tight bonds between peers and seniors who had gone through the same hardships. ¡®But that¡¯s just the story for noble children who legally entered this school.¡¯ The students admitted here weren¡¯t only of noble birth. There were also commoner children who received magical power development surgery and were lucky enough to awaken magical power. Such children also entered the Imperial Military Academy and¡­ Had to endure being nobles¡¯ playthings for four years. ¡°Get down! Get down! I said get down lower!¡± ¡°How dare you crawl in here with your common blood and taint the school¡¯s legitimacy?!¡± Looking from a distance, it was quite a sight. Crawling between legs, licking boots. Watching the thoughtless abuse of young children under the pretext of ¡®etiquette training,¡¯ a deep sigh naturally rose from my chest. ¡®No wonder a revolution broke out.¡¯ Let¡¯s think about this. Until just two years ago, this was the empire where the Revolutionary Army tried to take the Emperor¡¯s head. And now the Emperor himself is desperately trying to appoint non-nobles. In such a situation, commoner magical power awakeners chose to enter the military academy instead of joining the Revolutionary Army? From the empire¡¯s perspective, these would be quite promising talents. But when these children enter the military academy with high hopes, the first thing they face is licking noble students¡¯ boots? Being treated like trash for being ¡®lowborn¡¯? Even I would join the Revolutionary Army out of disgust. Just look at their expressions as they crawl on the ground. Even at a glance, you can see the disillusionment and shock on their faces. ¡°Funny, isn¡¯t it? The magic nobles who boast about leading the empire are destroying its future with their own hands.¡± What? I was just thinking to myself, but did someone read my mind? Turning towards the voice, I saw a tall boy with cold features glaring down at the courtyard below. ¡°You¡¯re Eugene Lorentz, right? The one adopted by Major General Keiren Buckenheim.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± As I answered somewhat awkwardly, the boy extended his hand to me. His long blue hair that covered his back was quite striking. ¡°I¡¯m Feilun, second year. It¡¯s an honor to meet the famous person who saved His Majesty the Emperor.¡± Feilun. Since it was a name I was familiar with, I immediately shook his hand. ¡°So you¡¯re the second son of the Duke of Nachtval.¡± Feilun Lu Ross Nachtval. He was one of the legitimate heirs of the Duke of Nachtval, the second seat among magic nobles. When I mentioned his house, he shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about my house. Watching that scene makes me want to drain all the noble blood from my body.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite a dangerous statement if others were to hear it, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it here. There¡¯s no one around you.¡± Oh, this senior. He¡¯s hitting a sore spot right after meeting. Thinking that, I looked around me. As he said, among the students gathered in groups, not a single one was willing to be with me. Two months since entering the military academy. I entered with the grave mission of finding talented individuals who would later join the newly created [Special Magical Power Unit]¡­ And became a loner without making a single friend. ¡®How did things come to this?¡¯ During the entrance ceremony two months ago, I was quite a famous figure at this school. Though adopted, I was still technically a member of House Buckenheim, the first seat among magic nobles, and I had the achievement of saving the Emperor from the Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack. Being of common birth was a bit of an issue, but they probably calculated that there was no harm in becoming friendly with me. As I expected, noble children with their noses in the air approached me. ¡®Eugene Lorentz! Though your birth is humble, you have the merit of saving His Majesty! You¡¯re qualified to join us!¡¯ ¡®Yeah, go fuck yourselves.¡¯ ¡®W-What?!¡¯ I flatly rejected their proposal. Of course I would. Who in their right mind would accept when they¡¯re saying nonsense like ¡®You¡¯re a lowborn worm, but we¡¯ll specially recognize you as a noble!¡¯ Honorary noble? I wouldn¡¯t take it even if they gave it to me. After firmly rejecting the noble seniors¡¯ recruitment attempts, next came the non-noble seniors who were being oppressed by the nobles. ¡®We understand your situation well, Eugene! You must have suffered a lot being used as a tool by the nobles!¡¯ ¡®Ah, yes¡­¡¯ ¡®We carry similar wounds! The continued exploitation and unchanging empire! You must have entered here wanting to change such an empire! We understand completely!¡¯ The upperclassmen patted my shoulder with voices so energetic it seemed excessive. Though there was an unsettling feeling creeping up from their tone, I still thought I could get along with these people reasonably well. If we could share the grief of being non-nobles, our relationship would deepen accordingly, and it would be much easier to find useful talent among them. But why didn¡¯t I end up associating with them, you ask¡­ ¡®In that sense, how about it? Why don¡¯t we have a deep discussion about this [Theory of Imperial Reform] and [Shackles of Obedience]¡­!¡¯ ¡®Instructor¡ª!¡¯ Because these bastards weren¡¯t seniors, but Revolutionary Army spies. ¡­Really, it¡¯s still ridiculous thinking about it now. I wondered where the Revolutionary Army officers I met in the main story learned their military science, and it was here? In the end, the upperclassmen who approached me were dragged away by military police rather than instructors, and I, who ended up causing seniors to be expelled¡­ became a traitor to non-noble students. ¡®This can¡¯t be, Senior, Senior was expelled¡­¡¯ ¡®How could you get such a good person expelled, you devil! So you were in league with the nobles after all! Right?!¡¯ ¡®You dirty bourgeois who oppresses the exploited masses!¡¯ Hey, you crazy bastards. Your senior was a Revolutionary Army plant. And you who spoke last, your statement sounds quite revolutionary? Should I call the military police again? ¡°Haah¡­¡± ¡­Anyway. After experiencing these two incidents, no student at school would speak to me. A duck egg that neither joined the noble faction nor associated with non-nobles. An outsider who wasn¡¯t subjected to abuse but didn¡¯t have anyone to hang out with either. It was a shitty situation that could only make me sigh. If there was any consolation, it was that school life had become extremely relaxed because of it. ¡°Well, no need to be so discouraged. The problem isn¡¯t you, it¡¯s this school.¡± Feilun¡¯s gaze was fixed on the dormitory garden where the abuse was in full swing as he said this. ¡°The nobles are busy looking down on the commoner class, and the imperial citizens¡¯ anger towards nobles has reached its peak. Though His Majesty the Emperor is working hard on reforms by appointing non-nobles¡­ this is like pouring water into a bottomless jar.¡± There was a hint of resignation in Feilun¡¯s voice as he spoke. ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite scathing. If you think that way, wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to step in directly, Senior?¡± ¡°I was quite active until last year. Thanks to that, I ended up in a similar situation as you.¡± Seeing his bitter smile, I could roughly guess what happened. He probably stepped up directly to stop the abuse, but it didn¡¯t end well. A traitor to the nobles for siding with commoners, a hypocrite to the commoners for showing patronizing kindness. After being rejected by both sides like that, he must have become an outsider like me. ¡°¡­And what I need to keep an eye on are outsiders like this.¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± Just as Feilun was about to ask about what had unconsciously slipped from my mouth¡ª Tweeet¡ª! ¡°Ten minutes until evening roll call!¡± At the sound of the instructor¡¯s whistle, the seniors who had been harassing the freshmen rushed out of the hall. The instructors who had been teaching children for decades couldn¡¯t possibly not know what the upperclassmen were doing to the freshmen. This was how they controlled things before the ¡®etiquette education¡¯ went too far. ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s already time to go.¡± Senior Feilun, who had been sitting beside me, patted my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I met a junior who thinks alike. Let¡¯s meet often.¡± ¡°Yes. It would be my honor.¡± ¡°Already flattering me. See you later!¡± As the senior ran down the hallway with a casual wave, I also turned around and walked to my quarters. ¡®Thanks to him, I¡¯m getting some direction now.¡¯ Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. My main purpose for entering this school was to find talented individuals who would join the Emperor and Keiren¡¯s faction to change the empire. However, what kind of talent should I look for? My meeting with Feilun just now had somewhat resolved that question. ¡®There¡¯s no need to think too hard about it. I just need to find people similar to me.¡¯ Outsiders who feel disgusted with the empire ruled by magic nobles but don¡¯t sympathize with revolution. Those were the talented individuals I needed to find. ¡°Still, I never dreamed I¡¯d meet him here.¡± I thought about the senior who had waved at me. Feilun Lu Ross Nachtval. The fact that the first useful talent I met was one of the boss monsters from the original work¡ªit was truly unpredictable. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 42 #042. ¡°That child never ceases to surprise me.¡± In the Emperor¡¯s office. The Emperor, who had been reading documents all along, put them down and spoke to Keiren standing across from him. [Special Magical Power Unit] This plan proposed by the boy to Keiren was an extremely radical and dangerous one. ¡°A mage unit directly under imperial control, free from magic noble oversight. Recruitment based solely on magical power aptitude, disregarding all disqualifying factors like background and criminal history¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Just hearing it sounds ominous. Lieutenant General Keiren, do you think you can control such a unit?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. However¡­¡± A skeptical response. But Keiren immediately added a word. ¡°If we utilize the spell formula engraved in this magic imprint, it might actually become easier.¡± As he said this, Keiren took out a pattern that hadn¡¯t lost its blue light. An imprint with seven strokes still vividly alive. Seeing this, the Emperor¡¯s eyes flickered with interest. ¡°Rider of the Ice Prison¡­ So Count Elcidore¡¯s magic imprint is in your possession?¡± ¡°To be precise, it was Eugene who had it, not me.¡± After saying this, Keiren showed the magic imprint to the Emperor. The magic imprint that passed from Andrei to the Emperor. Looking at it carefully, the Emperor soon understood what Keiren meant. ¡°Mark of Control. A spell formula that dominates one¡¯s mind.¡± ¡°I heard it was the spell formula Lupeon used to operate his assassination unit. When the infiltration reaches its final stage, they supposedly don¡¯t even fear death.¡± ¡°Indeed. Even to my eyes, this spell formula is designed with extreme precision.¡± After examining the magic imprint, the Emperor looked at Keiren with serious eyes. ¡°So, is that the child¡¯s plan? To create puppets that obey orders and strike at the magic nobles?¡± Though his voice carried a slight rebuke, Keiren slowly shook his head. ¡°Regrettably, that¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Impossible?¡± When the Emperor asked again, Keiren immediately answered. ¡°This magic imprint will be the foundation for the standard magic imprint used by the Special Magical Power Unit. However, the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ engraved here has too many side effects to be distributed to soldiers.¡± ¡°That would be true. Unless one has exceptional qualities, their mind would be consumed by the spell formula.¡± Rather than becoming puppets, there was even a possibility of their minds dying completely. To implant such things in children. Once again, he felt his teeth grind at Lupeon¡¯s inhumanity. ¡°Moreover, if a newly established imperial special unit were to use the magic imprint of the deceased Lupeon¡­¡± ¡°Who knows how the magic nobles would protest.¡± The Emperor understood well what Keiren wanted to say. To utilize this magic imprint publicly, it would need to undergo careful modification. And in the empire, only he, who inherited the blood of House Franz, could perform such work. After all, the magic imprint of House Franz, a long-standing imprint family, was set to fade away with his generation. ¡°Not an army of puppets that absolutely obey orders, but a loyal army given proper rewards and honor. That¡¯s what the child is telling me.¡± ¡°And in exchange for handing over the magic imprint, he also asked for command of the newly created unit.¡± A satisfied smile spread across the Emperor¡¯s lips. To dare propose a deal to the Emperor of a nation. What an audacious fellow. Though he might have felt offended, the Emperor merely chuckled with interest. ¡°I will personally perform the imprint alteration. Particularly this ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ will be the final safety measure. I won¡¯t leave any function beyond that.¡± ¡°Eugene would have wanted that as well.¡± Is this a pastime for my twilight years? Thinking thus, the Emperor caressed the magic noble¡¯s magic imprint that the boy had handed over. ¡®Special Magical Power Unit. If completed according to plan, there won¡¯t be a more threatening card against the magic nobles.¡¯ ¡°Keiren.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Provide all necessary support without restraint. You¡­¡± ¡°I need to develop magical equipment and weapons for the new army, and gather personnel for experimental operations. Everything is already proceeding without issues.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± An independent mage unit free from magic noble control. Once completed, the imperial family could directly purify monster nests and contaminated zones that had long been considered the nobility¡¯s domain. This meant no more imperial army being reduced to Magic Corps¡¯ support, no more extortion of imperial finances under the pretext of monster subjugation support projects. ¡®When this army that I create and Keiren nurtures falls into that child¡¯s hands¡­¡¯ The Emperor closed his eyes and thought of the distant future. When this army is given to the boy after he completes his growth, and when the boy begins to move to fulfill his intentions. ¡®The empire will face an unprecedented upheaval.¡¯ The Emperor¡¯s clenched fist tightened. A long-forgotten fighting spirit was slowly raising its head. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I know, Andrei. We can¡¯t focus solely on this.¡± He must not lose his composure. Though it was an exhilarating plan, this was a matter for years in the future. What he needed to do now was check the magic nobles and protect the empire from external forces. ¡°Intelligence came in from the western front. They say Westraine is deploying troops forward to the border region.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And simultaneously, reports about rebel forces are coming in again from various parts of the capital.¡± Rebel forces. The Emperor¡¯s expression looked complicated as he mentioned them. Despite countless efforts to appease public sentiment over two years, the revolutionary spirit was once again rearing its head. ¡°Government offices, security bureau, and medium to small-scale detention centers¡­ Though significantly smaller in scale than before, their numbers are steadily increasing.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you think, Lieutenant General? The unusual signs from Westraine and the resumption of rebel activities. Do you think this is coincidence?¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Keiren answered immediately. ¡°Creating internal chaos while launching an offensive. It was a frequently used tactic in the last war.¡± ¡°You mean?¡± ¡°The emergence of rebel forces is likely a diversion coordinated with Westraine. Then the republic forces gathering near the border¡­¡­¡± ¡°The long armistice will break.¡± Since it was an armistice that could have broken at any time, no sign of bewilderment could be found on the Emperor¡¯s face. The reason for his sigh was the fact that imperial citizens would suffer once again because of this war. A war at this time when reforms should be initiated. As always, the timing was as precise as if measured with a ruler. ¡°Lieutenant General Keiren.¡± ¡°Command me, Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor commanded Keiren with a stern face. ¡°At tomorrow¡¯s imperial council, I will appoint you as commander of the western front.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Keiren¡¯s shoulders tensed. Front Commander. It was the highest position he had ever held. Immediately saluting, Keiren opened his mouth. ¡°I will bring victory to Your Majesty.¡± One side tells him to create a new army that has never existed before, the other side tells him to crush Westraine. It seemed like days where even having two bodies wouldn¡¯t be enough. *** Kwakwaang-! Dazzling magical power light shook the training ground. Red magical power still leaving afterimages. The attack magic had broken through the barrier and completely subdued the opponent. Peeek-! ¡°Duel over!¡± ¡°N-no! It¡¯s not over yet¡­!¡± ¡°No. It is.¡± Despite the whistle, my classmate tried to get up, but I gently pressed my wooden sword against his chest. Mock battle end. Looking at my score displayed on the scoreboard, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡®First in year rankings. At least the first step was successful.¡¯ No matter how important talent recruitment was, a student¡¯s primary duty was studying. Especially in cases like mine with problematic backgrounds, grades became even more important. After all, my origins were fundamentally low-born, even though I had become Keiren¡¯s adopted son after saving the Emperor¡¯s life. ¡®If my grades fall, they¡¯ll say the low-born blood shows itself, and if my grades are moderately good, they¡¯ll just gossip about a low-born trying too hard.¡¯ There was only one way to shut such people¡¯s mouths ¨C being top of the year. Since Keiren¡¯s honor was also at stake for enrolling me, the title of top student naturally became the first goal of my school life. And today¡¯s mock battle test results were the final hurdle of the comprehensive ability evaluation conducted twice per semester. Having secured first place here, this semester¡¯s top position was as good as confirmed. ¡®I didn¡¯t know what I learned at Knifehead would come in so handy.¡¯ Compared to the training I received at House Elcidore, the various training conducted at the military academy was little more than leisure sports. ¡®They give safety equipment for rock climbing?¡¯ ¡®They give water during physical training to prevent exhaustion?¡¯ ¡®What is this? Heaven?¡¯ While my classmates all looked like death warmed over saying they were dying from exhaustion, I alone was like this, so how could my grades not be good? As an example, the classmates watching me from across were looking at me like some kind of monster. ¡°He fought eight people in a row, and just ended it after taking a few deep breaths¡­?¡± ¡°Just where did this guy come from and what has he been doing¡­!¡± My mood improved as I received their gazes mixed with shock and envy. Being hated was better than being ignored, after all. As I sat down on one side of the training ground wiping away sweat, Irene, who had been waiting in the corner, handed me a water bottle. ¡°Young Master! Here¡¯s water!¡± ¡°Thanks. But drop the Young Master.¡± ¡°But Mrs. Maybelle told me to¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Around the time I had drunk about half the water in the bottle. ¡°How pathetic. Is this how the freshman top student spends time, fooling around with such a maid?¡± At the voice of a boy who had approached me, I deeply furrowed my brow. ¡°Kyle.¡± The one blocking my path was Kyle Raikard. As the heir to Count Raikard, the sixth seat among magic nobles, he wielded absolute power among this year¡¯s freshmen as the leader of the noble faction. But why was such a person blocking my path? The reason was simple. I was top of the class, and he was second. Such is the fate of second place ¨C forever destined to envy the one at the top. ¡°Though I fell behind this time, next time won¡¯t be so easy. I, the heir to House Raikard¡­ Hey, hey! Where are you going?!¡± I could probably memorize his speech after hearing it just two more times. Since the mock battle evaluation was over, I got up and started walking toward the dormitory. ¡°Wait, Eugene! I¡¯m not finished¡­!¡± While deliberately ignoring Kyle¡¯s voice as he tried to follow me. Thud- I bumped shoulders with a group of students walking from the opposite direction. ¡°Ah, excuse me. I was in a hurry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­Wait. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Something was strange. Looking at their build, they were clearly not freshmen or sophomores, but appeared to be upperclassmen. But shouldn¡¯t the upperclassmen be away on front line observations right now? Thinking this, I looked up at the young man I had bumped into. ¡°¡­!¡± In an unbelievable situation, I could only freeze in place. ¡®Claude Elcidore¡­?¡¯ A face glaring at me with an unbelieving expression. Though his features had roughened from countless battlefields, it was certain. Claude, who should be with the Revolutionary Army, had infiltrated the military academy wearing a school uniform. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 43 #043. ¡°Leon¡­!¡± Huh, wait. Who? Leon? As I pondered the unfamiliar name for a moment, I finally remembered. Leon was the alias I used during the Claude kidnapping mission, wasn¡¯t it? While I was thinking that, Claude pulled out a pistol from his chest and immediately pulled the trigger aimed at my face. Bang-! ¡°Ugh, aaargh?!¡± ¡°Gunfire! Gunfire!¡± ¡°What were the security forces doing?! Contact the Magic Corps! Contact the Magic Corps!¡± ¡°Students, evacuate this way! Hurry!¡± The unexpected gunshot was enough to startle the nearby students. The school descended into chaos, with screams and shouts mixing together. Not only were the students startled, but the other Revolutionary Army members standing next to Claude also jumped in surprise. ¡°Claude?!¡± ¡°What are you doing so suddenly?! The operation hasn¡¯t even started yet¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered! That guy knows my face!¡± Looking at Claude who was pointing and shouting at me, I withdrew the barrier I had deployed. Shooting right after meeting for the first time in a while ¨C the Revolutionary Army really made him lose his mind. This is why I don¡¯t do revolutions. ¡°Eugene!¡± ¡°Irene, get my gun out. You stay hidden behind me.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I hid Irene, who was startled by the sudden attack, behind my back. But wait, I can¡¯t help but notice she¡¯s already drooling. Don¡¯t touch them. They¡¯re enemies. Our Irene, you¡¯ll get sick if you eat things like that. ¡°That¡­!¡± ¡°Heresy?! Why does that bastard have that weapon¡­!¡± When they saw Maximilien¡¯s weapon in my hand, sparks flew in the eyes of Claude and the other members. ¡®Seeing their dead leader¡¯s weapon, such a reaction is natural.¡¯ About 5 minutes remained until the instructors would arrive. It was enough of a spectacle to keep them occupied until then. Whatever their original plan was, I can ask after subduing them. Whoosh-! The ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ modified by my factor shone, creating dozens of magic circles in the air. Dozens of extremely condensed Fireballs. Upon confirming this, the Revolutionary Army members immediately synchronized their magical power to create barriers, while Claude at the center prepared a counter-magic formula. ¡®Quick response. This shows they¡¯re not just one or two days into actual combat.¡¯ Experienced enemies with abundant combat experience. About 5 minutes remained until the instructors would arrive. Then what I needed to do now was¡­ ¡®No need to conserve magical power. Overwhelm them with firepower.¡¯ Thinking that, I pulled the trigger of the loaded Heresy. Whoosh?! The condensed Fireballs grew larger and larger until they were the size of human heads. Detonating the condensed magical power cartridge to instantaneously boost magical power. Seeing this all too familiar combat method, the Revolutionary Army members¡¯ faces were filled with shock. ¡°Wait. That¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°No way, magic bullets?¡± Dismay filled the faces of the Revolutionary Army members maintaining their barriers. They probably didn¡¯t expect me to use magic bullets, their trademark technique. ¡°No, with that amount of magical power we can¡¯t block¡­!¡± Claude tried to intervene belatedly, but it was already too late. ¡°Fire all rounds.¡± Boom boom boom¡ª! When dozens of Fireballs exploded simultaneously, the shockwave shook the school grounds. Due to using twice the amount of magical power compared to normal spell activation, the recoil transmitted through my hand with a tingling sensation. Smoke was slowly rising from the magic imprint that had turned red-hot. ¡°Whew!¡± I exhaled the remaining heat in my body with a deep breath. The magic bullets I used were prototypes delivered by Walter, items that would be used by the ¡®Special Magical Power Unit¡¯ to be established in the future. ¡®The output is lower than what the Revolutionary Army uses. However¡­¡¯ If you consider mass deployment as standard military equipment, this is much better. While thinking that, someone burst through the thick smoke. ¡°Tch.¡± Claude Elcidore. Looking at the four-stroke magic imprint shining on his arm, I clicked my tongue. [Red Wings] The general-purpose magic imprint used by the Revolutionary Army had been transformed into a unique form. Just like my [Wings of Crimson], his imprint had also started to change. Clang-! Claude¡¯s swung sword penetrated my barrier. Judging by this output, he must have already fired magic bullets. An attack that came right after using magic. Unable to completely deflect the impact, cracks were gradually forming in my barrier. ¡°I heard there were no survivors in House Elcidore. Then why are you still alive! And that weapon, Maximilien¡¯s¡­ Master¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Should someone destined to be an Imperial officer bother answering questions from rebel trash?¡± ¡°You bastard-!¡± Though I thoroughly provoked him, unfortunately, the situation wasn¡¯t good. ¡®While I have the advantage in magical power quantity, the magic circuit output and number of imprint strokes are equal.¡¯ In one-on-one I could definitely win, but unlike the other members, I couldn¡¯t take him out in one go. Moreover, due to firing magic bullets, my magic circuit output was temporarily lowered. Just maintaining the barrier was starting to become strenuous. ¡®Irene is a card I can¡¯t use here. Then¡­¡¯ Though there¡¯s a risk of overload, should I fire one more? Just as I was thinking that and about to pull the trigger. Boom-! ¡°Ugh?!¡± A stone carved in the shape of an eagle flew in and struck Claude¡¯s body. Attack magic? What? Has the Magic Corps arrived? Thinking that, I looked to the side. ¡°¡­Kyle?¡± Kyle, who had been following me until just now, was extending his hand with his magic imprint glowing. ¡°My name is Kyle Raikard! As heir to Count Raikard, I join this battle¡­!¡± ¡°You filthy magic noble!¡± Boom boom boom¨C! ¡°Waaagh?!¡± Before Kyle could finish speaking, Claude¡¯s red sword energy flew toward him. The barrier shattered but well, he didn¡¯t seem to die. And that small gap created in that moment decided the outcome of this battle. Whoosh-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± Magical power chains that sprang from the ground bound both of Claude¡¯s arms. ¡®Helios¡¯s Reins¡¯ It was a binding spell inscribed in the fourth stroke of the magic imprint. ¡°Not yet! Not yet¡­!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s over.¡± Saying that, I put away my gun. The Magic Corps that had entered the school were aiming their guns at Claude and his companions. ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing that, Claude glared at me with bloodshot eyes. But that was only for a moment. As if realizing there was no escape route, Claude slowly lowered his head. His hands were already bound in chains, so it was a signal of surrender. *** ¡°Cadet Eugene Lorentz! You have done a great service for the Empire!¡± The academy¡¯s principal Mildren arrived several minutes later. ¡®How transparent. The situation was already over, yet he¡¯s in full combat gear with bulletproof vest.¡¯ Looking at his military uniform and equipment that seemed ready to burst, that¡¯s what I thought. It must be hard to have such a belly as a soldier, but I suppose that too is a kind of ability. While having such idle thoughts as I shook his thick hand, Mildren patted my shoulder with a politician¡¯s characteristic smile and said: ¡°Now! I will personally escort these rebel groups and report to the higher-ups! Besides the Imperial rewards, there will be commendations at the school level, so look forward to it! Hohohoho!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Though the principal smiled kindly as he said that, I detected something suspicious in his words. ¡®The principal will personally escort them?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that, as Kyle standing next to me also spoke with suspicious eyes. ¡°Principal, isn¡¯t the arrest of rebels under Imperial Army jurisdiction?¡± ¡°Ah, ah, Cadet Kyle Raikard? That, that is¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, those accompanying aren¡¯t Imperial Military Police but Magic Corps mages¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± At Kyle¡¯s words beside me, the principal¡¯s coughing grew more intense. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This, this is such a special case that I must handle it personally! We also need to discuss Cadet Eugene¡¯s rewards, so¡­¡± ¡°Then have Cadet Eugene accompany the prisoner transport. As the one who directly arrested the criminals, his testimony would be needed, wouldn¡¯t it¡­¡± ¡°That, that cannot be done!¡± Hmm. Seeing such a strong rejection, it¡¯s pretty much confirmed he¡¯s planning something shady. Thinking that, I watched Claude and the Revolutionary Army members being led away by the Magic Corps. ¡®Something¡¯s strange.¡¯ The Revolutionary Army is an organization where talent is scarce. When they send valuable resources like Magic Awakening users to the battlefield, it means they always have senior members accompanying them. With major executives like Maximilien and Vark all dead, there was only one senior figure remaining. ¡®Randall Dean Clark.¡¯ Maximilien¡¯s staff officer and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s brain. After making Claude a puppet leader, he would be effectively controlling the Revolutionary Army¡­ The vanguard of Westraine. ¡®Even with Claude captured, that guy didn¡¯t show himself. Why would he, who should stick close to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leader¡­¡¯ An ominous premonition invaded my mind. Several hypotheses emerged, but one thing I could be certain of: Claude, now bound in those shackles, was a poisoned chalice. ¡°Please explain clearly, Principal! Why the Revolutionary Army¡­!¡± ¡°I will follow the Principal¡¯s decision.¡± At my words cutting off Kyle, color returned to the principal¡¯s face. ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the head of the military academy? You must have insights that we cannot think of.¡± ¡°H-hahaha! Yes! That¡¯s right!¡± The visibly delighted principal hurriedly ran off leading the Magic Corps and disappeared. As I quietly watched that scene, Kyle, who had been arguing with the principal, said to me: ¡°Why are you just letting them go? You heard the principal¡¯s nonsense! Something¡¯s suspicious¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of my business, the report went up to the higher-ups, so whether it¡¯s reward money or a commendation, something will come out.¡± I looked at Kyle who was angry on my behalf. From my perspective, this guy¡¯s actions were the most unexpected. Even if I chalk up him ignoring evacuation orders and joining the battle to youthful competitiveness, I really don¡¯t understand him defending me. ¡°By the way, why are you suddenly acting friendly? Didn¡¯t you hate me?¡± ¡°Huh? Hate you? What are you talking about?¡± However, when I asked that, Kyle rather spoke as if puzzled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we the closest of friends, fiercely competing for the top spot!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Hearing those words, I decided to add this guy to my list of known psychopaths. What¡¯s wrong with this bastard? Picking fights with me every day, and now suddenly friends? What nonsense is this? *** ¡°Kuh, kugh¡­¡± On the night of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s attack. The mages escorting Claude, the leader of the intruders, collapsed one by one. Black smoke lingering on the wounds in their slashed throats. The mages¡¯ corpses covered in that smoke soon disappeared, turning into black ashes. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on¡­¡± Principal Mildren, who was trying to escape the capital with Claude, backed away in fear. A black shadow slowly walking toward him. Seeing the black imprint engraved on the briefly exposed arm, the principal¡¯s face was dyed with despair. ¡°This, seven strokes¡­¡± A seven-stroke magic imprint extending to the elbow. The shadow attacking them was a mage of the same caliber as the head of a magic noble house. Slash-! When the man swung his arm, Mildren¡¯s head flew into the air. What a vulgar fellow. Muttering that, the shadow slowly approached the transport vehicle and crushed the thick iron door. Crunch-! When the door opened, Claude, bound in chains, spoke in a weak voice. ¡°Randall¡­ Brother¡­¡± Traces of torture all over his body. Meeting his comrade, Claude gritted his teeth. ¡°It was the Elcidore knights. Those bastards, they tried to take me¡­ Said they¡¯d use me as a stud to continue the family line¡­¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Saying that, Randall broke the chains and helped Claude up. ¡°Brother. The other comrades¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too late. Saving you was the best we could do.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Claude¡¯s eyes shook greatly. To lose so miserably those who had been with him since joining the Revolutionary Army. Randall comforted such a Claude and said: ¡°By causing a disturbance at the military academy, their demands were satisfied. The Revolutionary Army will receive support again.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll definitely save our comrades later. The hero of the revolution cannot stop for something like this.¡± Hero of the revolution. The title his master Maximilien left to him. Hearing those words, Claude clenched his fists and nodded. Seeing that appearance, Randall smiled slightly. ¡®How convenient to handle. Unlike with Maximilien.¡¯ With this, there were no Revolutionary Army members left to oppose his actions. All that remained were members who agreed with him and ¡®new¡¯ members supported by Westraine. Having secured Maximilien¡¯s successor and gained legitimacy, future matters would become much easier. ¡®By the way, I didn¡¯t know the Empire had such talent.¡¯ Randall, who had watched the battle at the military academy, became interested in the cadet who defeated Claude. ¡®Eugene Lorentz.¡¯ The red magic imprint similar to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s, and that overwhelming power. Recalling that battle, Randall decided to investigate more about the boy called Eugene. Just as with Claude, if persuaded well, he could become an excellent chess piece. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 44 #044. ¡°Mourning the death of Colonel Mildren, who died in action during the transport operation of the vicious rebels and left behind brilliant achievements in training the Imperial Magic Corps and Imperial Army, the Magic Corps and Imperial Army will not yield to the rebels¡¯ malicious attacks¡­¡­¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Blah blah blah and so on. After the tedious speech that rivaled a principal¡¯s lecture ended, the second-year cadet representative standing in front of the podium lowered the flag. ¡°Fire-!¡± Bang-! Boom boom-! I saluted in time with the ceremonial gunfire shot by the senior cadets. Rest in peace, action beam style. I had a bad feeling when he said he would personally take Claude, but I never expected him to be murdered so quickly. ¡®As expected, were they monitoring from the beginning?¡¯ They said the principal¡¯s body was discovered about a week after Claude¡¯s arrest. The body was found in the forest area outside the capital, and all the bodies except for the principal¡¯s had disappeared. In the end, this major incident of the military academy principal¡¯s murder remained shrouded in mystery with only circumstantial evidence pointing to the Revolutionary Army¡­ But that¡¯s just what the police who don¡¯t know the Revolutionary Army¡¯s organizational structure would say. ¡®It¡¯s obvious who did it.¡¯ They killed all the mages escorting Claude and the principal himself, who possessed a four stroke magic imprint, and concealed the bodies. In the process, to send a message to the Empire, they even mutilated the principal¡¯s body and left it hanging in a visible location. Considering the weakened state of the Revolutionary Army after the failed emperor assassination and two years of subjugation operations, only one person could have done this in this situation. ¡®Randall Dean Clark.¡¯ And through the fact that he rescued Claude, I could deduce what situation the Revolutionary Army was in now. The title of ¡®Maximilien¡¯s successor¡¯ that was given to the protagonist in the original work. That title has been given to Claude. ¡®And from the moment that was confirmed, Randall would have stuck by Claude¡¯s side as a protector. Just like he did with the protagonist in the original.¡¯ In Revolution Empire Part 1, Randall was quite a popular character among users. A cool supporting character who would appear in moments of crisis or near-death situations with his signature line ¡°Am I too late?¡± With his handsome face, shadow manipulation ability, and position as an aide almost equal to Maximilien, it was natural for him to be popular. However, at the moment of completing the final chapter of Part 2, ¡®Battle for the Imperial Capital¡¯, he changes completely. He strikes Eugene from behind and destroys his magic circuit, turning him into a cripple. ¡®If I had tried to kill Claude there, Randall would have burst in.¡¯ A mage with seven stroke magic imprint and nearly unique shadow attribute. An opponent I couldn¡¯t win against right now. As evidence, Principal Mildren, who was almost equal to me in magical ability, was killed. ¡®I won¡¯t ask you to understand our decision, Eugene. However, this is absolutely necessary.¡¯ I recalled the final cinematic scene of [Revolution Empire 2]. Looking down at the imprisoned protagonist, that¡¯s what he had said. A businessman who supported the Revolutionary Army, a negotiator who drew support from various sectors of the Empire. After betraying the protagonist and changing masks, Randall becomes the true power behind the newly created revolutionary government. To annex the massive nation of Kalhyram Empire into Westraine. ¡®But this time is different.¡¯ Maximilien died faster than he thought, and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s plans failed more miserably than he expected. He might be able to take control of the revolution through Claude, Maximilien¡¯s successor¡­ But to change the crumbling Revolutionary Army his way, he¡¯ll need to put in quite a lot of effort. For the next few years, the Revolutionary Army won¡¯t be able to move carelessly. And during those few years, I will grow into a being they cannot touch. Yes. For that¡­ For that¡­¡­! ¡°I need to do something about these math grades first.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± In the bustling student cafeteria. When I handed over the test paper from before the final evaluation, Senior Feilun who saw it smirked. ¡°Though you¡¯ll definitely be in the top ranks since all your practical evaluations are perfect¡­ With math grades like this, being first in the year is impossible.¡± At the senior¡¯s words that struck like a bolt from the blue, I dropped my head weaklessly. ¡®I managed the first semester tests because of advance studying, but I guess the next ones were too much after all¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, this was bound to happen eventually. After all, wasn¡¯t I someone who got into military academy through cramming for the entrance exam, and moreover, through Mrs. Maybelle¡¯s divine entrance consulting? When such a person suddenly has to study alone, my worthless brain that got 466 in Korean, English, and Math started holding me back. In other words, I¡¯m following the same path as those kids who got into university riding on academy scores and then crash and burn in their major exams. ¡®Stop! I am the glorious Kalhyram Military Academy! Reveal your grades!¡¯ ¡®466.¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t enter this school with such a rock head!¡¯ ¡®Yeah well, I got in.¡¯ Ah, I miss you, Mrs. Maybelle. It was rather easier back then when I could study while completely trusting in you. ¡®Should I steal the exam questions? No, there¡¯s no guarantee of success and the risk if I fail is too high. Then¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°By the way, things seem quite urgent at the frontlines.¡± Regardless of my rough thoughts and uneasy feelings, Senior Feilun, who was reading the newspaper, took a big bite of his sandwich. ¡°The frontlines?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an article about Westraine¡¯s large-scale ground forces gathering in the western plains region. There¡¯s also news about armored train tracks being laid near the border. Anyone can see this is¡­¡­¡± ¡°A sign of war.¡± At my response, Senior Feilun nodded heavily. The decades-long precarious ceasefire between the Empire and Westraine was about to end. ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°From next semester, I¡¯ll be heading to the frontlines instead of school. It would be stranger not to be worried.¡± Saying that, Feilun grinned and popped the rest of his sandwich into his mouth. Learning combat theory at the Imperial Military Academy in the capital was only until second year. Third-year cadets are assigned their specialties and receive officer training in their deployed units, most of which were in dangerous zones adjacent to monster-infested areas. ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re going to the frontlines?¡± But that wasn¡¯t the part I found surprising. Regardless of time period or setting, no parent wants their child deployed to the front lines. This was even more true for nobles. As seen in the eternal truth that if you can avoid military service, you should, most noble children typically used all their connections to get assigned to the rear. But the second son of none other than the Nachtval duchy going to the frontlines? The very front lines? My puzzlement didn¡¯t last long before I let out a small laugh and said to Senior Feilun. ¡°Senior, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to enter the succession competition?¡± At those words, Senior Feilun¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°As expected, our junior is quick-witted.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Now I was starting to understand why this person who was sick of noble privileges appeared as the magic noble faction boss. There were two cases where a magic noble family¡¯s child would be sent to the frontlines. Either their standing in the family was so low they couldn¡¯t even get assigned to the rear, or they were aiming for the successor position by achieving military merits. In Senior Feilun¡¯s case, it was the latter, which is why he was headed to the frontlines. ¡°This is unexpected. Given your usual remarks, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to get into the mud pit of succession competition.¡± ¡°Originally, I didn¡¯t. But watching this school changed my thinking.¡± Saying that, Senior Feilun looked out at the bustling student cafeteria. Nobles with nobles, non-nobles with non-nobles. This cafeteria, divided by mutual contempt and hatred, was no different from a miniature exhibition showing the current state of the Empire. ¡°Eugene.¡± Feilun called out to me and immediately asked. ¡°When war breaks out with Westraine, what decision do you think the Magic Corps will make?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t move.¡± I answered right away. ¡°They¡¯ll use monster subjugation in the eastern wasteland and various regions as an excuse to avoid providing troops however they can.¡± ¡°And the real intention?¡± ¡°To reduce the Imperial Family¡¯s political standing by wearing down the Imperial Army through war.¡± Hearing my answer, Senior Feilun nodded with a sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous? The entire country is about to be engulfed in war, yet instead of cooperating, they only wish for each other¡¯s downfall.¡± ¡°I guess they consider each other more threatening enemies than Westraine.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why the Empire is in this sorry state.¡± It was quite surprising to hear such words from the legitimate heir of the magic nobles who had privatized the Magic Corps, but he wasn¡¯t wrong. Even if they crushed the Revolutionary Army¡¯s momentum and pushed through reforms, this crumbling Empire showed no signs of wanting to change easily. What kind of country was this game¡¯s Empire? It was a hopeless country where the Emperor with future-seeing abilities locked himself in his room saying ¡°I won¡¯t do it, you bastards.¡± The country would immediately change just because the Emperor awakened and Keiren rose to a high position? If that were the case, my journey would have ended when I became Keiren¡¯s adopted son. Why would I enter military academy at the tender age of 12 and go through all this hardship, when I could have just taken a few buildings in the capital with the money from Lupeon¡¯s imprint and lived an easy life? ¡°Politics divided between the noble faction and imperial faction.¡± ¡°Nobles monopolizing mages through the Knight Order and Magic Corps, and the Imperial Army that has no choice but to depend on them.¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army shaking up such an Empire, and Westraine trying to swallow the Empire whole.¡± Senior Feilun and I took turns pointing out the Empire¡¯s problems one by one. And naturally, we could arrive at the same answer. The Empire was still a hellish country, and there were far too many enemies threatening it. So to survive. To avoid being used as a tool and discarded like the original protagonist¡­ ¡°We need to change the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And I think you share the same thoughts as me.¡± Hearing Feilun¡¯s words, my eyes lit up. Someone with the insight to accurately diagnose the Empire¡¯s current situation and the will to change it. Who would have thought the boss monster you meet in the early stages would have such aspirations? ¡®In the original work, he died in the early episodes, so he couldn¡¯t fulfill these intentions, huh.¡¯ It felt ironically fresh. That it was the Revolutionary Army, who tried to change the Empire, that crushed someone talented who wanted to change the Empire. But unlike then, the current me and Feilun were quite compatible as senior and junior. ¡®If Feilun becomes the family successor instead of ¡®that bastard¡¯ who is Nachtval¡¯s heir¡­¡¯ Could I potentially bring the magic nobles¡¯ second seat to my side? While I was thinking this, Senior Feilun held out his hand just like when we first met. No need to hesitate anymore. I immediately grabbed his hand. ¡°If we meet again at the frontlines or elsewhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to help you. How could I refuse a request from my esteemed senior?¡± Adding an evolved form of flattery, a smile spread across Senior Feilun¡¯s face. The next candidate for Duke Nachtval. He was my first collaborator gained at the military academy. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 45 #045. Quite some time had passed since entering the military academy. The first semester ended with the unprecedented event of the principal¡¯s death, and now it was time for the second semester¡¯s final evaluation results to come out. ¡°Kheuk¡­! Kheukheu¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± After a year of desperate effort, my grades somehow made it to the top of the class. However, seeing Kyle¡¯s smirking face beside me made my mood twist on its own. ¡°Did you see that, Eugene! We¡¯re tied for first! I even beat you in math!¡± ¡°Gyaaaaaak¨C!¡± I did make it to the top. It was possible because I took first place in all the practical tests that had high reflection rates. But I couldn¡¯t even feel relieved about it, as I was tied for first with that unlucky young noble. Moreover, while that bastard maintained his grades, mine had dropped, resulting in the tie! That damn math subject had tripped me up until the end, and I ended up getting caught up like this. No, more than that, was I this competitive? Even though being tied for first is still being first, why am I so frustrated? ¡°What? Kyle and Eugene are tied? Does this mean Kyle will overtake him starting from second year?¡± ¡°Kuhahaha! Eugene, you must be sweating now?¡± ¡°Is this the end of Eugene, the hope of non-nobles?¡± ¡°Hehe, Young Master Kyle! I always believed you would beat that arrogant bastard!¡± ¡°What did you say about that noble bastard?!¡± ¡°Want to fight again, you lowborns?!¡± Kyle and I are tied for first, but why are you guys fighting, you crazy bastards? Thinking that, I looked at the children bustling around me. One follower clinging to Kyle, and three non-noble students growling at that follower. Including Kyle, these five were the friends I had made over the past year. ¡°Just wait, Eugene Lorentz! Someday our Lord Kyle will blow your head off!¡± ¡°Julian? I didn¡¯t say anything like that¡­¡± ¡°Who said such nonsense!¡± No, cancel what I just said. I don¡¯t have five friends, I have four. Leave out that schizophrenic bastard Julian. ¡®Still, compared to when I first entered, this is huge progress.¡¯ Guille, Ortega, Matt. These three, who came running right after the principal¡¯s funeral, had asked me for a duel out of nowhere. ¡®F-fight with me!¡¯ ¡®Me too!¡¯ ¡®Please let me too.¡¯ They said I might be better than the instructors since I hadn¡¯t lost even while fighting those Revolutionary Army members. ¡®It should be fine. They¡¯re the same age anyway.¡¯ What started as casually accepting their duels had led to now, and I had reached a conclusion. Their determination to keep coming back despite being half-killed every time we dueled, and their steep magical power growth. These three had qualities that put them among the top tier of the first years. Who would have thought that stopping the Revolutionary Army¡¯s invasion would become an opportunity to meet such talented individuals? I could only thank Claude for invading the school at such an opportune time. While I was watching the three¡¯s squabble with Julian. Beep-! ¡°All first years assemble at the training ground!¡± ¡°Departure ceremony rehearsal! Get in your uniforms and line up within 10 minutes!¡± Hearing the instructors¡¯ shouts, the expressions of the four who had been growling at each other just moments ago uniformly soured. Would we get a vacation like regular universities after the final evaluations? Of course not. This is the Imperial Military Academy, proud of its history and tradition. What awaited us freshmen, who would soon advance to second year, was preparation for the departure ceremony for our seniors heading to the frontlines. *** ¡°Salute!¡± Snap! Formation, formation, formation. Marching, marching, marching. After doing this every day for a month, some people were starting to match angles even with their eyes closed. I was one of those people. However, it was no easy task to have so many students move as one. There were bound to be people who couldn¡¯t match the movements. ¡°Everyone- bow heads!¡± ¡°L-Loy¡­¡­¡± Ah, fuck. As numerous curses could be heard from here and there, the instructor¡¯s angry shout heated up the training ground. ¡°Everyone down-!¡± Just when I thought today might be easier, it ended up like this. Lying face down on the ground, I looked at the unfortunate student who had suddenly become a traitor. ¡°Uu, uuu¡­¡­¡± A body too thin to be a military academy cadet, large glasses, and that characteristic unconfident face. While I was carefully observing that appearance, Kyle, who was lying next to me, quietly spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering who that is, he¡¯s a second year who failed this semester.¡± ¡°Failed?¡± When I asked back, Kyle nodded. ¡°I heard there was one student who failed among the second years. He passed the written tests but failed all practical evaluations.¡± After hearing Kyle¡¯s words, I looked at the boy¡¯s face that had turned red with shame. Failed due to lack of physical strength, and now in a position where he had to participate in the welcoming ceremony for his peers. On top of that, he had messed up the drill and was being cursed at by his juniors, so he couldn¡¯t even lift his head. ¡°Do you know his name too?¡± ¡°Erich Eismann. He¡¯s from a regular noble family, not a magic noble one.¡± When I asked, Kyle immediately spat out the boy¡¯s name. ¡°He was born with magical power aptitude in a non-awakened family, and probably entered the military academy for his family¡¯s success/revival. However, with his low magical power and no way for a regular noble to obtain an imprint¡­ He became a burden worse than nothing.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡± What the? Why does he know so much? When I looked at him with a questioning gaze, Kyle smiled and added an explanation. ¡°Eugene. I am, after all, the heir to the Raikard family. I¡¯ve already investigated all the seniors and juniors I¡¯ll be sharing meals with.¡± ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± What correlation could there possibly be between sharing meals and investigating seniors? Though I always try to maintain a learning attitude, I just can¡¯t follow nobles¡¯ gloomy way of thinking. ¡°By the way, why are you suddenly curious about his name? Do you know him?¡± ¡°¡­Something like that.¡± I watched the boy rolling on the ground in the instructor¡¯s grip. Erich Eismann. I almost didn¡¯t recognize him from afar, but I never expected to meet him here. ¡®After the boss monster, now it¡¯s an old comrade.¡¯ Erich Eismann. He was one of the companions who had been with the protagonist from the beginning, along with Claude and Randall. Most of the plans to overthrow the Empire came from that man¡¯s mind. Moreover, unlike others who betrayed the protagonist at the end, this guy¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll hold them here. Hurry and go!¡¯ S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®You and the Revolutionary Army were the only ones who recognized my talent. If I can die for such people¡­ It would be an honor for me.¡¯ ¡®Thank you for everything, Eugene.¡¯ ¡®For the revolution.¡¯ He sacrificed himself in place of the protagonist who had fallen into crisis. Because he was one of the few ¡®true¡¯ companions. *** Pak-! Some students who were burning with anger dragged someone behind the dormitory building. When the student in the middle swung his fist, Erich¡¯s body hit the wall. ¡°You stupid bastard, do you know how much we suffered because of you?!¡± ¡°S-sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t cut it!¡± Pak! Paak! Pak! The freshmen who tripped Erich immediately started lynching him. Kicking, stomping, crushing. It was excessive violence for simply messing up the drill. ¡®They must be venting their frustrations from what they suffered from the seniors.¡¯ The ones who brought Erich to the back alley were non-noble students. Those who had to be playthings for noble seniors since entering as freshmen. In front of them, a noble-born repeater, who even messed up the drill? There was no way these freshmen, filled with resentment, would miss this opportunity. ¡®What should I do.¡¯ Erich, who appeared in [Revolution Empire], wasn¡¯t suitable as a combat companion. His true value showed in his skill, [Combat Support]. After adding Erich to the party and leveling him up, it was a skill that exponentially increased the number of Revolutionary Army members participating in chapter progression. ¡®According to the setting, Erich¡¯s role was supply and strategy planning for the Revolutionary Army. Most of the plans to overthrow the Empire came from that man¡¯s mind.¡¯ In reality rather than a game, that ability would prove even more valuable. That¡¯s why I fell into contemplation. Should I recruit him? Or leave him be? No. If I leave him and he joins the Revolutionary Army, who knows what kind of threat he could become. ¡®Perhaps I should eliminate him before he joins the Revolutionary Army and becomes a future problem¡­¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey.¡± While I was still contemplating, my voice came out automatically. When I came to my senses, I was already between the students, protecting Erich. ¡°Uh, uuh?¡± ¡°What? Which bastard¡­ Heuk?!¡± The growling at having their venting interrupted didn¡¯t last long. When they saw my face, they jumped back in surprise. ¡°E-Eugene¡­¡­¡± ¡°What the? Why is that bastard suddenly¡­!¡± Except for my four friends and one patient, this was how most of my peers looked at me. Like an unapproachable beast. Casually passing over their gazes filled with fear and bewilderment, I approached the leader of this assault and put my arm around his shoulder. ¡°I have something special to discuss with this senior. Would you mind giving us some space?¡± ¡°S-something to discuss¡­¡­¡± The leader I had grabbed looked around with a pale face. The students who had been beating Erich with him had already fled. He could do nothing but nod. ¡°Stand up, senior. Check carefully if anything¡¯s broken.¡± After confirming the freshmen had disappeared, I extended my hand to Erich. Looking at it with bewildered eyes, Erich grabbed my hand with trembling fingers. ¡°Th-thank you for saving me. I survived thanks to you. But¡­ y-you¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Eugene Lorentz.¡± After saying that, I pulled up Erich who was still sitting on the ground. ¡°Please take care of me, senior.¡± Go Monster Ball. You¡¯re mine now. *** Thump- Thump- Footsteps echoed through the dark underground prison. An Imperial army officer wearing a uniform and carrying a pistol. Walking at a leisurely pace, he stopped in front of the special detention cell located in the deepest part of the prison. Click- Click- With the sound of metal, the lock opened, revealing the interior of the prison filled with stench and stale air. A man wearing restraints, with the tendons in his arms and legs cut. ¡°Vark.¡± When the Imperial army officer called the name, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s second-in-command, Vark Urgon, slowly raised his head. A hideous face covered in beard and filth. While sensing the fierce killing intent in those eyes, the officer slowly approached him. ¡°Your execution date has been set. This coming June. They say it will be held in the presence of all high-ranking officials from the Imperial Army and Magic Corps.¡± Hearing those words, Vark frowned. Honorifics? That could happen. It was just how those annoying nobles typically spoke. But to inform a prisoner, especially a Level 1 prisoner like himself, about the execution schedule? While thinking this, the Imperial army officer approaching Vark slowly revealed his face. ¡°Randall? How¡­¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± Vark¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the officer¡¯s face. Revolutionary Army staff officer, Randall Dean Clark. He had come to find him. ¡°Claude did us a great service. Thanks to the chaos, I was able to create a false identity.¡± Saying that, Randall shook the military dog tags around his neck. An Imperial army officer who died during the military academy raid. Randall had hidden the corpse and infiltrated the Imperial army through disguise. After this brief explanation, Randall immediately reached for Vark¡¯s body. ¡°Keu, keuu¡­¡­¡± Crunch- Crunch- Along with the creepy sensation of bones twisting, his severed tendons were restored. But how? He had heard that even Level 1 healers couldn¡¯t treat injuries this severe¡­! While he was thinking this, Randall took out a small pellet from his pocket and handed it to Vark. ¡°It¡¯s a magic bullet minimized as much as possible. When you get the signal, detonate this. It will temporarily restore your lost magical power.¡± Nod. Looking at Vark who silently nodded, Randall left the prison with a satisfied expression. The upcoming execution. If it was the execution of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s second-in-command, Keiren, who was at the frontlines, would surely attend. If they could use that revolutionary well, they might be able to inflict irreparable damage to the Empire. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 46 #046. ¡°So, are you ready Eugene?¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± With tense voices, Kyle and I simultaneously looked at a single point. What the two of us focused our attention on was a single piece of paper in each of our hands. It was the comprehensive grade report for the second-year midterm evaluation. ¡°One¡­ Two¡­ Three!¡± Swish-! With Kyle¡¯s countdown, I opened the tightly sealed grade report and- ¡°Ah, aah¡­! Aaah¡­!¡± ¡°Kyaaah-!¡± I cheered while looking at the contents written on the grade report. [Eugene Lorentz] [Class Rank: 1/472] Perfect scores in all theory evaluation subjects! Solo first place! This blockhead who had scored 466 on the college entrance exam finally achieved first place with my own strength. I had broken through the massive wall that was mathematics! ¡°Eugene!¡± While I was marveling at these amazing grades, the main contributor to my grades was running over from a distance. Erich Eismann. I just studied according to the plan he taught me, but I really got perfect scores in all subjects. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that he was called the brain of the Revolutionary Army. I thought he was a Pok¨¦mon but he turned out to be Doraemon! ¡°Finally did it! Passed the physical fitness test!¡± Of course, he hadn¡¯t taught me without getting anything in return. Looking at Erich¡¯s grade report showing C grades in basic fitness and sparring subjects, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just working! I¡¯ve never felt this energetic in my life!¡± Erich¡¯s body speaking those words had changed a bit from when we first met. Though his small frame remained the same, the fat was gone and muscles had formed here and there. It was the result of pushing him like a hoop over the past few months. ¡°Thanks Erich! My grades went up because of you!¡± ¡°To think they¡¯d go up by 20 ranks, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Yeah! I didn¡¯t fail!¡± As the trio who hung out together started clinging to him, a sheepish smile spread across Erich¡¯s face. Not just helping me but tutoring other kids as well, a ray of light had entered Erich¡¯s school life. An environment where he received sincere advice and encouragement instead of the contempt and disdain from his peers. Thanks to that, Erich¡¯s expression was the brightest I¡¯d ever seen it. To the point where I couldn¡¯t even remember that gloomy face from when we first met. ¡®I¡¯ve gathered all the talent I could.¡¯ After somehow getting through that damn inauguration ceremony, I had already become a second year. Of course, nothing particularly changed just because I moved up a grade. Theory classes, physical training, sparring, and magical power training. If anything was different from first year, it was that sleep time was reduced by two hours from the existing schedule. And one more thing¡­ conflicts between noble and non-noble students had significantly decreased. ¡°Why, you ask? Isn¡¯t it because of us?¡± ¡°Us?¡± The one who explained the reason was Kyle, who was watching the freshman initiation from a distance. ¡°You and I were co-valedictorians in first year. Among us, especially me, Kyle Raikard, heir to the Raikard Count family, personally associating with non-noble students. While the two highest-ranking nobles are doing this, no idiot would dare mess with non-noble students.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Personally associating, he says. It was a truly noble-like self-centered and arrogant statement, but I roughly understood what he meant. ¡®Since there¡¯s a powerful third force mixing nobles and non-nobles, the existing noble and non-noble factions are being cautious with each other.¡¯ I looked at Kyle while thinking that. Looking at how he read this subtle confrontational structure before me, Kyle was no ordinary noble. Though I don¡¯t know why he suddenly started bragging while explaining why second years don¡¯t mess with freshmen. And don¡¯t subtly elevate yourself to co-valedictorian. You¡¯re second place this year, you know? ¡®How interesting. Just picking up useful talent regardless of status caused such a butterfly effect.¡¯ While I was thinking that, I shook my head seeing two groups growling at each other behind the dormitory. ¡°Of course, fundamentally nothing has changed.¡± Though they weren¡¯t fighting openly, the animosity between both sides hadn¡¯t decreased at all. Once I and my friends who ended up becoming a restraining force disappeared, they would soon start fighting each other again. ¡®At least no one turned to the Revolutionary Army like our senior class, so I guess that¡¯s fortunate.¡¯ I had no intention of taking any particular action here. Even if I stepped in things wouldn¡¯t change, and I didn¡¯t particularly want to change them anyway. My job was to gather useful people from these cracks and quietly slip away. Class conflict and student power dynamics weren¡¯t my business. ¡°Eugene. Look over there.¡± Meanwhile, Guille who was looking toward the school gate pointed somewhere. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the instructors?¡± ¡°They¡¯re taking all their military gear, doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°Skipping again? We already have five cancelled classes.¡± After the midterm evaluations ended, the school atmosphere became very unsettled. The Magic Corps mages serving as instructors kept leaving, and the security forces were reduced compared to before. Moreover, unlike previous years, the break given after midterms was extended to about a week. Originally it was just one weekend outing. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that the instructors who couldn¡¯t stand seeing us rest are all rushing out like that?¡± ¡°Something must be happening in the capital. Something important enough to need all the military academy instructors.¡± Listening to Matt and Guille¡¯s conversation, I thought. Something important enough to pull out all the mages remaining in the capital. If there was such an important matter in the Empire right now, there could only be one thing. ¡®Are they executing the Revolutionary Army members captured during the last incident?¡¯ The Emperor assassination attempt at Lupeon¡¯s funeral ceremony. The history that should have happened was distorted, and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s operation failed. They couldn¡¯t easily kill rebels who committed the unprecedented act of attacking the Emperor. Therefore, the Imperial Family was planning to execute the imprisoned Revolutionary Army members as an example of treason and as bait to lure out the remaining Revolutionary Army. ¡®However, exactly what kind of incident could occur remains unknown.¡¯ The game history I knew was distorted at the point when I killed Maximilien and Lupeon. With even the Emperor surviving who was supposed to signal the start of the main story, what events would unfold from now on was truly unknown. What kind of butterfly effect would the numerous turning points I created return as¡­ I couldn¡¯t predict no matter how much I tried. ¡°Eugene!¡± As I entered the dormitory room lost in thought, Irene who was waiting for me held out a letter. ¡°It¡¯s from Lord Keiren!¡± ¡°Keiren?¡± Asking that, I received the letter Irene handed over. A letter written with the name of an Imperial Army Lieutenant General and sealed with the Buckenheim seal. There probably weren¡¯t any bold instructors who would inspect such a letter. I immediately broke the seal and checked the contents. [There will be an important event in the Imperial Capital. Keep your schedule open during the break period.] An important event in the Imperial Capital. What I had only been guessing became reality. *** ¡°Woooow¡­¡± Irene looking up at the sky couldn¡¯t close her open mouth. Bugs will get in like that. No, what if you eat them after they get in! Spit it out, spit it out! Shoo shoo! ¡°Good grief¡­ I can¡¯t tell who¡¯s serving who here.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a maid in name. In reality we¡¯re practically family.¡± The one clicking his tongue watching me like that was Kyle who followed me here. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He repeatedly massaged his stiff neck, seemingly unable to shake off the tension. A sharp appearance wearing a cloak, military cap, and even a ceremonial sword. The two people wearing formal uniforms for ceremonial events passed through the crowded main street and reached the massive Imperial Palace entrance. ¡°Pass confirmed. Young masters of the Buckenheim and Raikard families.¡± ¡°The venue is that way. If you¡¯d like, I can call guards¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s fine.¡± After passing through the guards full of fawning attitudes, we got on the elevator. Kuguuuu¡­! The elevator slowly ascending with heavy engine sounds. When we reached the upper level where the venue was located, the magnificent view of the Imperial Capital entered our eyes at once. ¡°Well, seeing this view, even I would be slack-jawed.¡± It was just as Kyle said. The lower level of the Imperial Capital bustling with people. At the station installed above it, hundreds of airships were densely docked. And following that airship fleet were numerous small balloons, and armored trains ascending via elevators. It was an overwhelming sight as if all technological products created by the Empire were gathered in one place. ¡°Eugene. Over there!¡± Kyle who was poking my side pointed to one spot. A man in luxurious robes was walking with a solemn gaze. ¡°Magic Noble 10th Seat, Count Drexler. And behind him¡­¡± ¡°The Blue Lance Knight Order. I know without you telling me.¡± That wasn¡¯t all. Rank 8, Count Dvorak¡¯s symphony orchestra. Rank 12, Margrave Gloucester and his followers. Duke Buckenheim visible in the distance, his heir Carlos, and the many nobles following them. Most of the Magic Nobles scattered throughout the Empire were gathered in one place. ¡°I¡¯m going Eugene! See you later!¡± While passing by so many nobles, Kyle who found his family waved and disappeared into the crowd. I wonder why he¡¯s so nervous. He¡¯s not even an adopted son like me, he¡¯s just meeting his own family members. ¡°Eugene.¡± While thinking that, Keiren wearing an Imperial Army uniform grabbed my shoulder. Military uniform rather than ceremonial dress with a shabby trench coat. Seeing that appearance, it seemed he hadn¡¯t arrived long ago from the frontlines. ¡°You said it was an important occasion, aren¡¯t you wearing ceremonial dress?¡± ¡°Ceremonial dress? You mean that armor covered in medals? I¡¯d rather bring the plate mail decorating my room.¡± After substituting greetings with brief jokes, Keiren and I exchanged recent news for a while. I¡¯m maintaining first place to live up to expectations. Forget grades, visit home when you get a break. Don¡¯t you feel bad for Mari being alone? Has the Major General returned? No. I¡¯ll probably be killed by Mari too when I go home. While such trivial personal matters continued, Keiren looked at me with subdued eyes and said: ¡°It¡¯s more like a theater than an execution site. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s completely different from the funeral.¡± Hundreds of airships filling the sky, and anti-aircraft guns of armored trains surrounding the Imperial Palace. The luxurious venue that seemed to be overflowing with money, and the mages filling that venue. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s execution site was on an incomparable scale to when the Emperor attended. As if trying to emphasize the difference between Magic Nobles and the Imperial Family. ¡°Watch carefully, Eugene.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is the enemy we must face from now on.¡± Beeeep-! Shortly after Keiren said that. When a trumpet sound came from the center of the venue, the Magic Nobles who had been in the midst of conversations took their seats. A moment of silence. In that silence, people with shackles on their limbs were dragged one by one onto the platform. The rebels who attempted to assassinate the Emperor. And prisoners captured through the ¡®rebel suppression operation¡¯ carried out over the past 2 years. ¡°Vark.¡± Looking at the man standing in the middle, I muttered his name. Vark Urgon. The man who was second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army was sitting on the ground in a haggard state. ¡°Eugene. Eugene.¡± While thinking if this meant the Revolutionary Army would completely disappear, Irene sitting next to me pulled on my shoulder. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Those people over there.¡± What Irene¡¯s hand pointed to were the prisoners receiving their sentences. Looking at them all hanging their heads, Irene tilted her head. ¡°Why do they have something similar to me?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Having something similar to Irene? The Revolutionary Army? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 47 #047. ¡®Well then, won¡¯t you join me in turning the empire upside down?!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s revolution! Breaking free from the rule of magic nobles and the imperial family!¡¯ ¡®Westraine? Ha! They¡¯re nothing but vermin in a parliament full of old nobles, thinking only of oppressing citizens! Cooperate with such people?! Absolutely not!¡¯ ¡®Remember this, Vark. Revolution must be achieved by our hands alone. Only a revolution won through our own blood can save this empire!¡¯ ¡®Now, now, look at this part in the book I wrote¡­¡­¡¯ His head was hazy. The auditory hallucinations of long-dead friends continued to disturb his mind. When had it become like this? Was it when his severed tendons regrew? Or was it when Randall visited him in prison? Feeling confused and unable to comprehend, Vark tried desperately to hold onto his blurry vision. ¡°Criminal, Vark Ur¡­! You have¡­ the Emperor¡¯s carriage¡­! And¡­ the funeral of the Empire¡¯s hero El¡­ Lord Lupeon Elcidore¡­!¡± The ringing in his ears made it impossible to properly distinguish even the voice right in front of him. In the midst of this, what he remembered was that today was the execution date for him and his comrades. And with Randall¡¯s signal, the rescue operation would begin. ¡°For these crimes, the Empire sentences you to death¡­!¡± Shut up. While trying to hold onto his consciousness with the thought of enduring just a little longer, that damned magistrate¡¯s voice kept pounding in his head. No, what made Vark angry wasn¡¯t just the judge¡¯s voice. Vark slightly raised his head and saw the numerous enemies watching him. The many nobles jeering, sneering, and mocking him. Seeing their faces made Vark recall events from the distant past he had forgotten. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­! Please, please just spare my life¡­!¡¯ ¡®Hahaha! Hey butler! Did you see?! That bastard values his life so much?!¡¯ His sister, used and discarded as a plaything by a lower noble. His father, beaten to death on the street for raising his voice against a noble. Himself, face in the dirt begging for his life from the noble who was the root of all these events, and that noble¡¯s sneering gaze. That look¡­! Crunch-! Yes. That was why he had created the Revolutionary Army with Maximilien. To become a mage in the Revolutionary Army and tear all the detestable nobles to pieces. For his father and sister who had died miserably as their entertainment! Hadn¡¯t he lived his entire life for just that purpose? Wasn¡¯t that the purpose and reason for existence of Vark Urgon, the second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army! Pheeeeew-! That was when a red flare shot up into the sky. The crowd gathered at the execution ground began to murmur, and black smoke started rising from outside. ¡°What¡­ Where¡­ Explosion¡­!¡± ¡°Airships are rising¡­! We need to evacuate the spectators¡­!¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡­!¡± People thrown into chaos. The sound of anti-aircraft guns ringing in his ears. And the airships slowly rising into the sky, with numerous comrades jumping down from them! ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ The rescue operation had begun. He would be able to join the Revolutionary Army again and kill more nobles. Crack-! He bit and crushed the magic bullet in his mouth. Magical power flowed into his broken magic circuit and darkened magic imprint, and vitality began to surge throughout his body. His comrades participating in the operation were defending the airship and waiting for him, so he needed to move quickly too. Having made his decision, Vark stood up and took a step¡­ Splat-! ¡­and had to reassess what was happening when he saw the grotesque mass of flesh that emerged instead of his foot. ¡°Huh?¡± No, it wasn¡¯t just his foot. Dozens of tentacles bursting through and sprouting from his arms. His stomach endlessly vomiting blood and filth, and teeth constantly sprouting there. Eyes. And other miscellaneous organs. Something had gone wrong. As he thought this, Vark¡¯s gaze fell on the center where his comrades were gathered. ¡°Br-Brother Randall. What¡­ What is that? Uncle Vark has¡­ become a mon-monster¡­!¡± Claude, who had turned pale looking at him. And Randall Dean Clark standing guard beside him. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I have no idea¡­! What on earth did they do to Vark¡­!¡± He was putting on an expression of genuine fear, as if he truly knew nothing. When there could only be one reason he could think of for why his body had become like this¡­! Crunch-! Crunch-! ¡°Ah, aah¡­! Aaagh¡­!¡± His original thoughts disappeared, and extreme hunger and rage filled his mind. The traces of the human called Vark Urgon were erased, and the consciousness of an unknown monster began to take over his twisted body. ¡®Vark Urgon. You stupid bastard, do you know what you¡¯ve just done?¡¯ The last thing Vark recalled was the words of the unfamiliar young man who had blocked his path. ¡®You just sold the entire Revolutionary Army organization to Westraine.¡¯ The sharp rebuke from a boy he had never met before. When Vark recalled this at the last moment, he was overcome with endless despair. By the time he understood all the cause and effect relationships, it was already far too late. ¡°Gwraaaaaaah¡ª!¡± The grotesquely distorted monster roared in the middle of the execution ground. In that twisted body, there was no longer any trace of the human called Vark Urgon. *** ¡°Kyaaaaaah?!¡± ¡°Mon-monster! It¡¯s a monster!¡± ¡°What the hell is going on?! A monster in the middle of the imperial capital¡­ Aaaagh?!¡± When the main culprit of the emperor assassination attempt who was about to be executed transformed into a monster in the blink of an eye, the execution ground full of people turned into a hellscape mixed with screams and shouts. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No, Vark wasn¡¯t the only one who had transformed into a monster. The Revolutionary Army members who had been on the execution ground with him. They, too, had mutated into monsters and began killing the nobles who had come to watch the execution indiscriminately. ¡°This is insane. What the hell is happening right now?!¡± As if unable to process everything happening at once, Keiren¡¯s face contorted. ¡°It reminds me of the assassination incident from two years ago.¡± ¡°That was better than this. At least back then we didn¡¯t have monsters appearing in the middle of the imperial capital!¡± Hmm. Given how he¡¯s talking, his mind seems intact. Clang-! While speaking, I immediately deployed a barrier to block a monster that was charging toward Keiren. ¡°Ugh!¡± The force was enough to shake a barrier created with a four-stroke magic imprint. Considering this was just a simple body slam, it was truly astounding. ¡®Obviously. In the original story, direct fights with monsters didn¡¯t happen until at least the mid-to-late chapters.¡¯ Overwhelming strength from their massive bodies, and durability that couldn¡¯t even be scratched by small arms like rifles. A core that emitted magical power rivaling that of a knight, and blood vessels filled with magical power instead of blood. This was mankind¡¯s greatest calamity that appeared along with the Great Rupture ¨C monsters. ¡®But the real reason monsters are dangerous isn¡¯t simply because they¡¯re strong.¡¯ Thinking this, I looked at the ground with a troubled expression. The imperial capital¡¯s ground, paved with quality soil, was being dyed black. ¡°Gu-gugh?!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ breathe¡­!¡± At the center of this bizarre transformation was Vark, who had mutated into a monster. The poison and pollutants spreading from him had begun to slowly eat away at the air and ground. ¡°At this rate, this place will become a massive gas chamber.¡± ¡°Then we need to subdue it somehow before that happens. If that monster manages to hide in the sewers, it could mean the end of the entire capital. Over there!¡± Keiren who called me pointed to a location. Standing where Keiren pointed were Magic Corps officers who were hesitating without taking any proper measures despite the appearance of monsters. ¡°What are you all doing?!¡± Keiren who ran over there shouted at one of the Magic Corps officers who still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation. ¡°In a situation where monsters have appeared, you¡¯re doing nothing! Who¡¯s the commander here?!¡± ¡°Lieutenant General Keiren?!¡± ¡°E-Even if you¡¯re a general, the imperial army has no authority to command the Magic Corps! This is the Magic Corps¡¯ operation zone, so please evacuate quickly¡­!¡± ¡°You stupid bastards-!¡± At the outburst of Keiren who was seasoned in battlefield life, the Magic Corps officers¡¯ backs straightened. ¡°You call yourselves officers, yet you¡¯re playing politics in this situation!? When monsters are killing people, what does jurisdiction matter!? Huh?!¡± ¡°We-we¡¯re sorry¡­!¡± ¡°If you have time to stand around dazed, quickly form ranks and evacuate the citizens. Got it?!¡± ¡°Y-Yes-!¡± Having established dominance, Keiren began giving various orders to the Magic Corps officers with all too familiar attitude. ¡°First platoon, establish defensive positions on the main route and evacuate citizens. Fifth, seventh, and twelfth platoons handle the rebels who jumped from the airships. If you coordinate with the guard, you can hold!¡± ¡°U-Understood¡­!¡± ¡°What about the Knight Order?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve just entered the scene.¡± As I said this, my gaze was directed toward the center of the contaminated venue. ¡°Pierce through.¡± Boom boom boom¨C! Spears of various colors pushed back a monster that was jumping between evacuating people. Guarding the evacuation route was magic noble tenth seat, Count Gior Drexler. Soon after, the Blue Lance Knight Order under his command was creating hundreds of magical power spears to bind the monsters. ¡°This is absurd. To turn people into monsters overnight, are the rebels capable of even this?¡± ¡°If they were, the empire would have become a monster field long ago. Looking at their reactions, this seems to be something even they didn¡¯t expect.¡± The old man who stepped forward while answering thus was magic noble second seat, Margrave Gloucester. Woong- ¡°Gloucester¡¯s magic. A rare sight indeed.¡± ¡°What can we do? We can¡¯t let the imperial capital become a monster field.¡± Wearing traditional attire different from the imperial style, he activated the magic imprint engraved on his hand to create circular thorny bushes. Crunch, crunch- The ¡®Empire¡¯s Pioneer¡¯ who was unmatched in the field of contamination purification. When it met the magically grown thorny bushes, the contamination eating away at the venue stopped moving. ¡°Is that Gloucester?¡± ¡°Perfect timing. Carlos!¡± ¡°Yes, head of the family.¡± As they confirmed the contamination was no longer spreading, other magic nobles who had been observing the situation began joining in one by one. Kuoooooo¨C! The beam shot by Duke Nachtval completely incinerated one of the monsters. Crack-! The hammer of Carlos, heir to Buckenheim, crushed a monster¡¯s massive body. With the magic nobles and their knights joining in, most of the monsters were being dealt with. However, Keiren was looking at them with troubled eyes. ¡°They sure showed up quickly. If they had joined just 5 minutes earlier, half of those corpses would still be alive.¡± Looking at the corpses scattered around the execution ground, Keiren ground his teeth. But unlike Keiren, my interest lay elsewhere. ¡®So I have to defeat things like that.¡¯ Watching the magic nobles¡¯ battle, I thought. The overwhelming magical power emitted by seven-stroke magic imprints, and their precise coordination without the slightest interference. The magic nobles were stronger than I thought, and more unified. Then could I, even after completing my growth, defeat them? I was the only one with a seven-stroke imprint, while they had twelve people. ¡®If I could fight them one by one it might be possible, but it¡¯s impossible in the current state. Then¡­¡­¡¯ I turned my gaze to look outside the venue where evacuation was in full swing. ¡°To turn our comrades into monsters! What the hell did you do, you filthy nobles!¡± ¡°Damn, the rebels¡­!¡± ¡°They¡¯re in league with the monsters! Don¡¯t let them inside!¡± ¡°Stop spouting nonsense-!¡± Bang-! With the sound of explosion, the Magic Corps¡¯ formation collapsed. Throwing away the spent magic bullet casing, Claude and the Revolutionary Army approached with blazing eyes. Seeing their determination to try again despite repeated failures, a satisfied smile appeared on my face. If I can¡¯t win by fighting¡­ I can make them fight each other, can¡¯t I? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 48 #048. ¡°Kwaaaargh¡ª!¡± Transformed into a monster, Vark was holding his ground against five magic nobles. The nearly infinite magical power flowing from the monster¡¯s core, along with the corruption and poison spreading from his body. Unlike the berserk Vark, the magic nobles had many things to be careful about. ¡°Tch, of all places¡­¡­!¡± ¡°How frustrating. If this was an open field, we could have blown him away with large-scale magic.¡± The family heads¡¯ magic was precise and powerful, but they couldn¡¯t unleash their full destructive potential. The location of this execution ground was at the city¡¯s highest level. If they used the kind of magic typically employed against monsters, they might damage the structures supporting the city. Thwack-! ¡°Kwok?! Kwaaargh-!¡± However, even with such restrictions, they were still family head-level mages leading their respective houses. As they chained together special formulas maximizing penetration power, Vark¡¯s rampage began showing signs of defeat. ¡°Vark! Damn it, I need to help¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Help a monster? Do you think that makes any sense?¡± At the scene where magic nobles were fighting. I blocked Claude who was trying to enter the area. ¡°You¡­¡­!¡± As I stood blocking the way with my arms spread, Claude and the Revolutionary Army members prepared their magic. ¡°A cadet? He¡¯s not our target though¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s not using magic. What should we do? Should we shoot?¡± Hearing the Revolutionary Army members ask this, Claude narrowed his eyes. And Randall standing beside him¡­ He¡¯s not trying to subdue me right away. ¡°You. Why are you here again?¡± ¡°Field trip. Heard the Revolutionary Army¡¯s second-in-command was getting executed, so I came to watch.¡± ¡°You¡¯re blocking us for that kind of joke?!¡± It¡¯s not a joke though. As I kept speaking in circles, Claude¡¯s expression grew increasingly hostile. Come to think of it, this is our third meeting already. The atmosphere gets more violent every time we meet ¨C next time, he might throw magic instead of greetings. ¡°Get out of the way! We don¡¯t have time to deal with someone like¡­!¡± ¡°Congratulations, Claude Elcidore.¡± When I suddenly congratulated him, Claude¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°What nonsense are you suddenly spouting? Congratulations¡­!¡± ¡°The fusion of humans and monsters. That was an experiment Elcidore was conducting, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I said while pointing at Vark who had become a monster. Deliberately bringing up the deceased Lupeon to provoke Claude, his reaction became even more intense. ¡°Bullshit! Why would Elcidore do such¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Why? Obviously because of you.¡± When I said that, Claude and the Revolutionary Army members following him widened their eyes at once. Well, first step of getting their attention ¨C success. I started setting the groundwork for this baseless lie. ¡°After losing his heir, Lupeon tried to find a new successor from the branch families but failed. No matter how much he searched the family, there was no talent like yours.¡± When I said that, Claude¡¯s face in the middle turned pale. What¡¯s this? Did I hit something? Well, he was the legitimate heir of Elcidore after all, so perhaps the branch families had attempted to kidnap him. They probably wanted to use him as a breeding stud. ¡°From then on, Lupeon turned his attention elsewhere. He thought if there wasn¡¯t anyone suitable to be heir, he could create one.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s how he came up with the human-monster fusion experiments.¡± If there was an incident, there needed to be a witness. Thinking that, I put my experience as a former Knifehead member to use and gave the performance of my life. ¡°It was horrible. Having to bring in test subjects every day, dispose of bodies, kill parents searching for their children with my own hands.¡± I said with a cold smile. As if I hated Lupeon for making me do such things. As if I hated Claude, who became the cause by fleeing to the Revolutionary Army. Maximilien fell for it, I wonder how this guy will react? Judging by the shocked expressions of Claude and the other Revolutionary Army members, it seems my acting skills haven¡¯t dulled. ¡°N-no! I don¡¯t know! I don¡¯t know anything about Elcidore doing such things¡­!¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t know doesn¡¯t make what happened disappear. That technology was created because of none other than you.¡± I spoke with a stern expression toward Claude, who was backing away with a shocked face. ¡°The reason Vark became like that is because of you.¡± Strictly speaking, it was an absurd shifting of responsibility. Even if my lies were true, the one who committed the crime was Lupeon, not Claude. However, Claude, as a supporter of [Revolution Empire], wasn¡¯t the type to think that way. ¡®It¡¯s because of me. If I¡­ If I hadn¡¯t run away¡­¡­!¡¯ The massacre of Lupeon¡¯s territory residents that happened in the original story. After all, Claude had endlessly cursed the noble blood flowing through him while witnessing those horrific scenes. ¡®Besides, well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m telling completely made-up stories.¡¯ Elcidore conducting human-monster fusion experiments? That¡¯s true. No talent as good as Claude after the heir disappeared? This is also true. Vark becoming a monster¡­ Well, strictly speaking that¡¯s because of me but. Whatever. Might as well pin this on him too. Clang-! I blocked the bullets flying toward me with a barrier. One of the Revolutionary Army members following Claude had shot them. ¡°You bastard, spouting such nonsense¡­¡­!¡± ¡°No need to listen to him, Claude! There¡¯s no guarantee what he¡¯s saying is true!¡± Though the Revolutionary Army members were encouraging Claude while saying this, even they couldn¡¯t hide their confusion. ¡°But considering what kind of person Lupeon was, it¡¯s not an impossible story.¡± ¡°If what that bastard said is true¡­!¡± ¡°Those magic noble bastards, doing such things to Vark¡­¡­!¡± Claude was visibly confused, and anger toward the magic nobles was spreading among the Revolutionary Army members following him. That¡¯s enough. The fact that the mastermind who transformed Vark into a monster was a magic noble. If just that fact gets imprinted, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s top priority will become the magic nobles. ¡°B-Brother Randall¡­¡­.¡± ¡°The members are right. Calm down first, Claude.¡± Randall calming down the confused Claude. ¡®He looks like something isn¡¯t going according to plan.¡¯ Looking at Randall making a subtle expression, I was certain. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s the only one who could have planned this.¡¯ An agent of the Westraine Republic. And one who would rise to become an influential figure in the Empire through revolution. I couldn¡¯t guess what plans he was scheming, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. ¡®Try to refute it if you can.¡¯ While it¡¯s true that Elcidore researched monsters, they never conducted research on transforming humans into monsters. Rather, the place with the most advanced monster research is the Westraine Republic. Unlike the Empire with abundant resources and land, they didn¡¯t hesitate to use any means necessary to bring down the Empire. ¡®I directed the blame for this incident toward the magic nobles, and personally volunteered as a witness. They¡¯ll have no choice but to believe it.¡¯ Refute it? Go ahead and try. To prove my words false, you¡¯d have to reveal that this is Westraine¡¯s technology, but would you reveal your identity that you¡¯ve hidden for decades just to refute my words? ¡®No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ The ¡®Randall Dean Clark¡¯ I saw in the game would never take such a risk. You can tell just by how he put up Claude as a figurehead instead of directly taking control of the Revolutionary Army himself. That guy always makes sure to leave himself an escape route. Boom-! An explosion sound rang out from the sky. Looking up, several airships that had been floating in the sky were falling to the ground engulfed in flames. ¡°Damn it, the anti-air guns are back¡­!¡± ¡°The armored trains have started moving. Claude! We need to retreat!¡± Right, it¡¯s about time to retreat. The rescue target Vark has become a monster, so they can¡¯t take him with them. However, Claude seemed unable to leave, frozen in indecision. ¡°No¡­ We can¡¯t leave Uncle Vark¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Claude.¡± Randall, who grabbed Claude¡¯s shoulders, glanced at me and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s not Vark anymore. If what this cadet said is true¡­ We have no way to turn him back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Randall didn¡¯t refute my words. Mission accomplished. While I was internally rejoicing, Randall looked at me intently. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A gaze as if searching for something. I stayed alert thinking he might launch a surprise attack, but Randall turned his back without saying anything and left the venue. ¡°With this, I¡¯ve laid enough groundwork I suppose.¡± The Revolutionary Army has found the cause of Vark¡¯s transformation into a monster, and will burn with revenge against the magic nobles. Toward ¡®magic nobles¡¯, not the ¡®Empire¡¯. And because of this small difference, Keiren¡¯s imperial army and the imperial family would be able to observe the fight between the two groups. The Revolutionary Army and magic nobles. They would continuously clash and be consumed, just as they did in the original story. And then suppressing both groups after they¡¯ve been consumed would be¡­ ¡®The Emperor. And the military under Keiren¡¯s control.¡¯ While I was thinking that. Boom-! With a huge explosion, the entire execution ground began to shake. ¡°What? What¡¯s going¡­!¡± Looking at the center of the execution ground, I could see the tattered ground and exposed city structures here and there. One of the pipelines flowing under the city must have burst. Though not enough impact to collapse the entire upper level, it was sufficient to momentarily break the encirclement focused on Vark. Whoosh-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± ¡°The monster is escaping!¡± The center of the execution ground was clouded with dust from the explosion¡¯s aftermath. Through that smoke, the nearly dead Vark was running toward me. ¡°Kwaaaaargh¡ª!¡± ¡°?!¡± Vark charging while directing both eyes at me. No, were those even eyes? His skull was so grotesquely twisted that it was hard to tell if what was looking at me were eyes or something else. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Cadet, run away from there!¡± ¡°That guy, Eugene¡­?¡± ¡°Damn it, the binding formula¡­¡­!¡± The family heads who had been in the middle of battle couldn¡¯t react in time to the sudden situation. However, watching Vark running toward me, I could notice one thing. His eyes directed at me. The closer he got, the better I could tell what state he was in. Vark was maintaining his sanity right now. *** ¡°It¡¯s almost over now.¡± Watching Vark staggering while lying face down on the ground. Looking at him, the family heads of each house were lost in thought. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°That monster¡­ It would be a waste to just kill it like this.¡± They hadn¡¯t even considered the possibility of not being able to subdue him. Here were five magic nobles. If not for the location being the imperial capital¡¯s upper level, even one person could have easily subdued him. ¡°A waste, what do you mean by that?¡± When Count Drexler frowned and asked this, Margrave Gloucester pointed at the monster with his wrinkled finger. ¡°Look at that.¡± The monster struggling to get up. However, that monster was moving what appeared to be organs visible through its mouth. ¡°Run¡­ away¡­ Claude¡­ Run¡­¡­¡± ¡°That monster. Is it not maintaining its sanity?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± It seemed that way to them too. A monster muttering something with focused eyes while on the verge of death. Seeing this, Margrave Gloucester¡¯s mage-like curiosity was piqued. ¡°How about leaving the disposal of this monster to me? If I take it to my territory for research, I think we could get quite useful results¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, Gloucester.¡± The one who interrupted his words was the magic noble second seat, Duke Nachtval. ¡°In the Empire, the only treatment monsters receive is execution. I will not permit any rash actions.¡± ¡°Permit? How strange. Though this old man may be from the frontier, I haven¡¯t declined so much as to need permission from another magic noble to act.¡± Margrave Gloucester who said this glared at Duke Nachtval. A silent warning not to cross the line. However, the duke also began slowly drawing up magical power as if unwilling to back down. ¡°Having maintained sanity even after fusing with a monster, isn¡¯t this quite useful material?¡± ¡°We of the Dvorak family will escort this prisoner. To waste such valuable research material like this¡­¡­¡± ¡°Out of the question. Buckenheim will take responsibility for this monster¡­¡± Since they had already subdued the monster, now it was time for the aftermath. The family heads of each house began debating over Vark¡¯s treatment. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡­¡± But then. Vark, who had regained his sanity, felt fear watching them. ¡®Will I meet the same end¡­?¡¯ Those who wanted to capture him alive and use him as an experiment subject. Like they did to my sister, like they did to my parents, I¡¯ll become a noble¡¯s plaything too? ¡®No.¡¯ Vark¡¯s gaze, clinging to his last remaining sanity, turned toward one place. The retreating Revolutionary Army, and a boy watching them. And a single gun holstered at that boy¡¯s waist. ¡°Max¡­ im¡­¡­¡± His weapon. The man who showed him the possibility of revolution. His only friend. He was standing there, beckoning to him. ¡°Kwaaaaargh-!¡± With a roar, he kicked off the ground and ran. His friend who seemed momentarily surprised soon drew his pistol and aimed it at him. Yes, Maxim. That¡¯s it. Hurry and¡­ Me¡­¡­! ¡°I was going to do that without you telling me.¡± Along with the familiar voice, the hazy veil lifted. A boy with cold eyes was aiming a gun at him. The boy from Vark¡¯s memories. ¡°If I hand you over to the magic nobles alive, it would be troublesome in various ways.¡± After saying that, Eugene pulled the trigger without hesitation and. Bang-! The guilt and anger he had carried throughout his life disappeared with the gunshot. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s second-in-command, Vark Urgan. (+)[1]TLN: Yes, it said Urgan (???) not Urgon (???). He who created the Revolutionary Army dreaming of freedom. Only then did he finally become free. 1. TLN: Yes, it said Urgan (???) not Urgon (???). Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 49 #049. Thud-! Vark¡¯s headless body collapsed lifelessly. Having completely destroyed his brain, there¡¯s no way he could survive. ¡°Impressive. Even though he was dying, you took down such a monster in one strike?¡± While I was looking at Vark¡¯s corpse, a voice addressed me. Margrave Gloucester. Looking at the elderly man wearing a relaxed smile, I immediately bowed my head. ¡°I am honored to meet the Pioneer of the East.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t overwhelmed by the monster¡¯s pressure, and instead suddenly countered and cut off its breath. You¡¯ve done us a great service.¡± ¡°I merely did what was expected of an Imperial cadet.¡± The manner of speech of this man, the eldest among the 12 magic nobles, was more similar to that of a monarch than a noble. ¡®Well, that makes sense.¡¯ The Gloucester region located in the northeastern part of the Empire. Count Gloucester was the one who had personally pioneered that land covered in contamination and developed it into human territory. The title of magic noble was merely a type of contract made to avoid friction with the Empire. In reality, he was a figure who could be called not a magic noble, but the monarch of an independent nation called Gloucester. ¡°Getting caught up in pointless arguments and letting such an important monster slip away. How shameful as Imperial magic nobles.¡± Margrave Gloucester, who had been smiling kindly at me, twisted his lips as he looked at the other magic nobles following him. ¡°Don¡¯t you all think so?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°A-ahem¡­¡± Upon hearing Margrave Gloucester¡¯s words, the other magic nobles avoided eye contact awkwardly. Particularly Duke Buckenheim¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t good ¨C it seemed he had heard my name from Carlos who stood behind. ¡°You¡¯ve done us magic nobles a great service by catching the monster that almost escaped. What is your name?¡± ¡°Eugene, Lorentz.¡± ¡°Lorentz? I haven¡¯t heard of that family¡­¡± As he was lost in thought, a knight from the Gloucester family approached and whispered in his ear. ¡°Ah, is that so? You mean this is the child who saved His Majesty at the funeral?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°So this child was that one?¡± Hearing Margrave Gloucester¡¯s loud exclamation, the other magic nobles looked at me with gleaming eyes. ¡®This old geezer¡­¡¯ Acting like such a dotard. It¡¯s not good to stand out this early. While I was thinking that, my savior Keiren approached and put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere, Eugene? That could have been dangerous.¡± ¡°No, Father. I only did what needed to be done.¡± As this clearly intentional exchange occurred between Keiren and me, the magic nobles¡¯ gazes changed, except for Gloucester. From curiosity and slight goodwill to disappointment and wariness. It meant they had completed their friend-or-foe identification in that brief moment. ¡°It¡¯s been since the Eastern Defense Battle two years ago, Lieutenant General Keiren.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re still in good health, Margrave.¡± ¡°Good health? What nonsense. I can¡¯t even retire because watching my son¡¯s behavior is so unpleasant.¡± Unlike the other nobles who hesitated to speak up, Gloucester addressed Keiren casually. Keiren also received his words with a smile, creating quite a different atmosphere from how he usually dealt with magic nobles. ¡°By the way, what to do with this corpse is the problem.¡± While the two were conversing, a woman among the nobles spoke up. The conductor of the symphony orchestra, Countess Dvorak. At her words, dressed in an elaborate gown, the magic nobles¡¯ arguments were about to start again. Their main objective was the core embedded in Vark¡¯s corpse. It was to claim the power source that formed the center of the monster. But then. ¡°I would prefer if the handling of the corpse were left to the Imperial Family.¡± At the voice coming from outside the venue, the nobles¡¯ gazes turned to one spot. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The Emperor, accompanied by Imperial Guard Andrei. The magic nobles and knights gathered at the scene knelt on one knee. Duke Buckenheim, Duke Nachtval, and Margrave Gloucester merely bowed slightly, and the Emperor raised his hand as if to say it was fine, making them rise. ¡°Your Majesty, why are you here?¡± ¡°The monster¡¯s contamination hasn¡¯t fully dissipated yet, Your Majesty. Approaching carelessly would endanger your¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After the recent attack, I¡¯ve become rather numb to such things.¡± ¡®People who didn¡¯t care when I was attacked are now worried about my health?¡¯ At the Emperor¡¯s sarcastic remark, most of the nobles kept their mouths shut. ¡°Technology that transforms humans into monsters¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing. Do any of you have any insights about this incident?¡± None of the magic nobles answered the Emperor¡¯s question. Since it¡¯s technology from Westraine, how would they know? After observing the nobles¡¯ reactions, the Emperor nodded and said. ¡°If there are no insights, then identifying the source of this technology should be our immediate priority. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Before discussing ownership of the corpse, we should first uncover the source of this strange technology. At the Emperor¡¯s words, the nobles couldn¡¯t find any particular objection. ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty.¡± Among them, it was Margrave Gloucester who supported the Emperor¡¯s hand. ¡°What about the others?¡± When the Emperor looked around the gathering, the other magic nobles slowly bowed their heads as well. The Emperor was already on edge after the failed assassination attempt. They must have judged that there was nothing to gain from creating opposition over this matter. ¡°Andrei.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Order the Imperial Knight Order to move the monster¡¯s corpse. Have talented mages selected from each family to research this.¡± ¡°I will follow your command.¡± The Imperial Family will handle the corpse retrieval. You all can participate in the research together. After saying that, the magic nobles¡¯ furrowed expressions seemed to smooth out somewhat. Though the core would stay in the Imperial Palace, they could still research the monster¡¯s corpse, so it was a partial victory. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Eugene. I shall personally reward you for your achievement in catching the monster.¡± ¡°I am overwhelmed by your grace.¡± After quickly settling the situation, the Emperor gave me his final commendation before heading to the Imperial Palace. As the scene full of corpses and screams was somewhat cleaned up, the magic nobles began making their way back to their residences one by one. ¡°Eugene, was it? I¡¯ll remember your name.¡± Margrave Gloucester, who was the last to leave, called out to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± Don¡¯t remember it. It¡¯ll make things harder when I have to stab you in the back later. ¡°Eugene. Eugene.¡± While I was thinking that, Irene approached from behind and lightly tugged at my clothes. ¡°Did you eat a lot?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Her bright smile in response made it seem like the time I bought was worth it. I wonder how strong she¡¯ll become when I let her loose. ¡°And this!¡± As I was thinking that, Irene handed me something she had been holding. Whoong- What Irene gave me was the monster core, completely purified of impurities. Looking at the ethereally glowing magical power light, I smiled with satisfaction. The monster¡¯s corpse? The core? I¡¯ve already eaten all of that. *** ¡°Enemy at the front! They¡¯re pushing in endlessly!¡± ¡°Machine gun overheated! Four minutes until barrel replacement!¡± ¡°Damn it, hold them back! If this line breaks, we¡¯re all dead!¡± Imperial East, monster contamination zone. While monster invasions were a daily occurrence here, today was particularly severe. ¡°Keeek! Keeeek-!¡± ¡°Kwraaaaargh¨C!¡± More than triple the usual invasion scale. The machine gun ammunition defending the fortification had long since run out, and the Magic Corps soldiers deployed in the trenches were gradually reaching their limits. ¡°M-monster! The monster!¡± ¡°Aaaaargh¨C!¡± The defense line had already collapsed long ago, and the blood and flesh of regular soldiers without magical power were scattered everywhere. A scene straight from hell. In the middle of it all, Sergeant Liber was gritting his teeth while squeezing out magical power from his magic imprint. ¡°Damn it¡­ damn it¡­¡± The officer who had acted so high and mighty as company commander was already in the monsters¡¯ bellies. As the most senior survivor, he had taken command of the remaining unit and was somehow trying to maintain this defense line, but¡­ ¡°Defense line breached! The monsters are pushing through!¡± ¡°Sergeant! Retreat, we need to retreat¡­¡± Maintaining this front line, which already showed signs of defeat, was no longer possible. Whoong- In the midst of such despair, his two-stroke magic imprint emitted light. ¡°Reinforcements¡­¡± A magical power communication from headquarters. It meant that mage forces were heading this way. However¡­ ¡®Mage forces? They said it would take over a month for new personnel to arrive from the Magic Corps¡­¡¯ While thinking that, Sergeant Liber checked the communication that had come to him. [3 minutes until reinforcements arrive. All forces, prepare for impact.] ¡°Prepare for impact?¡± While checking the puzzling communication content, at that moment. Fwoooosh-! Three streams of magical power light pierced through the sky. Not ordinary magical power light, but magic with a red glow. The three long streams of light drew parabolas as they fell toward the monsters and- Kwaboom¨C! With a thunderous sound, the monsters at the front were instantly torn apart. ¡°Ortega, Matt! We¡¯re going in immediately!¡± Before there was time to be surprised by the sudden explosion, three horses rushed out from the fortification. Riding them were three men wearing cadet uniforms. ¡°C-cadets?¡± Seeing this, Sergeant Liber doubted his eyes. This is a contamination zone, why are cadets here? No, more than that, what was that magical power just now? ¡®Even though cadets are at the level of junior knights, they shouldn¡¯t be that strong¡­¡¯ While he was thinking that, the three cadets who had taken the vanguard were burning away the monsters that had been taking over the trenches. Kwaboom-! Bang¨C! Explosion, explosion, explosion. After pushing back the monsters in the trenches with overwhelming firepower, they immediately turned their horses around and gave hand signals toward the rear. And at that moment- Kwabababang¡ª! Dozens of stone blocks landed in front of the trenches, crushing the rushing monsters. When the dust cloud cleared, what appeared were large statues lined up in a row. When this unexpected cover blocked their way, the monsters were ramming their bodies against the statues. ¡°This should give us a moment to catch our breath.¡± A calm voice woke the sergeant from his succession of shocks. Looking to the side, a young man with black hair was looking at him. ¡°Cadet Eugene Lorentz, participating as reinforcement. Who¡¯s in command?¡± ¡°The, the lieutenant is dead. I¡¯m the temporary commander, but¡­¡± Trailing off, Liber looked at the young man before him. The uniform covered in dirt and dust as if he had been rolling around on the battlefield for a long time. The cadet with a face full of fatigue gave him instructions in a businesslike tone. ¡°Understood, Sergeant Liber Han. Imperial forces will arrive soon as reinforcements. Strengthen the defense line with them, and have the Magic Corps withdraw.¡± ¡°P-pardon?¡± Withdraw the Magic Corps? Then how are we supposed to catch these monsters? While he was thinking that, the pretty-faced young man at the front raised his voice. ¡°Eugene! My friend! I¡¯ve gathered them all!¡± Hearing those words, the young man Eugene aimed the pistol at his waist while activating his magic imprint. A uniquely shaped magic imprint emitting red magical power light. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing that, Sergeant Liber¡¯s eyes grew even wider. ¡°F-five strokes?¡± No matter how you look at it, he seems like a greenhorn not even 20 years old, but a five-stroke magic imprint? Isn¡¯t that on par with Knight Order commanders? While he was shocked, dozens of magic circles were woven in the sky. ¡°Duck.¡± After saying that briefly, Eugene pulled the trigger and- Rumble-! Dozens of light streams pouring from the magic circles exploded, grinding up the monsters trapped by the statues. Thud, thudthud¡­ What came after the thunderous sounds died down was silence. What gathered in his sight were only the fragments of monsters that had been shattered to ashes. ¡°Operation complete. Please handle the cleanup.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Seemingly unconcerned with the overwhelming scene, the one responsible for grinding up hundreds of monsters gestured to the cadets who had advanced forward. ¡°Eugene! Is it over now? Right?¡± ¡°Please say it¡¯s over. I¡¯m sick and tired of this damned saddle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­ I feel like I¡¯m dying¡­ I hate hanging around with these lowborn¡­¡± ¡°This bastard is still like that even in this situation.¡± Looking closely, these cadets were in terrible shape too. Young men covered in dirt and soot, looking half-dead. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all over.¡± Eugene, who comforted them, sighed and broke open the revolver he was holding. Six spent cartridges flew out with smoke. ¡°Today, we graduate from the military academy.¡± In the monster contamination zone of the Eastern Front. Eugene, now in his fourth year, was fighting monsters on the front lines. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 50 #050 ¡°Congratulations on graduating, Eugene. Graduating without a proper ceremony¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± ¡°I understand. You must have gone through something similar, Senior.¡± The cadet insignia was removed from the uniform, replaced by a second lieutenant¡¯s rank insignia. The person who pinned the rank insignia on my chest was Senior Feilun, who had been my direct superior for the past two years. Looking at how he got his first lieutenant rank insignia within a year of commissioning, his accomplishments on the frontline must have been terrifying. ¡°Slaughtering over thousands of monsters and clearing out six monster nests¡­ bringing you in was definitely the right choice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it alone.¡± After saying that, I looked at the other graduates standing beside me. Guille, Ortega, Matt. The three non-nobles I had personally selected and trained. And next to them was¡­ ¡°It was an honor to be on the same battlefield as a direct descendant of Nachtval!¡± ¡°Haha, the honor was mine too, Kyle.¡± Kyle, who followed me to the frontline saying ¡®I¡¯ll go wherever my friend goes!¡¯, and stuck right next to him was¡­ who was it again? ¡°It¡¯s Julian! Julian Anderson! You should at least remember my name after spending two years together!¡± ¡°Ah, right. Julian. Of course I remembered.¡± Julian growled as he turned his head towards me. What¡¯s this? After rolling together for two years, has he reached the level of reading minds now? ¡°It was an honor to fight together. Let¡¯s meet again later.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± While I was thinking about this, Senior Feilun gave second lieutenant rank insignias to the others as well, shaking hands and creating something of a graduation atmosphere. He was the one who had called us from our rear training, so this was his way of repaying us in his own way. ¡®I¡¯m planning to take those three with me anyway¡­ but with those two, this is where it ends.¡¯ Kyle, waving Feilun¡¯s hand with a bright smile. And Julian, frozen stiff at the fact of facing a direct descendant of magic nobles. The two were definitely good friends, but they weren¡¯t people who could continue together. Despite appearances, Kyle was the heir to the Raikard County. He couldn¡¯t stay on the frontline forever. ¡®I had to deal with Duke Buckenheim alongside Keiren, and that guy will be busy with his heir training and whatnot.¡¯ Kyle would probably soon follow his family¡¯s wishes and take the elite course. Being allowed to eat dirt on the frontline was only permitted while in cadet status. Leaving student status meant returning to one¡¯s original position. ¡°How¡¯s your rival these days?¡± Nothing changed just because I got a second lieutenant¡¯s rank insignia. The only difference was that I could now openly smoke cigarettes that I used to smoke in secret from the instructors. As I spoke while putting a supplied cigarette in my mouth, Feilun opened his mouth with a smirk. ¡°I heard he went back home to command the Knight Order. There¡¯s trouble with rebels everywhere these days.¡± Good. I got one more piece of information about ¡®that bastard¡¯. Nodding my head, I looked at the headline of the Imperial newspaper in my hand. [Baron Lexil Found Beheaded in His Residence! Red Wings Symbol Found at Scene!] [Massive Noble Attacks by Rebels! Westraine¡¯s Instigation?!] [Count Sutherland: ¡°We¡¯ve deployed Knight Orders on a large scale with other houses. Rebels within the territory will soon be suppressed.¡±] ¡°It¡¯s quite noisy over there.¡± ¡°More than just a bit noisy. Several nobles have actually been killed.¡± The monster mutation incident from two years ago. The noble faction, led by magic nobles, declared this major incident as ¡®heinous terrorism by rebels¡¯. [Look at the tragic death of Supreme Leader Vark! This is how nobles breed us!] [People of Kalhyram, rise up! Take the heads of these heinous nobles with your own hands¡­!] Of course, the Revolutionary Army was refuting this through their revolutionary newspaper while simultaneously attacking nobles. The death of their spiritual leader Maximilien. The depleted air fleet and numerous mages from the battle with Elcidore. Despite these enormous losses, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s influence wasn¡¯t diminishing but rather growing increasingly stronger. ¡°Senior, aren¡¯t you going back home?¡± ¡°You mean kill rebels for the family? No thanks. I¡¯d rather roll around with monsters here.¡± Feilun frowned and waved his hand at my question. I couldn¡¯t understand why a noble, especially a direct descendant of the Nachtval Duke family, would hate nobles this much. In the game, Feilun was just an early boss, and his role wasn¡¯t that significant. ¡°By the way, I never expected the rebels to escalate things this far.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± I could only make assumptions about his circumstances and change the subject. Hearing my words, Feilun agreed with a sigh. ¡°The Revolutionary Army¡¯s airships hiding in the clouds, the mages descending from them, and simultaneous uprisings on the ground¡­¡± ¡°Must be nothing short of a nightmare for the nobles.¡± They even recalled Knight Orders from the frontline to suppress the rebels, that says it all. In a situation where neighboring nobles were being killed, they couldn¡¯t keep their most important forces deployed externally. The Imperial Army, directly commanded by the Emperor, was filling the gaps left by the Knight Orders on the eastern front. The task of monster subjugation, which had been handled by magic nobles and Knight Orders, was now falling to the Emperor and Imperial Army. ¡®With the possibility of war with Westraine, it¡¯s nearly impossible for the Imperial Army to fill the Knight Order¡¯s vacancy. However¡­¡¯ The Magic Corps on the eastern front, which had already taken over the Knight Order¡¯s burden, was in a state close to annihilation. Looking at the Magic Corps maintaining trenches in a half-dead state, I slowly lit up my eyes. Preparations to fill the vacancy were already underway. *** ¡°Hey, you idiots! Who told you to write reports like this?!¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After finishing my conversation with Feilun, I headed to the field hospital. Shouts that triggered workplace PTSD just by hearing them shook the entire ward. ¡°Imprint status, magical power load, rejection symptoms after using magic bullets! These are the things you need to record! You submit this as a post-imprint progress report, asking for more powerful firepower? Requesting additional magic bullet supplies? Are you joking right now?!¡± The owner of the shouts was Doctor Otto Klautz, dispatched to the frontline at Keiren¡¯s request. He was examining the magic imprints implanted in the three non-nobles who followed me. ¡°We¡¯re fine! As you can see, no side effects! We¡¯re super strong!¡± ¡°As non-nobles who received three-stroke magic imprints, we can¡¯t really complain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about complaining, it¡¯s about reporting! This is so the soldiers you¡¯ll command can use proper magic imprints!¡± Saying that, Otto prodded the imprint implanted in Guille¡¯s arm with the tip of his pen. What was implanted in the three of them was [The Burning King¡¯s Standard Bearer], the magic imprint for the special magical power unit that I had completed in the first phase. It was a magic imprint created with magic bullet usage in mind from the start, destined to become the standard imprint for the future Special Magical Power Unit. And that was the biggest reason I brought these three to the frontline. These three received this imprint instead of the magic imprint provided by the Magic Corps, and were currently test-operating it in actual combat. ¡°About side effects¡­ there is a burning sensation in the arm after use. It lasts longer when using magic bullets.¡± ¡°It gets worse with consecutive use! Once I put a cup of water on the magic imprint, and it started boiling!¡± ¡°Yes, that! That¡¯s what you need to write in your reports!¡± Finally getting proper reports, Otto started quickly writing down the symptoms on his chart. ¡°We¡¯ve caught the overload phenomenon, but inversely, the magic imprint overheats. Need to think about cooling measures when using magic bullets consecutively¡­¡± Although they had suddenly become lab rats, there was no sign of reluctance from the three. This wasn¡¯t because they had sworn loyalty to me, but because of the deal I had made with them. ¡®Really, Eugene? Three strokes?¡¯ ¡®Not just three strokes. When your magical power grows in the future, I can prepare even higher-level imprints.¡¯ At the end of our second year, right before being deployed to the frontline. When I called the three together and said that, their eyes immediately lit up. The common magic imprint issued to Magic Corps soldiers was one stroke. The imprint supplied to Magic Corps officers was two strokes. Three-stroke or higher magic imprints were a realm not allowed for non-nobles. When offered that, they, as magical power awakeners, couldn¡¯t help but go crazy. ¡®So in return, you want us to join the unit you and Lieutenant General Keiren are creating.¡¯ ¡®The magic imprint is a tempting offer, but¡­ it¡¯s difficult.¡¯ Of course, there was the downside of giving up the stable path given to Magic Corps officers. The three brought this up and tried to negotiate with me. ¡®Salary. Double that of Imperial Army officers of the same rank.¡¯ ¡®Just say the word, Captain.¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll follow you until death.¡¯ ¡®From today on, we are Captain Eugene¡¯s faithful subordinates.¡¯ And that¡¯s how I was able to get three excellent test subjects¡­ no, excellent subordinates. The daddy bonus Keiren gave me was more powerful than imagined. ¡®This has opened the floodgates.¡¯ The Revolutionary Army ignited in their fight against magic nobles, and the magic nobles trying to block the Revolutionary Army. Because of this, Knight Orders were gradually withdrawing from the frontline, creating an extreme shortage of mages on the front. It had become the perfect situation to deploy the ¡®Special Magical Power Unit¡¯ that Keiren and I had been preparing for years. ¡®If the Special Magical Power Unit is deployed in time and can fill the vacancy left by the Knight Orders¡­¡¯ We could reduce the Knight Orders¡¯ presence on the eastern front where monster warfare was the main focus, and increase the Imperial Army¡¯s proportion. If that happens, we could divert the monster defense funds that were going to magic nobles to the Imperial Army, which would be enough reason to squeeze their funding. ¡®We can¡¯t touch places like Gloucester who¡¯s pioneering the northeastern region or Korhonen in the northern frozen zone¡­ but that¡¯s enough for now.¡¯ Who knew pointing to magic nobles as the shadowy culprits behind Vark¡¯s death would work this well. As expected, letting them handle the revolution without me was the right answer. ¡°By the way, this magic imprint has quite a fierce name.¡± While I was thinking about this, Ortega, looking at the imprint implanted in his arm, spoke. ¡°[The Burning King¡¯s Standard Bearer]. I get that we¡¯re the standard bearers, but who is this ¡®Burning King¡¯?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the Emperor created this imprint? Wouldn¡¯t it refer to His Majesty?¡± ¡°His Majesty¡­ burning?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Watch your words, Ortega. One wrong move and you¡¯re heading to the northern prison?¡± ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Having found their victim, the witch hunt by the other two had Ortega sweating and scrambling to explain himself. But come to think of it, it¡¯s really like that. The Burning King. I wonder who it refers to? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 51 #051 ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s reveal.¡± Inside the shaking armored train compartment. Five men and women sitting around the table laid down their cards in a solemn atmosphere. K two pair, Q triple, straight. And then next was¡­¡­ ¡°Eugene! Look at this! I collected all the same pictures! This is good, right? Right?¡± ¡°Wow, unbelievable. Straight flush?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cheating! This is definitely cheating¨C!¡± ¡°Why did I lose again? How? It was a perfect strategy¡­!¡± Yeah. Even I think it¡¯s like cheating. Two full houses and a straight flush ¨C if that¡¯s not cheating, what else would you call it? I quietly laid down my ace one pair that I had put my all into making and raised Irene¡¯s hand as the final winner of this round. Never again will I play poker. ¡°Eugene! Here¡¯s your gift!¡± ¡°No, Irene. Don¡¯t give me the pot money. Save it for your allowance later.¡± I pushed away Irene who was holding out handfuls of coins while saying that. How is she still the same as before even though she¡¯s 16 now? I¡¯ll have to exchange it for bills and keep it safe for her later. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m getting tired of this.¡± While Irene and I were having that exchange, Ortega, who had buried himself in the sofa backrest, blurted out. ¡°We¡¯ve been on this train for three days already. Everything¡¯s getting boring.¡± Matt chimed in agreement. Guille, sitting next to him, seemed to share the same thought as he nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This tedious train life will be over soon enough.¡± At Feilun¡¯s voice as he opened the compartment door, the three of us immediately stood up and saluted. From the moment of our formal commission, Feilun became our direct superior commanding us. ¡°We¡¯ll reach Galphren Station in about an hour. Let the soldiers know. Pass the word to our Magic Corps friends who came with us too.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The trio immediately moved to the next car. With the legitimate heir of a great noble house like Nachtval appearing, they must have felt uncomfortable. As the three hurriedly cleared out, I awkwardly sat down, suddenly finding myself with nothing to do. Currently, our armored train is heading to Galphren, a small city located slightly away from the eastern front. It wasn¡¯t under the direct control of the imperial family, but was the territory of a magic noble. ¡°Rather unexpected though. To think that high-and-mighty magic noble would reach out to the imperial army.¡± ¡°That just shows how urgent the situation is. What else could they do when a rebel leader shows up in their territory?¡± Saying that, Feilun put down the newspaper he was holding on the desk. One imperial newspaper and one revolution newspaper with an imperial army censorship mark. The two newspapers telling contradicting stories were shouting the same name. ¡°Claude Elcidore.¡± ¡°He goes by ¡®Claude de Lascol¡¯ now. Expected, since he was expelled from the Elcidore family.¡± Must be Maximilien¡¯s surname. I thought it was quite like him to make that decision. In the past two years, Claude had made a name for himself not just as a simple revolutionary, but as a young leader of the Revolutionary Army. He gained public support by eliminating monsters in outskirt regions beyond the reach of the Knight Order and imperial army, and stood at the vanguard of the Revolutionary Army while eliminating corrupt nobles. ¡®Considering what he said at the end of part 2, perhaps this worked out better for him.¡¯ Thinking that, I recalled the ending of the main story. The three companions who imprisoned the protagonist. Among them, Claude¡¯s motivation for betraying the protagonist was none other than inferiority complex. [How did you become the hero of the revolution when you¡¯re inferior in both magical power and knowledge? Why did you become Maxim¡¯s successor!] [If only I¡­ If only I had been in that position¡­¡­] ¡°It turned out just as you wanted, how does it feel? Claude.¡± ¡°Hm? What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing. Just talking to myself.¡± I quickly took back the words that had unconsciously slipped out. To think I¡¯d make such a slip of the tongue about something I hadn¡¯t even experienced personally. I must have really disliked this game¡¯s ending. ¡°It¡¯s surprising that the rebel leader stepped forward personally. Is there any special reason?¡± ¡°No. The Galphren territory has no particular strategic value. Just¡­¡± ¡°Just?¡± As I hastily changed the subject, Feilun explained further with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­Just that the Galphren territory has long been notorious for its high tax rates. They demand more than half of the harvests in tribute, and don¡¯t hesitate to impose additional levies.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Hearing that, I nodded in understanding. ¡®To be selected as a priority target despite having no strategic value, I wonder if this too could be considered a talent.¡¯ In short, they made it onto the Revolutionary Army¡¯s hit list simply for being a bad person. ¡°The more intense the rebel activities become, the more the exploitation and pressure on the territory¡¯s people increases. And then the people who can¡¯t bear the pressure end up joining the rebels¡­¡± ¡°A vicious cycle indeed.¡± While listening to Feilun, I turned my eyes to the scenery outside. Green wheat fields with sprouts just beginning to emerge. Unlike the pastoral scene under the bright sky, there was no vitality in the eyes of the territory¡¯s people busy working in the fields. But if you ask whether I feel sympathy for those oppressed people¡­ Regrettably, I don¡¯t. If I had that kind of personality, I would have joined the Revolutionary Army and dealt with all the traitors for a ¡®true revolution¡¯, why would I have sided with the emperor? ¡®The situation in Galphren territory, and the rampant Revolutionary Army¡­¡¯ What I was thinking about was our destination, Galphren territory. And about the magic noble who ruled it, ¡®Dario Zicklinte¡¯. ¡®This is almost exactly the same situation as Chapter 2 of the main story.¡¯ The Galphren territory I¡¯m being deployed to was a location that appeared in [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story. After seeing the prologue and emperor assassination event, it was the main stage of Chapter 2 where the story properly begins. The ¡®Battle of Galphren¡¯ that branched off from the main story was the first large-scale operation the protagonist undertook after joining the Revolutionary Army. [I know you¡¯re Maxim¡¯s successor. But remember this. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been with the Revolutionary Army longer, not you!] [I understand. I¡¯ll just trust and follow you, Claude.] A typical noble with a small territory, heavy exploitation, and no ability. The protagonist travels around the territory with his Revolutionary Army comrade Claude, helping people and planning a major public uprising. ¡®And looking at what the revolution newspaper is saying¡­ It matches exactly.¡¯ I looked at Claude¡¯s image in the newspaper. Claude shaking hands with territory people in shabby clothes covered in soot. Photos taken around monster corpses, and scenes of waving flags with the territory people. Actions matching exactly what the protagonist did in the main story. ¡®This confirms it then.¡¯ The main story had started long ago, and Claude had taken the place where the original protagonist should have been. The hero of the Revolutionary Army who had become Westraine¡¯s puppet. No, he had become a tool packaged under the name of hero, to be used for countless malicious purposes. Just as Eugene Lorentz, the protagonist of the main story, had been. Beeeep-! ¡°Seems we¡¯ve arrived.¡± As the armored train¡¯s whistle blew, Feilun headed out first. I should gather the trio and head out too. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I put on the cloak placed on the chair and pressed down my military cap. Looking in the mirror, there stood an imperial army officer with a dark and gloomy impression. ¡°Come to think of it, I am curious.¡± The protagonist who made completely different choices from the original work. And the future traitor who ended up replacing the protagonist¡¯s position. They will meet again at the place where they once called for revolution together. ¡°I wonder, will you be able to meet a different end than me?¡± The man with the cold expression reflected in the mirror muttered so. Whether the smile on that face was a genuine smile or a sneer, only he would know. *** ¡°Welcome! To think that the heir of Duke Nachtval would come personally! Now our Galphren territory can rest easy! Hahaha-!¡± The plump Baron Zicklinte grabbed Feilun¡¯s hand and shook it up and down. Wow, I really can¡¯t get used to this. This guy who spent the whole game screaming ¡®You lowborns!¡¯, ¡®How dare you touch things with your filthy hands!¡¯ had become a gentle lamb in front of Feilun. ¡°So, how many imperial troops have come?¡± Is that the first thing you ask? Must be quite urgent. To the baron¡¯s question, Feilun opened his mouth with a smiling face. ¡°Two infantry companies and two Magic Corps platoons. Along with myself and these friends.¡± ¡°U-um?¡± Support troops numbering less than a thousand in total. The baron¡¯s expression wavered, clearly showing dissatisfaction to anyone who looked. Feilun seemed to notice this as well, but he blocked any room for objection with his characteristic smile. ¡°Though small in scale, these are units with actual combat experience from the eastern front. Especially these four behind me are promising newcomers with many achievements, so they won¡¯t disappoint you, Baron.¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­ Is that so?¡± Perhaps the mention of combat experience caught his interest. The baron, approaching us in imperial army uniform, offered his hand while looking us up and down. ¡°I am Dario Zicklinte, lord of Galphren territory.¡± ¡°Eugene Lorentz. The three behind me are¡­¡­¡± ¡°Lorentz? Did you say Lorentz?¡± As if completely uninterested in the three behind me, Baron Zicklinte¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at me. ¡°Guille. Did we just get ignored?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a noble after all. Probably doesn¡¯t want to mix words with non-nobles like us.¡± ¡°Ha, treating supporting troops like that? Is he an idiot?¡± Hey hey, curse quietly. He might hear you. While I was thinking that, the baron maintained his interested gaze and offered his hand to me. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who was adopted by Lieutenant General Keiren. I hear you have quite powerful magical abilities at such a young age?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­¡± Even though I¡¯m just a disfavored adopted son, for him to speak without honorifics about Keiren, the legitimate heir of a ducal house¡­ Hearing the clearly intentional provocation, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡®So he won¡¯t acknowledge me as a fellow magic noble.¡¯ A non-awakened born into a magic noble family. Add to that my weak position in the family compared to Carlos, the heir, this is how they show their disrespect. Even considering that, this behavior was way over the line. ¡°Despite having such innate magical power, for a commoner to achieve this much. It¡¯s like a dragon emerging from a sewer!¡± Ah, as expected. Openly talking about commoners and whatnot, this is definitely the Baron Zicklinte I know. Looking at his expression, he doesn¡¯t even seem to realize his verbal mistake. What an idiotic magic noble. ¡°It¡¯s nonsensical for a noble family¡¯s mage to work with a non-awakened. How about it? As it happens, there¡¯s a position open in my Knight Order¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡± His vulgar nature of not knowing his place was exactly as shown in the original work. Going from a duke¡¯s adopted son to a baron¡¯s knight? Is he crazy? ¡°No matter how dirty a sewer might be, it¡¯s still better than a manure pile crawling with cockroaches.¡± ¡°Kheup¡­!¡± Hearing my words, Feilun hastily swallowed his laughter. ¡®Cockroach¡¯ was one of the derogatory terms for rebels. The meaning being: no matter how flawed a non-awakened family might be, it¡¯s still better than your territory that¡¯s getting stripped by rebels. Seeing Feilun turn his head unable to contain his laughter, the baron glared at me with a red face. What¡¯s your problem? If you¡¯re upset, try picking a fight with the support troops. ¡°Guide them to the barracks! These are special guests, treat them with respect! Understood!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Knights who received the baron¡¯s orders guided us inside the territory. Seeing how the knights were glaring at me, it seemed I¡¯d made myself thoroughly disliked from the start. ¡®To think I have to face monsters and the Revolutionary Army alongside guys like these?¡¯ While thinking that, I felt gazes watching us from the corner of the station. ¡°Hey, those guys¡­¡± ¡°Imperial army and Magic Corps¡­ Support troops have already arrived.¡± ¡°Tell the leader. The plan might change.¡± Mysterious men who disappeared into the crowd after eyeing us. Looking back and forth between them and the baron, I made a decision in my heart. ¡®Not happening, you bastards.¡¯ Baron Zicklinte. According to the original story, it seems you should die here. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 52 #052 ¡°Come to think of it, this is quite strange.¡± In the mansion of House Zicklinte, located at the center of the territory. Sitting in his luxuriously decorated office, Baron Zicklinte said while sipping his tea. ¡°That a scion of House Nachtval would maintain his Imperial Army status. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to join the Knight Order right after commissioning?¡± Now, if I apply the noble speech patterns learned from Walter to this text, this interpretation emerges: ¡®A mage graduated from the military academy but didn¡¯t join the Knight Order? You must be low in the family hierarchy?¡¯ Understanding the implication well, Feilun maintained a blank expression with a faint smile. ¡°I believed that experiencing actual combat was the best way to accumulate experience and magical power to reach greater heights. Thanks to that, I¡¯ve been able to fight alongside you, Baron. Isn¡¯t this also fate?¡± ¡°Hahaha, quite ambitious.¡± To interpret the conversation that just passed, it¡¯s roughly this: ¡®Of course I¡¯m not mainstream. If I were mainstream power like the heir, would someone like you, a mere baron, even get to meet me face to face?¡¯ ¡®Hahaha, you bastard.¡¯ Ugh, even I feel goosebumps interpreting this. It feels like there are a thousand needles hidden between the pleasantries they¡¯re exchanging with smiles. If you¡¯re going to be like this, just go outside and duke it out with magic. Is this Galphren or Kyoto? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Baron Zicklinte tilted his teacup and seemed to be calculating as he looked at Feilun. While he couldn¡¯t treat him carelessly since he was of Nachtval¡¯s direct lineage, supporting the next head of House Nachtval was a different matter entirely. ¡°Well, fine. Let¡¯s talk business.¡± And as I expected, the baron made his decision quickly. Let¡¯s talk business. It was an indication that he had no intention of getting closer. ¡®Though his individual magical power might be formidable, Feilun is not mainstream within the family. He must think he can¡¯t overturn the succession structure.¡¯ Of course this would happen, given how impressive the presence of ¡®that bastard¡¯ heir is. ¡°As the lord of Zicklinte territory, my request is simple. I will directly command the Imperial Army soldiers and Magic Corps who are participating as support forces, and Lieutenant, you will assist me from my side.¡± Hand over command authority to him, and have Feilun just watch from inside the castle. It was, as he said, a simple request. And simultaneously, a rude one. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Though he was speaking politely, it was essentially dismissing him. As if used to such treatment, Feilun let out a tired sigh and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°The reinforcements are clearly under my command, and I am responsible for them. While I will cooperate in suppressing the rebels, I will command the soldiers.¡± Baron Zicklinte¡¯s lips twisted at Feilun¡¯s objection. ¡°I offered you an easy path, yet you refuse. How very upright of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Very well. Then I shall give you a mission befitting that stance.¡± Saying this, Baron Zicklinte placed his hand on the map spread across his office desk. ¡°Though there are many rebels who have infiltrated the territory, their mage forces are limited. I and the Knight Order will personally deal with them after drawing them into the mansion.¡± ¡°Surrounded and annihilated. Thus, I want the Lieutenant¡¯s reinforcements to stop the mob that supports the rebels from the outskirts.¡± ¡°The mob, you say. Since we¡¯ll be dealing with territory residents, our task would be suppression operations, correct?¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean by that?¡± Baron Zicklinte spoke as if puzzled by Feilun¡¯s words. ¡°Of course we must kill all the mobs that support the rebellion. If I had merely intended to suppress them and throw them in prison, why would I have requested the Magic Corps and armored train?¡± ¡°Wait, what did you just¡­?¡± Feilun asked with wide eyes, and the trio standing behind me closed their eyes tightly. ¡®Was there such a backstory in Chapter 2?¡¯ The Galphren siege in [Revolution Empire] Part 1 proceeds in two stages. Stage 1: Stopping the Imperial Army that¡¯s firing indiscriminately at citizens. And Stage 2: Eliminating Zicklinte, the lord of Galphren and the root of this tragedy. It¡¯s the part where they burn with anger against the Empire, watching the magic nobles who tormented territory residents with vicious exploitation and the Imperial Army who were in cahoots with them. Who would have thought there was such a backstory to that stage. ¡®Baron Zicklinte takes the credit for suppressing the Revolutionary Army mages. And the Imperial Army takes the karma for shooting and killing the enraged citizens with cannons and weapons.¡¯ And the story that proceeds in the original work was essentially playing right into Baron Zicklinte¡¯s scheme. Of course, his own death wasn¡¯t part of the plan. ¡°The Kalhyram Imperial Army exists to protect Imperial citizens! Are you telling us to kill the citizens of Galphren territory?¡± ¡°Citizens? Lieutenant, you speak quite strangely.¡± When Feilun spoke through gritted teeth, Zicklinte responded as if wondering what the problem was. ¡°They¡¯re nothing but reactionaries intoxicated by an impossible dream of revolution! No different from Westraine¡¯s puppets! What does it matter if we kill thousands or tens of thousands of such people?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then deploy the Knight Order to the outskirts instead! We¡¯ll handle the rebels¡­!¡± ¡°Ha, first you demand command authority, and now you¡¯re trying to control the Knight Order too? What¡¯s next, shall I hand over the position of lord as well?¡± ¡°You really¡­!¡± Oh my, why is this senior acting like this? Seeing Senior Feilun unusually heated up, I grabbed his shoulder. Zicklinte was rambling on about whether he was defending the rebels and how he didn¡¯t expect this, saying he¡¯d inform the family and the Duke would be shocked, but that¡¯s not my concern. ¡°Please calm down. Supporting the baron is an order from above, so we must follow it.¡± Saying that, I looked at Baron Zicklinte with narrowed eyes. ¡®Magic noble forces are cancerous existences that need to be removed anyway. This is a basic premise.¡¯ I had such thoughts for a while. Since I¡¯d already chosen to side with the Empire, was there really a need to be hostile to magic nobles? The Emperor had survived and the Imperial Army¡¯s influence was growing, so wouldn¡¯t it be fine to maintain appropriate checks and balances while coexisting? But seeing Baron Zicklinte¡¯s behavior, I was convinced. They were powers that wouldn¡¯t tolerate any authority outside themselves, entities that divided the Empire. Magic nobles were intolerable pus within the Empire, from both the Empire¡¯s and Revolutionary Army¡¯s perspective. ¡®Moreover, it¡¯s nonsensical for the Empire, which is facing both Westraine and monsters, to deal with both magic nobles and the Revolutionary Army.¡¯ ¡°Eugene, but¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Now is the time for selection and focus. If so, what I need to do here is clear. ¡°I have an idea.¡± *** ¡°The Imperial Army has been reinforced¡­ and there¡¯s even some Magic Corps mixed in?¡± Hearing the report from the informant who was out on the streets, Claude¡¯s mind became complicated. Several Imperial Army officers and Magic Corps. Plus hundreds of soldiers. While it wasn¡¯t enough support to disrupt the operation, it wasn¡¯t a number they could ignore either. Moreover¡­ ¡°More than the troops, the bigger problem is that armored train. The Imperial Army bastards, they wouldn¡¯t shoot that at citizens, would they?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be optimistic. We¡¯re dealing with Baron Zicklinte here. We need to keep all possibilities open.¡± ¡°What should we do, Claude? Should we proceed as planned?¡± As his comrades operating in the baron¡¯s territory said, it was a situation where they needed to keep all possibilities open. ¡°How about the people¡¯s uprising?¡± When Claude asked this, a muscular giant answered. ¡°We can make it happen anytime if you give the order. Everyone¡¯s suffered so much under the baron that we¡¯re actually holding them back from rushing out right now.¡± Miles, a comrade who was tasked with contacting territory residents. Hearing his answer, Claude shifted his gaze to another direction. It was Ren, an imprinted one dispatched from headquarters. ¡°The members¡¯ magic imprint conditions couldn¡¯t be better. Since they were created based on your magic imprint, the firepower is sufficient too.¡± Hearing those words, Claude looked at his own magic imprint, [Red Wings]. An imprint that had grown to four stroke in two years. There were barely any mages his age who had achieved this much, and even Randall and senior members were amazed at his growth rate. ¡®Indeed, he¡¯s the revolutionary hero chosen by Maxim.¡¯ ¡®Leading the new generation is your role, Claude.¡¯ Recalling their words, Claude felt a strange elation as he clenched his fist. ¡®Right. I can do this.¡¯ This operation isn¡¯t just about eliminating magic nobles. It¡¯s a trial to determine whether he can directly lead the Revolutionary Army. He can¡¯t run away. ¡°Alright. The operation will proceed as-¡° S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Just as Claude finished his judgment and opened his mouth. Knock. Knock. ¡°?!¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± At the knocking sound on the hideout door, all members¡¯ gazes turned in that direction. A knock at a Revolutionary Army hideout? Shouldn¡¯t there have been sentries? More than that, what about the personnel monitoring from the outskirts? In the silence-filled space, Miles, Claude¡¯s trusted subordinate, made eye contact. ¡®Should I check?¡¯ Claude, who had drawn his weapon from his waist, nodded. ¡°Who is it? The password?¡± ¡°Why. Will you let me in if I know it?¡± A familiar voice. Feeling his spine go cold, Claude hurriedly aimed his pistol at the door. How on earth¡­ How¡­! Creeak- As the door slowly opened, a man in casual shirt attire entered the hideout. Black hair and eyes. His characteristic languid expression, and the directionless anger hidden within that expression. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing him greeting with that sly face made his blood boil. The devil who had come to find him after he joined the Revolutionary Army. He had once again appeared before him. ¡°An Imperial Army mage! I¡¯ll cut your throat right-!¡± Boom-! The moment Miles, who was next to the door, raised his fist, magical power spreading from Eugene pressed down on the entire hideout. ¡°Gu, guhk?!¡± ¡°What is this magical power¡­!¡± ¡°Impossible. Above five stroke¡­!¡± Those who collapsed to the floor were only comrades without magical power. While personnel with magic imprints could withstand Eugene¡¯s magical power without much difficulty, no mage dared to attack Eugene rashly. ¡®Even if it¡¯s me and the other mages¡­¡¯ ¡®The regular members without magical power, with just one gesture from that bastard¡­¡¯ Dozens of non-awakened ones gathered in the narrow space located in the building¡¯s basement. Eugene had effectively taken all of them hostage. ¡®Five stroke? Five stroke¡­!¡¯ Eugene, who had found the hideout alone and subdued them in an instant. Looking at such Eugene, Claude felt a twist in a corner of his heart. He thought he had surpassed him. He thought he could win if they met again. Why do you¡­! ¡°When the people¡¯s uprising occurs, the Imperial Army plans to conduct indiscriminate bombardment using mages and the armored train. It was decided at the meeting this afternoon, and the armored train is loaded with anti-personnel poison gas shells.¡± While Claude was thinking this. As Eugene looked around at everyone and said this, the other members¡¯ eyes filled with shock. ¡°What are you saying? Bo-bombardment? Poison gas shells?!¡± ¡°These crazy bastards finally¡­!¡± Indiscriminate bombardment. Coming to his senses at those terrifying words, Claude raised his hand to calm the members. ¡°So, what¡¯s your reason for telling us this as an Imperial Army soldier?¡± ¡°Well. Pangs of conscience?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk bullshit.¡± If you had such a thing, the Revolutionary Army in Belkers wouldn¡¯t have been completely annihilated. As if enjoying the hostile gaze, Eugene smiled faintly and spoke to Claude. ¡°Revolutionary Army leader, Claude de Lascol.¡± An inexplicable, profound gaze was directed at Claude, and Eugene slowly opened his mouth with his characteristic indifferent voice. ¡°Let¡¯s do something together.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 53 #053 [I ordered the soldiers to open fire. I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch my subordinates die at the hands of the angry crowd. I pray my decision was the right one.] [Seeing their comrades¡¯ bodies being torn apart by citizens¡¯ spears and swords, the soldiers under my command began losing their minds one by one. This isn¡¯t good. Lieutenant Paul tried desperately to stop them, but it seemed futile.] [A young girl walking down the street collapsed after being hit by a soldier¡¯s bullet. No. Someone needs to save that child.] [The dead girl¡¯s father was wailing at me. The crowd¡¯s anger reached its peak, and the situation became irreversible.] [The people¡¯s uprising is over. What¡¯s happening before my eyes now is a horrific massacre. Soldiers bearing the empire¡¯s crest were slaughtering citizens. This was the result of my choice.] [Lieutenant Paul, my adjutant, lost his life to a rebel sniper. He was an upright man who insisted until the end that we must protect the citizens. Why? Why did he have to lose his life?] [The mob impaled the Lieutenant¡¯s head on a spear.] [A flag was fluttering beneath Lieutenant Paul¡¯s head. These worthless scum crying out for an impossible revolution. My mind became crystal clear. Everything has come to this because of those bastards.] [I ordered the armored train on standby to open fire. It took less than a minute for thousands of rioters to turn into pieces of flesh. Ah, poor Lieutenant Paul. May this somewhat appease his grudge.] [I smashed the head of a rioter begging for his life. Though he claimed innocence with his mouth, this one must surely be an undercover rebel informant. Filthy rebel scum. Think I¡¯d fall for that?] [I equipped the surviving soldiers with flamethrowers and had them search every corner of the territory. Not a single rebel should be spared from being burned alive. Remembering Lieutenant Paul¡¯s screams, these vermin¡¯s cries were nothing.] [I looked around at the countless corpses of the rebels. An inexplicable disgust swirled inside me.] [Why was I here? Why did I put on this uniform? I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t remember anymore.] [While hanging the surviving rebels on streetlamps, someone was approaching. Eugene Lorentz. A vermin the rebels were praising as a hero.] ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡°Eugene, what are you thinking so deeply about?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± When I came to my senses, the pristine conference room came into full view. The one looking at me was Feilun. At the opposite end, in the seat of honor, Baron Zicklinte was smiling with satisfaction. ¡°Nothing. Just lost in thought for a moment.¡± ¡°Spacing out during a meeting? That¡¯s not like you.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± What was that just now? I don¡¯t understand why content I¡¯ve never seen in the game suddenly started flooding into my mind. But my confusion didn¡¯t last long. Baron Zicklinte, who had risen from his seat, extended his hand toward Feilun. ¡°With the Imperial Army being so cooperative, House Zicklinte can rest easy. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear yesterday¡¯s slip of the tongue.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± With a smiling face, Feilun grasped and shook the Baron¡¯s hand. Ultimately, the Imperial Army accepted all of Baron Zicklinte¡¯s demands. They were tasked with defending the outskirts of the Zicklinte mansion and key strong points from the rioters. ¡°The rebels¡¯ main force consists only of mages dispatched from headquarters anyway. Our house¡¯s knights can handle that much.¡± When the Baron said this, the four knights standing by his side briefly bowed their heads. Three-stroke imprints. The same formation I¡¯d seen in the game. ¡°Then we¡¯ll head to the site to deploy our forces. However¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Just before heading to their respective positions after concluding the meeting. Feilun stopped at the door and spoke to the Baron. ¡°Unless they launch a preemptive attack against the defense forces, citizens in the streets are territorial subjects, not rioters. Do you agree on this point?¡± ¡°Ha, I wondered what you were going to say.¡± The Baron waved his hand dismissively. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to destroy valuable labor with guns and swords. Those who charge at our defense forces. Just catch those ones.¡± ¡°¡­Understood. Then, excuse us.¡± And so, Feilun and the Baron parted ways, leaving meaningful smiles behind. ¡°Hahaha! What a fool. ¡®Unless they launch a preemptive attack¡¯? He must spout such nonsense because he¡¯s never dealt with rioters before!¡± ¡­That idiot. Does he think his voice won¡¯t carry once the door is closed? *** ¡°It was certainly a rash action. It could have been considered treason if things had gone wrong.¡± While deploying troops as agreed with the Baron. Feilun let out a deep sigh, recalling yesterday¡¯s argument with the Baron. ¡°I was quite surprised too. I didn¡¯t expect the Lieutenant to defend the territorial subjects.¡± ¡°You mean it was unexpected for a pure-blooded noble to side with non-nobles?¡± Really now. Even when I try to say it indirectly, he takes it literally. Chuckling, Feilun extended his hand toward me. What, asking for a cigarette? ¡°¡­Senior, don¡¯t you not smoke?¡± ¡°Just give me one. I¡¯m dying from nerves.¡± Ah geez, what a pain. I handed him a cigarette and lit it for him. ¡°Keh, kack! cough cough!¡± See? Why smoke when you¡¯re not used to it? ¡°Actually, I never wanted to become a mage.¡± After coughing a few times, Feilun smiled wryly and started sharing his story. ¡°But my birth mother, Countess Pecklin¡­ She was a woman obsessed with power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite¡­ direct language toward your mother.¡± ¡°Watch how noble houses operate up close. Any affection you had will drain away.¡± Having said that, Feilun gazed at the cityscape spread before him. According to Claude¡¯s information, the popular uprising would begin in a few hours. The city interior was wrapped in a calm like the eye of a storm. ¡°The ones who showed me kindness were my non-noble nanny and servants. They were irreplaceable people to me.¡± As Feilun spoke, his eyes suddenly changed. ¡°Do you know¡­ what happened to them?¡± ¡°They died.¡± I can tell just by those eyes. Nodding, Feilun continued. ¡°My nanny was struck in the head for dirtying a dress meant for a ball, and never woke up. The servant who used to play with me died under a horse¡¯s hooves, and another was burned by magic for blocking Bastion¡¯s path.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s when I thought about it. That I would change this damned empire with my own hands.¡± Really unexpected facts kept coming out. Who knew a boss monster you meet early on had such a backstory. Isn¡¯t this setting unnecessarily complicated? ¡°It¡¯s remarkable you didn¡¯t join the rebels.¡± ¡°I told you. I¡¯ll use any means necessary.¡± Feilun, having positioned the trio in their optimal spots, responded to my words. ¡°It¡¯s true I harbor resentment toward nobles. I also think the empire needs to change. However, I don¡¯t agree with their methods.¡± Having said that, Feilun looked out at the city that was starting to stir. ¡°I respect their passion for overthrowing the country, but their ideology is fundamentally rooted in anger. If a group that makes destruction its purpose tries to move a massive nation like the empire¡­ I don¡¯t think that will end well.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He was right. The betrayal the protagonist would face, the chaos that would follow. And the destruction the Emperor had foreseen. ¡®I suppose it¡¯s natural for someone like this to go mad after killing citizens with his own hands.¡¯ Tweet¨C! Meanwhile, along with a whistle, crowds of people poured into the streets. As numerous torches filled the territory, soldiers nervously checked their weapons. Watching them, Feilun swallowed dryly and asked. ¡°Eugene. Are you certain?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain.¡± Hearing my words, Feilun spoke to each unit and the Magic Corps through magical power communication. ¡°This is Commander Lieutenant Feilun Rus Nachtval. Do not act rashly, and absolutely do not fire first. Unless there¡¯s a preemptive attack, they are not rioters but territorial subjects of Zicklinte. Understood?!¡± ¨C Yes! ¨C Everyone heard that! Absolutely no firing first! ¨C Don¡¯t build up bad blood with uninvolved territorial subjects! Got it?! ¨C Guille, Ortega, Matt. While the shouts of the three people receiving my orders could be heard, the gathered crowds completely surrounded the anti-air position and mansion. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-what kind of numbers¡­!¡± An overwhelming number that made it seem like all the territory¡¯s subjects had come out. As soldiers swallowed dryly at the sight, someone slowly walked out from among the gathered crowd. The Revolutionary Army leader of the Galphren branch whom I¡¯d met when infiltrating their hideout. He slowly raised the torch in his hand¡­ ¡°Corrupt lord, Baron Zicklinte, hear our demands-!¡± Instead of ordering the crowd to attack, he began shouting toward the mansion with a megaphone. ¡°Waaaah¡ª!¡± Cheers and slogans mixed to create an overwhelming voice. Stop the oppression of territorial subjects. Lower the tax rate. Provide compensation for forced labor. Pay overdue wages. When the territorial subjects, who were expected to charge in immediately, stopped in place and started shouting, the tense soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment. ¡°What, this is¡­!¡± ¡°Instead of an uprising, they¡¯re just protesting?¡± The citizens shouting slogans while maintaining distance from the lined-up Imperial Army formation. Actually, from the perspective of a 21st century Earth person, this was an all too familiar sight. Do you guys know about non-violent protests? *** ¡°What¡­ what are they doing right now?!¡± Baron Zicklinte, who had been expecting to watch the Imperial Army kill citizens from a distance, was dumbfounded at the situation below the mansion. ¡°A protest?! Just a protest?! The rebel scum gathered this many people, and all they¡¯re doing is protesting?!¡± He had planned to use the popular uprising as a pretext to eliminate troublesome rebels. The Imperial Army would bear the burden of slaughtering territorial subjects, while he would monopolize the honor of suppressing rebel leadership! ¡®But why¡­ why aren¡¯t they fighting?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t watch anymore. Baron Zicklinte immediately contacted Feilun, the Imperial Army commander. ¡°Lieutenant! Can you not hear those rioters¡¯ voices?! Why aren¡¯t you opening fire¡­¡± ¨C Rioters? I don¡¯t know what you mean. But Feilun¡¯s voice flowing through his magic imprint was utterly leisurely. ¨C As an Imperial Army officer, I judge that the territorial subjects are merely making ¡®legitimate demands for improved treatment.¡¯ We cannot consider them rioters, can we? ¡°Damn it, then there was no need to deploy troops! Return the forces immediately to hunt down the rebels¡­!¡± That won¡¯t be possible either. The voice that cut into the heated magical power communication was that of Eugene, Feilun¡¯s adjutant. ¨C Who knows if there might be rebel agents among those territorial subjects? If we carelessly withdraw troops and strong points like the anti-air position are occupied, wouldn¡¯t our support have been meaningless? ¡°Where is there such sophistry! Right now among that crowd, there isn¡¯t a single rebel¡­¡± BOOM¨C! Before the Baron could finish speaking, an explosion occurred in one corner of the mansion. ¡°Aaaagh?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s rebels! Rebel mages!¡± While the private soldiers stationed at the mansion scattered in panic, a flag emerged from the thick smoke. Red Wings drawn on a black background. The rebels¡¯ main force had infiltrated the mansion. ¡°What¡¯s going on. The mansion perimeter defense forces¡­¡± While muttering this, Baron Zicklinte recalled what Feilun had said to him. ¡®Unless they launch a preemptive attack against the defense forces, citizens in the streets are territorial subjects, not rioters. Do you agree on this point?¡¯ That statement¡­ Wasn¡¯t it as if he had foreseen this situation¡­! ¡°Those bastards, could they be with the rebels¡­¡± ¡°Baron Dario Zicklinte.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°!!!¡± Amid the confusion, mages who had completed battle preparations aimed their weapons at him from beneath the flag. ¡°We¡¯ll end your life right here.¡± Along with the mechanical sound of magic bullets being loaded, red magical power overwhelmed the assembly. It was Claude de Lascol, leader of the Revolutionary Army. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 54 #054 Boom-! Boom-! ¡°That sound is¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s started.¡± Explosions could be heard from the direction of the mansion, and the Zicklinte mansion, surrounded by sturdy castle walls, began to burn. The burning noble mansion, the Imperial Army surrounding it, and the citizens cheering at the sight of us. Right now, rather than being a suppression force defending the noble¡¯s mansion from citizens, the Imperial Army had become¡­ ¡°Nothing more than doorkeepers controlling the audience at a circus.¡± After saying that, Feilun looked around at the surrounding crowd with a bewildered expression. Like any mature modern society¡¯s righteous and healthy protest culture, the scene of this public uprising was gradually transforming into a peculiar ritual somewhere between protest and festival. ¡°Burn it-!¡± ¡°Waaahh¨C!¡± Among the cheering crowd, a straw effigy of Baron Zicklinte burned. Seeing them sticking skewers into its crotch, several soldiers guarding the mansion couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. ¡°We should probably control the soldiers¡¯ expressions.¡± ¡°Senior, you should do something about your face first. Aren¡¯t you about to burst out laughing?¡± When I turned around after saying that, Feilun was covering his face with his hands, his shoulders shaking. With the commander acting like that, how could the soldiers stay still? Still, looking at the burning effigy in the square, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why. That straw doll the citizens made to represent Baron Zicklinte was impressively detailed even from a distance. Not only did they perfectly recreate his balloon-like bloated body, but they even managed to capture his bald head. How did they make a straw doll look so exactly like the Baron himself? ¡°By the way, collaborating with rebels is high treason that deserves immediate execution, let alone a court-martial, Eugene.¡± ¡°So, are you planning to report it?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± When I casually asked, Feilun shook his head with a smirk. The deal Claude and I made was simple. If we wanted to prevent indiscriminate massacre of citizens, we had to ensure that the citizens who rushed into the streets wouldn¡¯t harm the Imperial Army in any way. In exchange, the Imperial Army would allow the Revolutionary Army mages to enter and capture Baron Zicklinte without bloodshed. ¡®You¡¯ll give us the magic noble¡¯s head if we don¡¯t touch your people?¡¯ ¡®The magic nobles and their Knight Orders are thorns in the Imperial Army¡¯s side too. You¡¯re from noble birth, so you should know that well, right?¡¯ There were quite a number of Imperial nobles who participated in or supported the revolution. Old noble families who had lost power struggles with magic nobles, or minor nobles who had been abandoned by them. Having recruited such people, Claude and the Revolutionary Army executives were quite well-informed about the Empire¡¯s noble society. They couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of the factional fights happening among the Empire¡¯s upper class. ¡®The Imperial Army benefits by avoiding the burden of massacring territory residents, and you benefit by not losing citizens who would join your revolution. If we take down the magic noble who¡¯s everyone¡¯s enemy, isn¡¯t it profitable for both sides?¡¯ Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®What if we refuse?¡¯ ¡®We¡¯ll load the armored train¡¯s cannons with incendiary shells.¡¯ ¡®W-What?!¡¯ ¡®You crazy bastard! You¡¯d burn down the entire city?!¡¯ Incendiary shells. At my threat to rain napalm fire on a city full of wooden buildings, the other revolutionaries¡¯ faces turned pale. But what could they do? Without going this far, the Revolutionary Army wouldn¡¯t cooperate with the Imperial Army. And so, the contract between myself and Claude, the Imperial Army and Revolutionary Army, was concluded surprisingly smoothly. I feel like I should give them a generous bonus up to the daily limit. Maybe even take a photo with a thumbs up. ¡°Thanks to you, the Imperial Army won¡¯t have to point guns at citizens. The only casualties in this uprising will be the Zicklinte family members in the mansion and a few rebels.¡± ¡°And we get to eliminate Baron Zicklinte, who¡¯s part of the magic noble faction, without lifting a finger. It¡¯s quite convenient from our perspective.¡± Aaaaargh¨C! As we chatted with the burning mansion as our backdrop, a scream rang out from behind us. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°What impressive lungs. How can we hear the screams all the way from here?¡± Saying that, I drew Heresy from my thigh holster. Guille, Ortega, and Matt gathered at my hand signal. Loading the magic bullet Matt handed me into Heresy, all preparations for the assault were complete. ¡°Well then Senior, we¡¯ll be going. Please take care of crowd control.¡± ¡°Going? Where?¡± ¡°To the Zicklinte mansion, of course.¡± I replied to Feilun, who asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°There were no territory resident deaths thanks to the non-violent protest, and in return, the Revolutionary Army succeeded in taking Baron Zicklinte¡¯s head. The contract between the Revolutionary Army and Imperial Army is complete with the Baron¡¯s death.¡± At those words, Feilun let out a laugh of disbelief. The cooperation was over, and what remained were the Revolutionary Army who had entered the mansion and the Imperial Army surrounding it. The situation was overwhelmingly in our favor. ¡°Though we were delayed in the process of suppressing the uprising, we should still provide support, even if late. That way we¡¯ll have something to report to our superiors.¡± After saying that, I walked toward the mansion with the three armed men. Don¡¯t worry, Claude. I¡¯ll beat you to within an inch of your life, retrieve Zicklinte¡¯s magic imprint, and then let you go. *** ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡­¡± ¡°We won, we won¡­¡­¡± The luxurious Zicklinte mansion was no more. All that remained were burnt ruins and the corpses of soldiers scattered about. With the fall of the last knight, the battle at the mansion ended in the Revolutionary Army¡¯s victory. ¡°P-Please spare me¡­! Please, just my life¡­! Ack?!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Baron Zicklinte, his magical power completely depleted, was crawling on the ground like an insect. Not wanting to hear any more of his voice, Claude shoved his gun barrel into the Baron¡¯s mouth. As if caught wrong on the gun sight, the Baron¡¯s front teeth shattered with a crunch. ¡°Ugh¡­ Uugh¡­¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time, Claude. If we delay, the Imperial Army will¡­¡± The one who trailed off was Miles, a fellow member. The three stroke magic imprint was glowing red from magic bullet use. Looking at the faces of his fellow members who had fought together, they all appeared thoroughly exhausted. ¡®That bastard won¡¯t just let us leave quietly.¡¯ The deal Eugene offered them was like a poisoned apple. A deal closer to blackmail, using the territory residents¡¯ lives as hostages. Thanks to it, capturing the Baron became much easier, but the members, including himself, were now completely trapped in the Imperial Army¡¯s encirclement. ¡°Leader! The comrades at the mansion entrance have stopped responding!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± At one member¡¯s voice, Claude and the executives ground their teeth. ¡°As expected, they¡¯re coming to capture us.¡± ¡°Everyone with strength left, prepare for battle! Miles!¡± ¡°I know! Five of you follow me! Snipers, standby at high ground! The moment you see an opening¡­!¡± Kwaaang¨C! Before Miles could finish giving instructions, the barricade blocking the mansion exploded completely. ¡°The moment you see an opening what? Were you planning to aim for our heads?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Thump- Thump- Three shadows gradually emerged through the thick smoke. ¡°Supreme Leader of the Revolutionary Army, Claude de Lascol. Surrender quietly and lie face down.¡± ¡°Guille. Those bastards don¡¯t look like they¡¯re going to surrender at all?¡± ¡°Even if they don¡¯t look like they¡¯ll surrender, regulations say we have to offer once, Ortega. We learned that at the military academy.¡± ¡°Kek, who actually follows that?!¡± Three men wearing Imperial Army officer uniforms. One burning with fighting spirit, one with a twisted smile, and the last one observing him with cold eyes. ¡°¡­Wait, three stroke?¡± A flat voice devoid of any tension. Ren¡¯s eyes filled with shock when he saw the imprints carved on their arms, the puzzlement lasting only a moment. ¡°Impossible, how can Imperial Army officers, not Magic Corps, have magic imprints like that¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to be surprised.¡± Looking at the revolutionary members who were too shocked to speak, I channeled magical power into my magic imprint. Whoosh-! Soon, massive Fireballs formed in the hands of all three men. Claude and Miles hurriedly erected barriers against the huge fireballs that came without warning. Bang bang bang¨C! ¡°Kugh!¡± ¡°What kind of power is this¡­!¡± When the Fireballs hit the barriers, groans escaped from both men¡¯s mouths. Not just Miles with the same number of imprint strokes, but even Claude with his four stroke imprint. What¡¯s going on? The magical power output from the imprints wasn¡¯t this large, so how could they cast magic with such power? Their confusion at seeing the three men lasted only a moment. Pshik-! Along with a familiar sound, a shell casing ejected from the gloves the three men were wearing. The all too familiar operating mechanism and magical power amplification. Claude felt his mind going blank. ¡°Magic bullets¡­?¡± They were using Revolutionary Army weapons right now! ¡°The new firing mechanism performs much better, doesn¡¯t it? No need to carry it separately either.¡± ¡°The weight could be reduced a bit more. No, rather, how about mounting this on weapons?¡± ¡°Like that gun Eugene has?¡± Eugene. When that name left their lips, Claude frantically looked around. If the Imperial Army had invaded the mansion, that bastard had to be here somewhere. Where is he? Where the hell is that damn bastard¡­! ¡°Lieutenant-!¡± A gurgling cry caught Claude¡¯s attention. Baron Zicklinte, blood streaming from his mouth. Following his gaze, Claude finally found the man he had been looking for all along. ¡°Kuk, kekuk¡­!¡± ¡°That idiot really isn¡¯t helpful in life at all.¡± A black-haired Imperial Army officer stabbing a knife into the neck of a sniper positioned on the railing. Seeing that face, Claude¡¯s eyes blazed with fury. ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­!¡± ¡°This took longer than expected. Looking at the party composition, this shouldn¡¯t have been difficult enough to drag on this long.¡± Party? What does he mean? Eugene muttered incomprehensible words while drawing a pistol from his waist. A revolver with decorations all over it. It was ¡®Heresy¡¯, the weapon of his master Maximilien. ¡°Ah, well done, Lieutenant! Quickly, quickly send those rebel bastards to hell¡­!¡± Bang-! Baron Zicklinte¡¯s voice cut off with the gunshot. Turning around, he had become a cold corpse with a hole blown through his head. ¡°Such sloppy finishing. The Zicklinte family¡¯s magic imprint includes body regeneration abilities. Leave him like that and we¡¯d get stabbed in the back.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± He glanced at Baron Zicklinte¡¯s corpse. His front teeth, which should have been shattered, had grown back. ¡°Now that the deal is done, you¡¯re going to arrest us?¡± ¡°Exactly. And while we¡¯re at it, we¡¯ll pin Zicklinte¡¯s murder on you too.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch¡­!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like that, you know what you need to do, right?¡± Mocking the growling Claude, Eugene released magical power from his right hand¡¯s magic imprint. Whoosh¨C! Dozens of red magic circles floating in the air. Loading red Fireballs into them, Eugene spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Try to survive, you Revolutionary Army scum.¡± With those words, dozens of fireballs shot toward the Revolutionary Army. It was an immense conflagration that completely blocked their view. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 55 #055 ¡°The barrier won¡¯t hold!¡± ¡°Damn it, what kind of firepower¡­!¡± Starting with the Fireball I fired to seize the initiative, the offensive from me and the three others began to pressure the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Hahaha! Every time I use it, I can¡¯t help but feel that this magic bullet is really something else!¡± As if intoxicated by the magical power emanating from the magic bullet, it was Ortega who charged to the front line. With two cavalry sabers in his hands, Ortega¡¯s target was Miles, the three stroke mage positioned at the front. Even though he was charging at a muscular giant a head taller than himself, no trace of fear could be found in Ortega¡¯s eyes. ¡°Looks like a wild dog¡¯s gone for a bear¡¯s throat. Matt!¡± ¡°I know.¡± The moment the one-on-one confrontation formed, Guille, the leader of the trio, stepped in to block the Revolutionary Army members rushing to support Miles. Boom-boom-boom¨C! Dozens of Fireballs exploded in place. It was the handiwork of Guille, wielding a sawed-off shotgun in one hand. ¡°Urgh?!¡± ¡°What the- how can he cover such a wide area¡­!¡± Unlike Ortega, who specialized in physical enhancement, Guille¡¯s magic imprint focused on firepower suited for crowd control. He compensated for his lack of physical durability with technique, using magic bullet-enhanced Fireballs to deal with multiple opponents. In a way, his combat style was the most similar to mine. ¡°Miles! The others are¡­! Aargh?!¡± ¡°Ren!¡± A highly condensed beam of light flew towards the Revolutionary Army mages preparing supporting fire from the rear. ¡°Supporting fire? Try it if you can.¡± Matt sneered as he aimed his rifle from the back line. Ortega rampaging at the front, Guille handling multiple enemies at mid-range. Supporting these two from long range were the Fireballs fired from Matt¡¯s rifle. Unlike regular Fireballs, these were compressed to maximize precision and range. His physical enhancement was used solely to withstand the recoil of that spell. ¡®The magic these three use are [Fireball] and [Physical Enhancement]. Same spells, yet such different applications.¡¯ Ortega, who abandoned Fireball to pour all magical power into physical enhancement. Guille, who extremely enhanced Fireball¡¯s explosive power to suppress multiple enemies at once. And Matt, who increased precision and range to support the other two from behind. ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re being pushed back!¡± ¡°There¡¯s only three of them! How is this happening¡­!¡± Once the coordination of the three specialists was complete, the dozens of Revolutionary Army mages could only desperately defend, unable to find a way to counter. They might have been able to respond somewhat if they were at full strength, but the Revolutionary Army was considerably drained from their fight with Baron Zicklinte. Unable to use magic bullets due to the risk of overload, they had no choice but to take the beating helplessly. ¡°Argh?!¡± ¡°We lost one!¡± ¡°Damn it, maintain formation and prepare to retreat slowly!¡± ¡°Claude!¡± Now then, what might our hero be doing while he should be commanding the Revolutionary Army in this situation? Bang-! Boom-! What else? Having a grand old time trading blows with me. ¡°Haaaah-!¡± With a roar, Claude¡¯s sword came crashing down towards me. Red flames wreathing the blade, and fireballs targeting me from behind. However, just before that sword reached my face, my [Hellfire] that I had activated on the ground erupted. Boom¨C! ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Your form falls apart too easily? Don¡¯t tell me you flinched at a mere suppression spell?¡± ¡°Suppression, you say¡­!¡± Even if it was meant for suppression, getting hit would still mean death all the same. I charged in for close combat against Claude, who wore a strangely indignant expression. Swoosh! Crack! Bang-! As much as I hated to admit it, the techniques I learned at Knifehead were proving incredibly useful. Knife fighting with a single dagger and bare hands, joint locks, and the binding spell [Helios¡¯s Reins] woven between them. When he tried to dodge the dagger in my left hand, my right hand would grab his collar, and when he tried to avoid both, the red magical power chains would target his back. What if he tried to create distance, you ask? Screech¨C! ¡°Argh?!¡± The second long-range spell inscribed in the fourth stroke, [Spear of Mithra]. The extremely compressed red beam mercilessly pierced through the barrier Claude deployed. Come to think of it, this skill ignored defense in the game too, didn¡¯t it? Using it in reality proved it to be an absolutely vicious spell. ¡®By the way¡­¡¯ S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Continuous bombardment from range, and close combat weaving through the gaps. Watching Claude gradually being overwhelmed, I began to see just how much he had grown. ¡®As expected, he hasn¡¯t unlocked the fourth stroke for long.¡¯ Right now, I wasn¡¯t even using the spells inscribed in the fifth stroke. The fact that there was this much difference despite that meant he couldn¡¯t properly draw out the performance of his newly unlocked magic imprint. Though the degree differed, it was the same situation as when I first received the seven stroke inscription. ¡®His body can¡¯t keep up with the imprint¡¯s growth rate. At this rate, it¡¯d be pointless to pit him against magic nobles.¡¯ Come to think of it, the time it took Claude to defeat Zicklinte was much later than the original protagonist¡¯s timeline. For someone of noble blood who received surgery early to develop slower than a protagonist who awakened magical power at 17¡­ ¡®At this rate, the Revolutionary Army card will be taken out by the magic nobles or Randall before I can even use it.¡¯ Can¡¯t be helped. Having made my decision, I watched Claude desperately trying to break through my barrage. ¡®Since it¡¯s come to this, might as well experiment.¡¯ What came to my mind was one of [Revolution Empire]¡¯s systems. The original protagonist ¡®Eugene Lorentz¡¯ awakened his magical power late, forcibly using incompatible imprints while struggling to build his strength. Nevertheless, his growth rate surpassed the current Claude, and in the extreme late game, he grew into a mage capable of using all seven stroke imprints inherited from Maximilien. How was that possible? The reason was a system called ¡®Indomitable¡¯ that manifested in moments of crisis. ¡®In the original game, Indomitable¡¯s activation chance increased the more the protagonist¡¯s body was pushed to its limits, and the more psychological crisis they faced.¡¯ In manga terms, it was the protagonist¡¯s power-up during crisis moments implemented as a game system. Through this, the original protagonist explosively grew his magical power in a short time, and was able to raise the magical power he developed at the late age of 17 to a high level. Of course, his body was completely wrecked as a consequence. ¡®If Claude has replaced the protagonist¡¯s position, he should be able to trigger this Indomitable phenomenon.¡¯ No, he had to trigger it. While it¡¯s true he had superior qualities compared to the original protagonist, Claude¡¯s magical power was still far inferior to the magic nobles. If we couldn¡¯t increase his growth rate while he was still young, the piece I¡¯d carefully crafted might be lost before it could even be used. Thud-! ¡°Guh¡­?!¡± I drove my fist into Claude¡¯s stomach as he charged in close. Claude froze with the sound of air leaving his lungs. Without delay, I followed up with a kick to his defenseless face. Crack-! Claude¡¯s body rolled across the ground, unable to withstand the force. Looking down at Claude¡¯s dirt-covered face, I spoke in a cold voice. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Kuh, cough¡­!¡± You can¡¯t succumb to this level of adversity. One who awakens in moments of crisis, surpassing the expectations of villains like me. One who creates miracles that everyone calls impossible, breaking through situations deemed inescapable. Isn¡¯t that what a hero is supposed to be? ¡°If you¡¯re really Maximilien¡¯s successor.¡± If you¡¯re another possibility to fill my vacant position. ¡°There¡¯s no way you¡¯d fall here. Right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The moment I said that, Claude¡¯s attempts to stand froze. Looking closely with [Eye of Horus], Claude¡¯s half-opened eyes were completely unfocused. ¡°Tch.¡± Anger welled up. To think it wouldn¡¯t activate even after going this far. Was this guy not hero material after all? ¡®If he¡¯s the type to give up and fall here, he had no value to begin with.¡¯ Click- I drew Heresy and aimed at Claude¡¯s forehead. Rather than dying at the hands of magic nobles and elevating their authority, dying by my hand would be far more beneficial. As for Randall and the remaining Revolutionary Army¡­ Should I discuss it with Keiren? Pushing aside such complicated thoughts, I pulled the trigger. With the gunshot, a red beam of magical power headed towards Claude¡¯s head and- Clang-! A red magic circle intercepted the magical power bullet I fired. ¡°Won¡¯t¡­ give up¡­!¡± ¡°Ha!¡± I examined his condition using [Eye of Horus]. The magical power surging around his body, and the Red Wings gradually appearing on both his shoulders. And the flames spreading around them. ¡°W-what, Claude?¡± ¡°What is this? His magical power¡­!¡± I looked around. Miles, Ren, and the other mages who had been pushed to the brink of exhaustion were gradually regaining their vigor. Claude¡¯s wide-area buff from the main story, [Wings of Burning Freedom]. Seeing this, my body trembled with rising exhilaration. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it should be!¡± Just like in the game, ¡®Indomitable¡¯ had activated. The spark meant to burn alongside the magic nobles had finally awakened. Boom-! For the first time, he deployed a barrier to defend against my incoming spell. Claude walking towards me with his sword ablaze, wings of flame spread wide. It was a sight reminiscent of his appearance in the main story, where he was known as the ¡®Wings of the Revolutionary Army¡¯. ¡°Eugene-!¡± Boom-! Starting with the winged Claude, the other Revolutionary Army members began raising their momentum to face the trio¡¯s attacks. ¡°Whoa, these bastards suddenly got powered up? Just like Eugene said?¡± ¡°Did these rebels have this much energy in reserve? What should we do, Guille?¡± ¡°We still have magical power to spare. Maintain pressure and switch to Plan B.¡± Claude awakening in crisis, the Revolutionary Army recovering their magical power, and me and the trio gradually being pushed back. A protagonist¡¯s awakening scene straight out of a picture was unfolding. ¡°We can win!¡± Claude gritted his teeth as he broke through my barrage and closed in. His fourth magic imprint operating at maximum output, and the magnificent magical power erupting from it. ¡°With this, the humiliation at Belkers estate¡­!¡± Just as Claude sensed his reversal victory at that moment. ¡°Good. With this growth rate, breaking through the next chapter shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At my sudden remark, cracks appeared in Claude¡¯s face that had been burning with determination. ¡°The first crisis encountered. Awakening in the moment of crisis. And finally achieving explosive growth. It¡¯s more than enough to be called a revolutionary hero.¡± ¡°This bastard, where does he get such composure¡­!¡± ¡°But you know.¡± Boom-! An explosion right in front of him sent Claude¡¯s body flying far back. Claude stared at me with eyes filled with shock. Looking at such a Claude, I opened my mouth with a smile. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you can beat me.¡± Now that I¡¯ve helped the new protagonist grow, it¡¯s about time I claim my share, isn¡¯t it? Thinking that, I activated my magic circuit at maximum output. The fifth magic imprint that had remained silent throughout the battle was glowing red, craving my magical power. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 56 #056 ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why isn¡¯t he using magic?!¡± The eyes of the Revolutionary Army members gathered at the Zicklinte mansion focused on one place. Imperial Army officer, Eugene Lorentz. Although an enormous magical power had left his body, there were no magic circles or formulas visible around him. ¡°¡­No, it can¡¯t be.¡± While everyone was puzzled, only one person who had been fighting him all along could notice it. This heat that could be felt from outside the building. And something. The sensation that something enormous was watching over them! ¡°¡­!¡± Claude looked up at the sky and couldn¡¯t help but stay rooted to the spot. Whoosh-! Light streaming through the gaps of the collapsed roof. The source of that light was a massive magic circle covering the entire mansion from the air. And what suddenly appeared in the center of that magic circle was- ¡°¡­The sun?¡± As they saw the brightly shining sphere, the color drained from the other members¡¯ faces. A shining sphere, extremely condensed and continuously spewing heat and magical power. Anyone could see that it was the ¡®sun¡¯ itself. ¡°Impossible. Creating a sun with magic? This kind of formula¡­!¡± Five stroke. It¡¯s impossible without magic higher than that. Thinking this, Eugene pulled out six magic bullet casings from the tilted gun cylinder. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you.¡± Eugene raised his gun toward the sky and, as if giving a starting signal for a race, slowly pulled the trigger and- ¡°If you can, try to survive.¡± Boom-! As the condensed artificial sun exploded, tremendous magical power and heat engulfed the Revolutionary Army. Wide-area suppression formula, [Solar Wind Manifestation] One of the magic spells engraved in Eugene¡¯s fifth magic imprint had fully revealed itself. Whoosh¡ª! The heat spreading in all directions melted the mansion walls entirely, and the tremendous heat struck the defenseless Revolutionary Army. Sizzle-! ¡°Aagh?! Aaagh¨C!¡± ¡°Save me, save me-!¡± Revolutionary Army members without magical power had to taste the pain of their entire bodies burning the moment they were exposed to the heat. The mages who belatedly deployed defensive magic were slightly better off, but even that didn¡¯t last long. Crack- Crack-! ¡°Damn it, the defensive magic¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s collapsing¡­!¡± Bang-! As the defensive magic shattered, unable to withstand the heat, the bodies of the Revolutionary Army members who had been somehow enduring the magic instantly became balls of fire. And so, after the red flames spreading from Eugene engulfed the entire mansion. Rumble¡­¡­ What remained in the mansion were the corpses of numerous Revolutionary Army members turned to ashes. And only Claude and the executives who had completely collapsed from exhaustion. ¡°Huff¡­¡­¡± Eugene looked around and slowly exhaled. The magical power that hadn¡¯t been fully discharged was expelled along with the heat. ¡°Five stroke? A five stroke magic imprint¡­?¡± Eugene¡¯s gaze stopped at one place as he looked around. The one muttering with a bewildered expression was Claude, who was sitting on the ground. Looking at his comrades who had turned to ashes, he wore an expression as if he had lost everything in the world. ¡°Was it a fight we could never win from the start? Then what have I been doing until now?! Are you, are you playing with me! Eugene-!¡± ¡°Claude!¡± As Claude tried to walk toward Eugene with staggering steps. The one who stopped him was Miles, a Revolutionary Army member who had been with him since headquarters. ¡°Look at the situation, Claude. We need to gather whoever has strength left and escape!¡± ¡°Let go, Miles! It¡¯s not, it¡¯s not over yet! I, this time I¡¯ll surely¡­ get revenge for the Belkers branch people¡­!¡± Thud-! Miles¡¯s fist struck his abdomen, and Claude¡¯s body, which had been rambling, went limp. Miles hoisted Claude onto one shoulder. Having prepared a defensive formula, he looked at the faces of other Revolutionary Army members lying around. ¡®Ren, everyone¡­¡­!¡¯ Most of the members who survived that massive flame were collapsed in a state of Magical Power Exhaustion. Red chains summoned by Eugene were slowly binding the bodies of his comrades. He couldn¡¯t take them with him. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No, even escaping with just himself and Claude was almost impossible¡­! ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and go.¡± While thinking this, Eugene, who had turned his back, spoke to Miles. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°You saw me use six magic bullets. My magic imprint is overloaded. I don¡¯t have the energy to chase you in this state.¡± It was a lie. Even with Miles¡¯s quick glance, the magic imprint looked fine, and Eugene only seemed slightly out of breath, showing no signs of fatigue. In other words, Eugene was saying he would just let him and Claude go. ¡°What¡¯s your scheme? Why are you letting just us go while leaving the other comrades¡­!¡± ¡°And Miles. When that guy wakes up, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like you to tell him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± So he has no intention of answering the question. There¡¯s no point in refusing anyway. As Miles slowly nodded, Eugene smiled and said. ¡°Don¡¯t trust Randall Dean Clark.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Just deliver that one message. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Miles took a sharp breath, and Eugene looked at him with an inscrutable expression. With their comrades captured, there was no choice. Miles nodded as if understanding. ¡°Good, that¡¯ll do.¡± Eugene smiled with satisfaction and pointed in one direction as if indicating the exit. Feeling the gaze of three people staring at him, Miles began walking in the direction Eugene had indicated. There were no Imperial soldiers blocking the way. ¡®Come to think of it¡­¡­¡¯ And so, how much time had passed? As if just remembering something, Miles stopped and looked at the distant Zicklinte mansion. ¡°That Imperial officer named Eugene Lorentz¡­¡­¡± How did he know my name? *** ¡°The rebel suppression operation was successful. We captured numerous executive-level mages, but Claude, the four stroke magic imprint holder, escaped.¡± They say precise reporting is a virtue of Imperial soldiers. After briefly reporting to his direct superior Feilun, Feilun¡¯s reply came shortly after. ¨C Confirmed. As reckless pursuit would make it difficult to secure civilian safety, minimize pursuit and focus on controlling the scene. Ah, right right. Civilian safety comes first. ¡°I¡¯ve weeded out all of Randall¡¯s pawns here, so let¡¯s see what Claude will do next.¡± Saying this, I looked at the Revolutionary Army mages we¡¯d weeded out from the mansion. ¡°Damn you, Imperial dog¡­!¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill us, do it quickly! I¡¯ll tell you in advance, we have no information to¡­¡± ¡°Not needed.¡± Passing by the Revolutionary Army mages who were growling at me, I stopped at one point. ¡°Rennie Schreier. Right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The one I spoke to was Ren, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s imprint coordinator. Hollow eyes behind large glasses looked up at me. Among the many NPCs that the Revolutionary Army could recruit, a rare companion with imprint coordination ability. Unlike the others, they were too valuable to simply return to the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Eugene.¡± Once I confirmed their face, that was enough. While I was thinking this, Guille approached and whispered to me. ¡°We got a communication from the Magic Corps. The rebels mixed in with the protesters are disappearing one by one.¡± ¡°From the Galphren branch?¡± ¡°No. Judging by their behavior, they seem to be informants dispatched from headquarters. Should we pursue?¡± I see. Randall¡¯s informants operating on the outskirts of the territory. Now that the situation is over, they¡¯ll probably try to flee to somewhere with communication to deliver information to their master. ¡°No, no need.¡± However, I waved my hand dismissingly. Why am I observing their escape? The reason was simple. After all, they won¡¯t be able to leave Galphren territory alive anyway. *** ¡°Situation terminated. The Imperial Army has recovered the Zicklinte family¡¯s imprint.¡± ¡°Only Claude and Miles survived¡­ Not good.¡± Starting with the civilians¡¯ non-violent protest, the protest site had taken on a festive atmosphere. Revolutionary Army spies who received the retreat communication were quietly slipping away from the protest site, blending in with the civilians. ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± As they entered a remote alley, a man with exotic features unlike an Imperial citizen was waiting for them. An informant dispatched from Westraine. Upon confirming his face, the spies immediately began sharing what they had learned. ¡°The Imperial Army essentially condoned the Revolutionary Army¡¯s activities. It seems they were trying to use the Revolutionary Army to deal with the magic nobles.¡± ¡°We dealt with the target Zicklinte, but the additional objectives failed.¡± Their additional objectives were simple. To incite large-scale massacres by Imperial forces to further agitate the already turbulent public sentiment. And through that, make the Revolutionary Army and Imperial citizens recognize the Emperor and magic nobles as being on the same side. Perhaps from their perspective, this was an even more important operation than killing a minor noble like Zicklinte. But Eugene. Due to the deal he proposed to the Revolutionary Army, the fundamental premise of the plan had collapsed. ¡°We tried to induce armed conflicts by attempting attacks during the protests¡­ but the Imperial Army commander wasn¡¯t easy to deal with.¡± Several informants tried to incite the citizens, but the results weren¡¯t good. Feilun, commanding the Imperial Army, calmly rooted out the instigators while imposing no sanctions on the citizens¡¯ protests. ¡°This is ridiculous. At this rate, aren¡¯t the citizens and Imperial Army cooperating in the protest against the Zicklinte family?¡± An anomalous situation that arose because the Revolutionary Army¡¯s influence in controlling the masses was high, and the Imperial Army handled it rationally. Though it was a bitter result for them, they hadn¡¯t gained nothing. ¡°An Imperial Army officer making backroom deals with the Revolutionary Army, that¡¯s quite good bait for those magic noble bastards, isn¡¯t it?¡± When one spy said this, sinister smiles spread across the others¡¯ faces. Contact with the Revolutionary Army is high treason. And they had evidence of Eugene and Claude¡¯s contact. So now, if they just deliver this to Randall¡­ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± At that moment, one informant tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Hey. Why is one person missing?¡± ¡°What?¡± The Westraine informant looked around at those words. But after checking, he was gripped by an even stranger feeling. ¡°Not one person¡­ Two are missing.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m sure we confirmed everyone was here¡­¡± ¡°Try magical power communication. There¡¯s no way they suddenly disappeared¡­¡± The informant¡¯s voice cut off mid-sentence. When they turned around wondering what happened, the spy who had just been reporting the situation had vanished. ¡°Hee hee.¡± That¡¯s when they heard a small laugh. An outsider? Impossible. Only we should know the meeting place. Thinking this, they turned around to find a woman standing at the end of the alley. A girl in a neat black casual dress with long, wavy black hair. ¡°¡­!¡± An ominous feeling crept over their entire body. Something, something was wrong. The informant who felt this strange sensation immediately turned around and- ¡°¡­!¡± There was no one behind them. They were alone in the alley. The numerous spies they had just been talking with had vanished without a trace. ¡°What, what the hell is¡­!¡± As they said this and turned their head again, the girl who had been standing at the end of the alley was gone. Grrrr¡­¡­ Instead, what filled their vision was hundreds of teeth bearing down right in front of them. ¡°Huh?¡± Chomp- Before they could feel fear, the informant¡¯s body was devoured by the shadow and disappeared. A dozen or so informants vanishing without a trace. Looking around the cleaned-up alley, the girl smacked her lips in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯m full. I¡¯m happy. As expected, Eugene is the best in the world.¡± I should go back and get praised. I should ask for some cookies too. Thinking this, Irene moved with light steps. As she emerged onto the street, she exuded the fresh atmosphere unique to girls her age. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 57 #057 ¡°Father¡­ Father!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No¡­!¡± The battle at the Zicklinte territory had come to an end. While they had captured most of the Revolutionary Army members who had invaded the territory, they had let Claude, the Revolutionary Army supreme leader, slip away. Meanwhile, Baron Zicklinte and his Knight Order had been completely annihilated. A day after reporting this news to the higher-ups, the Baron¡¯s children, who had taken refuge outside the territory, came and began wailing loudly. However, that didn¡¯t last long. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll take all the land, brother?! What nonsense is that?!¡± ¡°As the heir, I should naturally inherit father¡¯s legacy! Who was it that built up the Knight Order to this point?!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that the magic imprint disappeared?! Brother, you couldn¡¯t inherit father¡¯s imprint! That means we need to start the heir selection process from scratch!¡± ¡°How dare you, when you don¡¯t even have magical power¡­!¡± ¡°Are you done talking?!¡± Before Baron Zicklinte¡¯s corpse¡ªwith its crushed skull¡ªcould even grow cold, his children were already raising their voices, fighting over the land and legacy he had left behind. A inheritance dispute breaking out before the undertaker could even arrive. Watching this scene from a distance, I was starting to feel sympathy for the dead Baron¡­ ¡°Wait! As his mistress, I have rights to this family¡¯s assets too! And so do these children!¡± ¡°Baroness Edreal?! You¡¯re a married woman!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave me out! As your brother¡¯s third woman, I have rights too!¡± ¡°A-Aunt?!¡± ¡°Good heavens, Uncle is away at war, and you¡­¡± ¡°Wow, this is crazy.¡± The sudden participation of the second wife (a married woman) and third wife (married cousin) in the dispute. Ortega, who was watching this mess beside me, muttered a curse under his breath. ¡°Hey, Eugene. Do all nobles live like this?¡± ¡°Surprisingly and shockingly, most nobles do live like this.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°And these people. They¡¯re the ones controlling the empire above our heads?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Amazement, disgust, pure hostility. Seeing the three different reactions, any guilt I felt about killing an innocent magic noble melted away completely. Zicklinte, you crazy bastard, adultery, NTR, and incest¡ªyou hit a triple axel? If such a bastard died quietly from a gunshot, that¡¯s not a tragic death¡ªit¡¯s dying of old age. Yes, absolutely. ¡°Senior. How is the situation with the territory¡¯s residents?¡± ¡°Generally calmed down. As you informed us, all Revolutionary Army hideouts have been cleared out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± While the Zicklinte family¡¯s inheritance war was descending into an endless maze, Feilun and I were busy handling the aftermath of this battle. Reporting the defeat to our superiors, clearing away debris from the explosion, repairing houses damaged by shrapnel. We even sneakily handled the tax issue that was one of the protesters¡¯ demands, so as the Imperial Army, we¡¯d done everything we needed to. ¡®Is it really true that the tax rate has been reduced?!¡¯ ¡®This has been officially approved by the Zicklinte family. With the Imperial Army¡¯s additional certification, it should be valid for at least three years.¡¯ ¡®Then, these relief supplies¡­¡¯ ¡®You couldn¡¯t live properly due to the battle¡¯s aftermath. We¡¯ll be leaving this territory soon, so we¡¯re distributing the remaining supplies under commander¡¯s authority.¡¯ ¡®Thank you¡­! Thank you¡­!¡¯ The orders we received from above were to manage public sentiment and stabilize security among the local residents. As part of that work, after providing civilian support for about a week, the territory¡¯s residents came to trust the Imperial Army more than the Zicklinte family members who would become their new rulers. To think they trusted a week-long garrison more than the family that had ruled for decades. Zicklinte, you bastard, just how did you manage this territory? ¡°Lieutenant Feilun!¡± At that moment, a soldier came running breathlessly to Feilun with a letter in hand. At a glance, what he held was an order document stamped with the Imperial Army seal. New orders had come down from above. ¡°What does it say? Return to the frontline?¡± ¡°If only it were that.¡± Saying that, Feilun shook his head and handed me the orders. ¡°Letting the Revolutionary Army supreme leader Claude escape, failing to recover Zicklinte¡¯s magic imprint, and so on. It says there were many inadequacies in the Imperial Army¡¯s response.¡± ¡°Inadequacies?¡± Even though this was a fixed match with the Revolutionary Army, the Imperial Army¡¯s role in this battle was significant. We controlled a crowd of well over ten thousand with barely a thousand troops, so we did everything we could. Moreover, it was Baron Zicklinte¡¯s order to station the Imperial Army on the outskirts, so the Imperial Army had hardly done anything wrong. Yet for such an evaluation to come out¡­ ¡°There must be other motives.¡± ¡°Read the next page. That¡¯s where their true intentions lie.¡± At Feilun¡¯s words, I turned the page to check the contents. [-Based on the above reasons and at the request of the Imperial Joint Knight Order, Lieutenant Feilun lu Ross Nachtval and Second Lieutenant Eugene Lorentz, commanders of the support forces, are ordered to appear at Imperial Army Central Headquarters to report directly on the battle process.] (+)TLN: It seems like the previous name I translated which is: Feilun Rus Nachtval was a mistake from the author. The true name should be this one. [Order Authority: Colonel Drumven Alaine] ¡°Direct report? Are they planning to do a post-battle review?¡± ¡°More like a hearing. A magic noble being killed by rebels¡­ this is the first time it¡¯s happened.¡± Looking at how they specifically included the phrase ¡®at the Knight Order¡¯s request,¡¯ it seemed even the Imperial Army issuing these orders wasn¡¯t too pleased about it. Unlike the Magic Corps, which was nominally under Imperial Army control, the Knight Order was a private military group operated by magic nobles. Complying with their request must be quite pride-wounding for the Imperial Army. ¡®The purpose of this hearing isn¡¯t simply to pressure me and Feilun, but to create a scene where the Knight Order can push around the Imperial Army.¡¯ Simply put, it was a pride battle. They intended to use the situation of the Knight Order disciplining the Imperial Army as a show of force. If that¡¯s the case, there wasn¡¯t much I could do as a mere Second Lieutenant. However¡­ ¡®What if I borrowed the Emperor¡¯s power.¡¯ ¡°We need to go to the capital.¡± ¡°Since the soldiers still have security duties, I guess this is goodbye soon. I¡¯ve grown quite attached to them.¡± Seeing Feilun say this while watching the soldiers on guard duty, I found it refreshing. ¡°How did someone who didn¡¯t make a single friend at the military academy get so close to the soldiers?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about that myself. When I was with nobles, I felt sick to my stomach and couldn¡¯t stand it, but during my time with the soldiers, I truly enjoyed myself. It felt like¡­ coming back to where I belonged¡­¡± He hates nobles but feels comfortable with common soldiers? This guy, was the Revolutionary Army really his true calling? ¡°Eugene. Just now, you thought I might be better suited for the rebels, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± First Julian who followed Kyle, and now why do people keep reading my thoughts? While I was thinking this, Feilun smiled and said to me: ¡°Rebellion¡ªthey call it revolution. I admire their passion for overthrowing the country¡­ but I don¡¯t particularly want to join them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because their driving force for revolution is nothing but anger and vengeance.¡± Saying that, Feilun alternately looked at the Zicklinte mansion and territory. The nobles bickering inside the burned mansion, and the Imperial Army and territory residents cooperating to repair buildings. Taking in these sights, Feilun slowly nodded. ¡°The rebels say they¡¯ll destroy this corrupt empire, but they haven¡¯t said a word about what kind of country they¡¯ll build afterward.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Even if such people kill all the nobles and take control of the empire¡­ will a new world really come? Just because they plant a flag of revolution on the ashes, it doesn¡¯t mean a new world will suddenly open up.¡± He was right. Westraine was still eyeing the empire, and the monster territory was expanding moment by moment. Just because they overthrow the magic nobles who are the immediate enemy, it doesn¡¯t mean this hell of an empire will automatically change. Because they didn¡¯t realize this, the original protagonist met that kind of ending. And the world after that as well. ¡®And to think someone saying these things becomes like that in the original.¡¯ I recalled the vision I saw last time. A villain who took on the burden of civilian massacre and fell to villainy. Yet now, he was discussing the empire¡¯s future with clear eyes. ¡®No, that¡¯s not all.¡¯ Keiren, the Emperor, Mari, and Irene. Characters who were treated as bosses or background settings were awakening one by one, affecting the predetermined future¡¯s course. My choices and actions had created these numerous variables. ¡®Can they change the ending of this game?¡¯ I wondered. Would the ending of this twisted story be a happy ending, or the predicted catastrophe? I couldn¡¯t know. All I could do was try my best to avoid the terrible ending from the original. And for that¡­ ¡°I need even more powerful magic. Strong power will be necessary.¡± *** Creeak- Late at night. When I opened the armored train¡¯s door and entered the private room, the prisoner sitting in the corner hastily backed away. ¡°Y-You¡­!¡± The one confined to the private room was Ren, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s imprint user. Among the prisoners captured this time, they were particularly valuable. ¡°What are you plotting? Just kill me quickly. I won¡¯t say anything¡­!¡± ¡°No. You¡¯ll have no choice but to talk.¡± Looking at the disheveled hair and frightened eyes, exactly the same appearance as seen in the game, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Rennie Schreier. Magic noble ninth seat, illegitimate child of the Branvilde family. Right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Startled by those words, Ren¡ªno, Rennie¡ªshouted at me. ¡°How, how did you¡­!¡± ¡°Is that important? What¡¯s important is that you¡¯re my prisoner, and I can return you to your family at any time.¡± There was no time to explain the source of information, nor excuses to give. Even if I said it was from game settings, wouldn¡¯t I just sound crazy? At the mention of family, Rennie¡¯s face, which had been full of wariness, changed. Fear. The emotion she showed me was none other than fear. ¡°To think a missing noble family¡¯s bloodline had joined the Revolutionary Army. I wonder if Count Branvilde will stay quiet about this?¡± ¡°Y-You!¡± ¡°If this fact were to be revealed¡­¡± Saying that, I brought my face close to hers. A moment of silence. Just as Rennie, unable to bear it, was about to open her mouth, my voice blocked her words. ¡°What would happen to your mother working as a maid in the Branvilde family?¡± ¡°!!!¡± At these words, her body began trembling like an aspen tree. ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for you to choose.¡± Now we¡¯re finally ready to talk. Thinking that, I spoke to Rennie with a bright smile. ¡°Will you help me kill magic nobles? Or would you rather be executed by magic nobles along with your mother?¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 58 #058 ¡°Claude. And even Miles¡­!¡± ¡°Is this all that¡¯s left? The others¡­¡± At the Revolutionary Army headquarters located in the central region of the Empire. The revolutionaries who were brought in by airship in tatters were all out of their minds. ¡°That fire¡­ Our comrades, in that fire¡­!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t win¡­ That guy, that devil bastard, we absolutely can¡¯t win against him¡­!¡± Looking around at the survivors trembling in fear, Randall slowly furrowed his brow. ¡°The plan has fallen apart.¡± After meticulous investigation, it was supposed to be a carefully arranged chessboard. The Galphren territory where the Knight Order¡¯s forces were weak. They had predicted that if they attacked there, Baron Zicklinte would request help from the nearest Imperial Army, and leave the suppression of the civilian uprising to them. What would happen next was obvious. The Imperial Army¡¯s gunfire. The enraged territory residents. Numerous casualties. And the Revolutionary Army¡¯s flag rising atop the mountain of corpses, with Baron Zicklinte¡¯s head hanging at its tip. ¡®It was supposed to create the perfect scene to turn the Empire¡¯s privileged class against the territory residents and induce chaos.¡¯ And then the revolutionary newspaper would capture that scene and spread it throughout the Empire, inciting the oppressed territory residents. The civilian uprising they started would become the spark for other uprisings. A chain reaction of chaos. That was Randall¡¯s true objective. ¡®The fight between Claude and Zicklinte should have been the start of that chain reaction. That¡¯s why I dispatched Claude, the supreme leader, there but¡­¡¯ Looking at the Imperial newspaper in his hand, Randall clicked his tongue. What was captured in the photo was an Imperial soldier wearing a flower necklace made by citizens. The newspaper was filled with praise for the Imperial Army that helped the territory residents with their calm response and civilian support, and mourning for Baron Zicklinte and the Knight Order who sacrificed themselves against the rebels. At this rate, far from chaos, they had ended up creating a touching story for the Imperial Army and magic nobles. ¡°Huu.¡± The unpleasant feeling that was creeping up was momentary as Randall suppressed his rising anger with a sigh. He couldn¡¯t properly do his work if he lost his composure over something like this. ¡®I¡¯ll have to take comfort in achieving the primary objective.¡¯ In the end, Baron Zicklinte was dead, and the discord between the Imperial Army and magic nobles would deepen. Though the plan went awry, it would be worth the lives of the Revolutionary Army members who died. ¡°Miles. Who were the captured personnel? Do you remember?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± When Randall asked, Miles, who had bandages all over his body, answered the question. ¡°All the mages who entered the castle with us died, and Ren was captured by the Imperial Army.¡± ¡°Ren?¡± ¡°Yes. We tried to rescue her, but both Claude and I were exhausted¡­¡± A tuner who recovers the imprints of members overloaded by magic bullets. It was bad news for the Revolutionary Army to lose such a valuable resource. However¡­ ¡®From my perspective, it¡¯s rather good news since we¡¯ve removed one of the founding members.¡¯ Rennie Schreier. Though she was certainly an excellent imprint tuner, she was a woman who was difficult to control since she was brought in by Maximilien. If he used the authority of the Republic¡¯s intelligence department, it would be possible to recruit a separate imprint specialist from the home country. Being caught by the Imperial Army was rather something to welcome. ¡®Losing an imprint specialist isn¡¯t such a big loss. But, there¡¯s a different problem.¡¯ The problem was the confidential information about the Revolutionary Army inside Ren¡¯s head. Of course, she was one of the founding members recruited by Maximilien. Like all members who worked with Maximilien, she wasn¡¯t the type to easily give up information, but¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t leave a risk factor.¡¯ Randall made his decision. He needed to thoroughly track her down and eliminate her before the information could leak. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Miles. Go in and rest.¡± ¡°Right. Usually Claude should be the one reporting this but¡­¡± Miles trailed off as he looked at Claude who was sitting against the wall in a daze. ¡°Impossible¡­ Couldn¡¯t win¡­ How, how could such power¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°As you can see, he¡¯s not in any condition to speak.¡± The shock that the battle with Eugene had brought him was beyond imagination. The tremendous power that burst forth in the moment of crisis. That sense of omnipotence and fervor. And Eugene¡¯s magical power that was overwhelming enough to completely cover all of that. Having experienced all of that firsthand, Claude was just rambling like a madman. ¡°We can¡¯t leave him like this.¡± Randall, who spoke those words like a sigh, rushed to Claude. ¡°Brother Randall¡­?¡± ¡°Claude.¡± Along with his deeply settled voice, his hand reached for Claude. ¡°Clench your teeth.¡± Randall grabbed his collar and threw a punch at his face. Whack-! ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°Sir Randall?! What are you suddenly¡­!¡± ¡°Get up.¡± Claude¡¯s back hit the wall, and other members¡¯ gazes turned toward the two. However, Randall growled at Claude, who couldn¡¯t break free from the shock, without caring about those gazes. ¡°You call yourself the leader of the Revolutionary Army, but you¡¯re going to stay down like this over one defeat?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Leader. When he heard that title that had belonged to Maximilien, Claude¡¯s shoulders trembled. ¡°Five stroke magic imprint? Yes. He¡¯s strong, that¡¯s true. But the enemies we face are beyond that. No, they¡¯re powerful beings that can¡¯t even be compared to a mere five stroke mage. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Brother Randall. But¡­!¡± Claude clenched his fists and tried to say something, but just then. Randall¡¯s calm, settled voice pressed down on Claude. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, Claude. Our enemies are piled up like mountains, and revolution isn¡¯t something achieved in a short time.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If we build our strength slowly and surely¡­ We can win.¡± After saying that, Randall grabbed Claude¡¯s shoulders and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re our hero, chosen by Maxim himself.¡± Hero. When he heard those words flow from Randall¡¯s mouth, Claude nodded while gritting his teeth. The hollow look in his eyes gradually came back to life, showing that these words had served as quite good stimulation. ¡®These revolutionaries are really¡­ Such unpredictable beings.¡¯ Despite thinking that in his mind, Randall returned to his usual kind expression and encouraged Claude. After the stretchers carrying Claude and Miles were moved to the treatment room. ¡°The Imperial Army officer who made Claude like that. Eugene was his name?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± When he asked the informant who appeared behind him, the answer came immediately. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. According to Claude, he was someone he knew since first joining the Revolutionary Army.¡± ¡°What information have we gathered on our side?¡± ¡°We infiltrated informants into the Imperial Army to find out his personal information. However¡­¡± All contact with the infiltrated personnel had been cut off. Hearing the informant¡¯s explanation, Randall¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°A young officer not even twenty years old tracked down and dealt with our informants? And this perfectly?¡± It was impossible. No matter how excellent a mage was, they couldn¡¯t watch their own back 24 hours a day. ¡®Is the Imperial Intelligence Department protecting him? Or is it something else?¡¯ The more he thought about it, the more his wariness increased. Eugene Lorentz. He was not someone to be taken lightly. ¡°What should we report to the home country? Perhaps delaying the invasion timing¡­¡± ¡°No. We can¡¯t do that.¡± Randall, who rejected it with a firm voice, thought. ¡®This incident is just a small failure, not an event important enough to affect the Republic¡¯s grand strategy.¡¯ The Secretary at home would probably think similarly. If so, what he needed to do was decided. ¡°Send a support request to the home country. Tell them we need special supplies.¡± ¡°Special supplies¡­ You don¡¯t mean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After saying that, Randall opened his mouth while wearing his characteristic friendly smile. ¡°It¡¯s time to use the ¡®Red Mist.''¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The informant¡¯s face turned pale at those words. ¡®Red Mist¡¯ Westraine¡¯s biological weapon that had driven hundreds of thousands of soldiers to death during the last Great War. *** ¡°That bastard said not to trust Brother Randall?¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet. Someone might hear.¡± Meanwhile, while Randall and the informant were whispering to each other. Miles, sitting in the infirmary, continued his explanation while looking around. ¡°I was surprised too. To think the Imperial Army knew Mr. Randall¡¯s name.¡± For the Revolutionary Army, Randall¡¯s existence was treated as information of the highest confidentiality. Externally, he was a businessman moving between the Empire and the Republic. If the fact that he was involved with the Revolutionary Army was revealed, there was a risk that the Revolutionary Army¡¯s entire funding and supply line would be blocked. Claude looked closely at Miles¡¯s face. Miles had told this directly to him instead of reporting it to Randall. In other words¡­ ¡°Miles. Are you suspicious of Brother Randall too?¡± ¡°I just think it¡¯s not something to be taken lightly.¡± After saying that, Miles looked at Claude with different, serious eyes than before. ¡°Claude. The one leading the Revolutionary Army now isn¡¯t Randall, but you. The Revolutionary Army supreme leader chosen by Maximilien wasn¡¯t Randall, but you.¡± Hearing those words, Claude tilted his head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Why are you suddenly saying¡­¡± ¡°¡­No. It¡¯s fine if you know.¡± After saying that, Miles looked out the window with an uneasy expression. Beyond the blue sky spread over Kalhyram, huge dark clouds were approaching. *** Right after Feilun and I arrived at the Imperial capital and finished our report, a dogfight between the military and Knight Order had started at the Imperial Army headquarters. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a clear fact that a magic noble was killed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This is because the Imperial Army failed to faithfully fulfill its duty of protection!¡± The ones shouting like that were the knights from the Joint Knight Order who came to hear the report as representatives of the magic nobles. From earlier, they had been glaring at me with unfriendly eyes, seemingly quite displeased with me. Since they couldn¡¯t touch Senior Feilun because of his family background, they probably intended to get at me instead. However fortunately, there were others who advocated for my position. ¡°Nonsense! Lieutenant Feilun stopped the civilian uprising with insufficient troops, and Second Lieutenant Eugene even went on to eliminate the remaining rebels!¡± ¡°While the Imperial Army was fighting so hard, what happened to the knights you dispatched?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they turn to ashes early on?¡± The ones speaking with twisted lips were the Imperial Army generals. Seeing their eyes full of enthusiasm and sincerity looking at me, it seemed Keiren had done quite a good job of greasing the wheels. ¡°What did you say?! Is the Imperial Army insulting the Knight Order now?!¡± ¡°Ha! And why is the Knight Order opening their mouths about punishing an Imperial Army officer? This is clearly overstepping your authority!¡± It was quite a remarkable sight to watch. Who would have thought there would come a day when the Imperial Army would raise their voices and argue against the Knight Order. Seeing how this mob group that was only desperate to protect knights in the game had grown so much, I felt anew how the future had changed. Bang-! ¡°K-Knight Order Commander! Urgent contact from the family¡­!¡± ¡°Major General! A report from headquarters¡­!¡± As the argument between the Imperial Army and Knight Order continued. The power struggle between the two groups temporarily subsided at the reports from those who burst through the doors. The messengers who rushed to their respective camps reported with trembling voices. ¡°I-is that true?! The rebels¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it. Westraine already¡­!¡± The higher-ups on both sides trembled with pale faces. ¡®It¡¯s begun.¡¯ I could guess without hearing. The report that came to the Imperial Army would be ¡®Westraine begins preemptive attack.¡¯ And the news that reached the Knight Order would be ¡®Simultaneous civilian uprisings occurring in territories of small and medium-sized magic nobles.¡¯ With the thought that what was coming had arrived, I clenched my fist. ¡®About a year earlier than the original work.¡¯ Westraine¡¯s invasion and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s activities. And the Empire falling into chaos because of it. The main story of [Revolution Empire] had begun now. ¡°Eugene.¡± A voice came from behind me. It was Guille, the leader of the trio. ¡°A message from Lieutenant General Keiren.¡± Opening his mouth like that, Guille conveyed Keiren¡¯s words with shining eyes. ¡°He says your unit is ready, so prepare to come west.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± A smile spread across my face when I heard those words. Five stroke magic imprint, Imperial Army officer, and even my own army. Unlike the original work, this was a very good start. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 59 #059 My hearing, disguised as a report, ended without much fuss. Inside the empire, territories were falling one after another in real-time due to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s activities, while outside, Westraine¡¯s army had begun their advance. The military, with fire at their feet, said ¡°Since we caught the rebels, let¡¯s promote this bastard and send him to the frontlines,¡± and the Knight Order accepted the request with ¡°Do whatever you want with that, just end this meeting quickly!¡± From the start, they weren¡¯t interested in the report; they just wanted to get their bureaucratic nonsense over with. Just like a bunch of old men with nothing better to do. ¡°Becoming a captain just two months after being promoted to lieutenant, isn¡¯t that promotion speed too fast?¡± ¡°I got promoted before I was even commissioned for a month. At this rate, I¡¯m worried I might get arrested for speeding.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you bragging too much?¡± ¡°When they give a lieutenant rank to a one-month rookie, it means the imperial army has gone to hell. What¡¯s there to brag about?¡± The exchange of crude jokes and snickering didn¡¯t last long. ¡°So the day has come to return to that wretched family.¡± Feilun, who had recently started using more vulgar language, bid farewell with a bitter expression. ¡°This is goodbye, Eugene. Though it was brief, I enjoyed working with you.¡± ¡°Next time we meet, you¡¯ll be wearing the Knight Order uniform.¡± ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure if that Zeplant fellow will let that happen.¡± At the mention of his rival, the First Born of Nachtval, Feilun¡¯s eyes deepened as he looked at the train. His destination was Ernstburg, the territory of the Nachtval duchy. The one who had called him while he was waiting for his next assignment was none other than the Duke of Nachtval himself. ¡°It¡¯s absurd when I think about it. I specifically joined the imperial army to avoid this kind of situation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second seat of the magic nobles. It must have been simple to pressure the imperial army.¡± And they probably had people planted within the imperial army too. When I said that, Feilun sighed as if he knew it all too well. As a reaction to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s increasingly intense activities, the magic nobles were calling back their family forces that had been scattered throughout the empire. Currently, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s blade was pointed at the minor nobles. While they dealt with the Revolutionary Army¡¯s attacks, they probably planned to use the Knight Order to sweep them away. And dump all external affairs on the imperial army. ¡®They¡¯re probably planning to use the war with Westraine to weaken the imperial army. In the original story, they almost succeeded.¡¯ Thinking back to [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story, that was exactly what happened. The protagonist¡¯s main enemies after joining the Revolutionary Army were the magic nobles and their Knight Orders. The imperial army was half-collapsed while dealing with the monsters on the eastern front and Westraine on the western front, and the magic nobles who belatedly filled that void used the remaining imperial army as cannon fodder for the Knight Order. ¡®But even after concentrating their forces like that, they couldn¡¯t stop the revolution.¡¯ More accurately, they couldn¡¯t stop the protagonist who grew insanely powerful. The rookie revolutionary member received the Supreme Leader¡¯s imprint and became a great magician handling seven stroke imprints in just a few years. He was a variable that neither the magic nobles nor even his allies in the Revolutionary Army had anticipated. The protagonist in the original story succeeded in an impossible revolution, only to be betrayed. ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯m more curious. How will the Revolutionary Army change without its protagonist?¡¯ My reason for letting Claude live was both practical and driven by personal curiosity. The Revolutionary Army was born with the purpose of overthrowing the nobles and emperor to establish a new empire. However, with Westraine¡¯s invasion as a catalyst, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s values began to deteriorate. [Revolutionary warriors continuing their lonely fight against the corrupt regime!] [Don¡¯t worry anymore! The Republic of Westraine will help you!] Westraine¡¯s agents approached the Revolutionary Army, offering troops and supplies. Though they extended their hands with smiling faces, the protagonist Eugene had drawn a firm line. [While we welcome support in the form of investment, we cannot accept your interference in our activities.] [W-what?] [I said we cannot accept it.] Remembering Maximilien who shared the same fate as the emperor, the protagonist had said: S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. [This revolution must be achieved purely by the hands of imperial citizens. We cannot borrow the hands of a foreign country, especially Westraine, an enemy nation that has nothing to do with the empire.] [This isn¡¯t my personal opinion, but the will of Maximilien, the founder of the Revolutionary Army.] Westraine was an old nemesis who had been invading imperial territories, a common enemy to all imperial citizens regardless of class. If the Revolutionary Army were to operate with support from such people, what would happen to their position within the empire? Probably the Revolutionary Army receiving Westraine¡¯s proposal now was thinking the same thing, but¡­ ¡®When I killed Maximilien, the original story was distorted.¡¯ Maximilien died earlier than intended, and Vark, who succeeded him, met a tragic end leaving behind the cancer called Randall. All that remained was Randall, who tried to manipulate the Revolutionary Army according to Westraine¡¯s orders, and Claude who was being swayed by him. In this situation, I didn¡¯t think the Revolutionary Army would reject Westraine¡¯s support. ¡°Rather, this works out well.¡± With my assignment to the western front, my contact points with the Revolutionary Army would disappear for a while. If during that time, the Revolutionary Army fell for Randall¡¯s schemes and became Westraine¡¯s dog? I could use them as pawns to bring down the magic nobles, then dispose of them as enemy spies. ¡®And before that, I should extract as many useful comrades as possible.¡¯ With that thought, I opened the door of the armored train that had stopped before me. To track down the NPCs I met in the original story, I needed information first. *** ¡°Here! Aah~!¡± ¡°Uh, uugh¡­¡± Inside the luxuriously decorated armored train car. In the middle of the wide open space was the insignia of the Buckenheim family. Sitting in that spacious area were two girls with black hair. The girl with slightly wavy hair was Irene, and the one with messy hair and large glasses was Rennie. ¡°Rennie, don¡¯t you like cookies? Should I get you something else?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Looking at Irene who was pushing cookies with an innocent face, Rennie seemed at a loss. ¡°Irene. It¡¯s fine to watch her, but don¡¯t stick too close.¡± ¡°Why? Is it dangerous?¡± ¡°Of course it is.¡± He was right. Although she was sticking close under the pretense of watching Rennie, this girl called Irene was incredibly frail. A noble young lady who had never even lifted a plate by herself, let alone received military training. She was just driven by trivial curiosity after hearing about the capture of a prisoner her age. For Rennie, killing such a frail girl and escaping would be nothing. However¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t escape.¡¯ Even if she could break through the surveillance and slip away, Rennie couldn¡¯t escape this train. That imperial soldier Eugene who captured her knew about her mother¡¯s existence. ¡®Even if I succeed in escaping, with just one letter from him¡­¡¯ Her mother working for the Branvilde family would be executed immediately. The reason for her existence would vanish in an instant. ¡°So, Miles hasn¡¯t been with them for long, right?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­ that¡¯s¡­!¡± Just as her thoughts were continuing. When Eugene, who was reading a newspaper, asked the question, Rennie immediately opened her mouth. ¡°A-according to Claude, yes. I don¡¯t know exactly but¡­¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have lied to his comrade. And from what point did the number of new recruits joining the Revolutionary Army noticeably increase?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s right. Just as you say.¡± She felt self-loathing. To avoid displeasing this man, she had to actively sell out information about her comrades. But at the same time, she felt something strange. ¡®The questions he¡¯s asking¡­ aren¡¯t they odd?¡¯ Usually in situations like this, there were set questions to ask prisoners. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s operation plans, locations of hideouts, weaknesses of key figures, or the structure of magic imprints. But he seemed uninterested in such information. Rather, what he asked about were her life stories and daily experiences after joining the Revolutionary Army. Though she nervously revealed some information, he simply waved his hand dismissively as if uninterested. ¡°Milred hasn¡¯t joined yet¡­ same for Leopold. Then the northern prison? If so¡­¡± Moreover, his reactions after hearing these stories were even stranger. When she talked about her daily life or the names of low-ranking members, he would become lost in thought and start muttering to himself. A week since the train departed from the imperial capital. During that time, she felt less like a prisoner being interrogated and more like a grandmother reading storybooks. ¡®Well, more like being treated as a parrot than a grandmother¡­¡¯ Just as the dejected Rennie was sighing. Eugene, who had been lost in thought with his chin propped up, slowly stood up. ¡°Alright. The interrogation ends here.¡± As he said that, two soldiers who had boarded the train with him approached. ¡°Guide her to the private room. Don¡¯t put handcuffs on her.¡± ¡°Y-yes, understood.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s alright? This woman is one of the key figures of the rebels¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. She won¡¯t run away anyway.¡± Unlike the two soldiers who were wary of her, Eugene spoke as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I? Ren.¡± ¡°Kuk¡­!¡± Seeing Eugene¡¯s face as he spoke with a twisted smile, Rennie¡¯s face flushed red. That attitude of calling her like a comrade. It was his way of reminding her that he held her mother hostage. After Rennie was led away by the soldiers. ¡°Buccaneer, Pai, Selina¡­ fewer people than I expected have joined the Revolutionary Army.¡± Eugene, recalling his conversation with Rennie, immediately began writing names on paper. He already had all the Revolutionary Army¡¯s main bases memorized, and even if he found out more, he who was heading to the western front had no way to utilize that information. ¡®Provide information to the magic nobles? Why would I do something good for them.¡¯ In this situation, what Eugene needed to know was how far Westraine¡¯s influence had reached into the Revolutionary Army. And how many talented individuals had joined the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Lieutenant! We¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a lieutenant too, Ortega. Please, I¡¯m begging you, stop with the honorifics.¡± His comrades snickered as they teased him. Eugene, after snapping at them, pulled down his military cap and stepped out of the train. ¡°Attention!¡± Outside, a group of soldiers in black uniforms were waiting for Eugene. Seeing their uniforms different from the regular imperial army, Eugene could tell who they were. Special Magical Power Unit. Their historic first unit was lined up before him. ¡°Salute to the company commander!¡± At Guille¡¯s command at the front, the members all saluted toward Eugene in unison. ¡°Good to see you all.¡± Eugene returned a casual salute while looking over his unit members. ¡®This is our commander? He looks too young.¡¯ ¡®Haven¡¯t you read the news? He¡¯s the one who crushed the entire Revolutionary Army. The devil of magic bullets¡­¡¯ ¡®Tch, doesn¡¯t look like much.¡¯ A group of various undesirables including criminals and former Revolutionary Army members. Their saluting appearance looked less like soldiers and more like vagabonds in military uniforms. However, among them. Seeing one man glaring at him, a faint smile appeared on Eugene¡¯s lips. ¡°Bingo.¡± Leopold Kolhead, from the northern prison. The man who should have become the Revolutionary Army¡¯s assault commander was wearing the uniform of the Special Magical Power Unit. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 60 #060 Boom-! Boom-! I got up from my seat, using the distant cannon fire as my alarm. ¡°The weather is quite artistic.¡± It was the moment when yesterday¡¯s weather forecast came true exactly. The weather was slightly cloudy, and the Republican Army¡¯s shell rain that started from the morning was expected to continue until this afternoon. Just another peaceful day on the Western Front. ¡°Company Commander.¡± In the tent barracks set up behind the trench. As I entered the operations room, pushing aside the curtain with the Imperial flag painted on it, Erich, wearing an Imperial Army uniform, saluted me. ¡°First those three, and now you¡¯re mocking me too?¡± ¡°Well, you are my superior officer, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve developed a sense of humor while I was away.¡± When I said that, Erich dropped his salute with an embarrassed smile. From the third year of military academy until commissioning. While the trio and I were eating monster blood and dirt on the Eastern Front, Erich was handling administrative work in the rear. But that doesn¡¯t mean he was living the sweet life at headquarters like other noble children. Of course not. ¡®The cadet who wrote the supply plan. What was his name again?¡¯ ¡®Erich Eismann, sir.¡¯ ¡®Eismann! Good. Not from a magic noble family either. Bring that fellow to me right now. Tell him Western Front Commander Keiren Buckenheim really wants to meet him.¡¯ ¡®Pardon?¡¯ That¡¯s right. The ¡®rear¡¯ where Erich was assigned was the Western Front Operations Command under Keiren¡¯s command. After reading Erich¡¯s assignment ¡°General Theory on Imperial Army Supply Issues and Frontline Supply Planning,¡± Keiren immediately ran to the military academy and kidnapped Erich. From that day on, Erich became Keiren¡¯s faithful house-elf, being worked like a graduate student who couldn¡¯t go home. What a heartwarming story. ¡®Eu, Eugene¡­!¡¯ That¡¯s how Erich and I parted, and where we met again was right here on the Western Front. When I met Erich again after three years, he looked like something between a zombie and a mummy as he clung to my feet and started crying. ¡°It was like hell¡­! Daily paperwork floods and emergency responses, and on top of that, assassins showing up at every turn¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot too.¡± ¡°But thankfully, now that we¡¯re working together, you won¡¯t work me as hard as Lieutenant General Keiren, right?!¡± Looking at Erich who asked with desperate eyes, I patted his shoulder as if to say not to worry. Erich, who had suffered as Keiren¡¯s slave, was now destined to suffer eternally as the supply officer of the Special Magical Power Unit. Ah, thank you father for raising our Erich into such an excellent administrative slave and sending him to us. Welcome, Erich. There¡¯s no paradise where you run away to. ¡°Haaah-! Mission complete!¡± ¡°Lower your voice, Ortega. We almost got discovered.¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t much movement from the Republican Army. Looks like they¡¯re regrouping after their initial offensive.¡± Following them into the operations room were Ortega, Matt, and Guille. The three were drenched in sweat. They had just returned from scouting the Republican Army trenches with some unit members they had selected. It had already been a week since meeting these honorable first-generation Special Magic Unit members. According to the three¡¯s assessment, the unit members¡¯ physical abilities were outstanding beyond question. However¡­. ¡°Something, something just isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°You felt it too? Indeed, the current unit members are¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± Though the three had spent all night training with the unit members, they all wore somewhat unsatisfied expressions. ¡°Why? Did they disobey orders? Or desert?¡± ¡°No, nothing like that.¡± Common occurrences at the front. When I asked that, the three slowly shook their heads. ¡°They follow directions properly and keep up well with training. But¡­¡± ¡°How should I put it, there feels like there¡¯s a wall.¡± ¡°A wall?¡± Despite appearances, these three had been rolling around battlefields since their cadet days. They¡¯d seen recruits crying over dead comrades, shot deserters trying to flee, and wallowed in alcohol afterward. They were veterans who had been through the thick of battle. For guys like that to say this meant something wasn¡¯t quite right. As the two hesitated to continue. ¡°This is just my thought but¡­¡± Guille, who was standing in the middle, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It seems like someone who¡¯s already leadership material has emerged among the unit members. They¡¯ve already formed their own hierarchy, and it feels like they¡¯re treating us merely as messengers who relay orders.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Now I understood. Unit members selected solely based on magical power aptitude, ignoring all disqualifying factors like background and criminal history. It might be called the ¡®Special Magical Power Unit,¡¯ but in reality, these people were barely even a military group. A motley crew created by mixing criminals and misfits. And I had to transform these people into a powerful armed force that could threaten the Knight Order and Magic Corps. ¡®This is quite a high difficulty for a first mission.¡¯ Though I thought that, it was too late to complain now. I had already delivered this project to Keiren 4 years ago, and Keiren and the Emperor had made my nearly delusional plan a reality. Now it was my turn to show results. ¡°I get it.¡± What our unit members are thinking. And how I should act. ¡°Guille. You said there were no unusual signs from Westraine?¡± When I asked that, Guille immediately nodded. ¡°None. Intelligence reached the same conclusion.¡± ¡°Good. Perfect timing.¡± At least we have some time. Thinking that, I spoke to the officers looking at me. ¡°Let¡¯s have an inspection, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the sudden inspection?¡± ¡°He probably has something to say to those newly commissioned brats.¡± ¡°Shh! Shh! He¡¯s coming up.¡± I can hear all your whispering. No, maybe they want me to hear it? Thinking that as I climbed onto the platform, I could see all the unit members gathered at once. ¡°It¡¯s your Company Commander. Seeing you all after a week, everyone looks good.¡± As I said that while looking around at the unit members¡¯ faces, clicking tongues could be heard here and there. They probably found it distasteful that an officer much younger than them was acting like their superior. They were excellent rebels indeed. ¡°I heard from the platoon leaders. Apparently, you don¡¯t seem to see us as your superiors, is that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± The gathered unit members looked indifferent, as if it wasn¡¯t their business. Some even openly sneered. This was a situation I had anticipated from when I first conceived the Special Magical Power Unit. ¡°Suddenly, let me introduce myself.¡± I slowly began and spoke with a smile. ¡°My name is Eugene Lorentz. Rank of Lieutenant. I am a member of the Duke Buckenheim family, one of the 12 Great Magic Houses, and the adopted son of Lieutenant General Keiren, the Western Frontline Commander.¡± The unit members¡¯ expressions increasingly soured at my self-introduction full of showing off and bragging. I know it¡¯s painful, but bear with me a little. This is all build-up. Thinking that, I spoke to the unit members. ¡°And you who have come under my command are byproducts that have fallen from your respective positions.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The occasional sneering sounds ceased, and a cold silence took their place. I continued speaking without waiting for any response. ¡°From the Knight Order, from the Magic Corps. Or dregs that have fallen from this Imperial society.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And you probably thought this unit you¡¯re in is an incinerator for disposing of those dregs, right?¡± From prisons, from detention centers, from jails. Those who were transferred here from the Empire¡¯s dumps and put in the unfamiliar uniforms of the Special Magical Power Unit. Though none of them said it out loud, they must have all thought so. ¡°A suicide squad that supplies magic imprints and weapons to prisoners and pushes them to the front lines to fight until death.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°A disposable group of recycled criminals meant to kill as many soldiers as possible and be destroyed in a single battle!¡± ¡°Hey, Eugene¡­!¡± Startled by my sudden words, Erich tried to stop me, but I continued speaking. ¡°Bugs gathered from riffraff to reduce the losses of the precious Knight Order and Magic Corps! Isn¡¯t that what you thought?!¡± ¡°You son of a¡­!¡± ¡°Are you trying to mess with us?!¡± Finally there was a reaction as I continued provoking from the platform. Curses and shouts full of resentment. Curses aimed at me. But the underlying emotion was none other than fear. ¡®These guys must know too.¡¯ A group like a time bomb about to explode, with magic imprints and weapons given to prisoners and criminals. Coldly speaking, the only way to utilize such people would be as disposable resources. ¡°Get down here right now, you arrogant bastard!¡± ¡°Company Commander or whatever, I¡¯m going to kill you right¡­!¡± ¡°Has any one of our officers ever said such things to you?!¡± My raised voice cut through the jeers of the unit members. ¡°That you¡¯re disposables! That you¡¯re a suicide squad to be used and thrown away! Has anyone ever said even one such word?!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If we were going to make such disposables, we wouldn¡¯t have gone through complicated preparations like giving magic imprints to the trio and testing them from the beginning. We could have just mass-produced Elcidore¡¯s magic imprints containing the Mark of Control, brainwashed all the criminals, and thrown them in. That would have been the end of it. ¡®But that wasn¡¯t enough.¡¯ What I wanted was the complete downfall of the magic nobles. What I needed for that wasn¡¯t simply a group of battle maniacs throwing away their lives. A new mage unit of the Empire to replace the Knight Order and Magic Corps. An organized Imperial army formed to deal with the real enemies ¨C Westraine and the monsters. That¡¯s what the Special Magical Power Unit I envisioned needed to become. So¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll say it once more!¡± Boom-! I amplified my voice by activating my magic imprint. The magnificent magical power emanating from the five-stroke magic imprint. Though they felt fear at that terrifying power, the eyes of the unit members glaring at me didn¡¯t die. I liked those eyes very much. ¡°I am a member of the Duke Buckenheim family, one of the 12 Great Magic Houses, and the adopted son of Lieutenant General Keiren, the Western Frontline Commander. I am one of the Emperor¡¯s closest confidants, holding the noblest status in the Empire!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I personally gathered you all, and I will personally command you! Don¡¯t you understand what this means?!¡± I could see light dawning in some soldiers¡¯ eyes. I didn¡¯t expect them to follow me immediately. This was just a spark. By lighting it, I would finally obtain my army. ¡°You will fight the Empire¡¯s enemies together with me!¡± My status. My position. The people backing me. All the things I had built up during this long ¨C or perhaps short ¨C possession. I proclaimed these things as I shouted to them. ¡°And at the end, we will become the Empire¡¯s most glorious army!¡± Among the confused soldiers, some soldiers let out cheers. This much was enough. Now that I had planted the spark, all that was left was to wait for the fire to rise. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 61 #061 ¡°How is it? Can you see anything?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. The Republic bastards are swarming all over.¡± At an Imperial Army observation post on the Western Front. In response to the senior soldier¡¯s question, a soldier operating the telescope connected to the observation balloon answered with a horrified expression. ¡°Three more armored trains seem to have arrived. They¡¯re packed with weapons and ammunition.¡± ¡°These persistent bastards. We¡¯ve killed so many, yet where did all these crawl out from?¡± That was the Republican Army for you ¨C kill one, three would crawl out; kill three, nine would walk out. Overwhelming numbers, and the overwhelming resources to sustain those numbers. If it weren¡¯t for superhuman groups like the Knight Order and Magic Corps, the Empire would have long since been trampled under their military boots. And now, with revolutionary winds blowing within the Empire. The mages who protected them were leaving the front lines one by one. ¡°At this rate, I wonder if we¡¯re really going to lose¡­ Huh?¡± Just as he was muttering that. When he spotted an alien object in the center of his view, the observer¡¯s eyes immediately widened. ¡°S-Senior, what¡­ is that?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? I taught you all the names of Republican Army equipment, didn¡¯t I? Did you forget already?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­¡± ¡°Aish!¡± The sergeant roughly pushed his junior aside and put his eye to the observation equipment. ¡°Stop stammering and speak properly! Just what did you see¡­!¡± But his shouting didn¡¯t last long. The senior soldier¡¯s eyes widened instantly when he saw the image output on the observation equipment. ¡°I-Insane¡­¡± Red-painted armored trains with bear emblems carved on them. And bizarre shadows disembarking from those trains one after another. Boom- Boom- It felt like he could hear their footsteps even though they were kilometers away. Large mechanical bodies made of steel, heavy artillery mounted on their shoulders. Heavy machine guns attached to both hands, and the red bear emblem carved in the middle of their bodies¡­! ¡°Contact headquarters! Hurry!¡± ¡°W-What?! We still have three hours until the regular report time¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue right now!¡± The panicked senior soldier barked at his junior who still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation. ¡°It¡¯s the 1st Guards Armored Division! The Republic¡¯s Armored Infantry! The Red Bear has been deployed to our front!¡± ¡°A-Ah¡­!¡± Armored Infantry. Upon hearing those four syllables, the junior soldier finally started running frantically toward headquarters. ¡°Fuck¡­ fuck¡­!¡± The arrival of the Armored Infantry that should be at the central battlefront had a simple meaning. It meant that an unprecedented Republican offensive was about to begin right here. The soldier¡¯s hands trembled as he gripped the observation equipment. ¡°They said this was just a small-scale front line on the outskirts, what¡¯s going on all of a sudden¡­!¡± The higher-ups who received the report would probably be in chaos too. Soon, an officer with a pale face would come running to verify if they saw things right. As the senior soldier continued watching the observation equipment in preparation for that moment, he suddenly doubted his eyes. ¡°Wait. What¡¯s that now?¡± The Armored Infantry disembarking one after another from the red armored trains. Some of them were pulling chains, dragging something massive out of the train cars. Covered in red plating, with all sorts of restraints and mechanical devices embedded¡­ A four-legged beast? ¡°No, not a beast. That¡¯s¡­¡± Tentacles writhing between the steel plates. And that distinctive glow between the eye sockets. Upon confirming that, the color drained from the soldier¡¯s face. ¡°Could that be¡­ a monster?¡± *** ¡°Grooooar-!¡± Thud-! A massive body over 3 meters tall collapsed to the ground with a scream. It looked like five human limbs had been dismembered and reassembled like a Power Rangers combining robot. Tentacles covering that body, along with slime and blood coating almost every inch. It was a monster that had emerged from a rift formed on the outskirts of the front line. ¡°Search mission complete.¡± ¡°Whew!¡± ¡°Damn, we almost died¡­¡± After that lukewarm first meeting, I and the members of Special Magical Power Unit 1 had to endure insane amounts of work. Though not as bad as the Eastern Front which had been completely devoured by monsters, this Western Front was also part of the contaminated zone ¨C aftermath of the previous Great War. Dig a trench and you¡¯ll find a monster that¡¯s made its nest underground, search a forest and instead of wild animals, you¡¯ll get a 10-year-old monster playing peek-a-boo ¨C it was one of those otherworldly hellscapes. But why dig trenches in such an insane place, you ask? When such doubts arise, you should think in reverse. Most of the western border region was land so contaminated you couldn¡¯t breathe without a gas mask. This place where monsters popped out from time to time was actually the safest space to station troops. ¡®Thanks to that, at least we don¡¯t have to worry about the Republican Army pushing in from the side, so I guess that¡¯s fortunate.¡¯ Whenever I think about this, I¡¯m reminded again of just how mentally deranged this game world¡¯s setting is. And the most deranged of all are the humans who keep waging war without rest even while the world has become like this. Crunch- Crunch- While I was withdrawing the troops who had completed their mission, Irene¡¯s tentacles protruding from my shadow started devouring the dead monster¡¯s corpse. Eat up lots, Irene. Grow big and strong so you can crush all these humans. Just give me the monster core later. ¡°So, what¡¯s next on the schedule?¡± ¡°Commander¡¯s meeting in two hours. They said everyone must attend without exception.¡± ¡°Everyone without exception, meaning the Knight Order and Magic Corps too?¡± ¡°Yeah. Direct orders from Major General Beckier.¡± A meeting presided over by the division commander must be quite significant. Thinking that, I immediately turned my steps toward the central meeting room. ¡°Lieutenant Eugene Lorentz. Reporting in.¡± ¡°Have a seat. Knight Order members, this way.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The meeting room was already filled with numerous field-grade officers. The reason a mere lieutenant like me could be here was because I led the unique military unit called Special Magical Power Unit. ¡®Of course, the fact that I¡¯m Keiren¡¯s adopted son probably has something to do with it too.¡¯ One of the Emperor¡¯s closest confidants. And an Imperial military genius who, just as in the last Great War, was single-handedly holding back Westraine¡¯s offensive on the entire Western Front. Regardless of what the Knight Order or Magic Corps might think, Keiren¡¯s position within the Imperial Army was absolute. As his adopted son, I too was receiving corresponding expectations. ¡°As you all know, after we blocked their last major offensive, the Republican Army seemed to be laying low for a while.¡± Following the staff officer¡¯s voice leading the meeting, several black and white photographs quickly passed by. Burning Republican airships and Republican soldiers collapsing under artillery fire. These were photos from Westraine¡¯s large-scale offensive a few months ago. ¡°Haha. Even thinking about that operation now¡­¡± ¡°Without being completely insane, it was truly an unthinkable strategy! Good thing it succeeded¡­¡± ¡°It succeeded, so isn¡¯t that what matters? All thanks to Lieutenant General Keiren¡¯s insight¡­¡± Some expressed admiration. Others jeered. The Knight Order commander and officers each added their opinions as they recalled that time. ¡®Rapid front line breakthrough using mobile units, simultaneous deployment of engineering corps to lay railways, and indiscriminate bombardment from armored trains that bypassed the front line using those railways.¡¯ This ridiculous operation planned by Keiren caught the Republican Army off guard, and Westraine¡¯s first offensive failed miserably. Of course, they had to completely burn precious armored trains and railways in exchange, but it was a cheap price to pay for stopping the first major offensive. As I had experienced in the game, it was a tactic that completely overturned common sense. ¡°However, despite inflicting such losses¡­ the Republican Army is preparing for a second offensive.¡± The staff officer who said this immediately showed the next photograph. ¡°T-That¡­!¡± ¡°The Armored Infantry Unit, why are those guys who should be at the central front¡­¡± What appeared in the photo was a massive body over 2 meters tall, armed with thick armor and heavy weapons. The Westraine Armored Infantry that I was quite familiar with from the game. Moreover, that red bear emblem carved on their chest¡­ ¡®Klaus Medvedev. One of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s collaborators.¡¯ ¡°Such numbers of Armored Infantry, I¡¯m speechless.¡± While I was thinking this, a voice came from one side of the meeting room. ¡°Division Commander Beckier. Withdraw the front line to the rear immediately.¡± A man wearing not an Imperial Army uniform, but elaborate blue clothing. It was Viscount Rylen Backford, commander of the 3rd Knight Order of Sutherland dispatched to this front. ¡°Mind your tone, Lord Backford. The authority to move Imperial troops lies with Division Commander Major General Beckier. Such commanding tone¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t move, our Knight Order will completely withdraw from this front.¡± Before one of the field officers could finish speaking, Viscount Backford¡¯s bombshell statement swept through the audience. ¡°Even if we withdraw the front line, we¡¯d only lose a few civilian villages we¡¯ve been using for supplies, right? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that big a loss¡­¡± ¡°Reconstruct the trench lines? Preposterous! Do you know how long it would take to rebuild trenches of this scale¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the Imperial Army to worry about. What does it have to do with the Knight Order?¡± ¡°What did you just say?!¡± ¡°You dare open your mouths when you eat and sleep in trenches we dug¡­¡± ¡°Then try stopping those Armored Infantry without the Knight Order! Wouldn¡¯t that solve everything?!¡± ¡°You people really¡­¡± Ah, here we go again with this nonsense. Starting with Viscount Backford, his subordinate knights and the field-grade officers started bickering back and forth. The meeting room had already devolved into an emotional argument. A heavy sigh escaped Major General Beckier¡¯s lips as he watched this. ¡°N-No, that won¡¯t do, Division Commander!¡± Just as the chaos between the Imperial Army and Knight Order was about to begin, a voice burst out from among the field officers. A skinny man with a lieutenant colonel¡¯s rank insignia. With his large glasses and haggard face, he reminded me of Erich who would be buried under paperwork at company headquarters. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Midwell. What is your reason?¡± The division commander, who had been observing the increasingly noisy situation, questioned for the first time. Lieutenant Colonel Midwell, visibly tense, swallowed hard before speaking. ¡°Th-The villages we use for supplies! We c-can¡¯t abandon the people living in those villages.¡± ¡°Villages?¡± ¡°Villages? Why bring that up suddenly¡­¡± Questions erupted from both the Knight Order and other Imperial Army officers. Nobody seemed to understand what he meant. But the lieutenant colonel, having found his voice, collected himself and continued speaking. ¡°The p-people living in those villages aren¡¯t just ordinary civilians. They¡¯re local collaborators who have lived in the Republic border region for decades, providing us with terrain information and supply routes!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Hooh, now that you mention it¡­¡± Hearing this, Major General Beckier rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought. Watching his silent, closed-eyed expression, Lieutenant Colonel Midwell desperately squeezed out his voice. ¡°M-Moreover! The villagers already have a history of collaborating with the Imperial Army and have even received Imperial citizenship! If the Republican Army comes in, they¡¯ll all¡­¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡± But that didn¡¯t last long. Viscount Backford, who had been silently listening, let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m at a loss for words. Major General Beckier. Since when did the Imperial Army become such a humanitarian organization?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The major general¡¯s brow furrowed as he listened with his eyes closed. ¡°Are you saying we should face those Armored Infantry to save a few dozen local collaborators? In this situation where we¡¯re outnumbered both quantitatively and qualitatively?¡± ¡°With the Knight Order¡¯s cooperation, we can maintain the front line!¡± ¡°But that process will consume a considerable number of knights. You¡¯re saying we should expend the Empire¡¯s most crucial fighting force to save a few local collaborators? Is that the Imperial Army¡¯s will?¡± The knights¡¯ cold gazes turned toward Lieutenant Colonel Midwell. ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­¡± Watching this, I let out a brief sigh. To be honest, they weren¡¯t wrong. Withdrawing the front line and waiting for reinforcements before restoring it, or concentrating forces on another front. For the Imperial Army, that would be far more beneficial. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for the Revolutionary Army being an unstable factor, that is.¡¯ Villages abandoned by the Imperial Army¡¯s retreat during the war between Westraine and the Empire. The villagers, betrayed by the Empire in an instant, would naturally be consumed by revenge against the Empire. Then, after the Imperial Army leaves and Westraine¡¯s invasion is imminent¡­ ¡®The Revolutionary Army will end up protecting these people.¡¯ Villages abandoned by the Imperial Army. Revolutionary Army saving the villages. Revolutionary newspapers spreading this fact, and trust in the Imperial Army hitting rock bottom. It was a familiar situation. In [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story, the Revolutionary Army gained the support of Imperial citizens by repeating exactly this routine. While the war was a crisis threatening the Empire¡¯s existence, for the Revolutionary Army it became a perfect opportunity to win over public sentiment. ¡®Moreover, if Klaus has appeared here¡­ We don¡¯t have time. We need to eliminate them as soon as possible.¡¯ Armored Infantry Corps Commander, Klaus Medvedev. Also known as Westraine¡¯s Red Bear. If not eliminated in the early story, he¡¯s a promising monster who grows to rival the 12 magic nobles. A hardcore republican who can¡¯t even consider being won over or cooperating with the Empire. Meeting him this early in the war was rather fortunate for me. ¡°Lieutenant Eugene Lorentz. Permission to speak, sir.¡± Taking advantage of a moment of silence, I requested permission to speak from Major General Beckier. ¡°How impudent! A mere lieutenant daring to interrupt a meeting of commanders and knights¡­¡± ¡°I apologize, but¡­¡± Where¡¯s that dog barking from. Though one of the knights sneered, I pushed back without backing down. ¡°I requested permission to speak from Major General Beckier, my commanding officer. I don¡¯t think this is a matter for civilian organizations like the Knight Order to interfere with.¡± When I emphasized the words ¡®civilian organization¡¯, the knights¡¯ expressions immediately turned hostile. ¡°What did you¡­¡± ¡°Speak, Lieutenant.¡± The major general¡¯s permission came faster than the knights could get riled up. As expected of an officer chosen by Keiren, his skill at managing situations was impressive. Thinking this, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Our Special Magical Power Unit has over 200 magical power awakeners, all of whom possess two stroke or higher magic imprint.¡± ¡°W-What? 200?!¡± ¡°Wait a minute. What¡¯s this suddenly¡­¡± The knights¡¯ expressions turned to bewilderment at my words. Their surprise was natural. This unit¡¯s existence was one of our special secrets. ¡°Therefore, Major General. Please withdraw the Knight Order as they requested.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Savoring the speechless knights¡¯ gazes, I addressed Major General Beckier. ¡°Our Special Magical Power Unit will hunt down the Republic¡¯s bear.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 62 #062 ¡°Armored Infantry?! No, wait, really?!¡± Wow, how surprising. Who knew Erich could raise his voice like that? While I was thinking that, Erich, with a pale expression, immediately clutched his head. ¡°If it¡¯s Armored Infantry, then that means¡­! The Republic¡¯s bear that devours knights!¡± ¡°What bear? They¡¯re just normal humans wearing armor plates.¡± Population, resources, territory. The Republic had the upper hand in every aspect of war, but there was just one thing they lacked. Mages. Superhumans who strengthen their bodies with magic circuits and wield supernatural abilities through magic imprints. Human weapons who could tear people apart with bare hands, block large-caliber bullets, and incinerate trenches full of dozens of soldiers in an instant. To create these superhumans who completely ignored all rules of the battlefield, Magic Awakening individuals were absolutely necessary. However, the Republic¡¯s number of magical power awakened individuals was, at best, only one-twentieth of the Empire¡¯s. This extreme imbalance was what maintained the power balance between the Empire and the Republic. ¡®The Armored Infantry is one of the Republic¡¯s many weapons created to bridge that gap.¡¯ Special reinforced suits powered by hydraulics and diesel engines. Steel giants equipped with all sorts of heavy weapons, achieving firepower and defense comparable to mages. The 1st Guards Armored Division was the most elite among them, demonstrating exceptional performance even compared to other Armored Infantry. ¡®And the one commanding them is Lieutenant Colonel Klaus Medvedev.¡¯ The Republic¡¯s Red Bear who, clad in red armor, took to the battlefield and butchered dozens of Imperial knights. ¡°So, we have to face that? Our soldiers¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this unit was created for in the first place. Didn¡¯t Lieutenant General Keiren inform you?¡± ¡°Well, yes, but¡­!¡± The Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s reason for existence was to replace the work traditionally handled by the Knight Order and Magic Corps. Besides, now that we¡¯d already declared to headquarters that we¡¯d do it, backing out was impossible. If a sword can¡¯t be used, it wouldn¡¯t have been forged in the first place. ¡°You said you¡¯ve been doing steady reconnaissance. How many enemies?¡± ¡°If we count only the confirmed ones, about 120 units.¡± Matt, who was in charge of the reconnaissance team, was the one who answered. ¡°That¡¯s a small number considering the Red Bear came personally. Any unusual findings?¡± ¡°Yes. What they brought with them¡­ This.¡± Saying that, Matt placed a black and white photograph on the conference room table. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°This photo has only been reported to some commanders.¡± What appeared in the photo he handed over was a four-legged beast wearing armor similar to Armored Infantry. Three monsters, each large enough to occupy an entire train car, were being led out of the train by Armored Infantry. ¡°Wait a minute. These are¡­ monsters!¡± ¡°The Republic started weaponizing monsters?¡± ¡°Those crazy bastards, to do something this insane¡­¡± While the officers shook their heads in disbelief, I calmly assessed the situation. ¡°So in other words. The Armored Division¡¯s deployment aims not only to end this front but also to test this new weapon.¡± Thinking back to the original game¡¯s story, it was quite ironic. In the original, the protagonist would be carrying out two types of missions right now. Either crushing magic nobles, or fulfilling requests from people while traveling through war-torn outlying villages. And those Revolutionary Army activities would accelerate the Empire¡¯s downfall. ¡®If the Revolutionary Army crushes the magic nobles, there won¡¯t be anyone left to counter Westraine¡¯s new weapons. Westraine¡¯s forces will mercilessly push back the Imperial army¡­¡¯ In other words, those ¡°war-torn outlying villages¡± mentioned earlier would spring up like mushrooms. ¡°No wonder the country¡¯s heading toward ruin.¡± Thinking about what the protagonist did in the original game, I couldn¡¯t help but feel dumbfounded. A vicious cycle where killing nobles gradually eroded the Empire itself. These monsters baring their teeth in the photograph represented the dark side of revolution that the game never explained. ¡®But this time, it¡¯s different.¡¯ Defeating magic nobles? Go ahead. Social reform? Revolution? Do as you please. That¡¯s your job, while mine is to crush Westraine and approach the core of Imperial power. The magic nobles and Magic Corps will be worn down fighting the Revolutionary Army. Meanwhile, the Special Magical Power Unit, allied with the Imperial army, will expand its influence on the front lines, building up personnel and growing larger. That¡¯s how the special magical power unit will grow into a force that replaces both the Knight Order and Magic Corps. We¡¯re taking away the magic nobles¡¯ reason for existence. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These 200 people gathered here are just the beginning. Boom-! While I was organizing my thoughts, the fortification began to shake with the sound of artillery. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the cannon mounted on the armored train. Not Imperial artillery.¡± ¡°Erich, you can tell just from the sound?¡± Eeeeeee¨C! As the trio and Erich were muttering, belatedly, sirens began blaring from the Imperial fortification. ¡°Enemy raid! Enemy raid!¡± ¡°What the hell is that in the sky?!¡± ¡°What kind of airship¡­¡± Dozens of flashes sparkled beyond the horizon. It was artillery fire from the armored train. The Republic¡¯s bombing airships slowly advancing toward the Imperial trenches covered the sky, and dozens of anti-aircraft batteries installed in the trenches began spewing fire to meet them. The Republic Army of Westraine¡¯s major offensive had begun. ¡°Lieutenant! Report from the reconnaissance team!¡± Reports flowed in from soldiers on the front line. ¡°Enemy Armored Infantry unit confirmed! About 30 in number! They¡¯re accompanied by grotesque creatures!¡± If it¡¯s around 30, this must be a probing attack. Quite cautious. While thinking that, I ordered the waiting Special Magical Power Unit members. ¡°First platoon follows me. Guille! Get your troops ready and standby! Erich, contact the artillery unit. Tell them to provide fire support as soon as I signal!¡± The officers who received my instructions moved in perfect order, and the platoon members who completed their preparations gathered around me with their weapons ready. My army that I had been preparing since entering the military academy. This was its monumental first deployment. *** ¡°To think the Imperial army¡­ had prepared such numbers.¡± Western Front rear area, Sutherland Knight Order temporary headquarters. On a train heading to the territory of Count Sutherland. Watching knights boarding the train with smiling faces, Viscount Backford wore a displeased expression. ¡®This situation isn¡¯t good. Originally, I planned to use the Knight Order¡¯s existence as leverage to force the Imperial army to retreat¡­¡¯ Instead, the Imperial army refused the Knight Order¡¯s help and sent them back to their territory. Eugene Lorentz. That single junior officer¡¯s words had completely twisted the situation. ¡°200 two-stroke imprint mages¡­ That can¡¯t possibly be true, Viscount.¡± ¡°It¡¯s equivalent to the strength of an entire Magic Corps division appearing out of nowhere. How could the Imperial army have such resources¡­¡± The knights under his command seemed optimistic about the situation. They thought it was just an immature junior officer who had gathered a ragtag group of mages to form a unit. However, Viscount Backford had a completely different thought. ¡®If that were the case, Major General Beckier would never have approved this.¡¯ The viscount recalled the face of that youngster Eugene. While his background as Lieutenant General Keiren¡¯s adopted son couldn¡¯t be ignored, would they withdraw the Knight Order based on the boasting of some lowly junior officer? The Major General Beckier that the viscount knew wasn¡¯t that incompetent. Then, there was only one conclusion he could draw. ¡®Did the Imperial army really create their own mage unit? And in such a short time?¡¯ ¡°Viscount.¡± Just as he was thinking that, one knight approached Viscount Backford and whispered. ¡°As you ordered, I investigated the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s barracks. However¡­¡± While listening to the knight¡¯s words with a serious expression, Viscount Backford¡¯s face grew increasingly grave. ¡°It¡¯s not a hastily assembled unit?¡± ¡°Correct. The standard equipment, uniforms, and even the imprints¡­¡± ¡°Imprints? You mean they¡¯re not the general-purpose imprints supplied to the Magic Corps?¡± The knight immediately nodded at the viscount¡¯s question. ¡°As Lieutenant Eugene said, they were two-stroke imprints. Moreover, their design was something I¡¯d never seen before¡­¡± ¡°They created¡­ new imprints¡­?¡± Other supplies were somewhat understandable. But hastily creating imprints? That was impossible. ¡°Even for low-grade two-stroke imprints, it would have taken at least several years to research and create them. Then, during that period, someone who could lead this and control the information¡­¡± While he was pondering, another knight beside him added. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it obviously be Lieutenant General Keiren? I heard that lieutenant youngster commanding the Special Magical Power Unit is his adopted son¡­¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡± The viscount slowly shook his head. ¡°Lieutenant General Keiren is certainly a central figure in the military. However, his position within the Buckenheim family is weak. He couldn¡¯t possibly have the funds to create a new army.¡± ¡°Then who on earth could have led this?¡± At the knight¡¯s question, Viscount Backford gritted his teeth. There was only one person who could pull this off. And this situation was the worst possible outcome for them, the magic nobles. ¡°His Majesty the Emperor.¡± ¡°P-pardon?!¡± While several knights were shocked at those words, there was no other way to think about it. Making Keiren his confidant and the military¡¯s leader, creating the Special Magical Power Unit to block the Knight Order¡¯s intervention. The only person who could envision such a blueprint and actually realize it had to be the Emperor himself. ¡°Since when¡­ Just how long has this coordination been going on?¡± He had known for a while that the Emperor favored Lieutenant General Keiren as his confidant. But for the military to move as one body? To the extent of driving out both the Knight Order and Magic Corps and creating an entirely new organization? Just when did this¡­! ¡°Send a telegram to Count Sutherland. This is urgent.¡± After finishing his thoughts, Viscount Backford immediately called a knight and said so. This war. To be in a situation where they¡¯re being swayed by mere rebels¡­! ¡°Viscount Backford. Is that correct?¡± At that moment. Hearing an unfamiliar voice behind him, Viscount Backford turned his head irritably. ¡°Who dares to speak a knight¡¯s name so casually¡­!¡± However, that didn¡¯t last long. Seeing the men in black clothing standing before him, the viscount¡¯s eyes filled with bewilderment. ¡°We¡¯re from the Imperial Intelligence Department Investigation Division. Currently, His Majesty has ordered your transfer to Intelligence headquarters on charges of embezzling Imperial army funds and abuse of authority.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Along with those words, what the man presented was a document bearing the Emperor¡¯s seal. At that order carrying the same authority as an imperial edict, the faces of the knights beside the viscount turned pale. ¡°T-this is nonsense! To suddenly arrest the Knight Order like this, this is¡­!¡± ¡°I apologize, but we are merely carrying out His Majesty¡¯s orders. If you refuse to comply¡­¡± It could be considered treason. Thinking that, Viscount Backford felt a chill run down his spine. ¡®Information control¡­!¡¯ The telegram he had ordered to be sent would never reach the count. Since the Imperial Intelligence Department managed all of the Empire¡¯s communication networks, intercepting telegrams would be child¡¯s play. What shocked the viscount wasn¡¯t that, but the fact that the Emperor had directly used his schemes against him. ¡®This is different from before.¡¯ The Emperor, who had been silent as a mouse until now, had begun to exercise his influence outside the palace. He had drawn the sword that had been sleeping all this time and begun cutting away at the branches of the magic nobles himself. That very fact made Viscount Backford shudder. In this Empire that had been considered the country of magic nobles. Something was about to happen. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 63 #063 Screech-! ¡°Kill them! Slaughter those Imperial dogs!¡± ¡°Waaah¨C!¡± ¡°Aaaah-!¡± The whistle pierced through the sound of armored train gunfire. That sharp sound, like a death sentence, filled the trench lines along with the soldiers¡¯ battle cries. ¡°Machine gunners, prepare to fire!¡± ¡°Hold fire-! Hold fire-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t shoot until they¡¯re in range!¡± They loaded ammunition belts into machine guns and chambered rounds into rifles. Soldiers who laid explosive wires held their detonators while catching their breath, and guards positioned inside loaded their shotguns while nervously swallowing. ¡°Almighty Father. Please protect me, shield me from this tribulation¡­!¡± Tension filled the faces of soldiers pressed against the trench walls. The dirt wall they leaned against trembled, and soil and gravel began to shake. The idea that human footsteps could make the ground rumble like this. It was an unbelievable sight no matter how you thought about it. ¡°Huff¡­! Huff¡­!¡± A wave of humans filled the no man¡¯s land outside the trench line. The footsteps growing ever closer. Gun sights beginning to shake from the vibrations. Every kind of tension and fear combined to choke the Imperial soldiers¡¯ throats. One. Two. Three. As the mounting tension and terror with each count reached its critical point- ¡°Open fire! All units open fire-!¡± ¡°Pour everything on them-! Don¡¯t let a single one live!¡± ¡°Aaaaah¡ª!¡± With the officers¡¯ screaming commands, thousands of gun barrels waiting along the trench walls began spewing fire all at once. Bang-! Boom¨C! You couldn¡¯t even hear the gunshots. The sound of explosive wires and mines detonating. Hundreds of artillery shells fired from the rear batteries. The water-cooled machine guns mounted in the fortifications spat out hundreds of rounds per minute, and soldiers loaded ammunition until their arms nearly broke as they fired at the Republican soldiers. ¡°Aaaack-?!¡± ¡°Advance! Advance-!¡± ¡°Anyone who retreats will be executed on the spot! Charge-!¡± The bodies of Republican soldiers killed by gunfire and artillery grew in number. The pistols in Republican political officers¡¯ hands cut down retreating Republican soldiers, and soldiers with numbed minds began rushing into various parts of the trenches, climbing over their comrades¡¯ corpses. ¡°Die you sons of bitches¡­!¡± Just as one soldier who made it into the trench was about to spray his submachine gun- Bam-! A Republican soldier whose stomach was blown clean through by an officer¡¯s shotgun crumpled lifelessly. A rookie officer wearing a Second Lieutenant¡¯s insignia. With no time to dwell on his first kill, he immediately ordered his men: ¡°Maintain firing positions! Reinforce the line! Machine gunners use this chance to change barrels¡­!¡± But at that moment- Boom-! With a thunderous roar, the defensive position where he had just been standing was completely overturned. What happened? Artillery? Taking out the machine gunner with such precision, how¡­? Thud-! His confusion was brief. Heavy footsteps blocked the officer¡¯s path. ¡°So it¡¯s true the Knight Order withdrew. I didn¡¯t expect it would be this easy to break through.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The one who spoke was an Armored Infantry who had fired the mortar on his shoulder. Starting with that voice, steel giants began appearing one after another across the battlefront. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± ¡°Armored Infantry! They¡¯re in the trenches!¡± ¡°Snipers! No, gr-grenades?!¡± ¡°What should we¡­!¡± Vrooom¨C! A bizarre roar filled the trenches as diesel engine noise mixed with hydraulic cylinder rotations. A sound like beasts growling. The eyes of the panicking Imperial soldiers instantly filled with terror. ¡°U-uwaah?!¡± The officer commanding the position defense was also gripped by fear. Those were the Republic¡¯s steel beasts made to kill knights. There was no way ordinary humans could win against them. ¡®So this is what happens without the Knight Order?¡¯ Were Imperial forces really just an appendage of the Knight Order? Without them, were they this powerless? The demoralized soldiers began stepping back one by one. An overwhelming sense of helplessness and defeatism was slowly eating away at their hearts. ¡°Vermin threatening the Republic, we¡¯ll burn you all to death right here¡­!¡± Screech¨C! Just as the Armored Infantry who broke through the machine gun fire turned their flamethrower nozzles toward them- Boom-! With an explosion, the Armored Infantry was thrown backwards. ¡°Ugh, what¡­?¡± ¡°What was that, where did that come from?!¡± ¡°Artillery?¡± They turned around at the sudden situation. An officer in a black uniform was aiming a rifle at the Armored Infantry. Click-! When he pulled the rifle bolt, a shell casing with an unusual shape emerged with red smoke. And behind that officer, soldiers in black uniforms began appearing one by one. The soldiers aimed rifles similar to the officer¡¯s at the Armored Infantry charging into the trenches and- ¡°4th Platoon, open fire-!¡± With the command, red light erupted from dozens of gun barrels. Boom boom boom¡ª! Streams of red light spread in all directions, striking the Armored Infantry charging toward the trenches. Each shot had power and impact rivaling artillery fire. The Armored Infantry who had been ravaging the soldiers began falling one after another. ¡°Kack?!¡± ¡°Wh-what?! Artillery?!¡± ¡°Damn it, where the hell¡­!¡± Some officers didn¡¯t miss their chance as the Armored Infantry frantically tried to get up. ¡°Bring explosive wire! And construction explosives! Hurry!¡± ¡°J-just wait¡­! You bastards¡­!¡± Bang-! Boom-! After pinning down the struggling Armored Infantry with their bodies, they inserted explosives into gaps in the armor and detonated them. The Armored Infantry died as bloody pulp inside their armor plates. ¡°Good. Well done.¡± After confirming this, 4th Platoon Commander Matt raised his voice toward the front: ¡°We¡¯ll handle the Armored Infantry! Ortega!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± The one who answered was a young officer with a cheerful expression. With a shotgun slung over his shoulder, he called out to the dozens of soldiers following him: ¡°3rd Platoon-!¡± ¡°Waaaaaah¨C!¡± ¡°This is our glorious first deployment as the Special Magical Power Unit! I trust there are no idiots who want to die right from the start!¡± ¡°Ooh-! Ooh-! Ooh-!¡± If the soldiers who appeared earlier were well-trained marksmen, these were bloodthirsty natives. Looking at the soldiers shouting in unison, 3rd Platoon Commander Ortega called out with satisfaction: ¡°The company commander ordered us! To burn all the Republic¡¯s cockroaches to death! So tear them apart and kill them! Those Republican vermin you see before you will become your honor and glory-!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaah-!¡± ¡°Charge-! Charge-!¡± ¡°Tear them apart! Kill them¨C!¡± Dozens of soldiers burst out from the trench line and began charging toward the Republican forces. ¡°Wh-what are those?!¡± ¡°Sh-shoot! Kill all of them¡­!¡± Boom¡ª! The soldiers¡¯ voices didn¡¯t continue any further. The tremendous flames that erupted from the shotguns burned them all away. A barrier that deflected bullets and artillery, and wide-area annihilation magic bursting from shotguns. The Republican soldiers who had approached right up to the trench line began getting swept away like fallen leaves in an instant. ¡°The Republican forces¡­!¡± ¡°They¡¯re being pushed back!¡± The eyes of the Imperial officers watching lit up. Special Magical Power Unit members were now mixed among the soldiers, fighting alongside them. Unlike until now when they had merely cleaned up after knights, they were defending against the Republican forces in coordination with the Imperial army. ¡°Deploy barriers! Buy time to recover the machine gun positions!¡± ¡°One Armored Infantry is down! Riflemen forward-!¡± Not overwhelming superhumans acting alone, but well-trained human weapons coordinating with Imperial forces. A unit member positioned in the fortification raised high an Imperial military flag that had fallen to the ground. ¡°¡­!¡± The Imperial forces dominating the battlefield, and the Imperial flag fluttering in their midst. A thrill ran through the officers who stood up with weapons in hand. ¡°This battle¡­ This time¡­!¡± How long had it been since that flag flew at the very front of the battlefield? How long had it been since they played a leading role in battle rather than just supporting the Knight Order! ¡°We can win. We don¡¯t need the Knight Order! We can win with our strength alone!¡± Despair turned to hope as officers gripping their weapons plunged into the midst of battle. A victory they had never tasted before. A pure Imperial victory was within their grasp. *** ¨C Communication from 3rd and 4th Platoons. Enemy Armored Infantry annihilated. Successfully defending against Republican forces. Over. A magical power communication came in from Guille who was escorting the artillery. Not bad for their debut battle. Thinking this, I raised my hand to stop the soldiers following behind. This was a forest located on the eastern front. When I activated Eye of Horus, several Armored Infantry were detected in my field of vision. ¡®As expected. They were here.¡¯ About five Armored Infantry and one large one among them with a special form. And something huge following behind them. It was certain. The Republican forces¡¯ offensive currently heading toward the main front. This was a detached force moving in sync with that offensive to disrupt the rear formations. ¡®The real problem is that monster. Should I try to capture it? No, that might not even be possible¡­¡¯ Click-! Just as I was thinking this, suddenly one of the lead Armored Infantry aimed a cannon in my direction. ¡°?!¡± They detected the detection magic? You¡¯re saying they can use magical power? Then, that Armored Infantry aiming at me now¡­! Boom¨C! ¡°Ugh-!¡± What they fired at me was a smoke grenade. My vision was instantly covered in smoke. While the following soldiers raised their weapons, a low voice emerged from beyond the smoke. ¡°I let my guard down hearing the Knight Order withdrew, but to think the Imperial army had prepared such an interesting trick.¡± Parting the thick smoke, a huge shadow slowly approached. A massive red-painted Armored Infantry. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. When the faceplate opened, what was revealed was a man with literally bear-like features. Long hair reminiscent of a lion¡¯s mane and scars visible on his face. Plus the unique pressure emanating from his body. ¡°Klaus Medvedev¡­!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t slack on intelligence gathering! You even know my name?¡± The Red Bear of the Republic. To think he would appear in person. While I was thinking this, something huge burst through the smoke toward my unit members. ¡°Graaaawrr-!¡± ¡°Damn it?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the monster from the reports! Maintain distance! Herd it to one side!¡± The monster diving into the center of our formation, and the Armored Infantry following behind it. Though I saw it all, I had no chance to support my soldiers. Clang-! Klaus threw a punch charging toward me. Even with his faceplate down, I could tell he was smiling at me. ¡°I received reports. They say my subordinates pressuring the main front were annihilated. Now that you¡¯ve handled the main front, it must be our turn, right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re wrong. While you were blocking the main front, we¡¯ll crush your command post in the rear¡­!¡± His chilling laughter pierced my mind. The Republic¡¯s bear trying to kill me with blazing eyes. Meeting that gaze, I frowned. ¡®Is that why they left over 100 Armored Infantry in the rear? The reason he participated personally was to annihilate the command post with an elite few¡­!¡¯ While we were intoxicated with stopping their first offensive, the command post would vanish without a trace. The Republic¡¯s second offensive would follow immediately, with over a hundred Armored Infantry taking the field. It was reckless and rash, but that made it a deadly move. If that operation succeeded, the Imperial forces would have been annihilated before they could even retreat. However. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk slowly, young Imperial officer. Until my subordinates and that monster slaughter all your precious soldiers¡­!¡± ¡°Graaaawrr¡ª!¡± The monster¡¯s scream cut off Klaus¡¯s chilling laughter. Following that came artillery fire and red light echoing from all around. ¡°You stopped a monster equipped with powered armor?¡± Klaus muttered in disbelief as he gazed into the distant forest. And hearing that, I smiled with satisfaction. Thud-! The monster burst out from the undergrowth, and the Armored Infantry who had been chasing my unit members began falling back. ¡°Absolutely¡­ I absolutely won¡¯t die here¡­!¡± The one who emerged walking forward, overwhelming them in reverse, was a soldier wearing the Special Magical Power Unit uniform. ¡°It was worth bringing him after all.¡± Leopold Kolhead, loading his shotgun while burning his two stroke engraving with enough intensity to shatter it. The man who had stood at the vanguard of the Revolutionary Army was helping me drive back the monster. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 64 #064 Boom! Thud-! ¡°Keep your distance! Keep pushing!¡± The magic bullets loaded in the shotgun continuously emitted magical power, pushing back the massive beast¡¯s body. I also launched consecutive Fireballs at Klaus¡¯s face, who was confronting me, to create distance. ¡°Damn it, what kind of magical power¡­!¡± ¡°Something¡¯s strange, Colonel. These guys are on a completely different level from those Magic Corps bastards.¡± ¡°Indeed. Seems like we¡¯ve met some interesting friends after a long time.¡± After saying that, Klaus narrowed his eyes while looking at me. Special Magical Power Unit soldiers emerged one by one from the bushes. As Klaus carefully observed the bullets loaded in their weapons, his eyes glinted with recognition. ¡°Magic bullets? Aren¡¯t those the magical power enhancement devices used by the Revolutionary Army?¡± As expected, he recognized them immediately. This meant that at this point in time, Klaus had already made contact with the Revolutionary Army. The fact that not only intelligence agents but also regular soldiers had contact with the Revolutionary Army¡­ ¡®It means Randall is absorbing the Revolutionary Army much faster than in the original story.¡¯ While it couldn¡¯t be called good news, it wasn¡¯t exactly a disaster either. Rather, this brief conversation allowed me to deduce the Revolutionary Army¡¯s situation, which was fortunate from my perspective. I wonder what happened to that guy Claude? Given his usefulness, he wouldn¡¯t have been discarded yet, so has he completely switched over to Randall¡¯s side? While I was thinking this, Klaus twisted his lips and spoke. ¡°To think the mighty Imperial Army would use rebel technology, looks like that precious Emperor of yours has really gone off the deep end, hasn¡¯t he?¡± A probing comment directed at me, an Imperial soldier. Looking back at the soldiers, I received his words with a smile. To recover from the recoil of using magic bullets, we needed to buy some time. ¡°How interesting. For the Republic¡¯s Bear to be wagging his tongue needlessly, something must not be going according to plan?¡± ¡°Your mouth is quite skilled too. You¡¯re a much better friend than any Imperial officer I¡¯ve met so far.¡± When did we become friends by your arbitrary decision? While I was thinking this, the artillery mounted on both of Klaus¡¯s shoulders aimed at me. A surprise attack without warning. As expected, talking more than two sentences with Republic bastards was a mistake. Swoosh-! Instead of deploying a barrier, I created magical power chains to break his stance. Simultaneously, I formed Hellfire beneath his feet. ¡®Even with a surprise attack, you can¡¯t finish it in one go. However¡­¡¯ I could buy some time. Thinking this, I immediately started firing consecutive Fireballs to suppress the Armored Infantry. ¡°Huff¡­! Huff¡­!¡± Meanwhile, Leopold, who had been continuously using magic bullets to push back the beast, gradually stabilized his breathing. ¡®Impressive. In terms of magical power resistance alone, he might not lose to even the trio.¡¯ No matter how optimized, the recoil from using magic bullets is hard to ignore. Each shot should feel like your heart is about to burst from the pressure, yet he¡¯s recovering this quickly. As expected of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s assault leader. Glancing at Leopold, I asked him. ¡°You seem quite skilled at commanding soldiers. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Leopold, Kolhead. Private Second Class¡­!¡± No need to mention your rank. You¡¯re all privates anyway. Thinking this, I said to him. ¡°Staff Sergeant Leopold Kolhead. As of this moment, you¡¯re the 1st Platoon¡¯s assistant platoon leader. I¡¯ll keep the enemy commander occupied, so coordinate with the platoon members and eliminate that beast.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Wait, what did you just say?¡± ¡°S-Sergeant?¡± A promotion from private to sergeant, and appointment as assistant platoon leader. The surrounding soldiers¡¯ eyes widened at this lightning-fast promotion on the battlefield. ¡°C-Company Commander? This¡­¡± ¡°I know what you¡¯re going to say. What kind of messed up promotion system is this, right?¡± Saying this, I shrugged my shoulders self-deprecatingly. ¡°What can we do? We need to select non-commissioned officers from among the members, but our first battle broke out before that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So the only option is to appoint directly on the field and train through actual combat experience.¡± Leopold looked at me with an incredulous expression, but I was confident. After all, the promotion applications for Special Magical Power Unit members are approved directly by Keiren, not the Imperial Army¡¯s personnel department. As long as it¡¯s below my rank, I can appoint as I please. ¡°What? Not confident?¡± When I provocatively asked while glancing at Leopold, his previously dazed expression changed completely. ¡°I¡¯ll crush everything ¨C the beast and those Republic steel pigs standing next to it!¡± ¡°Good. Excellent answer.¡± Seeing Leopold¡¯s enthusiastic expression, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Welcome to becoming my direct subordinate, Leopold. New slaves are always welcome. I¡¯ll keep you close and train you personally. ¡°Grooooar-!¡± While I was having this brief conversation with Leopold, the beast that had broken through my fire network was charging towards us. ¡°The beast is coming! Ready to fire!¡± ¡°You damn beast, think we¡¯ll let you get us twice?!¡± Simultaneously, the beast charged in while the Armored Infantry unleashed their mounted weapons. In the chaos where beast roars and gunfire mixed, Klaus immediately rushed at me and threw a punch. Clang¨C! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Klaus¡¯s fist collided with my double-layered barrier, and a blinding flash filled my vision. ¡°Amazing, truly amazing! This is a completely different taste from catching those knights! Kuhahaha¨C!¡± One punch nearly blew away my barrier? No, looking carefully, that wasn¡¯t just a fist. Hydraulic devices intertwined like muscles, the firing mechanism connected to it, and the huge steel stake attached at the end. This crazy bastard had equipped a rock drill instead of a machine gun on one arm of his powered armor. Bang-! Kaboom-! Bang¨C! With each impact I blocked, tremendous shock waves rattled my skull. The special armor plates covering his entire powered armor ignored the occasional Fireballs I shot while pressuring me, and his magically enhanced body effortlessly broke through my magical power chains trying to bind him. ¡®This bastard has the worst compatibility with me¡­!¡¯ My combat style relies on long-range spells with overwhelming firepower and hand-to-hand combat. But my opponent is a berserker-like human who breaks through my fire network with barriers, powered armor, and body enhancement spells. ¡°This is driving me crazy!¡± What I learned was assassination and close combat, not going toe-to-toe with a 2.5-meter steel giant bare-handed! To make matters worse, this giant before me is a veteran who has spent over a decade on the frontlines. Just from the few exchanges we¡¯ve had, he has perfectly grasped my weaknesses. Click-! Klaus detached the mortars on both shoulders and the machine gun on his left arm, charging at me with just the rock drill equipped. A speed incomparably faster than his previous ponderous movements. If I showed even the slightest opening, that rock drill on his right hand would turn my body to mush. ¡°Huff¡­!¡± The red steel giant charging towards me. The battle situation at a stalemate, and time steadily flowing by. ¡®This is the watershed moment that will determine the battle¡¯s outcome.¡¯ With the initial surprise attack having failed, my Special Magical Power Unit held the initiative with their numerical advantage. But that would only last for a moment. The recoil from using magic bullets would soon overtake the troops, and soldiers with severely diminished combat power would quickly become food for the beast. After observing the entire situation, I thought. Right now, when our firepower is overwhelming the enemy. Right now is the time to pour out all the power I have. Woong-! After steadying my breathing, I activated my magic circuit near my heart at maximum output. The magic imprint turning red, and six magic bullets firing from the revolver cylinder. The surging magical power coursed through my entire body, and heightened senses made 1 second feel like 1 minute, 1 minute like 1 hour. Detection spell activated at maximum output, [Eye of Horus]. Klaus¡¯s attacks that I had barely been dodging until now seemed so slow. ¡®Though enhanced by powered armor and weapons, Klaus¡¯s base magical power amount isn¡¯t large.¡¯ In Imperial terms, he¡¯d be a three-stroke mage. Just slightly above an average knight. If there¡¯s a limit to his fundamental magical power amount, breaking through that steel giant wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. The simplest way to kill this steel giant that ignores firepower-focused attacks and charges in? Overwhelming heat and impact enough to melt the entire powered armor! Screech¨C! As the fifth magic imprint glowed red, I activated the second spell stored in the engraving. Five spheres appearing along with the magic circle. The red magical power instantly condensed, continuously drawing in surrounding magical power while increasing heat and pressure. Six magic bullets, and the magical power flowing from my magic circuit. Gathering all of that into a single spell. The spell engraved in the fifth stroke, [Focused Heat Shell] A heat pressure explosion spell created by modifying it. [Father of All Flames] S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The power of that spell, pushed to the extreme with six magic bullets, became the center of a catastrophe comparable to what a seven-stroke magic imprint would unleash. Flash¡ª¨C! As I pulled Heresy¡¯s trigger, all sounds disturbing the forest ceased. What remained was only deadly silence and a flash of light that dyed the entire space white. The flash erupting from the condensed magical power spheres temporarily burned away all surrounding air, creating a momentary vacuum in the blast radius. And what filled that space instead was heat and pressure. The armor plating made of multiple layers of alloy melted like butter, and the shock wave released in an instant mercilessly tore apart that melted armor. The drill bit charging towards me vaporized just before reaching my body¡­ ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡­and only after all that process ended did an enormous explosion shake the entire forest. Kaboom¡ª¡ª! ¡°Grooooar?!¡± ¡°What, what exploded?! What the hell happened?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the Colonel¡¯s direction! What kind of magic is that?!¡± The flames and wind pressure spreading in all directions instantly turned the lush forest into a hell of fire. The straight-standing trees all collapsed while burning, and grass and soil instantly vaporized and vitrified. Thud. Thud¡­! Everything visible was in flames. And at the center of those flames, the man who had been charging at me slowly crumbled in place. Thump-! ¡°Bu-burn¡­ burning¡­!¡± The right arm with the rock drill had already vanished without a trace. The powered armor covering his upper body had long since melted away, with ribs beginning to show through the boiling flesh. A corpse-like appearance with half his face blown away by heat and shock wave. The Republic¡¯s Red Bear had become a red-hot corpse. ¡°Huff¡­!¡± When I exhaled the remaining magical power, red smoke puffed out of my mouth. The temporary sense of omnipotence disappeared without a trace, and the recoil from using six magic bullets at once consumed my entire body. Click- Forcibly gripping my trembling hand, I fed ammunition into Heresy. The Armored Infantry who couldn¡¯t withstand the shock wave were flailing on the ground, and even the beast was just watching me warily, not daring to charge in. ¡°Klaus Medvedev.¡± I aimed the gun at his head. Hearing my voice, Klaus slowly raised his head to look at me. ¡°The Republic¡¯s Red Bear, who would later dominate the Republic¡¯s military and threaten the entire Empire.¡± Klaus¡¯s face, with half of it blown away, contorted. An expression of incomprehension, probably. I know. What I¡¯m muttering about is your future from the original game. The potential you should have originally possessed. However, your potential will never shine. You die here, now, by my hand. Click- As I applied pressure to the trigger, Heresy¡¯s cylinder moved slowly like a gear and¡­ Bang¡ª! A small gunshot, incomparable to the previous explosion, echoed through the flame-engulfed forest. The Republic¡¯s Red Bear, Klaus Medvedev. He was the first prey caught by me and the Special Magical Power Unit. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 65 #065 ¡°What are you saying? The Colonel¡­ What happened?¡± At the Westraine Republic Army base. In response to the trembling voice, an Armored Infantry soldier who returned from the battlefield held out something. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­! All I could bring back were the Battalion Commander¡¯s belongings¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± A half-melted red armor plate and the dog tags that had hung around his neck. When she saw Klaus¡¯s name engraved on them, Elena, who had been his adjutant, received them with trembling hands. ¡°No¡­ No¡­! This can¡¯t be¡­!¡± Her superior, Colonel Klaus Medvedev, was not supposed to die like this. ¡®The current Westraine is wrong. The remnants from before the revolution are running rampant in this country built by revolution. I want to change such a republic.¡¯ A man who would reform the republic wielding absolute power and save the suffering and exploited people. He was supposed to be the one who would eliminate the former nobles sitting in the central party¡¯s high seats and the pigs who colluded with them, creating a true republic¡­! ¡®So Elena, will you follow me?¡¯ She remembered the Colonel asking her that while looking at her. That hand that held hers and begged her to come along. That smile that only she had seen from a man who seemed as firm as steel. Tears flowed down her face as she gritted her teeth. Sadness, anger, resentment. Her face, mixed with all of those emotions, had become something that could no longer be called human. ¡°I¡¯ll kill¡­!¡± She recalled the contents of the battle report. The imperial dog who stole the Colonel¡¯s future and her own future. She remembered that detestable name that crushed the hero who would save the republic before he could even bloom his potential. ¡°Eugene¡­ Lorentz¡­!¡± Blood seeped from her hand that tightly gripped the dog tags. The other battalion members who received the report of the Colonel¡¯s death probably felt the same way as her. *** ¡°¡­What.¡± An unfamiliar ceiling. No, not an unfamiliar ceiling. Looking carefully, it¡¯s our unit¡¯s barracks tent. Why has my vision become so blurry? I got up from my spot feeling a debilitating exhaustion that made my whole body feel like it would break apart. I had laid down to catch a quick nap after returning, but it seems I fell asleep. What time is it now? How long did I sleep? ¡°Eugene. You were asleep for two days.¡± The one who said that was Irene, who was watching me from the side of the bed. ¡°¡­Two days?¡± ¡°Yes. Two days.¡± My mind went blank. With work piled up like a mountain starting from the battle achievement report, did I sleep for two straight days in the meantime? Ah, this stupid body of mine. It seems the recoil from using the magic bullet hit me quite hard. It wasn¡¯t this bad when I was fighting with Claude. Is it a condition issue? ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard, Eugene. I don¡¯t like it when Eugene is having a hard time.¡± ¡°I have to push through even if it¡¯s hard. I don¡¯t even have time to rest like this¡­¡± I thought I¡¯d be fine after sleeping for a day, but I unexpectedly wasted time. I need to manage the wounded, check the supply system, and select new non-commissioned officers. Just as I was saying that and trying to get up. Thump. Irene, with a pouty expression, pressed down on both my shoulders. ¡°Irene? What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get up. You¡¯re still hurt.¡± ¡°No, I mean, this isn¡¯t the time to¡­¡± What the hell. I tried to use my strength to get up several times, but Irene¡¯s hands holding me down didn¡¯t budge at all. This is strange? I¡¯m definitely a trained soldier, right? I can¡¯t overpower her with strength? Really? ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly acting like this?¡± Finally submitting to Irene¡¯s strength, I relaxed my body and asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t had time to meet like this lately. I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Aah¡­¡± Good for you. Having time to be bored. I¡¯m dying from being so busy. Thinking that, I patted Irene¡¯s head. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll rest a bit.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Since I¡¯m caught anyway, might as well catch my breath for a moment. Irene must know my position too, so she¡¯ll probably let me go after we stay stuck together like this for a while. Thinking that, I asked Irene. ¡°Come to think of it, where¡¯s Rennie? Wasn¡¯t she with you?¡± ¡°Your friend called her, so she¡¯s working over the~re. Something about imprint¡­ extraction? Exchange? Something like that.¡± Hearing Irene¡¯s words, I smiled with satisfaction. ¡®Indeed, it was good to bring her.¡¯ The ¡®magic bullet¡¯ used by the Revolutionary Army and Special Magical Power Unit is something that forcibly injects magical power into imprints by exploding containers filled with magical power. And the biggest drawback of such magic bullets is that they overload the magic imprint. Due to the principle of flowing more than the standard amount of magical power in a short time, excessive use could break the imprint. ¡®Although it¡¯s still in the initial stages, we¡¯ve got the basics set up.¡¯ The corrupted seven stroke magic imprint of Elcidore that becomes the original for the Special Unit¡¯s magic imprint. And the refined monster cores being procured from various directions under Keiren¡¯s leadership. Finally, imprint specialists not affiliated with noble houses like Otto and Rennie. As a result of gathering all of those, the Special Magical Power Unit was operating as I had initially thought. Standardization of magic imprints, specification, and mass production. Maintaining combat power by extracting magic imprints overloaded by magic bullets and replacing them with new ones. And finally, completing an army of tens of thousands of mages. ¡°Ah right. But there¡¯s something strange.¡± ¡°Something strange?¡± While I was thinking about that, Irene, who was lying with her head on my lap, spoke up. ¡°Some soldier uncles are lurking around Rennie. But those people don¡¯t seem like soldier uncles.¡± ¡°They¡¯re soldiers but don¡¯t seem like soldiers?¡± Is this what they mean when they say you¡¯ll go crazy if you talk with kids for more than three sentences? While absently responding, Irene nodded and told me. ¡°They smell different from the soldier uncles I usually meet. They probably taste different too.¡± You distinguish people by smell and taste rather than faces? You¡¯re scary, Irene. That thought lasted only a moment before I started interpreting Irene¡¯s words in my own way. ¡®A different smell and taste from imperial soldiers¡­ In other words, they¡¯re of a different race?¡¯ Thinking about it that way, the situation Irene was talking about made sense immediately. Someone who isn¡¯t imperial is targeting Rennie¡¯s life. After interpreting it, I said to Irene. ¡°Then. Can you catch those differently smelling uncles next time you meet them?¡± ¡°Catch them? Can¡¯t I eat them?¡± ¡°No.¡± When I said that, Irene thought for a moment before nodding with a bright expression. ¡°Okay!¡± What a good kid. From her brief hesitation, it seemed she was thinking of taking a bite before bringing them, but that¡¯s fine. As long as they don¡¯t die. As long as they don¡¯t die. ¡°Eugene. You¡¯re up now? How are you¡­!¡± While I was saying that, Erich appeared, lifting the tent flap. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Me sitting on the bed, and Irene lying with her head on my lap. Looking at that scene, Erich asked me with a blank expression. ¡°Having a good time? Should I come back later?¡± ¡°Do I have a gun? Should I shoot?¡± When I said that, Erich looked at me with a mischievous expression and giggled. This guy¡¯s jokes are getting worse as time goes by. And in a bad quality direction too. Did he learn it from the trio? They say you become like those you hang out with, indeed the friends he¡¯s hanging out with are the problem. ¡°So, did anything happen while I was sleeping?¡± However, that was brief. When I asked that with a changed expression, Erich looked at me with a strange expression and opened his mouth. ¡°There was. Should I call it good news or bad news.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Major General Beckier is calling for you. Said to come to his tent as soon as you wake up.¡± The division commander directly? What¡¯s this about? Does he want to hear the battle achievement report in person? While I was thinking that, Erich spoke after a brief pause. ¡°Eugene. They say you¡¯ve become a battalion commander.¡± ¡­Wait. What did you say? *** ¡°Even from my position having received the direct report¡­ Well, it¡¯s an incomprehensible situation.¡± This was the inside story of the incident Major General Beckier spoke of. The annihilation of the Armored Infantry battalion, the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Klaus, known as the Republic¡¯s Red Bear. As victory reports came in succession from other units including the Special Magical Power Unit, the command post, experiencing their first taste of victory, fell into a frenzy of madness. ¡®We won! We¡¯ve won-!¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t need the Knight Order, Major General! We can drive out Westraine with just the imperial army!¡¯ It was fine to be happy. But what came next was the problem. ¡®This is not the time! We must ride this momentum and sweep away all of Westraine¡¯s positions!¡¯ ¡®Their airship fleet is damaged too, so they won¡¯t be able to move out right away!¡¯ ¡®Major General! Please give permission to advance¡­!¡¯ The operations officers, intoxicated with victory, insisted on immediately launching the next offensive. The fact that the Red Bear was dead and the overwhelming power of the Special Magical Power Unit. They must have thought that if they pushed forward with this momentum, they could push back the entire front line. ¡®Absolutely not.¡¯ However, the one who blocked them was Second Lieutenant Guille, the leader of the officer trio. ¡®The soldiers¡¯ magic imprints are overloaded, and their magical power is depleted. There are also considerable casualties, making it absolutely impossible to participate in combat.¡¯ ¡®Magical power depletion? The knights fight well for days on end¡­¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s because their magical power is that strong and stable.¡¯ And also because they sacrificed the lives of imperial army soldiers instead, Matt added from the side, making some commanders understand. ¡®Indeed, that¡¯s true.¡¯ The Special Unit¡¯s magic imprints have a shorter history and lower precision compared to theirs. While they can exert explosive power through the shortcut of magic bullets, there¡¯s a price to pay for that. Even I, with a five stroke imprint, had to lie sick for two days due to the after-effects of using magic bullets. If even he, a trained mage, is in this state, what would be the extent of the recoil for regular members whose magic circuits aren¡¯t even properly developed when they exerted power rivaling knights for a moment? Moreover, some idiots excessively used magic bullets since it was their first battle, making the situation even more serious. ¡®The Special Unit absolutely will not move until the soldiers recover. This is also Company Commander Second Lieutenant Eugene Lorentz¡¯s directive.¡¯ ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Hearing those words, the operations officers seemed to understand to some extent. They probably thought it was better to believe what a mage was saying. ¡®So in exchange for explosive power in an instant, 24-hour continuous operation is impossible.¡¯ ¡®Then the Special Unit would be the most vulnerable part of the imperial army for several days. Maybe it would be better to establish defensive measures during this period?¡¯ Moreover, since field commanders who fought alongside the Special Unit and some operations officers made such judgments, it was a very good situation. Because the Special Magical Power Unit shouldn¡¯t reign over the imperial army, but should cooperate as a member of the imperial army. However, the problem erupted from the reserve forces stationed in the rear. While the front-line units were in a party mood with rewards, medals, promotions, and celebrations, the reserve forces waiting in the rear weren¡¯t included. Among them, the worst was our battalion commander, Wenkis, who had our company under his command. ¡®I heard you¡¯re Lieutenant General Keiren¡¯s son-in-law? Looking forward to working with you!¡¯ ¡®I anticipated this and pulled some strings in advance. I advised them to station you and your unit safely in the rear¡­¡¯ This man who moved all his subordinate companies to the rear because he didn¡¯t want to die, and even tried to move me and the Special Unit to the rear. Of course, I told him to fuck off and went to the front, achieving the feat of taking down the Red Bear. He should have been content with getting the leftovers since it was an achievement by his subordinate company¡­ but the problem was that this man wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. He must have thought he should go to the battlefield himself and crush Westraine. In the end, this bastard led all his subordinate companies in the middle of the night and launched a surprise attack bypassing the Republic army¡¯s position. Report? He didn¡¯t make one. Why? Because he¡¯s from a noble family, while Major General Beckier isn¡¯t from a noble background. This is complete bullshit. ¡°So, that Battalion Commander Wenkis¡­¡± As I trailed off, Major General Beckier shook his head with a sigh. Shit. The imperial army had its own Renya Mutaguchi. (+)[1]TLN: Mutaguchi Renya was a notorious Imperial Japanese Army general during WWII, infamous for his catastrophic leadership in the Burma Campaign where his incompetence and disregard for logistics led to massive casualties. Should I consider it fortunate that he died on his own before causing trouble for me? ¡°This is the current situation of the imperial army.¡± While I was thinking that, Division Commander Beckier opened his mouth with a disgusted expression. ¡°Although somewhat decent people are coming out now that Lieutenant General Keiren is improving the constitution, the imperial army before that was truly a rabble.¡± No wonder they even had a saying that ¡®officers killed the most imperial soldiers.¡¯ I newly realized the greatness of Keiren who commands this western front. Having to wage war against Westraine with such bastards? And the Knight Order and Magic Corps running wild as they please on top of that? Keiren, this man, how the hell was he maintaining this? Is he really insane? ¡°I entrust the 7th Battalion to you. We¡¯ll gradually reinforce the unit¡¯s strength¡­¡± ¡°One moment, Division Commander. I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± After hearing the circumstances. I, who had been given the position of battalion commander, asked the Major General with a bewildered expression. ¡°My rank is Second Lieutenant. It¡¯s not a rank that can command a battalion¡­¡± ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz.¡± Ah. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As the Division Commander whispered with his noble voice, my captain¡¯s insignia instantly transformed into a major¡¯s insignia. That star above the military cap covering his balding head felt especially brilliant today. 1. TLN: Mutaguchi Renya was a notorious Imperial Japanese Army general during WWII, infamous for his catastrophic leadership in the Burma Campaign where his incompetence and disregard for logistics led to massive casualties. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 66 #066 ¡°Do-Doctor, please be gentle¡­ Aack?!¡± ¡°Next person, sit down.¡± At the Imperial Army¡¯s military camp, in the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s exclusive station. After implanting a magic imprint on a soldier¡¯s clean arm, Rennie looked at the crystal fragments organized in one corner of the treatment room. Magic imprints that had completely shattered, unable to withstand the magical power load of magic bullets. Those would be sent to the processing facility in the imperial capital to be recycled into magic imprints for new members who would be replenished. ¡®Even though they¡¯ve found our weakness, to reveal such internal information to a prisoner¡­¡¯ sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She had felt it before. Isn¡¯t this treating me halfway like their own person? Come to think of it, even these members receiving implants from her were the same. They must all know that she was a war prisoner from the Revolutionary Army, yet hardly any of them showed hostility or wariness towards her. ¡°What? You¡¯re not uncomfortable getting an implant from a Revolutionary Army prisoner?¡± ¡°Y-Yes¡­¡± Eventually, one day she couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity and asked. ¡°Scary? What¡¯s scary! If you¡¯re going to put it that way, I shot and killed my superior, aren¡¯t you scared of me, miss?¡± ¡°Wh-What?¡± ¡°Revolutionary Army, you say? Well, at least you were trying to do something good! I was just a thief scraping by in the contaminated zones!¡± ¡°I was a gangster who dealt with those thieves! Until I had an affair with the boss¡¯s lover, that is! Kuhahaha!¡± ¡°That bastard, I was wondering why his hair was blonde!¡± ¡°He¡¯s an adulterer! String him up on a post!¡± ¡°Woaaah¡ª!¡± Far from being wary of her, the soldiers just turned the ward into chaos while listing off their own colorful past experiences. What on earth were these idiots. Meanwhile, a muscular soldier opened his mouth while looking at Rennie. ¡°Miss, were you thinking of stabbing us in the back? Or did you put something strange in the imprints?¡± ¡°N-No! Absolutely not¡­!¡± Rennie immediately waved both hands. It was impossible. She didn¡¯t know the structure of these imprints, and the soldiers¡¯ magic imprints were being checked by Eugene and his executive officers. Besides, if she ever did such a thing, her mother working at the Branvilde mansion would¡­! ¡°Then, miss. Do you contact those rebel guys?¡± ¡°N-No! Th-That¡¯s not¡­ either¡­¡± ¡°Well then¡­ We have no reason to be wary of you, do we? Right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The more she answered their questions, the more depressed she felt. Several months had passed since her capture, but she hadn¡¯t seen any of her Revolutionary Army comrades. ¡®No, maybe this is for the best¡­¡¯ After finishing all her assigned work. Sitting alone on a ward chair, Rennie recalled the current situation of the Revolutionary Army. After Maximilien¡¯s death, the Revolutionary Army had begun cooperating more closely with the Westraine Republic. Mages from the Republic and members sympathetic to Westraine were coming in one after another, while original members like her were gradually losing their places. Come to think of it, it was the same when they attacked Baron Zicklinte. For her, an imprint specialist, to go out into the field directly. They said it was due to lack of manpower, but thinking about it now¡­ ¡®Today¡¯s Revolutionary Army is not the Revolutionary Army of the past.¡¯ Just as she was scratching her messy hair with that gloomy feeling. Thud- ¡°Huh?¡± Through the gap in the tent¡¯s entrance, a well-folded piece of paper fell. ¡°This is¡­¡± Rennie slowly walked to the entrance and unfolded the paper, then was startled. What was inscribed on the paper was a simple map showing the surrounding terrain. It was a Revolutionary Army cipher text with escape routes and contact points marked. Rennie immediately lifted the tent flap and looked around. The chaotic headquarters mixed with newly arrived military supplies and recruits. No matter how much she looked, she couldn¡¯t figure out who had passed the note. *** ¡°Ah, good morning, battalion officers.¡± ¡°Battalion Commander, you¡¯ve arrived¡­¡± ¡°Good morning! Major Eugene Lorentz!¡± As soon as I entered the conference room, Ortega¡¯s loud greeting welcomed me. ¡°Stop it, you bastard. I may be a major in name, but I get the same salary as you guys.¡± ¡°I apologize, Major!¡± ¡°I swear I¡¯ll stop talking.¡± Since Company Commander Beckier appointed me as the temporary battalion commander of the 7th Battalion, these guys had been causing this ruckus for a month. They¡¯re this crazy even after getting promoted to lieutenant, what would they have done if they hadn¡¯t been promoted? Shaking my head side to side, I sat down in the middle of the operations room, and the subordinate officers who had been waiting for me began their reports one by one. ¡°The battalion¡¯s personnel replenishment and supply operations are reaching their final stages. Although I¡¯m hesitant to send them into battle since they¡¯re mostly new recruits¡­ at least we won¡¯t be short-handed anymore.¡± Erich, who spoke first, sighed while passing over supply plan and deployment proposal documents. Gone was the bright-eyed look from when we first met, replaced by dark circles that reached down to his cheeks. It was natural for someone to end up like that when all the battalion¡¯s administrative work ¨C logistics, transport, personnel, weapons, and everything else ¨C was pushed onto one person. Come to think of it, Erich wasn¡¯t in his right mind either for doing all of that just because he was told to. Man, that¡¯s intense. You still won¡¯t desert even with this? ¡°The Lieutenant General said he¡¯d send new members, how¡¯s that situation?¡± It was Guille who spoke up in response. ¡°The members¡¯ conditions are good. Magic imprint replacements are complete, and all the new soldiers to replace our losses have arrived.¡± ¡°How¡¯s their training?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even need to step in. They¡¯re better than the officer academy instructors.¡± After the first real battle with the Republican forces, there had been a promotion party in the Special Magical Power Unit. ¡®Killed 20 Republican soldiers? You¡¯re a sergeant from today.¡¯ ¡®Fought together beside them? Then you¡¯re all corporals. We¡¯ll raise your pay too.¡¯ ¡®Protected our position and neutralized enemy Armored Infantry? Alone?¡¯ ¡®Looking forward to working with you, Staff Sergeant.¡¯ For nearly a week, I became Jesus, showering awards, rank insignias, and alcohol from a basket as Lieutenant General Keiren, the highest commander of the Special Magic Unit, and Major General Beckier, the division commander. And as a result¡­ ¡®When Battalion Commander Eugene descended upon the company and showered gold coins, alcohol, and meat, the entire company ate their fill and 172 bottles remained-¡® ¡®Eu-men.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the Battalion Commander! The Battalion Commander is passing by!¡¯ ¡®Oh, the Battalion Commander looked at me! He¡¯ll make me a sergeant!¡¯ The first generation members of the Special Magical Power Unit started seeing me not as their superior but as some cult leader. Well done, you crazy fanatics. Go ahead and crush those Republican heads. ¡°Thanks to that, the soldiers¡¯ morale is at its peak. Their fighting spirit couldn¡¯t be better. However¡­¡± ¡°The problem is that our enemy has grown even stronger.¡± It was Matt, who commanded the battalion¡¯s reconnaissance team, who said this. With a serious expression, he held out several photos taken by reconnaissance airships. ¡°This is the Imperial Army prisoner camp set up at their station. As you can see¡­¡± The black and white photos were blurred here and there, perhaps from wind movement. However, the atrocities recorded in the photos were too stark to be hidden by such minor noise. ¡°They killed them all? All several thousand prisoners in the detention camp?¡± ¡°They say an Armored Infantry battalion did it on their own initiative. They did it right in front of our reconnaissance team, as if showing off.¡± ¡°Pft. What do you mean their own initiative? If they let such madness slide, aren¡¯t the others just the same?¡± ¡°Prisoner massacre¡­ This is a violation of the agreement!¡± Different reactions came from the officers gathered in the operations room. Mangled corpses, and Armored Infantry rampaging among them. And even a woman with a chilling expression glaring at the camera, covered in blood. What they wanted to say was simple. ¡°They want revenge, it seems.¡± The death of Colonel Klaus, one of the Republic¡¯s heroes. This event must have been a huge shock to the Armored Infantry, and the Republican forces would want to make up for it somehow. ¡°What about enemy movements?¡± ¡°They finished resupplying ages ago. To be honest, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they pushed in right now.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hearing those words, I spoke to the four people. ¡°To move the plan to the next phase, we need an even bigger achievement than hunting bears.¡± The enemy still had numerous soldiers and 100 Armored Infantry remaining. From the Republic¡¯s perspective, that¡¯s quite a force, so we need to crush them this time. That way the Special Magic Unit¡¯s achievements will increase, and we can recruit second-generation members. ¡°But to risk the 7th Battalion just for achievements? Against those revenge-crazed baby bears?¡± ¡°We could probably catch them¡­ but no matter how I think about it, the troop losses would be too high. Seems like the cons outweigh the pros.¡± It was as Ortega and Matt said. The biggest reason the Special Magical Power Unit could win in the last battle was numerical superiority. But the number of enemies coming in the next offensive is three times that of the last battle. If we meet them head-on, the Special Magical Power Unit would suffer near-annihilation losses. To consume all the soldiers we¡¯ve carefully trained through real combat experience in a single battle. If that happens, this unit would¡­ have no choice but to return to square one. ¡®We need to fight and build achievements for the unit to grow stronger, but the more we fight, the weaker the unit becomes.¡¯ I wracked my brains for days trying to overcome this dilemma, but the conclusion was always the same. ¡®We have a chance of victory. However, the Special Magical Power Unit will suffer over 30% casualties.¡¯ ¡°And 30% casualties by Imperial Army standards means¡­¡± ¡°Total annihilation judgment.¡± ¡°This is driving me crazy, seriously.¡± The three of us simultaneously clutched our heads. Even while we were like this, the enemy was approaching moment by moment, and we didn¡¯t know when their offensive would begin. Should we retreat? Should we move the front line while preserving our forces and wait for the next opportunity? While I was thinking that. ¡°Hey.¡± Looking at the sky visible through the tent gap, Erich spoke up. ¡°But those Armored Infantry. You said they¡¯re non-magic users except for the deceased Colonel Klaus, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°From the start, the Republican army mages are monopolized by the central party structure. That person was just an anomaly.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hearing those words, Erich stroked his chin. His gaze fell on the sky, clouded over. After staring at it for a while, Erich turned to us four and opened his mouth. ¡°Then. We don¡¯t necessarily have to be the ones to catch them, right?¡± After starting with those words, Erich immediately spread out the tactical map and began explaining his thoughts. After several tens of minutes had passed like that. Looking at the military symbols and blueprints densely filled in, Erich asked me. ¡°What do you think, Eugene? This operation¡­ isn¡¯t it possible?¡± ¡°¡­Heh.¡± Seeing the operation plan Erich had conceived. I let out a laugh of disbelief. ¡°I¡¯ll have to propose this to Division Commander Beckier.¡± This might actually¡­ Be quite doable? *** ¡°Miss Rennie. What do you mean you can¡¯t return?¡± At the contact point written in the note. Rennie, who had arrived there with haggard steps, said to the Revolutionary Army member who approached her. ¡°The Imperial Army knows about my mother¡¯s existence. They know that my mother is at the Branvilde house! If I escape¡­ my mother would¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing those words, the members lowered their heads with complicated expressions. But that was only for a moment. One masked man spoke to Rennie in a calm tone. ¡°Then, Miss Rennie. Have you passed any information about our Revolutionary Army to the Imperial Army?¡± ¡°N-No! Absolutely not!¡± ¡°I see.¡± The man nodded as if relieved after observing Rennie¡¯s reaction. As expected from a member who had been active since Maximilien¡¯s time. If so, things would be much easier. ¡°Understood. Then, first we¡¯ll look into your mother¡¯s situation at the Branvilde house.¡± ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll request it from Sir Randall, so word should come quickly. Until then¡­¡± Using her mother as a weakness to catch her attention. While distracting her this way, the man sent a glance to his companion waiting on the opposite side. ¡®Deal with her.¡¯ The companion nodding in the darkness aimed a crossbow at Rennie¡¯s neck and¡­ Shunk-! The next moment, something emerging from the shadows pierced through his stomach. ¡°Kuh, kuhuh¡­?¡± ¡°Wh-What! An ambush?!¡± ¡°Were we followed by Imperial forces?!¡± When the member aiming the crossbow from the opposite side perished, the man immediately changed his expression and pulled out a dagger from his breast. He had planned to lead her to a less populated area, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. While Rennie still hadn¡¯t grasped the situation, the man¡¯s blade rushed toward her neck. As ordered, the target must be surely¡­! ¡°No.¡± Clang-! The dagger heading for Rennie¡¯s neck was blocked midway. What blocked the man¡¯s hand was a shadow sprouting eyes and teeth. ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡± Rennie, who belatedly noticed the dagger approaching her neck, collapsed on the spot as her legs gave out. ¡®Instead of protecting me, they were trying to kill me. Then these people, from the start¡­!¡¯ Rescue wasn¡¯t their goal. Their real purpose was to eliminate her before she could leak Revolutionary Army information¡­! Just as Rennie¡¯s face turned pale upon realizing this fact. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Along with a clear voice, a girl¡¯s hand wrapped around Rennie¡¯s shoulder. Startled by that alien sensation, Rennie slowly turned around. Irene, dressed in casual outing clothes, was smiling brightly at her. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 67 #067 ¡°The enemy airship fleet disappeared?¡± At the Westraine Republic Army¡¯s Armored Infantry Battalion. Lieutenant Elena Ivanovna, who was checking weapons before the offensive, frowned at her battalion member¡¯s report. ¡°This is a report from our aerial surveillance. They saw soldiers in black uniforms boarding the airships.¡± ¡°Their destination?¡± ¡°Based on the direction the airships disappeared in, they likely headed toward the airfield in the rear¡­¡­¡± Wham-! The table in front of her shattered instantly, and a cry like blood being spewed shook the garrison. ¡°Those bastards dare to run away-?!¡± Retreat. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Those bastards who killed the Colonel, retreating to the rear! ¡°It¡¯s a judgment worthy of Imperial dogs.¡± One of the battalion members with a face similar to Elena¡¯s added. ¡°Colonel Klaus was a hero of the Republic who built his reputation across various frontlines¡­. Having already achieved the feat of killing such a figure, I suppose they saw no need to remain on this front any longer.¡± ¡°They¡¯re afraid to fight us, but don¡¯t want to give up their military achievement. So they¡¯re abandoning their unit and running away instead!¡± This was a sight she had seen countless times while facing Imperial forces. Knights who treated soldiers like trash, and Imperial officers who cowered and groveled, volunteering to be their bullet shields. From her perspective as a glorious member of the Republican Army, they weren¡¯t soldiers. Just a group of slaves subservient to knights. Mere vermin who rejected enlightenment and willingly gave up their rights. Those bastards dared, dared to kill the Colonel? And then they got scared and tucked their tails to run away¡­¡­! ¡°Call the political officer. Tell them we must launch an offensive right now! We¡¯ll sweep away the Imperial vermin and avenge the Colonel¡­!¡± ¡°L-Lieutenant!¡± However, her growling was interrupted momentarily. A battalion member came running breathlessly toward her. ¡°He, he¡¯s appeared! In the middle of the frontline, that guy¡­¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Upon hearing those words, Elena immediately went outside the garrison. Machine gun and rifle fire was already raining down from the forward positions. However, the man in black uniform standing in the middle of that barrage simply stood there leisurely, as if nothing was wrong. Two armored beasts lay dead at his feet. Seeing that, Elena¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Eugene¡­. Lorentz¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Impossible. Alone in the middle of enemy lines?¡± ¡°What in the world is he thinking¡­!¡± Eugene, who walked alone into the middle of enemy lines and was withstanding the barrage from hundreds. When he saw Elena¡¯s face, he waved his hand as if greeting an old acquaintance. ¡°That bastard¡­¡­¡± As the battalion members were grinding their teeth, Eugene, noticing Elena¡¯s gaze, took something out of the gas mask pouch hanging at his side. What he held up ostentatiously in his hand. It was Colonel Klaus¡¯s head. Thud-! ¡°L-Lieutenant?!¡± Seeing that, Elena could no longer think of anything else. Her only thought was killing that man before her eyes. Not only did he kill the Colonel, but now he was desecrating the corpse ¨C she had to tear this abominable bastard to pieces. ¡°It¡¯s a trap, Lieutenant! Come back!¡± ¡°Damn it, battalion members follow me! Advance! Advance!¡± Though the battalion members were bewildered by Elena¡¯s impulsive action, they soon began charging forward under the command of several officers. It was clearly a trap, but with no sign of Imperial forces yet and no enemy units in sight. They judged that if they could catch up to him quickly enough, it would be worth trying. ¡°He¡¯s running away!¡± ¡°Catch him! Catch and kill the Colonel¡¯s murderer!¡± Seeing the Armored Infantry charging out with Elena at the lead, Eugene immediately turned and began to flee. ¡®As expected, his goal is to lure us out. However¡­!¡¯ Eugene¡¯s speed increased as he moved further away. Seeing this, Elena and the Armored Infantry activated their powered suits to maximum output. Vroooom¨C! Their speed gradually increased along with the sound of diesel engines. As Eugene grew closer, Elena trembled with excitement. ¡®No matter how much he¡¯s enhanced his body with magical power, he¡¯s still just a human!¡¯ With the output from the engines and artificial muscles of the powered suits, it was a speed they could certainly catch up to. ¡°Lieutenant!¡± ¡°The 3rd Company is circling around to cut off his escape route! Keep running!¡± As they were saying this, members of the 3rd Company emerged from the side to block Eugene¡¯s path. The terrain was perfectly flat, with no ambushing forces in sight. Elena was certain. His plan had failed. Our speed had exceeded his expectations! Rattle-! After the long pursuit came to an end, the Armored Infantry surrounded Eugene in a circle and aimed their weapons at him. Armor-piercing rounds, autocannons, flamethrowers, mortars. No matter how strong his defensive magic was, no mage could withstand the barrage from so many heavy weapons. ¡°Die, Colonel¡¯s murderer¡­¡­¡± Just as the battalion members¡¯ weapons were about to fire at Elena¡¯s command. Boom¡ª! Shells falling from the sky shook the bodies of the clustered Armored Infantry. ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°Artillery?!¡± An ambush? No, that wasn¡¯t it. There were no Imperial forces waiting in the open plains. Artillery battery fire? That couldn¡¯t be. They had been in pursuit, and it would have been impossible to perfectly predict when he would be caught. It was unimaginable that they could have pre-calculated artillery coordinates. Then what was this? This explosion, just what¡­¡­! ¡°Captain Elena Ivanovna.¡± Amidst their confusion, Eugene, who had been fleeing silently until now, spoke for the first time. ¡°Klaus Medvedev¡¯s adjutant. Follower of the Red Bear, and his partner. Lover. Companion.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Such a young voice. Was he just a kid not even twenty years old? No, more importantly right now¡­ ¡°You, know about me?¡± ¡°Of course. I know everything.¡± It shouldn¡¯t have been possible. He had never met her, and shouldn¡¯t have had time to investigate her. Yet Eugene smiled strangely, as if he had known her for a long time. ¡°That you¡¯d go half-mad with Klaus¡¯s death, that you¡¯d charge in recklessly blinded by revenge without caring about anything else. I knew it all.¡± After saying that, Eugene raised his finger to point at the sky. ¡°Cap, tain¡­¡­¡± ¡°In the sky, that¡¯s¡­¡­¡± Breaking through the thick clouds covering the sky, dozens of airships were descending to a lower altitude. The battalion members¡¯ faces turned pale. The Imperial airship fleet that was reported to have retreated to their base was now opening their bomb bays above their heads. Whoosh-! The anti-aircraft guns positioned at the main base belatedly began to fire, but it was already too late. Hundreds of bombs equipped on dozens of airships fell toward them. Eugene, standing in the middle of the encirclement, sneered at Elena and the battalion members before raising a barrier. Starting with the first aerial bomb falling. The ground where they stood turned into a hellish inferno. Bang¨C! Boom¨C! Kaboom¡ª! ¡°Aaagh! Aaaagh-!¡± ¡°Everyone scatter! Scatter¨C!¡± An unexpected large-scale bombing. The panicked Armored Infantry tried to hurriedly evacuate, but the airships had already descended to a sufficiently low altitude. Ratatat¡ª! As the machine guns mounted on the airships began to fire, even the officers¡¯ directions were drowned out by the gunfire and explosions. Though the powered suits made of special armor were relatively intact, the people inside couldn¡¯t withstand this noise and impact. As the bombing and machine gun fire continued, they were increasingly being drawn into the encirclement they had created. ¡°You, you devil bastaaaaard¡ª!¡± However, from within that barrage, Elena¡¯s distorted scream burst forth. ¡°Come out! Fight us! Colonel¡¯s murderer! Come out here and fight, I say!¡± Clang-! Clank-! Elena continued pounding on Eugene¡¯s barrier with her fists. However, no matter how much she attacked, Eugene¡¯s defensive barrier showed no signs of disappearing. After this meaningless pounding continued several times. Eugene, who had been quietly watching the screaming Elena, spoke to her with a cold sneer. ¡°Fight? Why should I?¡± ¡°Wh, what¡­¡­¡± ¡°The Armored Infantry, which was the biggest obstacle to annihilating enemy forces, is now trapped in one place due to their own anger, and all that¡¯s left in your main base are regular troops made up of non-awakened soldiers.¡± Cutting off Elena¡¯s growling words, Eugene spoke to her with cold eyes. ¡°Then think about it. If 200 mages descend upon a Republican Army camp made up of only regular troops¡­ what do you think will happen to your main base?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± 200 mages. Hearing those words, Elena belatedly recalled the report she had heard. ¡®This is a report from aerial surveillance. They saw soldiers in black uniforms boarding the airships.¡¯ The airship fleet they thought had retreated was hiding in the clouds waiting for them. Then, those ships they boarded¡­? ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡­¡± Elena, finally grasping the situation, hurriedly tried to leave her position. This wasn¡¯t the time. Somehow, somehow they needed to escape from here again. Just as the shocked Elena tried to move her body somehow, at that moment. Screech¡ª¨C! A sharp whistle sound came from beyond enemy lines. The whistle of an Imperial armored train. Hearing that, Elena stood frozen in place as if nailed there. While they were struggling here, the enemy artillery had obtained their firing coordinates. ¡°A stupid woman blinded by revenge who can¡¯t see ahead and puts her own subordinates in danger.¡± Just when they thought everything was over, dozens of artillery rounds filled the sky. The Armored Infantry, trapped in the encirclement they had created, waiting for death. ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same as what I saw in the game.¡± Until they were all annihilated, Eugene didn¡¯t use a single spell. *** Thud-! Thud thud-! Thud¨C! The unexpected nice thing about creating a circular defensive formation is that it helps greatly with noise reduction. Even with aerial bombs dropping right in front of me, only this level of sound gets through. We could make a fortune if we applied this technology to cars. Thinking that as I arrived at the Republican camp, it had already turned into a slaughterhouse. Airships landed in the middle of enemy lines, and Special Magical Power Unit members pouring out from them. When 200 mages descended upon non-awakened soldiers without a drop of magical power, this outcome was as clear as day. ¡°Please spare us! Please, please¡­¡­¡± ¡°I surrender! I¡¯m an officer of the Republic! P-please, treat me as a prisoner¡­¡­¡± The defeat was already all but confirmed. Some soldiers who knew Imperial language were raising their hands indicating their intention to surrender. ¡°What should we do, Battalion Commander?¡± One of the soldiers approached and asked me. The answer was already decided. ¡°Prisoners? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Hearing the words from my mouth, the Republican officers with raised hands opened their eyes wide. ¡°You violated the prisoner of war management treaty between the Empire and Republic, and massacred 2,400 Imperial prisoners.¡± ¡°Th, that!¡± ¡°The Armored Infantry acted in, independently¡­¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who took the prisoners¡¯ corpses, stripped them of their clothes, and mocked them?¡± Hearing those words, the Republican soldiers fell silent with a start. The rampage of the Armored Infantry battalion possessed by evil. However, those who condoned, overlooked, and approved that massacre were none other than them. As glorious soldiers of the Kalhyram Empire, we couldn¡¯t overlook this deplorable situation. ¡®Though the real purpose is for the unit¡¯s reputation.¡¯ Hiding that inner thought behind my back for now, I shouted loudly with magical power in my voice. ¡°Special Magical Power Unit, all battalion members listen-!¡± Like passing judgment on the scattered Republican soldiers, I raised my right hand and shouted to the soldiers. ¡°This is a direct order from Battalion Commander Major Eugene Lorentz! There are no more Republican soldiers in this garrison! Those standing here are just maggots who violated treaties and massacred fellow countrymen of the Kalhyram Empire! They¡¯re just pests worse than beasts!¡± Among the soldiers who heard those words, several quick-witted ones were already loading magic bullets. Ah, how lovely. Thinking that, I shouted with an expression full of anger. ¡°Therefore, I have only one order! Extermination! This is extermination!¡± ¡°There are no prisoners! No survivors! Burn, tear apart, and kill everything that exists here! Sweep away all these vermin who killed our countrymen, without leaving a single one alive-!¡± Magic bullets were loaded into the Heresy drawn from my holster, and the unit members also fired their magic bullets. Hundreds and thousands of magic circles created indiscriminately by me, the trio, and hundreds of Special Magical Power Unit members decorated the sky. ¡°For the Empire¨C!¡± With my one word, the magic circles shone, and the Republican soldiers gathered in the garrison were literally incinerated. The Imperial soldiers who belatedly saw the Republican garrison full of only ashes looked at me and my unit members and spoke in unison. The Devils of Magic Bullets. It was the first nickname given to the Special Magical Power Unit on the battlefield. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 68 #068 ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz. I¡¯m coming in.¡± ¡°Welcome!¡± ¡°Hero of the Western Front!¡± Clap clap clap clap-! A week later, at the Operations Command. As I entered the tent that had been the Republican Army¡¯s position until last week, I was greeted by thunderous applause. An overwhelming victory seized by the Imperial Army alone. By burning even the reserve forces that remained at the garrison to the last man, the Imperial Army was able to break through the Republican Army¡¯s defensive line without losing a single soldier. A large salient created in the middle of the Western Front, which had been maintaining relative stability. Based on this, the Imperial Army could either push the front line or attempt an encirclement by bypassing with a mobile division. The initiative on the front had passed to the Imperial Army. ¡°If by any chance they pull troops from other units to stop us¡­¡± ¡°The 11th and 3rd Divisions facing those guys won¡¯t sit still. It could lead to a catastrophe where those fronts get breached too.¡± That¡¯s why instead of dispatching additional troops to catch us, the Republican Army maintained a stalemate by retreating part of their front line to preserve their forces. This victory on this small front had forced the entire Republican Army to fall back. The frontline units and command were in a festive mood over the unprecedented achievement that they couldn¡¯t even dream of normally. ¡°They burned every last ant without leaving a single one. Truly amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how the Republican side will react. There could definitely be issues since we burned even the Republican soldiers who surrendered, but¡­¡± ¡°Haha, you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± Though I was concerned that burning everyone might have been a bit excessive even if it was for the unit¡¯s reputation, Major General Beckier waved his hand saying there was no need for concern. ¡°No one will take issue with what you did this time. Neither the Imperial Army, nor the Republican Army.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± While it made sense for the Imperial Army since it was like pulling an aching tooth, even the Republic would stay quiet? Noticing my confusion, a staff officer next to Major General Beckier tipped me off. ¡°The Empire has footage of the Armored Infantry Battalion massacring Imperial prisoners, and we have witness testimonies. Meanwhile, the Republic has no evidence that the Special Forces carried out any massacres.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Evidence? Testimony? There couldn¡¯t be any. All that remained at the Republican position were ashes and the charred corpses of soldiers. Even if they tried to condemn the Imperial Army for war crimes, they had no way of winning against the counter-evidence collected by the Imperial side. ¡°And above all¡­ it seems the Republic has decided to use these soldiers in a different direction.¡± ¡°A different direction?¡± When I asked, Major General Beckier handed me the newspaper he was holding. [Heroes who fought to the death maintaining the Republic¡¯s will despite overwhelming odds!] [The Republic remembers you!] [Rise up and fight! For the Revolution! For the Republic!] ¡°Wow.¡± I pay infinite respect to the creativity of the Republican propaganda officers. Taking ¡®soldiers who were massacred despite surrendering¡¯ and packaging them as ¡®heroes who fought to the death without surrendering¡¯ for propaganda use. I don¡¯t think there are many humans who could come up with such an a-mazing idea. Besides, when you think about it, this makes for quite a narrative, right? ¡®Heroes who met a tragic death falling for the dirty Imperial Army¡¯s schemes! And the brave Republican Armored Infantry Battalion that fought to the end for revenge, along with the many Revolutionary Army warriors who fought alongside them!¡¯ Wow, the nationalist pride is surging. Suddenly I feel revolutionary spirit bubbling up from my chest and loyalty to the Republic gushing forth! ¡®But this is actually quite fortunate for our side.¡¯ The higher the honor of the enemy we defeated, the higher the value of our Special Magical Power Unit. Thanks to the Republic¡¯s propaganda, the Special Forces went from being a unit that massacred non-resistant troops to becoming the Empire¡¯s terrifying human weapon that even Revolutionary warriors who fought to the death couldn¡¯t defeat. ¡°Gentlemen. We cannot remain intoxicated by victory forever.¡± In the midst of those thoughts, Major General Beckier who had been seated rose to his feet. ¡°The Special Forces did great work for us, so it¡¯s our Imperial Army¡¯s duty to support them. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes, Division Commander.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll reconstruct the supply lines and rotate the soldiers.¡± ¡°The fortifications need to be rebuilt from scratch. The trenches are usable, but most were burned¡­¡± When Major General Beckier moved, the other commanders under him started smoothly finding their tasks. After watching them for a moment, the Major General came up to me, patted my shoulder, and said: ¡°You worked hard, Major.¡± ¡°The unit members worked harder than me, sir. Please be generous with their rewards.¡± Dedication must be compensated. Since this was a unit created with that as bait in the first place, I had to be sensitive about this point. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about that. And¡­¡± After readily accepting my request, Major General Beckier took out a letter from inside his uniform and handed it to me. ¡°Major General. This is¡­?¡± ¡°Orders that came down from the Imperial Palace.¡± The Emperor¡¯s orders? After getting Major General Beckier¡¯s permission, I slowly opened the letter. A document stamped with the Emperor¡¯s seal. After reading its contents, I muttered with a satisfied expression: ¡°A victory parade in the Imperial Capital.¡± It seems the Emperor was quite pleased with this victory. *** ¡°Cheers~!¡± ¡°Hey, drink! Drink-!¡± At the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s garrison which had now become the rear. As alcohol, meat, and spoils poured down from above, a wild drinking party continued inside the barracks. ¡°Hey! Lieutenant Ortega is trying to escape! Catch him!¡± ¡°No! I, I just need to go to the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°Catch him!¡± ¡°Catch him and shove a bottle in!¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°This is insubordination, you crazy bastards¨C!¡± You can imagine how wild it must be if even Ortega, who never turns down alcohol, was trying to escape in terror. However, instead of joining that wild party, Eugene entered his room with a light greeting. ¡°Oh, Eugene¡¯s here?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Waiting for him in the room were Irene and Rennie. Especially Rennie, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, turned pale when she saw Eugene¡¯s face. ¡°The prisoner?¡± ¡°Temporary jail. I¡¯m watching them.¡± ¡°I see. Then that¡¯s reassuring.¡± Eugene conversed with Irene while keeping his gaze fixed on Rennie. After finishing speaking, Eugene approached Rennie while rummaging through his clothes, and Rennie tightly shut her eyes in place. ¡®I¡¯m going to die here.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry mom. But, I¡­¡¯ Just as an expression of resignation crossed Rennie¡¯s face¡­ ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Uh, um¡­?¡± At Eugene¡¯s question, Rennie slowly opened her tightly shut eyes. What was in front of her eyes was a sandwich packed with vegetables and meat. Looking again, it was what Eugene had handed to her. ¡°I roughly made it with stuff piled up in the banquet hall. You probably couldn¡¯t even taste proper food while you were locked up, right?¡± ¡°Ah, th-that¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to eat it, forget it. I¡¯ll give it to Irene as a snack¡­¡± ¡°No, no! I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll eat it!¡± Irene¡¯s face, which had been full of anticipation, turned gloomy. Rennie awkwardly accepted the sandwich. After confirming this, Eugene started writing reports as if he had finished his task, with his portion of sandwich in his mouth. Supply plan approval, unit combat power analysis, strategy research, etc. It was an amount of work that couldn¡¯t possibly be finished on time unless he allocated even his meal time. Munch- munch- A cold silence hung over the office. The sound of Eugene¡¯s pen moving, the laughter of soldiers from outside, and the sound of Irene munching on cookies. After that awkward silence continued for a while¡­ ¡°Um, excuse me!¡± Finally unable to bear it anymore, Rennie opened her mouth toward Eugene. ¡°Are you¡­ are you not going to kill me¡­?¡± ¡°Kill you? Me? Why?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­!¡± Without even looking at Rennie, Eugene said: ¡°Because you tried to escape? Because you tried to return to the Revolutionary Army despite receiving treatment too good for a prisoner?¡± At Eugene¡¯s words that hit the mark, Rennie closed her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not enough reason for me to kill you.¡± ¡°Th-there¡¯s no way¡­!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t believe it, think about it again.¡± Ah, there¡¯s a typo in this document. I¡¯m going to send it to Keiren, should I leave it as is? While thinking that, Eugene continued what he was saying. ¡°How could Revolutionary Army spies approach you? In a normal unit, they wouldn¡¯t let an unknown soldier into the unit without identity verification.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Among those places, you worked in the medical ward. An important area in charge of the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s magic imprints and treating soldiers. Does it make sense to let spies infiltrate such a place?¡± Receiving that question, Rennie recalled the subsequent events one after another. Spies who infiltrated too successfully. And then Irene appearing at just the right moment when they tried to eliminate her. For coincidences¡­ weren¡¯t things fitting together too well? ¡°¡­!¡± When her thoughts reached that point, Rennie trembled and said: ¡°You deliberately let the spies infiltrate? To use me to catch them¡­?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Eugene stopped writing his report and said: ¡°Thanks to you, we were able to catch one of the Revolutionary Army¡¯s informants. And a high-ranking one trusted enough to handle internal assassinations at that.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The bait played its role wonderfully, and thanks to that we caught a big and meaty one. So what reason would I have to kill you? Right?¡± Rennie felt the blood in her entire body rapidly cooling. Her escape had meant nothing to him. From beginning to end. It meant she had been played in that man¡¯s palm. ¡°So. What do you plan to do now?¡± After watching her for a moment, Eugene rose from his seat and asked. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army is after your life. At this rate, you¡¯ll really die, you know?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing those words, Rennie stared at Eugene with wide eyes. ¡°No! That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use trying to deny it now. You should know best, right?¡± After saying that, Eugene spoke to Rennie with an indecipherable expression: ¡°The Revolutionary Army abandoned you.¡± Rennie¡¯s face twisted at Eugene¡¯s words. Loss. Emptiness. Anger. Sadness. Resignation. The expression Eugene had worn in the original work appeared on her face. ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°And I have a proposal to make to someone like you.¡± Proposal? Feeling Rennie¡¯s gaze as she stared with round eyes, Eugene slowly spoke to her: ¡°While the Revolutionary Army tried to kill you, I need you.¡± Your information, insight into Revolutionary Army internal affairs, and skills in handling imprints too. Rennie¡¯s face twisted at those words. Since the Revolutionary Army abandoned her, cooperate with the Imperial Army for revenge? ¡°You¡¯re telling me to wear an Imperial Army uniform even though I have to work as a prisoner?! Don¡¯t make me laugh! I, I¡¯m Revolutionary Army¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get your mother out.¡± At Eugene¡¯s single sentence, Rennie¡¯s voice that had been denouncing him stopped instantly. ¡°I¡¯m a member of House Buckenheim, and the adopted son of Keiren Buckenheim who is one of the successors to the duchy. If I use my connections and status, ¡®scouting¡¯ one servant from House Branvilde would be nothing.¡± After opening his mouth like that, Eugene made eye contact with Rennie and slowly explained the detailed plan: ¡°Then I can choose a suitable suburban garden and arrange for her to work there. She could earn money working steadily without particular hardship among generous country folk in a peaceful place.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about it. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted so badly?¡± The more Eugene¡¯s voice reached her, the more Rennie¡¯s heart wavered. Her wish that she wanted to fulfill even if it meant overthrowing the entire Empire. Living somewhere where no one knew her birth, reading books she liked with her mother. Eugene knew her wish. Because he knew her story that appeared in the original work, and its tragic ending. ¡°If you cooperate with me, I can guarantee that future.¡± ¡°Create imprints that will kill Revolutionary Army soldiers for me and my army.¡± Eugene approached Rennie and slowly extended his hand. A devil¡¯s hand. Looking at the hand covered in imprints, that¡¯s what Rennie thought. ¡°Actually at this point, there¡¯s not much reason for you to feel guilty about joining our side, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army tried to kill you after using you. Shouldn¡¯t you make them pay for that?¡± Rennie¡¯s expression became complicated at those words. Hope that she could save her mother. And revenge against the Revolutionary Army that abandoned her was slowly rising up. Revenge, and happiness. Refusing this offer and remaining with the Revolutionary Army? Someone who could do that¡­ would probably only be an iron-willed person like Maximilien. But she wasn¡¯t such a person. Her goal was happiness for her mother and herself. The ideal of revolution was merely a means to achieve that. ¡°If, if.¡± After a long while, having finished thinking, Rennie opened her mouth toward Eugene. ¡°If I refuse, then what happens¡­?¡± She wasn¡¯t asking out of curiosity. That was a question asked while expecting something from him. Eyes hoping he would give the answer she wanted, hoping to ease her guilt. Then I should meet those expectations. Thinking that, Eugene put on a cold expression and opened his mouth: ¡°You¡¯ll be executed as a rebel prisoner. Your identity and name will be announced throughout the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What happens to your mother in House Branvilde after that¡­ well, that¡¯s not really my concern, is it?¡± ¡°Ha, haha¡­~!¡± At those words, Rennie opened her mouth while shedding tears: ¡°This really¡­ leaves me no choice, does it?¡± Rennie¡¯s expression as she said that was smiling. Eyes lacking the courage to betray her comrades. Therefore hoping that a villain like Eugene would eliminate her choices. And Eugene gladly played the villain. Rennie no longer had reason to hesitate. ¡°You really are like a devil.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Rennie¡¯s slowly extended hand grasped Eugene¡¯s hand. ¡°Revolutionary Army imprint specialist, Rennie Schreier.¡± Grasping that hand, Eugene smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Welcome to the Special Magical Power Unit.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 69 #069 ¡°This newspaper has been saying the same thing for days.¡± The Imperial Capital of the Kalhyram Empire. A man put down his steaming teacup and muttered irritably while looking at the imperial newspaper in his hands. [The Red Bear of the Republic Falls!] [Overwhelming Victory for Imperial Army! Republic Forces in Retreat!] [Major Eugene Lorentz, the Hero of Victory, to Hold Grand Victory Parade with Troops in the Capital¡­] ¡°It¡¯s our first victory in a long time. It¡¯s no wonder His Majesty is pleased.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± The man who heard his trusted subordinate¡¯s words fell into thought with his chin resting on his hand. Indeed, it couldn¡¯t be called a small victory. They had completely annihilated an entire Republic division and pushed back the entire front line. Moreover, they had killed Klaus Medvedev, who was emerging as a hero of the Republic, so it was no wonder the entire Imperial Army was stirring. However¡­ ¡°No, that¡¯s not the issue.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness?¡± In response to his knight¡¯s question, the man put down the newspaper he was holding. On the front page was Major General Beckier Rutmeier, who had commanded the battle, and his subordinates. Nowhere in that photograph were the Knight Order or magic nobles to be seen. ¡°The important thing is that this victory was achieved without the cooperation of the Knight Order.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Originally, the most important part of the Empire¡¯s national defense was handled by the Knight Order, nurtured by magic nobles. The Empire¡¯s sword that could single-handedly cut down dozens of monsters and annihilate hundreds of Republic soldiers. However, in this battle, there was no place for the Knight Order to step in. ¡®No, I should say they deliberately chose not to step in.¡¯ Using the excuse of rebels stirring throughout the Empire, they withdraw the Knight Order from the front lines. Without the Knight Order, the Imperial Army would helplessly crumble before the Republic forces, and the weakened Imperial Army would become docile sheep listening to the magic nobles¡¯ words, as they always had. It was what they had done whenever the Imperial Army and Emperor¡¯s authority grew stronger. The magic nobles¡¯ drastic measure to tame the military and imperial authority. ¡®But this time¡­ The atmosphere is quite different from last time.¡¯ ¡°Rictus. What¡¯s the situation with the rebels?¡± At his lord¡¯s question, the knight standing in formation behind him answered immediately. ¡°Currently, the territories of the Bespoke, Affleck, and Dynwald families have fallen. Though the 12 Great Houses are dispatching knights¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying they aren¡¯t being suppressed as quickly as expected.¡± The Imperial Army drove back the Republic forces without the Knight Order¡¯s help and is trying to display that achievement to the world through a victory parade. Meanwhile, if they can¡¯t properly suppress the rebels, which was their original purpose¡­ ¡°They¡¯re cornered.¡± He was certain. Right now, the magic nobles were floundering in their own trap. The extreme confrontation between rebels and magic nobles. In between, the Imperial Army was gradually gaining power and public support. After organizing the situation, he looked at the newspaper laid on the table. ¡°The unit that¡¯s having a parade in the capital this time. What was the vice commander¡¯s name again?¡± ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz. Age sixteen. Lieutenant General Keiren Buckenheim¡¯s adopted son.¡± In the corner of the photograph showing Major General Beckier was a young officer, young enough to be called a child. Though the image quality was poor and he couldn¡¯t see clearly, even his uniform seemed different from other Imperial Army officers. ¡°A major at sixteen. That¡¯s an impossibly rapid promotion.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s not an official promotion, but a temporary rank given during wartime¡­¡± ¡°If that were the case, he wouldn¡¯t have been selected as the officer to lead this victory parade.¡± Despite placing a rookie officer who hadn¡¯t even been commissioned for a year in a field grade position, there were no objections from his unit or the military. It meant either he had shown corresponding achievements, or someone of high enough status was backing him that they couldn¡¯t raise objections. ¡®In this case, it¡¯s likely both.¡¯ The Imperial Army sharpening its claws, and the young officer who would walk through the capital representing that Imperial Army. After finishing his calculations, the man made his decision. ¡°Rictus.¡± The seventh in line to the Imperial throne, Prince Baker el Kalhyram, called his knight. ¡°Prepare a letter.¡± Eugene Lorentz. He was someone worth meeting and shaking hands with personally. *** Psshhhh-! Steam burst from the exhaust of the armored train as it arrived at the station. The first task of the Special Magical Power Unit members upon arriving in the capital was to hold back the crowds surging toward them. Of course, this task was simpler than expected. When hundreds of soldiers in black uniforms stood in line glaring, there weren¡¯t many crazy enough to rush at them. Except for these reporters who stuck like leeches. ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz! We¡¯re from the Imperial News! Could we get an interview?!¡± ¡°There will be an official statement from Imperial Army Command later, I will speak there. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡± ¡°W-wait just a moment, Major! Just one minute¡­!¡± The reporter who was rejected was led away into the crowd by the unit members. ¡°It¡¯s annoying right from arrival in the capital. Isn¡¯t it, Eugene?¡± ¡°Considering they got past our members using body enhancement magic, these reporters aren¡¯t ordinary people.¡± While Ortega and Matt were saying that. After passing through the crowded station and reaching the exit, a relatively quiet street came into view. The Special Unit headquarters building was under construction, and until then, they were supposed to use the Buckenheim side lodgings. Someone should have come to meet them, but¡­ ¡°Hey Eugene? There. Isn¡¯t that person¡­?¡± Following Ortega¡¯s finger, I saw a girl standing in the middle of the station with her arms crossed. A red outing dress and beret made of luxurious fabric. The girl looking at me with a bright appearance was¡­ ¡°¡­¡­Mari?¡± It was Mari. My fianc¨¦e, whom I was meeting after 4 years, was approaching me with a smiling face. ¡°Hey. Sorry, but I think I need to get separate lodgings.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What are you suddenly talking about? And why does your face look like that?¡± ¡°Did you eat something bad?¡± When I spoke with an uncharacteristically urgent voice, Erich and the trio looked at me and asked that. No, guys. It¡¯s nice that you¡¯re worried, but now isn¡¯t the time¡­ ¡°Right? After leaving your fianc¨¦e hanging for 4 years without a single letter, where are you planning to run off to this time?¡± Hearing the chilling voice flowing from that smiling face, I couldn¡¯t help but squeeze my eyes shut. ¡°¡­fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°4 years?¡± ¡°Left hanging?¡± The trio¡¯s expressions grew increasingly suspicious hearing those words. ¡°You haven¡¯t met your fianc¨¦e for 4 years?¡± ¡°But you were stuck to Miss Irene all the time¡­¡± ¡°Wait. Then this¡­?¡± Hearing that, I thought about it too. If someone who didn¡¯t know the circumstances saw this situation. How would they view me right now? ¡®A noble-born officer who didn¡¯t contact his fianc¨¦e for 4 years while keeping another woman by his side even on the battlefield.¡¯ ¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ Looking at it objectively, I¡¯m totally trash, aren¡¯t I? Crack! Just as I thought that, Ortega¡¯s kick struck my waist. ¡°Eugene, you bastard! Your fianc¨¦e is standing right here, and you¡¯ve been fooling around with another woman for 4 years?!¡± ¡°I knew what kind of person he was, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this bad¡­¡± ¡°Eugene. I know noble family culture is decadent, but even so, this is¡­¡± It was too late to argue. Ortega and Matt, who had already written a whole love and war drama in their heads, skillfully cornered me and started condemning me, while Erich, the proper adult, started preaching at me like some church pastor. By the way Matt? What do you mean you knew? What are you talking about? ¡°I¡¯m being wronged, you crazy bastards!¡± Not sending a single letter for 4 years¡­ honestly, that is my fault. But having an affair with Irene? The girl who eats Westraine spies and assassins for dessert? When I asked why she was just staring, she said ¡°Yeah! I wonder what Eugene tastes like!¡± You want me to do what with someone like that? ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡± While my subordinate officers¡¯ exciting superior officer beating party was going on enthusiastically. ¡°Think of it as your karma, Eugene. Your conduct was suspicious after all.¡± ¡°No, what did I do¡­!¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± Guille, who had led the soldiers to their quarters in the meantime, came up to me shaking his head. ¡°Rennie, was it? You specifically imprisoned that Revolutionary Army VIP in a private room.¡± ¡°No, that was just for interrogation¡­!¡± ¡°Plus, whenever she came out of the room, her face looked dead. What do you think the soldiers thought about that?¡± Right? Come to think of it, it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable to interpret it that way¡­ What? ¡°Guille.¡± ¡°Speak, captain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m already rumored that way? To all the unit members?¡± Worried, I asked that, and sure enough. Guille nodded with the expression of a doctor announcing terminal cancer. ¡°Fuck.¡± These bastards, after I gave them money, weapons, and even magic imprints to raise them, how dare they see me like¡­! ¡°This is insubordination, you crazy bastards!¡± ¡°It¡¯s temporary anyway, punk!¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ah, this feeling! The two things I wanted to beat up in my life were superiors and nobles, and today I get to achieve both!¡± By the way Ortega, now that I look at it, you¡¯re quite the revolutionary friend? Want me to introduce you to a similar friend? There¡¯s someone called Claude Elcidore¡­ ¡°Mari, Mari!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m right here.¡± ¡°You know this is a misunderstanding, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Obviously.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t just watch, come help stop these guys¡­!¡± In the end, Mari was the only one I could trust. When I pleaded like that while being held by my friends, Mari opened her mouth with the same smiling face as before. ¡°I know it¡¯s a misunderstanding and I¡¯m not particularly angry, but it looks fun so I¡¯ll leave it be. It¡¯s true you left me hanging for 4 years, and it¡¯s true you were with another woman during that time, right?¡± Ah. ¡°Right, Irene?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Mari!¡± ¡°Just call me Mari now. We¡¯re friends, right?¡± ¡°Wow! Friends!¡± There was no escape. There were no allies left here anymore. In the end, I had no choice but to accept my friends¡¯ anger as they approached me, having lost all hope. Just wait until we get back to the unit. *** ¡°Your friends all seem like good people.¡± Just as my friends¡¯ condemnation was about to continue. When Mari stepped in to mediate, it didn¡¯t take long to clear up the layers of misunderstandings. After clearing up those misunderstandings, Mari and I sat across from each other at a cafe near the capital¡¯s entrance. ¡°When I heard from Butler Walter, I thought they were demons rolling around in hell.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t hell, but we did roll around quite a bit.¡± Saying that, I sipped the coffee placed on the table. To think this one cup of coffee costs the same as three boxes of supply coffee. Even as a noble, I thought the Central prices were insane. ¡°I entered the Imperial Academy. I came today to tell you that.¡± While I was thinking about that, Mari put down her coffee cup and spoke. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would become an officer?¡± ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I can¡¯t figure out how to get promoted to major one year after commissioning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just incinerate 14,000 Republic soldiers.¡± ¡°Wow, brother, you know you just sounded really unlikeable?¡± After saying that, Mari and I giggled at each other. ¡°Even if not an officer, there are clearly ways I can help father. I¡¯m studying everything that could be helpful ¨C military science, administration, et cetera.¡± Hearing that, I recalled the contents of letters Walter occasionally sent. Since she¡¯s already handling some work in logistics and operations, it¡¯s quite a heavy burden for her age. Talking with Erich might be good study for her. Then I started making small talk with Mari while sipping our coffee. What Otto was doing, how the mansion people were doing these days, such trivial things. And during that, I thought. ¡®This child¡¯s fate has really changed.¡¯ And having survived like this, she became one of the few people I could have such trivial conversations with. ¡°And one more thing.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± While I was thinking that, Mari looked at me with a grin and said. ¡°I haven¡¯t met a single other man in these 4 years?¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I magically smashed all the guys who tried to get close.¡± ¡°Oho.¡± Saying that, Mari rolled up her right sleeve and showed me. The Buckenheim magic imprint that had grown to three strokes. Looking at that, I said with a smile. ¡°The imprint condition is good, and the magical power amount is excellent. You could probably beat someone like Delling who¡¯s the same age.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± However, hearing my praise, Mari looked at me with a pouty expression as if something was lacking. ¡°¡­What, something else to say?¡± ¡°No, never mind. I won¡¯t say it.¡± When I asked that wondering what it was about, Mari let out an incomprehensible sigh and stood up. ¡°Irene! Let¡¯s go sightseeing in the city!¡± ¡°Yay! Eugene! Can I go?¡± When Irene asked excitedly about the rare outing, I readily agreed. With Irene there, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Mari. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first. Write letters sometimes at least.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Ah, right.¡± Just before parting. I called Mari to stop and took out a ring from my breast pocket to give to her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°An engagement ring. Come to think of it, we never did any of this stuff.¡± I can¡¯t let those disgraceful rumors circulating in the unit spread outside. Even if it¡¯s a political marriage, an engagement is an engagement, so I should at least keep up appearances. Saying that, I put the ring on Mari¡¯s left ring finger with an indifferent expression. ¡°It¡¯s made from the jewel I received when I was commissioned, there was one more for a spouse.¡± The red jewel on Mari¡¯s finger sparkled. It matches well with her hair color. After that, I patted Mari¡¯s head and got up from my seat. I had mountains of work to do, like death notifications and preparation for the victory parade. *** ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Irene. Take good care of Mari.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Eugene smiled seeing Irene¡¯s grin, then returned to his unit like that. ¡°Huh?¡± After waving to the departing Eugene for a while. Seeing Mari standing there for a long time, Irene tilted her head. ¡°Mari, your face is really red. Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Even when Irene said that, Mari¡¯s body didn¡¯t move. Looking at the ring placed on her hand, she just stood there as if nailed to the spot. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 70 #070 Boom-! Boom-! Boom-! Along with the resonant drum beats, the military band¡¯s march filled the center of the Imperial Capital. It was the victory ceremony for the Imperial Army returning from their great triumph. At the very front of the march were the Special Magical Power Unit members in their pristine uniforms. Standing at the forefront were the trio and Erich. Leopold and the non-commissioned officers followed behind, and finally, the soldiers wearing their respective rank insignias joined them. ¡°The Empire¡¯s heroes! They¡¯re heroes-!¡± ¡°Waaah¨C!¡± The flower petals scattered by citizens adorned the bright sky of the Imperial Capital. Clean military uniforms instead of prison clothes. The citizens¡¯ cheers of praise instead of guards¡¯ shouts signaling forced labor. Even flower necklaces hanging instead of heavy shackles. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± Whether overcome by their pent-up emotions, several soldiers furrowed their brows and held back tears behind the rank formation. A second chance they thought would never come again. As they physically felt fragments of that moment, something welled up in their hearts. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you crying?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry like a baby. You should be happy instead.¡± While grabbing his marching comrade¡¯s shoulder, one soldier smiled, showing his teeth. His gaze fell on the Imperial Hero Medal awarded to all Special Magical Power Unit members. A medal bestowed directly by the Emperor, which came with reward money and promotion opportunities upon conferral. Even members who had been indifferent, claiming no interest in praise and glory, changed their expressions the moment they received this medal. ¡°If we get this much just for winning one battle, what our commander said is true.¡± If you prove your abilities, I will provide you with imprints, money, and status. Regardless of social status. Without exception. Eugene had promised them that while looking at them, and he kept that promise through this street parade. ¡°With this opportunity, I¡¯m going to climb higher¡­!¡± Strength unconsciously entered the hand holding the rifle. What appeared in their eyes was ambition. The aspiration to climb higher and fulfill their own will. ¡°How disgusting.¡± However, there were eyes looking unfavorably at this glorious parade. Nobles sitting on the balcony of a high-rise building located on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. The magic nobles, each possessing their own magic imprint, began speaking with deeply furrowed brows. ¡°It¡¯s merely a small victory gained on the frontier! What is the purpose of conducting such a grandiose event for that!¡± ¡°The Imperial Army is exaggerating their military achievements. A street parade without the Knight Order, how unpleasant to watch!¡± ¡°His Majesty¡¯s intentions in approving this parade are also concerning. To treat the mages who support the Empire in such a manner¡­¡± The nobles¡¯ conversation went beyond questioning achievements to groundless criticism. Feilun, the second son of Nachtval duchy who was watching from afar, quietly sighed. ¡®Such foolish old men.¡¯ Looking at the achievements, what the Imperial Army had accomplished was by no means a small victory. After all, killing the Republic¡¯s hero and pushing back the entire front line was something even the Knight Order hadn¡¯t achieved. The nobles criticizing the street parade must have known this fact as well. Yet the reason they were reacting so sensitively like this¡­ sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®It¡¯s because they¡¯re anxious.¡¯ In a situation where they were already struggling to stop rebels appearing everywhere, the Imperial Army¡¯s prestige was steadily rising. They were feeling a sense of crisis from the atmosphere that was clearly different from before. ¡°I never expected you to cause such a major incident in such a short time, junior.¡± That someone who once stood on the same battlefield with him had now become a prominent figure leading his own battalion. Looking at his unbelievable rate of growth, Feilun steeled his resolve. If his junior who promised future cooperation had grown this much, he too needed to build up strength no less than him. While listening to the march music from afar, as Feilun was thinking this¡­ ¡°Looking at their marching, they seem quite well-trained. Their military discipline is well-maintained too.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The man who had been silently watching spoke slowly. ¡°A mage with five stroke imprints at such a young age. And the ability to raise such a unit¡­¡± The head of the Nachtval Duchy, second seat among the Empire¡¯s 12 Great Magic Nobles. Barthenberg von Nachtval. When his voice rang out, the voices of other chattering nobles immediately fell silent. ¡°Feilun.¡± ¡°Yes, Patriarch.¡± ¡°You were acquainted with that unit¡¯s commander, weren¡¯t you?¡± At that moment, Feilun felt a chill run down his spine. Even for a rising star, how could the lord of Nachtval show interest in Eugene? Feilun maintained his composure and answered. ¡°His name is Eugene Lorentz. He¡¯s my junior with whom I¡¯ve built a relationship since military academy.¡± ¡°Eugene. That child I met at the execution grounds?¡± He knows Eugene? As Feilun was thinking this, the Duke was carefully observing the marching troops while resting his chin on his hand. The Duke¡¯s specialty was magical power detection and tracking. Just by observing from afar, he could gauge the magical power levels of the marching soldiers. ¡°They¡¯ve implanted low-grade imprints in dregs that fell from the Knight Order and Magic Corps. Indeed, if used like that, they could become quite useful tools.¡± The Duke spoke with slight admiration while watching the parade, but he soon lost interest and withdrew his gaze. ¡°However, that¡¯s all there is worth noting.¡± ¡°Y-Your Grace. What do you mean by that¡­?¡± When one of the anxious nobles carefully asked, the Duke spoke in a cold voice. ¡°I hear the Republic¡¯s army calls them the ¡®Devils of Magic Bullets.¡¯ In other words, it means they¡¯ve officially adopted those magic bullets that rebels use.¡± ¡°¡­Ah! Then!¡± ¡°A magic imprint using magic bullets couldn¡¯t possibly withstand that burden.¡± Most nobles who had fought rebels for a long time knew about the blasphemous items called ¡®magic bullets.¡¯ A tool that overloads magic imprints to temporarily boost magical power. However, when used excessively, the overloaded magic imprint breaks. ¡°They are merely expendable products hastily created to fill the Knight Order¡¯s vacancy. They cannot compare to knights who have explored and trained in magic for many years.¡± After making that assessment, the Duke began gathering the nobles present to continue their unfinished meeting. A meeting about rebel movements and how to subjugate them. Their concern was the rebels disturbing their territories, not the Imperial Army¡¯s pathetic self-consolation. Looking down at the nobles absorbed in their own discussion, Feilun thought. ¡®How long can they remain so optimistic?¡¯ The Eugene Lorentz he knew wasn¡¯t someone who would use such obvious tactics. Therefore, he could be certain. That unit would surely become the most powerful enemy the magic nobles would face in the future. An enemy far more powerful than the rebels currently shaking this empire. *** Imperial Capital Central. National Cemetery located in the outskirts. While victory ceremonies and welcome events were being held in the Imperial Capital, I was going around various parts of the capital with several soldiers who had expressed their wish not to participate in the street parade. ¡°Fire-!¡± Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! The ceremonial guns fired regularly at my command. As the members lowered their rifles after firing, family members dressed in black approached the graves and began wailing. The graves of eighteen Special Magical Power Unit members who died in this battle. Wearing my military cap, I saluted their graves and handed over their dog tags wrapped in the Imperial flag to their families. ¡°Special Magical Power Unit battalion commander, Major Eugene Lorentz reporting. Your husband, son, father fought as a proud member of the Imperial Special Magic Forces and died heroically.¡± ¡°Hic, huuk¡­!¡± ¡°The fallen members were honorable Imperial soldiers and heroes who gave their all to protect the Empire. I will do my utmost to improve the treatment of the bereaved families left behind, carrying on the will of our departed comrades.¡± Clean Imperial flags were handed to the poor, those who had abandoned their sons, those who looked like beggars. The fallen soldiers¡¯ comrades maintained solemn expressions, saluted, and offered words of condolence. ¡°Separate from what comes from Imperial Army headquarters, consolation money will be provided at our unit level. Please¡­ I hope this helps, even if just a little.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­! Thank you¡­!¡± Click! Click-! As scenes that made one¡¯s nose bridge sting just by watching unfolded, the journalists I had brought along eagerly captured those moments in photographs. Seeing even the photographers getting red-eyed, it seemed my direction had worked much better than expected. ¡®It¡¯s not common for a commander, let alone a noble, to go this far.¡¯ Unlike 21st century Korea, this is a world where social classes exist. An era that views citizens and soldiers as tools and considers their sacrifices natural. In such an era, a commander personally reports casualties to the bereaved families? Personally holds the families¡¯ hands and even sheds tears with them? To modern eyes it might look like the usual political performance, but to people of this era, it would look like an angel descended from heaven. ¡®And such actions will become weapons to protect my position in the future.¡¯ Not binding through weaknesses and threats, but through goodwill and favors. And simultaneously, gradually gaining the support of the people. This is how I will steadily establish my position in this empire. This is insurance. Whether the revolution succeeds or fails in the future, this will be insurance to protect me and my people. ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz.¡± Just as I finished greeting the bereaved families and was about to send the soldiers who had completed their duties back to the unit. A man dressed in a black suit approached and spoke to me. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Pardon me. Imperial Royal Guard Knight, Ricletus Durandal.¡± A royal guard knight came looking for me? If the Emperor had business with me, he would have sent a letter through Andrei? As I turned my head thinking this, a familiar face was before my eyes. ¡®Rictus!¡¯ The characteristically cold impression I had often seen in the game. With an appearance like a black and white photograph, he politely handed something from inside his jacket. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Two days from now, a banquet will be held at a mansion located in the outskirts of the capital. My master ordered me to definitely deliver this invitation after meeting with the Major.¡± While Rictus¡¯s voice carried behind me, I slowly turned over the invitation. [Baker El Kalhyram.] The moment I saw that name, the final scene of [Revolution Empire] Part 2 automatically played in my mind. ¡®We won¡¯t ask you to understand our decision, Eugene.¡¯ In the cold prison. The protagonist who had lost everything and was only waiting for death. ¡®However, this is absolutely necessary.¡¯ And that detestable tongue speaking coldly while looking down at such a protagonist. ¡°The Empire¡¯s 7th Prince is looking for me.¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± When I asked as if confirming, Rictus immediately answered. That arrogant attitude suggesting it would be foolish to decline the invitation. Looking at that, I opened my mouth with a smiling face. ¡°It¡¯s a great honor that you would pay such attention to a mere soldier like me.¡± Prince Baker. Who supports the Revolutionary Army to overcome his low succession rights. And who succeeds in that gamble to ascend to a scarred throne. But don¡¯t worry. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the banquet.¡± Unlike the original story. You will never sit on the throne. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 71 #071 ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz, Sir! It¡¯s an honor to meet you. This way!¡± At a mansion on the outskirts of the capital. As soon as I arrived at the central hall where the banquet was in full swing, the doorkeeper who recognized me immediately opened the door. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I let out a soulless exclamation as I saw the banquet hall that unfolded as the door opened. Was it because the banquet hall was too splendid? That wasn¡¯t it. For a banquet hosted directly by an Imperial Prince, such grandeur was only natural. The reason I exclaimed was because I looked around at the faces of the people gathered in the banquet hall. ¡°Oh, finally here!¡± ¡°Major Lorentz! Over here!¡± The generals who were difficult to even look at on the frontlines. Those who were gathered making small talk each turned to wave at me with bright faces when they heard of my arrival. Where am I? Am I walking on the Milky Way right now? Just how many stars are floating in that gathering? ¡®No. This isn¡¯t the time to freeze up.¡¯ I can¡¯t miss this rare opportunity. I need to socialize. After steeling my resolve, I immediately went into the midst of the generals and saluted. A shower of handshakes and well-wishes poured in from all directions. Thanks to achieving a great victory while excluding the Knight Order, my Special Magic Unit and I had become like precious children, bringing good fortune to the Imperial Army generals. ¡°Lieutenant General Keiren has raised such an excellent son!¡± ¡°Indeed! They say heroes recognize heroes, and isn¡¯t this exactly that?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Of course, for me who had to endure this burdensome attention and goodwill, it was quite an ordeal. Around that time. ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz, Sir.¡± Imperial Guard Knight Rictus, who had approached behind me, quietly called my name. ¡°His Highness the Prince is looking for you.¡± Thanks for getting me out, you traitor. After excusing myself from the generals, I followed his guidance out of the banquet hall. The place Rictus guided me to was a study on the second floor of the mansion. When I opened the door and entered, two teacups were steaming, waiting for me. ¡°Major Eugene Lorentz, reporting to Your Highness the Prince.¡± ¡°Welcome, Major. It¡¯s an honor to meet the young hero of the Empire.¡± The blonde youth sitting across the desk greeted me. Baker El Kalhyram. It was quite emotional to meet one of the three who would betray the protagonist in person. ¡°I saw your unit at the victory parade. The military discipline was so well maintained, it was truly worthy of being called a hero¡¯s unit.¡± ¡°It was too generous a reward.¡± ¡°Excessive modesty can become poison, Major. In times like these, you should simply express gratitude.¡± After savoring a sip of tea, the Prince cut off my attempt at modesty and continued speaking. ¡°A military force this systematic couldn¡¯t have been created overnight.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The one who created the framework for the unit was your adoptive father, Lieutenant General Keiren. And the one who supported that would be His Majesty the Emperor, who keeps Keiren as his close aide.¡± So he wants to cut the unnecessary rhetoric and get to the point. Having grasped his intention, I silently brought the tea placed before me to my lips. A bitter taste accompanied by the subtle fragrance of black tea leaves. This tastes like shit. Supply coffee with sugar would be much better. ¡°In other words. You are the sword that His Majesty personally raised to counter the machinations of the magic nobles.¡± Like a skilled detective showing off his deductions, Prince Baker smiled slightly at me after finishing his words. ¡°Well, am I right?¡± ¡°If you¡¯ve deduced that much, I don¡¯t think my answer would mean anything.¡± Prince Baker smirked at my response, which was as good as confirmation. ¡®Indeed, his ability alone is first-rate.¡¯ The insight to read this entire political situation just by reading newspapers while sitting in the Imperial Palace. If judging purely on qualifications as a ruler, Baker¡¯s ability could be said to be the best among the princes. ¡°While His Majesty arranged the unit, achieving such results with that unit was your ability. You should be proud.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s a most regrettable thing that such a hero has been set on the wrong path.¡± At those words, I raised my head to look at Baker¡¯s face. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°While it¡¯s an excellent decision for His Majesty to make his judgment and tighten the reins on the soulless¡­ The timing is too late.¡± Having said that, Prince Baker put down his teacup with a sigh. ¡°How many more years will His Majesty live? He won¡¯t even make it past 10 years at most. Do you think it¡¯s possible to root out all the cancerous growths in this empire within less than 10 years?¡± ¡°This could be considered disrespectful words, Your Highness.¡± ¡°This is advice I can give because I am a prince. It¡¯s too late now to perform surgery on the empire. I¡¯d say there¡¯s more possibility in the revolution that the rebels are clamoring about, overturning everything from the foundations.¡± Watching Prince Baker argue roughly, I inwardly sneered. ¡®He¡¯s spouting nonsense. The bastard who¡¯s supporting those rebels from behind.¡¯ While I was thinking that, Baker continued to pour out his passionate speech toward me. ¡°Moreover, think about it. By the time your prime arrives, when that power and spirit of yours reaches its peak, His Majesty¡¯s reign will be over. Isn¡¯t this such a regrettable thing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to find it regrettable. I¡¯m just following orders as a soldier of the Empire.¡± ¡°Will you be able to say the same thing when a puppet of magic nobles like Meihen ascends to the throne?¡± Look at this bastard? Baker, who brought up the First Prince¡¯s name, spoke to me as if driving in a wedge. ¡°Having someone who thinks at least somewhat similarly to you become the monarch. Wouldn¡¯t that be much better for your future, and for the empire?¡± ¡°So, are you saying I should take Your Highness¡¯s side in the upcoming succession competition?¡± ¡°Exactly that.¡± Noticing my gaze becoming cold, Prince Baker lowered his voice. ¡°Major. I will become Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And as Emperor, I will rebuild the foundation of this empire that has been devastated by the magic nobles¡¯ rule.¡± Having opened with that, the Prince began to deliver a speech to me. He would root out every single one of them who monopolize magic, exploit the people, and carelessly wield the wealth and power they¡¯ve accumulated through such means. After revealing his aspirations in such a manner, the Prince, seeming emotionally charged, drank his cold tea. ¡°Overthrowing the magic nobles and restoring their twisted power structure to its rightful state. Wasn¡¯t that your true purpose!¡± Just like your father, Lieutenant General Keiren. Watching him speak in a tone like an agitator, I thought. What an absurd, disgusting pretense. ¡®Come to think of it, he manipulated the Revolutionary Army the same way in the game.¡¯ Someone who has lived his entire life in the palace since birth claims to sympathize with the people¡¯s suffering? Supports revolution? What nonsense. He was nothing but a monster obsessed with power who would stop at nothing to overcome his lowly birth. ¡®If I were truly an upright Imperial soldier, I might have been moved.¡¯ A royal family member who sheds tears thinking of the lower classes. A true king¡¯s material who cares for the people but lacks the power to fulfill his will. His intention in deliberately putting on such an act before me was clear. He must know about my commoner background and plan to use it. He probably thought he could easily manipulate me by showing sympathy for the people¡¯s suffering. However¡­ ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in social reform.¡¯ What was it he was spouting? Breaking the monopoly on magic? The final stage of my plan through the Special Magic Unit is to monopolize magic, so who are you to break that up as you please? Saving the exploited masses? What do I care if they do it or not? I¡¯m already part of the privileged class. Leave all that human rights movement stuff about saving the masses to the Revolutionary Army you support. I¡¯m already getting a headache just thinking about the salaries and medals I need to give my subordinates. Unless I were the original protagonist, Baker¡¯s proposal was nothing but empty words to me now. I opened my mouth toward Prince Baker. ¡°Crushing the magic nobles who exploit the people and changing the corrupt empire¡­ Yes. I think it¡¯s an admirable goal.¡± ¡°See, you think so too? In that case!¡± ¡°Work hard at it.¡± Baker¡¯s face immediately hardened at my response. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m not interested, so work hard at it on your own.¡± ¡°You seem to have misheard my words. Major. I¡¯m not trying to ascend to the throne for my own power. I made this proposal to save the suffering people¡­!¡± ¡°From the beginning.¡± Cutting off Baker who was trying to say something more, I opened my mouth with a sardonic smile. ¡°The context is all wrong, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Context?¡± Looking at Prince Baker¡¯s contorted face, I spoke slowly. ¡°A penniless prince who has no faction, no connections, no funds, with nothing but the seventh place in the succession rights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Such a person proposes to an Imperial hero who commands 200 mages? Telling me to come under your command?¡± With a twisted mouth, I spoke while slowly releasing magical power. ¡°There¡¯s a limit to being full of yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± As soon as I finished speaking, Baker¡¯s face, which had been struggling to maintain composure, distorted uncontrollably. The Emperor¡¯s death was predetermined. However, I had no interest in the succession competition that would follow. Why, you ask? Because I had already accepted an even bigger deal. *** It happened the previous day. Summoned by the Emperor, I visited his study for the first time in a long while. ¡°Your Majesty. Major Eugene Lorentz reporting.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve come.¡± The Emperor, whom I met again after four years, looked much more aged than when I last saw him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. At this age, one naturally ages day by day.¡± Though the Emperor waved his hand with a weak smile, it was clearly evident that he was pushing himself. The Emperor who was wearing away at his dying life to attend to state affairs and shape the empire. Though his body was dying moment by moment, his eyes alone remained vibrantly alive. The Emperor who looked at himself held such inexplicable fervor while dealing with him. ¡°With such a grand return, there must be many talents drooling over you. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°The Seventh Prince has invited me to a banquet. I expect to meet him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Baker. Yes. So he¡¯s starting to move as expected.¡± Having said that, the Emperor seemed to be thinking about something with furrowed brows. After a moment of silence had passed. ¡°I heard you killed the Republic¡¯s hero.¡± After a while, what the Emperor brought up was a completely different topic than what I had expected. ¡°Klaus Medvedev. He was a formidable opponent who caused my imprint to overload.¡± ¡°He would have been. The Red Bear of the Republic. A man who would have eventually taken the Republic into his hands.¡± At that even-toned statement, I opened my eyes wide. ¡°Did you see a prophecy?¡± ¡°I merely spoke of what I saw in the past. Just as I myself am aging, the power of prophecy I possess is also gradually wearing away and weakening.¡± Does that mean he can¡¯t see the future now? While feeling slight regret, the Emperor looked at me and spoke. ¡°Those born with the fate of kings cannot be easily killed. Unexpected accidents, untimely lightning¡­ countless causalities protect the owner of that fate.¡± Causality protects that existence. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In other words, it was what you¡¯d call protagonist plot armor. ¡°You who were born with the fate to twist such causality and kill possibilities. That is the destiny you were born with.¡± Having opened with that, the Emperor looked at me and spoke. ¡°When someone like that, born with the fate of a king, intervenes.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Listen. This is an imperial command.¡± At the unexpected words, I hurriedly tried to deflect the Emperor¡¯s words. However, the Emperor stopped me with a resolute expression and continued speaking. ¡°Others might think you merely killed one promising soldier. But I am different.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°He was originally a man destined to grasp the Republic in his hands. One born with the terrifying fate of a plunderer who would make the Republic more powerful and eventually take the Empire.¡± Rising from his seat, the Emperor continued speaking to me. ¡°However, none other than you cut off that possibility.¡± Heat rose in the Emperor¡¯s eyes as he looked at me. An expression as if he had decided something. After catching his breath for a moment, the Emperor placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. As the master of the Empire, I ask you.¡± ¡°Please speak.¡± ¡°After twisting the given fate and bending numerous causalities, what do you seek to achieve?¡± No need to contemplate. As before, my answer remained unchanged. I immediately looked into the Emperor¡¯s eyes and spoke. ¡°To survive.¡± Without being betrayed by anyone. Without being used by anyone. Without giving up anything I have in my hands. By my will, by my desire. That¡¯s how I will survive. Since falling into this damn game world, up until this point. That has always been my goal. ¡°Excellent.¡± Hearing those words, the Emperor spoke with a satisfied expression. ¡°If your will desires life, then you and I are moving toward the same goal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then I can make this proposal to you without worry.¡± Having said that, the Emperor opened his mouth toward me in an even voice. ¡°Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± And at the Emperor¡¯s following question, I could only open my eyes wide, unable to find words to answer. ¡°After I leave this world, would you consider becoming the master of this Empire?¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 72 #072 Bang-! The conversation with Prince Baker did not continue any further. ¡°Someday, you¡¯ll definitely regret that decision.¡± With those brief words as his last, Baker sealed his lips and immediately stormed out of the banquet hall. What remained was small talk with the chattering Imperial Army generals. While walking through the garden after finishing the socializing that had been interrupted by Baker, I heard a familiar voice from beside a tree. ¡°I saw His Highness the Prince on my way here. He looked terrible, did something unpleasant happen?¡± A man approached me waving his hand, wearing the blue uniform worn by knights. Seeing that figure, my eyes widened. ¡°Senior?¡± Feilun lu Ross Nachtval. Why is someone who should be at the Knight Order here at this banquet? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in the capital.¡± ¡°There was a noble council hosted by Nachtval. Since I finished all the scheduled matters, I thought I¡¯d come see my proud junior¡¯s face. But¡­¡± Feilun¡¯s eyes moved as he continued speaking. What his gaze fell upon was the major insignia shining on my chest. ¡°I never imagined you¡¯d become such a big shot in the short time I haven¡¯t seen you. You¡¯ve already surpassed my rank.¡± ¡°Hearing that from the Second Prince of Nachtval doesn¡¯t make me happy at all, Senior.¡± As if it makes sense for a ducal heir to envy a major¡¯s insignia. While bantering like that, I looked at the silver emblem on his shoulder. The silver emblem symbolizing the position of Knight Order Vice Commander. And even the mark proving he was a four stroke imprint holder. Gauging his magical power, he had grown to be almost equal to Claude. ¡°Enough with the greetings. I came because I have something to tell you.¡± Saying that, Feilun took out a cigarette from his breast pocket and put it in his mouth. Want one too? Sure. As I accepted a cigarette from Feilun and absently watched the smoke rising from one corner of the garden. ¡°There¡¯s talk about your unit going around among the nobles.¡± Starting with unwelcome news, Feilun began to relay the detailed atmosphere within noble families. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not considered too serious yet. The rebel army problem is more urgent, and the power vacuum on the western front was painful even from the nobles¡¯ perspective.¡± I suppose they¡¯re quite pleased to have a firefighter to fill that gap. ¡°However, the reason nobles aren¡¯t wary of your unit is¡­¡± ¡°Because they found out that most are two stroke imprint holders and use magic bullets as standard weapons, right?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Feilun ground out his finished cigarette and said while looking at me. ¡°A disposable group meant to temporarily replace the Knight Order¡¯s vacancy using low-grade imprints and magic bullets. That¡¯s how Duke Nachtval views your unit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s partly correct.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the real story?¡± A moment of silence. ¡°¡­You¡¯re being very direct.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to tell unit information to a magic noble?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Looking at the smooth-talking Feilun, I spoke with a smile. ¡°We are disposable.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But what I¡¯m disposing of isn¡¯t people, but magic imprints.¡± With that opening, I explained to Feilun what kind of organization the Special Magic Unit was. What forms the foundation of the Special Magic Unit is imprints. More precisely, it was a system that could mass-produce imprints of consistent quality. ¡°A system that can utilize the power of a standardized group rather than the mighty strength of individual knights¡­¡± ¡°And the 200 members working with me are the first seeds to achieve that plan.¡± Hearing my explanation, Feilun nodded with a serious expression. ¡°The field experience gained at the front lines is shaped into training materials in Erich¡¯s hands, becoming know-how to train the next members.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The magic imprints of members who¡¯ve grown through repeated battles are analyzed, then reborn as the next generation¡¯s magic imprints by Keiren¡¯s imprint specialists.¡± So stroke by stroke. If we create and strengthen the next generation¡¯s magic imprints. If we can mass-produce magic imprints of three strokes or higher and implant them in my fully grown army¡­ ¡°You¡¯ll have mages rivaling knights literally pouring out.¡± ¡°And when that happens, we can steal the title of ¡®Guardians of the Empire¡¯ from the Knight Order.¡± And at that moment, the significance of magic nobles in the Empire disappears. They¡¯ll become outdated relics of a bygone era, displaced by the Special Magical Power Unit. All the plans are prepared. However, to realize all these plans¡­ ¡°You needed to blind the eyes of magic nobles and the Knight Order.¡± After hearing my explanation and blueprint, Feilun immediately struck at the blind spot in my plan. ¡°Precisely.¡± The fact that their vested interests come from the monopoly of magic is something the magic nobles themselves know better than anyone else. They¡¯re not the type to sit idle when a new mage group suddenly appears. However, with this city parade as a turning point, the existence of the Special Magic Unit has been revealed to the entire Empire. Magic nobles have started watching me and my unit, and sooner or later, they¡¯ll begin to check us. So¡­ ¡®The Revolutionary Army will need to work ve~ry hard.¡¯ I recalled Baker who had left while thoroughly heated up. Considering the timing in the original story, the Revolutionary Army should contact him soon. And Baker will plan to overturn the Empire with the Revolutionary Army for his own power. While providing all sorts of confidential information and movements of magic nobles and the Knight Order to the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Work hard for the Revolutionary Army, Prince Baker.¡± You need to fight hard and make the Revolutionary Army grow into an even more powerful group than now. Until they can face off against magic nobles and wage total war with them. So when they follow the original story¡¯s conflict and the fight between the two forces for the Empire reaches its climax. My army and I will activate the final plan to seize the entire Empire. Along with one fatal move arranged by the Emperor. *** Crash-! ¡°That bastard without even traceable lineage dares to insult me-!¡± At Prince Baker¡¯s mansion located in the imperial capital. Only after repeatedly confirming there were no listeners did Prince Baker begin to fully vent the anger built up to his head. ¡°Huff¡­! Huff¡­¡­¡± After turning the room into a complete mess like that. Just as Prince Baker, with a reddened face, barely managed to calm his trembling hands. ¡°It seems you failed to recruit the Empire¡¯s new hero.¡± ¡°?!¡± S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the voice coming from a corner of the room, Prince Baker¡¯s eyes widened greatly. An intruder? No, that couldn¡¯t be. As far as he knew, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone who would target his life in the current situation! No, now wasn¡¯t the time for such worries. He needed to call Rictus quickly¡­ Step- However, that thought lasted only briefly. Seeing the man who walked out of the shadows, Prince Baker had no choice but to stop mid-sentence. ¡°You are¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know with your intelligence network, Your Highness, but it would still be courteous to introduce myself.¡± An inexplicable chilling aura hidden beneath a smiling face. Looking at the man bowing toward him, Prince Baker spoke. ¡°Randall, Dean Clark¡­¡± The imperial palace raid incident led by Maximilien, the founder of the Revolutionary Army. The very person who infiltrated the palace with Maximilien at that time and stole five magic imprints from the imperial archive. And now, a top executive of the rebel army¡­! ¡°What business does the rebel army have with me? Are you here to kill me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± If that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t have shown my face like this. Sneering like that, Randall casually settled into the chair opposite Baker. The composure that only an overwhelmingly strong person could maintain. And Rictus who hadn¡¯t responded despite signaling since earlier. Prince Baker collected himself before slowly meeting his eyes. The man before him could kill him with just a finger if he wanted to. ¡°The reason I came here is to make a proposal to Your Highness.¡± ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°You desire the imperial throne, don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± At those words striking right at the core, the prince immediately drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Your ability is incomparable to other trash, and your will to reform the Empire is abundant, not to mention your vision for running the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But Your Highness cannot become Emperor. What do you think is the reason?¡± In place of the silent Prince Baker, Randall opened his mouth slowly with a broad smile. ¡°Because half the blood flowing in Your Highness¡¯s body came from a lowly commoner.¡± Crunch. How did they find out? It was information I never told anyone. Baker ground his teeth and growled at Randall. ¡°So. Was your purpose in finding me to mock me?¡± ¡°On the contrary. We came here to propose collaboration with Your Highness.¡± ¡°Collaboration? Collaboration!¡± Hearing those words, Baker stood up from his seat as if it wasn¡¯t even worth laughing about. ¡°Are you saying I should join your treason using the imperial throne as bait?! Just what do you rebels think of the imperial family¡­!¡± ¡°Then you can keep sitting in this greenhouse and wait for your approaching death.¡± Randall¡¯s cold words cut off Baker¡¯s voice. ¡°At this rate, First Prince Meihen will ascend to the throne anyway. You don¡¯t think Prince Meihen with his absolute power will leave other imperial family members alone, do you?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Baker couldn¡¯t refute those words. It was obvious. That was exactly why he was struggling so desperately to obtain the throne. ¡°As an imperial prince, there must be much information that we cannot obtain. Please share that information with us, and occasionally move according to our instructions.¡± Randall whispered to Prince Baker with a smile spread across his face. The Emperor¡¯s movements, intelligence department trends, flow of noble funds, et cetera. Information he had been collecting all along. ¡°If you do so, we of the Revolutionary Army will support Your Highness as the next Emperor.¡± Hearing those words, Baker clenched his fist. The rebel army executive who came to find him. And the proposal he was offering. This could be the last chance that came to him. ¡°Be branded a traitor and executed, or be poisoned by Meihen after he becomes Emperor. What laughable choices.¡± And finally, he made his decision. Rather than sitting and waiting for death, he would bet everything on this slim possibility. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll join you.¡± ¡°An excellent choice. Then later¡­¡± Just as Randall was speaking with a satisfied smile after hearing the desired answer. ¡°So next time we meet, you¡¯d better drop that awkward Empire citizen act.¡± At Baker¡¯s following words, Randall¡¯s expression briefly stiffened. ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°Though you¡¯re imitating an Empire citizen¡¯s accent, the pronunciation differs at several critical points. The way you hold your teacup also differs from the Empire style. Not to mention hiding your face.¡± Saying that, the prince put on a deliberately relaxed expression and smiled at Randall. ¡°A Revolutionary Army executive from Westraine, it seems even you rebels have quite complicated internal affairs?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The insight to deduce Randall¡¯s origins from fragmentary information and elements. The ambition to launch a counterattack without fear even after witnessing his magical power. ¡®I thought to use and discard him as a mere chess piece but¡­¡¯ Randall looked at that face with fresh eyes. Baker El Kalhyram. If properly cultivated, he might become an excellent tool like Claude. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 73 #073 Clank- Clank- A small lantern was emitting light in a corner of the dark train cargo car. What the light illuminated was an Imperial newspaper published 2 months ago. The front page was filled with images of uniformed soldiers marching while being welcomed by citizens. Heroes who drove back the Republic¡¯s invasion and achieved an unprecedented victory in Imperial Army history. The newspaper praised the marching army as such and displayed the face of a young officer. ¡°Eugene Lorentz.¡± That name quietly flowed from the lips of the man looking at the newspaper. However, that moment was brief. ¡°Claude.¡± Miles, who appeared beyond the light, tapped his shoulder. ¡°How long are you going to stare at it? You¡¯ll burn a hole through it.¡± Hearing those words, Revolutionary Army supreme leader Claude de Lascol closed his eyes tightly and put down the newspaper. ¡°Huu¡­¡­¡± ¡°A guy who was just a rookie officer is now the rising divine figure of the Empire. It¡¯s not even funny.¡± After saying that, Miles put down the newspaper that was delivered before departure. [1st Armored Infantry Division, Annihilated! How far will the Special Magic Unit¡¯s march continue!] [Death before Defeat! Interview with Special Magical Power Unit warrior, Sergeant Leopold!] [Special Magical Power Unit 3rd batch recruitment begins. Those who seek honor, join us!] After the street parade two months ago, the Special Magical Power Unit that returned to the front lines was steadily increasing its numbers and stacking up victories. The first news of victory from the frontlines where only Knight Order withdrawals and consecutive defeats had been repeated. Imperial citizens were enthusiastic about the emergence of a new hero, and the Imperial newspapers were frantically spreading the hero¡¯s actions as if they were fanatics. On the surface, to dispel the defeatism prevalent in the Empire. But the real reason was¡­ ¡°To cover up the people¡¯s uprisings occurring everywhere and divert people¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°And meanwhile, they think they¡¯ll have the Knight Order finish us off.¡± The one who joined the conversation with those words was a man with a neat face. ¡°Jake.¡± When Miles called his name with narrowed eyes, Jake responded with an awkward smile. The imprint specialist brought directly by Randall to replace Rennie who was captured by Imperial forces in the last battle. The imprints of Claude and other Revolutionary Army mages were being managed by his hands. ¡°Put up a fake hero to divert attention, then try to annihilate us in the meantime¡­ It¡¯s certain that the nobles and imperial family are in cahoots. Right, Claude?¡± Jake asked Claude, declaring his words were correct. ¡®Imperial Army¡­ Eugene is in cahoots with magic nobles?¡¯ It sounds plausible at first listen. But the more Claude pondered those words, the more he couldn¡¯t shake off a suspicious feeling. If that was really true, why did he let him and Miles go at the Zicklinte mansion? If the goal was to exterminate the Revolutionary Army, there was absolutely no reason to let him live there. His actions afterward were also strange. ¡®Don¡¯t trust Randall.¡¯ How did he know about Randall¡¯s existence? Why did he specifically convey that message to him? ¡°Supreme leader-!¡± While his thoughts were chaining together, the train engineer who opened the cargo car door called out to Claude. ¡°5 minutes until arrival! I¡¯m counting on you again!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± 5 minutes until arrival. Hearing those words, Claude set aside the thoughts that had emerged in his mind and looked at his comrades. ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Members giving thumbs up while looking at him and beginning combat preparations. Magic bullets were loaded into each weapon, and dormant magic circuits began awakening one by one. ¡°Huu-!¡± He still couldn¡¯t figure out what his intentions were. But that doesn¡¯t mean he can just stand still here. With a deep breath, his magic circuits activated, and the magic imprint containing Claude¡¯s magical power began glowing red. ¡°Watch over me, Maxim.¡± After a final tribute to the master who raised him, Claude changed his gaze and shouted toward the engine room. ¡°Open the door-!¡± Whoosh-! As the door opened with the supreme leader¡¯s order, a train station covered in flames and smoke revealed itself. ¡°Waaaah¨C!¡± ¡°For the revolution-!¡± ¡°For the revolutiooon¨C!¡± Revolutionary comrades who were on standby in the territory were continuing resistance while surrounding key strongpoints. And at the center, knights gathered around magic nobles were spewing magic toward the Revolutionary Army. We won¡¯t go down so easily. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With those words, Claude and his comrades rushed out of the train. The people¡¯s uprisings occurring across the Empire and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s surprise operations targeting magic nobles. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s struggle to change the Empire was continuing even now. *** ¡°Huu-!¡± The Revolutionary Army¡¯s strategy of launching surprise attacks on magic nobles was simpler than expected. When simultaneous popular uprisings occur in various local regions, the local lord requests help from magic nobles. While the Knight Order is away to suppress the popular uprising, mages including himself quickly infiltrate and eliminate the central magic noble. An operation to infiltrate and eliminate the head of house. If they send the Knight Order to suppress the uprising, they target them from behind, and if they don¡¯t send them, they lose control of the territory due to the popular uprising. A deadly dilemma constantly forced upon the nobles. Magic nobles, skilled but lacking in numbers, had no choice but to be defeated one by one by this strategy employed by the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡­¡± Viscount Dwitch, who was a minor lord in the provinces, was also a case of falling for this strategy. The only difference was that the popular uprising that occurred in the region was suppressed unusually quickly. However, that didn¡¯t affect the Revolutionary Army¡¯s victory. The knights guarding him couldn¡¯t withstand Claude¡¯s magic, and Viscount Dwitch was just gasping for breath, having fallen into a state of Magical Power Exhaustion. ¡°Filthy noble.¡± ¡°The Revolutionary Army sentences you to death.¡± ¡°N-no¡­ Wait¡­¡­¡± Bang-! Before Claude could give any instructions, a heated revolutionary member put a bullet in his face. Viscount Dwitch losing his life and collapsing to the floor. However, even though the magic noble had died, something felt off about the atmosphere in the territory. ¡°Claude.¡± ¡°Yeah. I feel it too.¡± In other territories, the death of knights and nobles was a joyous occasion. The territory¡¯s residents would rush out to cheer at the joy of eliminating an evil noble. But here, there was none of that. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± While Claude was thinking that as he walked around the unusually quiet territory. ¡°So what exactly is the problem here! Huh?!¡± From one alley corner, shouts from revolutionary members could be heard. Two revolutionary members surrounding what appeared to be a farmer. Thinking something was wrong, Claude immediately walked over there. ¡°We just requested food support. Why exactly can¡¯t you do it? Didn¡¯t we liberate you from the nobles¡¯ hands¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the ones who burned down the mansion used as a granary! Our year¡¯s harvest is ruined because of you bastards! And now what? Requisition?! Talking nonsense¡­¡­¡± ¡°What we burned was the filthy noble¡¯s mansion! The tumor of the Empire stained with greed¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you even know what kind of person Viscount Dwitch was to say such things, you foolish bastards!¡± Cutting off the revolutionary member¡¯s heated words, the man¡¯s outburst made Claude flinch. Even the two members pressuring the man flinched, and the man¡¯s enraged outburst continued. ¡°He was someone who bought and distributed food from the city whenever there was a bad harvest. There¡¯s not a single person in Viscount Dwitch¡¯s territory who doesn¡¯t owe their life to him!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°He worshiped together with the territory residents on rest days, plowed fields together during farming season, and enjoyed festivals together after the harvest was done!¡± ¡°And such a person, what? Revolution? Evil noble? What about you lot! Invading a well-off territory, spouting nonsense about revolution and liberation¡­¡­¡± Smack-! Perhaps they couldn¡¯t bear to hear more of the man¡¯s words. The thoroughly flustered revolutionary member roughly pushed the man down. ¡°Y-you pig raised by nobles!¡± ¡°Not understanding the values of the Republic, selling your soul for the scraps nobles throw you!¡± ¡°Because of people like you, countless citizens of the Empire¡­¡­¡± ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing-!¡± Sensing the members¡¯ gazes changing after pushing down the man, Claude immediately released magical power to stop them. ¡°Kuk?!¡± ¡°S-supreme leader¡­¡­¡± Perhaps they hadn¡¯t even noticed his approach. Looking at the startled members, Claude shouted in absolute fury. ¡°We Revolutionary Army rose up to save the Imperial citizens! For such Revolutionary Army to assault ordinary citizens, what kind of nonsense is this!¡± ¡°¡­Tch.¡± ¡°Yes yes, excuse us.¡± The members frowning as if they¡¯d picked the wrong fight. Seeing their disrespectful attitude, Claude felt his head going cold. ¡°But these bastards¡­¡­¡± ¡°Claude!¡± Just as Claude was contorting his face and about to take another step forward, a familiar voice grabbed his shoulder. It was Jake, the imprint specialist. ¡°Don¡¯t scold them too harshly. They¡¯re comrades after all.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡­¡± ¡°You two hurry back to your positions! Quick!¡± When Jake shouted that, the two members left their spots with dissatisfied looks. Meanwhile Miles approached the fallen man to help him up but. Smack-! The man roughly brushed it off before getting up on his own, dusting off his body. ¡°You said you¡¯re the Revolutionary Army? Thanks to you bastards, one thing has become clear.¡± Saying that, the man looked at the burned down Dwitch mansion while trembling with clenched fists. ¡°Because of the revolution you bastards trumpet about, all the grain we harvested has turned to ashes. And you killed the Viscount who would have helped us in times like this. Along with the fools seduced by you lot.¡± ¡°T-that is¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, we won¡¯t survive this winter.¡± After glaring at Claude with eyes full of hatred, the man turned his back and disappeared into the alley. Looking at the windows scattered throughout the territory, Claude could finally read the strange atmosphere he had felt. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Countless eyes watching him and the Revolutionary Army through gaps in the windows. The emotion in those eyes was not that of looking at liberators. Eyes looking at fearsome and hateful invaders. Confirming this, Claude grit his teeth at the regret washing over him. ¡°This is what we were prepared for, Claude.¡± The one who spoke to such a Claude was his long-time comrade Miles. ¡°Whether he was good or evil doesn¡¯t matter. Our goal is to cut off the Knight Order¡¯s supply lines by saving the people.¡± ¡°I know. I know that.¡± Viscount Dwitch didn¡¯t die because he was evil. He died because he was a noble. A small sacrifice to accomplish the cause of revolution. That responsibility would have to be fully shouldered by himself as the commander of the Revolutionary Army. Having desperately rationalized it like that, Claude saw members carrying rifles in a corner of the village. The members who had been harassing the farmers earlier. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They were new revolutionary members who had joined from outside under Randall¡¯s lead. ¡®He said we need as many comrades as possible.¡¯ While accepting members with unclear backgrounds and experience, Randall had said that. That anyone who could participate in the revolution should be accepted without discrimination. However, this wasn¡¯t right. Letting such people be means the Revolutionary Army would rot from within. Why did Randall make such a decision¡­¡­ ¡®Don¡¯t trust Randall Dean Clark.¡¯ And then what came to mind was those words that Eugene had conveyed to Miles. ¡®Could it be that he knew about this situation?¡¯ For a moment Claude¡¯s thoughts reached that far, but he shook his head denying it. To think that bastard would come to mind even while thinking about internal Revolutionary Army matters. It seemed that day¡¯s defeat had been imprinted much more deeply than Claude thought. ¡°We¡¯ve finished everything we needed to do.¡± Putting his complicated feelings aside, Claude ordered the members. ¡°Revolutionary Army, full withdrawal¡­¡­¡± However at that moment. ¡°This is Raikard 1st Knight Order Commander, Kyle Raikard¨C!¡± Along with a clear and resonant voice, a group of knights appeared. A fairly large group of about twenty, with a man at their center. That figure was a face that existed in Claude¡¯s memories as well. Kyle Raikard. The heir to House Raikard, one of the 12 Great Magic Nobles. The noble youth who had fought against him alongside Eugene during the military academy infiltration operation. With his appearance alongside the knights, the atmosphere of the territory residents who had been wary of them changed completely. ¡°Young Master Kyle!¡± ¡°The young master is here!¡± ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡± What in the world was this situation. The territory residents who had been so afraid of the Revolutionary Army as liberators, cheering at the appearance of a magic noble? While they were confused by this first-time situation, the Knight Order that had formed ranks drew their swords toward the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Eliminate the rebellious mob that attacked the territory without mercy-!¡± ¡°Kuuh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Enemy reinforcements! Combat ready! Combat ready¨C!¡± Along with the resonant shout, Kyle charged in with his imprint glowing. Against such a Kyle, Claude¡¯s imprint emitted a red light. The hero who saved the Empire, and the nobles eating away at the Empire. It felt like those positions he had believed in had been reversed. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 74 #074 Roooar¡­¡­. In the pitch-black darkness where I couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead. As I moved forward through the thick smoke, a familiar face appeared before me. ¡°Eugene Lorentz!¡± Claude Elcidore. No, now he was Claude de Lascol, wasn¡¯t he? But something looks weird about him. Why is he riding a horse in this era? And what¡¯s that he¡¯s holding? A spear? He never used things like that, did he? While I was puzzling over these things, Claude came forward with a majestic appearance and shouted at me. ¡°You bastard son with three fathers! Revolutionary Army supreme leader Claude de Lascol has arrived!¡± ¡°What?¡± Wait, what nonsense is this bastard suddenly spouting¡­ ¡°You were originally an orphan, then entered the Elcidore family as Lupeon¡¯s adopted son, right?¡± Though it was just on paper, I can¡¯t deny that. ¡°Then you made a deal with Keiren and killed Lupeon with your own hands!¡± It wasn¡¯t me, you bastard. It was Maximilien who killed him. I just delivered the finishing blow¡­¡­. ¡°And now you¡¯ve sided with the Emperor! Aren¡¯t you a bastard after all!¡± Hee-! Heehihing-! Along with Claude¡¯s shout, the red horse I was riding seemed to express anger on my behalf with a neigh. Wait, red horse? What? Why am I riding a horse too? And what¡¯s this on my head? Antennae? Thwack-! While I was in this confused state, Claude charged at me with his spear raised. ¡°Bastard Eugene Lorentz, take my spear!¡± Who¡¯s this bastard calling a bastard? With a momentum that seemed dozens of times greater than what I¡¯d seen before, Claude¡¯s spear thrust toward me and¡­¡­. ¡°Eugene. It¡¯s time for your shift.¡± Boom¡ª! With the thunderous sound of a grenade exploding, I was finally able to wake up from this idiotic dream. ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± ¡°Why do you look like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just about to smash Claude¡¯s head in Hulao Pass.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± I can still see that image flickering before my eyes of him rambling ¡®For a bastard, you sure know how to use your strength!¡¯ This is driving me crazy, seriously. Now I¡¯m even having dreams like this? ¡°How¡¯s the battle situation?¡± As I staggered up from the trench wall and asked, Matt, looking as haggard as I was, replied. ¡°After the offensive failed at dawn, it seems the Republic Army has exhausted their strength. According to Erich, we should be able to drive them out completely with the next artillery barrage.¡± ¡°What? Then I didn¡¯t need to wake up¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Artillery deployment isn¡¯t under our authority. The battalion commander has to give the order directly.¡± ¡°Keeeeek-!¡± You woke me up for such a trivial reason? This damn army. What¡¯s the point of getting promoted? All I do is eat dirt in trenches all day. ¡°So hurry up and move. Your bunk is the only one left.¡± And look at this. These subordinate officers get more and more disrespectful toward their superiors with each passing day. This is why they say raising kids is pointless. As I quietly vacated my spot, Matt, who had finished his report looking half-dead, immediately crawled into the bunk where I had been sleeping and passed into eternal rest. ¡°Snore¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Special Magical Power Unit 3rd Company Commander Captain Matt, here lies in rest.¡± I should ask the artillery commander to fire a blank round when it¡¯s this bastard¡¯s shift change. After finishing my solemn salute, I left the temporary morgue¡­ no, sleeping quarters that had been dug into the ground. Splash- This squelchy feeling of mud mixed with filth, the thick smoke, and the gunpowder smell mixed with burning corpses filling the narrow passage. Taking a deep breath of it all, I opened my mouth with a refreshed and invigorating expression. ¡°Another shitty day.¡± Where I¡¯m standing is Hill 774 on the Western Front. In this hellscape where ownership changes three times a day, I and the Special Magical Power Unit have endured for two weeks. Two weeks. These two weeks that the Special Magical Power Unit has held this hill have given the Imperial Army many options. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Eugene-!¡± The ten artillery pieces deployed on one side of the hill were also one of those many options. Instead of answering the voice calling my name, I gave hand signals to the artillery officer. Begin bombardment. The artillery officer immediately loaded shells into the prepared artillery pieces, and after confirming this, I immediately walked toward the front line of trenches. ¡°Eugene!¡± The one who approached me wearing lieutenant rank insignia was 2nd Company Commander Ortega. After I delivered the news that artillery preparations were complete, Ortega smiled, showing his teeth, and climbed up onto the trench. Clang-! Clang-! Occasional shots from Republic Army snipers. But as if that didn¡¯t matter at all, Ortega spread both arms and shouted toward his company members. ¡°2nd Company-!¡± ¡°Waaaaaah¡ª!¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to crack those Republic bastards¡¯ skulls soon! Anyone want to back out?!¡± ¡°Hu-! Hu-! Hu-!¡± Moving through countless battlefields and fighting dozens of battles, Ortega¡¯s 2nd Company always led the charge at the vanguard. And as a result, the 2nd Company had turned into something resembling a bizarre cult of fanatics centered around Ortega. ¡°What is our mission!¡± ¡°Tear and kill! Tear and kill! Tear and kill!¡± ¡°Why are we here!¡± ¡°Kill-! Kill-! Kill-!¡± Ugh, they¡¯re like blood-crazed natives. The 2nd Company members finished their assault preparations, firing magic bullets and activating magic imprints. And the next moment. Boom¨C! Along with the artillery bombardment, hundreds of mages with defensive barriers charged toward the Republic Army position below. The Republic Army, whose momentum had already been broken after failing three offensives, couldn¡¯t possibly stop this. The Republic Army¡¯s position was completely annihilated. The two-week battle for Hill 774 ended in Imperial Army victory. *** ¡°Ugh¡­ Uugh¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Snore¡­¡­.¡± Two days after leading the two-week hill recapture operation to victory The Special Magical Power Unit, after handing over the hill to reserve forces, was finally able to enjoy some rest after returning to their base in the rear. ¡°With this, we¡¯ve recaptured most of the key points on the Western Front.¡± At the operations headquarters. Erich nodded with a satisfied expression and drew a line on the military map spread out in the center. The Imperial Army maintaining their line while occupying most of the high ground, and the Republic Army holding back to reorganize. Seeing how different it was from the early war situation, Erich and I were lost in thought while looking at the operations map. ¡°What do you think about the current situation, Eugene¡­¡­?¡± ¡°We have the initiative. However¡­¡± While looking at the front lines that had entered a lull with only sporadic engagements repeating as large-scale military operations were restrained, Erich and I came to the same conclusion. ¡°This means the current Empire doesn¡¯t have the capacity to subjugate the entire Republic.¡± It had been about three months since the Special Magical Power Unit revealed itself through the victory parade. Through the explosive power of magic bullets and mass-produced magic imprints, the Special Magical Power Unit was driving out Republic forces from various points along the front. However, these were just victories in individual battles; it was impossible to completely reverse the war situation. To push the front lines and advance into Republic territory would require enormous supplies, railways, and forces to defend those supply lines. The current Empire, with the Revolutionary Army and magic nobles fighting each other, didn¡¯t have that capacity left. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°And at the same time, it¡¯s impossible for the Republic to reverse this atmosphere.¡± Having lost all strategic strongpoints due to continued defeats, and with soldiers being constantly depleted, they were reaching their limit. The Republic must be struggling now that the Imperial Army, which should have been pushed back overwhelmingly in the original work, was holding out like this. The Empire and Republic. Neither side had any factors left that could change the war situation. ¡°The Republic needs to replenish troops depleted by continued fighting, and the Empire needs to suppress the rebels stirring internally as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You mean their interests have reached a point of alignment.¡± If I, fighting on the front lines, had reached this conclusion, then surely the Emperor and Keiren were well aware of the situation too. If so, that means¡­¡­. ¡°The higher-ups must be preparing for an armistice agreement soon.¡± Erich quietly nodded at my words. The war with the Republic would end. It meant it was time to turn the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s gun barrels, which had been aimed at the Republic Army all this time, in a different direction. Magic nobles. Revolutionary Army. And monsters. While recalling the options laid out before me one by one, I fell into contemplation. ¡®First, the most urgent thing is weakening the magic nobles¡¯ power.¡¯ Whether sooner or later, the Emperor¡¯s death would come. And the moment one pillar maintaining the balance of power disappears, the nobles would immediately take action to claim the empty throne. So, I and the Special Magic Unit needed to steadily build up achievements and expand our power. For the day the Emperor leaves this world, to carry out our promised plans. Then, what would be my best move? A way to weaken the magic nobles¡¯ power, build up achievements, and expand the Special Magic Unit¡¯s influence¡­¡­. ¡°Ah, come to think of it.¡± While deep in thought, Erich handed over a letter from his breast pocket as if something had occurred to him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A request for support. They say they need the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s help?¡± It was a familiar thing. But a letter delivered to Erich rather than me? Opening the suspicious-looking document, there was an unexpected name written there. ¡°Margrave Gloucester?¡± ¡°Someone came while you were at the front lines. Said they were a knight from the Gloucester family.¡± Margrave Gloucester. The eastern pioneer who roams the uninhabited areas in the northeastern Empire, purifying contaminated regions. Someone who just watched while the Revolutionary Army caused trouble across the Empire is now personally sending knights to find me? And not just to any magic nobles, but to the Imperial Army who were essentially enemies? My head became complicated. The great Gloucester requesting outside help ¨C was there a similar incident in the original work? ¡°Eugene! I brought lunch!¡± While I was thinking about this, Irene entered the operations room carrying a basket in one hand. ¡°Ah, Miss Irene?! I¡¯m sorry but we¡¯re in the middle of an operations meeting¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t come in right now?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡­.¡± Erich hurriedly stopped Irene with a troubled expression. Just as a dejected Irene bowed her head and was about to close the door. ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing Irene¡¯s face, one incident came to mind. ¡®Right, why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡¯ Black Sun Incident. One of the worst events in this game that Irene would cause in the original work. The trigger for that was due to some kind of experiment conducted by the Elcryer family in the contaminated zone. Human and monster fusion experiments. It was an experiment that Elcryer conducted independently to avoid Imperial surveillance, coveting the infinite magical power that monsters emit. And the place where that experiment was conducted, where Count Elcryer who led the experiment died, was¡­¡­. ¡®Gloucester territory, Uninhabited Zone No. 17.¡¯ The puzzles in my head fit together one by one, and speculation became certainty. ¡®Something unusual must be happening in the northeastern uninhabited zone.¡¯ If Gloucester, an expert in monster warfare, was sending support, there could be no doubt. I thought this event wouldn¡¯t happen since the variable called Irene was gone, but did they create a different test subject? If that¡¯s the case. If the Black Sun Incident happens again¡­¡­! ¡®I must stop it.¡¯ ¡®Irene Elcryer¡¯ was one of the highest difficulty boss monsters in all of [Revolution Empire]. If not eliminated at first encounter, she becomes an existence that leads the entire game scenario to a bad ending. And the Black Sun Incident becomes the branching point for that bad ending route. If left alone, it could cause a catastrophe that would shake the entire continent. To the extent that the Revolutionary Army and magic nobles had to temporarily cooperate to stop it. ¡°Eugene, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I looked at Irene who was tilting her head while holding my hand. Those amethyst eyes looking at me with innocent eyes. What lies dormant in those eyes, only I would know at this point. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Looking at Irene who answered energetically, I opened my mouth with a smile. ¡°How about we have a talk with your family after a long while?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± The Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s next destination was decided. Gloucester territory. We had to kill Count Elcryer, who was conducting secret experiments there. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 75 #075 Black-stained earth, thick black smoke. Grotesque plants growing there, and horrifying monsters that feed and grow on those plants. This land, like hell descended upon the mortal world, was the product of the Great Rupture that wiped out half the continent¡¯s population. A land of death where just stepping on the ground allows black poison to seep into one¡¯s body. Squelch- Squelch- However, there was a group of humans traversing that unspeakably repulsive land. ¡°Huff-¡° Gas masks shaped like bird beaks. Triple-layered protective suits covering their entire bodies, and barriers wrapping those protective suits once again. After checking the contamination density meters on their wrists, they signaled to each other. Swoosh-! The one at the front drew the machete from their waist, while the rest formed a circle to scan the surroundings. Meanwhile, one person in the center slowly lowered their body and reached toward the blackened ground. ¡°Hmm¡­¡­¡± ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Indeed. The texture is different from normal contamination. It¡¯s not just that the concentration is higher. This is¡­¡­¡± As he wiped away the dust accumulated on his gas mask lens, the man¡¯s eyes became visible behind the lens. An old man¡¯s eyes, deeply wrinkled. After examining the soil in his hand with an unreadable expression, he soon frowned and spoke. ¡°This contaminated area wasn¡¯t created by monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Your Grace. Does that mean¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yes. This confirms it.¡± When the two guards beside him asked that way, the old man nodded with a grave expression. ¡°Some fool who deserves to be torn to pieces is playing around in my territory.¡± When he squeezed the soil in his hand, the contamination permeating it disappeared into smoke. Crunch-! The old man¡¯s demeanor clearly showed his anger. As a similar atmosphere flowed among the others with him¡­ ¡°Your Grace. The sky.¡± At the words of the man beside him, the old man¡¯s gaze slowly turned toward the sky. ¡°Hooh.¡± An airship flying at low altitude, sending light signals toward their castle. The old man¡¯s eyes deepened as he confirmed the emblem engraved on the gas bag. The figure of an armored woman, and the spear she held forward. The flag fluttering at the spear¡¯s tip, and the emperor¡¯s seal engraved there. It was an assault airship operated by the Imperial Special Magic Forces. ¡°So these are Freddie¡¯s new hunting dogs.¡± Referring to the Imperial Emperor¡¯s name like a friend. Hearing that, low voices trying to restrain him came from around him. ¡°¡­¡­Your Grace.¡± ¡°I know.¡± No matter how old I¡¯ve gotten, my judgment hasn¡¯t become clouded enough to show such an attitude in front of the Emperor¡¯s faithful hounds. Adding that like a joke, the old man gave the withdrawal order with practiced gestures. The knights formed ranks and returned to the castle under the order. Even while receiving their escort, the old man¡¯s gaze remained on the sky. ¡°¡­Still, it¡¯s surprising. To think that green cadet officer I met back then would grow this much.¡± Looking at the airship approaching his castle, Margrave Gloucester smiled faintly. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz.¡± What kind of incident would that flame that stirred both the Empire and Republic bring to this land? With a strange anticipation unfitting his age, Count Gloucester quietly muttered. ¡°Welcome to Gloucester.¡± *** ¡°What the hell is with these clouds¡­¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s heavy turbulence! Hold on tight!¡± Though I heard the tense voices of the pilots, looking around the cabin, I could only shake my head as if it was already too late. ¡°Urgh¡­ Urk¡­¡­¡± ¡°So dizzy¡­ I¡¯m, I¡¯m dying¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, mommy¡­ I¡¯ll be there soon¡­¡­¡± 1st Company Commander Guille hugging a trash can in one corner of the cabin while repeatedly vomiting. Adjutant Leopold clutching his chair while suffering from acrophobia. And our imprint specialist Rennie who had lost consciousness and was calling for her mother. ¡°Complete annihilation.¡± ¡°Eugene! I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°Yes, as expected, you¡¯re the best, Irene.¡± ¡°Right! Right?!¡± While patting Irene¡¯s head as she clung to me happily, I looked at my subordinates sprawled across the airship cabin. Two days from departing the Eastern Front until arriving at Gloucester territory. In that short span of two days, the officers of my Special Magical Power Unit had suffered near-devastating casualties. ¡®These good-for-nothings, worse than sunfish¡­¡­¡¯ When we get back, I¡¯m putting them all through reinforcement training. Especially you, Guille. The unit members are playing fine on the lower deck, but you, a company commander, get airsick? Bump-! ¡°Kuhuk?!¡± ¡°Kieek?!¡± ¡°Khing?!¡± ¡°What a diverse range of sound effects, you bastards. Aren¡¯t you going to prepare for disembarkation?!¡± At my outburst after finally losing patience, the half-dead officers one by one returned to their positions. The Special Magical Power Unit members disembarked one after another as soon as our tumultuous landing was complete. Being the first to exit the airship, I observed the surroundings while confirming the soldiers moving in formation. ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Lorentz. Is that correct?¡± As expected, someone was already waiting. Thinking that, I turned to see a young man about my age extending his hand. Neatly swept brown hair and a pure white face. Though he had the impression of an innocent country youth, there was an undeniable intelligence in his bearing. ¡°I am Harpel Gloucester, second son of the Count Gloucester family. It¡¯s an honor to meet a hero of the Empire in person.¡± (+)[1]TLN: I use the ¡°Margrave¡± title for this story is not because it is higher than a ¡°Count¡± nor it is a ¡°Marquis¡±. Instead, I used Margrave in this story for the meaning of ¡°Frontier Count¡± which is the author uses for calling Gloucester (???). So, in this story, please remember that Margrave = Count for Gloucester. ¡°Special Magical Power Unit Vice Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Lorentz. Though it will be brief, I look forward to working together.¡± As expected, he was nobility. And legitimate blood at that. After responding to his ceremonial praise with equally ceremonial courtesy, Harpel guided me to a car bearing the Gloucester family seal. Clank-! High suspension, thick armor, and glass that looked as thick as that armor. Rather than a vehicle for transporting dignitaries, it was an armored car optimized for traversing contaminated regions. ¡°Being such a remote region, these are the only vehicles we can mobilize. I hope you understand.¡± Smiling sheepishly as he said that, Harpel immediately pulled something from inside his coat. A flask full of liquid, and a pack of cigarettes. At his gesture asking which I preferred, I gladly took the cigarettes. ¡°Compared to the armored trains of the Eastern Front, this is quite luxurious. Thank you for your hospitality.¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Offering cigarettes and alcohol at first meeting. He knows his courtesies. Though we¡¯d only met 5 minutes ago, I was already starting to like this fellow Harpel. ¡°The head of the family is carrying out pioneer area inspection duties, so I regrettably had to come greet you myself.¡± ¡°Pioneer area inspection¡­ you mean he¡¯s entering the contaminated zones directly?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Though we advise against it given his age, he won¡¯t listen at all¡­¡­¡± Hearing those words, I recalled Margrave Gloucester¡¯s appearance at Vark¡¯s execution ground. The sight of him facing Vark on the frontlines despite his advanced age. Indeed, he didn¡¯t seem like someone who would easily retire from active duty. Whoosh-! As we made conversation, the scenery of Gloucester territory began to appear outside the window. The massive wall surrounding the entire territory, and farmland spread out within it. Mechanical devices harvesting in the fields, and territory residents working between those machines. It was too peaceful a scene for a place where monsters frequently appeared. ¡°Are those devices catching your attention?¡± ¡°Yes. Those are like¡­¡± ¡°If they look like equipment used in the Republic, you¡¯re seeing correctly.¡± Agricultural machinery reminiscent of the Republic¡¯s armored infantry. As I was looking at them, Harpel sitting across from me added those words. ¡°They¡¯re items made by immigrants from the Republic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Gloucester territory is always short on people. Empire, Republic, stateless refugees¡­ we accept them all into our territory without discrimination.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look easy to control the residents, but are there no other problems?¡± ¡°You mean whether rebels have made their nest here, right?¡± Sharper than I expected. When I answered with silence, Harpel smiled slightly while looking at the territory residents tilling the fields. ¡°Rebel activity is proof that dissatisfaction is rampant among territory residents. However, that won¡¯t happen in Gloucester.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°To the Gloucester family, they aren¡¯t mere labor force but fellow pioneers sharing our fate in developing this wasteland.¡± When Harpel who said that looked my way, I nodded in understanding. ¡®If rebellion breaks out in this monster-filled land, this territory would literally wither and die.¡¯ The Empire¡¯s major cities are all connected by railways, and armored trains traveling those railways maintain the transportation network while subjugating monsters. Count Korhonen¡¯s domain at the Empire¡¯s northernmost point is no different. However, Count Gloucester¡¯s domain was different. Monster appearance rates and contamination levels on a different scale from other cities. Attempts to lay railways and deploy armored trains had already turned to bubbles and disappeared long ago. That was also why I and the Special Magical Power Unit used an airship instead of a train. Gloucester territory maintained an odd form of belonging to the Empire while being cut off from it. ¡®As expected¡­¡­¡¯ The Gloucester family seal stamped on farming tools. The bright expressions of territory residents working. Though it looked very peaceful unlike other nobles¡¯ territories, that wasn¡¯t what interested me. ¡®They say a Black Sun will rise in the middle of this territory.¡¯ Considering the timeline in the story, Count Elcryer would already be conducting experiments in the contaminated area. The alchemist Elcryer, who held great authority in magical engineering research even among magic nobles. United by intellectual curiosity bordering on madness, they would conduct forbidden experiments in the heavily contaminated Gloucester territory, ignoring the emperor¡¯s warning. Experiments to fuse monsters and humans. And they would put Irene, the product of those experiments, into a monster nest to observe the results. ¡®No¡­! No¡­¡­!¡¯ A girl who spent her whole life in a laboratory, suddenly thrown into the middle of a monster nest one morning. Seeing dozens of monsters approaching her, Irene¡¯s mind completely collapsed¡­ ¡®He, hehe¡­¡­!¡¯ The monster core embedded in her body would begin to go berserk, causing a catastrophe that would engulf all of Gloucester territory. ¡®Wh-what is that?!¡¯ ¡®A-a mage?! No, rather that is¡­¡­!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s the Great Rupture!¡¯ What triggered it was the spatial movement coordinates placed in Irene¡¯s possession to retrieve the test subject. Irene, who had transformed into a monster along with the rampage, traced those coordinates to find Gloucester territory. The Black Witch appearing in the middle of the city would tear space apart right there, creating a rupture. This would be the Black Sun Incident caused by Irene. With the appearance of the Great Rupture, Gloucester territory would be destroyed, and the emperor would designate her as an enemy of the Empire and launch subjugation operations. ¡®However, this is just fragmentary setting from game tooltips.¡¯ Where I met Irene was in Count Elcidore¡¯s castle. Why was she, Count Elcryer¡¯s test subject, in the basement of Castle Elcidore? Though I kept thinking about it, even with my knowledge as someone who had possessed the character, I couldn¡¯t guess. The only certainty was that I had to stop the catastrophe they would cause. And¡­¡­ ¡®The fact that the Elcryer family is conducting experiments using monsters. And if we play our cards right, the Special Magic Unit can catch evidence of it.¡¯ Research on monsters is strictly prohibited in the Empire. This is stipulated in imperial law, and even members of prestigious magic families cannot ignore this law. That was also why I brought Irene here. Using the lost test subject as bait, we could catch Count Elcryer¡¯s pawns hiding in the contaminated zone. ¡®And if we catch evidence of Elcryer researching monsters, at that moment¡­¡­¡¯ As I was organizing my complicated thoughts¡­ ¡°Lieutenant Colonel. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Servants who came out from the Gloucester mansion opened the doors. Stepping out of the car revealed an elegant mansion decorated with harmoniously arranged foliage and vines. And in front of that mansion¡¯s gate, someone was waiting for me. ¡°Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Lorentz.¡± The Gloucester knights escorting him lined up on both sides and bowed their heads. Gas masks shaped like bird beaks and protective suits, and machetes at their waists instead of swords. Compared to the other knights wearing breastplates and fancy coats, it was an extremely alien appearance. And one person wearing the same outfit as those knights. When he removed his gas mask, a familiar elderly face appeared. The Pioneer of the East, Kalkas Gloucester. The master of this fortress built in the middle of monster territory. 1. TLN: I use the ¡°Margrave¡± title for this story is not because it is higher than a ¡°Count¡± nor it is a ¡°Marquis¡±. Instead, I used Margrave in this story for the meaning of ¡°Frontier Count¡± which is the author uses for calling Gloucester (???). So, in this story, please remember that Margrave = Count for Gloucester. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 76 #076 ¡°What an unsightly welcome for our guests. Welcome to the Gloucester territory.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. I¡¯m getting quite a show thanks to you.¡± ¡°Ha! What show?¡± The first step into Margrave Gloucester¡¯s mansion. What my group and I first encountered was the sight of the Count himself and Gloucester knights in the midst of quarantine operations. ¡°Raise your arms up, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Ugh, this new protective gear is cumbersome in many ways. Even moving is uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s designed for regular soldiers without magical power, that¡¯s why. Thanks to that, we can deploy many more people for exploration. How¡¯s the weight?¡± ¡°It feels a bit heavy to carry without magical power. We¡¯ll need to train the soldiers more before having them wear it.¡± ¡°So it needs to be made lighter¡­ I¡¯ll relay that to the research team for now.¡± Despite facing the Margrave himself, the researchers spoke without hesitation, and the Count evaluated the protective gear as if it were natural. Seeing this, the Special Magic Unit executives seemed to experience some cognitive dissonance. ¡°Company Commander Guille. Is that man really a noble? To speak so casually with commoners¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re speaking quite casually to me, your superior, as well.¡± ¡°No, Commander, that¡¯s¡­¡± Guille, you¡¯re quite skilled at teasing your juniors even in this situation, huh? While the executives lined up behind me were whispering among themselves, my gaze was directed elsewhere. ¡°Take a look at this elbow part. It seems corroded¡­¡± ¡°The outer shell is damaged. Did it get caught on a branch?¡± ¡°No, it was a monster¡¯s claw. Fortunately, the protective gear wasn¡¯t penetrated¡­¡± A group of knights was busy with quarantine operations on one side. Strong purification chemicals were removing monster tissue and contamination, and the removed contamination was being collected through dedicated processing equipment to prevent it from spreading to the surroundings. Systematic and advanced contamination removal and quarantine, along with a smoothly operating system. Literally, it was technology and organizational capability befitting the title of ¡°Pioneer of the East.¡± ¡°I wonder if this old man made a rash decision. To call a unit that should be making a name for itself on the frontlines all the way to this remote area.¡± ¡°We simply follow His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s will.¡± Count Gloucester, now in a simple shirt, said. Lies. He called us right away as soon as he detected the western front becoming quiet. However, since I couldn¡¯t say such things to his face, I had no choice but to use the Kalhyram noble speech style I learned from Walter. ¡°Haha, His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± The Emperor¡¯s orders. Hearing those words, Count Gloucester opened his mouth with a low laugh. ¡°That¡¯s quite difficult to hear these days. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though he delivers it with a slight smile, his words have thorns. Not just a few, but quite many. ¡°The soldiers who came with you are one company¡­ In terms of numbers, just under 200 people, was it?¡± On the way to the dining hall prepared inside the mansion. While walking down the corridor, Count Gloucester looked at me and said that. ¡°That was the maximum number we could transport by airship. The remaining members have duties to attend to on the frontlines.¡± ¡°Even though you only brought part of your unit, just in numbers alone, it exceeds one Knight Order.¡± After saying that, Count Gloucester looked at the executives standing at attention. ¡°Seeing them in person, it seems these mages aren¡¯t just a bunch of rabble.¡± ¡°Ku, kuh¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you for the praise, Your Grace.¡± When the executives responded awkwardly to Count Gloucester¡¯s words, the Count grinned and looked at me. ¡°However, rapid growth tends to create just as many enemies.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Among the nobles in the central region, some have already started to be wary of you all. They¡¯re saying His Majesty plans to replace the Knight Orders by creating a new mage group, and they¡¯re quite poisoned about it.¡± Looking at Count Gloucester saying this, I let out a small sigh. ¡®So this is Gloucester¡¯s real purpose for calling me.¡¯ The magic noble faction beginning to shake due to the Revolutionary Army¡¯s movement. On the other hand, the Emperor successfully defending against the Republic¡¯s invasion and gaining power through the Special Magic Unit. If the armistice proceeds as is, it was inevitable that the Empire¡¯s political situation would change drastically. And if the Empire¡¯s internal affairs shake, it was clear that changes would occur in the Gloucester territory he rules as well. That¡¯s why the Margrave brought me and my unit into his domain. To gauge with his own eyes how much power the Special Magic Unit had to counter the magic nobles. ¡°For now, they can¡¯t move openly because of the rebel problem. However, after they¡¯re dealt with¡­¡± ¡°You mean my Special Magic Unit will be the next target.¡± There was no point in beating around the bush; it was impossible to escape this cunning old man¡¯s grasp. If that¡¯s the case, it would be better strategy to reveal the Special Magic Unit¡¯s intentions, the Emperor¡¯s will, without any pretense. Taking up the Count¡¯s words, I opened my mouth slowly with a hardened expression. ¡°That¡¯s what we hope for.¡± ¡°You mean to say you¡¯ll face the magic nobles head-on?¡± When I nodded, the Count asked me with an interested smile. ¡°The magic nobles are like pillars supporting the Empire. They¡¯re the real power of the Empire, with double-digit seven-stroke engraved mages and Knight Orders under their command.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do you think you and those novice mages can defeat such people?¡± It was a clearly provocative, but at the same time natural question. Although the Special Magic Unit was certainly gaining power at a rapid pace, it still lacked in many areas to face the Knight Orders. The power gap was large, and their vested interests were deeply rooted throughout the Empire. However, I answered with an unconcerned expression. ¡°Yes. I believe we can win.¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because it won¡¯t be us who brings them down, but the rebels stirring throughout the Empire.¡± At my answer, the Count¡¯s eyes deepened. ¡°The rebels will triumph over the magic nobles? Even so, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°From my perspective, I rather think Your Grace and the other nobles are underestimating the rebels.¡± Low-grade engraved pretenders playing at being mages. Half-baked fighters who can¡¯t properly fight without the crutch of magic bullets. Trash relying on the Republic¡¯s support. This was how the knights viewed the Revolutionary Army¡¯s mages. They thought of them as inferior beings not worthy of their level. However, unlike them, I knew the ending of this game. ¡°No matter how corrupted they may have become by foreign powers, the anger the people hold towards them is real.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, the magic forced out through magic bullets is actually killing magic nobles, and in the end, many houses have withdrawn their Knight Orders to deal with this situation.¡± To stop the Revolutionary Army they had so despised, they called back their knights who were on the frontlines to their houses. Concentrating all their house¡¯s capabilities to root out revolutionary elements, they¡¯re oppressing more people under the pretext of involvement with the Revolutionary Army. And the people, enraged by this oppression, will seek out the Revolutionary Army as a means to punish them. Because they won¡¯t change, the flames of revolution will devour the Empire. No matter how weak their power may be. No matter how their anger is manipulated by malicious black hands. Unless the Empire changes, revolution will become an unstoppable calamity that engulfs the Empire. ¡°Parasites who deny reality, cling only to their old authority, and feed off the Empire¡¯s veins. They will fall not by our hands, but by the contradictions they themselves have created.¡± ¡°H-hey, Eugene¡­!¡± ¡°Even so, to go that far¡­!¡± ¡°And when their foundation crumbles at that time.¡± The executives¡¯ faces turned pale at my outrageous words. But regardless of that, I continued speaking with a composed expression. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s spear that I have perfected will sweep them all away in the name of the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Both the magic nobles and the rebels.¡± When I finished speaking, Count Gloucester¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. What would his next reaction be? Anger? Bewilderment? Margrave Gloucester, who had been looking at me with a complicated expression, finally¡­ ¡°Khahahahaha¨C!¡± Burst into laughter towards the sky as if feeling refreshed. ¡°That Freddie, he¡¯s finally decided to do it! He¡¯s trying to perform surgery on the entire Empire! Khahahahaha¨C!¡± ¡°Y-Your Grace¡­!¡± ¡°We¡¯ve warned you so many times about watching your words in front of outsiders¡­!¡± Freddie. When he shortened Emperor Friedrich¡¯s name, this time the faces of the knights guarding the Count turned pale. However, I had no particular intention of making an issue of it. I¡¯m not even sure if that would be possible anyway. ¡®But this confirms it.¡¯ I recalled the profile of Margrave Gloucester that I had reviewed on the airship. A figure who spent his youth and adolescence with the Emperor, who rebuilt his house in the eastern wasteland after it was destroyed in connection with treason. A pioneer who turned the small village he first built in his twenties into virtually the only city that doesn¡¯t depend on the Empire¡¯s railways. Unlike other magic nobles, this man was not an enemy of mine and the Emperor¡¯s. ¡®Count Gloucester¡¯s goal is the stability of the land he built. And non-interference.¡¯ If that could be guaranteed, we could recruit him to our side. Bang-! As we reached the end of the corridor, the mansion¡¯s iron door opened, revealing the prepared banquet hall inside. ¡°Through our conversation just now, you and your army have earned the right to be invited to my banquet.¡± If you had been worthless chaff, I was planning to send you straight back to the airfield. Adding that, the Count guided me and my subordinates with the bearing of the mansion¡¯s master. Count Gloucester, seated at the center seat of honor. With his chin resting on both hands, he looked at me and opened his mouth. ¡°I understand His Majesty¡¯s thoughts. In the coming period of upheaval in the Empire, he wants to have me and Gloucester under his feet.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, this old man¡¯s judgment has grown clouded. It¡¯s been long since I lost the wit to distinguish between real power and empty show.¡± ¡°You mean if we want Gloucester¡¯s cooperation, we should present what we can offer in return.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Saying that, the Count picked up his wine glass and asked me. ¡°As the lord of Gloucester, I ask. In exchange for betraying the Round Table I¡¯ve been part of for decades, what does His Majesty intend to offer?¡± ¡°Honestly, I think whatever we bring would have little meaning.¡± Hearing my words, the Count tilted his wine glass without answering, as if telling me to continue. ¡°Promises without substance. Proposals bordering on bluster. That¡¯s all we can offer right now.¡± No matter how much I boast about crushing the magic nobles, my words are all about a future that hasn¡¯t happened yet. Asking him to betray the faction he¡¯s been part of for decades based on that was unreasonable. The reason he, as a member of the magic nobles, doesn¡¯t actively cooperate with them is simply due to his loyalty to the Emperor, his childhood friend. If we want to become allies, we need to show something worthy of that. Therefore. ¡°So as a start to our cooperation¡­¡± My army and I needed to scratch his biggest itch. ¡°We will eliminate the threat to the Gloucester territory.¡± ¡°Threat? What suddenly¡­?¡± ¡°The anomalies occurring in the contaminated areas.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Count Gloucester¡¯s eyes widened immediately at my words. His expression asked how I knew about that. Along with the sense of achievement at surprising him for the first time, I opened my mouth towards the Count. ¡°We, the Special Magic Unit, will uncover its cause.¡± *** Guruk- Guruk- Northeastern contaminated zone. In the middle of a space thick with monster slime and poison, an unidentified life form was moving. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­!¡± The one breathing heavily and trembling was a boy who appeared to be in his mid-teens. However, the numerous tentacles and teeth on his back showed that he was not an ordinary human. ¡°Please endure it, Reilly. Just a little more. Just a little more and it will be done.¡± And a gentle voice speaking to such a boy. A voice that didn¡¯t match the horrific scenery spread around them embraced the boy¡¯s shoulders. ¡°F-Father¡­! I¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here. So don¡¯t worry, just a little more. Understand?¡± ¡°Ugh, urgh¡­!¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing the man¡¯s voice, the boy gritted his teeth and endured the pain. The more the boy¡¯s body trembled, the more actively the tentacles on his back began to move. ¡°Ku, kuaaak¨C!¡± Along with the boy¡¯s terrible scream, something began to appear in the center of the fully spread tentacles. Wooong¨C! Poison gas and slime, and animal corpses and blood in test tubes. All of it began to merge into one massive lump. ¡°Ooh¡­!¡± ¡°Count. This is¡­!¡± Other observers watching the boy exclaimed in admiration at the sight. Mages wearing protective gear and gas masks. Receiving their cheers, the man standing in the center slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve succeeded.¡± The Black Sun revealing itself in the sky. The otherworldly energy pouring out from within it, and monsters appearing through tears in space. Everyone gathered knew. They had just artificially created a Great Rupture. ¡°My proud alchemists of Elcryer.¡± He called out to those looking at him. Boiling sense of achievement. Desire for new knowledge. Everyone here shared the same feelings. My proud disciples. Feeling that abundant enthusiasm to his heart¡¯s content, Count Elcryer smiled pleasantly. He had now taken one step closer to the origin of this world. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 77 #077 ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­!¡± Rough breathing sounds were expelled through the gas mask filter. They said it was old equipment, and damn, it¡¯s suffocating. Even while thinking that, Sergeant Leopold Kolhead gritted his teeth and lifted his head. ¡®I can¡¯t collapse here!¡¯ According to what he heard from his superior, Count Gloucester was contemplating which side to take in the empire¡¯s upcoming turbulent period. Calling the Special Magical Power Unit to his territory was to gauge whether they had the power to change the future political situation. In other words, he and his unit members needed to show their best performance in this territory. That¡¯s why currently, Leopold and the Special Magical Power Unit members were¡­ ¡°Kieeek¨C!¡± ¡°Two monsters confirmed ahead! Third platoon will respond!¡± ¡°Fire! Keep shooting!¡± ¡°Minimize magic bullet consumption! The one who wastes them dies first!¡± ¡­fighting desperately to destroy monster nests in the contaminated areas near Gloucester. ¡°Good! Enemy monster cluster, successfully lured!¡± ¡°Battalion Commander! Now¡¯s the time!¡± Even with monster combat experience, the Special Magical Power Unit was close to being newcomers in this territory. Therefore, the Special Magic Unit¡¯s formation had one experienced Gloucester knight being escorted by the rest of the members. When the knight who confirmed the gathered monsters signaled, Leopold immediately called for Eugene, the battalion commander. ¡°All units, maintain formation. Prepare for impact.¡± ¡°Impact? Hey, what¡¯s that suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Sir Knight. It would be better to just quietly do as told.¡± The Gloucester family knights¡¯ confusion didn¡¯t last long. Eugene, looking at the monsters, immediately waved his hand. Swoosh-! Dozens of magic circles appeared in the air simultaneously with his gesture. ¡°Kruk?!¡± ¡°Kieek-!¡± Dozens of magical power chains bound the monsters¡¯ bodies, and the heat generated beneath them was churning as if about to explode at any moment. When Eugene confirmed this, his hand pulled the trigger of his Heresy. The Fireball Eugene shot upward and the Hellfire generated on the ground ignited simultaneously. Kuooo¨C! ¡°Uw, uwaaak?!¡± Flames, flames, and more flames. The monsters that were struggling while bound in chains burned without a chance to resist. The monsters were burned so crispy that not even ashes remained. The knights who witnessed this scene opened their eyes wide in disbelief. ¡°Th-that is¡­¡± It was natural to be surprised. Even for himself, who went to the battlefield with him every day, it was a sight that couldn¡¯t help but make him shudder every time he saw it. Eugene prepared the next spell without delay after ejecting the spent magic bullet casing. Watching Eugene like this, Leopold thought. ¡®Just how is he this strong?¡¯ In terms of stroke count alone, Eugene¡¯s power wasn¡¯t particularly outstanding. After all, when you went up to the Knight Order¡¯s higher ranks, it wasn¡¯t difficult to find mages with five stroke inscriptions. However, among those Knight Order leaders, there were no mages who demonstrated such overwhelming power as Eugene. In other words, no one could carelessly fire spells that could single-handedly sweep away hundreds of monsters. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel like he¡¯s the same human as us. Don¡¯t you think?¡± The one who said this while standing next to him was Company Commander Guille. Watching Eugene¡¯s back as he burned the monsters pouring out from the nest, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°That guy was like that since military academy. Even while living together, I never felt like he was the same human as us.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Every time the newspapers make a fuss about him being a hero or whatever, Eugene gets sick of it¡­ but well.¡± Their commander maintaining his characteristic languid expression while burning monsters. Even while firing spells at the monsters, Guille was watching that figure with his eyes. ¡°In the current empire, is there anyone more fitting for that title than that guy? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Saying that, Guille pulled out a magic bullet casing from the rifle he was holding. ¡°Company Commander. About restricting magic bullet use¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but that only applies to newcomers like you.¡± His inscription increased to four strokes. Gritting his teeth while accepting the magical power supplied by the magic bullet, he was among the highest ranks of Special Magic Unit members excluding Eugene. ¡°That guy will become a hero who¡¯ll overturn the empire. And we are the soldiers personally chosen by that hero.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If we¡¯ve stepped into this place after catching the eye of a hero, shouldn¡¯t we show performance worthy of that?¡± While saying that, Eugene, who had finished dealing with the monsters in front, immediately raised his hand to command the Special Magic Unit. ¡°All units, prepare to fire!¡± Swoosh-! The gun barrels of the members accompanying Eugene all aimed at the monster nest simultaneously, and after confirming this, Eugene reinforced their weapons¡¯ power by imbuing them with his magical power. The intention was for them to directly use magic beyond their level and learn from that experience. For him, this monster nest was merely a training ground to develop his unit members¡¯ skills. ¡°Fire-!¡± With his command, dozens of gun barrels spewed fire simultaneously, and the large nest that had been spewing out monsters was engulfed in a pillar of flame. The monster nest subjugation in Gloucester¡¯s wasteland. The result was a complete victory for the Special Magic Unit without a single casualty. *** Screech-! ¡°Move your arm forward more. Yes, that¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Hey, they¡¯re already finished, so why does he have to keep going?¡± ¡°Old model protective suits take longer for decontamination. Please wait a bit more.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch your face! It¡¯ll damage your skin!¡± Eliminate the threats to Gloucester territory. Although I had boldly promised this to the Count, sadly, neither I nor the Special Magical Power Unit had any experience with this wasteland and contaminated areas. [We need an adaptation period to carry out the mission.] Accepting my request, Count Gloucester had veteran knights from the Gloucester family join the Special Magic Unit to carry out contaminated area exploration missions. ¡®Of course, the Count probably allowed it because it was beneficial for him too.¡¯ The biggest problem for the Gloucester Knight Order was manpower shortage. In such circumstances, having 200 fresh inscription mages roll in meant the Count would want to utilize this personnel somehow. Moreover, the Special Magic Unit members had experience in eliminating monsters on the frontlines. One week after arriving in Gloucester territory. The Special Magic Unit members who had been struggling to even properly take off their protective suits had now transformed into monster combat experts rivaling the Gloucester knights. ¡°Four medium-sized nests and twelve small ones. The decontaminated area is also the largest ever.¡± Checking the Special Magic Unit¡¯s combat results so far, a pleased smile spread across Margrave Gloucester¡¯s face. ¡°Something that would take over two weeks with just the Knight Order was done in half a day, indeed having more numbers makes things easier! Uahaha!¡± ¡°We also gained good experience thanks to you.¡± It wasn¡¯t just empty words. Contaminated area exploration missions and monster nest elimination. And the numerous unexpected situations that arose there. By personally experiencing these, I and the Special Magic Unit were able to acquire Gloucester¡¯s monster combat know-how and check their decontamination system. The experience gained here would be compiled into manuals through Erich¡¯s hands, and those manuals would become valuable assets for future fights against monsters. Magic nobles, Revolutionary Army, Republic, monsters. The Special Magical Power Unit I created was an organization that had to respond to all of these. ¡®It¡¯s all good. All good, but¡­¡¯ Thinking that, I looked at the scene unfolding before my eyes. ¡°Your Grace, please try this. We just dug these up from the field, aren¡¯t they good?¡± ¡°Oho? Are these the ones brought in from the mainland? You¡¯ve cultivated them well!¡± ¡°Battalion Commander Eugene, please come here and try some of this too!¡± ¡°Here, here, have some drinks¡­¡± A group of middle-aged women entering the garrison carrying loads of alcohol and meat. According to the Count, they were the ¡®Gloucester Knight Order Wives¡¯ Association¡¯, a group composed of the knights¡¯ wives. The alcohol and meat offered by these association madams. And the Special Magic Unit members sitting in small groups all sweaty, enjoying those offerings. This scene, no matter how you look at it¡­ ¡°It¡¯s just like getting snacks from civilians during public support missions.¡± ¡°Hm? Eugene, what did you say?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Why am I getting this familiar vibe of 21st-century military culture in a game¡¯s fantasy setting? While patting Irene¡¯s head as she stuffed her mouth full of meat, I was caught up in an inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°¡­Wait, Irene?¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°Why exactly are you here getting meat from the madams? Don¡¯t the knights here say anything?¡± ¡°The Count gave this to us to eat?¡± As Irene, who had somehow sat down next to me, held up a piece of meat saying that, Count Gloucester sitting across from us laughed heartily. ¡°Khaa~! Indeed, this is good! Come, come, young lady, have a drink too!¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Grace!¡± ¡°My, my~ Such good manners! Completely different from our ill-mannered sons! Khahaha-!¡± A military garrison where civilians freely come and go, and the knights think nothing of it. Ah, this is driving me crazy. It feels like all my preconceptions about the Knight Order are completely crumbling. While this peculiar drinking party mixing nobles and commoners continued¡­ ¡°Your Grace.¡± Harpel, who had finished decontamination, approached the Count and whispered something. ¡°¡­I see. So that¡¯s what happened?¡± The Count¡¯s expression changed instantly from his jovial smile while drinking. As the Count quietly got up and moved away, I approached him, and Count Gloucester, with a hardened expression, said to me. ¡°We had sent knights to the deep contaminated area. Since you all were handling the outer area development, I thought to use this chance to explore deeper. However¡­¡± At the Count¡¯s gesture, Harpel, who was standing behind him, added an explanation. ¡°The magical power signals from the dispatched knights disappeared. According to our intelligence, there weren¡¯t any threatening monster nests in that area.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And the last magical power communication we received from the knights who lost contact¡­ is this.¡± After finishing his words, Harpel took out a hastily scribbled note and showed it to me. [Enemy attack from rear. Attackers confirmed as mages with imprints.] Mages with imprints. There weren¡¯t many groups in the empire that could operate these. Revolutionary Army, Special Magic Unit, Magic Corps. And¡­ ¡°The rebels wouldn¡¯t be interested in this territory.¡± Count Gloucester, lowering his voice, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°The Special Magic Unit is with us, and the Magic Corps is tightly held by the imperial army. Then¡­ there¡¯s only one suspect left.¡± After checking the note, I slightly turned my gaze to look at Count Gloucester¡¯s face. ¡°The vermin who killed my precious knights, to think it would be a Knight Order of fellow magic nobles.¡± That face that had been like a jovial countryside commoner was now distorted like an evil spirit. *** ¡°A telegram arrived from Margrave Gloucester. He said he quite liked the gift we sent.¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s welcome news. Tell him I¡¯ll send word separately later. I should catch up with an old friend after so long.¡± An elderly man with white hair was walking slowly. The Imperial Emperor, Friedrich El Franz Kalhyram. However, the floor he was stepping on wasn¡¯t the red carpet of the imperial palace where he usually resided. Gooo¡­¡­ This place where the emperor was walking was the empire¡¯s airship ¡®Kalhyram¡¯ floating in the sky. This massive beast in charge of the imperial army¡¯s air fleet¡¯s flagship was facing dozens of airships bearing the republic¡¯s emblem. The war with the republic that took place in less than a year. This airship carrying the emperor was also the venue for the armistice negotiations. ¡°And Margrave Gloucester¡­ added some interesting words about that child.¡± Interesting words. The emperor slightly nodded his head, substituting it for a command. Tell me what he said. Understanding that meaning, Andrei slowly opened his mouth. ¡°He said he¡¯s as capable and dangerous a flame as ¡®Informant M¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Informant M. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The emperor¡¯s expression darkened at those words. ¡°Recalling the sins of youth is always painful.¡± ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. And if Kalkas evaluates them that highly, it means that child¡¯s qualities are certainly genuine.¡± While the emperor and Andrei¡¯s conversation continued¡­ Click-! As the emperor approached with his guards, imperial soldiers raised their rifles and stood at attention. Rifles with scratches all over despite desperate cleaning, and bayonets with cold sharp edges. Looking at the soldier¡¯s face, the emperor immediately knew. Unlike his guards, these were soldiers experiencing actual combat on the frontlines. Step- The emperor silently moved towards the soldier. The soldier, face pale, desperately recalled military protocol and shouted loudly. ¡°Gr-greeting His Imperial Majesty-!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The soldier frozen stiff with tension. The emperor carefully observed the soldier¡¯s appearance, then placed his hand on his shoulder. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡¯s grace¡­!¡± ¡°It is not you who has received grace, but I who have.¡± Opening his mouth thus, the emperor patted the soldier¡¯s shoulder with a faint smile. ¡°For the empire. And you have fought so hard for your own life.¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your dedication. And the dedication of all imperial citizens who fought alongside you, I shall never forget.¡± Hearing the emperor¡¯s words, the soldier gripped his rifle tightly. Probably thinking of fallen comrades, and family waiting in the empire. He could understand without words. He, too, was once a body that traversed countless battlefields. ¡°The numerous lives lost due to my incompetence. How could I measure all their resentment?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± The emperor¡¯s voice murmuring as he passed by the soldiers was full of regret. But that was only for a moment. Hearing Andrei¡¯s worried words, the emperor waved his hand with a slight smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I decided to stop dwelling on past mistakes since that day.¡± As if greeting the emperor who said this to the knight who had guarded his back for decades, the door leading to the deck opened. Rumble-! When the emperor appeared, the generals of both countries who had been waiting for him all stood up at once. Keiren and the imperial army generals saluting him. The republic¡¯s army looking at the emperor with tense and wary eyes, and the one standing in their center was¡­ ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we met face to face, Secretary General.¡± ¡°¡­Emperor.¡± The center of power ruling the republic. First Secretary of the Westraine Communist Party, Vladimir Brezhnev. ¡°Well, since time is pressing for both sides¡­¡± Meeting the eyes of the old bear glaring at him, the emperor slowly opened his mouth while looking around the gathering. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the armistice negotiations.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± It was the republic that initiated the invasion first. It was also the republic that proposed the armistice first. A satisfied smile spread across the emperor¡¯s face, while the secretary general¡¯s face was stiffly frozen. The war and armistice between the empire and republic that continued like an annual event. Unlike until now when it always ended in the republic¡¯s victory, this time the empire held the initiative in the negotiations. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 78 #078 ¡°Is everyone here?¡± In the lobby located at the center of the Gloucester mansion. In front of the Count who was sitting on the stairs, the knights of House Gloucester had gathered. If there was one characteristic to note, it was that every single one of them was a veteran knight with decades of experience. After scanning the faces of the knights who had served together for decades, the Count slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Three days ago, we lost contact with the knights who went out as an advance reconnaissance team. Three men in total. The last signal was transmitted from the contaminated zone in the eastern uninhabited area.¡± Eastern uninhabited area. It was the most heavily contaminated region among the areas Gloucester was exploring, an extreme environment where even new protective suits couldn¡¯t last two days. If three days had passed since losing contact, it was difficult to believe they were still alive. ¡°Who were they?¡± ¡°Fred, Riven, Ralph.¡± ¡°Riven¡­ The bastard didn¡¯t even make it a week after getting married.¡± When one elderly knight said this, others around him shook their heads. ¡°Fred had received his four-stroke engraving just half a year ago. He was quite skilled too. If they were all wiped out even with him there¡­¡± ¡°A higher species. Or perhaps a monster even beyond that level.¡± ¡°No.¡± What was the terrain like? How many enemies were there? It would be good if we could at least recover the bodies. While numerous questions and laments were being exchanged among the knights¡­ ¡°The enemy isn¡¯t a monster, but knights.¡± At those words from the Count¡¯s mouth, the knights who had been discussing immediately fell silent. Half showed surprise at it not being monsters. The other half showed anger at other knights invading their contaminated zone. ¡°Are you saying knights from noble houses have invaded our territory?¡± ¡°And of all times, when the contaminated zones are being artificially altered¡­¡± ¡°Then, Your Lordship. This matter¡­¡± (+)TLN: Sorry for the inconsistency, but I¡¯ll be using Your Lordship for Gloucester from now on instead of Your Grace. I¡¯ve just found out that Your Grace usually used for a duke/duchess. And for rank below that you usually use Your Lordship. ¡°Yes.¡± As if well aware of what the knights were concerned about, the Count spoke in a biting tone. ¡°Our territory is currently under invasion by magic nobles.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Moreover, the culprit carried this out knowing full well this land belongs to me. In other words¡­¡± ¡°They must be a seven-stroke engraving holder of equal rank to Your Lordship.¡± When I, standing at attention, added that explanation, looks of dismay spread across the knights¡¯ faces. ¡°Hah¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­!¡± Not monsters but knights. And an enemy with an engraving equal to the Count¡¯s head of house level. ¡°This is no ordinary danger.¡± ¡°Scouting the highest contamination zone, with knights lying in ambush¡­¡± As the enemy¡¯s form became clearer, the tension grew heavier. However, even then, not a single one among the knights showed any sign of fear. ¡°So this is why Your Lordship called us old ones.¡± ¡°Indeed, this task would be wasted on young ones. Isn¡¯t that right, Your Lordship?¡± The knights who said this looked at each other and grinned. Those with children grown enough to succeed them. Those with no family to support. Those who had finished training their successors and were spending time in retirement. The knights the Count had gathered were the ¡®expendable¡¯ old knights of Gloucester territory. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Saying this, the Count stood up and looked around at the knights of his age. ¡°We¡¯re heading beyond the eastern uninhabited area, into the unexplored zone.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The contamination levels will be at maximum constantly, and we don¡¯t know what monsters or threats lurk within.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know how long it will take or when we¡¯ll return. In other words¡­¡± After a brief pause, the Count spoke in a clear voice. ¡°Once we deploy on this mission, we will certainly die.¡± Words that sounded like a death sentence. Hearing this, the knights sneered and said to the Count: ¡°We are outcasts abandoned by the world, and what embraced us was this land we cultivated ourselves.¡± ¡°What greater honor could there be for a knight than to give our lives for Gloucester!¡± ¡°Let us go together, Your Lordship! To the depths of hell!¡± ¡°To the depths of hell-!¡± The knights who said this placed their clenched fists over their left chests, showing respect to the Count. Without a single exception, they shouted in unison. Foolish ones. Muttering this, the Count shouted in a voice louder than ever before: ¡°Gloucester Knight Order! Deploy-!¡± Boom-! Boom-! There were no cheers or salutes. Two stomps of their feet. Having shown all their respect with just that, the knights immediately dispersed to gather their equipment. ¡°Eugene!¡± After confirming the knights had disappeared to various places, the Count called out to me standing beside him. ¡°I want to thank you in advance. We can go like this because you¡¯re holding back the monsters for us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely carrying out my assigned duties.¡± ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m sorry, but the effective period of this cooperation ends in two weeks from this moment.¡± At the mention of two weeks, my eyes narrowed. ¡°Your Lordship. You mean¡­¡± ¡°The Special Magical Power Unit will step back from this matter.¡± An unprecedented resolute voice. Looking at my face, the Count continued speaking. ¡°This isn¡¯t your business, but a matter of our Gloucester territory. If we owe the Empire a debt here, it would mean acknowledging a hierarchical relationship between Gloucester and the Empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A magic noble is disrupting my territory, and you and your unit have proven your trustworthiness through our cooperation thus far. In the upcoming period of upheaval, Gloucester will support ¡®you.''¡± ¡­Wait a minute. Me? Not the Emperor? While I was pondering this oddity, Harpel, who had heard the Count¡¯s words, exclaimed in shock: ¡°Y-Your Lordship! Those words¡­!¡± ¡°Harpel.¡± But that was brief. At the Count¡¯s stern call of his name, Harpel had no choice but to close his mouth. ¡°From this moment on, you are Gloucester¡¯s heir.¡± ¡°What, what?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re far better than that Darwin who remains in seclusion even with the territory in this state. I¡¯ve already told all the frontline knights. They¡¯ll take your side.¡± ¡°No, wait a moment, Your Lordship. No, Father!¡± ¡°Protect Gloucester, Harpel. This order¡­¡± Was he going to say it as usual? But the Count chose his words for a moment, then opened his mouth while looking straight into Harpel¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­is my request. My son.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Words like an old man¡¯s last will preparing for death. Hearing those words, Harpel bowed his head with tightly clenched lips. A deployment prepared for death. A son who could only watch it happen. While an emotionally stirring scene was unfolding, regrettably, my interest lay elsewhere. ¡®The Gloucester territory right before the [Black Sun Incident]. So this was the atmosphere.¡¯ Until now, when Count Gloucester went out for the search, I hadn¡¯t made any special intervention. All I had done was strengthen the territory¡¯s defenses and speed up investigations through the Special Magic Unit. Based on experience so far, there was little chance that the Special Magic Unit¡¯s mission execution would twist the course of future events. ¡®In other words, Count Gloucester¡¯s current actions almost exactly match what he did in the original work. If this continues as is, the Gloucester territory will¡­¡¯ I recalled the contents of [Revolution Empire]. After hearing news that ¡®Black Witch Irene¡¯ had devastated a city on the frontier, the protagonist Eugene and the Revolutionary Army arrived at the ruined cityscape of Gloucester. Obstacles and traps densely arranged throughout the castle. Gates sealed from the inside. Iron bars welded to block even sewers, ventilation ducts, and windows. ¡®What is this castle?¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t it said to be devastated by monsters? Who put up these barricades¡­?¡¯ ¡®It feels like¡­ they imprisoned themselves.¡¯ That¡¯s what Rennie, who was the protagonist¡¯s companion, had said while looking at the city¡¯s appearance. And after breaking through those obstacles and entering the city, what remained were countless territory residents wandering the city, transformed into monsters. The protagonist and companions would break through them, enter the territory¡¯s depths, and subjugate the Black Witch. ¡®However¡­¡¯ I turned my head to look at Harpel, who was in the midst of conversation with the Count. His name from the game, [Last Lord Harpel.] He was the named monster they would encounter as a transformed beast before reaching the Black Witch. ¡®In other words, this means the Count himself wasn¡¯t present in the original Gloucester territory.¡¯ The Count departing for the contaminated zone to find the missing knights. Harpel left alone. And the Gloucester territory completely devoured by monsters. Combining the original story with the current situation, I could piece together one narrative. ¡®What I¡¯m seeing now is what happened right before the ¡®Black Sun Incident¡¯ in the original work. In the original, Count Gloucester also went out on a search mission, and died there.¡¯ Count Elcryer¡¯s research. Unable to inform the territory about that experiment until the end. Would he die by the Count¡¯s hand, or by Irene¡¯s hand after she went berserk from the experiments? I suppose I¡¯ll have to confirm that there myself. Having finished my thoughts, I immediately called Guille through magical power communication. This exploration mission. Leaving it all to the old men would mean losing too much. *** ¡°Your Lordship. It¡¯s here.¡± Eastern uninhabited area terminus. Maximum exploration zone. When they confirmed the point where contact with the knights had been lost, the Count¡¯s eyes narrowed beneath his gas mask lens. ¡°There¡¯s blood, but the bodies are gone. Did monsters drag them away?¡± ¡°No, look here.¡± At one knight¡¯s speculation, the Count immediately pointed to a spot. ¡°There are drag marks from blood, then they suddenly disappear. Meaning they were carried away on a stretcher or something similar.¡± ¡°The footprints also end here. Looks like they were deliberately erased.¡± ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s search the surroundings first.¡± ¡°To search this vast area¡­ It¡¯ll take at least a week of going back and forth.¡± ¡°Seems like we¡¯ll die from contamination before we even find anything.¡± Though the old veterans complained briefly, they quickly formed into formation with practiced ease. Their bodies might have aged, but the experience built up over decades hadn¡¯t rusted. Just as the search party was about to begin their search after forming up¡­ Splash- Three monsters were caught in their magical power field. ¡°?!¡± ¡°Monsters! Battle positions!¡± ¡°Tch, so this is truly unexplored territory. They¡¯re quite large¡­¡± As they sensed the magical power fluctuating in the distance, several knights swallowed dry saliva. Unlike other monsters, these had small builds. As the Count was thinking something seemed strange about this¡­ ¡°What the, what the hell?!¡± Expletives burst from the mouth of the knight at the front. Splash-! Splash-! ¡°Y-Your Lordship¡­ E-Everyone¡­¡± ¡°Amy¡­ Ah, Amy¡­ Where are you, where¡­¡± ¡°My arm hurts¡­ Someone, please¡­¡± The three monsters approaching them were the Gloucester knights who had lost contact. Three people walking toward the search party, transformed into hideous monsters. And behind them, revealing themselves were a group of men wearing black protective suits. ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Lordship. That emblem¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. Confirmed.¡± Thick reinforced suits reminiscent of diving suits, and cloaks draped over them. Seeing the magic patterns appearing on the lenses attached to their faces, Count Gloucester ground his teeth. ¡°Elcryer¡­!¡± Finally, it made sense. The Alchemist of the Abyss, Martin Elcryer and his disciples. A group of mad magicians obsessed with worthless things like the source! ¡°Ah, ahhh¡­!¡± ¡°Graaaaaah¡ª!¡± While the Count ground his teeth, the transformed Gloucester knights began charging without hesitation. ¡°The dogs have been released. Combat imminent.¡± ¡°Provide minimal support and observe the battle. We need data.¡± ¡°Understood. We disciples must collect knowledge and deliver it to our master.¡± ¡°Understood. We disciples will do so.¡± Hearing the voices chattering from behind, the Count was truly about to go mad. After turning knights who were like his children into such monsters, they dare talk about what? Data collection?! ¡°You vermin!¡± Count Gloucester activated his engraving with gritted teeth. What arose with green radiance were dozens of tree branches. Filled with majestic magical power, they pierced through both the charging monsters in front and the disciples behind at once. Whoosh¨C! And simultaneously, the contaminated area began rapidly purifying. Seeing the ground where vegetation suddenly sprouted, the impaled disciples spoke in admiration. ¡°Ooh, this, this is¡­!¡± ¡°High purity purifi-fication magic formula. Want to ana-analyze the formula struc-structure.¡± ¡°Focused on purification, not suitable for combat. If we call reinforcements, we can pin them down.¡± They¡¯re still moving despite having their hearts and abdomen pierced? Are these guys not human? While thinking this, new shadows began appearing from the undergrowth all around. ¡°These bizarre things keep moving even when cut in half!¡± ¡°These bastards, there¡¯s no end to them no matter how many we kill!¡± ¡°Your Lordship!¡± Dozens, hundreds. Disciples in protective suits emerging endlessly. Seeing this, the Count and knights realized what situation they were in. ¡®These bastards¡­!¡¯ Gloucester¡¯s greatest weakness was numbers. And they knew that all too well. Using endless waves of disciples to pin us down here. So the area¡¯s toxic air can slowly eat away at us! ¡®No choice. We need to retreat for now¡­¡¯ Just as the Count thought this and gathered magical power to break through¡­ Clang-! ¡°You!¡± One of the monsters impaled by tree thorns reached its hand toward the Count. He easily deflected it with his magical power field and prepared to counterattack. They¡¯d already transformed into mindless monsters anyway. The right thing would be to end their suffering as quickly as possible! Therefore¡­! ¡°Your Lordship?¡± At that moment, a clear voice came from the monster¡¯s mouth. A voice calling him with questioning eyes. Seeing that, for just a moment, the Count¡¯s movement stopped. ¡°¡­Ralph.¡± That tiny gap. Through that momentary opening, the monster¡¯s tentacle shot toward the Count¡¯s neck and¡­ Boooom¨C! Red flames flying in from the side completely incinerated the monster¡¯s tentacle. ¡°?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Multiple magical power reactions. Enemy reinforcements¡­!¡± Rumble¨C! What came flying in then were hundreds of red raindrops. Heat that instantly dominated the space. At the center of that heat, a group of soldiers began revealing themselves one by one. ¡°You¡­?!¡± Eugene Lorentz. And appearing behind him were over a hundred Special Magical Power Unit members. ¡°W-What is the meaning of this! I told the Special Magical Power Unit not to intervene in this matter¡­!¡± ¡°Your Lordship overlooked one fact.¡± Click-! Dozens of gun barrels aimed forward. Loading his own pistol along with them, Eugene spoke in a calm voice. ¡°Your Lordship has no authority to command me or the Special Magical Power Unit.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± What had the Count said? That they couldn¡¯t accept the Empire¡¯s support. That owing a debt would mean acknowledging a hierarchical relationship with the Empire. But you know what? From my position as an Imperial soldier, that¡¯s totally beneficial, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no reason not to do it, right? ¡°Special Magical Power Unit Commander, Eugene Lorentz, issuing orders.¡± Thinking this, Eugene aimed his Heresy loaded with magic bullets forward. ¡°Evidence detected of House Elcryer conducting experiments using monsters.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°By Imperial decree, all members and associates of House Elcryer are to be detained.¡± Starting with Eugene¡¯s pistol, magic burst forth from the gun barrels of all Special Magic Unit members at once. Another predetermined future slipped into the swamp of uncertainties. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 79 #079 ¡°Combat over!¡± The soldiers who were focused on confirming kills lowered their weapons at Guille¡¯s voice. They had been quite tense since these were Count Elcryer¡¯s disciples, but their magic formulas weren¡¯t much of a threat. Two-stroke mages who only used basic magical power bullets and barriers. These people who fought with quantity rather than quality were no match for the Special Magic Unit specialized in one-versus-many engagements. ¡°Are there any survivors?¡± ¡°We secured five people. However¡­¡± The charred corpses of monsters and disciples collapsed in pools of blood. Moreover, even the survivors they had captured weren¡¯t in good condition. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± ¡°Sir, is interrogation even possible with these?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t even answer questions. It seems like they¡¯ve completely lost their minds?¡± The disciples showed no reaction, like puppets with cut strings. My eyes narrowed as I observed them. ¡°This is¡­?¡± It was a familiar sight. No, it¡¯s a sight I couldn¡¯t forget even if I wanted to. I immediately activated [Eye of Horus] to examine their bodies. What I focused on examining was their imprints, and the form of the magical power circuits connecting the imprints to their magic circuits. Dozens of magical power branches extending from the imprint to the heart. However, after confirming this, I twisted my face and spat out a curse. ¡°Crazy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t these guys talking?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you the reason right now.¡± When the Count, who had pulled out the kukri embedded in an enemy¡¯s face, asked, I immediately drew my pistol and blew off one disciple¡¯s head. Crack-! The head flew off with the sound of a bursting watermelon. Among the flesh that splattered everywhere, there was something peculiar mixed in. ¡°This is¡­?¡± The Count Gloucester¡¯s face twisted as he picked it up with his protective suit-covered hand. A mechanical device made of ceramics and metal. Judging by the circuits and mechanical structure, it appeared to be some kind of communication device. ¡°It¡¯s a magical power transmitter. They transplanted it after excising part of the brain.¡± ¡°They carved out the brain? Then these guys¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Though they called themselves disciples, these weren¡¯t really disciples. They were merely living puppets controlled by Count Elcryer. ¡°I¡¯m speechless. Elcryer. That bastard treated his own knights like this?¡± Count Gloucester expressed his disgust while looking around at their corpses strewn about. However, as I looked at their forms, I felt something familiar. The magical power transmitters embedded in their brains. And the magic imprints connected to them. This structure was definitely¡­ ¡°Brand of Dominance.¡± I was certain. This peculiar energy felt from the second stroke of the magic imprint. And unlike other imprints that only connected to the heart area, the circuit structure extended to the brain¡¯s central nervous system. All of these matched with parts of the Mark of Control that Elcidore used. ¡®The difference being that Elcidore¡¯s imprint gradually manipulated personality while forming voluntary loyalty. But this imprint carved out part of the brain to eliminate normal judgment ability.¡¯ A much cruder and less sophisticated method compared to Elcidore. However, with this, I could find the thread to questions that had been nagging at me. ¡®The imprint Elcidore used to create Knifehead was used on these people, and Irene, who was Elcryer¡¯s test subject, was at Elcidore.¡¯ In other words, it meant that Elcidore and Elcryer had maintained some kind of deal. ¡®Elcryer passed research data about monsters to Elcidore, and in return, Elcidore passed on technology related to the Mark of Control.¡¯ Elcidore, who excelled at court intrigue and espionage, and Elcryer, who was conducting all sorts of research forbidden by the Empire. Elcidore needed new power to gain authority, and Elcryer needed faithful servants to assist his research. Their needs matched perfectly. Crunch-! Of course, that wasn¡¯t all I discovered. I extracted a magic imprint embedded in one disciple¡¯s arm and channeled my magical power into it. The biggest characteristic of the ¡®Mark of Control¡¯ is that it maintains a constant connection with the one who holds control over the imprint. If this imprint had the same structure as what Knifehead used¡­ ¡°Found it.¡± It was as expected. Part of the magical power flowing into the imprint was being transmitted toward a specific point. ¡°What did you find?¡± ¡°What else could it be? Obviously¡­¡± Looking in the direction where my magical power was heading, I opened my mouth with a faint smile. ¡°The enemy¡¯s headquarters.¡± *** ¡°Huh? Huh?¡± ¡°What is this¡­¡± ¡°Your Lordship!¡± After traveling for 30 minutes following the guidance of the extracted imprint, Bewildered expressions appeared on the faces of Gloucester¡¯s knights checking the contamination level meter. ¡°¡­Are these measurements really correct?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve checked several times. The contamination level that was at its peak¡­ is gradually getting lighter.¡± ¡°At this level, it¡¯s possible to live normally. This should be impossible without purification facilities¡­¡± The knights who said this looked around, but it was just an empty field. The situation wasn¡¯t even properly detected by my activated Eye of Horus. ¡°Your Lordship. What do you see?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I can see it.¡± I asked the Count carefully, and he answered while grinding his teeth. ¡°The contamination level has decreased, but the composition of the contaminated area has changed. As I mentioned before, this is artificial contamination.¡± ¡°And its source is none other than this place?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± When on earth did they build something like this? As the Count waved his hand with those words, the space rippled and gradually revealed a building of bizarre form. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°That, that is¡­¡± What appeared in the distance was a circular fortress surrounded by concrete walls. Inside were various facilities including an airship landing pad, quarters, and research labs. How did we not notice that such a building was hidden here? ¡°It¡¯s a perception interference formula.¡± The one who answered that question was Count Gloucester. ¡°In its usual form, this magic can only hide one person at most. However, to deploy it over such a wide area¡­¡± Just as the wary Count was muttering this. ¡°Captain. Over there.¡± ¡°Yeah. I saw it too.¡± Seemingly noticing they had been discovered, the fortress doors were slowly opening. Thump- Thump- And walking out from inside were even more ¡®disciples¡¯ than the ones we had just killed. And in their center, a gentleman in an immaculate suit appeared. ¡°I never expected guests to visit this remote research facility.¡± A voice amplified by magical power. It was a voice that carried confidence, as if saying ¡®come if you dare.¡¯ ¡°Margrave Gloucester. And the Empire¡¯s new hero who¡¯s been the subject of many rumors.¡± Black long hair. Refined features no less handsome than any young noble. Even a gentle expression that seemed kind at first glance. ¡°Welcome, truly welcome, to the Elcryer Monster Research Institute.¡± Bowing his head politely with a smiling face was Martin Elcryer, the Alchemist of the Abyss. He was the man who would become the cause of the Black Sun Incident. *** Rattle-! The gun barrels of Special Magic Unit members positioned throughout aimed at Count Elcryer. In response, disciples stationed throughout the fortress also aimed their weapons, creating a tense situation. ¡°How very interesting.¡± In this powder keg of a situation that could explode at any moment, Count Elcryer was the first to speak. ¡°I never expected the location of this research facility would be exposed. How did you know the disciples¡¯ imprints were connected to me?¡± ¡°Well, I happen to have quite a history with Elcidore.¡± A brief informal response. However, Count Elcryer didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered. Rather, what caught his interest was Elcidore. Hearing that name, Count Elcryer cupped his chin as if surprised. ¡°Amazing. You even discovered the connection between Elcidore and myself?¡± ¡°The imprint your disciples were using was similar to Elcidore¡¯s. Right down to how it eats away at people¡¯s minds and turns them into puppets of the practitioner.¡± ¡°Ah yes. Indeed.¡± Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing my words, the Count smiled in understanding. ¡°A thoroughly vulgar person who was obsessed with meaningless rankings and positions, coveting a throne that didn¡¯t suit him at all. His formula was appropriately sinister.¡± Of course, it was quite useful as well. Looking at Count Elcryer as he added that, one person stepped forward. Boom-! Margrave Gloucester. Deploying his imprint and emanating magical power, he spoke in a chilling voice. ¡°The current head of House Elcryer seems quite brazen. Sneaking onto another¡¯s land without permission, turning knights into that state. Moreover, monster research? Do you think you and your house will escape unscathed after this?¡± How do you plan to answer for invading Gloucester¡¯s territory? To the Margrave¡¯s question, the Count spoke as if just remembering something. ¡°Ah, you mean those test subjects?¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°It was an experiment to see if human reason could suppress a monster¡¯s destructive instincts. It was quite difficult to monsterize only the physical tissue while leaving the personality intact.¡± Count Gloucester and the knights following him all doubted their ears. However, as if it didn¡¯t concern him, Count Elcryer continued speaking in an unbothered voice. ¡°But to attack without hesitation the one they followed like a parent¡­ Perhaps a monster¡¯s aggression really can¡¯t be controlled by human will? It was quite an interesting result. They provided good data.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing those words, Count Gloucester seemed unable to even think of speaking. Crazy bastard. On behalf of Margrave Gloucester, I spoke to Count Elcryer. ¡°In other words, you and House Elcryer conducted research on monsters.¡± Click-! Heresy aimed at his face. While the disciples remained alert, I continued speaking. ¡°Research on monsters is strictly forbidden by Imperial law, and this applies even to magic nobles like you who hold immunity privileges.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Immediate execution upon discovery. According to Imperial law, you¡­¡± ¡°Hah.¡± What interrupted my continuing words was Count Elcryer¡¯s sigh full of boredom. ¡°Revenge for subordinates, Emperor¡¯s orders, Imperial law, internal politics¡­ Truly, such tediously conventional reasons are sickening.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± What the hell is this bastard saying? While I was thinking that, the Count spread both arms and spoke to me as if giving a speech. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand what problem lies before us? The Great Rupture that has appeared in this world, that infinite power has emerged and is shaking the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yet the Emperor has misguided thoughts. Far from trying to explore the origin of the Great Rupture, he¡¯s prohibiting it, regulating it, interfering with the pursuit of sound knowledge.¡± Sound knowledge pursuit. Hearing those words, I could vaguely understand their motivations. Elcryer, bearing the title of Alchemist. The reason why they, who originally had no interest in central power struggles, actively joined the magic noble faction. ¡®They were even crazier than imagined.¡¯ House Elcryer¡¯s interest was just one thing, the Great Rupture. More precisely, the otherworldly power flowing from it and related knowledge. That appearance of pursuing only knowledge without any consideration for the harm it would bring to the world. Perhaps that was closer to what a true ¡®magician¡¯ was. What do I mean? Nothing special. Just that they¡¯re completely insane bastards. ¡°Pursuit of sound knowledge? Don¡¯t make me laugh with such nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Gloucester¡¯s rebuke, Count Elcryer¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Your so-called research threatened my territory and turned my knights into monsters. Is this truly the pursuit of proper knowledge?¡± ¡°Just three people. Just a few tens of thousands of pyeong of wilderness. Would you oppose me and House Elcryer over such trivial matters?¡± ¡°You bastard, how dare you open your mouth to¡­¡± Clap-! Cutting off the conversation with a light clap, Count Elcryer wore a cold expression as if there was nothing more to see. ¡°I have no intention or need to ask for your understanding. If something interferes with exploring the source, we simply eliminate it, whatever it may be.¡± With those words, a boy walked out from among the gathered disciples. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°A child¡­?¡± Staggering movements and unstable eyes. And tentacles writhing on his back. It was an appearance that really reminded me of someone. ¡®The test subject who replaced Irene. So it¡¯s that kid.¡¯ A bizarre appearance with all body hair removed and restrained in a straitjacket. Count Elcryer, who held the boy¡¯s shoulders, spoke in a kind voice. ¡°We have guests, Opel.¡± ¡°Gu-guests¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Bad guests who want to harm your father.¡± A white-gloved hand undid the restraint around the boy¡¯s neck. When the straitjacket binding his arms was removed, the boy¡¯s body trembled. His eyes were overflowing with endless killing intent and destructive instincts. ¡°Kill them all, Opel.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Whoosh-! As soon as the Count¡¯s order ended, dozens of tentacles began to assault the soldiers. ¡°Damn it, here it comes!¡± ¡°Take out the machine gunners first! I¡¯ll handle the Count!¡± At the same time, the disciples began their attack, and the fortress¡¯s weapons all activated. When Count Elcryer¡¯s own magic imprint activated, the waiting soldiers¡¯ weapons responded by all spewing fire at once. Boom¨C! Many spells detonating and tentacles darkening the field of vision through the gaps. And the boy charging toward me. A faint smile appeared on Count Elcryer¡¯s face as he prepared his magic. That Opel kid was probably his hidden card. However. ¡°¡­?!¡± The Count¡¯s eyes widened greatly when he saw the girl who had appeared beside me. A girl in her usual outing clothes. Looking at her, I slowly called her name. ¡°Irene.¡± Irene Elcryer. The witch who killed Count Elcryer after he rose to Duke, and became the master of the source after devouring the Black Sun. Looking at the tentacles approaching them with curious eyes, she turned to me and said. ¡°Can I really eat all of this?¡± Unlike Opel from before, she had an innocent appearance with no trace of malice. Looking at her, I silently nodded. ¡°Hehe!¡± A broad smile spread across Irene¡¯s face at my agreement. Whoosh-! And the shadows began to cover the entire space where we were standing. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 80 #080 Irene is a fusion of human and monster. A monster¡¯s mana core sitting near her heart where a magic circuit should be. The monster tissue implanted where inscriptions should be has completely merged with her body through continuous growth. An intermediary with a human interior and a monster¡¯s flesh. A seed of catastrophe that would open the Great Rupture by sacrificing hundreds of thousands of people. If I had wanted to avoid that catastrophe, I should have killed her when I escaped from Elcidore. I should have eliminated the possibility of a Black Witch before the terrible seed of catastrophe could grow further. ¡®However, I didn¡¯t do that.¡¯ Count Elcidore. Imperial Youth Military Academy. The eastern front full of monsters, and the western front full of Republican forces. Even while rushing around the vast empire from north to south and east to west, I always kept Irene by my side. And while keeping her close, I accelerated Irene¡¯s growth. ¡®Eugene¡­? Why¡­?¡¯ ¡®How could you¡­ do this to us¡­!¡¯ I fed her all the talented Knifehead members. ¡®Well done, Eugene.¡¯ I fed her Ben, the five-stroke mage who was my supervisor. The Republican magicians who attacked Mari. The monsters encountered on both eastern and western fronts. Even the Revolutionary Army magicians killed after interrogation. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I diligently fed them all to her. So that her power could grow even stronger. So that she could perfectly control and utilize the Black Witch¡¯s power I had seen in the game. And finally, after all this time spent carefully nurturing her, it has borne fruit. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, I lifted my head to look at the scene before me. Irene¡¯s shadow covering the sky. The countless eyes and teeth emerging through that shadow. The source of all that dark and murky energy was looking back at me with a smile. ¡°Eugene!¡± The girl calling my name with an innocent smile, Irene. She who was the worst boss in the game has now become my weapon. *** ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°Deploy barriers! Deploy barriers!¡± ¡°Form tight formations! Link the spell formations! Quickly! If not, we¡¯ll be eaten first!¡± The first to shout at the shadow covering the sky were the knights of House Gloucester. The Special Magic Unit members who had been carrying out missions together followed their instructions to activate barriers, while the Count¡¯s knights immediately activated their magic imprints. Fwaaash¨C! The Gloucester magic imprint learned from the Count, [Guardian of the Thorn Garden] When the inscription specialized in purifying contamination glowed green, wooden walls formed around the gathered troops. ¡°They¡¯re coming!¡± ¡°All units aim!¡± ¡°Those at the front, focus on the barriers! Do as we trained!¡± Through gaps in the makeshift fortification of bushes created by Gloucester knights and Special Magic Unit members, the Special Magic Unit members aimed their guns, and Guille and Leopold immediately raised their hands. ¡°Fire-!¡± Kwakakakaang¡ª! With their shouts, dozens of magic bullets exploded, incinerating the disciples positioned at the front. The Gloucester knights¡¯ purification spells and barriers. The Special Magic Unit members¡¯ magical power maintaining those barriers, and the firepower from their magic bullets. When their formation that complemented each other was completed, uncertainty spread among the disciples who had been firing magic randomly. ¡°Enemy firepower exceeds ours.¡± ¡°Enemy forces are more threatening than anticipated.¡± ¡°Change of strategy. Retreat into the fortress¡­!¡± Crunch-! Some disciples tried to turn back, but it was already too late. A bizarre sound from beneath their feet. Only after hearing that sound did they realize their legs were no longer moving. Creak, creak. The black shadow crawling up their feet. Seeing the teeth and eyes sprouting all over the shadow, the disciples froze in place as if petrified. Puppets who only knew how to follow orders, their thinking capacity surgically reduced. No wonder their brains overloaded when faced with such an unexpected situation. ¡°N-no¡­!¡± Before the screams from some disciples could even finish. Crunch-! Irene¡¯s shadow devoured all the disciples who had entered its domain without exception. The disciples struggled like they were sinking in a swamp as they fell into the shadow. The numerous mouths and eyes that sprouted from the shadow were satisfying their hunger by voraciously devouring them. ¡°Eugene. You, what is this¡­¡± ¡°Lady Irene? The young lady who always accompanied the Commander? Did she do this¡­?¡± The Special Magic Unit members were equally shocked at the scene unfolding before them. Irene¡¯s presence that appeared without warning. Walking through an area full of monster contamination without protective gear. And the bizarre black shadow that moved according to her gestures, devouring enemies. If even senior officers like Guille and Leopold were like this, the soldiers¡¯ unease was obvious. How should I handle keeping these guys quiet? While I was thinking about this, an explosion rang out from one side of the fortress. Kwaaaang¨C! As one wall section burst open, it revealed Elcryer Count and Margrave Gloucester locked in combat. Without hesitation, I loaded a magic bullet into Heresy and aimed at Count Elcryer who stood at the front. ¡°Hmm?!¡± The Count, engaged in close combat with Margrave Gloucester. As if noticing my presence, the Margrave dodged the sword striking at him and kicked up at Count Elcryer¡¯s chest. ¡°Now!¡± As expected of an old man who¡¯s been through it all, his situation awareness is remarkable. I immediately activated [Eye of Horus] and pulled the trigger while aiming at the Count¡¯s heart. Kiiiiing¨C! Penetration spell, [Spear of Mithra] Though the Count belatedly deployed a barrier after noticing me, my magic enhanced by the magic bullet tore through his barrier like paper. Splat-! The Count¡¯s left arm fell to the ground in tatters. Seeing this, I clicked my tongue quietly. Even for a non-combat magician, he was still the head of a magic noble house. I had aimed for his right arm with the magic imprint, but he had twisted his body to dodge in that instant. ¡°¡­¡± The Count stared at his fallen left arm for a long while. His expression showing no sign of pain gave both me and Margrave Gloucester an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. But that was only momentary. Confirming the battlefield had been cleared, Count Gloucester immediately signaled to his knights. Shing-! The Gloucester knights surrounded the Count, pointing swords drawn from their chests. Seeing this, Count Gloucester looked towards me and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Thanks to you, I saved my life. So in return, I won¡¯t ask about what that child is.¡± He means he¡¯ll keep quiet about Irene¡¯s existence. However, his eyes looking at Irene were no longer warm and friendly like before. ¡°But that¡¯s all. Once everything is over¡­¡± ¡°Irene will never enter Gloucester territory again.¡± Hearing my words, the Margrave nodded with a heavy expression. It¡¯s natural he would react like this, finding out that someone he had been laughing and talking with until yesterday was actually a monster. ¡°Count Martin Elcryer.¡± With the brief exchange over, it was time to do what needed to be done. The Margrave, his expression hardened, approached Count Elcryer who was surrounded by knights. ¡°Surrender quietly. If you move even a single step¡­¡± ¡°How strange.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The Count¡¯s sudden voice. Count Elcryer raised his head and was staring at me with widely opened eyes. ¡°I thought everything was going according to plan.¡± ¡°Plan?¡± ¡°The knights used as bait. The fortress waiting with perception interference magic active. The thousands of disciples prepared for this day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Every element was moving under my control, and you all fell precisely into that trap.¡± He was right. The Special Magic Unit was already exhausted from one battle, and there was a limit to the firepower they could produce with magic bullets. If he sent out disciples to deplete the Special Magic Unit¡¯s magical power and then held out in the fortress, we would have had no choice but to retreat. Moreover, Elcryer was one of the 12 Great Magic Houses. Though both were magic noble houses, he had more allies than Margrave Gloucester who was tied to the frontier, and more influence in the central government. If we let him escape now, it would take years to prove the charges, and then several more years to apply imperial law to those charges. That would be more than enough time to build a new fortress and continue his research. ¡°However¡­¡± Speaking thus, Count Elcryer slowly raised his hand. ¡°You have been acting as if you knew all about this plan.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Count¡¯s finger was pointing at me. Around when the Margrave¡¯s face contorted, Count Elcryer began spewing words endlessly as if in a trance. ¡°You mobilized all members for an exploration mission where only three knights went missing, immediately deduced my connection to Elcidore, and effortlessly countered my hidden card.¡± Saying this, the Count looked at Irene standing beside me. ¡°Irene. Using the ¡®Queen¡¯s Factor¡¯ that was taken by Elcidore long ago and thought to be irretrievable.¡± This bastard¡¯s spouting settings that only he knows again. Queen¡¯s Factor? What¡¯s that supposed to mean? ¡°How were you able to arrange all of this? How could you, who had no connection to Gloucester territory, deduce and respond to all of this? Just how?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The reason was simple. From the moment I first came to Gloucester territory, my target was Count Elcryer. To prevent the ¡®Black Sun Incident¡¯ he would cause and catch the magic noble red-handed. Even revealing Irene, who I had kept hidden all this time, was for that purpose. From the moment Irene and I arrived here, it meant the Count¡¯s plan had failed. ¡°That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now.¡± Instead of answering the Count¡¯s question, I raised my gun and aimed it at his face. ¡°What¡¯s important is that you conducted research related to monsters, and Margrave Gloucester and I witnessed this fact.¡± Now, from here I must pass sentence not as a mere enemy, but as a soldier of the Empire. After clearing my throat, I changed my tone and spoke to the Count. ¡°Count Elcryer. Your illegal activities will be reported to the imperial capital, and the imperial family will not overlook this. In the worst case¡­¡± After a brief pause, I spoke in a cold voice like passing judgment. ¡°By His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s command, you may be designated as an imperial target.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was Margrave Gloucester who bulged his eyes at those words. Target designation. A legal measure that was applied to Irene in the original work, it was a state-level elimination order. ¡°Family, relatives, collaborators, friends, associates and so on. His Majesty¡¯s decree to erase all connections of the designated target. If this is issued, House Elcryer¡­¡± ¡°Will literally cease to exist.¡± An emotionless voice addressed me. No reaction when his left arm was shattered, no sign of being shaken even when threatened with his house¡¯s destruction. The Count was only staring at my face with eyes full of an inexplicable yearning. Creepy bastard. Just as I thought that, the Count¡¯s face twisted into a grotesque smile. ¡°But none of that matters anymore.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At that unexpected response, just as my face and the Margrave¡¯s contorted. Poof-! Count Elcryer¡¯s body, surrounded by knights, exploded into pieces right there. ¡°W-what?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s this suddenly¡­!¡± The Count¡¯s body vanishing without any warning. While Gloucester¡¯s knights were thrown into confusion, I alternated between recalling the original work¡¯s content and this situation. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Feeling a throbbing in my head, I spat out a curse. The suddenly exploding main body. And with it, the start of phase 2. It was the same setup as the ¡®Black Witch¡¯ boss battle. ¡®Thinking that Opel was the experimental subject who replaced Irene. That itself was the mistake.¡¯ Rumble-! As soon as that thought finished, the ground shook and something began rising from the center of the fortress. A black sphere that endlessly absorbed light. The Count¡¯s new body beginning to form in its center. Seeing that, I finally realized. That the experimental subject chosen to replace Irene was Count Elcryer himself. ¡°Commander Eugene. Just what is¡­¡± ¡°Prepare yourself, Your Lordship.¡± Kuooo¡ª! Black toxic energy was seeping out from small cracks appearing in the black sphere. Mixed with that bizarre sound were cries that blended beast and human screams. I activated my magic circuit at maximum output and replenished magical power by firing the magic bullet loaded in Heresy. ¡°If we can¡¯t stop it, the territory of Gloucester will be destroyed.¡± The magic imprint glowed red from the magic bullet¡¯s overload, and magical power at its critical point surged up my arm. The sixth stroke of [Wings of Crimson] was glowing red, filled with my magical power. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 81 #081 ¡°Damn it, open fire! Open fire!¡± Boom¨C! The Special Magical Power Unit members were the first to react when abnormal signs were detected from the Count. Dozens of artillery shells loaded with magic bullets unleashed at maximum firepower. Though the terrifying firepower that had slaughtered thousands of Republican soldiers enveloped the Count¡¯s body, I knew that attack would be useless. Gooo¡­! When the smoke cleared, what appeared was a massive black sphere. And right below it, Count Elcryer looking down at us. Seeing that avant-garde sight, Count Gloucester gritted his teeth. ¡°Great Rupture¡­!¡± Bewilderment, rage. And the deep fear underlying them. These were emotions anyone who experienced the Great War would feel. The cursed source of power that transformed the current continent into hell. It had appeared before his eyes once again. ¡°What a peculiar sensation.¡± As if the previous attack meant nothing, the Count slowly opened his mouth while gazing at the Great Rupture. A voice filled with magical power. It was a voice containing magical power in its purest form, emanating not from a human magic circuit but from a monster¡¯s mana core. ¡°Power surging throughout my body. Magical power moving freely without going through inscriptions or formulas. And¡­¡± After carefully examining his reborn body, he finally looked at the Great Rupture he had summoned. ¡°Even this bizarre voice ordering me to kill humans.¡± Crack-! Just as he was about to continue speaking, a stake woven from thorny vines pierced through the Count¡¯s shoulder. The Count¡¯s shoulder gradually turning white. It was shot by Margrave Gloucester. ¡°You¡­ Do you realize what you¡¯ve done?!¡± As if enraged to his limit, magical power swirled around the Margrave. Magical power surging as if hit by magic bullets. One could easily guess the extent of his anger, given that the surrounding contamination was being purified even without casting magic. ¡°Creating a Great Rupture! Bringing back that terrible seed of disaster to this continent again! Just what are you trying to accomplish with such nonsense¡­!¡± ¡°What am I trying to accomplish, you ask?¡± Crumble-! The Count¡¯s shoulder that had hardened and crumbled like a plaster statue instantly regenerated. Not human flesh, but a body made of magical power flowing from the rupture. Seeing that, the Margrave¡¯s face twisted. This can¡¯t even be called human anymore. While he was muttering that, Count Elcryer waved his hand as if to demonstrate his reason. And at that moment. ¡°Grrrr, grrrrr¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Grotesque figures with twisted faces dripping black liquid and mucus crawled out through the rupture. Thud-! Thud-! Not monsters generated from contaminated areas, but ones that directly crossed over through the Great Rupture. Seeing dozens of monsters staring at them, the knights¡¯ eyes filled with shock. ¡°This is insane, those are high-rank monsters¡­¡± ¡°Even one is tough enough, and now they¡¯re in a pack¡­!¡± A pressure completely different from the disciples they had just subdued. However, the Count¡¯s actions didn¡¯t stop at simply summoning them. ¡°Bow your heads.¡± As soon as the Count finished speaking, the monsters that had been looking around slowly lowered their heads. ¡°You can control monsters at will.¡± A gesture seemingly showing submission. Seeing that, Margrave Gloucester clenched his teeth. ¡°The power to artificially create Great Ruptures and freely control the monsters that emerge from them¡­ The Emperor feared this power and strictly forbade it.¡± After saying that, Count Elcryer clenched his fist. ¡°But look. The monsters obeying my commands, and the perfectly controlled Great Rupture.¡± Speaking as if giving a speech, Count Elcryer spread both arms and said. ¡°Misguided fear of knowledge has hindered this marvelous and amazing progress. And I have overcome that persecution to reach the source¡­!¡± Crash¡ª! Just as the Count was about to continue, a massive fist made of hundreds of intertwined tree branches struck his body. ¡°So in the end, you summoned this absurd disaster just to obtain that worthless knowledge.¡± Margrave Gloucester walking forward with a chilling voice. As his inscription emitted a brilliant green light, the black contamination eating away at the surroundings began to dissipate like scattered dust. ¡°Without knowing how many people those monsters you summoned will kill, how many humans have died meaninglessly because of that rupture you brought forth¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re trapped in misguided morality and can¡¯t see the bigger picture, Lord Gloucester.¡± Hiss-! The mass of trees summoned by the Margrave melted into darkness, and the Count¡¯s face appeared in the center. ¡°The pursuit of truth and progress through it. Compared to the prosperity and light it will bring, what¡¯s so precious about human lives?¡± ¡°What¡­ did you say¡­!¡± Eyes stained black and a pale face. Seeing that face with its maniacal smile and the monsters revealing themselves one by one around him, I recalled the [Black Sun Incident] from the original work. Elcryer, who had been operating in secret in Gloucester¡¯s territory. He had been researching methods to fuse humans with monsters and artificially create Great Ruptures. Horrific human experiments that abandoned all human morality. After piling up countless corpses like mountains, he was able to produce several remarkable research results. The ability Count Elcryer displayed was one of many powers discovered that way. If a human brain could be fused with a monster¡¯s body, he could interfere with the hive mind that controls monsters. ¡®However, that¡¯s where it ended in the original.¡¯ In the original, his chosen test subject wasn¡¯t the Count himself but Irene. Irene, who became the test subject, had her mind completely dominated by the collective consciousness flowing from the Great Rupture and went berserk, while Count Elcryer and his disciples met their fate being devoured by Irene¡¯s tentacles without leaving a trace. The seeker of the source died at the hands of his creation, and the seed of disaster, consumed by hunger and madness, arrived at Gloucester territory seeking prey. That¡¯s how the [Black Sun Incident] unfolded. It was a great calamity where the Great Rupture that appeared in the center of the territory devoured all the territory¡¯s people and transformed them into monsters. ¡®However, Irene escaped that fate.¡¯ And instead, Count Elcryer himself accepted that power, and now he¡¯s blocking my path. Count Elcryer, who made himself the test subject and accepted the power of the Great Rupture. This was the result created by my choice. ¡®Somehow it seems the difficulty is even higher than the original game.¡¯ Thinking about it in terms of [Revolution Empire]¡¯s system made it even more apparent. ¡®Head Family Magician class¡¯ ¨C the highest tier among human-type bosses. ¡®Fusion-type Monster¡¯ ¨C the highest tier among monsters. The difficulty would be mind-breaking even with just these two appearing together, but now we also had high-rank monsters thrown in as a bonus. If I were sitting in front of a monitor, I would have immediately demanded a refund while shouting ¡°This is bullshit, fuck this trash game!¡± But there was no choice. Where I stood wasn¡¯t inside a game but reality. If I ran away, only death awaited at the end. It was bad enough being possessed into this trash game, but now I should just give up and become monster food? After all the hell I went through to get here, should I quietly give up and meet the same end as the original protagonist? Fuck that. Click-! ¡°Hmm?¡± I aimed my gun forward while releasing magical power charged with magic bullets. ¡®One fortunate point is that our forces aren¡¯t inferior to that bastard.¡¯ Kalkas Gloucester with his seven stroke imprint, and the knights following him. Two companions supporting my back, and the Special Magical Power Unit they command. And finally Irene, the fusion being who overwhelmed Elcryer¡¯s test subject. Unlike the Revolutionary Army rabble who couldn¡¯t be trusted, the allies fighting alongside me now had overwhelming specs. And one more reason why I could find hope. ¡®Count Elcryer is a researcher. He¡¯s naturally far from combat.¡¯ It was something I realized from the battle just now. An overwhelming situation with numerical superiority and fortress occupation. Yet instead of utilizing those advantages, Count Elcryer made the incomprehensible blunder of opening the fortress gates and coming out to meet my unit. ¡®Moreover, the disciples who came out weren¡¯t even given proper missions, they just randomly fired magic and tried to push through with numbers alone.¡¯ A rookie mistake that anyone with even basic military training would never make. Seeing that, I could be certain. Though he was good at number games, he had no experience commanding a battlefield where situations changed moment by moment like this. To make matters worse, the enemy was caught up in and showing off his newly acquired power. ¡®If we strike at an unexpected moment, we can definitely exploit this.¡¯ Whoosh¡ª! ¡°Grrk?!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Chains formed of magical power wrapped around the monsters¡¯ bodies, and dozens of Hellfire circles spread beneath them. ¡°These ones first.¡± Whoosh¡ª! The monsters were thoroughly roasted by pillars of flame that instantly shot up. However, I didn¡¯t hesitate to order the waiting members behind me. These weren¡¯t ordinary monsters that could be dealt with just like this. ¡°Aim for their heads! You have to burn them completely before they regenerate!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Whoosh-! The Special Magic Unit members¡¯ gun muzzles spewed fire simultaneously with the battalion commander¡¯s order. Dozens of magic bullets scorched the regenerating wound areas again, beginning to burn the monsters¡¯ bodily tissues without a trace. With the outer shell stripped away by Hellfire and the Special Magic Unit¡¯s bombardment. In this state, attacks from the Gloucester knights with purification formulas should be effective! ¡°Your Lordship!¡± ¡°I know!¡± Receiving my signal, Margrave Gloucester and his knights charged at the monsters. ¡°Kwaaack?!¡± ¡°Kwok! Kwaok-!¡± Neck, thigh, heart. The Gloucester knights¡¯ kukris targeting the monsters¡¯ vital points instantly turned five monsters into corpses. ¡°Indeed, an excellent strategy. Such spirit that can¡¯t even be compared to a mere scholar like myself.¡± Thanks for the praise, you bastard. The Count smiled with the characteristic composure of an absolute being and gestured toward the monsters as if ordering them to clean up something bothersome. ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡°Kwaaaaaok¨C!¡± Crack-! Crack-! The high-rank monsters broke through the chains I created and charged forward. Their main targets were the Gloucester knights forming the purification zone. ¡°Here come the real ones! Everyone withdraw! The next support¡­¡± ¡°Damn, this bastard got my protective suit¡­! Gaaah?!¡± ¡°Willace!¡± As over twenty monsters charged all at once, casualties began appearing among the knights. Two dead. One with damaged protective gear. About one-fifth of our knight forces were lost in a single clash. However. Crack-! ¡°Kwaok?!¡± The knights who were sent flying by the monsters¡¯ attacks got back up and stabbed at the monsters¡¯ necks. Their gas mask lenses shattered, inhaling the poisonous air of the contaminated zone. Though their bodies could never return alive, their faces bore confident smiles. ¡°We die here. However¡­!¡± ¡°Your Lordship, our revenge¡­!¡± The knights spoke while looking at the Count rather than the monsters. While wondering about their words, Margrave Gloucester¡¯s figure appeared right in front of the Count. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay dearly for my subordinates¡¯ lives.¡± ¡°Oho¡­!¡± Suppressing the initial engagement with firepower superiority, the knights¡¯ charge, and the Count¡¯s assault exploiting that gap. While briefly admiring the smoothly connected combination, the Count transformed his hand into dozens of tentacles. ¡°Irene!¡± Crack¨C! However, what met him were Irene¡¯s tentacles shooting out from the shadows. Seeing the monster tissue tangled together, the Count¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Can¡¯t cut through? That¡¯s impossible. As an individual, I should be superior¡­¡± And in that moment when he was distracted by Irene¡¯s tentacles. ¡°Where are you looking now?¡± ¡°?!¡± Crack-! Along with a bright light, Margrave Gloucester¡¯s stake pierced through the Count¡¯s body. Unlike before, tree branches suppressed all the vital points of his body. As the Count¡¯s body shook like a broken doll, I immediately prepared the next formula. ¡°Irene! Your Lordship! Get away!¡± Click-! Click-! Five magic bullets fired simultaneously. The magic circuit operating at maximum output felt like it would burst at any moment, and the magical power released transformed into two magic circles floating above my shoulders. Screech¨C! [Spear of Mithra], an attack formula with penetration pushed to the extreme. That beam which had broken through Claude¡¯s barrier instantly blew away half of Count Elcryer¡¯s face and abdomen. ¡°Ah¡­ Aah¡­¡± The Count seemed unable to make sounds, as if his vocal organs were destroyed. Not missing that opening, the Margrave immediately swung his kukri and severed his neck. Slash-! The Count¡¯s body crumbled instantly after losing his head. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­¡± After confirming the Count wasn¡¯t moving anymore, Margrave Gloucester who lowered his guard took heavy breaths. ¡°We can¡¯t rest yet, Eugene. He¡¯ll regenerate soon! We need to deal with the remaining monsters and that rupture as quickly as possible¡­!¡± ¡°I know.¡± There¡¯s only one way to close the rupture. I immediately approached Count Elcryer and aimed my Heresy at the Count¡¯s heart. ¡°If we destroy that heart, the Great Rupture you created will disappear too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong? Count Elcryer.¡± Saying that, I pulled the gun¡¯s trigger without hesitation and. ¡°How impressive that you know that.¡± Thump. The Count¡¯s headless corpse immediately grabbed my wrist. ¡°Wh-What?! Eugene¡­!¡± ¡°Infiltration begin.¡± Crack¡ª! Though Margrave Gloucester who belatedly realized it swung his sword, the tentacles that shot out from the Count¡¯s body were even faster. The Count¡¯s extremities crawling through my blood vessels, passing through my magical power circuits, and immediately burrowing into my brain¡¯s center. ¡®This is one of the techniques I obtained through the deal with Elcidore.¡¯ As if time had stopped, all vision froze and his consciousness and will began flowing into my mind. ¡®Mental domination. A formula to dominate the opponent¡¯s brain and steal their body¡­ From the moment the battle began, this was all I aimed for.¡¯ Persistent bastard. Thinking that, I desperately resisted his will. ¡®When we first spoke, you didn¡¯t answer my question.¡¯ ¡®Question?¡¯ ¡®How you knew about my plans. How you discovered my relationship with Elcidore and countered my hidden card.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll regret knowing.¡¯ ¡®No, that¡¯s impossible.¡¯ As he quietly said that, the Count¡¯s will digging into my mind grew even stronger. ¡®I felt it from the first time I saw you. Your actions, and your attitude. They¡¯re not something a normal human could show.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®What are you? Why do you know me, know my plans, and know how to counter them?¡¯ My head felt like it would burst into flames. Desire for knowledge. Curiosity trying to dig up what¡¯s unknown. The feeling of a will that wasn¡¯t mine shaking up my mind was truly unbearable. ¡®You don¡¯t need to tell me. There¡¯s no need.¡¯ ¡®What¡­!¡¯ ¡®I just need to dig all the way into your mind, dominate your body, and find out the truth.¡¯ With those words, Elcryer¡¯s will dug deeper and deeper into my mind. Meeting with Gloucester. The battles on the Eastern Front. The audience with the Emperor. Claude. Keiren. Elcidore. And up to that moment when I opened my eyes in the slums¡¯ gutter. ¡®I see. The Emperor is one who sees the future. That¡¯s why he tried to block me and my plans.¡¯ ¡®Claude? Betrayal? I see. You also have the same ability as the Emperor¡­! That¡¯s how you could know my plans in advance and prepare!¡¯ ¡®This is truly amazing. A returner from the future! More, I need more knowledge, more materials for progress¡­!¡¯ Deeper and deeper like that. Count Elcryer¡¯s will greedily dug through my memories and knowledge and. ¡®¡­Huh?¡¯ At the end of that torrent of memories, he suddenly stopped moving. ¡®No, no. This can¡¯t be¡­ This can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ The Count¡¯s will that had stopped was filled with confusion. As if he had learned something he shouldn¡¯t have known. As if he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have seen. ¡®Your¡­ These memories¡­¡¯ His consciousness was enveloped in indescribable terror, as if afraid to acknowledge the truth. ¡®That¡¯s why I told you.¡¯ I slowly looked at the point where he had stopped. A monitor glowing in a dark room. Piles of garbage. In the middle of it all lay the corpse of who I once was, human Seong Yu-jin. ¡®You would regret it.¡¯ Hearing my answer, Count Elcryer¡¯s will was consumed by despair. He now knew the fact that he was a character in a game. That he was a fictional being. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 82 #082 ¡®How does it feel to have reached the origin you so desperately wanted, Martin Elcryer?¡¯ That¡¯s what I asked the intruder in my mind. No, actually, there was no need to ask. Count Elcryer¡¯s will was still in confusion, repeatedly asking questions and making conjectures. ¡®A game? Are you saying this world I exist in is merely a product created for entertainment?¡¯ ¡®Just a collection of numbers, ones and zeros, recorded in an electrical machine?¡¯ ¡®Are you telling me that everything I¡¯ve been researching was nothing more than such a trivial existence?¡¯ ¡®That all the life I¡¯ve lived until now was just an existence in an illusion with no substance?¡¯ ¡®Then, what meaningless things have I been doing until now¡­!¡¯ If someone else had learned this truth, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been this confused. Even if they learned they were beings in a creative work, their purpose wouldn¡¯t have changed. However, Count Elcryer was different. His purpose was the pursuit of truth and uncovering the world¡¯s origin. For someone like that, learning this world was a product of fiction would naturally drive them mad. ¡®How¡­¡¯ After a period of confusion and despair, Count Elcryer asked me for the first time. ¡®How can you remain so calm?¡¯ Whoosh-! My vision flickered, and a white empty space appeared. The protagonist¡¯s inner world that had appeared several times in the game. When I turned my head, there was the Count, looking incomparably more haggard than before. ¡°If this world is a creative work, a world within a story created by humans, you don¡¯t need to rush about trying to change the future. Why?! Because whatever you do, this world is nothing but an illusion!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Whether you pursue truth, ruin the revolution, face the Republic¡¯s invasion, or stop monster invasions! All of it is meaningless and futile!¡± The Count wailed with an agonized face, as if coughing up blood. ¡°But you, why do you¡­!¡± To the Count¡¯s question, I answered with a bitter smile. ¡°There¡¯s no reason. Fuck, I¡¯m doing it because I want to.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± The Count turned to me with wide eyes. It was both satisfying and disappointing to see such dynamic emotional expression from someone who usually just snickered. ¡°As you said, this world is a space within a game. And I might be just a collection of binary numbers, a picture drawn on paper, or maybe a line of text written in a book.¡± No, I¡¯d even thought it might be worse than that. The thought that all of this might be just a passing vision. The thought that the real me might still be panting in front of a lit monitor, and everything I¡¯d experienced until now might be just a moment¡¯s illusion. ¡°Have you thought about what would happen at the moment all your planned objectives are achieved? Wouldn¡¯t you return to that cold reality? Then what is the meaning of everything I¡¯m doing now? All the countless imaginings and agonizing thoughts.¡± ¡°Then, why¡­?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m still alive.¡± One realizes the futility of life when facing death. Even if everything I¡¯m experiencing is an illusion, the moment to realize that would be when death is imminent, not now. What¡¯s important isn¡¯t the past that hasn¡¯t come, but the vivid, breathing present. This was the truth realized by me, Seong Yu-jin, collapsed on the cold floor. ¡°I will survive.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll survive and change this game¡¯s ending.¡± All the scenery I¡¯ve seen. All the events I¡¯ve experienced. All the enemies I¡¯ve met. I didn¡¯t care if all of it was just a combination of data with no substance. I want to twist the end of this story made of betrayal and destruction with my own will. That thought I had just before dying was my will without a shred of falsehood. Because that emotion I felt while watching the protagonist¡¯s end was purely and truly mine, without any deception. Whooom¨C At that moment, an anomaly occurred in the mental world where the Count and I stood. The Count¡¯s will that had infiltrated my mind began to fade, and the stopped time began to move again. ¡®What¡¯s this? Did he give up?¡¯ I thought that and turned toward the Count, but something was strange. Even in this situation where the connection was breaking, the Count was also panicking. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why is the connection¡­!¡± This wasn¡¯t his intention? Then why is the connection breaking? ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what it was!¡± During this, the increasingly fading Count Elcryer shouted urgently. ¡°Just as I interfered with your mind, you too can interfere with mine¡­!¡± Mental interference? Me? What nonsense is that? While I was thinking this, the answer came from elsewhere. ¡°Yes.¡± A short answer. At the bizarre voice mixed with metallic sounds, I immediately turned to my side. In the pure white mental world. What was there was only the gradually disappearing Count Elcryer and me with the red magic imprint glowing on my arm. That should have been all¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Another will stood shoulder to shoulder with me. A man wearing not the black uniform of the Special Magic Unit, but the outfit worn by Revolutionary Army members. A being with a body covered in wounds and unkempt hair, glowing with the magic imprint of Red Wings. The hero of the Revolutionary Army, Eugene Lorentz. Whoosh-! Along with a brilliantly burning red light, Count Elcryer¡¯s will disappeared. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Like a moth burning away in flames, the mental world gradually scattered. As I felt this, I faced the being standing beside me with wide eyes. The occasional emotions that weren¡¯t mine. Anger that the original me wouldn¡¯t have felt. The cause of it all was standing before me now. ¡°You¡­!¡± Countless questions rose to my throat at once. Who possessed me? Why me of all people? Why the protagonist specifically? Is it possible to change the future? As I opened my mouth toward the real Eugene Lorentz with countless questions and doubts. ¡°Not yet.¡± Eugene, wearing the Revolutionary Army clothes, turned his back with those brief words. This bastard, suddenly appearing and doing whatever he wants, and what? Not yet? What bullshit is this asshole spouting? If you were going to come out, you should have done it earlier, not sneaking out right before death to act cool. Do you know what hell I¡¯ve been through because of this damn possession¡­! ¡°But I¡¯ll tell you one thing.¡± While I was thinking this, Eugene turned his head toward me and looked at me. ¡°This place where you are isn¡¯t just an illusion.¡± Empty pupils and haggard eyes. The face of a fallen hero who seemed to have given up everything was smiling at me. *** ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Eugene! Are you conscious?!¡± When I opened my eyes, what appeared before me was a battlefield in chaos. ¡°His tentacles penetrated your body. Are you really alright? What did he do to you¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s all over.¡± Although many conversations had taken place, in reality, only a moment had passed. Margrave Gloucester had cut off the Count¡¯s arm in that brief time, and the Count¡¯s corpse had crumbled into black ashes. After confirming this, I let out a low sigh. ¡°Count Elcryer has completely perished.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± After saying that, I got up and picked up something glinting from the Count¡¯s ash pile. Elcryer¡¯s magic imprint, which hadn¡¯t lost its form even in this state. With this, I now had two of the twelve seven stroke imprints in my possession. ¡®The core imprint of Elcryer, one of the 12 Great Magic Houses. Not bad as a trophy, but¡­¡¯ Thinking that, I alternately looked at the contamination density meter that continued to rise and the sky. Grooo¡­¡­ The Great Rupture that continued to maintain its form despite Count Elcryer¡¯s death. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the rupture supposed to disappear when the heart was destroyed?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t destroy it. The moment I tried to cut it out with my sword, it crumbled along with the body.¡± In other words, it regenerated inside the rupture. With the soul destroyed, only the heart survived to maintain the Great Rupture. This meant that the rupture was now running wild without its master. ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡± The black hole had grown large enough to cover the entire fortress. Looking at it, Margrave Gloucester gritted his teeth. ¡°Your troops are exhausted from continuous battle, and my knights are also at their limit. With their strength¡­¡± ¡°It would be impossible to stop the monsters that will emerge from there.¡± Count Gloucester nodded at my words. The best option would be to return to the domain as quickly as possible and evacuate the residents. Adding to that, Margrave Gloucester looked at me and said. ¡°I leave the knights to you. You and the Special Magic Unit should return as well.¡± ¡°What do you plan to do, Your Lordship?¡± ¡°What else? I must end this.¡± Saying that, Margrave Gloucester activated his seven stroke magic formula. Whoosh-! Green energy spread throughout the space, with complex magic formulas floating above it. It reminded me of the battle at Castle Elcidore. The highest-level magic inscribed in the seven stroke inscription. The Margrave was now trying to use it. ¡°Wide-area purification?!¡± ¡°Your Lordship, you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°There are no auxiliary magic circles here, no mages to assist with magical power! If you use it, your life will¡­!¡± Though the knights were startled and tried to stop him. ¡°Just as you made your vows, I too made mine. To protect this domain with my life.¡± At the Margrave¡¯s words, they all fell silent. ¡°This is a product of Elcryer¡¯s madness. If we don¡¯t purify it now, it will become uncontrollable later. Do you think the Empire, obsessed with civil war and conflict, can handle that?¡± I briefly considered the possibilities, but it was impossible. Gathering mages, sharing magic formulas, making purification plans. It might be possible in the long term, but time was too pressing. ¡°Stopping the second calamity that has come to the continent, and gloriously perishing along with the rupture.¡± The Margrave, sensing my thoughts, smiled while looking at the rupture before him. ¡°For an old man, this is quite a satisfactory end.¡± It might even warrant a biography or two. While the Margrave was drawing up magical power with a mischievous expression. Step- A black-haired girl in casual attire slowly stepped forward. ¡°¡­Irene?¡± ¡°I can talk to them.¡± Can talk? To what? As I was thinking this, I saw Irene¡¯s eyes as she turned toward me. ¡°¡­!¡± Not her usual amethyst eyes, but darkened pupils. I could instinctively understand. She was now connected to the collective consciousness of the monsters. ¡°The hole is talking to me. It¡¯s asking me to give orders. It says it will do anything I want.¡± It sent chills down my spine. The source spewing out monsters. The Great Rupture, a passage connecting this world with another realm. That Great Rupture was directly speaking to Irene? ¡°Eugene.¡± While I was thinking this. Irene, who called my name, tilted her head with her characteristically innocent face and asked me. ¡°What should I do with this?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Just thinking about the original protagonist¡¯s will being alive was enough trouble, and now the will of the monsters too. My head started to ache as unprecedented settings kept emerging. ¡®But I can¡¯t just remain shocked in this situation.¡¯ I tried to calm my surprised heart and said to Irene. ¡°Close it. Shut it tight so it never appears again.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± Swoosh-! Black tentacles flowing from her shadow were advancing toward the rupture. The rupture slowly accepted Irene¡¯s tentacles, as if welcoming a child home. Irene, closing her eyes with a bright smile, slowly opened her mouth. ¡°You can¡¯t come out.¡± With those words, the rupture that had been growing larger stopped moving. ¡°Yeah. They say they can¡¯t come out¡­ Why? Because Eugene said so.¡± ¡°No. Even though it looks tasty, Eugene says you can¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°Return? Promised land? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll ask Eugene later.¡± ¡°Of course I know. Eugene knows everything.¡± Irene continued talking to the rupture as if chatting with a friend. The rupture, which had rippled several times in response to her voice, gradually began to shrink, and eventually disappeared completely. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What just happened¡­?¡± By now, the faces of Margrave Gloucester and the others had turned pale. Yes, I found it absurd myself. Irene is both a fusion with monsters and [Black Witch], the boss monster who becomes the central figure in a major event. It¡¯s true that knowing her future, I took her out of prison and actively helped her grow while recruiting her. I also knew beforehand that the [Black Sun Incident] would be the return of the Great Rupture. But the power to open and close ruptures? Who could have imagined such an absurd power existed? ¡°Your Lordship.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± Looking at the pale-faced Margrave Gloucester, I slowly said. ¡°Your words about keeping Irene¡¯s existence confidential. They still hold true, right?¡± ¡°No need to worry about that.¡± Saying that, the Margrave looked around at the surviving knights and spoke. ¡°We only need to control the mouths of the people here, and there are hardly any outsiders in Gloucester territory. There¡¯s no worry about leaks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate then.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t the case, what were you planning to say?¡± At those words, I thought for a moment before slowly opening my mouth. ¡°Perhaps threaten to unleash a Great Rupture in Gloucester territory?¡± ¡°What a devilish fellow you are.¡± The Margrave shook his head and raised both hands. Complete surrender. It meant he was completely giving up on using Irene¡¯s existence to gain anything. ¡°So, what will you do now?¡± ¡°You mean about House Elcryer?¡± The Margrave nodded at my words and said. ¡°Unauthorized invasion of another noble¡¯s territory, monster research, human experimentation, and the catastrophe of opening a rupture himself. This is¡­¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s designated as an imperial crime, no one can complain about the situation.¡± Though my mind was still confused, we had gained much from this battle. Elcryer, who conducted experiments related to monsters. Elcidore, who provided test subjects to Elcryer. And the numerous nobles of the Empire who are ¡®presumed¡¯ to have condoned the cooperation between these two houses. We now had legitimate grounds to officially sanction them. ¡°Elcryer¡¯s subsidiary houses and Elcidore¡¯s remnants will be designated as imperial criminals.¡± ¡°And many nobles connected to them will undergo intense investigation.¡± The Margrave muttered, showing a faint smile as if pleased. ¡°Under His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s direction, the Empire will undergo major surgery.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And most importantly¡­¡± I turned around to look at the unit members who were getting up one by one. ¡°The blade to be used in that surgery will be our Special Magical Power Unit.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 83 #083 ¡°Six casualties¡­ Not bad considering they went into that monster-infested territory.¡± ¡°I think we should try changing the personnel formation. Having four-person fire teams is good, but the flanks keep getting exposed.¡± ¡°Maybe we should divide roles for the formation¡­ Thinking about it is giving me another headache.¡± Inside the returning airship. Gathered around the passenger cabin table, I and the Special Magic Unit officers were focused on post-battle procedures while chewing on cheese, a specialty provided by the Gloucester territory. Casualty count. Weapon inspection, strategy modification, and report writing. While soldiers who finished battle are given sweet rest, officers who finished battle find new work beginning. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Eugene! Look at this! It stretches! It¡¯s so delicious!¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± ¡°Here, Rennie too! Aah~!¡± ¡°Ah, no. I-I¡¯m fine¡­!¡± While Irene cheerfully held out a well-packaged chunk of cheese, the other officers including myself awkwardly smiled and waved it away. Now, three days after leaving the territory. The soldiers in the airship were at the point of cringing just from smelling cheese. The cheese that filled the storage compartment and even invaded the passenger cabin where I and the officers were. Right now, the only one happy looking at that was Irene, who was grinning while massacring the cheese. ¡°No. It¡¯s impossible.¡± Meanwhile, Rennie, who was wearing precision lenses instead of glasses, shook her head and spoke. What Rennie held in her hand was the Count Elcryer¡¯s seven stroke imprint, [Eyes that Observe the Abyss]. Originally, we had planned to use it as the base for the Special Magic Unit¡¯s standard imprint, but seeing Rennie¡¯s expression, even that seemed unfeasible. ¡°There¡¯s no way to make it work?¡± ¡°Hmm. Rather than explaining this¡­ it would be faster to show you.¡± Saying that, Rennie took out a piece of parchment from her carry bag and placed the imprint on top of it. And at that moment. Crackle-! ¡°Whoa?!¡± ¡°Wh-what is that?!¡± Seeing the black veins instantly spreading out from the center of the imprint, Leopold and Guille were startled. Rennie spoke with a short sigh. ¡°This imprint¡¯s magical power wavelength is completely different from humans¡¯. Forget creating derivative imprints, just implanting it would probably turn body parts into monster flesh.¡± ¡°Is there no way to purify it?¡± ¡°It might be possible if we take time¡­ but I can¡¯t guarantee how long it would take. Even if purification succeeds, I question whether this imprint would remain intact.¡± If an imprint specialist who ranked among the top even in-game says this, it was easier to assume there were no other options. ¡°So the imprint is a bust. That¡¯s a bit unfortunate.¡± ¡°But we still got something out of it. We gained a reliable ally in Gloucester after all.¡± Saying that, Guille pointed at the cheese filling this airship. ¡°How favorably must they view us to pack this expensive cheese so tightly? Right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s true.¡± Saying that, I opened one of the boxes labeled ¡®cheese¡¯. Woong- Instead of cheese, what was inside was monster mana cores emanating a mystical light. This was the real gift that Margrave Gloucester had provided ¨C the number one strategic resource needed to create magic imprints for the Special Magical Power Unit. ¡®Count Gloucester will support the Emperor and me in the upcoming reforms.¡¯ Just looking at how they diverted all the mana cores that should have gone to the Knight Order to our side shows their determination is clear. Gloucester¡¯s main products are oil, iron ore, and mana cores. Having secured a stable supply route for these means the relationship between the Empire and Gloucester will become even closer. However¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t our job anymore, right?¡± What comes after can be left to the politicians. If consultation requests come in, we can leave it to Erich. Speaking of which, I heard he just handed over the Special Magic Unit¡¯s administrative work to the staff below. Time to throw him some new work. I told you Erich. There¡¯s no paradise in the place you ran to. ¡°So Battalion Commander, where are we headed now?¡± While I was thinking about how to put the idle Erich to work, Leopold, who was looking out the window, asked me. After flying for three days straight, we arrived at a field a bit away from the imperial capital. Confirming we had reached our destination, I immediately spoke to my subordinate officers. ¡°Everyone, go to your cabins and get dressed in your formal uniforms.¡± ¡°Formal uniforms?¡± ¡°Why so suddenly?¡± To my sudden instruction, the confused members asked, and ¡°We need to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.¡± At my following words, everyone except Irene turned pale. *** ¡®Where did the Knight Order go! Withdrawal?! These crazy bastards, withdrawing in this situation¡­!¡¯ ¡®Battalion Commander, this way! Walter! Where are the weapons?!¡¯ It was a familiar nightmare. The Knight Order abandoning the frontline citing political logic. The monster invasion that followed, and the main camp being violated. My soldiers dying endlessly. Outstanding strategist. The Empire¡¯s great general. An incompetent youngster too focused on receiving such praise, who didn¡¯t even realize what was truly important. And what kind of catastrophe that fool met. ¡®Anna¡­ Anna¡­!¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t, Battalion Commander! The monsters are still¡­!¡¯ ¡®Let go Miriam! It couldn¡¯t have ended like this¡­! She must still be alive¡­!¡¯ ¡®Otto! What are you doing not coming quickly?!¡¯ A pandemonium of shouts and screams, cries and wails mixed together. Her corpse bursting out from the monster¡¯s entrails. And even the beating of the child writhing in that belly¡­ Anna. If I had magical power. If I had been just a little stronger. Could I have protected you? If only that were the case¡­ ¡°Lord Keiren.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Western Front Headquarters. Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant General Keiren Buckenheim opened his eyes surrounded by piles of documents in his office. ¡°How long was I like this?¡± ¡°About three hours.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡± ¡°What a great loss it would be if the Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief died from overwork.¡± Walter brought coffee to him as he chuckled. On his briefly exposed arm was a tattoo that didn¡¯t match his neat attire. 56. 11. 23. The text engraved on Keiren¡¯s shoulder, and on many others including Miriam and Otto. While looking at it, Walter, who had lit up the dark office, spoke. ¡°Were you dreaming about the 372nd Battalion days?¡± At Walter¡¯s words, Keiren smiled awkwardly and took a sip of the coffee placed in front of him. A liquid made by dumping sugar into cheap military supply coffee. Something that would horrify other high officials, but Keiren at the frontlines always drank only this. ¡°¡­I must have been quite rough in my sleep.¡± ¡°I could tell from your characteristic atmosphere. Without fail, when you furrow your brow, Lord Keiren.¡± Knowing someone too long isn¡¯t always good. Muttering that, Keiren nodded and leaned back in his chair. Almost 20 years since losing Anna. Yet the sense of loss and powerlessness felt then still weighed heavily on Keiren¡¯s heart. After some time passed like that. ¡°You originally didn¡¯t intend to go this far, did you?¡± When Walter spoke first, a strange light flickered in Keiren¡¯s eyes. It was quite unexpected for Walter, who rarely revealed his thoughts, to speak up. ¡°The Republic, monsters, magic nobles. You said to forget the grudges against them and focus on what remains. That¡¯s what you said, and I and others decided to follow those words.¡± Since it was a scene Keiren remembered as well, his answer came immediately. ¡°It was when Mari took her first steps.¡± The only thing Anna left him. Such a precious treasure. On that day when she stood on two legs and came towards him, Keiren had resolved to let everything go. ¡°That¡¯s how it was then, but how about now?¡± Keiren looked around at the numerous plans, blueprints, and strategic maps placed on his desk. Mari¡¯s happiness. That had been his only life goal, yet now he had become an ambitious figure shaking the entire Empire. When was the last time he saw Mari¡¯s face? Thinking about it now, it felt somewhat ridiculous. ¡°My current self must look quite foolish. Isn¡¯t that right, Walter?¡± ¡°No. The opposite.¡± Walter said. ¡°The young lady has grown enough to be independent now. She lives not by receiving our help, but by helping us.¡± If she had grown up like a greenhouse flower under his protection, this would never have happened. Understanding the implied meaning, Keiren smiled bitterly. ¡°You mean it¡¯s the change that Eugene brought about.¡± Truly it was. A child to send to the military in Mari¡¯s place. Someone he had thought would just be that much had grown this much already. Making him embrace again the ambitions he had given up. The child who made the Emperor who had given up on the Empire move again. And now, he was imprinting his existence as the symbol of the Imperial Army that killed the Republic¡¯s hero. The Emperor and himself. The one who would inherit the Empire they had operated on would probably be that child. Then his job was to quickly take control of the family and change this Empire. ¡°The armistice agreement proceeded as expected. The Republic lost much, and the Empire gained much.¡± Keiren said as he examined the newspaper. Starting with Major Klaus¡¯s defeat, the Imperial Army under Keiren¡¯s command drove back the Republic¡¯s forces everywhere with the Special Magical Power Unit at the forefront. This war that the Republic started and ended in the Republic¡¯s defeat. As the price for the armistice, the Empire was able to prepare for the next battle while occupying all major military strategic points, and various industrial bases and factories captured in this process came under Imperial control. ¡°And what¡¯s even better is that the spoils of this war became the possession of the Imperial Army and Imperial Family without exception.¡± Since the Knight Order and magic nobles stayed out of the war under the pretext of blocking the Revolutionary Army, it was only natural. Materials seized from the Republic. Industrial complexes. Farmland. These would become weapons to empower the Imperial Army in future political situations. And if that happens, they could further expand the Special Magical Power Unit that led this victory. As Eugene planned, it means they could be reborn as a military organization to replace the Knight Order and Magic Corps, not just expendable shock troops. ¡°How is the Special Magical Power Unit recruitment status?¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be going better.¡± Saying that, Walter showed the prepared documents. As a result of continued recruitment from various places, the Special Magical Power Unit had now secured a thousand new recruits. Thanks to this, the Special Magic Unit currently had staffing plans up to the 4th Battalion, including Eugene¡¯s 1st Battalion, 2nd Battalion, and 3rd Battalion. Moreover, what was even more surprising was¡­ ¡°A competition ratio of 17 to 1? You¡¯re saying seventeen thousand applied?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Hearing Walter¡¯s words, Keiren couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Seventeen thousand. Excluding those of noble birth, practically all magical power awakeners in the Empire had applied. ¡°I thought we just wouldn¡¯t have to worry about numbers, but this¡­¡± ¡°The barrier to entry is low and the benefits are great, after all.¡± The Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s first appearance left a unique impression on the Empire¡¯s people. Victory reports arriving day after day. The street parade by Eugene and his unit members. And even the medals bearing the Emperor¡¯s seal given to them. When this happened, Magic Awakeners throughout the Empire thought: Rather than going to the Knight Order with its barriers or the Magic Corps requiring military academy credentials, joining the Special Magical Power Unit would be much more beneficial. A smile appeared on Keiren¡¯s lips. If they just maintain this state. Overwhelming the Knight Order and Magic Corps would be just a matter of time. ¡°So, how about the one who created this unit? I heard he went to Gloucester territory.¡± Given the Margrave¡¯s personality and personal history, it probably wasn¡¯t for something too major. An exploratory move for future political situations. He probably just did some formalities and came back. While thinking that, an officer with a pale face entered the office and spoke. ¡°A-a telegram has arrived from Major Eugene Lorentz!¡± ¡°Report.¡± ¡°Y-yes! Th-that is¡­!¡± How urgent must it be for him to not even speak properly. While Keiren was thinking that, even he couldn¡¯t help but doubt his ears at the soldier¡¯s following report. ¡°C-confirmed that the Count Elcryer was conducting monster-related research in Gloucester territory! Confirmed the appearance of a Great Rupture and prevented it!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± His head spun at the suddenly arriving unbelievable news. Monster research? Great Rupture? What is all this about? But that was just for a moment. Looking through the report handed over by the thoroughly shaken soldier, Keiren clenched his fist with a hollow laugh. ¡®The Count Elcryer and Count Elcidore.¡¯ ¡®Requesting public enemy designation for all individuals and organizations related to this.¡¯ ¡®Special Magical Power Unit 1st Battalion Commander, Eugene Lorentz.¡¯ ¡°The time has come.¡± This time that emerged while clearing the monsters on the Eastern Front and blocking the Republic¡¯s threat. This opportunity that arose while growing the size of the Emperor and Imperial Army. Keiren thought. Two years at minimum. During that time, the Emperor and himself could fight the ¡®real enemy¡¯ within the Empire. ¡°If a telegram came, they probably already got wind of it on the other side. Have you confirmed the Elcryer side¡¯s movements?¡± ¡°U-until now they haven¡¯t shown any particular movements. However, we¡¯ve confirmed the Knight Order gathering at several branch family locations recently. Given the circumstances¡­¡± They noticed that Count Elcryer died and are busy destroying evidence. Making sure nothing can be found even if an investigation comes later, cutting off loose ends. ¡®However, it¡¯s already too late.¡¯ The testimony and physical evidence from Margrave Gloucester, a fellow member of the 12 Great Magic Houses. The existence of the research facility and the corpses of test subjects sacrificed there. Everything was crystal clear, and the sources of supplies and weapons distributed to the fortress were all secured. Even if they make the extreme move of declaring them public enemies, no one would be able to raise objections. ¡°Organize reinforcements. This operation might be too much for the Special Magic Unit alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make preparations right away.¡± Walter immediately left the office upon receiving Keiren¡¯s instructions. With just around 100 troops, they eliminated one of the 12 Great Magic Nobles? What a monstrous fellow. If his son-in-law was going to act like this, he couldn¡¯t just sit still either. ¡°We¡¯ll have to hurry the plans.¡± Saying that, Keiren looked at the document placed at the very top of his desk. A document bearing the Emperor¡¯s seal and Imperial Knight Order Commander Andrei¡¯s seal. Looking at the document titled ¡®Kalhyram Army Integration Plan¡¯, Keiren wore a meaningful expression. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 84 #084 The death of Count Elcryer. And the discovery of his secret experiments. When these major incidents that shook the entire family occurred in succession, the Elcryer branches remaining in the homeland immediately showed their reactions. Shock, disbelief, despair. There were countless people trying to leave the family, and some nobles had already denied their relationship with them, prostrating themselves before the Emperor. However, here in the Elcryer territory. Among those gathered in the conference hall of the mansion, there were none who could do that. The direct line of Count Elcryer¡¯s family, its branches, and the Knight Order under them. For those who directly inherited the count¡¯s imprint, abandoning their family was nonsense. ¡°The final report has arrived. Lord Martin is officially deceased. The magic imprint¡­ was lost along with the body.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, such a thing¡­!¡± At the sorrowful voice flowing from the mansion¡¯s head butler¡¯s lips, sighs escaped from the nobles in attendance. ¡°Lord Martin¡­ Perhaps it was a mistake to elevate him as the head of the family.¡± The one who spoke those words was a noble with three stroke imprint. Following him, the ones opening their mouths were the elders of the Elcryer family. ¡°The Elcryer magic imprint is without exception passed down to the one with the most outstanding magical power. Isn¡¯t that tradition the very reason he became the head of the family?¡± ¡°To think that someone who ascended to the position of family head would do such things!¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much evidence. The Imperial family won¡¯t stay quiet, how should we explain this¡­!¡± ¡°Explain? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± Unlike the count himself who was a fanatical researcher, they were much closer to being politicians. However, while listening to the words spilling from the elders¡¯ mouths, Martan, the acting head who succeeded the count, sneered. ¡°Do you think you can avoid responsibility by kneeling before the Imperial capital?¡± ¡°K-khm¡­!¡± ¡°T-that is¡­¡± When met with the acting head Martan¡¯s sharp gaze, the elders quietly averted their eyes. It wasn¡¯t as if these chattering elders had opposed the monster research either. ¡°Who secretly collected research data on monsters by dealing with the Republic? And who sold the count¡¯s research to other noble families? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°A-acting Head, sir¡­!¡± Foolish old men. Looking at the elders who were flustered at his rebuke, Martan, who had suddenly inherited the count¡¯s position, heaved a deep sigh. However, such displeasure was merely a facade. In reality, he saw the current situation as an opportunity. ¡®¡­The dream I couldn¡¯t achieve because of that Martin fellow, I¡¯ll achieve it like this.¡¯ Research on monsters, and human experiments. Although inhumane crimes that were difficult to even speak of had been discovered, thanks to this, he was able to ascend to the position of family head. If he could overcome this crisis now, it meant he could take control of the entire Count Elcryer family. For him, the current situation had become a watershed moment for his advancement. ¡°So, how does the main family plan to respond to this?¡± ¡°The Imperial family has already started moving. We don¡¯t have time!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± To the words of the collateral members who had been terrified since earlier, he waved his hand as if it were nothing. ¡°This experiment was possible in the first place because the Emperor¡¯s power and authority had weakened. And this power structure is still maintained.¡± The Imperial power didn¡¯t reach the territories of magic nobles, and even if they found out, it could be crushed by the political power of the magic nobles. There were more than enough nobles who shared Elcryer¡¯s research data. If they united and gathered their strength, even the Emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to touch them easily. When Acting Head Martan said this, the reactions of those present split into two. ¡°Hooh, certainly.¡± ¡°Then, we should send out contacts as soon as possible.¡± The branches close to the main family and the elders were discussing detailed plans in an optimistic atmosphere. ¡°Y-yes¡­? No, wait¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense is this¡­¡± The collateral branches at the bottom and some knights were doubting their ears as if they had heard wrong. ¡°Acting head. That view is because you haven¡¯t seen the current might of the Emperor and Imperial army!¡± ¡°They¡¯ve won the war against the Republic and are even expanding their own mage corps. It¡¯s different from before!¡± The collateral branches and knights continued to raise their voices. What these series of movements showed was clear. The Emperor was now preparing to strike down the magic nobles, and we had become nothing less than the signal flare for that! However, to these words of those arguing passionately, the old elders seemed unable to sympathize easily. And the one supporting them was, of all people, Martan, who had risen to the position of acting head. ¡°How can those who call themselves members of a magic noble house be so steeped in defeatism?¡± When the voices from the collateral side became heated, he frowned as if disgusted and questioned. ¡°Of course, losing the seven stroke imprint is a painful loss. However, this Count Elcryer family has hundreds of knights, private soldiers, and our Knight Order commanders.¡± After saying this, Acting Head Martan looked around at the knights lined up behind him. ¡°Five Knight Order commanders have awakened the five stroke imprint, and though insufficient, I too have awakened the six stroke imprint.¡± His voice carried pride in his magic and family. ¡°Originally, we Elcryer are an alchemist family older than the empire¡¯s history. We¡¯re different from mixed families like Elcidore. Even the Imperial family, they cannot carelessly touch our family.¡± ¡°Then, what are you suggesting?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand why I gathered all of you here?¡± Saying this, Martan opened his mouth while looking around at those present. ¡°I¡¯ve already gathered the Knight Orders under each Knight Order commander. All preparations for the siege have been completed.¡± ¡°Are you saying we should now be hostile to the Imperial family?¡± ¡°Nonsense. Rather, I¡¯m saying we don¡¯t even need to go as far as hostility.¡± Saying this, Acting Head Martan looked at the pattern on the round table behind his seat at the head. The emblems of each magic noble family engraved in a large circle. Looking at this, Martan spoke with a voice full of conviction. ¡°No matter how much the Emperor¡¯s faction and Imperial army have grown their strength, it¡¯s nothing compared to the power our Round Table has accumulated all this time. The Emperor must know this well too.¡± Then even if the corruption was exposed, there was a high possibility they wouldn¡¯t take active measures. It hadn¡¯t been long since the armistice with the Republic was signed, and the suppression of rebels had just gotten on track. What would they gain by touching us magic nobles in the midst of all this? Demonstrate resistance with the Knight Order. Somehow prevent the Imperial army from invading the territory. ¡°Then we hold out until we can create an opportunity for negotiation at the appropriate time.¡± ¡°N-negotiation¡­?¡± ¡°Upon internal investigation by the family, it was found to be the doing of some factions in collusion with Elcidore. The Knight Order directly expelled these elements, and we express deep regret for this tragic situation.¡± The acting head Martan continued speaking. ¡°And if we choose appropriate sacrificial lambs to hand over to the Imperial family, it will save face for the Emperor too. This incident will be concluded at that level.¡± After all, that¡¯s how the Round Table had always responded when the Imperial Knight Order uncovered similar corruptions. The acting head and the knights who agreed with him had never left the territory. Watching their appearance, the collateral members who had experienced the battlefield until recently couldn¡¯t find any more words to say. ¡®Are they insane?¡¯ They¡¯re saying such crazy things because they don¡¯t know what kind of presence the Imperial army commands on the battlefield now, or what kind of people these Special Magic Unit members are! Just because the Knight Order withdrew from the front lines doesn¡¯t mean all knights left their posts at once. The collateral nobles who had to maintain connections with both the Round Table and Emperor, and their subordinate knights. And the minority of nobles who remained on the front lines due to personal conviction stood with the Imperial army and clearly saw their changed capabilities. The daily improving soldier formations, changed tactical doctrine, and the existence of the Special Magical Power Unit at their center! That¡¯s why they could only be terrified watching the acting head¡¯s pie-in-the-sky talk. ¡®The Imperial power is weak? Not even half a penny¡¯s worth of truth!¡¯ While the territories of magic nobles belonging to the Round Table were plagued by rebels almost daily, the Imperial direct territories had regained their original strength without any hindrance. Just as the Emperor¡¯s power couldn¡¯t reach us, the power of magic nobles also couldn¡¯t reach the Emperor anymore. And now that Emperor is preparing to strike down the Knight Order and magic nobles in the empire! ¡®No matter how little interest Elcryer has in central politics¡­¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a limit to being complacent¡­¡¯ ¡®How could the current Imperial family and army possibly miss this golden opportunity¡­!¡¯ Many rebuttals rose to the tips of their throats, but none of them easily opened their mouths. They were collateral branches. Compared to the main family members and elders who inherited the orthodox imprint, they were infinitely lower beings. ¡°L-lord! My lord-!¡± While they were thinking this, one of the knights burst into the conference hall. His appearance was drenched in sweat. Although the unseemly behavior of a knight was displeasing, Acting Head Martan asked him with patience. ¡°What is it?¡± And the answer that came to those words¡­ ¡°I-Imperial army armored trains and airship fleet are approaching the territory!¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± The conference room buzzed at the sudden news. They came this quickly? Although Martan frowned as if displeased, he hadn¡¯t lost his composure yet. ¡®Right. Under Imperial law, research related to monsters was a crime equivalent to treason.¡¯ It¡¯s understandable that the Emperor¡¯s side would react sensitively. But a show of force with nothing but military might? Don¡¯t make me laugh. No matter how much their prestige has risen, the empire¡¯s true strength is the Knight Order. And it¡¯s we magic nobles who hold that Knight Order in our hands. The Imperial army, made up of non-awakened ones, are nothing but rabble compared to the hundreds of knights gathered here. How could the likes of you hope to suppress us, there¡¯s no way you could be our match! ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With a resounding voice, Martin rose from his seat, and the knights immediately followed behind him. Five commander-level knights, and himself with six stroke imprint. And hundreds of knights following behind them. With majestic strides, they went outside the mansion and¡­ ¡°Uh, uh?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, that¡¯s¡­¡± At the scene that unfolded next, several knights let out puzzled voices. Gooooo¡­ Dozens of airships surrounding the territory, and armored trains that had already occupied the station with their cannons deployed. Thousands of fully armed Imperial army troops in formation, and soldiers in black uniforms gleaming their eyes between their ranks. Something was wrong. The air of battle emanating from the soldiers¡¯ eyes. The cannons aimed at different locations. This doesn¡¯t look like a simple show of force, but rather like they¡¯ve come to wage some kind of war? ¡°Y-young master!¡± ¡°T-there!¡± And simultaneously, parting through the dozens of airships floating in the sky, three airships revealed themselves. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The black-colored gas bags, and the silver emblem engraved on them. ¡°A snake¡­ coiling around a sword?¡± An unfamiliar, yet somehow eerie emblem. ¡°N-no¡­¡± Seeing that emblem, several collateral knights trembled with terror, their faces turning pale. ¡°Th-they¡¯ve come. It¡¯s them¡­! The Devils of Magic Bullets are h-here¡­¡± ¡°Devils of Magic Bullets? You mean they¡¯re that Special Magical Power Unit?¡± Martin hurriedly asked back upon hearing that alias. But during that time. Ah, ah. A low voice flowed from the airship floating in the sky. ¨C Announcing to all territory residents and non-combatants in the current area. Business-like. A man¡¯s voice that might even sound languid at first glance. But the puzzlement was only momentary. ¨C At 07:00 hours this morning. His Majesty Emperor Friedrich Franz Kalhyram of the Kalhyram Empire, master of the empire, has declared all members of Count Elcryer¡¯s family and its subordinate groups gathered in this area as enemies of the empire. The voice flowing from the airship instantly threw him and the knights into a state of shock. ¡°W-what¡¯s happening!?¡± ¡°Enemies of the empire? W-what is this nonsense!¡± ¡°Acting head¡­!¡± The knights fell into instant confusion. Even amid this, the distinctive languid voice continued to flow from the airship. ¨C Members of Count Elcryer¡¯s family, collaborators, subordinate knights, and equivalent private soldiers. All legal, moral, and ethical rights granted to them as Imperial citizens are hereby revoked as of the current time. They are no longer nobles, no longer knights, no longer Imperial citizens, no longer human. As the voice continued to flow, the blood drained from the faces of the knights and soldiers. Of course, Acting Head Martan was equally shocked. ¡°This is¡­ i-impossible¡­¡± He had anticipated that the Emperor would move. The collateral knights had also warned that the Emperor would respond with unprecedented resolve. However, even that had its limits. How did they come so quickly? Moreover, what? Enemies of the empire? Us, Count Elcryer¡¯s family? They declared one wing of the 12 Great Magic Houses that have supported the empire as enemies of the state? What kind of madman would do such an insane thing¡­! ¡°L-lord Martin¡­!¡± At that moment, a communications officer spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°The¡­ the telegrams¡­ aren¡¯t getting through.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Following that, more bad news flew in from among the knights. ¡°We sent magical power communications outside the territory but¡­ there¡¯s no response. Someone is intercepting our communications!¡± Communication interference? This quickly, without any warning? Which means¡­! ¡°We¡¯re now completely isolated in this territory¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± What should we do? If the airship fleet and Imperial army have already surrounded us, doesn¡¯t that mean escape is impossible too! Even as they thought this, the voice from the airship didn¡¯t end. ¨C Therefore, by the august command of His Imperial Majesty, I, Colonel Eugene Lorentz, acting commander of the 667th Imperial Regiment and Special Magical Power Unit battalion commander, hereby declare the following. After a brief pause, a voice like death¡¯s proclamation flowed from the black airship. ¨C Death sentence is hereby pronounced upon Count Elcryer and all related parties who conducted heinous monster experiments using Imperial citizens as test subjects. ¨C Furthermore, for swift execution of the sentence, scorched earth operations will commence on all facilities in the area at 18:00 hours tomorrow, 24 hours from now. ¨C All civilians and personnel unrelated to the concerned parties residing in the current area are advised to evacuate the territory within said time period and receive protection from the Imperial army reserves standing by at the train station and outskirts. ¨C This warning broadcast will be maintained for 24 hours from the current time, and all personnel remaining in the territory when the broadcast ends will be considered enemies of the empire or their collaborators and summarily executed. Business-like. Yet to those listening, it was like a bolt from the blue. And simultaneously with this, what poured from the airship was the Imperial newspaper. Newspapers explicitly reporting the monster experiments conducted by Count Elcryer and the horrors of his laboratory filled the territory¡¯s sky. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Corpses of people with their stomachs ripped open, monsters eating them, even scenes of those monsters killing people. When he picked up the newspaper with such explicit photos on the front page, Martan crumpled it and screamed out. ¡°Y-you crazy bastards¡ª!¡± He mulled over the contents that flowed from the airship. The Emperor declared them enemies of the state at 07:00. They led their army here and completely surrounded this territory at 18:00. In just 11 hours after the Imperial order was issued, they had surrounded the entire territory with an Imperial army brigade and Special Magic Unit. ¡°This is¡­ this is¡­!¡± There was never any time to respond from the beginning. Countermeasures? Compromise? Political deals? The other side hadn¡¯t even considered such things from the start. Their purpose was just one. Complete annihilation without leaving a single ant alive. Fear belatedly crept across Acting Head Martan¡¯s face. When he realized that the enemy¡¯s gun barrels had reached right in front of his nose, everything was already far too late. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 85 #085 They say there are five stages of accepting death. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. And for 24 hours after the warning broadcast, the knights and magic nobles gathered in the Elcryer territory were faithfully going through these five stages. ¡°Our Count Elcryer family deeply regrets this unfortunate misunderstanding between the Imperial Army and our main house!¡± First stage, denial. The knight who came as an envoy of the Count Elcryer family delivered young lord Kartan Elcryer¡¯s message to me while maintaining the typical arrogant expression of a magic noble. ¡°Thus, Lord Martan, the head of Count Elcryer family, wishes to have a direct meeting with Colonel Eugene Lorentz, the Imperial Army commander¡­!¡± ¡°Before that.¡± As I listened to those words, I asked the knight without waiting for his next words. ¡°You, who are reading the letter now. Are you a direct lineage knight?¡± ¡°Indeed I am!¡± At my question, the knight who brought the letter placed his fist against his chest and declared proudly. ¡°I am a knight of the glorious Elcryer 1st Knight Order! Ion Rild¡­!¡± Bang-! When a hole appeared in his forehead, his voice did not continue. Once declared as enemies of the Empire, they are not treated as knights, imperial citizens, or even humans. Since he himself revealed that he was from the direct family line¡¯s 1st Knight Order, we must do what needs to be done. When the knight who delivered the letter didn¡¯t return, the next reaction was stage two. Anger. ¡°Colonel Eugene Lorentz! I challenge you to a one-on-one duel as a knight! If you are truly one of the honorable mages, you cannot ignore this sacred request of mine¡­!¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± Bang-! When the knight didn¡¯t return, this time they came with a group of soldiers mobilizing five knights. When the knight at the vanguard lost his life to Matt¡¯s pre-positioned sniper shot, they went berserk and pointed their swords at me. Thud! S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Covered in blood from Ortega¡¯s shotgun, they knelt before me. ¡°We are Count Elcryer, one of the 12 Great Magic Houses! If you oppress us like this, the other members of the Round Table won¡¯t just stand by¡­!¡± ¡°Execute.¡± Bang-! With the gunshot, the second reaction also came to an end. The next stage, ¡®bargaining¡¯, followed about an hour later. ¡°I wish to make a deal with the Special Magic Unit.¡± This time, it was a man claiming to be the finance minister of the count¡¯s family. Adjusting his glasses with sharp eyes, he proposed negotiations, promising cooperation from Elcryer if the army withdrew and numerous rewards and support for me personally. ¡°What do you say! With this amount of money, even the Colonel¡¯s heart could¡­¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s negotiate.¡± ¡°Ooh!¡± After nodding like that, I raised my finger to point behind me. The finance minister, wearing a triumphant expression, immediately looked at those I pointed to. ¡°Ah, ah¡­!¡± ¡°If you follow these gentlemen¡¯s guidance, we can have a more in-depth negotiation.¡± Under the hospitality of the Empire¡¯s torture specialists, he was able to negotiate as much as he wanted in the ¡®interrogation room¡¯ prepared in a corner of the armored train. After all that commotion passed, the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s airship landed in a nearby clearing. Erich, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, let out a deep sigh upon seeing me sitting in the command room chair. ¡°I wondered what was going on when asked to prepare for such a major offensive while the war was coming to an end¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to you, we could keep to the schedule. You worked hard, Erich.¡± This was sincere praise. Movement plans for three thousand soldiers. Setting up ammunition and supply routes, and arranging armored trains and airships. Erich completed this operation plan, which would have taken over two weeks for a regular unit, in just one day and made it executable. Truly the brain of the Special Magical Power Unit and the battalion commander¡¯s certified go-to person. It was a moment where I could naturally understand why Keiren was so reluctant to let this guy go, why he was so regretful when assigning him to the Special Magic Unit. Need an operation plan? Just say the word. Erich will finish it all in a day. ¡°¡­So, what about the remaining depression and acceptance?¡± ¡°No one¡¯s coming now, right? Well, that roughly counts as depression.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really forcing these interpretations.¡± Shaking his head at my sophistry, Erich looked around at the view of Elcryer territory spread before us and asked. ¡°Then what about the final stage, acceptance?¡± ¡°Well, you know.¡± I paused briefly, took out a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth. After taking a drag of the acrid smoke, I opened my mouth with a faint smile. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s about to happen.¡± In my hand as I said this was a silver pocket watch. Twenty-three hours had passed since the warning broadcast began. *** ¡°Is everyone gathered?¡± At the Elcryer mansion. The knights gathered in full armor were waiting, preparing for a desperate resistance. Looking at the numerous knights staring at him with grim expressions. Acting head Martan, seeing their faces, strengthened his resolve. ¡®Still¡­ There¡¯s still hope.¡¯ A magic noble¡¯s mansion was itself like a magical weapon. The magical barriers installed in the castle and all sorts of defensive magic. And even auxiliary magic circles prepared for deploying group spells ¨C it was a fortress among fortresses. ¡°Compared to the Republican Army that doesn¡¯t even have proper mages, this is nothing short of an iron fortress¡­!¡± Additionally, reports were continuously arriving from private soldiers stationed throughout the city. They had successfully detained citizens who hadn¡¯t completed their evacuation and positioned them throughout the city. From what he¡¯d heard, the Special Magical Power Unit and Imperial Army had high public support? There¡¯s no way they would let these territory residents die. They would surely try to deploy ground forces into the city to hunt down himself and the knights. If that¡¯s the case, he could position soldiers among the residents and accumulate damage against them. ¡°We just need to hold out.¡± Having finished his thoughts, Acting Head Martan spoke to the knights looking at him. ¡°If we just hold out, other magic noble families will pressure the Imperial Army to save us. No noble would remain still in this atmosphere, even if communications are cut off!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°We can hold out, Acting Head.¡± The magic imprint¡¯s condition was perfect, and the magic circuit was at its peak. Come if you dare. While thinking this. Dong- Along with the bell signaling the hour, a soldier who had been busy scouting outside the mansion came running in hurriedly. ¡°They¡¯re moving!¡± ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move rashly!¡± Acting head Martan quickly pacified the knights. ¡°Even if they gave 24 hours of grace, there are countless residents in this territory. They won¡¯t char them all with railway guns and airships!¡± They¡¯re the Imperial Army, aren¡¯t they? A righteous army that moves for its citizens. If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s a chance of victory if we strike their weak point! ¡°The first bombardment won¡¯t be severe. They¡¯ll drop a few shells near the castle to test our reaction.¡± Martan¡¯s strategy was simple. The Imperial Army would come in with sporadic bombardment. What they would encounter would be numerous territory residents and his private soldiers hidden among them. A situation where they need to protect civilians while dealing with the soldiers. But how long would it take to sort out these soldiers, whose clothing was similar and affiliation ambiguous? For a long time, a mundane sweeping operation would continue. And while they¡¯re distracted with that, he and the Knight Order would hunt down the Special Magic Unit¡¯s mages one by one. According to intelligence, Special Magic Unit¡¯s specialty was group firepower through coordination between members. If they could pick them off one by one, there was a possibility. ¡°Enemy of the Empire? Complete destruction? Just fancy words.¡± A sardonic smile crept across Acting head Martan¡¯s face as he said this. Time was still on their side. In the Elcryer territory where war clouds gathered, he firmly believed in this proposition. *** ¡°Time¡¯s up.¡± As the pocket watch in my hand struck the hour, I immediately asked my subordinate officers. ¡°Has the evacuation of refugees been completed?¡± ¡°For now, it has been completed.¡± For now. Noticing that nuance, I let out a low sigh. ¡®That means there are still territory residents remaining.¡¯ Of course. It¡¯s only natural that some people couldn¡¯t comply when told to abandon their land and livelihood of decades within 24 hours. Seeing my reaction, Leopold, who was standing beside me, asked. ¡°What will you do? Should we wait a bit more¡­?¡± ¡°No.¡± To his tentative question, I spoke firmly. Though small in scale, the Elcryer territory was clearly urban terrain. It was essentially a fortress surrounded by all sorts of obstacles and terrain features. Send Special Magic Unit members and ground forces into such a place to hunt down enemies hidden among territory residents one by one? In a situation where we can¡¯t even distinguish who¡¯s an enemy and who¡¯s a resident, and who knows what variables might occur in the process? ¡®Nonsense.¡¯ The hundreds of members gathered here are precious forces that took 4 years just to plan, and who knows how much longer to properly raise. We can¡¯t waste them on inefficient urban warfare in such a tiny territory. Having finished my thoughts, I immediately opened my mouth. ¡°The operation will proceed as planned.¡± ¡°Ye-yes? But¡­!¡± ¡°I never thought there would be no damage to territory residents in the first place.¡± When Leopold hesitated at my words, I continued speaking. ¡°But with this warning broadcast and 24 hours of grace period, our Imperial Army has absolved itself of that responsibility.¡± Saying this, I raised my finger to point at the Elcryer territory where they were holding out with their family banner raised. ¡°Any territory residents who die from Imperial Army bombardment from this moment on were killed by those guys.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The bombardment will be conducted from long range, and ground forces will be deployed afterward. All the soldiers will see are collapsed building debris, or blackened corpses.¡± ¡°Wait, Eugene. That¡¯s just¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± When Erich, who was standing beside me, spoke up, I nodded. ¡°In other words, Special Magic Unit members and Imperial Army soldiers won¡¯t ¡®directly¡¯ kill the territory residents.¡± With the advance notice and 24 hours of advisory, the Imperial Army gained legitimacy for the bombardment. The airship bombers and armored train gunners will load shells according to my orders as the final operational authority, and those shells will turn the city kilometers away into a wasteland. Collapsed building debris, charred lumps, and ruins covered in ash. No one will be able to distinguish what¡¯s debris and what¡¯s territory residents¡¯ corpses. ¡°In a city empty of even a single ant, what our soldiers will face are Count Elcryer family¡¯s nobles and knights. In other words, only enemies that need to be eliminated.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be a shred of guilt or human sympathy to be found, even if you look hard.¡± I know it¡¯s a vicious method. I know better than anyone that much blood will flow. But it doesn¡¯t matter. If we don¡¯t do this, what the soldiers in the field will face are territory residents crying for help and enemy forces jumping out from among them. What confusion might occur in that process, what sights they might see ¨C it hurts just to talk about it. ¡°Emotions are resources. Very difficult to replenish, and easily consumed by minor changes ¨C precious resources. If you need to achieve maximum results with minimum resources, there¡¯s nothing better than this.¡± Rather than ordering them to kill directly, this way is much cheaper. Both from the perspective of the soldiers receiving orders, and from my perspective giving them. ¡°And¡­¡± Saying this, I smiled slightly while looking at my colleagues with wide eyes. ¡°Managing soldiers¡¯ morale and emotions is also one of a commander¡¯s virtues. I think this is quite well done, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t just well done, it¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°You crazy devil¡­!¡± Erich and Guille couldn¡¯t finish their words after hearing mine. Are you disappointed? Disgusted? What can I do about it? You¡¯ve already gotten on the same boat as me. ¡°Imperial Army 667th Regiment Acting Commander and Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander Colonel Eugene Lorentz orders all Imperial Army personnel present here.¡± Lowering my voice, I immediately spoke to my subordinate officers. ¡°There is only one objective. Complete annihilation of Elcryer territory.¡± The officers who were dumbfounded at my words like Erich and Leopold. However, when I pulled rank and position, they too assumed attention positions and listened carefully to my orders. ¡°There are no restrictions on the use of supplies and ammunition. Twenty-seven thousand artillery shells loaded in the cargo cars. Three thousand six hundred incendiary bombs stored in the airship gas chambers. Pour all those shells into the city today.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for everything that occurs in that process as the commander.¡± With my order, the Imperial Army surrounding Elcryer territory began moving all at once. The armored trains and artillery units encircling the city in a circle were on standby with all their brought cannons loaded, and the airships opened their bomb bays with the bombs in their gas chambers at critical state. After confirming that even the reserve gun barrels were all brought out, the artillery officer gave me a hand signal. ¡°All units, commence bombardment.¡± I issued the order without hesitation. Kuqwaang¡ª! Starting with Car No. 1 where I was riding, the field artillery and railway guns surrounding the city began spewing fire. Before the sound could reach, hundreds of streaks of light decorated the entire city. The scorched earth operation against Elcryer territory had begun. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 86 #086 ¡°What¡­ What is this¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t even distinguish what was happening. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A report that they were moving. And hundreds of light beams decorating the sky and bombs pouring down like rain. In the next moment after being bewildered by that sight, Acting Head Martan felt only one thing: confusion. Rumble¨C! The sound of the city crumbling, a city that boasted hundreds of years of Elcryer territory history. Boom¨C! The anti-aircraft guns that were hastily activated exploded with their ammunition storage before they could fire a single shot. The burning Elcryer territory and the private soldiers, subordinates, and territory residents burning within it. ¡°Lord, the enemy¡¯s bombardment¡­!¡± ¡°The entire city is burning! This, this is impossible¡­!¡± He should have noticed earlier. When he heard the news that Eugene had killed his brother, Martin. When he surrounded the territory with armored trains and airships, overturning his expectations. When he killed the messenger, killed the subjugation force, killed the finance minister ¨C he should have noticed even a little sooner. That from the beginning, these people could not be measured by common sense. Just need to buy time? Look at those shells pouring down on this territory. They didn¡¯t allow even a sliver of opportunity to scheme for buying time. Take the territory residents hostage and shake their justification? The Imperial Army would consider justice and cause, so they wouldn¡¯t concentrate their bombardment at once? All wrong. Look at those bastards burning the entire city along with the territory residents. Look at the Elcryer territory burning mercilessly. These weren¡¯t the rebel army he had been dealing with all this time. This wasn¡¯t the previous Imperial Army that always bowed to magic nobles. Justice and cause ¨C such things weren¡¯t needed from the beginning¡­! ¡°Damn it. The fire¡¯s reaching the mansion¡­!¡± ¡°Stop it! Water! Bring water quickly!¡± The knights who were preparing to defend the mansion and hunt down Special Magic Unit members. However, before they could even encounter the enemy forces, they had to fight against the fire demon (»ðħ) spreading throughout the city. But the knights remaining here only had experience in small-scale engagements with some rebels. They were all novices who had never suppressed large-scale fires or extinguished fires ignited by military incendiary bombs. Whoosh-! ¡°Ugh, aaaaah?!¡± ¡°What? Why is the fire getting worse after putting water on it¡­!¡± When water was sprayed on the fire caused by incendiary bombs, the steam that evaporated spread the flammable substances contained in the incendiary bombs in all directions. The scattered sparks caused more fires, and spraying water on them only resulted in the same situation. If even the mansion equipped with all sorts of preparations for war was like this, there was no need to mention the other buildings outside the mansion. Boom¨C! ¡°Aah! Aaaah-!¡± ¡°Stop-! Please stop¨C!¡± When shells that had reached inside the mansion exploded at close range, knights collapsed in agony. Were they injured from the explosion? No. The knights always maintained magical power fields in preparation for battle, and could easily block explosions of this level. However, the shell shock caused by the impact and roar of the explosions was like poison to knights who had no experience in large-scale battles. ¡°Damn it all-!¡± Bang-! Unable to endure the continuous impacts and roars, one knight kicked open the mansion door and ran out. ¡°You?! Where are you going?! Don¡¯t leave your position¡­!¡± ¡°No! Nooo¨C!¡± Did he lose his mind because of the explosions¡­! Watching the knight screaming with vacant eyes, Acting Head Martan gritted his teeth. In the moment other knights tried to stop him. Splat! The head of the knight who ran outside the mansion exploded on the spot. Thud-! The gunshot wasn¡¯t even heard. No, it was buried under the explosions and flames covering the entire area. The knight¡¯s body collapsed, having lost its head. Looking up at the sky, the knights could see something glinting from the airships surrounding the mansion. ¡°Ah, aah¡­!¡± The reflection from a high-powered scope. It was a Special Magical Power Unit sniper. ¡°The moment we leave the mansion¡­¡± ¡°We die.¡± Some knights sat down, paralyzed with fear. The city dyed red. Collapsing defensive facilities. The wave of airships covering the sky, and dozens of snipers watching them from those airships. Looking at all of this, Acting Head Martan could only grit his teeth at the overwhelming sense of defeat. His plan to draw in the Imperial Army and wage a war of attrition had crumbled helplessly. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz.¡± Looking at the black airship floating in the sky. Thinking of that man who would be looking down at him from up there, Martan muttered with a blood-spitting heart. ¡°You barbaric, dog-like bastard¡­!¡± The Empire¡¯s hunting dog. Those cold fangs were now biting into his neck. *** ¡°Communication from the artillery unit.¡± 20 hours after the bombardment began. At the train station at the entrance of Elcryer territory. Leopold approached me and reported with a stern expression. ¡°The 4th Artillery Unit has exhausted all loaded shells and ammunition. They¡¯re beginning withdrawal operations.¡± ¡°Good. Then everything went according to plan.¡± Saying that, I looked at the cityscape that had been bombarded for 20 hours. Thud, thud thud¡­ A wasteland covered in ashes and debris. The Elcryer territory, which had been made up of wooden buildings and castle walls, had become a wasteland similar to any other battlefield. ¡°To think that such a complex city would end up like this¡­¡± ¡°With many wooden buildings and practically no fire response manual in the territory¡­ Starting with incendiary bomb strikes worked better than expected.¡± Looking at the Elcryer territory that had burned much more cleanly than initially expected, I opened my mouth toward a group of knights standing behind me. ¡°Thanks to the information you provided, the operation was much easier to execute. I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± ¡°That, that is¡­¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Those who shrunk at my words were a group of knights with the Elcryer family seal on their chests. However, unlike the main family knights who wore golden emblems, the emblems engraved on their badges were black. These were knights under the branch family heads of Elcryer, not the direct line. About 18 hours after announcing the bombing operation, They had escaped from the Elcryer mansion and requested protection while expressing their intention to surrender to the Imperial Army. ¡°Now, now you understand?! W-we are innocent! We have nothing to do with the main family¡¯s affairs!¡± When one knight shouted that, others joined in raising their voices. ¡°A-anyway, we¡¯re just branch family members, practically treated as outsiders by the main family. How could we possibly be hostile to the Imperial Army!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even know the main family head was conducting such heinous experiments!¡± Hearing those words, Leopold stepped forward. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Do you think that makes any sense? Huh?!¡± He had personally seen Count Elcryer¡¯s laboratory inside the fortress built in Gloucester territory. Just thinking about it made him want to vomit. People hanging mutilated, half-transformed into monsters, and their voices screaming to be killed. Seeing their condition with no hope of survival, I and the Special Magic Unit members had to end the test subjects¡¯ lives with heavy hearts. The emotion he felt then was clearly burning in his face. ¡°We¡¯ve already searched the count¡¯s laboratory and confirmed the entire list of research sponsors. Your name was on that sponsor list! How dare you open your mouth¡­!¡± ¡°The main family ordered us to sign sponsorship documents! They didn¡¯t even tell us what experiments we were sponsoring! Who could refuse their orders?!¡± ¡°These people still¡­!¡± ¡°I understand what you¡¯re all saying.¡± There¡¯s no point in getting emotional here. Stopping Leopold¡¯s words, I spoke in an emotionless, dry voice. ¡°However, it¡¯s an undeniable fact that House Elcryer researched monsters and used humans as materials.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And the count shared that research data with other families and reaped numerous benefits in return. Even as branch family members, you knights have lived off those spoils.¡± The knights who heard my words quietly avoided my gaze. ¡°That, that is¡­¡± ¡°True, but¡­¡± Even if they claim ignorance, they must feel some guilty conscience. But it¡¯s also true that these people have their grievances, which is why they begged for their lives while providing information. Even betraying the main family they had served for generations. ¡°Very well. You and the other branch knights will be excluded from execution.¡± ¡°Commander¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, as expected!¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± As soon as my answer came, Leopold¡¯s shout and the knights¡¯ exclamations burst out in succession. ¡°Division Commander, this isn¡¯t right. Negotiating with magic nobles! That¡¯s¡­¡± Leopold tried to protest something more, but I raised my hand to stop his words. No need to make such a lost puppy face, my adjutant. This (temporary) Division Commander has everything planned out. ¡°However.¡± At my lowered voice, the branch nobles who had been rejoicing flinched. ¡°Being designated as an enemy of the Empire is a solemn imperial order from His Majesty. Even if you express surrender and provide information, that cannot wash away your crimes.¡± ¡°P-pardon?¡± Looking at the branch nobles watching me with anxious eyes, I spoke with a resolute expression. ¡°What you can salvage is solely your own life and those of your family members.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°All your assets will be confiscated in the name of the Imperial Royal Family, and your rights and personal information as nobles will be erased today.¡± All imperial public institutions will treat you as stateless refugees. With each word I spoke, their faces gradually turned pale. ¡°That means¡­ In other words¡­!¡± ¡°As it happens, today¡¯s last train is ready.¡± Saying that, I briefly spoke while pointing at the train that had finished withdrawal operations. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get running.¡± Screech¨C! As soon as my words ended, the train¡¯s whistle blew, and dozens of knights began racing toward the train. Their status as nobles would remain for only 24 more hours. Within that time, they had to gather whatever assets and family members they could take and leave this empire. Where would these people go after leaving the empire? Which noble would accept knights who betrayed their main family and became refugees? That¡¯s not my concern. I don¡¯t particularly want to know either. ¡°If we miss that train, we can¡¯t return to the territory today¡­!¡± ¡°Damn it, get out of my way!¡± ¡°Me, I¡¯m first!¡± Nobles running while trampling their superiors¡¯ heads and striking their lords¡¯ faces. Seeing that unsightly scene, even Leopold, who had been fuming, seemed somewhat placated. ¡°So this was your intention from the start.¡± ¡°What, did you think I would quietly negotiate with magic nobles?¡± ¡°Haha, true enough. And here I was, not realizing¡­¡± ¡°But you know what, adjutant.¡± However, that didn¡¯t last long. When I lowered my voice like I had with them, Leopold startled and looked at me with trembling eyes. ¡°Seeing how you¡¯ve been talking back to your superior, I think I¡¯ve been too lenient with you lately. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°D-D-Division Commander, I have committed a mortal sin. I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Does saying sorry end your military service? ¡­Those words almost came up to my throat, but I desperately pushed them down. Ah, must maintain a progressive military, must maintain a progressive military. After collecting myself, I showed Leopold a bright smile and then. ¡°Let¡¯s talk separately after the operation ends. Understood?¡± I said that in a gentle voice. ¡°Hey, our Division Commander just smiled, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°What the fuck? Division Commander smiled?¡± ¡°Damn, if it were me, I¡¯d desert.¡± ¡°Special Magic Unit¡­ Desert?¡± ¡°Ah, right. We die if we desert.¡± ¡°Staff Sergeant Leopold, what are you doing? Hurry up and write your will in the administration office.¡± Ah, my dear Special Magic Unit soldiers. Your skill at talking behind the Division Commander¡¯s back is quite impressive, the atmosphere in our unit is looking very good. I¡¯ll see you all after the operation ends. I¡¯ll make sure you maintain smiling faces for 24 hours a day for at least two weeks. *** ¡°Search complete with no abnormalities. No life signs detected. We¡¯re the only ones alive in the area.¡± Led by Special Magical Power Unit members who activated detection magic, Imperial Army infantry began entering the city one after another. On the way to the Elcryer mansion located in the center of the city, not a single enemy hindered us. Rumble-! The Elcryer mansion, scorched and tattered everywhere. Two marksmen exchanged glances and blew up the central gate, and Imperial Army soldiers swiftly entered the mansion and began searching every corner. ¡°First floor lobby, confirmed!¡± ¡°Guest rooms, clear!¡± ¡°Second floor secured!¡± ¡°Third floor, no one here!¡± Though the mansion had a rectangular structure, there were no enemies hiding to ambush us. What we occasionally saw were the corpses of servants who had committed suicide with pistols, or servants who had lost their lives to swords. Or the remains of knights who had been hanged while trying to escape. Just as I was feeling suspicious, Guille, who had briefly checked the mansion¡¯s courtyard, sent me a magical power communication. ¡°Looks like we didn¡¯t need to conduct a search operation after all.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The knights. They¡¯re all gathered in the courtyard.¡± Hearing Guille¡¯s words, I entered the courtyard accompanied by guard forces. Knights in circular formation centered around Acting Head Martan, glaring at us. However, their condition was too devastated to be considered the Knight Order of a great magic house. ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­!¡± ¡°Martan Elcryer. So you were all gathered here.¡± Rustle-! When Special Magic Unit members simultaneously aimed their rifles after confirming the enemy, the knights gritted their teeth at the sight. Their physical condition devastated by 20 hours of bombardment. Magical power depleted from maintaining defensive magic continuously. Fleeing branch forces and comrades being hunted before their eyes. Morale that had hit rock bottom watching all this. The once proud Knight Order of House Elcryer was no more. What gathered here was merely a cluster of walking corpses struggling against death. ¡°Even after this¡­ Do you think you¡¯ll get away with this?¡± Martan, thoroughly gripped by fear, shouted desperately. ¡°The Round Table will not forget this. They will never forget the fact that you destroyed one of the Twelve Houses! The magic nobles will have your head¡­!¡± He was right. To borrow a common clich¨¦, Elcryer was the weakest among the Round Table¡¯s magic houses. They had an imprint unsuitable for combat as they focused on research, and their knights¡¯ level wasn¡¯t high either. ¡®However, even to deal with such knights, the Special Magic Unit and Imperial Army had to mobilize this much resources and manpower.¡¯ Even to bring down Elcryer, the weakest among magic nobles, we had to employ every possible scheme and strategy. Without that, we simply couldn¡¯t defeat them. And using this victory as a starting point, magic nobles would begin seriously threatening the Emperor and me. However. ¡°Try it if you can.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At the words that flowed from my mouth, Acting Head Martan¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°You idiots who abandoned the battlefield, blinded by rebels, think you can defeat our Imperial Army that brought down the Republic?¡± ¡°You, bastard¡­!¡± ¡°A Knight Order that couldn¡¯t even control one revolution and abandoned the frontline thinks they can beat our Special Magical Power Unit? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± As I spat those words, determination swirled in the eyes of the soldiers who had followed me into the mansion. A sardonic smile hung on the lips of the Special Magic Unit members lined up on either side of me. Confidence in having put magic nobles beneath our feet. The possibility of crushing the Knight Order. This stage was set to prove that. ¡®Your Elcryer is just the beginning.¡¯ There is a plan. There were chess pieces to be used, and disasters to be drawn in. What remained was the trigger to execute that plan, and my growth that would be catalyzed by it. And this battle was the ignition point to start it all. Therefore. ¡°All units, prepare to fire.¡± Special Magic Unit members moved in perfect unison, loading magic bullets into their weapons. Magic amplified in an instant, equipped with explosive power rivaling that of knights. When hundreds of spells aimed at them, fear spread across the knights¡¯ faces. Faces that sensed death. After briefly observing their terror as they trembled with helplessness. ¡°Fire.¡± With my command, the members¡¯ gun barrels simultaneously spewed fire. One of the 12 Great Magic Houses, Count Elcryer. Their proud Knight Order vanished under the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s magic. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 87 #087 The completely devastated city of Elcryer. Looking at the tragically collapsed walls and the desolate city, people who had evacuated to the outskirts of the territory muttered in dismay. ¡°Everything¡¯s collapsed. The mill, the hospital, the blacksmith¡­!¡± ¡°How are we supposed to live now¡­¡­¡± In a single day, all of their livelihood had vanished. They couldn¡¯t even think about cultivating the farmland covered in unexploded ordnance, and they had no idea how long it would take just to clear away the debris. A bleak situation with no solution in sight. However, a soldier in a black uniform slowly walked toward these people. ¡°Hii, hiik?!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s the Special Magical Power Unit¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make eye contact¡­! One wrong move and we¡¯ll¡­!¡± The territory¡¯s residents trembled in fear at the sight of the man¡¯s uniform. These were people who had witnessed the Imperial army¡¯s artillery turn the entire city into wasteland from beginning to end. And they had clearly seen the Special Magical Power Unit advancing through those ruins. ¡°Citizens of Elcryer territory!¡± But that moment passed quickly. The soldier in black uniform pushed up his glasses and addressed the territory¡¯s residents. ¡°We need someone to discuss the territory¡¯s reconstruction. Is there anyone among you with relevant knowledge?!¡± ¡°W-what? Territory reconstruction?¡± ¡°What does that¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± While the residents were puzzled, one man emerged from among the people. He was in his mid-forties. A gentleman wearing the kind of suit typically worn by nobles. ¡°May I ask your name?¡± ¡°Hanson Albeck. I was the tax collector in charge of Elcryer territory¡¯s tax affairs. I majored in public administration at the Imperial Academy and have work experience in the Imperial court.¡± ¡°So you were a public official. I am Special Magical Power Unit Staff Officer and Major Erich Hartmann.¡± Hanson Albeck. Upon hearing that name, voices of concern rose from among the territory¡¯s residents. ¡°Oh no, Mr. Hanson! Come back quickly¡­!¡± ¡°These are the ones who turned our territory into ruins! Who knows what they¡¯ll do to you¡­!¡± The residents worried about his well-being. Seeing this, the soldier Erich Hartmann¡¯s eyes gleamed as he looked at the documents containing the man¡¯s career details. ¡®Judging by people¡¯s reactions, he seems to have quite a reputation in the territory. Just as our investigation showed.¡¯ The documents Erich held were filled with information about him. Hanson Albeck. Tax collector. He was someone who had taken the residents¡¯ side against the harsh rule of House Elcryer, including secretly redistributing portions of the collected taxes among them. ¡®A local who¡¯s well-respected among the residents and skilled in administration¡­¡¯ This man could be useful. Having finished his assessment, Erich immediately began speaking. ¡°By special order of His Majesty the Emperor, large-scale reconstruction will be carried out in this territory.¡± ¡°Territory¡­ reconstruction?¡± ¡°Yes. This is the approximate scale of the project, and the equipment and essential personnel should arrive in about three days.¡± When Hanson examined the documents handed to him, his eyes lit up with interest. A streamlined logistics plan and well-structured urban planning. According to the reconstruction plan, the Elcryer territory could develop into something far greater than before. ¡°Th-this is an excellent plan. But why are you showing this to me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Trailing off, Erich immediately got to the point. ¡°We plan to employ the territory¡¯s residents as labor for this reconstruction work. Could you possibly mediate this, Mr. Hanson? The compensation would be this much¡­¡­¡± When he received Erich¡¯s documents, the tax collector¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°T-two years of tax exemption? And this much salary? No, with this much, the costs would be considerable¡­¡­¡± ¡°The costs?¡± Erich smiled awkwardly and pointed to the ruined Elcryer mansion. ¡°We plan to sell all the bonds and assets seized from Count Elcryer and his branch families. After the Imperial court collects a portion of the amount, the remainder will be distributed to this territory¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I believe this should be more than enough to cover the reconstruction costs.¡± The officer calculated the estimated construction costs and wages on the spot, showing the numbers. It was a dizzying sight just to look at, but that wasn¡¯t what was important right now. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving in three days. If you don¡¯t give us an answer by then, personnel from the central government will be dispatched to manage and supervise the reconstruction¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. No, please let me do it!¡± This was an opportunity. A chance to rebuild the territory and restore people¡¯s shattered daily lives. If they missed this now, there would be no guaranteeing the future of the territory¡¯s remaining residents. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a list of territory residents as quickly as possible. Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­!¡± With those words, the tax collector hurriedly ran off to gather people. ¡°J-jobs? Is this real?¡± ¡°We¡¯re saved¡­! So, when does construction start?¡± ¡°I was at a loss about how to live from now on, but this gives us some breathing room.¡± People rejoiced at the rare good news. Watching them, Erich recalled what had happened just before. ¡°Territory reconstruction?¡± In Eugene¡¯s office on the armored train. Eugene tilted his face as if telling Erich to continue when he heard his proposal. ¡°The land officially declared forfeit from Count Elcryer will probably be incorporated into direct Imperial territory. Soon, a civil official will be dispatched from the central government to take charge of administration, but this process will take about two weeks.¡± ¡°Two weeks in temporary quarters like emergency tents would be quite an ordeal for the territory¡¯s residents too?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Agreeing with Eugene¡¯s words, Erich immediately continued. ¡°So I was thinking, how about having the locals lead the reconstruction project? I¡¯ve outlined the reconstruction project here, and this is the budget. All we need is your approval.¡± After saying this, Erich watched Eugene tensely. Eugene silently flipped through the documents Erich had handed him. ¡®This won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ Erich had full authority over administrative matters and supply planning related to the unit. But getting involved in matters outside the unit was a different issue. Moreover, the person he was recommending had been on Count Elcryer¡¯s payroll, albeit at a low level. Rather than hastily employing him, bringing in a civil official from the central government would be the safer method for Eugene. Considering Eugene¡¯s usual personality, this wasn¡¯t a proposal that would easily receive approval. He understood that perfectly well. However¡­ ¡®If we don¡¯t do this, the remaining territory residents will live in hell.¡¯ A city in ruins. Insufficient supplies. An environment where even proper water supply was lacking. Though they were managing now with the Imperial army¡¯s water trucks and food supplies, this was just a temporary measure. Two weeks until the new civil official arrives. And several months until reconstruction work begins. This meant the territory¡¯s residents would have to live in an environment without even sewers for that long time. What kind of chaos would emerge during that process was painfully obvious. The war was over, but the residents¡¯ suffering was just beginning. ¡®We need to return these people to normal life as quickly as possible.¡¯ It might be hypocritical for him, who had bombed the city, to think this way, but Erich still wanted to help these people. To have nothing but ruins left in the wake of his friends and subordinates. If that happened, the criticism and infamy would strangle his precious comrades. Just as Erich finished his thoughts and opened his mouth to convince Eugene. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s proceed.¡± Eugene stamped his approval without further comment. ¡°Eh, what?¡± ¡°If we send a magical power communication to headquarters, we can start right away. We have about three days until preparations for withdrawal are complete, so that should be enough time to put out the urgent fires.¡± ¡°Um¡­ is this okay?¡± ¡°Okay? What do you mean?¡± Eugene replied while looking at Erich¡¯s plan. ¡°If it¡¯s a plan you¡¯ve made, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems, and people who willingly followed orders should receive appropriate compensation. Now that it¡¯s been incorporated as Imperial territory, these residents are no longer potential enemies but Imperial citizens who need protection.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We need to normalize the situation as quickly as possible to start generating profits, so we should show this much flexibility.¡± Punishment without exception, thorough and cruel. But equally merciful to those who follow and comply. After finishing his words, Eugene tilted his head at Erich who was standing there dumbfounded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No, no! Nothing at all!¡± With those words, Erich ran excitedly toward the territory¡¯s residents, which led to the current situation. ¡°Um¡­ Sir soldier!¡± ¡°You can call me Erich. What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, well. I noticed earlier, but quite a lot of the sewage system is still intact. Reinforcing that area might be better¡­¡­¡± Erich laughed together with the territory¡¯s residents while discussing the reconstruction plans. Meanwhile, near the armored train, there were people carefully observing Erich. ¡°Reconstruction project using territory residents¡­ He certainly thinks differently from us.¡± The one who spoke was Special Magical Power Unit 2nd Company Commander, Guille. ¡°We¡¯d have been in big trouble without someone like Erich. To be honest, we didn¡¯t really give much thought to the territory residents.¡± At most, forced relocation? Hearing this, both Matt and Ortega cleared their throats with a ¡°ahem.¡± ¡°Well, I just thought others would handle it properly¡­¡± ¡°I just suggested the most efficient method, while considering local sentiment is good, the risks of¡­¡± ¡°You bastards, acting all proper now.¡± When Guille said this, Ortega asked him, still seeming not to understand. ¡°But hey. Do we really need to take care of all this? Honestly, it doesn¡¯t really resonate with me¡­¡­¡± ¡°Of course we do. Because we¡¯re soldiers.¡± We¡¯ve become too accustomed to killing people. Opening with these words, Guille looked toward where Erich was and continued. ¡°We can suppress enemy strongholds and use magic to burn enemies as much as we want. But building buildings, cultivating fields, taking care of people. Planning all that¡­ Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t even know where to start.¡± Guille continued. ¡°That¡¯s why our unit desperately needs someone like Erich. To raise the reputation of the Special Magic Unit as an organization, we can¡¯t just be a strong and cruel army.¡± With those words, Guille recalled the unit¡¯s reinforcement plans. 270 personnel scheduled for three stroke imprint transplantation. About a thousand new members who had received two stroke imprint and were training under Keiren¡¯s command. When these people are deployed to actual combat, the reinforced Special Magical Power Unit would gain military power comparable to the Knight Orders of the 12 Great Magic Houses. However, despite this, the Special Magic Unit¡¯s total combat power was still inferior compared to all magic nobles combined. For the Special Magic Unit to replace magic nobles and gain the support of Imperial citizens, they needed strengths that differentiated them. Unlike knights who exploit territory residents, an honorable army that protects Imperial citizens. The Emperor¡¯s sword that shows no mercy in unleashing magic against enemies, but spares no support for the citizens under their protection. That was the image the Special Magical Power Unit needed. ¡°Of course, the current image of the Special Magic Unit under Eugene¡¯s command is no different from demons risen from hell.¡± Was that too serious? When Guille shrugged his shoulders saying that, faint smiles appeared on the faces of the other two as well. ¡°When this battle becomes known, that infamy will probably get worse.¡± ¡°Hey, did you hear? We got another nickname! Hounds, they¡¯re calling us hounds! The Empire¡¯s hounds! Don¡¯t you think that sounds kind of cool?¡± ¡°Cool my ass¡­¡­¡± The trio laughed as they said this and moved their feet to prepare for withdrawal. If Erich¡¯s role was to help people and raise the Special Magic Unit¡¯s reputation by taking care of them. Their role was to raise their infamy by killing enemies before them. *** ¡°Extermination? Is this true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s news that just came in. Martan, who was first in line to inherit the family, and the Knight Order were annihilated in Elcryer city. And seizure operations against subordinate houses are currently underway.¡± In a dark study late at night. Hearing the report transmitted through magical power communication, a middle-aged man with a dignified impression darkened his expression. He had already thought something would happen when he heard the news of Count Elcryer¡¯s death. But official designation? And extermination? They¡¯re saying they annihilated a member of the 12 Great Magic Houses who belonged to the Round Table, along with their Knight Order, in just one day? ¡®I thought the Emperor¡¯s faction had gained momentum, but I didn¡¯t expect them to take action this quickly. Moreover¡­¡­¡¯ The middle-aged man, Carlos Buckenheim, pondered. The reason why this incident felt more threatening than others. It was because House Elcryer¡¯s extermination had occurred without any warning signs. ¡®Official designation, dispatch of subjugation forces, bombardment, and extermination. During this entire series of events, not a single noble house received any related reports.¡¯ If anyone had received word, they would have immediately reported to the Round Table. But by the time he heard this news, everything was already over, wasn¡¯t it? In the Empire, there was only one group that could block information this secretively and thoroughly¡­ ¡®Imperial Intelligence Department.¡¯ And if the Imperial Intelligence Department had blocked information and interfered with communications, what that meant was clear. That is¡­ ¡°So the Emperor personally directed the extermination of Elcryer.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± When they heard the voice, both men¡¯s gazes instantly turned to one spot. Standing at the study¡¯s doorway was an elderly gentleman with white hair tied back. Judging by his formal attire and cape even at this late hour, he seemed to have been outdoors until just now. A commanding presence that hadn¡¯t lost its characteristic strength despite being over 70 years old. The House Buckenheim crest embroidered on his luxurious cape. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Carlos and his subordinate immediately dropped to one knee in respect. ¡°We are honored by your presence, my lord.¡± Karl Buckenheim. A great noble who commanded the nobles of the eastern Empire and a mage who had inherited Buckenheim¡¯s seven stroke imprint. The head of House Duke Buckenheim, first seat of the Empire¡¯s distinguished magic houses, looked down at them with stern eyes. ¡°The Emperor who awoke from seclusion gained power by crushing the Republic, and now that blade has carved away a part of the Round Table.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, this isn¡¯t a matter we can simply overlook.¡± Duke Buckenheim pondered with gestures similar to Carlos¡¯s. At the Duke¡¯s sudden visit, Carlos fell into extreme confusion. ¡®Did he hear everything?¡¯ ¡®Since when?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve essentially intercepted information that should have gone to the Duke, so why isn¡¯t he saying anything about that?¡¯ ¡®No, more than that. Why didn¡¯t I notice his approach¡­¡­?¡¯ A fear that wouldn¡¯t easily disappear even after watching him for decades. While enduring that anxiety with his whole body. ¡°Carlos.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Tell all magic noble houses, including Nachtval.¡± Having finished his thoughts, the Duke commanded Carlos who was prostrated at his feet. ¡°That we must reconvene the Round Table.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hearing those words, Carlos¡¯s eyes widened greatly. The Round Table. The noble coalition formed by the 12 houses that had saved the Empire from monster invasions, established to prepare for future calamities. To reconvene that meant, in other words¡­¡­ ¡°Do you intend to take the Empire from the Emperor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Though the Duke spoke with a calm expression, the impact was enormous. All-out conflict between the Imperial court and magic nobles. It was essentially declaring the start of a massive battle that couldn¡¯t even be compared to the rebel uprising. ¡°Your Grace. However¡­!¡± ¡°I know well what you¡¯re worried about, Carlos. You¡¯re concerned about the rebels raging everywhere, aren¡¯t you?¡± Carlos nodded at the Duke¡¯s words, but the Duke opened his mouth with a faint smile. ¡°You need not worry about those lowborns.¡± ¡°Pardon? Your Grace. What do you¡­¡­¡± Just as Carlos asked with a puzzled expression. Swoosh- ¡°?!¡± A man who emerged from behind the Duke bowed his head respectfully to them. Glossy blonde hair and features different from Imperial citizens. Seeing this appearance, Carlos¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You¡¯re¡­!¡± He was someone who appeared on the Imperial wanted list. Randall Dean Clark. The right-hand man of Claude Elcidore, the rebel supreme leader, and effectively one of the most influential figures commanding the entire rebel force. Why would someone like him be by the Duke¡¯s side? As if sensing Carlos¡¯s confusion, the Duke looked down at Randall and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°These people have now become our chess pieces.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 88 #088 The Annihilation of the Elcryer Family. The news that one of the 12 Great Magic Houses had vanished in an instant plunged the Empire into a state of shock. The Imperial newspaper, numerous private media outlets, and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s informants scattered among them. Disguised in various identities, they flocked to the Elcryer territory, continuously photographing the ruins left after the battle. ¡°Look, he¡¯s coming out!¡± The moment I stepped out after waking up, a sea of reporters surged toward the train being used as lodging. ¡°Are you Division Commander Eugene Lorentz?! I¡¯m Ranster from the Imperial newspaper! Regarding this incident¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that members of other magic houses were also listed in the officially announced list of nobles. Do you plan to apply the same treatment to them¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been revealed that Count Elcidore and his family members were deeply involved in the monster research conducted at Elcryer. What do you plan to do about them¡­!¡± ¡°Is it true that His Majesty the Emperor directly ordered this subjugation?!¡± This is killing me. For a moment, I thought fighting the Republic¡¯s forces in a trench filled with poison gas would be better than this. In the end, I escaped from the wave of reporters with typical responses like ¡®It¡¯s a military secret¡¯ and ¡®I cannot discuss operational details.¡¯ How did I escape? I don¡¯t remember. I just somehow managed to escape. ¡°So, is Count Elcidore family next?¡± In the airship cabin. Unable to withstand the reporters¡¯ pressure and having retreated to the sky, I nodded at my subordinate officers who were sprawled out in similar states. ¡°That¡¯s the plan for now.¡± ¡°Lupeon is dead, and Claude Elcidore, who was the heir, defected to the rebels¡­ So now this already struggling family has been designated as an enemy of the Empire.¡± As Matt mumbled while looking over the Imperial newspaper laid out in the cabin. ¡°Division Commander.¡± Along with the still-unfamiliar title, the captain in charge of operating the airship approached me. A man wearing an Imperial Army uniform, not Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s. The man with a Major¡¯s rank insignia carefully approached me and whispered something. ¡°Light signals? From another airship?¡± ¡°It¡¯s approaching us now. We¡¯ve confirmed the Buckenheim family seal.¡± Keiren? No, that couldn¡¯t be. That man who trembles at the mention of his family wouldn¡¯t be riding an airship bearing his family¡¯s seal. In that case, there was only one possibility. ¡®Duke Buckenheim came personally?¡¯ While I was thinking this, the large airship that had been approaching from a distance quickly aligned its hull with our airship. ¡°The other airship is requesting permission to board.¡± The captain said while looking at the light signals visible through the window. He¡¯s asking me to decide? After thinking for a moment, I nodded in approval. Clank-! As the metal bridge extended from the other airship connected, a group of knights approached from there. Knights bearing Duke Buckenheim¡¯s seal. Looking at the emblem on their shoulders, they were high-ranking knights with five stroke imprints, Knight Order Commander level. ¡°Dolores Angelio, 7th Knight Order Commander of Buckenheim. It is an honor to meet the renowned hero of the Empire.¡± ¡°Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander Eugene Lorentz. I didn¡¯t expect a Knight Order to come all the way here.¡± I have no intention of exchanging pleasantries. It means get to the point. Seeming to understand my meaning, Dolores cleared his throat a few times before speaking to me. ¡°I bring a message from His Grace Duke Buckenheim.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°The Elcidore family has been designated as enemies of the Empire. A subjugation operation against them is underway.¡± What nonsense is this now? Hearing those words, the officers behind me frowned. Of course, I felt the same way they did. ¡°Are you saying that magic nobles are going to subjugate other magic nobles?¡± ¡°When designated as enemies of the Empire, subjugating them is our duty as Imperial nobles. The Knight Order is merely fulfilling that duty.¡± Bringing up duty at this point, he must have quite a few things weighing on his conscience. Seemingly thinking his explanation was insufficient even to himself, Commander Dolores cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°His Grace deeply regrets that fellow magic nobles and members of the Round Table have caused such a tragedy, and believes they must be held accountable. I hope you¡¯ll accept this as consideration for the Imperial Army, which must be weary from continuous battles with the Republic.¡± ¡°Well.¡± We know you¡¯re having a hard time fighting the Republic. Since we¡¯re fellow magic nobles, we¡¯ll handle Elcidore well, so let¡¯s stop here? What a load of bullshit. ¡°Among those who shared Count Elcryer¡¯s research results, members of other families were included.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Does that include knowing that members of Duke Buckenheim¡¯s family are under similar suspicion?¡± ¡°It¡¯s merely the doing of some extremists from branch families. The Knight Order will also do its utmost to root them out.¡± He was spouting the same words as Acting Head Martan, who now lay buried in the ruins turned to ashes. The typical excuse of cutting off the tail ¨C claiming it was a rash action by an extreme minority. It was their way of saying they would handle it at their level, so the Emperor and Imperial Army should stop meddling with magic nobles. ¡®But there¡¯s no way the Special Magic Unit would simply accept that.¡¯ They must know that too. So why bother telling me this? While I was thinking this, Commander Dolores opened his mouth to speak to me. ¡°The remnants of the Elcidore family are currently gathered in a city called ¡®Pelgear¡¯ located in the Empire¡¯s western border region. They¡¯re preparing to seek asylum in the Republic there.¡± Having no place left in the Empire, they¡¯re trying to escape to the Republic. It made sense. ¡°However, unfortunately, knights including myself have no experience fighting against fellow knights.¡± Unlike you and the Special Magical Power Unit, that is. Those were Commander Dolores¡¯s words as he looked at the ruins of the Elcryer territory. When I waited without answering, Commander Dolores maintained his characteristic expressionless face and said to me. ¡°Therefore¡­ we would like your and the Special Magical Power Unit¡¯s assistance in this subjugation operation.¡± Hearing those words, my subordinates and I couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Wait a minute. What did you just say?¡± ¡°The Knight Order is requesting support from the Special Magical Power Unit?¡± Cooperation? Between magic nobles and the Special Magical Power Unit? What absolute nonsense. It would be more realistic to hear a monster say it wants to be friends with humans. ¡°¡­Intelligence has come in.¡± ¡°Intelligence?¡± Perhaps even he found it uncomfortable to say. When I asked again, Commander Dolores, frowning slightly for the first time, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°The Elcidore remnants seeking asylum in the Republic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve received word that the rebels are protecting them.¡± The moment I heard those words, I felt my mind go blank for an instant. A moment of silence. And what followed was anger. An incredibly intense anger, too fierce to be just my own, was swirling within me. ¡°¡­Ah, these bas-¡° Who¡¯s protecting whom? The Revolutionary Army protecting magic nobles? And Elcidore at that? What kind of nonsense is this? *** They say they¡¯re going to subjugate the remnants of Count Elcidore¡¯s family. The Knight Order. And ¡®coincidentally¡¯ they¡¯re gathering and moving through territory near the border? And what¡¯s more, the Revolutionary Army is escorting them? And who discovered this? The Knight Order! And ¡®coincidentally¡¯! They want to drag me and the Special Magic Unit, who just finished our operation, to fight together. Who? The Knight Order!!! ¡°Huu¡­¡­¡± A sigh escaped from deep within my non-existent dantian. Two hours after Commander Dolores¡¯s airship had departed after saying his piece. Ortega, who had been mulling over the recent whirlwind of a conversation for a while, opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°This is suspicious. It could be an enemy trap.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­..¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­wow.¡± And hearing those words, Guille, Leopold, and Matt. These three looked at each other with serious expressions. ¡°Look at this. Ortega figured out it was a trap in just two hours!¡± ¡°Huh? Guille, that¡¯s what¡¯s surprising?¡± ¡°Do these Knight Order bastards not have brains? If a blockhead like Ortega can see through it, they weren¡¯t even trying to hide that it¡¯s a trap?¡± ¡°Matt? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit harsh?¡± ¡°For a Knight Order Commander of a Duke¡¯s family to use such an amateur strategy that even Major Ortega could figure it out¡­! I just don¡¯t understand! What on earth are they plotting?¡± ¡°Hey, you bastards, just insult me to my face-!¡± You guys are having fun. While our officers were putting their heads together thinking. Erich, who had been listening to the conversation, stepped forward and spoke. ¡°They probably don¡¯t think they need to hide it. Once His Majesty has ordered it, we have to go whether their words are true or false.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The remnants of the Elcidore family, designated as enemies of the Empire. If the rebels are protecting them, the backlash for refusing the request would be too strong. However¡­¡­¡± But even while saying this, Erich clutched his head in frustration. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a week since we finished the Elcryer subjugation. Shells, bombs, magic bullets¡­ we¡¯re out of everything. It would take at least two weeks to get supplies and depart, but by then¡­¡± ¡°The Knight Order would have already finished their subjugation operation.¡± Guille and Matt also supported Erich¡¯s opinion. ¡°The condition of our troops is also a problem. They¡¯re incredibly fatigued from using magic bullets. If we¡¯re going to the battlefield, they need at least a week of rest¡­¡± ¡°We also need to select people to train the next batch of recruits. We need to send at least 30% back to headquarters, but that would create another gap¡­¡± Strictly speaking, Count Elcryer¡¯s family was too big a prey for the Special Magic Unit to swallow. That¡¯s why we¡¯re suffering from these aftereffects after swallowing them. In other words, even if we took Special Magic Unit members now, it would be impossible to deploy them as proper fighting force. Then, there was only one option left. ¡®We¡¯ll have to bring in forces from elsewhere.¡¯ Having finished my thought, I immediately spoke up. ¡°The Special Magic Unit doesn¡¯t need to step in this time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Eugene. What do you mean?¡± To my colleagues¡¯ questions, I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°They said the Elcidore remnants¡¯ subjugation will be led by the Knight Order. Then we should let them do it.¡± ¡°Would that be possible? If we refuse their request, who knows what those bastards will say¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s related to the unit¡¯s reputation too. If we rashly pull out the unit, it could damage the reputation we¡¯ve built up until now¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll go alone.¡± I nodded and replied to Guille and Matt¡¯s words. ¡°Let the soldiers go rest, and I¡¯ll go by myself as the commander. If the Special Magic Unit commander goes personally, they won¡¯t be able to say anything.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± It is dangerous. From the enemy¡¯s perspective, they¡¯d think I¡¯m a gift fallen from heaven. So¡­ ¡°I have something to tell the Imperial family.¡± ¡°¡­The Imperial family?¡± ¡°Yeah. And you guys have some places to go too.¡± As I spoke with the sinister face that villains typically make, Erich and the others slowly sighed. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®This bastard is plotting something again.¡¯ Their reaction suggested this wasn¡¯t anything new anymore. These were truly my friends. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 89 #089 Screech¨C! With the train whistle, the train carrying me departed towards the western part of the Empire. Not a military train, but a luxury passenger car from a civilian railway company. A first-class compartment created by renovating an entire passenger car. Seeing the luxurious sight that couldn¡¯t even be compared to a military armored train, Leopold, the adjutant accompanying me, opened his eyes wide. ¡°B-Battalion Commander? This is¡­¡­¡± ¡°You followed me without even getting time to rest after working so hard in the Elcryer territory. I should at least treat you this much.¡± ¡°Wow! The bed! It¡¯s huge!¡± Irene, who had already jumped onto the bed and was bouncing around, and Leopold, who was looking at me with eyes full of emotion. ¡°B-Battalion Commander. Is this alright? This compartment must have cost quite a bit¡­¡­¡± ¡°Your Battalion Commander has lots of money.¡± Although it was an extravagant expense compared to the three-day travel time, I didn¡¯t feel particularly wasteful about it. ¡®If not now, when else would I spend money?¡¯ The Special Magical Power Unit was a unit composed of mages, and their salary was considerable. Among the Special Magical Power Unit, as the Battalion Commander leading the entire unit, I was guaranteed an enormous monthly salary, with all sorts of reward money and additional allowances allocated. However, there was one advantage, if you could call it that, from moving from battlefield to battlefield: while money poured in abundantly, there were hardly any opportunities to spend it, even if you looked high and low. Food? Just eat what comes from the supplies. Drinks? Just drink what comes from the supplies. Clothes? Want to dress up on the battlefield? Just wear the supplied uniform. There¡¯s no way there would be bars or inns on the battlefield, and I had no intention of frequenting brothels like other unit members, so my account had become a golden goblin full of deposit records without any withdrawal history. ¡°Things were so bad that when I booked this compartment, I got a letter from the Imperial Central Bank.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°¡®There¡¯s a record of money leaving the account, wasn¡¯t the account holder deceased?¡¯ That¡¯s the nonsense they were spouting.¡± ¡°Pfft-!¡± The one who killed me, whom even Count Elcryer couldn¡¯t kill, was an unnamed bank clerk of the Empire. It¡¯s still absurd thinking about it now. When I go on leave, I should visit the bank first and turn everything upside down. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t get many chances to come out and spend money. So when opportunities like this come along, I need to spend as much as possible to avoid regrets.¡± Saying that, I filled the order form with numerous luxury dishes, premium champagne, and decades-old wine whose taste I didn¡¯t even know from the dining menu. It would take about three days to reach our destination, ¡®Pelgear¡¯ city. I couldn¡¯t carelessly waste this rare time. How much time had passed as we enjoyed the served dishes and shared drinks while catching up? Screech¨C! At the whistle in the middle of the night, I got up from my seat, holding my throbbing head. ¡°Ugh, damn¡­¡­¡± 50-year-old premium wine? While connoisseurs might praise it as heavenly delicacy, to a street rat like me, it was just alcoholic rotten grape water. Ugh, it¡¯s so thick. If I drink that again, I¡¯m not human but a monster. ¡®By the way, why did we stop? We should still have about a day left until arrival¡­¡¯ While thinking that, I heard knocking on the compartment door. When I opened the door, standing there was the captain in charge of operating this train. Seemingly well aware of the value of the compartment I was staying in and the food I had ordered so far, he maintained a polite posture and bowed his head. ¡°Excuse me for the late hour, dear customer. The knights who just boarded wish to meet you¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Knights?¡± What nonsense is this now. At my words, the captain nodded and extended his hand to point somewhere. The place where the train had stopped was an intermediate station before entering Pelgear city. A group of knights had already boarded the large train. ¡®Looking at their emblems, it¡¯s Buckenheim¡­ And Nachtval ducal family mixed in?¡¯ The moment I recognized them, I drew up magical power to dispel the intoxication built up in my body. Buckenheim, and Nachtval. When knights dispatched from two ducal families of the Empire gathered in one place, it wasn¡¯t an ordinary matter. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you!¡± ¡°Oh, there he comes.¡± Leopold, my adjutant, had already passed out drunk. I, dressed in full uniform, slowly approached the knights and saluted the man standing in the middle. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lord Carlos.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The middle-aged knight receiving the salute with a stern expression was Carlos Buckenheim. The heir of Duke Buckenheim had personally come leading the Knight Order. *** ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet in a place like this.¡± ¡°On my way to the western Empire to command the subjugation operation, I heard there was someone wearing an Imperial Army uniform. However, I didn¡¯t expect it would be you¡­¡­¡± Hearing Carlos¡¯s words, Eugene glanced at the captain. The captain gave a thumbs up with a triumphant expression. It made sense. When such a big shot as a ducal heir arrives, making connections would help with career advancement. From the captain¡¯s perspective, he was doing a favor by arranging this coincidental meeting. Though it wasn¡¯t at all welcome from the receiving end. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz¡­¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Delling. It¡¯s been a while.¡± Recognizing Eugene, Delling, who was standing next to Carlos, gritted his teeth. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A gaze mixed with anger and fear. The shameful memory from several years ago must have resurfaced. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re that Eugene? The one who created the Special Magical Power Unit?¡± Meanwhile, an unfamiliar voice approached, calling Eugene¡¯s name. A blue-haired handsome man wearing the Nachtval ducal family¡¯s seal on his shoulder. Though he extended his hand with a grinning expression, Eugene¡¯s face remained stiff upon seeing him. ¡®Zeplant el Nachtval¡­¡¯ The first son of the Nachtval ducal family, and an unprecedented bastard in this game¡¯s history. He was looking Eugene up and down with interested eyes, as if he¡¯d found a new toy. ¡°Eugene.¡± Among the knights lined up in the back, a familiar face greeted. Feilun. Having at least one familiar face made him feel somewhat relieved. While exchanging greetings with the knights who had boarded the train. Noticing that Eugene was alone, Carlos¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did you come alone?¡± ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± At those words, Carlos frowned and openly showed his displeasure. ¡°I heard the Knight Order definitely requested support from the Special Magical Power Unit. But just one person, what is this¡­¡­¡± ¡°I heard this subjugation operation would be conducted under the Knight Order¡¯s leadership.¡± Just before an outburst could occur, Eugene cut off his words with a firm voice. ¡°With this many knights gathered, I don¡¯t think my unit and I would be needed. If you still called us despite that, the role would be advisory rather than direct combat participation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡­¡± Eugene smiled slightly and opened his mouth. It was a deliberately provocative attitude. ¡°Unlike our Special Magical Power Unit, the Knight Order hasn¡¯t had experience killing Imperial knights.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ did you say¡­¡­¡± At those words, Carlos¡¯s eyes sank, and Delling growled while grinding his teeth. Magical power seeping out from Carlos. While feeling that and preparing for any possible situation. ¡°Ah, wait, wait a moment.¡± Zeplant, with his characteristic grinning expression, stepped between the two as if mediating. ¡°Rebels have set up camp ahead of us. In such a situation, there¡¯s no need for us to fight among ourselves, is there?¡± ¡°Sending just one person as reinforcement for the important mission of subjugating rebels. This is an act of disrespect towards the Knight Order.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hmm, then¡­¡­¡± Zeplant briefly trailed off while holding his chin. But only for a moment. Swoosh-! He immediately released magical power and thrust it toward Eugene¡¯s head. An attack without warning. It was an assassination attempt filled with magnificent magical power, at a speed too fast to respond to. Clang-! The barrier deployed immediately blocked Zeplant¡¯s sword imbued with magical power. As blue magical power light scattered and the clash sound spread, only then did the knights who noticed it falter. ¡°What was that just now¡­¡­¡± ¡°An attack?! Couldn¡¯t even see it¡­¡­¡± Meanwhile, confirming his attack had been blocked, Zeplant whistled as if finding it interesting. ¡°Ooh~! You blocked it?¡± The red barrier still present before his eyes. In that brief moment, Eugene had blocked his attack. ¡°Acting all high and mighty to a ducal heir, but you¡¯re not just all talk, are you?¡± ¡°Young Master Zeplant! What is this suddenly!¡± ¡°Trash, shut your mouth.¡± When Delling, standing beside Carlos, startled and tried to say something, Zeplant ignored his words and turned his head. ¡°With this level of skill, he¡¯s a hundred times better than most knights. I think he¡¯s not lacking as reinforcement.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you think? Lord Carlos.¡± Zeplant smiled slightly as if asking if he still had complaints. ¡®What a thug.¡¯ Thinking that, Carlos clicked his tongue and stepped back. ¡°If the First Young Master of Nachtval says so, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°Thank you for saying so.¡± Having said that, Zeplant left towards their compartment, accompanied by the knights. ¡°Suddenly using magic inside a train, such a frivolous person¡­¡­¡± Delling was indignant, speaking such words. However, Carlos frowned while observing the magical power of Zeplant and Eugene. ¡®The heir of Nachtval. And the mage Keiren is raising¡­ At such a young age, already at this level?¡¯ It was skill that showed too much difference compared to Delling. In fact, Delling was just surprised by the sudden clash, not even noticing what kind of exchange they had. To grow this much in such a short time¡­ ¡°Indeed, I should have killed him back then.¡± Along with an odd sense of unease, Carlos said that. The raw gem that bastard Keiren picked up from the street had now become a threat that even he couldn¡¯t ignore. *** ¡°I apologize on behalf of my brother for his rudeness. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I got to see something interesting thanks to him.¡± Train compartment. After the encounter with the Knight Order, the one who came to visit me was Feilun, who was accompanying the Nachtval Knight Order. ¡°And already a Lieutenant Colonel, now you¡¯re really at a rank I can¡¯t even look up to.¡± Feilun said while looking at the rank insignia shining on my chest. ¡°What are you saying when you¡¯re leading a Knight Order?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the result of desperately struggling to climb up. Though it¡¯s already overwhelming just trying to keep up with our junior.¡± After snickering while saying that. While looking at the scenery passing by outside the window, Feilun opened his mouth towards me. ¡°How do you see it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You know without me having to say it.¡± I thought while looking at the approaching Pelgear city. The joint Knight Order formed by combining Nachtval and Buckenheim Knight Orders, about 200 members in size. All of them being an elite group possessing three stroke or higher imprints, and when including the apprentice knights and soldiers under their command, the size of the subjugation force would reach several thousand. Similar in scale to when we subjugated the Elcryer territory. They organized such a scale of Knight Order at once, and flaunting that action. Their message was clear. ¡°Has the Round Table Conference been convened?¡± Round Table Conference. Created when the Great Rupture first appeared, it was the organization that became the origin of the 12 Great Magic Houses. The twelve heroes who were the founders of each family shared drinks before the battle to destroy the Great Rupture. A term meaning the union of magic nobles, taken from the round table where they sat around at that time. Feilun nodded at my words and opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°Magic nobles who had been building different forces are gathering into one huge group. The Joint Knight Order organized for this subjugation operation is both a practice for that and¡­¡­¡± ¡°A show of force sent to the Imperial faction.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Round Table Conference was convened, and the nobles¡¯ power was consolidated. It¡¯s saying they can create forces on the scale used to strike Elcryer anytime they want. So Emperor, don¡¯t mess with us magic nobles. Well, that¡¯s roughly the meaning. ¡°But that¡¯s not what¡¯s dangerous right now.¡± ¡°Then what is?¡± Hearing my response, Feilun hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°The reason magic nobles convened the Round Table Conference was the extinction of House Count Elcryer. And this joint Knight Order being organized is also meant to counter the actions of the Special Magical Power Unit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°You probably know better than me what this means.¡± Feilun spoke to me with a hardened expression, as if warning. ¡°It means the magic nobles now recognize you and your army as a real threat.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°In such a situation, you came here alone. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± It¡¯s true that Elcidore remnants are gathered here. But this subjugation operation was just a formality to lure me in, nothing more, nothing less. This place was a trap set up from the beginning to entice me and the Special Magic Unit. And I entered the trap knowingly. ¡°Listen well. Pelgear city is completely under the Knight Order¡¯s control. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for anything to happen there!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You know? Then why on earth did you come here alone¡­!¡± Screech¨C! While he was asking that, the train whistle rang out. ¡°Tch, have we arrived?¡± Feilun had to command his Knight Order. Hurriedly standing up, Feilun immediately ran toward the car where the Knight Order was. ¡°Anyway, this place is no different from enemy territory. Be careful! I¡¯ll try my best to help too¡­¡­¡± Even in his hurry, Feilun didn¡¯t stop worrying about me. While seeing him off, the phone installed in the compartment rang. ¨C There¡¯s a telegram for Mr. Eugene Lorentz. The sender is listed as the ¡®Big House¡¯ from the Imperial capital¡­ Shall I read you the contents? ¡°Please do.¡± A telegram delivered to a civilian train. After clearing their throat a few times, the attendant told me the telegram¡¯s contents. ¨C ¡®Uncles¡¯ from the ¡®Big House¡¯ are coming. A pleasant smile bloomed on my face upon hearing those words. Coming alone to enemy territory? As if that would happen. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 90 #090 ¡°Knight Order, everyone dismount-!¡± As the train arrived at the station, the knights of Duke Buckenheim and Duke Nachtval disembarked one after another. The knights moved in perfect unison, maintaining their ranks and files. Seeing them off was a group of knights wearing purple sashes. ¡°They are the knights of the sixth seat of Magic Noble Houses, Count Raikard.¡± Leopold, who was watching from a distance, informed me. The Knight Order Commander saluted Carlos as he got off the train. Among the knights lined up behind him, there was a familiar face. ¡°Kyle?¡± A knight with a bright, cheerful smile. It was Kyle Raikard, my Military Academy classmate. ¡°¡­Oh, Eugene!¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°The suppression operation is being led by the Joint Knight Order. Father sent me and the knights to gain combat experience.¡± His face remained as carefree as ever. It was the typical reaction shown by most magic noble heirs. Military service was merely a brief formality for entering the Knight Order. He would be preparing to inherit his house while leading its knights. ¡°And¡­¡­¡± However, in the middle of speaking, Kyle opened his mouth with an uncharacteristically serious expression. ¡°The rebels who are helping the traitors. I have a debt to settle with them.¡± ¡°Debt?¡± At my question, Kyle nodded with a hardened expression. ¡°The Dwitch Viscounty, ruled by our branch family, was invaded by the rebels. We rushed in with our knights to suppress them but¡­ We had to retreat after losing two knights.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I understood. The people¡¯s uprising instigated by the Revolutionary Army. The main targets of that uprising were minor nobles who managed provincial cities and small agricultural lands. ¡®Houses that had at most ten knights under their command and the head of house having at most a four stroke imprint¡­ In the game, these were the places I frequently raided for mid-game experience farming.¡¯ While I was thinking that, Kyle shook his head with a bitter expression and continued speaking. ¡°Viscount Dwitch was Father¡¯s close friend. He took care of me since I was young. But I couldn¡¯t even properly avenge him¡­ I can¡¯t hold my head high as the heir to the Count¡¯s house.¡± The ones I killed without much feeling in the game are now my friend¡¯s acquaintances. After turning my back on the Revolutionary Army, I found myself in such a peculiar situation. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t my business. ¡°Claude Elcidore.¡± But that moment didn¡¯t last long. Clenching his fist while saying that all-too-familiar name, Kyle steeled his expression and declared his resolve. ¡°This time, I will find that bastard and finish him off.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± Kyle spoke with a determined expression. However, he soon changed his expression and guided Leopold and me with practiced etiquette. It meant he couldn¡¯t keep discussing gloomy topics in front of a friend he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡°We¡¯re using a hotel on the outskirts of the city as temporary quarters. The facilities are better than expected.¡± ¡°The building reminds me of our time at the Military Academy.¡± ¡°Of course. It was built by the same construction company.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s a hotel built by your family?¡± When I sneered like that, Kyle grinned and walked ahead with a swagger. Unlike the past when he was just like a child, he had become more mature. Looking at his back as he walked, I quietly muttered. ¡°Can¡¯t let you finish him off just yet.¡± That bastard you¡¯re grinding your teeth at as your sworn enemy. He¡¯s a chess piece I need to use. *** ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that not telling Feilun about the operation would help like this. I just wanted to make him suffer because I didn¡¯t like him.¡± In the dark night. As Zeplant snickered while sitting in the conference room chair, Delling, sitting across from him, frowned. To show such an insolent attitude in front of the heir of Buckenheim. Although he was seething with anger, his father sitting beside him opened his mouth without any particular restraint. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. What is he doing now?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t left his quarters. According to occasional reports, he¡¯s with Young Master Kyle of Count Raikard¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather amazing how he seems to know people wherever he goes.¡± Although Zeplant sneered with a grin, there was no chance of the plan being exposed. They had deliberately withheld information from those who were acquainted with Eugene, and the knights from other houses also didn¡¯t know the detailed plan. However, Carlos, upon receiving the report, showed displeasure and sighed. ¡°The plan is going awry from the start. Bringing the entire Special Magical Power Unit was the first condition of the plan.¡± Who would have thought he would come with just one adjutant to this place teeming with political rivals. Moreover, there was something else that Carlos didn¡¯t like. ¡°And, Young Master Zeplant.¡± Carlos lowered his voice as he glared at Zeplant with sharp eyes. ¡°What were you scheming by attacking him before the plan even began?¡± ¡°Ha, scheming, you say.¡± A chill ran down his spine. However, Zeplant, who faced it head-on, merely shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing. ¡°When the assassination target walks right into our mouths, didn¡¯t you just sit there twiddling your thumbs out of fear? I stepped up because it was so frustrating.¡± ¡°Fear?¡± ¡°Think about it, Lord Carlos. If we both rushed in right now and killed him, the Special Magical Power Unit would immediately collapse without its core.¡± After downing the wine glass on the table in one gulp, Zeplant raised his voice again. ¡°In the first place, why are we going in circles with such a simple matter? Why go through the trouble of mobilizing the Knight Order for this charade? Is there any reason to put in so much effort just to deal with one magician?¡± Why not just kill him without considering the consequences? Looking at Zeplant who asked such questions, Carlos grabbed his throbbing head. ¡®To think we have to accept such a hothead as an ally.¡¯ Although it was a formality for forming the Round Table, that utterly frivolous attitude was not to his liking at all. ¡°This is because Eugene Lorentz is not an ordinary magician.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t let his personal feelings jeopardize the relationships between houses. Thinking thus, Carlos slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Eugene Lorentz and his army have become renowned as imperial heroes who destroyed the Republic. If such people die by our hands, what would the ordinary nobles think of us magic nobles?¡± No matter how strong the influence of magic nobles and their Knight Orders might be, they were still a minority. Perhaps it would have been different in the past when the balance of power tilted in their favor, but now, with the Emperor¡¯s faction gaining strength, they had no choice but to be mindful of other nobles¡¯ opinions. In such circumstances, if magic nobles were to kill Eugene out of a desire to check the Special Magic Unit, the regular noble class watching the situation would immediately react negatively. ¡®Although they share the common denominator of being nobles, they too harbor dissatisfaction with the coercive rule of magic nobles.¡¯ Now, when the power of the Emperor and magic nobles was evenly balanced. If magic nobles crossed the line by killing Eugene, they would support the rising Emperor and tip the balance of imperial power. ¡°That¡¯s just the grumbling of non-awakened rabble, isn¡¯t it? If we show our strength like we always have¡­¡± ¡°The situation is different from before. Moreover¡­¡­¡± After a brief pause, Carlos spoke with a furrowed brow. ¡°There are unstable elements within our own ranks as well.¡± Gloucester of the East, who had completely left the Round Table and sided with the Emperor. Korhonen, who still ignored the summons to the Round Table conference and remained seated in the Northern fortress. If they were to become hostile to the Round Table, they could pose an even greater threat than the current Special Magic Unit. ¡°If we¡¯re not careful, we might end up growing another tumor while trying to remove the Special Magical Power Unit.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, he must die by the hands of the rebels, not our Knight Order.¡± That was the only way to kill him without giving the Emperor¡¯s faction justification. Upon hearing Carlos¡¯s explanation, Zeplant made a face and waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Ugh, complicated politics.¡± ¡°That person is now¡­!¡± Although Delling was grinding his teeth at the insolent attitude, Carlos raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Despite his demeanor, he is the heir to House Nachtval. A person of equal rank to me. This is not your place to step in.¡± ¡°¡­My apologies for the discourtesy.¡± Carlos looked at Zeplant with narrowed eyes. Zeplant, hailed as the genius of House Nachtval, was a six stroke imprint holder like Carlos. He, who had just awakened to five stroke, was no match at all. And probably the same went for that Eugene fellow. If they were to eliminate him, regular knights wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Then¡­¡­ ¡°Young Master Zeplant.¡± Carlos called out to Zeplant and spoke without hesitation. ¡°You¡¯ve briefly engaged in combat with Eugene¡­ What do you think? If the two of you were to clash, could you win?¡± ¡°Ha, you ask if I could win?¡± Zeplant smiled slightly at those words and answered with a confident voice. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± That single confident word, and the magical power flowing from his body. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. For the first time, I¡¯m taking a liking to this frivolous fellow. Thinking this to himself, Carlos nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°Then, we shall proceed with the operation as planned.¡± Having said that, Carlos looked at the map spread out on the table. The Knight Order that had blockaded the city. The remnants of Elcidore and the rebels working with them. Everything was a stage prepared to catch one person. All the humans standing in this space were chess pieces arranged to kill a single person. ¡®If you had accepted my offer and worked for me, you wouldn¡¯t have faced such a miserable death.¡¯ He recalled when he first met that boy. I let a valuable talent slip away. Though there was regret, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Those who opposed the rule of magic nobles had to have their sprouts erased at any time. Like the Emperor had been. Like Keiren and his subordinates had been. Informant M¡­ Just like Maximilien had been. ¡®The possibility of overturning an era must be crushed before it bears fruit.¡¯ Since the rule of magic nobles began, there had been numerous attempts to break that system. However, not one of them had succeeded. The rebels currently shaking the empire would be the same, and the resurgent Emperor¡¯s faction would be as well. And he would survive while crushing all those possibilities. While enjoying the power and authority of the eternal magic nobles. ¡°I, Carlos Buckenheim, representative of Duke Buckenheim, command all knights gathered here.¡± At Carlos¡¯s words, numerous knights revealed themselves from various corners of the conference room. Knights waiting for his orders while harboring fierce fighting spirit. Carlos looked around at them with satisfied eyes and opened his mouth with a solemn voice. ¡°Eliminate Eugene Lorentz¡­!¡± But at that moment. ¡°L-Lord Carlos!¡± A knight who hurriedly opened the command post door and entered delivered shocking news. ¡°An armored train is approaching the station! Confirmed the twin-headed eagle crest engraved on the golden seal!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± A look of dismay crossed Carlos¡¯s face upon hearing those words. The twin-headed eagle crest. There was only one group in the empire that could use that. ¡°The Imperial Guard Knight Order is entering here-!¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 91 #091 Knights adorned with golden decorations were disembarking from the stopped train one after another. The Imperial direct subordinate, Imperial Guard Knight Order. When he faced a person he didn¡¯t want to see among the knights forming ranks, Klaus felt his insides twisting. ¡®Andrei, Leonhardt¡­!¡¯ The magnificent magical power emanating from a body over 2 meters tall. Why on earth did the Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander, who should be directly guarding the Emperor, appear here? However, he couldn¡¯t carelessly show his emotions. Like other nobles would typically do, he greeted Andrei with a perfunctory smile. ¡°Welcome. I never expected the Imperial Knight Order to visit this place¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty personally ordered it upon hearing news of eliminating the Empire¡¯s public enemy.¡± With a simple bow, Andrei said this while surveying the knights with a chilling gaze. Buckenheim, Nachtval, and Raikard. Eugene standing alone in the middle of this space where knights from magic noble factions had gathered. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess what their real purpose was. ¡°In a situation where all members of the Empire seek to expel the traitor, His Majesty said the Imperial Guard Knight Order, as his vanguard, cannot remain in the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± While Eugene and his unit members were one thing, meddling with the Imperial Guard Knight Order was nonsensical. Moreover, for none other than Andrei himself to come personally. If anything were to happen to the only human who could directly communicate with the Emperor through magical power, the entire Empire would be turned upside down! ¡®Besides, that¡¯s not the only problem.¡¯ As Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander, Andrei effectively oversees all military organizations of the Imperial family. If he came personally, it meant that it wasn¡¯t just the Imperial Guard Knight Order that was moving now. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared a simple meal. This way.¡± The Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander¡¯s rank was equal to that of a magic noble family head. While maintaining a courteous attitude in accordance with etiquette, Klaus turned his gaze to observe the other personnel who came to assist the Imperial Guard Knight Order. ¡®So they came together after all.¡¯ Servants, porters, cooks, doctors. Though perfectly disguised in their respective attires, the aura emanating from their faces was not that of ordinary people. Imperial Intelligence Department. The Empire¡¯s largest intelligence agency had begun to thoroughly monitor this subjugation operation. ¡®If these people hide throughout the city, every move of all knights participating in the subjugation will be reported to the Imperial family.¡¯ It was obvious that if they tried to send the Knight Order to kill Eugene, it would be discovered immediately. That wasn¡¯t the only problem. If they left them be, it was clear that surveillance would extend to the remnants of Count Elcidore¡¯s family, who were the subjugation targets. If that happened¡­ ¡®In the worst case, the fact that this subjugation is the Round Table¡¯s self-orchestrated play might be exposed.¡¯ Judging by Andrei coming personally, he probably already had subtle suspicions. If they start digging for information in earnest, discovery was just a matter of time. That had to be avoided at all costs. In the end, Carlos had no choice but to modify the plan with a heart that felt like it was bleeding. [It¡¯s an unexpected situation.] [Lord Carlos? What¡¯s this suddenly¡­] He sent a magical power communication to the Elcidore remnants standing by inside the city. The magical power communication frequency was confidential information passed down through the family. Even the Imperial Intelligence Department couldn¡¯t discover it. [We¡¯ll initiate action right now. Since the Knight Order is tied down, you must eliminate Eugene Lorentz by yourselves.] [W-what are you saying, Lord Carlos?! We¡­] He knew. Their magical power was at best four stroke mage level. There was no way they could defeat Eugene, who possessed five stroke or higher imprint. However¡­ [You have ¡®collaborators¡¯ helping you, don¡¯t you.] [¡­!] [I¡¯ll lure him to the target point, so coordinate with the rebels and strike him down. If they join in, you should be able to handle one mage somehow.] After finishing the communication, Carlos clutched his throbbing head and muttered. ¡°They say war is unpredictable¡­ but this is ridiculous. To think things would get so twisted.¡± Originally, they were insurance prepared for when the Knight Order failed. But with the Imperial Guard Knight Order¡¯s intervention, everything had been distorted. This carefully prepared plan involving other families had suddenly turned into a gamble where everything had to be entrusted to the rebels. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz¡­¡± Carlos raised his head to look at the young boy talking with Andrei from a distance. That young boy who came alone at his leisure had the entire Knight Order in the palm of his hand, twisting and turning them as he pleased. *** ¡°His Majesty was incredibly worried. He said it was no different from entering a wolf¡¯s den. And alone without your unit members¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t write it in the letter. I asked you to come quickly.¡± I smiled slightly and replied thus to Andrei¡¯s reproachful words. I know it¡¯s a dangerous method, but what can I do? The Special Magic Unit had already made Count Elcryer a public enemy of the Empire and confiscated all the family¡¯s assets. In this situation, if we backed out of handling the Elcidore remnants, there was a risk of damaging the reputation we had carefully built up until now. ¡°Our Special Magical Power Unit has a short history.¡± Starting like that, I spoke while watching the knights moving around various parts of the city. ¡°Twelve heroes who saved the world from monster invasions. And twelve magic noble houses that inherited their will.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To break down this authority that has existed for hundreds of years, we need a myth grand enough to overshadow their reputation and history.¡± The Empire¡¯s invincible army. A group of iron men who cannot accept even a single defeat, a single failure. To stand against magic nobles, anything less wouldn¡¯t be enough. There was no way we could run away from the enemy before us. ¡°So that¡¯s why you came alone? Saying that Elcidore¡¯s remnants are nothing you can¡¯t handle by yourself, you jumped into enemy territory alone? That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Reckless. I know well.¡± As Andrei said, it was a dangerous action. I had to check for poison through Irene whenever food came out, and spread magical power fields every night to check for assassins. If the Imperial Guard Knight Order hadn¡¯t come in time, I would probably be half-mad and disabled by now. But the Imperial Guard Knight Order did come. I had obtained the first thread to overturn this trap. ¡°Now that the Intelligence Department has spread throughout the city, they must be getting anxious too.¡± ¡°Indeed. All secrets will be revealed within two weeks at the latest.¡± ¡°So they¡¯ll try to eliminate me somehow before that.¡± Cracks were appearing in their fortress-like plan. If we could exploit those cracks, we could overturn this entire trap. *** Thump- Thump- A city turned to ruins by bombardment. Carlos blocked the city with the Knight Order, then sent out a reconnaissance team saying they had discovered Elcidore remnants attempting to escape to the border region. The reconnaissance team consisted of me and Feilun. And about ten ¡®trustworthy¡¯ knights dispatched from Buckenheim and Nachtval. The knights hurried their steps while positioned to surround us. The atmosphere was such that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they turned around and pointed their swords at any moment. Of course, it¡¯s not like these guys could defeat me even if they tried. ¡°Putting aside how blatant it is, at this point it¡¯s fair to say they have no intention of hiding it.¡± ¡°I concur.¡± Feilun muttered in a low voice after observing them. I thought this when first receiving the support request, but being here on site made it even more clear. ¡®Buckenheim wants to eliminate me, and Nachtval wants to kill Feilun who has emerged as Zeplant¡¯s competitor¡­ That¡¯s probably how the conversation went.¡¯ The knights blockading the city couldn¡¯t move freely since they were under Imperial Guard Knight Order surveillance. Thus, Carlos was satisfied with sending out just a few knights while avoiding their eyes. The restraint from the Imperial Guard Knight Order was this much; otherwise, my head would¡¯ve been off by now. Just as I was thinking that. Wheeeeee¨C! My magical power spread in all directions detected projectiles flying this way. Fireballs filled with magnificent magical power. Though it was a basic attack spell, the precision of the technique was incomparable to ordinary mages. Boom-! ¡°An ambush?! What is this¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?! We should still be far from the target point!¡± Ah, so there was a separate target point? While thinking that as I cleared away the Fireball¡¯s heat, shadows began to emerge one by one from the ruins of buildings destroyed by bombardment. ¡°Found them. Ten Imperial knights. Young Master Feilun. And¡­¡± ¡°Eugene Lorentz. It¡¯s definitely him.¡± The Elcidore remnants didn¡¯t show themselves, while only Revolutionary Army members came forward pointing their guns. Looking at the knights¡¯ expressions, they too seemed bewildered as they looked around. ¡®Looks like this ambush wasn¡¯t part of the plan.¡¯ Seeing them hurriedly preparing magic confirms it. Meanwhile, a familiar face appeared among the Revolutionary Army members. Miles aiming his rifle at me. And approaching here with a sword¡­ ¡°Claude, Elcidore?¡± ¡°Impossible. The Revolutionary Army supreme leader should be somewhere else¡­!¡± Just as the knights said that upon seeing Claude¡¯s face, Claude¡¯s sword had already sliced through one knight¡¯s chest. Slash-! ¡°Ugh, kuugh?!¡± Claude who instantly approached and cut down one knight. The knights dispatched from Buckenheim didn¡¯t even notice his approach. ¡°What are you doing¡­! You made a deal with our lord¡­!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Claude¡¯s face, gritting his teeth as if about to explode any moment. Judging by his clearly angry expression, he seemed quite displeased with the current situation. ¡°Attack!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaah¡ª!¡± With Miles¡¯ order, Revolutionary Army members charged with raised swords, and dozens of gun barrels spewed fire towards me. A formation where a small number of close combat specialists disrupt the lines while numerous firepower units dominate the battlefield. That was imitating Special Magic Unit¡¯s tactical doctrine. Kuwaaaaang¨C! Knights¡¯ bodies flew through the air along with Claude¡¯s sword strike. At that level, the knights should be handled without much difficulty. Thinking that, I extended my hand horizontally to generate dozens of magic circles. Eye of Horus, and condensed Fireballs. Each magic circle captured the figures of numerous revolutionary members in cover. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Here it comes! Everyone, prepare barriers-!¡± At Miles¡¯ order upon confirming my magic circles, gunners positioned throughout prepared defensive magic. But well, I¡¯m not sure if they can block it. Smirking, I drew Heresy from its holster and. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Fire all rounds.¡± As I pulled the trigger, dozens of red light streams shot towards them. Kuwakwakwakwang¨C! Along with the explosion, three buildings instantly collapsed. Only five people succeeded in defending. The rest either became corpses with their bodies pierced, or fell unconscious after being pushed back by the recoil of their defensive walls breaking. ¡°That takes care of the regular members. And¡­¡± Looking around, I smiled with satisfaction. While I was dealing with the regular members, Claude had cut down all of Buckenheim¡¯s knights who were watching me under the pretense of being escorts. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­¡± ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± Click- Claude facing off against Feilun after cutting down ten knights. Along with a mechanical sound, a magic bullet casing popped out from the sword he was holding. One shot to take down ten three stroke imprint mages. Compared to when we met last time, it was an astounding rate of growth. ¡°Eugene! This guy¡­!¡± ¡°Keep your distance. You might get caught up if you¡¯re not careful.¡± ¡°Claude-!¡± Feilun and Claude facing off. Me targeting Claude¡¯s back, Miles targeting my back, and other members. In this chaotic battle where everyone was targeting each other, Feilun quickly exchanged glances before immediately taking action. Whoosh-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± After deflecting Claude¡¯s sword with his own, Feilun immediately activated magic. Flash, the Nachtval family¡¯s basic technique, was a spell that blocked vision with intense light. ¡°Claude?!¡± ¡°Captain Miles! This is¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fire rashly! You might hit our allies!¡± I knew it. Thinking that, I immediately rushed towards Claude. Feilun who created distance, and me targeting Claude¡¯s back. However, Claude seemed to have expected this much as he immediately turned around and swung his sword at me. Clang-! My dagger blocked by Claude¡¯s sword. Now I, not Feilun, was facing off against Claude. ¡°Is it okay for Revolutionary Army to wander alone? According to plan, you should be taking care of your family members, right?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­! The plan or whatever, it¡¯s none of my business!¡± As expected of Claude. When I prodded him lightly to test him, information immediately started flowing out. ¡®So it¡¯s true that Revolutionary Army and magic nobles made some kind of deal. And he must be really annoyed by this situation.¡¯ Revolutionary Army protecting Elcidore¡¯s remnants? There¡¯s no way that guy would just stand by and watch that. He must be completely furious. That¡¯s why he ignored Randall¡¯s orders and acted independently like this. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, this is doable.¡¯ Clang-! After deflecting his sword with my dagger, I raised Heresy and fired a magic bullet. Magic circuit instantly raised to maximum output. ¡°Seems like you and I have a lot to talk about. So¡­¡± Feeling that sense of omnipotence, I generated magic circles in the air. ¡°Let¡¯s cool your head first.¡± The sixth magic imprint of [Wings of Crimson] shone brilliantly. First beat him until he¡¯s nearly dead. Then let¡¯s talk slowly. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 92 #092 ¡°If I kill you here, this ridiculous plan to protect the remnants of Elcidore will end. This absurd situation of colluding with magic nobles, everything¡­!¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t think this will end that easily.¡± ¡°Shut that mouth-!¡± Clang! Realizing that I was preparing magic, Claude kept swinging his sword to pressure me. If someone was trying to use large-scale magic, they had to be subdued before they could use it. It was orthodox magical combat doctrine. Clank-! The dagger in my hand and Claude¡¯s sword became intricately entangled. My strength and Claude¡¯s were evenly matched. However, as time passed, Claude¡¯s face showed increasing signs of urgency. Even at this moment, my magic circle floating in the sky was gradually taking shape. Click-! Click-! Magic bullets continuously springing from Claude¡¯s sword. As magic bullet consumption increased, the burden on his imprint [Red Wings] was also growing. Unlike Claude, I hadn¡¯t used a single magic bullet in this situation. Although it appeared even on the surface, the magical power difference between Claude and me had already widened this much. ¡®This is only natural.¡¯ The Special Magical Power Unit was an organization operated with simultaneous support from the imperial army and the imperial family. Keiren, and numerous experts invited by the emperor, were systematically assisting with magic circuit growth. Compared to Revolutionary Army members who were dragged into actual combat without time for their magic circuits to grow, I was in a much better environment for developing magical power. ¡°Claude! Damn it¡­!¡± Seeing the magic circle floating in the sky, Miles, one of the executives, tried to break from the ranks to join the attack. But at that moment. Boom¨C! ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re breaking away on your own?¡± Blocking Miles¡¯s path was Feilun, who had drawn his saber. With five glowing spheres floating around him, he began firing beams at Miles and his fellow revolutionary members. ¡°Damn it! This is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nachtval¡¯s radiance magic! It¡¯s nullifying defense formations!¡± ¡°Take cover! Everyone take cover!¡± What was glowing on Feilun¡¯s right arm was Duke Nachtval¡¯s imprint, [Radiant Holy Lance] True to its name as a holy lance, Feilun¡¯s magic was overwhelming the members while neutralizing all kinds of defensive measures made of magical power. To explain in terms of the [Revolution Empire] game, it meant all skills had defense penetration bonuses attached. Thanks to this, the revolutionary members, including Miles, were desperately trying to dodge the continuous streams of light. ¡°You won¡¯t last long!¡± ¡°I know.¡± I don¡¯t plan to drag this out either. Thinking that, I formed [Hellfire] beneath Claude¡¯s feet. ¡°Kuh?!¡± Boom¨C! Distance was secured while avoiding the explosion. I immediately drew my pistol and aimed at Claude¡¯s head. The magic circle was already complete, having reached a critical state. ¡°Why can¡¯t I win no matter what¡­!¡± Amidst the continuing standoff, Claude¡¯s voice filled with frustration could be heard. ¡°I fought with all my might. I trained like crazy to surpass you, and raised my magical power however I could! But why! Why can¡¯t I defeat you! Just why-!¡± Whoosh-! Along with his desperate shout, Claude¡¯s sword spewed ten magic bullets. The blade was glowing red hot, as if about to burst into flames. In response, red wings sprouted on Claude¡¯s back. Claude¡¯s wide-area buff, [Wings of Burning Freedom] However, its size had grown incomparably larger than when I had seen it before. ¡®The awakening of [Indomitable] was worth it. I don¡¯t think he grew this quickly in the original work.¡¯ Feeling somewhat impressed, I looked at the revolutionary hero standing opposite me. His eyes, dyed red, were burning as they gazed at me. ¡°Eugene¨C!¡± ¡°Hah.¡± Now I understood why Randall still wanted to keep this guy as the revolutionary hero. The reason was right here. A steep growth rate that no one else in the Revolutionary Army could match. Tremendous explosive power unleashed based on his passion for revolution and the strength of his heart. No matter how much they distorted and changed the revolutionary spirit to their liking. In front of a true hero, all of that becomes powerless. ¡®I¡¯ve confirmed his specs, and his passion seems sufficient.¡¯ Thinking that, I fired all six magic bullets loaded in the cylinder. The magical power filling my magic circuit instantly flowed into the magic circle formed in the air. ¡°In, sane¡­!¡± Witnessing the result, Claude was speechless, as if dumbfounded. Whoosh¡­! Claude¡¯s wings spread to both sides, gleaming as if about to burst into flames. As if responding to that passion, a massive Fireball had formed above my head. [Crimson Flame]. It was created by compressing the wide-range attack formula stored in the sixth line to maximum density. ¡°¡± The magics, amplified by magic bullets, clashed without delay- ¡ª¡ª! An enormous explosion devoured the space. Heat and air pressure so intense that even sound was swallowed and disappeared. The moment they sensed it, other mages had no choice but to divert all their magical power to defense. Boom¡ª-! The delayed thunderous roar made the whole world shake. Heat and pressure that could be felt even with defense barriers maximally deployed. Even after the magic had ended, others within range had to maintain their defense formations for quite a while. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-What is this¡­?¡± After one red storm had swept through the crowd. When they looked at where the magic¡¯s aftermath had passed, Miles and the members cried out in shock. Stone walls that hadn¡¯t just broken but melted, transformed into lava. In the middle of that devastating scene that looked like a place in hell¡­ ¡°They¡¯re gone.¡± No one was there. Neither Eugene nor Claude who had been fighting with him. Both had vanished without a trace, leaving only slight scorch marks behind. ¡°What happened. Just¡­ Where did they go?¡± While Miles muttered in confusion, Feilun detected Eugene¡¯s magical power communication that had reached him. ¡°¡­I see. So that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking?¡± How did he come up with such an absurd idea? Thinking that, Feilun opened his mouth towards Miles standing opposite him. ¡°Lower your weapons, rebel gentlemen.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Miles startled at being called by Feilun, who had been their enemy. Looking at such Miles, Feilun spoke with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s have a little talk.¡± *** ¡°Ugh¡­ Wh-Where is this?¡± Claude regained consciousness. He tried to move his body hurriedly, but his legs wouldn¡¯t budge. After a moment of confusion. He noticed that what bound his arms and legs were the enemy¡¯s magical power chains. ¡°Awake?¡± Looking towards the familiar voice, sparks flew in Claude¡¯s eyes. Sitting in a chair was Eugene. Having taken off his uniform coat, he was in his shirt and idly poking at the fireplace. ¡°I borrowed an empty house in the heart of the city. Didn¡¯t have enough equipment to camp out on the streets.¡± ¡°Eugene, Lorentz! What is this¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about making a mess.¡± Just as Claude ground his teeth and was about to use magic, Eugene spoke without even looking his way. ¡°This is still someone¡¯s house, even if it looks like this. How would the owner feel if they returned from evacuation to find their house in shambles?¡± ¡°Are you joking right now?! I have no intention of becoming a prisoner. If you¡¯re going to kill me, hurry up and¡­¡± ¡°Think about it, you simpleton. If that was my intention, why would I bother bringing you to a place like this?¡± At Eugene¡¯s words, Claude clenched his teeth as if at a loss for words. It made sense. The other party was a magic noble. If he contacted the Knight Order saying he had captured the Revolutionary Army supreme leader, they would have dispatched an airship or whatever to take him away. The battle had ended in Eugene¡¯s victory. If he wanted to, he could have killed all his comrades and taken his corpse. ¡°Then hurry up and tell me. The reason you brought me here¡­!¡± ¡°Before that.¡± Cutting off Claude¡¯s words, shocking words flowed from Eugene¡¯s mouth. ¡°An assassin came for Rennie.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± What¡¯s this about all of a sudden? While thinking that briefly. Eugene continued speaking without waiting for Claude¡¯s response. ¡°It was someone following Randall¡¯s orders. Thanks to that, I was able to recruit an excellent imprint specialist. They said it was to prevent Revolutionary Army secrets from leaking but¡­¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute!¡± His head wasn¡¯t working properly. Assassination? The Revolutionary Army? And recruitment? After desperately trying to gather his confused thoughts, Claude asked back. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Rennie killed by you people? According to the informants, clearly¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s alive. It was you people who tried to kill her.¡± At those words, Claude clenched his fists. Once again, Randall had given him false information. ¡®It¡¯s working well.¡¯ Seeing Claude¡¯s reaction, Eugene thought. The distrust of the Revolutionary Army lodged in Claude¡¯s mind. The fact that Rennie was alive was enough of a story to fuel that distrust. It wasn¡¯t even a lie to begin with. ¡°How pathetic.¡± Eugene spoke after starting like that. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Unable to control the members, not shared operation details, and even information about comrades is blocked off.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Supreme leader sounds nice, but you¡¯re practically nothing more than a puppet in this situation.¡± ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± Although Claude was enraged, he couldn¡¯t refute. Considering the current state of the Revolutionary Army, it wasn¡¯t wrong. However, Eugene didn¡¯t particularly want to reproach this situation. ¡®It flowed almost the same way in the original work, though the degree was more severe.¡¯ This period when the protagonist grows while expelling magic nobles. From this point on, the Revolutionary Army begins accepting funds from the republic, and the essence of the revolution starts to crumble. ¡®The founding members who had been there since the Revolutionary Army¡¯s establishment die or leave one by one, and Maximilien ends up confronting the republic trying to control the Revolutionary Army.¡¯ If even Maximilien, the founder, couldn¡¯t prevent it, there was no way Claude, who had just become supreme leader, could stop the republic¡¯s schemes. While the opponent was an intelligence agent receiving orders from a massive nation, he was just a novice revolutionary full of passion. Although he looked pitiful, Eugene didn¡¯t particularly sympathize. After all, he himself was just one of the wolves that had gathered to use him. Use him as much as possible, and discard him when he¡¯s no longer useful. Just as they did to the protagonist in the original work. ¡°This attack. Was it done on Randall¡¯s orders?¡± When Eugene asked while pointing his gun, Claude sneered. ¡°Hah, as if I would tell such things to an enemy¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but this gun isn¡¯t pointing at you.¡± At Eugene¡¯s words, Claude ground his teeth. The Special Magic Unit, and the comrades held captive by the magic nobles. Eugene was now interrogating him using their lives. ¡°¡­No. It was my independent action. This situation wasn¡¯t in Brother Randall¡¯s plans.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Eugene smiled triumphantly hearing those words. ¡®The opportunity has come.¡¯ This subjugation operation was a trap planned by the magic nobles to capture him. And Eugene had walked into it alone, of his own accord. The stronger the trap, the stronger the counterforce when breaking it. However, their trap was solid and intricate. To the point where he thought he couldn¡¯t shake up this game with his current power. Therefore, Eugene expanded the game. He kept throwing variables into their chess game. Coming alone after pulling back his troops. Calling the Imperial Guard Knight Order using the emperor¡¯s power. And as a result of throwing so many variables, the opportunity had come. Carlos changed plans, distrust grew between them, and buried complaints exploded. And as a result, the greatest variable within the Revolutionary Army had reacted. ¡®The revolutionary hero, Claude.¡¯ Taking advantage of the confusion created by Eugene¡¯s variables. So now. It was time to make his move. ¡°Claude de Lascol.¡± Eugene quietly called Claude. Using the name he had changed to, not his original surname. Adding the title acknowledging him as Maximilien¡¯s successor, he opened his mouth towards the revolutionary hero. ¡°Do you want to try a real revolution?¡± If they would make the Revolutionary Army their snake. Eugene intended to make the revolutionary hero his snake charmer. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 93 #093 ¡°¡­Right. I understand.¡± After the sudden visit from the informant. Upon hearing his whisper, Randall Dean Clark, an executive of the Revolutionary Army, held his chin in thought. ¡®Claude leading his comrades out and clashing with the target on his own. The plan has been disrupted¡­¡¯ Indeed, it was an unexpected situation. Although he had shown signs of anxiety before, who would have thought he¡¯d run off like this. However, it wasn¡¯t incomprehensible either. ¡®Well, he must be starting to feel threatened as he sees the Revolutionary Army that Maximilien created falling into my grasp.¡¯ Though he could have been displeased by this unexpected variable, what bloomed on Randall¡¯s lips was a sardonic smile. ¡°However, it¡¯s already too late.¡± Most of the members already followed him, and the Revolutionary Army¡¯s finances were also under his management. It was just a matter of time ¨C the Revolutionary Army would completely fall into his hands. While thinking this, a voice came from one side of the office. ¨C Is there a problem? Hearing the voice, Randall¡¯s gaze turned to his office desk. A wireless communication device made with Republic technology. To the man¡¯s voice coming from the speaker, Randall clicked his tongue and said. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¨C Then focus. Small talk during such an important conversation? Has living comfortably in the Empire made you slack? A sharp voice. And at the same time, an impatient one. Understandable enough. Randall¡¯s sneer deepened as he looked at the communicator. After losing the war, the Republic¡¯s upper echelons had become even more anxious. And that impatience was coming back as pressure directed at him. ¨C Answer me, Director Randall. Mages, weapons, money! Your Revolutionary Army, which consumes a budget comparable to an entire Republic army corps, why during this war¡­! ¡°I believe the Kalhyram Revolutionary Army achieved sufficient results in this war.¡± Though an irritated voice came through, Randall answered with a relaxed attitude. ¡°Secretary General¡¯s plan was thorough. The people¡¯s uprisings caused by the Revolutionary Army across various locations were meant to bind the Knight Order¡¯s feet, while the Republic army that rushed in during that time was supposed to defeat the Imperial army in a short period.¡± ¡­¡­ ¡°Then through post-war negotiations, confiscate the rights of the Empire that lost its military power. Accelerating the fall of the Imperial family¡­ It was a plan without excess, and the progress was smooth as well. However¡­¡± An unexpected variable had interfered with that plan. As if understanding Randall¡¯s unspoken words, a gloomy voice came from the speaker. ¨C Keiren Buckenheim. And what he created¡­ The Devils of Magic Bullets. Due to these two entities that defended against the Republic¡¯s invasion, the Republic¡¯s plans had failed from the start. The Republic army retreated after suffering unprecedented losses. The conclusion of the ambitiously started war was in the humiliating form of the Secretary General himself bowing his head to the Empire¡¯s Emperor. The enraged Secretary General overturned the Republic¡¯s upper echelons as soon as he returned from negotiations, and the Republic¡¯s upper brass had to endure ideological verification in the name of post-war evaluation. ¡®But that¡¯s your problem.¡¯ Thinking this, Randall deliberately raised his voice. ¡°The Revolutionary Army fulfilled its role. We killed numerous magic nobles and forced the Knight Orders of the 12 Great Magic Houses to withdraw.¡± ¨C Ahem, ahem¡­ ¡°What more should we have done? Should we have carried out a suicide charge along with the Republic army¡¯s main force? Let me state clearly. The responsibility for this defeat lies not with the Intelligence Department and Revolutionary Army, but with the frontline commanders who were played by Keiren¡¯s tactics!¡± Director Randall! Watch your rash words! Though shouting flowed from the communicator, Randall had no intention of backing down. ¡®Like pigs sitting in the Kermel Palace, just eating their feed.¡¯ After driving countless Republic citizens to their deaths with their incompetence, they would turn their guns on him and his agents carrying out missions in enemy territory? What nonsense. It wasn¡¯t me who lost the war, it was you bastards. Just as the argument between Randall and the Republic¡¯s upper echelons was about to continue. ¨C Enough. At one man¡¯s voice, the voices of all the executives stopped simultaneously. The First Secretary General of the Westraine Republic. When he directly spoke, no one dared to carelessly open their mouths. ¨C Randall. ¡°Yes, Secretary General.¡± ¨C How is the operation progressing? At those words, Randall immediately opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯ve made contact with Duke Buckenheim. Thanks to that, we were able to corner the head of the Special Magical Power Unit¡­ who had been holding back the Republic army.¡± ¨C The young man the soldiers were talking about? The news had reached even the Secretary General? It was unexpected, but Randall deliberately didn¡¯t voice this. ¨C I know he¡¯s promising, but he¡¯s just a Knight Order Commander at best. Isn¡¯t borrowing Buckenheim¡¯s hand to catch such a person too excessive a measure? ¡°Secretary General. There is a reason for that.¡± Saying this, Randall smiled slightly. ¡°The one who contributed most to the Republic¡¯s defeat was undoubtedly one person. Keiren Buckenheim.¡± Numerous commanders had issued challenges to catch him, and they perished along with thousands and tens of thousands of Republic soldiers. Ten commanders were dispatched, and only four returned alive. They would all spend their twilight years in Republic labor re-education camps. ¡°And this target, the officer named Eugene, is the blade he forged. The one wielding that blade is the Emperor sitting in the Imperial capital.¡± ¨C The snake-like old man coiled up sitting on the throne. Thought he was a toothless beast, who knew he was hiding such fangs. As the Secretary General muttered this, Randall immediately agreed. ¡°To kill a dragon, one must pull out its fangs and cut off its limbs.¡± ¨C Hmm? At those words, other executives showed interest. ¨C Director Randall. Are you saying¡­? ¡°Eugene Lorentz. That officer is just the beginning.¡± The ultimate goal of the Republic Intelligence Department and the Revolutionary Army it controls. ¡°We will kill the Emperor.¡± After a brief pause, Randall slowly opened his mouth. ¡°This time, without fail.¡± The conditions were perfect. Republic agents occupying most key positions in the Revolutionary Army. Original members divided and scattered around the field. Even new recruits gradually beginning to accept Republic ideology. Unlike last time, the Revolutionary Army was transforming into a faithful appendage that followed Randall¡¯s orders. If cooperation from the magic nobles was added to this, success was practically guaranteed. Hearing Randall¡¯s report, the Secretary General beyond the communicator immediately spoke. ¨C I¡¯ll send support supplies and weapons. A satisfied voice. Hearing those words, Randall clenched his fist. Got it. The Secretary General now completely trusted him. ¨C We¡¯ll have to prepare a Republic Hero Medal. I expect successful mission completion without mistakes. ¡°Intelligence Director Randall Dean Clark. I will complete the mission without the slightest error.¡± After some praise and promises of rewards. The Secretary General spoke his final words. ¨C For the Republic. ¡°For the Republic.¡± With Randall¡¯s reply, the communication ended. This communicator would now be disposed of. When the time came, the next communication device would arrive from the homeland. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Dealing with politicians was always tiring. After moving his shoulders a few times, Randall muttered with a sardonic smile. ¡°A Republic hero? What nonsense.¡± Assassinating the Emperor would be a great achievement recorded in Republic history. If he returned after succeeding in such a task, he would become the Secretary General¡¯s competitor, not his loyal subject. What awaited him in the homeland would be not a medal, but the blade of purge wielded by the Secretary General. However, such things were of no concern to Randall. ¡®If I kill the Emperor and put Baker in that position, I¡¯ll have no reason to return to the Republic.¡¯ A medal that was just for show. The title of hero who would be used and betrayed. I wouldn¡¯t take it even if offered. ¡°If I succeed in this, I can finally start my own ¡®business¡¯.¡± In Randall¡¯s eyes as he gritted his teeth, an emotion he had never shown before was boiling up. Ambition. The plan he had built up over his lifetime was just now getting on track. ¡°And¡­¡± Trailing off, Randall looked at a photograph placed in one corner of his office. Maximilien, Vark, and himself with arms around each other¡¯s shoulders in a friendly pose. And Claude, standing stiffly as if nervous in the middle of it all. ¡°It would be nice if I could get rid of one disobedient dog during this opportunity.¡± Is it too greedy to want this too? Who knows. Thinking this, Randall looked at the photograph on the table. A cherished photo from a time that could no longer be seen. However, Randall¡¯s eyes as he looked at it were cold beyond measure. *** ¡°¡­That¡¯s probably Randall¡¯s plan.¡± When other Revolutionary Army members arrived guided by Feilun, this shabby house had turned into a negotiation venue between me and Claude. To think that a Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander and Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader would be sitting around a campfire like this. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this exactly like when I met Maximilien? If Maximilien in heaven saw this scene, he might have done a surprised triple axel somersault. ¡°So, this entire situation was all¡­¡± ¡°A trap to eliminate the Emperor¡¯s faction, especially the Special Magical Power Unit?¡± Hearing the information we provided, Claude and Miles¡¯ faces immediately became confused. The Count Elcidore family remnants who have seizures and try to run away right after witnessing the major event of Elcryer¡¯s extermination. Magic nobles using those Elcidore remnants to try to kill me. The Revolutionary Army siding with those magic nobles and threatening me. Claude independently coming to crush me because he was dissatisfied with that Revolutionary Army. And finally, me trying to resolve this situation by using Claude. I know. The situation is so complexly tangled it makes my head spin just thinking about it again. However, if we combine the information obtained from Claude, the situation can be surprisingly simply organized. ¡°The magic nobles and the Republic want the Emperor¡¯s death, and they are cooperating to plot the Emperor¡¯s assassination.¡± ¡°And the means they¡¯ll use for the Emperor¡¯s assassination is the Revolutionary Army. And their first selected target is¡­ me, you say.¡± As Claude and I spoke alternately, a tremendous realization hit me anew. Magic nobles turning their blades toward the Emperor as soon as the war ended. And the Republic immediately teaming up with the enemy when they detect this, along with the Revolutionary Army that¡¯s been swallowed by that Republic. And of all people, these bastards team up and aim for me first? Oh shit, I¡¯m so honored I don¡¯t know what to do with myself. You bastards. Feeling curses rising from deep in my gut, I looked at Claude sitting across from me. ¡°Emperor assassination. In planning such a massive operation, why did I¡­!¡± Seeing him trembling with clenched fists, he seems as pissed off as I am. No, thinking about it, he¡¯s probably even more pissed off than me. He may be a powerless figurehead, but for someone who¡¯s supposed to be the Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader to have to deduce their operation details through the enemy? At this point he¡¯s not a Supreme Leader, he¡¯s just an outcast. Indeed, the advanced Revolutionary Army that rose up valiantly to overthrow the class system. Their treatment of the Supreme Leader is truly a-mazing. Whew, I made the right choice throwing away revolution and everything else earlier. If I were in that position, I would¡¯ve died from stress. ¡°Anyway, I have one thing to propose.¡± After thinking this briefly. When I brought attention back to the surroundings, Claude and the Revolutionary Army members looked my way. ¡°You need to change the nature of the Revolutionary Army that¡¯s been corrupted into the Republic¡¯s puppet, and I need to report and prepare for the assassination plan they¡¯re plotting.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And to achieve both our goals, first we need to escape from this ridiculous trap.¡± Saying this, I spoke to Claude. ¡°How about it? When our needs align, isn¡¯t it better to cooperate?¡± ¡°Co-operate¡­?¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve disrupted Randall¡¯s plans, you¡¯re out of his favor. Sooner or later, Randall will try to eliminate you.¡± Maybe even right now. As I added that, Claude¡¯s face turned pale as he mulled over the situation. ¡°This current situation. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a perfect opportunity even from your perspective?¡± The Count Elcidore family remnants who were originally supposed to kill me. By now, those guys must be searching the entire city to find me. And if they find and kill me, they could easily disguise the death of the Supreme Leader who ran off on his own. ¡®We conducted a search, but the Supreme Leader Claude was already dead.¡¯ Something like that. ¡°Brother Randall, kill me? But that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t make sense? Why do you think that?¡± After asking that, I brought out one of the truths I had been holding back. ¡°Vark Urgan, who was your previous Supreme Leader. The one who turned him into a monster was Randall.¡± And hearing those words, Claude¡¯s face turned pale beyond comparison to just moments ago. ¡°D-Don¡¯t be ridiculous! That was you people¡­!¡± ¡°The Empire turned Vark into a monster? You believe that even knowing why the Elcryer family was exterminated?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The reason Elcryer was designated as an Imperial enemy was because they conducted research on monsters. After pointing out this well-known fact, I continued speaking. ¡°The Empire is a nation that gives life sentences just for possessing documents about monsters. In such an Empire, they developed technology to turn people into monsters? And used that technology on the Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader in public? Don¡¯t you think that doesn¡¯t add up?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But on the other hand, what about the Republic?¡± I brought up the Republic¡¯s weapons I had seen on the frontlines. Monsters clad in armor plates, following human commands. The fact that the place conducting the most active research on monsters was none other than the Republic. ¡°And Randall is running the Revolutionary Army with support from that Republic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, could it have been the Empire that could turn Vark into that state? Who was the only person who could contact him while he was imprisoned and mutate him?¡± A cause-and-effect relationship simple enough for a child to understand. Though Claude¡¯s mouth gaped trying to refute something, no voice came out. ¡®He must have been suspicious. He just didn¡¯t have enough evidence to be certain.¡¯ The doubts he had harbored inside. The sense of unease he felt whenever Vark was mentioned. All those suspicions must be gradually taking definite shape now. ¡°Eugene.¡± Meanwhile, Feilun, who had been looking outside, called me softly. I already knew why he called. Splat-! Splat-! Grotesque footsteps. The knights of the Elcidore family surrounding the hideout as if to encircle it. They were gradually tightening their encirclement, approaching this way. And even this bizarre magical power emanating from them. I wasn¡¯t the only mage who had noticed it. ¡°Claude. This, this magical power¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a monster¡¯s mana core. Elcidore¡¯s magical power and monster reactions are flowing out simultaneously¡­!¡± Miles and the Revolutionary Army members following Claude. Having noticed the magical power waves flowing from the knights, they were looking at Claude with expressions of shock. Doubts became certainty, and the evidence appeared before their eyes. Along with Randall¡¯s dark intentions to kill them. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Looking at Claude who had lost his words, I spoke. Don¡¯t trust Randall Dean Clark. When I let him go at the Zicklinte mansion, that¡¯s what I said. Claude seemed to recall those words too, as he gritted his teeth with a twisted expression. ¡°Kwaaaargh! Kwak!¡± ¡°Kiiiiii¨C!¡± What was only felt as magical power waves now started to be heard as voices too. Knights rushing this way while spraying tentacles and blood. ¡°What I suspected turned out to be true after all.¡± The exact same appearance as Vark who had turned into a monster. Seeing that, Claude finally had to acknowledge it. ¡°Brother Randall really did that to Uncle Vark¡­!¡± Anger and vengeance filled the space where doubt and distrust had been. Randall who deceived his comrade and manipulated the Revolutionary Army with false propaganda as he pleased. Claude had finally recognized Randall as an enemy. You catch on quick, you idiot. ¡°Damn! Those are all mages with three strokes or more imprints! Count Elcidore family¡¯s knights!¡± ¡°If such guys have turned into monsters, with our power¡­¡± ¡°Supreme Leader! What should we¡­¡± Seeing the enemies crowding toward the hideout, fear crept into the eyes of the Revolutionary Army members following Claude. It was natural. We have less than ten people, but there are about a hundred enemies. On top of that, they¡¯re all knights with magic imprints, and due to turning into monsters, they have nearly infinite magical power. By the time we realized it was a trap, everything was already too late. No matter what we did, those of us here couldn¡¯t win. ¡°You mentioned cooperation.¡± After a while, Claude¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°If I cooperate with you, we can survive?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you have a way to break through that many monsters.¡± Betrayal, revenge, inferiority. His voice tinged with all sorts of emotions was asking me. ¡°I do.¡± I answered immediately. ¡°The rest is up to your choice.¡± A short sentence. Hearing those words, Claude clenched his fists and opened his mouth. ¡°What are the terms?¡± Claude had made his choice, and a smile bloomed on my lips. A deal. What word in the world could be more pleasant to hear? ¡°If you return alive, Randall won¡¯t be able to touch you carelessly.¡± Even if he¡¯s just a figurehead Supreme Leader, Claude is practically the face of the Revolutionary Army. If such a person meets a suspicious death, the Revolutionary Army that was painstakingly stabilized would be shaken again. That¡¯s probably why they¡¯re specifically using monsters to try to kill Claude too. So, we just need to use that point. ¡°So you continue playing Randall¡¯s puppet while maintaining magical power communication with me, and let me know about Revolutionary Army operations related to the Emperor assassination.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll use the Special Magic Unit to eliminate Randall¡¯s puppets one by one.¡± Of course, the opposite case was true too. Information about magic nobles coming through various routes. If I pass that to Claude, Claude and the real Revolutionary Army following him can hunt magic nobles more easily. ¡°I¡¯ll use you and the Revolutionary Army to crush the magic nobles.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯ll use the Special Magical Power Unit¡­ to excise the Republic forces rooted in the Revolutionary Army.¡± ¡°The alliance duration is until the Republic forces inside the Revolutionary Army and all magic nobles in the Empire are exterminated.¡± ¡°And after they¡¯re all eliminated?¡± ¡°We can go back to fighting each other like before.¡± You try to overthrow the Empire, I try to protect it. Who ends up on which side later¡­ honestly, I¡¯m not sure either. A mutual scheme of using each other for killing. After confirming the deal terms, Claude slowly nodded. Die, or become my chess piece. The choice he could make was decided from the start. ¡°¡­I accept.¡± ¡°Contract established. Connecting imprints.¡± Patzut-! As red sparks flashed, I could feel my [Wings of Crimson] connecting with Claude¡¯s [Red Wings]. The communication network setup was complete after a few test transmissions. With this, for the time being, Claude had become a ¡®comrade¡¯ I could pull out and use whenever I felt like it. ¡°So. How do you plan to break through those monsters?¡± With a frown on his face as if still not quite trusting even after making the contract, Claude opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll admit your magic is strong. However, with just that, those monsters¡­!¡± But his words trailed off momentarily. Seeing the girl sitting beside me at some point, he temporarily lost his words. ¡°Who¡­ is¡­¡± He probably couldn¡¯t even sense her presence. Of course not. Even I can¡¯t gauge when she started sitting next to me. ¡°Finally, one more thing.¡± Irene, tilting her head while looking at me as if asking for permission. While gently patting her head, I spoke to everyone gathered here. ¡°Never, absolutely never tell anyone about what¡¯s about to happen here.¡± The enemy Elcidore remnants had all turned into monsters. Carlos¡¯s knights who should be monitoring me were tied up by the Imperial Guard Knight Order. Therefore, right now. Coincidentally, right now. Was the most appropriate timing to use Irene. ¡°Eugene. Eugene.¡± Irene, tugging at my collar, asked with a bright smile. ¡°Can I eat all of those?¡± Irene, licking her lips while looking at the hundred or so monsters running toward this place. Responding to her with a similar smile, I nodded. ¡°Heehee!¡± An innocent smile blooming toward me. Something more terrifying than that, I still haven¡¯t found. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 94 #094 ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is definitely the place.¡± It was a gloomy day. The ashen sky was covered with dark, dreary clouds. The peculiar dampness that wrapped around the ruins. All that filled the heavily sunken city were screams that sounded like wails. ¡°Ah¡­ Aah¡­!¡± ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± ¡°Kuaghk-! Kuaaagh¨C!¡± A sword attached to what was once a hand. Tentacles protruding from vertically twisted necks, and eyeballs rolling around attached to the ends of those tentacles. Blood trails forming paths like snail slime, and hideously rotting, deteriorating skin. Looking at that horrific sight, Marcus, an agent of the Revolutionary Army, sneered at them while adjusting his camouflage. ¡°Serves them right. Worthless knight bastards.¡± Until just moments ago, they had been Imperial knights who maintained their characteristic arrogance. Even though they had been demoted to criminal status from already fallen houses, they still insisted on being called knights until the end. But look at them now. Far from knights, they had fallen into hideous monsters that couldn¡¯t even be called human. What? They¡¯d kill Eugene Lorentz when they returned? Since they were superior mages, the Republic would give them important positions? This grotesque state was the Republic¡¯s answer to that arrogance. ¡®Just a bunch of idiots with nothing but filth in their heads.¡¯ Sorry, but there¡¯s no place for you in the Republic. Tools to kill the Republic¡¯s enemies. Disposable consumables. Isn¡¯t that the best way to make use of you? [Good. That¡¯s¡­ When it ends¡­ Report to me¡­] When he noticed the noise interfering with long-range magical power communication, Marcus immediately terminated the magical power communication. ¡°They¡¯re interfering with long-range magical power communication. Those Knight Order bastards. They¡¯re thorough with their work, I¡¯ll give them that.¡± To affect the entire city, the range must be quite wide. It was large-scale magic that mages of the Republic couldn¡¯t even imagine. To think they¡¯d go to such lengths just to catch one young officer. While other agents seemed unconvinced, Marcus thought differently. ¡®They said the Imperial forces surrounding the city couldn¡¯t move because of the Imperial Guard Knight Order. And the one who called the Imperial Guard Knight Order¡­ was this Eugene guy stuck between those monsters.¡¯ As soon as he realized he had fallen into a trap, he immediately took action to shake things up. If he was capable of such schemes, they couldn¡¯t afford to overlook even the smallest details. If they carelessly allowed magical power communication, who knows what he might do. Kuwhabang¨C! While he was thinking this, an explosion occurred in the building where Eugene and his group had hidden. A powerful explosion that blew away an entire section of the building. Some monsters staggered from being caught in it, but they soon regained their composure and began running toward where the explosion had occurred. ¡°So they won¡¯t die quietly, huh?¡± Marcus, hiding on the roof and observing the situation, immediately understood their intention. They probably planned to lure the monsters with the explosion, then break through where the encirclement was thinnest. The most effective method available to them in the current situation. Knowing this, Marcus smiled triumphantly. ¡®The encirclement was already complete. To think they¡¯d fall for such a trick¡­¡¯ However, at the moment he thought that far. Step- Step- ¡°¡­What is that?¡± Marcus¡¯s brow furrowed immediately. Smoke rising from the impact of the explosion. Because a strange figure slowly walked out from within that smoke. ¡°A woman?¡± It was a woman. A very young girl who didn¡¯t even look twenty. A white shirt with a black ribbon, and a black skirt. Brown boots kicking through the murky mud. It wasn¡¯t at all an outfit suited for a battlefield. As if she had come out for a stroll, or gone on a picnic. A girl in such an innocent appearance was leisurely walking toward the hideously twisted monsters. ¡®No, wait¡­¡¯ The black sphere floating above her head. Seeing the large sphere the size of her outstretched arms, Marcus felt an inexplicable sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Despite its enormous size, its strange appearance gave no sense of weight at all. While he was frowning at the sight of it. ¡°¡­!¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Marcus to notice something was wrong. ¡°Kruuk?! Grrrr¡­¡± ¡°Kiiii¡­¡± The monsters were becoming agitated. Monsters covering their eyes as if they had seen something they shouldn¡¯t see. Monsters trembling as if they had met something they shouldn¡¯t have met. Among them, some even knelt down and made gestures of prayer with their hands clasped together. ¡°What, what is this?¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was a scene that could drive one mad. Monsters feeling fear? Praying? What on earth? ¡°That girl, just what¡­¡± At the moment Marcus¡¯s voice trembled at seeing this impossibly bizarre sight. Guruk-! With a horrible distortion, something appeared from the sphere. It was an eye. A huge eye glowing with an amethyst light. That eye, which looked exactly like a human¡¯s, was gleaming with its characteristic light while looking down at the monsters surrounding it. ¡°Hmm~¡± The girl looking around at the monsters slowly, as if examining food laid out on a dining table. ¡°Can I eat them all? I might get weird again like before if I¡¯m not careful. But I did get permission¡­ Hmm~.¡± After pondering while looking at the monsters for a moment. As if finished thinking, the girl nodded to herself and opened her mouth with a smiling face. ¡°Whatever! Eugene said I could eat them, so I¡¯ll eat them!¡± And right after those words ended. Chwaaak-! Black shadows extending from the black sphere began to pounce on the monsters instantly. Kwaduk-! Kwajik-! Ppuddeuk-! Black shadows successively piercing through the monsters¡¯ chests, heads, and abdomens. And what followed was a scene of pandemonium where monster devoured monster. Kweoeoeoek¡ª! The black sphere floating above the girl¡¯s head. And an enormous amount of tentacles extending from that black sphere at its center. Countless teeth sprouting from there were voraciously devouring the monsters. Hundreds of eyes sprouting on the black tentacles were rolling around searching for the next target. Chewing bones, biting off chunks of flesh, monsters disappearing in an instant. Seeing this, Marcus felt like he was about to lose his mind. ¡°Why, why on earth¡­!¡± He understood that the girl¡¯s power was extraordinary. And what that black sphere and the black tentacles sprouting from it were. But what he couldn¡¯t understand wasn¡¯t that. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they resisting¡­?¡± Even if hundreds of tentacles approached, these were originally knights. Considering their reflexes and physical strength, they should be able to respond sufficiently! But the monsters who saw that black sphere were just standing still and being helplessly eaten. As if it were natural, not a single monster was resisting. Something is different. This girl. No, this monster¡­ Something is different from other monsters¡­! ¡°Something is different. Due to settings not being explained in the original work, I¡¯m also in the dark about exactly what¡¯s different.¡± ¡°?!¡± Behind me already?! The moment he turned around thinking that, Eugene was there. ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­!¡± ¡°Bind.¡± Chwareureuk-! Eugene¡¯s magical power chains instantly wrapping around Marcus. As he felt the magical power in the chains seeping into his imprint, a look of dismay crossed his face. ¡®Damn it, I was too focused on the monster¡­!¡¯ Only then did he realize. While the suddenly appeared girl was devouring all the monsters. Eugene, who was the assassination target, had been using detection magic to find him. But how was my presence exposed? Even if Elcidore¡¯s knights had mutated into monsters, they shouldn¡¯t have discovered the inside story. Then he shouldn¡¯t even know that I was here¡­! ¡°Randall always assigns surveillance when planning operations. Besides, with someone like Claude acting alone, there¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t send tracking teams.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± While saying that, almost everything below the roof had already ended. The monsters that disappeared without a trace. But the black sphere floating in the sky hadn¡¯t disappeared and was rolling its eyes around looking for the next prey. Kruk, kruk¡­ The girl slowly approaching him. Empty, hollow eyes were staring at him. Anyone could see that girl wasn¡¯t normal right now. ¡°Don¡¯t eat him. We need to interrogate this one.¡± At Eugene¡¯s voice, the girl who had approached within arm¡¯s reach stopped her steps. Irene looking at Eugene. As Eugene approached, she spoke in an anxious voice. ¡°Eugene. I feel strange.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re not strange.¡± According to plan. After muttering that, Eugene grabbed Irene¡¯s shoulders and opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll lose consciousness for a moment. You¡¯ll want to eat everything you see, and your body will react on its own, as if it¡¯s not yours.¡± A gentle voice, like a father reassuring his child. Then Irene immediately asked back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that bad¡­? Eugene, you said¡­ That eating people¡­ Is wrong¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay now.¡± Hearing those words, focus momentarily returned to Irene¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do what you want to do, Irene. What you want right now is what I want.¡± A smile that couldn¡¯t be more gentle. That smile shown to no one else but her. Seeing that, a blush rose to Irene¡¯s face. ¡°Okay¡­!¡± A dazzling smile blooming on her snow-white face. Seeing that, Marcus could easily guess what was going on. The one handling that monster was Eugene. And realizing that fact, goosebumps rose on Marcus¡¯s body. ¡°Just what¡­ What kind of insane act is this?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Opening his mouth with a trembling voice, Marcus shouted at Eugene. ¡°The Republic never just lets monsters loose. Mental control, self-destruct devices, restraints! Only after applying all kinds of restrictions do they barely send them to the battlefield!¡± But this girl that he handles? She had no restrictions placed on her at all. She was simply eating monsters and growing stronger according to her instincts! ¡°And look at that appearance! That appearance of effortlessly devouring a hundred monsters!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s already beyond the scope of what can be controlled. It¡¯s no different from a bomb that could go off at any moment¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to set it off now to check.¡± What? Saying that, Eugene looked at the girl swaying with dazed eyes. The black sphere thrashing around out of control. Seeing that, Eugene opened his mouth with a satisfied expression. ¡°Three hundred knights is about 0.003 percent of what she ate in the original work. With no humans left in the city, it¡¯s perfect for observing her reaction when she goes berserk.¡± ¡°Wh-what are you saying¡­!¡± Just what is he saying right now? After briefly thinking that. After chewing on Eugene¡¯s words, Marcus trembled with the fear that washed over him. ¡°Th-this¡­!¡± That man is intentionally trying to make this girl go berserk right now. The Knight Order surrounding him. He¡¯s saying he¡¯ll throw them all as food and observe the reaction! To so casually carry out an idea that only madmen like Elcryer would come up with¡­! ¡°Eugene Lorentz! You, you crazy mass murderer-!¡± Tang-! With the gunshot, Marcus lost consciousness. ¡°Mass murderer my ass.¡± The last Eugene that he saw maintained his characteristic expressionless face. ¡°Who touched who first, to now put on this pathetic victim act?¡± *** ¡°Though I¡¯m in a position to receive help, this time I share similar thoughts with this guy.¡± What I shot was a non-lethal stun round. Securing the unconscious informant, Feilun spoke with a faint smile as if disgusted. ¡°Sacrificing enemy knights as offerings to test the power of an unknown monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about mass murderer, but you¡¯re definitely insane.¡± ¡°Who cares.¡± Thinking that, I fired the flare I had received during mission assignment. Blue flare for requesting support. Red flare for mission completion. ¡°Normally, I would have fired the blue flare when cornered, and Carlos would have leisurely watched it¡­¡± After muttering that, I fired the flare. Pyuuuu¨C! A red flare rising into the sky. After watching that, I spoke to Claude who still hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock. ¡°How long are you going to stay like that?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± Claude who finally snapped to his senses. It seemed he couldn¡¯t keep up with the situations unfolding one after another. Some partner, being this slow. With a slight sigh, I looked at him and said. ¡°The moment they see the flare, they¡¯ll realize something went wrong. And they¡¯ll try whatever they can to bury me in this city.¡± They won¡¯t know about Irene¡¯s existence, after all. ¡°And the moment they approach the city center to find me.¡± Irene will go berserk. Hearing those words, Claude¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Berserk? Then¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we don¡¯t have time to waste here?¡± After shouldering the unconscious informant, I raised my hand to point behind me. We were still within the blast radius when a nuclear test was about to begin, after all. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry up and run.¡± No time. We¡¯ll really die if we mess up. *** ¡°Th-that¡­!¡± ¡°Red? A red flare?!¡± ¡°That means¡­!¡± Operation headquarters. Seeing the red light rising from the center of the city, the expressions of Andrei and Carlos, who had been in heated argument until just now, contrasted sharply. Andrei, who had been frantically insisting they must rescue Eugene after confirming the monsters in the city. Carlos, who had been holding firm that they couldn¡¯t disrupt the entire operation until the investigation of the monsters¡¯ appearance was complete. The tense standoff between these two people was reversed by a single flare in the sky. ¡°The Elcidore remnants. No, are they saying all those monsters were eliminated?!¡± ¡°Impossible. There¡¯s no way¡­¡± He was well aware that Eugene and Feilun¡¯s magical power was formidable. Feilun, evaluated as Nachtval¡¯s rising promising talent, was five stroke. And Eugene, who had been praised as the Empire¡¯s young hero, had risen to six stroke, the same level as himself. That¡¯s why he had planned even more meticulously. The hundred or so Elcidore knights waiting to kill Eugene. The noble houses¡¯ Knight Orders surrounding the city on standby. And himself and Zeplant, both six stroke mages. Forces gathered that could handle not just Eugene alone, but the entire Special Magic Unit if they came. ¡®When communication was cut off with the knights we dispatched, I had my suspicions but¡­!¡¯ The Knight Orders prepared were unable to move carelessly due to being tied down by the suddenly appeared Imperial Guard Knight Order. Moreover, the rebel supreme leader who had moved ahead first had made things even more complicated. A battle where unexpected situations and variables never ended. However, Carlos had thought all of that was useless struggling. There were a hundred Elcidore knights waiting in the city. Moreover, according to what this Randall person said, they could be mutated into monsters and strengthened at any time. With that much force, it should have been impossible not to kill him. He had definitely thought that and focused only on stopping Andrei, but¡­! ¡®How? How did they break through so many monsters?!¡¯ Interfering with long-range magical power communication to prevent possible information leaks had backfired. With those few people, they dealt with three-digit numbers of knights, yet he couldn¡¯t even guess what had happened inside! Grit-! Carlos gritted his teeth. ¡®This operation. Failure is not acceptable.¡¯ This subjugation battle was directly led by Duke Buckenheim himself. And he was the commander in chief of that subjugation battle! If Eugene slips away here, the aftershocks will all come back to him. To think there would be a blemish on the Duke¡¯s trust that he had worked so hard to build. If such a thing happens, what variables might arise in the succession race for duke¡­! ¡°If they eliminated that many monsters, Colonel Eugene and Commander Feilun must be severely depleted as well.¡± The one who spoke those words was Zeplant with a hardened expression. Feilun, who had been closely following behind him with his steep growth curve. If that bastard survived that chaos, his reputation would grow even higher. If that happens, his position as Duke Nachtval¡¯s successor might be shaken. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Carlos and Zeplant exchanged glances as they looked at each other. Two people who shared the same goal despite being from different houses. And Andrei who had to protect Eugene from their grasp. As if having guessed each other¡¯s thoughts, they immediately opened their mouths and coordinated their words. ¡°In that case¡­ We should enter the city as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Find the survivors from the reconnaissance team.¡± ¡°And ¡®protect¡¯ them safely.¡± As the three Knight Order leaders rose simultaneously, the knights surrounding the city began entering the city all at once. The rescue target was Eugene. The race between three factions to secure him had begun. Urrrr-! The knights of the two duke houses moving busily. While watching them, one Imperial Guard approached Andrei¡¯s side. ¡°Commander. We don¡¯t have time. If we don¡¯t want to fall behind them, we too must move quickly¡­!¡± ¡°Zen. Tell the Imperial Guards.¡± For the umpteenth time thinking this, but I have no talent for acting. Restraining his hurrying subordinate, Andrei thought this and opened his mouth. ¡°Our Imperial Guard Knight Order will follow behind the Knight Orders, but absolutely do not enter the city interior.¡± A trap carefully set up by magic nobles. Now that trap was opening its maw towards them. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 95 #095 What¡­ what in the world? It didn¡¯t take long for the knights who departed on Carlos¡¯s orders to reach the city center. That was only natural. Unlike the Imperial Guard Knight Order that had just arrived, Buckenheim and Nachtval had been preparing for this subjugation for over two weeks. However, upon reaching the city center, Carlos was facing a completely unexpected situation. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here?¡± As he said, there was nothing in the city center. No Eugene waiting for allied forces in an exhausted state. No Elcidore family knights who had transformed into monsters and lost their sanity. No corpses, no traces of battle, just an empty space. Only the blood stains scattered across the plaza gave a vague hint of what had transpired here. ¡°Is it an enemy trap?¡± ¡°If so, from which side do you think it came?¡± Did the rebels betray them, or did the surviving Eugene devise some scheme? Carlos clicked his tongue in discomfort at those words that considered all possibilities. A battlefield where no one could be trusted. When he returned, he would make sure to teach that Randall fellow a lesson. ¡°Father? Th-there¡­¡­¡± As he was thinking this, Delling, who stood beside Carlos, raised his finger. ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡± ¡°A woman? Why in the middle of this city¡­¡­¡± A girl standing alone in the middle of the desolate city. She was watching them with wide eyes and a smile. Empty pupils. A grotesquely distorted face that stretched to her ears. Though she had beautiful features that would turn any man¡¯s head, that grotesquely distorted expression contained an unpleasantness that couldn¡¯t be considered human. ¡°Lord Carlos. That¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Send two knights. Have one watch the woman, and one secure her. She could be an informant or enemy agent.¡± Hearing those words, Delling immediately signaled to the knights. The knights approached the girl slowly with raised swords. Perhaps a domain resident who couldn¡¯t evacuate in time? Thinking this, the knight nodded to his companion before slowly reaching out toward her, and- Crunch-! Tentacles that extended from the girl¡¯s shadow bit off the knight¡¯s hand. ¡°Urgh¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, tastes bad.¡± Along with that cold voice, empty purple pupils gazed at them. A bizarre magical power wavelength fundamentally different from that of humans. The moment they sensed it, the other waiting knight swung his sword without hesitation. ¡°This magical power reaction¡­¡­¡± ¡°Monster! It¡¯s a monster-!¡± ¡°Damn, battle positions! Battle positions-!¡± As hundreds of gathered knights drew their swords, tentacles extending from the girl¡¯s shadow lunged at the knights. Black Witch, Irene. Her rampage had begun. ¡°U-uwaagh?!¡± ¡°What is this, where did it come from¡­! Gyaaaargh-!¡± The two knights who had approached closely became Irene¡¯s first sacrifices. The two knights caught by tentacles before their swords could even reach Irene. Crunch! Crack?! Their bodies were crushed before they could even deploy magical power fields, becoming masses of flesh that scattered blood and flesh. ¡°Hehe¡­ Hehehe¡­¡­¡± Eugene said she could do whatever she wanted. She¡¯d already eaten this much, but he said she could eat more. Having reached her limit after consuming the Elcidore knights, Irene gave herself over to the surging appetite with unparalleled satisfaction. Grrrrrr¡ª¡ª! As tentacles wrapped around Irene¡¯s body, the black sphere floating above her head gradually distorted its form. The sphere split vertically. And from within, what slowly revealed itself was¡­ ¡°That¡¯s, could it be¡­¡­¡± ¡°Th-the Great Rupture¡­¡­¡± A despairing cry emerged from among the knights who had experienced monster battles before. Ten knights had already charged toward Irene with swords imbued with magical power. However at that moment, something that burst from the rupture cut off the heads of the charging knights. Slash-! ¡°Eh, eeh?!¡± There were five shadowy figures. Smooth black carapaces instead of mangled flesh. Red eye-light glowing through slits like helmet visors. Monsters¡­ that watched the knights with refined movements rather than rampaging without reason. Seeing this, Carlos opened his mouth with a troubled expression. ¡°Pure-breeds¡­!¡± Pure-breeds. Unlike normal monsters that were mutations of creatures contaminated by the rupture, these were otherworldly beings that came directly from beyond the Great Rupture. Higher-level entities whose appearance triggered empire-wide subjugation orders. ¡°Dammit, Knight Order charge!¡± ¡°We must stop those monsters! Maintain formation¡­¡­¡± Clang-! The knights who confirmed the pure-breeds immediately began to act, but those monsters charged even faster. ¡°Krrk.¡± ¡°Kiiii¡­¡­¡± Red eye-lights emitting an eerie glow. Their targets were Carlos and Zeplant who commanded the Knight Order. ¡®They heard our conversation just now and realized we¡¯re the commanders of this group.¡¯ In other words, these monsters possessed enough knowledge to understand human language and respond accordingly. Cold sweat ran down Carlos and Zeplant¡¯s faces. Pure-breed monsters that were reported to have appeared during the Great War. To think they would witness such beings in a place like this¡­ ¡°However!¡± Carlos immediately activated his magic imprint. Duke Buckenheim¡¯s imprint, [Steel Wall Lion] The moment he manifested all six strokes, crystals made of magical power enveloped his body. Boom-! A massive knight in the form of full plate armor. The majestic magical power contained within repelled the monsters rushing in from all directions at once. Kwakwang¨C! ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, you monster trash.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We Buckenheim are descendants of the hero who slaughtered your kind at the vanguard of the last Great War. Did you think the techniques and magic we¡¯ve developed since then wouldn¡¯t be enough to defeat you!¡± Kiiiiing¡ª! At the same time, Nachtval¡¯s magic imprint [Radiant Holy Lance] shone. A ray that nullified all defensive measures including magical power fields. The monsters that instantly scattered in all directions to avoid it lowered their stances with eyes full of wariness. ¡°These bastards, they dodged that¡­¡­¡± Reaction speed that instantly detected attacks without warning. Flawless coordination of five entities moving as one body. Seeing this, Zeplant smiled with cold sweat. The magical circuit output of each individual was at best that of a four-stroke mage. However, they made up for that insufficient gap through coordination achieved with monster-specific physical specs and high intelligence. ¡°It feels like common sense about monsters is crumbling.¡± ¡°I have similar thoughts.¡± Said the two heirs who had deployed their magic imprints to the extreme. Until now, monsters had charged in relying on their near-infinite magical power, contamination, and massive bodies. But these ones that emerged from that rupture were fundamentally different from other monsters. ¡®I can understand why the Elcidore remnants failed. However¡­¡­¡¯ That made it even more incomprehensible. Why had such beings appeared here? ¡°So strong. Just like Eugene said.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± What words had they just heard? Eugene? While they were thinking this, Irene, wrapped in tentacles, spread both arms while maintaining her characteristic smiling face. ¡°Krrk, krrk¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kwooooargh-!¡± Black shadows gradually encroaching across the plaza. From those shadows, horribly distorted monsters were revealing themselves one by one. ¡°Those are, could they be¡­¡­¡± ¡°Elcidore? How¡­¡­¡± Boom-! Over a hundred monsters positioned around the five pure-breed monsters. Seeing this, the knights swallowed dry saliva as they steeled themselves for the battle about to begin. ¡°Why, why is this happening¡­¡­¡± The causal relationship was incomprehensible. Regret washed over them, but the time to dwell on it had long since passed. That monster was already watching him and the Knight Order, and the monsters were baring their fangs at them. ¡°Knight Order! Battle positions-!¡± With Carlos¡¯s shout, the formation centered on two six-stroke mages was completed. An army of monsters and the Knight Order. A grave silence enveloped everyone for a moment, and. Kiiiiing¡ª! Starting with the Nachtval knights¡¯ light magic, hundreds of magic imprints shone simultaneously. A battle between two hundred knights and monsters endlessly flowing from the Great Rupture. In the middle of the empty city, a battle of the century was beginning. *** ¡°Sir Eugene!¡± ¡°We found him, Lord Andrei! This way!¡± The imperial guards found Eugene right after magical power light rose from the city center. A large-scale battle suddenly breaking out in a city that should have been empty. Andrei had no choice but to ask for an explanation from the only person who would know the situation. ¡°Could you explain what this situation is all about?¡± Tremendous magical power being released simultaneously by hundreds of knights. It meant an enemy had appeared that required mobilizing the entire central Knight Order. ¡°It¡¯s the Great Rupture.¡± ¡°?!¡± He couldn¡¯t carelessly reveal details about Irene. Starting with those words, Eugene presented the lie he had prepared in advance to report to his superiors. ¡°The Elcidore remnants, when cornered, used Count Elcryer¡¯s research product ¨C the monster mutation serum ¨C in desperation. After transforming into monsters, they attempted to die fighting together.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°We succeeded in eliminating them, but the catastrophe of a Great Rupture emerging from the excessive contamination occurred.¡± It made sense. The corpses of over a hundred Elcidore knights. When those gathered together, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for a rupture to occur there. However, Andrei knew those words were a lie. ¡°I know that ruptures occur in places where contaminated corpses are concentrated. The first Great Rupture that devoured half the continent occurred that way after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, the timing is unnaturally convenient.¡± All the Elcidore knights were subjugated, Eugene escaped from that location, and right when the Knight Order arrived, a rupture occurred? No matter how you thought about it, wasn¡¯t it artificial? Hearing those words from Andrei, Eugene watched the city center where magical power light was blazing while holding his chin. ¡°By the way, the Knight Order truly has loyalty and honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Loyalty?¡± What was this sudden talk about? While thinking this, Eugene opened his mouth with a satisfied smile. ¡°As soon as they confirmed the Great Rupture¡¯s appearance, they charged in risking their lives. To save me, who isn¡¯t even an official Knight Order member.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Anyone can see this is a trap you set¡­¡­¡± At that moment. Eugene¡¯s voice cut off Andrei¡¯s words without hesitation. ¡°An atrocious disaster caused by a fellow Round Table member. To atone for that sin, to think they would make such a noble choice ¨C as expected of Lord Zeplant, Nachtval¡¯s heir. And Lord Carlos, Buckenheim¡¯s heir.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Wait. You couldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°Their heroic battle and sacrifice will be remembered long in imperial history.¡± Eugene praising the Knight Order with a satisfied smile. After pondering those words several times, Andrei who understood Eugene¡¯s meaning laughed in astonishment. ¡°Kuk, kahaha! Kahahahaha-!¡± It was certain. Though he didn¡¯t know what methods were used, this guy was the one who caused the Great Rupture. He had plotted to use himself as bait to lure in the Knight Order, then cause the Great Rupture to kill them all. ¡®You don¡¯t want to say how you caused it. That¡¯s what you mean, right?¡¯ Carlos and Zeplant fighting in the city center were probably thinking something similar. If they survived this battle, they would immediately seek out Eugene to expel him. So, Eugene was telling him and the Imperial Guard Knight Order: ¡®Kill them all to silence them.¡¯ ¡°Amazing. This is really¡­ beyond expectations.¡± Drive to eliminate political opponents by freely using the taboo of monsters. Decisiveness without even a shred of hesitation in killing hundreds of knights. Meticulousness in entering the middle of the enemy¡¯s trap and turning it around to utilize it. A shiver ran through Andrei¡¯s body. Could such thoughts really come from the mind of a young officer not even twenty years old? Just a promising mage. The young officer he had only thought of as the emperor¡¯s investment for the future was now holding and shaking the two dukes with the empire¡¯s greatest power! ¡°It seems the Imperial Guard Knight Order will have much work to do¡­ may I ask for your assistance?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Looking at Eugene who asked him this, Andrei smiled coldly. ¡®How the Great Rupture was caused was an issue to address later¡­ There are more urgent matters now.¡¯ An opportunity to strike down the detestable magic noble knights in an empty city where no one was watching. The chance to repay years of pent-up grudges had finally arrived. ¡°As you said, the knights of the two dukes gathered here today nobly sacrificed their lives to stop the monster invasion.¡± Hearing Andrei¡¯s words, the imperial guards lined up on either side of him also drew their swords. The dark smiles blooming on their faces. The same expression as Andrei commanding them. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do to have any survivors from that honorable battle, would it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While the two who had become accomplices smiled at each other. ¡°Order to all Imperial Guard Knight Order members!¡± Shing-! The imperial guards who drew their swords without hesitation turned their gazes to Andrei. Eyes full of desire. As if knowing that expectation, Andrei who growled while baring his teeth raised his voice. ¡°As of this moment, seal off the city. All biological entities escaping from the center are to be considered monsters. Kill without exception!¡± Those guys won¡¯t escape this city. Until this day is over. Until all the knights who entered the center are dead, turned into cold corpses. ¡°We must stop this calamity created by Elcidore! For the sake of the noble knight order!¡± At Andrei¡¯s order delivered in a quite serious voice, the Imperial Guard Knight Order immediately began surrounding the city center. ¡°We¡¯ll need to prepare a memorial service. A most splendid one.¡± Andrei muttered while watching the intensely shining magical power light. Don¡¯t worry. The medals to be placed on your corpses are probably piled up like garbage in the imperial storehouse. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 96 #096 ¡°Kweorok¨C!¡± When the arm of the massive monster struck the ground, countless stone fragments scattered in all directions. Along with that, flesh burst apart, and numerous toxic substances contained within. When the purple-discolored mucus splattered on his clothes, Zeplant¡¯s face instantly contorted. ¡°You monster, dare to soil my body with filth?¡± ¡°Kwak?!¡± As if only now realizing its attack had missed, the monster¡¯s gaze turned toward Zeplant. The blue-haired young man looking down at it with cold eyes. ¡°Burn.¡± With his single word, beams of light erupted from numerous spheres that had risen behind him. Screech¡ª! The monster vanished without a trace, burned away. Seeing this, five monsters leaped at him in succession, but Zeplant manipulated the spheres here and there as if finding it laughable. Whoosh-! The light orbs moved chaotically in all directions as if each possessed its own will. The moment a monster twisted its body to avoid one sphere, another sphere emerged from a blind spot and fired its beam. [Jewel of Light]. As the basic attack formula imprinted in the second stroke of [Radiant Holy Lance], it was the foundational magic for subsequent application formulas. Originally, it was a magic meant to be floated above the caster¡¯s shoulders and used like a fixed battery position. However, Zeplant had modified this formula in his own way, handling it with such agile methods. ¡°Kiek!¡± Upon witnessing five monsters disappearing at once, the five pure-breed monsters surrounding Carlos exchanged signals. [Threat confirmed. Formation will collapse if left unchecked.] [Switch from mobile warfare to delaying tactics. Propose numbers 4 and 5 coordinate response.] [Agreed.] [Agreed.] [Formation dissolved. Engaging.] Boom¨C! The pure-breed monsters split their formation and sent the five monsters that had been facing off against the knights charging at Carlos. The giant creatures lunged forward with all their might. However, seeing this, Carlos transformed his magical power armor without any change in expression. Swoosh-! The magical power crystals covering his body instantly gathered in his hands, and the crystals gathered in his hands immediately formed the shape of a massive sword. [Steel Wall Lion.] Though it was the imprint of Duke Buckenheim, known as the master of defensive formulas, he unhesitatingly converted his armor into a sword. ¡°No matter how well you¡¯ve copied human tactics, monsters are still monsters. Your intentions are too obvious.¡± ¡°?!¡± With those brief words, Carlos swung the great sword in his hands. Boom¨C! With a tremendous explosion, the upper bodies of the monsters charging at Carlos flew off completely. As soon as he finished his attack, his magic armor immediately returned to its original form. Delling, who had barely managed to kill one monster with his crystal sword, gulped dryly at the sight. ¡®He reused his existing armor and converted it to an attack formula. To minimize magical power consumption¡­!¡¯ To think such power could be achieved even while minimizing magical power consumption with long-term battle in mind. However, before he could marvel at this, three pure-breed monsters immediately charged at Carlos. Clang-! Clang-! Clang-! The remaining two charged at Zeplant, constantly pressuring him. Seeing this, Carlos gritted his teeth. ¡°These bastards¡­!¡± Until just now, five monsters had been pressing them. But after two of them split off, these creatures no longer attacked him recklessly. Their movements showed they were trying to pin him down while maintaining a tense standoff. Looking over at Young Master Zeplant¡¯s side, he was in a similar situation. ¡°These wolf-like bastards, scurrying around like rats¡­!¡± One creature pressed Zeplant up close, while the other targeted his rear. The [Jewel of Light] that had been dealing with dozens of monsters simultaneously was now focused solely on handling two monsters. ¡®Is this what a proper monster battle is like?¡¯ The monsters kept changing their attack routes and exchanging positions to confuse them. Meanwhile, the regular monsters that formed the core of the enemy forces were slaughtering the knights with their characteristic magical power quantity and impact force. ¡°W-we can¡¯t stop them! Our magical power is completely deple- Aaaagh¨C!¡± Crunch-! The knight¡¯s body flew helplessly through the air after being struck by the monster¡¯s arm. The knight fell head-first to the ground and perished, all the bones in his body crushed. Already over fifty knights had lost their lives in such a manner. ¡®The pure-breed monsters are engaging in delaying tactics to tie down myself and Young Master Zeplant, the Knight Order¡¯s main combat force, then switching to offense when magical power is depleted. This is¡­¡¯ Carlos could only be shocked as he realized the battlefield situation and the enemy¡¯s intentions. ¡®Is this¡­ truly monster tactics?¡¯ Originally, monsters were beings that rampaged like beasts that had lost their reason. Though their characteristic magical power quantity and physical abilities were overwhelming, they were like powerful beasts whose inferior intelligence couldn¡¯t keep up. That was why humanity had been able to achieve victory against monsters in the last great war. ¡®But what is this supposed to be?¡¯ These creatures were pressuring them while maintaining formation, just like humans. These creatures were identifying their opponent¡¯s weaknesses and striking at those blind spots, just like humans. ¡®Assassinating Eugene isn¡¯t the issue. This is¡­ These monsters¡­!¡¯ He had thought they were just specimens with high intelligence, but that was a miscalculation. Monsters that mimicked human behavior. A group of monsters moving in perfect unison, matching their movements. Hundreds of gathered monsters forming a system like an army! ¡®What in the world created such an impossible existence¡­!¡¯ If this were left unchecked. If such monsters increased their numbers and invaded the Empire again, then at that time¡­! ¡°Kikik.¡± Just as he was thinking this, a low laugh sounded right in front of Carlos¡¯s face. A pure-breed monster that had broken through his containment and approached within arm¡¯s reach. The sound came from the head of that monster looking up at Carlos. ¡­It laughed? A monster? In that moment when his attention was briefly diverted by this bizarre sight he had never experienced in his life. Thunk-! The spear in the monster¡¯s hand didn¡¯t miss that brief moment. ¡°Kugh¡­?!¡± ¡°Fa-Father-!¡± The monster¡¯s spear pierced Carlos¡¯s chest. The sharp blade made of material like monster teeth immediately began injecting contaminated substances into his body. Crack-! Crack-! The black liquid spread through his blood vessels. The monster¡¯s contamination that instantly spread throughout his body blocked his magical power circuits, and the magical power armor covering his entire body slowly began to dissipate. ¡°Kii¡­¡± ¡°Kruk. Kruruk.¡± ¡°Kikikik.¡± Seeing this, the three pure-breed monsters¡¯ eyes gleamed. First, one. Just as the three monsters raised their spear tips to prepare their final strike. Boom¨C! Five beams of light fired simultaneously flew toward where they stood. ¡°Kiiek¨C!¡± As if unable to avoid the sudden attack, one creature¡¯s shoulder was pierced through. Just one arm flying off. Though the monster maintained a composed appearance as if thinking that was all, the real attack came after being hit. ¡°Filthy monsters. Did you think I¡¯d keep taking it forever?¡± Crumble! ¡°Kruk?!¡± The monster¡¯s body hardened like stone before crumbling away. Seeing this, the pure-breeds changed their target of caution. Young Master Zeplant walking this way while throwing aside the corpses of the two monsters that had charged in earlier. His clothes were torn in various places and stained with blood. Judging by his contorted face, it seemed he hadn¡¯t achieved victory very smoothly either. ¡°Maintain formation-!¡± Zeplant who had instantly slaughtered three pure-breeds. At his shout, the other knights also gripped their swords tighter. Considering the monsters¡¯ physical abilities, retreating now would only mean being hunted down in these complex ruins. To survive, they had no choice but to kill all these monsters. ¡°Kill every last one of these abominable monsters!¡± The knights of the two dukes who had been at each other¡¯s throats whenever they met now formed ranks while protecting each other. The sight of them tending to the wounded and guarding their comrades¡¯ backs. Their previous goal of eliminating political enemies had completely disappeared; now they were simply struggling to survive. *** Thud-! ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­!¡± In the center of the city littered with corpses. After confirming the last monster had fallen, Zeplant dropped to one knee while breathing heavily. ¡°To think you¡¯d collapse just from handling one more, I¡¯m disappointed in Buckenheim, Lord Carlos.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be sure to repay this debt.¡± Zeplant who stood protectively before Carlos, and Carlos who offered brief thanks to such a Zeplant. As he moved his hand to control the [Jewel of Light], the monsters protecting the girl in the center instantly turned to powder and scattered. ¡®Out of over three hundred knights, less than fifty survived.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t this close to total annihilation? Thinking this, Zeplant glanced toward Carlos. Judging by his complexion, that man seemed to be having similar thoughts. ¡°Still, we gained an unexpected harvest.¡± ¡°Harvest?¡± Hearing Carlos¡¯s words, Zeplant struggled to stand using his sword as support. His overloaded magic circuits felt like they could burst at any moment, and his extremely deployed imprint was burning hot as if on fire. They had barely achieved victory after exhausting all their power. If so, they should collect a reward worthy of that. Thinking this, Zeplant spoke while looking at Irene sitting in the center of the city. ¡°That girl. The rift is closed, and she¡¯s completely neutralized, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At those words, Carlos raised his clouded eyes to look at Irene. The black-haired girl staring at him with blank eyes. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing those characteristic amethyst eyes, Carlos¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®That girl¡­ Why does she look familiar?¡¯ As if he had met her somewhere before¡­ Just as he was thinking this. ¡°¡­Ha, haha, hahaha.¡± When he recalled a scene from his old memories, a hollow laugh escaped Carlos¡¯s mouth. Seven years ago, in Meldir territory, wasn¡¯t it? When Delling and that Eugene boy had gotten into an argument. There was a girl hiding behind a pillar, watching that scene. A girl with black hair and purple eyes. ¡°A monster that can create rifts on its own and understand human speech. If we secure and research it properly, it would be invaluable¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already too late.¡± What? Zeplant frowned at Carlos¡¯s words and asked. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s too late? What are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Now I understand everything¡­ Hehehehe¡­!¡± Carlos laughing weakly like a madman. Seeing this, Zeplant¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Has he gone mad from the contamination¡­?¡± ¡°Lord Zeplant! How dare you show such disrespect to Father¡­!¡± ¡°Imperial Guard Knight Order.¡± Carlos, who had muttered weakly, continued speaking through gritted teeth. ¡°The Imperial Guard Knight Order still hasn¡¯t shown themselves! No matter how unfamiliar they are with the geography, those who departed almost simultaneously with us¡­!¡± ¡°The Guard Knight Order¡­?¡± As if only now understanding Carlos¡¯s words, Young Master Zeplant¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Wait. No, but that¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°I had similar thoughts. However¡­ I remember seeing that girl.¡± Back then, he had thought she was just a nameless maid. But that wasn¡¯t it. That boy had been raising such an impossible existence all that time. Such a dangerous being, without anyone knowing¡­! Click-! At the sound of metal, Zeplant turned around hastily with a pale face. ¡°Eugene¡­ Lorentz¡­?¡± It was that boy. Without so much as a scratch, let alone injuries, the boy was pointing a gun at them with an immaculate appearance. And behind such a boy, a group of knights revealed themselves. Feilun. And the Imperial Guard Knight Order surrounding them. The boy they had tried to eliminate was pointing his gun at them. At this moment, when they were completely exhausted from fighting the monsters. ¡°Young Master Zeplant of Nachtval, and Lord Carlos, heir to Buckenheim. And Lord Delling, who was his legitimate son.¡± Eugene, calling them with an expressionless face. ¡°You and your subordinate knights met a heroic end while stopping the manifestation of loathsome monsters incited by the rebels.¡± ¡°Wh-What¡­?¡± ¡°What are you¡­ saying¡­!¡± He looked down at the exhausted knights and their corpses with a faint smile. ¡°Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander Eugene Lorentz and Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander Andrei Leonhardt will testify to this, and the two heirs will be awarded the Empire¡¯s Hero Medal. Lord Delling will receive the Imperial Lion Medal.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°You will go down in history as great mages who set an example of true nobility as heroes of the Empire.¡± With Eugene¡¯s voice, Andrei standing behind him raised his hand. The Guard Knights numbering around a hundred. As magical power gathered in the muzzles of their rifles, the knights who finally understood the situation began frantically running to various parts of the city. But at that moment. Bang-! A bullet fired from Eugene¡¯s gun pierced through the head of one fleeing knight. Eugene smiling brightly while looking at them. Seeing his eyes, Carlos trembled. ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­ You, demon¡­!¡± ¡°Rest in peace in the afterlife.¡± Demon my ass. Thinking this, Eugene spoke to them. ¡°The Empire will remember you as heroes.¡± ¡°Open fire.¡± With Andrei¡¯s order, the muzzles of the Imperial Guard Knight Order¡¯s guns all blazed at once. Not a single knight survived in the desolate ruins of Peldia City. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 97 #097 ¡°Cease fire!¡± With Andrei¡¯s command, the smoke-filled central plaza slowly came into view. Knights lay fallen, turned into cold corpses. However, their number barely reached thirty. The remains of the monsters that had attacked them. The corpses of the knights that originally numbered three hundred. No matter how many times they looked around, those remains were nowhere to be seen. Where could they be? The Imperial Guards had their doubts, but they would soon find their answer. Guruk- Guruk- Black tentacles stretched toward the knights¡¯ corpses. Gripping the legs of the dead, they dragged them toward the center of the plaza, their teeth and eyes glinting. ¡°This is insane¡­!¡± ¡°Commander. What in the¡­?¡± A pool made of black shadows. The knights¡¯ corpses slowly sinking into it. Some Imperial Guards reflexively aimed their guns, but a hand suddenly shot out to stop them. It was Eugene, the Special Magical Power Unit battalion commander. ¡°I will handle this monster. The Knight Order should stop Count Raikard¡¯s knights who are entering from the outskirts.¡± Though Buckenheim and Nachtval Knight Orders had been annihilated, there was another magic noble family participating in this battle. The knights of House Raikard, who were controlling the outer perimeter and remaining territory residents. They were under Kyle¡¯s command. ¡°¡­¡± After looking at Eugene for a moment, Andrei nodded. It would be better if information about that monster didn¡¯t spread too widely. ¡°Knight Order. Everyone move out.¡± At their commander Andrei¡¯s order, the knights lowered their guns and slowly moved away from the plaza. ¡°Thanks to you, this ended easily. Thank you.¡± ¡°I gave you the chance to kill magic nobles yourself. Consider this repayment.¡± That monster. And not asking about Irene, too. After Andrei turned his back with those additional words, Eugene could finally see Irene¡¯s condition. ¡°Ah¡­ ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°As expected, this isn¡¯t normal.¡± Black shadows writhing here and there, with tentacles wrapped around them. And Irene sitting at the center with unfocused, dreamy eyes. Kik! Kiiik-! As Eugene approached, the squirming tentacles raised their edges as if protecting their master. But Eugene paid them no mind and kept moving forward. Chulpuk- Chulpuk-! As he got closer to Irene, tentacles and slime clung to him from all directions. Occasionally, teeth on the tentacles dug into his skin. A small wound on his face. Blood flowing from it. As if smelling the blood, the tentacles that had been wary of Eugene slowly made way. They seemed to recognize that the person approaching was Eugene. ¡°This is similar to back then.¡± Eugene crouched down to meet Irene¡¯s eyes and spoke. ¡°Remember? The basement of the Elcidore mansion. The day I told you it was snowing outside.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I remember.¡± Eugene spoke slowly, in a gentle voice. Hearing that voice, focus gradually returned to Irene¡¯s blank eyes. ¡°Eugene brought me a snowball and told me to look at it. It was my first time seeing and touching real snow. It was so cold.¡± I was surprised when you put it straight in your mouth. Good thing I had prepared another one. ¡°You promised we¡¯d make a snowman and have a snowball fight together.¡± ¡°You remember well.¡± When Eugene said that, Irene spoke while recalling those memories. Past memories. As she traced back those memories, Irene¡¯s mind was becoming clearer. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all Eugene remembered. A researcher who came in to experiment had stepped on the snowman Irene made, and that was the first time Irene went berserk. Irene had broken out of the lab and was subdued after sacrificing five knights. And Lupeon had been delighted to see that. ¡®That crazy psycho bastard.¡¯ But Irene, smiling with a faint expression, didn¡¯t mention anything about that incident. Did she not remember? Or was it too trivial to be worth remembering? Putting aside his brief doubts, Eugene slowly calmed Irene down. ¡°Let¡¯s make one this winter too. We should have at least one year-end party and invite everyone around.¡± ¡°A party? What are we going to eat?¡± ¡°Suddenly talking about food? We were just talking about snow.¡± ¡°There¡¯s this restaurant I went to with Mari, and their goose dish was really delicious. Let¡¯s go there together later.¡± ¡°Sure. I haven¡¯t had proper meat in a while.¡± Meaningless everyday conversations. Casual small talk. As they continued, Irene¡¯s rampage gradually subsided. ¡®It¡¯s warm.¡¯ Ordinary conversations with Eugene. His touch felt through the tentacles. This bond that couldn¡¯t be felt from other beings. The fairy of the ventilation shaft, irreplaceable by anything else. Swish swish swish swish¡­ The tentacles wrapping Irene¡¯s body slowly seeped back into her. What remained was the body of a snow-white girl. Seeing her clothes tattered from the aftermath of her rampage, Eugene wrapped Irene in his uniform coat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eugene.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I tried to copy what Eugene does, but I lost.¡± After devouring two Knight Orders by herself, all she says is ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Feeling dizzy at the thought, Eugene patted Irene¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You must have been through a lot, you did well.¡± ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m glad.¡± With those words, Irene leaned her face against Eugene. ¡®Yes. Really glad.¡¯ Burrowing into Eugene¡¯s arms, Irene recalled the battle with the knights just now. ¡®Being just strong and fast isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The five entities she created directly in the Great Rupture. The knights who slaughtered them by working together. Their systematic approach provided Irene with lots of information. ¡®The key is to make lots of different children and have them protect each other¡¯s backs.¡¯ She thought. A child with a hard body. A child good at throwing snowballs. A strong child. A fast running child. If she made lots and lots of different children, she could do so much more. Like Eugene does, she could eat more. And when that happens, then¡­ ¡°Irene.¡± In the middle of her thoughts running wild, Irene looked up at Eugene¡¯s face as he held her. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing! Nothing at all!¡± Seeing Eugene tilt his head, Irene smiled as if she couldn¡¯t contain her joy. Ah, I can¡¯t wait. Next time. I think I can do even better than now. *** ¡°Failed? You say it failed?¡± Inside the dark study of the Buckenheim mansion. Upon receiving the report, Duke Buckenheim frowned and turned to look at the knight delivering the news. ¡°A-a Great Rupture appeared in the center of Pelgear territory, according to reports. The remnants of House Elcidore suddenly mutated into monsters¡­¡± ¡°So. You¡¯re saying not a single one survived?¡± Finding it difficult to even speak of such things, the words wouldn¡¯t come easily. But the terrified knight somehow managed to squeeze out his voice. ¡°Y-yes, that¡¯s correct. The Imperial Guard Knight Order is directly confirming it, and when our investigation team arrived¡­¡± ¡°Intelligence Department had already finished the cleanup. Without leaving a single trace, neat and clean.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the knight unable to continue speaking, the duke sighed and waved his hand to dismiss him. Though anger rose to his head, taking it out on an uninvolved knight would be beneath him. As the knight hurriedly left the office, the duke took several deep breaths to collect himself. ¡°A Great Rupture, this is absurd.¡± No, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t completely impossible. Unlike the Emperor who prohibited monster research, magic nobles and the Republic had been studying monsters in their own ways for a long time. They had obtained much data about their physical structure, habits, magical power usage patterns, and such knowledge had significantly helped in improving magic nobles¡¯ magic imprints. ¡®But despite all that long research, what we couldn¡¯t figure out was the conditions for a Great Rupture¡¯s occurrence.¡¯ Countless studies were conducted to discover this, but neither magic nobles nor the Republic could figure it out. Well, if anyone had discovered it, there wouldn¡¯t be a war between the Empire and Republic like this. They could just infiltrate the opposing side, open a Great Rupture, and everything would be over. ¡®After long research, all we found out was that the probability increases with more monsters and denser contamination.¡¯ 100 monsters created by mutating knights. That quantity would make it unsurprising for a Great Rupture to occur. It made sense, but at the same time was suspicious. If that were the case, why hadn¡¯t a Great Rupture appeared on the eastern front where over a thousand monsters were rampaging? Why specifically in Pelgear territory? Are you saying a Great Rupture occurred at that exact moment when Eugene was cornered? And Carlos and Zeplant, who witnessed the scene, sacrificed their lives to stop the Great Rupture? What nonsense. Though slaying monsters is a knight¡¯s calling, Carlos wasn¡¯t a fool. He wouldn¡¯t normally expend the entire Knight Order trying to subjugate monsters right in front of him. ¡®Did the monsters¡¯ strength exceed expectations?¡¯ It was possible, but still hard to accept. After all, monsters were like beasts rampaging without reason. Unlike Republic forces or rebels, they didn¡¯t use tactics. ¡®Then¡­ there¡¯s only one conclusion.¡¯ The real enemy wasn¡¯t the monsters. The Imperial Guard Knight Order, and Eugene. They must have been the ones who attacked the Knight Order. Having finished his thoughts, the duke immediately connected a magical power communication. ¡°I heard the news. The operation failed.¡± ¨C Yes. I just heard as well. Such a brazen voice despite ruining the operation. Though inwardly furious, hearing the voice suggested the other side felt similarly. The chilling cold hidden beneath the voice tinged with laughter. It seemed the rebel bastards weren¡¯t in a comfortable position either. ¡°We lost a Knight Order and are now in a position where we must plead with Duke Nachtval. Having sent his heir to his death, I can already see what the duke will say.¡± ¨C Is the Round Table we worked so hard to gather falling apart? ¡°No. That won¡¯t happen. However, the Nachtval side will use all sorts of schemes to seize control of the Round Table. They won¡¯t destroy the joint front of the Round Table, but¡­¡± ¨C You mean they won¡¯t readily provide knights like this time. Neither the duke nor Randall had any intention of arguing and shifting blame to each other. Rather than waste time on such unproductive matters, it would be far better to discuss the next measures. While they were talking about future operations¡­ ¡°Your Grace.¡± The butler who had served him for many years approached and delivered a message. ¡°A letter has arrived from Duke Nachtval. He suggests attending together the memorial service for the two heirs who died stopping the monster invasion¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± It¡¯s come as expected. Thinking this, the duke clicked his tongue. They were two houses competing for the first seat position among magic noble families from the start. The operation that began at Buckenheim¡¯s suggestion had failed spectacularly, so they would demand he take responsibility. To have to bow his head to that snake-like fellow. The mere thought filled him with disgust, but there was no choice. ¡°The final goal remains unchanged.¡± At those words, Randall spoke with surprise from across the magical power communication. ¨C I¡¯m surprised. Even though you lost your son, you still maintain cooperation with us. ¡°I chose him as heir because I liked his loyalty to the family. There are plenty of replacements.¡± Cold words impossible to imagine from a father who lost his son. After saying this, the duke spoke to Randall. ¡°As long as we share the common goal of the Emperor¡¯s death, you rebels are useful chess pieces. There are too many valuable aspects to discard after one failure.¡± ¨C I¡¯m honored you think so highly of us. ¡°So, prepare the next plan quickly. Schemes and strategies are the specialty of you Republic dogs, isn¡¯t it?¡± When the duke said this, recalling experiences from the past war, Randall ended the communication saying he would contact him soon. ¡°Huu¡­¡± The duke sighed and looked at the Empire¡¯s flag placed in one corner of the study. To think things would become this complicated. The Emperor sitting in the Imperial Palace. Recalling that image, the duke growled lowly. ¡°Making such an ugly struggle when you¡¯re about to die. How unsightly, Franz.¡± The Emperor¡¯s era in the Empire is ending anyway. That throne he sits on will soon be mine. ¡°Prepare to depart for the capital.¡± The duke rose from his seat and spoke to his butler. ¡°We must show proper respect for the funeral of a son who died a hero. And¡­¡± The Emperor who ruined his plans. And his blade, Eugene Lorentz. ¡°I should meet this Imperial dog myself and see what kind of person he is.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 98 #098 Bang-! Seven o¡¯clock on a Sunday morning. The weather was clear. At the deafening sound of the ceremonial cannon, I saluted toward the coffin covered in white flowers. Click-! Click-! Camera shutters clicked all around simultaneously. Occasional sobs and sighs could be heard. The Round Table Knight Order¡¯s joint funeral service was being conducted in an atmosphere as grand as Count Elcidore¡¯s death. The coffins of the knights entering the ground. Looking at that heroic sight, I thought while pressing down my military cap. It was awful meeting you, let¡¯s never meet again. May the deceased rest in peace, rubbing with my right hand and rubbing with my left hand. [Their spirit of sacrificing their lives to prevent the threat of the Great Rupture is enough to be a model for all knights.] [With these sorrowful sentiments, I hereby bestow the Empire¡¯s Hero Medal to the two heroes who saved the empire. And to Young Master Delling, who met his end alongside them, the Imperial Lion Medal¡­¡­] The emperor¡¯s message flowed in a solemn voice. After reading all the words written in the letter, the imperial guards carefully placed the medals on the lids of the three deceased¡¯s coffins. ¡°Ah¡­ How could this happen¡­¡­¡± ¡°To think that those who were meant to lead the empire would pass away so meaninglessly¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tragedy. An unthinkable tragedy¡­¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As mournful music began to play, the nobles attending the funeral took out handkerchiefs to wipe their tears. Are they really crying out of sadness? As if. The ones mourning the death of the two heirs in this way were the regular nobles, not the magic nobles. They were like ticks trying to establish connections with magic noble families using this tragedy as an opportunity. Then, what were these magic nobles that these nobles were desperately seeking doing? ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everyone died but that guy survived. Then, that subjugation battle¡­¡­¡± They were cautiously observing my every move while being on high alert. It made sense. In just a week, I finished off Count Elcryer family, and now I had driven both the first and second seat magic noble heirs to their deaths. ¡®The situation is quite amusing.¡¯ Regular noble families condemn the Revolutionary Army for attacking the Knight Order that sacrifices so much fighting for such noble causes. The magic nobles say this is all a plot by the imperial faction to kill the heirs, and that this matter needs to be thoroughly investigated. But the truth? It was the magic nobles who tried to exile Elcidore. It was the magic nobles who conspired with the Revolutionary Army for that purpose. It was also the magic nobles who tried to drive Eugene to his death. In other words, they caused all that chaos to trap me, but in the end, they only ended up losing their own Knight Order. If they thoroughly investigate this matter as other nobles are saying? At that moment, the incompetence of the empire¡¯s two dukes would spread throughout the empire. In the end, they have no choice but to accept all the false statements that came from my mouth at face value. Would they rather be seen as fools who failed after plotting to kill an allied imperial officer and even bringing in the Revolutionary Army? Or would they rather say we worked together to kill the remnants of Elcidore, and they met heroic deaths while stopping the disaster they caused? As I was their assassination target, I proposed an honorable death first, leaving the two dukes with no choice in the matter. It was a situation where a single imperial officer had two dukes in the palm of his hand. ¡®I don¡¯t know who planned this subjugation, but they must be quite twisted¡­¡­¡¯ As I was thinking this while looking at the graves of enemies buried without even finding their bodies- ¡°Yes. Thanks to you, I got to see quite an interesting show.¡± A voice came from behind me. Dignified. A voice that carried authority befitting its power. Until that voice was heard, I hadn¡¯t noticed anyone behind me. ¡°Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± When I hurriedly turned around, a tall elderly man called my name in a low voice. Similar to Carlos. And at the same time, similar to Keiren. No, it was the opposite. Those two must have resembled this man¡¯s face. ¡®¡­¡­This is insane.¡¯ The moment I recognized him, I immediately stood at attention and saluted. ¡°Your Grace, Duke Buckenheim.¡± Karl Buckenheim. The head of House Duke Buckenheim, first seat of the empire¡¯s magic nobles. The number one magic noble was looking at me with gleaming eyes. *** I¡¯m screwed. That was my first impression when I faced Duke Buckenheim who appeared behind me. Creak, creeak. ¡°Kuh¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hooh.¡± What came in response to my salute was an immense magical power pressing down on me. For a while, I could only focus all my attention on enduring this pressure without any chance to resist. After some time had passed like this. ¡°¡­¡­Indeed, quite different from other promising youngsters of the same age.¡± Muttering with an inscrutable expression, the duke instantly dispersed the magical power that had been pressing down on me. This sudden sense of liberation. At the same time, I felt a chill running up my spine. To not even be able to resist. Is this really the same seven stroke as Count Elcryer? ¡°When Keiren said he took in an adopted son, I didn¡¯t pay much attention, but you possess even better qualities than expected.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°A 7-strike imprint mage¡¯s magical power. There aren¡¯t many who can withstand that even if you search the entire continent.¡± I couldn¡¯t give any answer to the duke¡¯s words as he spoke with a slight smile. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t expecting an answer either. The duke smiled faintly and slowly opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Carlos was originally lacking in talent and not heir material. I used him significantly because I liked how loyal he was to the family¡­ But in the end, he messed things up like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to him, the heir position is suddenly vacant, and even Delling, who was Carlos¡¯s son, died¡­¡­¡± Watching him trail off like that, I tried hard to calm my confused mind. Since it was the heir¡¯s funeral, I thought the head himself would come. But I didn¡¯t expect him to seek me out directly like this. Think, Eugene. The duke¡¯s intention in seeking me out. I need to figure out what that is. ¡®Normally, the duke himself wouldn¡¯t have time to spare for something like this.¡¯ Neither Buckenheim nor Nachtval would be in a situation to care about a memorial service like this. The power vacuum created by the disappearance of the heir. The entire family would be in turmoil trying to fill this vacancy. ¡°I hear Carlos made you a proposal.¡± At those words from the duke. I immediately answered. ¡°He said he would give me appropriate compensation if I worked as his confidant. However, for the sake of my loyalty to Lord Keiren who took me in¡­¡­¡± ¡°Loyalty.¡± Muttering that, the duke spoke with his characteristic faint smile. ¡°Yes. That would be quite convenient to use as an excuse.¡± After saying that, the duke opened his mouth. ¡°When a non-noble mage enters a magic noble family, there are only two set paths. A tool, or a sacrifice. Nothing else.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious you would refuse such a proposal made without even minimal trust. Carlos misjudged your caliber.¡± His tone was as if scolding Carlos. Looking at his son¡¯s coffin buried without even finding the body, he spoke in an even voice. ¡°Well then, let me ask you one question.¡± ¡°Please ask.¡± ¡°If I were to make the same proposal now, what would you do?¡± Hey, you piece of. What nonsense is this now? ¡°Your Grace. If I may be so bold, those words¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It seems you don¡¯t much care for indirect talk.¡± After thinking for a moment, the duke looked at me and said. ¡°If I were to offer you Carlos¡¯s heir position¡­ Would you accept that proposal?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± For a moment, I almost failed to keep my expression in check. My startled reaction must have been quite interesting, as a faint smile appeared on the duke¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Impossible?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After thinking for a moment. I slowly gave my prepared answer. ¡°My magical power circuit is already incompatible with Buckenheim¡¯s imprint. An heir who cannot inherit the family¡¯s traditional imprint would be unthinkable.¡± ¡°A proper argument. But not your true thoughts.¡± Saying that, the duke spoke with a slight smile. ¡°You probably¡­¡­ wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just Duke Buckenheim.¡± ¡°Your Grace. What do you¡­¡­¡± ¡°No need to pretend to measure your words. What you want isn¡¯t just some single family, but the empire itself, isn¡¯t it?¡± The duke said. ¡°Just like me.¡± A moment of silence. And that brief silence was enough to answer the duke¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s why even at this moment, I¡¯m endlessly pondering.¡± Whoosh-! The magical power that had been pressing down on me was once again constricting my breath. Unlike just before when it was mere pressure, this magical power now contained clear killing intent. Magical power crystals with a structure too complex to analyze were vibrating while targeting my vital points. ¡°At such a young age, reaching six stroke that even Carlos couldn¡¯t achieve, commanding your own army, and shaking the empire.¡± You know about the six stroke imprint? I hadn¡¯t told anyone about that. ¡°I wonder if it wouldn¡¯t be better to kill such a dangerous seed right here and now.¡± Seven stroke imprint. And vast magical power refined through cultivation methods passed down for generations was flowing through his magic circuit. Buckenheim was the first seat of magic nobles. And the fact proven by that first seat position was very simple. The empire¡¯s strongest. The man standing before my eyes was the one and only strongest mage in the empire. Such a being recognizing me as a threat and contemplating killing me. Other magic nobles including Nachtval would probably have similar thoughts. This was the price of escaping the magic nobles¡¯ trap. After overcoming one adversity, an even greater adversity was closing in on me. However. ¡®If they wanted to do that, they wouldn¡¯t have prepared such an elaborate trap in the first place.¡¯ As the intention became clear, the tension enveloping my body gradually faded. This series of actions suddenly appearing and threatening me. What was hidden behind that seemingly relaxed face was anxiety. ¡®A duke of the empire killing an imperial officer in the middle of the imperial capital? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡¯ It might have been possible when the emperor¡¯s power was at rock bottom, but it¡¯s too late now. With victory in the war against the Republic, the imperial army gained the support of imperial citizens and regular nobles. Meanwhile, magic nobles were only focused on protecting their own interests while struggling with fights against the Revolutionary Army. ¡®And as a result, imperial citizens have started to question the very existence of magic nobles.¡¯ If the Special Magic Unit grows larger, they can handle the monsters. They won won the war against the Republic without the Knight Order. Then, what reason is there for the Knight Order to exist? A group of mages who can¡¯t fight monsters or wars? Then why should imperial citizens pay them enormous taxes, maintain their noble status, and grant them all sorts of privileges? ¡®Even in a country ruled by an emperor, public sentiment is heaven¡¯s will.¡¯ The Knight Order that barely saved face with this subjugation is going to kill me in the middle of the imperial capital? A hero of the imperial army? Go ahead and try if you can. The empire¡¯s next target will be Buckenheim. ¡°Not even blinking. What an unpleasant fellow.¡± After a long silent confrontation, the duke was the first to lower his hand. Though my legs felt like they would give out the moment the pressure disappeared, I managed to endure. ¡°Indeed. The same situation as back then.¡± What do you mean ¡®back then¡¯. After muttering such incomprehensible words to himself, the duke turned his back as if finished with his business. ¡°Since you¡¯ve crushed the Republic¡¯s face, there will be a brief peace for a while. This battle is undoubtedly your victory.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But at the same time, remember this.¡± Duke Buckenheim slightly turned his gaze and slowly spoke while looking at me. ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­ that I, Buckenheim, remember your name.¡± Hearing those words, I swallowed dryly. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ This situation where the empire¡¯s strongest mage was hostile to you. Then, there was no time. ¡®The ceasefire will last about 2 years.¡¯ Within this time of 2 years. I had to awaken the final stroke. *** ¡°Emperor Franz has finally created a monster.¡± On the airship returning to Castle Buckenheim. Feeling a slight floating sensation, the duke muttered. ¡°A mere sixteen-year-old boy has already become someone that even I can¡¯t carelessly touch.¡± With achievements unbelievable for his age, a seed of change trying to shake the world alone. That boy resembled the man who created the rebels. And at the same time, he resembled that man¡¯s archenemy. ¡°Maximilien. And, Lupeon.¡± After mentioning the two names, the duke looked down at the imperial capital spread below and muttered. ¡°I was truly surprised when I heard they fell on the same battlefield.¡± ¡°Two inflection points that would have changed the empire, no, the world, disappeared in an instant.¡± Though their methods differed, they were all those who tried to eliminate magic nobles and reach the empire¡¯s peak. Maximilien through revolution. Lupeon through his own power. But they clashed and vanished at Castle Elcidore. Two beings who were at the center of change disappeared so futilely. ¡°And piercing through those corpses, that boy appeared.¡± It was what he discovered after investigating Eugene¡¯s background. The magical power aptitude test records from Grey Quarter district. Traces of Lupeon¡¯s visit and the secret organization he was secretly nurturing. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s invasion and the complete destruction of the Elcidore territory. That boy¡¯s life was marked by countless misfortunes and coincidences, and he ultimately survived through that brutal death. Those who have lived such lives don¡¯t fall easily. ¡®¡­¡­No, it might be fortunate if he merely survived.¡¯ He thought. No, this might not be a thought, but just an uneasy premonition. What if all those trials were intentionally orchestrated by him. If that life from the back alleys until now was all part of his numerous plans¡­ ¡®¡­No, this is going too far.¡¯ Duke Buckenheim shook his head to clear away the thoughts. A being who could plan their entire life? That could hardly be called human. ¡°But with this, one thing has become clear.¡± ¡°Just like with Count Elcidore, it¡¯s impossible to bring the ¡®Flame¡¯ to our side.¡± ¡°Yes. And¡­¡­¡± Muttering thus, the duke spoke while looking at the person standing across from him. ¡°If the ¡®Flame¡¯ is in his grasp¡­¡­ The current emperor is dangerous.¡± ¡°Just as ¡®Informant M¡¯ was. And just as Lupeon Elcidore was.¡± The response came from a middle-aged man standing across from him. Duke Nachtval. Looking at him, the duke slowly nodded. ¡°Embers must be stamped out. For the sake of our eternal era. And for that¡­¡­¡± ¡°The ceasefire agreement¡¯s validity period of 2 years. During that time, we must complete preparations somehow.¡± The two dukes looked at each other and simultaneously spoke the same words. ¡°Operation to assassinate the emperor.¡± The heroes¡¯ mission that they couldn¡¯t complete back then. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter : #000 ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­!¡± Two shadows were running down an old alley. Their trench coats, berets, and brass wing-shaped magical engravings indicated they were members of the revolutionary army. ¡°Where¡­ How on earth did the plan leak?!¡± It had been a perfect plan. They were supposed to stage simultaneous uprisings in the outskirts of the capital to disperse the Imperial Army, and during that time, their infiltration team would take care of the Emperor. The security was lax, and there weren¡¯t any mages guarding ¨C all they had to do was pull the trigger. But in an instant, all their plans went awry. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bang-! ¡°Gah?!¡± A bullet pierced through one of the shadows as it cut through the air. A magic bullet infused with magical power. The fallen comrade was screaming while clutching his ankle. It was remarkable accuracy. To hit an ankle precisely from hundreds of meters away. ¡°G-go ahead! I¡¯m done for!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! How could I throw away a comrade who shared our great cause like an old shoe¡­!¡± ¡°You should have thrown him away like an old shoe.¡± While they hesitated for a moment arguing, a voice emerged from the dark shadows. ¡°After all, at least one of you should survive to plan for the future, right?¡± It was a languid voice. A casual tone as if out for a stroll. However, when they realized who the voice belonged to, the revolutionaries¡¯ faces turned deathly pale. ¡°Eugene¡­ Lorentz¡­!¡± The moment that name was called, chains appeared from magical circles that materialized in the air. Clash-! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Magical chains bound both his arms. For his fallen comrade, they were wrapped around his neck instead of his arms. Shame crossed both their faces as the revolutionary fighters, meant to liberate the Empire, were bound like slaves. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you siding with them! Eugene!¡± As he shouted as if spitting blood, a man walked out from the darkness. The Imperial Special Magic Forces uniform, a pistol in one hand, and the tremendous magical power swirling around him. All the various titles used to describe this man flashed through their minds. The Great Hero of the Western Front. The Emperor¡¯s Spearhead. The Empire¡¯s Hound. The Demon of Magic Bullets. And finally, the Natural Enemy of the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Weren¡¯t you also a poor man like us! A refugee! So why¡­ why¡­!¡± ¡°Why did I side with the Emperor instead of you guys?¡± Eugene pressed the gun muzzle against the man¡¯s face. His eyes were cold as he looked at the terrified man. ¡°It¡¯s simple. This game¡¯s ending is getting betrayed while doing the revolution with you guys.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± It was incomprehensible. Game? Ending? What was he talking about? But Eugene hadn¡¯t really expected an answer to those words either. Bang-! The magic bullet struck the man¡¯s face. It was a non-lethal impact round rather than a penetrating bullet. This guy will have lots of information to extract. Eugene thought as he watched the man lose consciousness and collapse. ¡°Do your own revolution.¡± Eugene put a cigarette in his mouth and spoke to the air. ¡°I¡¯ll sell you out and live well on my own.¡± Since falling into this damned game world, that had been his one and only goal from start to finish. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 100 #100 ¡°How could you just show up so suddenly! You should have contacted me in advance!¡± ¡°You¡¯re making a fuss about me visiting. How am I supposed to send a letter while sitting in an airship?¡± At a cafe located in the Imperial Capital academy. After briefly grumbling, Mari fidgeted with the bouquet Eugene handed her several times before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°As expected, these are from the Crelliana Flower Shop. Do you know how expensive this brand is in the Imperial Capital?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Good pay is our unit¡¯s only advantage.¡± Though Eugene said this, his eyes looking at the bouquet couldn¡¯t have been more disgruntled. ¡°But since I bought it from White Quarter where the nobles live, it was more expensive than I imagined. What kind of bouquet costs more than an airship ticket?¡± ¡°The prices in the Imperial Capital are hellish no matter how many times I think about it. Do you know how much a sandwich costs at this cafe?¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Fifteen thousand.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? That could get you a full-course meal in the outer cities?¡± ¡°Exactly~!¡± Their idle chat continued for a moment. ¡°Here you go.¡± Eugene took out the letter that was his original purpose and handed it to Mari. ¡°I had some business in the Imperial Capital anyway, so I dropped by while delivering this. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Ah, this.¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to come deliver it personally. Seeing Mari¡¯s beaming face as she said this, Eugene smiled slightly while tilting his teacup. ¡°Since someone of Commander rank signed it, no one should be able to say anything about our actions now.¡± The organization in the documents Mari handed over was called the Special Magical Power Unit Wives¡¯ Association. It was a charity organization formed by the wives and children of Special Magical Power Unit members, initially created to counter the defamation and fabrications that the Revolutionary newspapers were making noise about. ¡°Then it¡¯s basically just a PR organization, isn¡¯t it? Is my signature really necessary?¡± ¡°Well, things got a bit bigger as we went along.¡± Mari explained to Eugene as she said this. Special Magical Power Unit. Among them, most of the first generation members who were with Eugene from the beginning had unusual backgrounds. Knights who were pushed out of organizations for speaking the truth. Children of political prisoners. Ideologists. There were even some who had ruled the back alleys alone with their fists. ¡°These are the kind of people they have as husbands or wives. When people like that gather to form an organization¡­¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t just be doing PR in the safe zones.¡± There¡¯s a saying that birds of a feather flock together. Their spouses who joined the Special Magical Power Unit and were busy dealing with monsters and the Republic. As if competing with them, the Special Magic Unit Wives¡¯ Association was gradually expanding their scope of activities. Visiting monster contamination zones for charity work, providing food and medical support, even handling legal documents and other minor tasks for new members joining the Special Magic Unit. In other words, they had become an organization that went beyond the level of a simple veterans¡¯ association or wives¡¯ club, handling tasks that members on the battlefield couldn¡¯t manage themselves. ¡°I somehow ended up becoming the president and started various projects, but since we¡¯re a civilian organization, there are many restrictions on our activities.¡± That¡¯s why they needed the certification of Eugene, the founding commander of Special Magic Unit. Mari took out the documents as she said this. ¡°Thanks to you, I can breathe easier now. With your signature as commander, there shouldn¡¯t be any concerns going forward, but¡­¡± Just as she was saying this. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Upon seeing the complex pattern stamped in one corner of the document, Mari froze in place. ¡°Husband?¡± ¡°What is it, wife?¡± ¡°What exactly is this?¡± The slowly turned over paper. There, the Imperial seal was stamped as large as a door. ¡°You wrote it in your letter, didn¡¯t you? That it would be good to have signatures from other people with authority besides me.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± ¡°So I asked His Majesty the Emperor. To stamp his seal.¡± Eugene, who said this matter-of-factly, added as if just remembering. ¡°Now if anyone interferes with your wives¡¯ association activities, it¡¯s treason against the state?¡± ¡°Y-you¡­!¡± And at Eugene¡¯s added comment, Mari finally exploded. ¡°You crazy person-!¡± What was simply a charity created by wives had now become¡­ A state-sponsored project directly certified by the Imperial Family. *** ¡°A signature. I thought I had experienced most things while leading the Empire, but to think there would be something like this too.¡± In the Emperor¡¯s audience chamber. Picking up the pink stationery paper that didn¡¯t match the solemn atmosphere, the Emperor was chuckling as if amused. ¡°I never thought I would end up stamping the seal on something like this.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done it, Your Majesty. The Imperial seal, for something like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Andrei. Using the seal that¡¯s usually only stamped on unpleasant matters for something like this is rather refreshing. Besides¡­¡± The Emperor paused briefly before giving Andrei a meaningful smile. ¡°Come to think of it, this seal will probably only be used for things like this from now on.¡± ¡°¡­Your Majesty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to persuade me again, Andrei.¡± Our era has ended. The Emperor spoke in a calm voice as he slowly set down the ornately decorated seal. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worried about. They are lying low, gradually aiming for my life.¡± ¡°This is not something to show off about, Your Majesty. By mobilizing the Knight Order and Intelligence Department, their movements¡­¡± ¡°Calm yourself, Andrei. Being suspicious of those who are doing nothing would be playing right into their hands.¡± The Emperor seemed to be thinking about something after saying this. Taking a sip of tea placed on the desk. Eventually, a faint smile appeared on the Emperor¡¯s lips as he set down his teacup. ¡°Eugene.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You said you recruited someone who calls for true revolution?¡± Why bring up Claude here? When I confirmed this was correct, the Emperor nodded and muttered. ¡°To catch a loach hiding in a pond, you need suitable bait.¡± ¡°Your Majesty? What do you mean by bait¡­¡± Just as Andrei asked with an anxious expression. ¡°This is an Imperial command, Eugene.¡± ¡°I await your orders.¡± ¡°Arrange for me to meet the young man called Claude.¡± The Emperor issued a truly unexpected order. ¡°Your Majesty! That is¡­!¡± Though Andrei immediately showed resistance, the Emperor firmly raised his hand. What he had issued was an Imperial command. Raising objections would be rebellion against Imperial authority. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Do you also object?¡± ¡°No. Just¡­¡± From my position, there was no particular reason to object. Though I had noticed signs that they were preparing something, I hadn¡¯t yet thought about how to respond. ¡°May I humbly ask your intentions for wanting to meet him?¡± ¡°I want to make a proposal.¡± ¡°What kind of proposal¡­¡± The smile on the Emperor¡¯s face grew deeper. It was a mischievous smile, as if he had returned to his childhood days. *** The Empire. Even among it all, the night view of the Imperial Capital was considered one of the finest sights even in the game. Skyscrapers where steel and steam engines were intricately intertwined. The antique golden decorations wrapping those mechanical devices, and the light emitted by the people living there. Instead of the starlight that had long since become invisible, the lights of airships decorated the sky like the Milky Way. But below that. Past the brilliant White Quarter glowing with golden light, going down below the Red Quarter where the middle class resided, a space completely different from this image of the Imperial Capital unfolds. Makeshift buildings tangled messily on the cold cement ground. A place where musty stench and all kinds of garbage and waste from the city flow in. And even people who survive by picking up the scraps dropped by the luxurious Imperial Capital while holding their breath in those gaps. This space showing the other side of the brilliant Empire was the Gray Quarter. This was where Eugene, the protagonist of this game, first opened his eyes. ¡°Phew-¡° Eugene, dressed in a black military uniform, leaned against the back alley wall while smoking a cigarette. The back alley where Saul had cornered him when he was young. Though 10 years had passed already, the scratches made back then remained exactly the same, as if time had stopped. Just as he was lost in thought looking at those scratches. From within the dark shadows of the back alley, someone slowly revealed themselves. ¡°To think the meeting place would be the Imperial Capital of all places. What were you thinking if surveillance was assigned?¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no one tracking us.¡± In the first place, who do you think is watching you people. Thinking this, Eugene looked at the man who appeared from the darkness. Claude Elcidore. Eyes full of wariness and a face frozen stiff. This man, sharp as a whetted blade, was the leader of the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Any companions?¡± ¡°None. That was the condition after all.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± As Claude answered while looking around, Eugene smiled slightly and raised his hand. Swoosh-! ¡°You bastard, as expected¡­!¡± Claude¡¯s eyes narrowed as Special Magic Unit members appeared from all directions with guns aimed. ¡°What are you trying to do here?! Eugene, you¡¯re the one who said we should meet alone, just the two of us!¡± ¡°That was a lie. Right now we¡¯re confirming if you really came alone.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re breaking the alliance now?¡± ¡°Well. Think whatever you want.¡± As he was saying this, Matt, who was on standby in the outskirts, sent a magical power signal. [No civilians in the current area. Same goes for companions.] If they¡¯re not coming out even with this level of threat, they probably really aren¡¯t here. Along with Eugene¡¯s signal, the Special Magic Unit members who had been aiming at the supreme leader from all directions vanished. ¡®Just from what I can glimpse, there are over a hundred. Moreover, they¡¯re all imprint mages¡­¡¯ Claude gulped hard as he sensed the magical power of the members spread throughout the entire back alley. To be able to casually mobilize over a hundred mages. Have they grown this much in just two years? While he and his comrades had only just reached the starting line¡­! ¡°I¡¯m not the one who asked for this meeting. Someone said they really wanted to meet you, so I called you here.¡± ¡°Wanted to meet me? Me?¡± ¡°Yes. The reason I brought all our people like this was to secure safety.¡± At Eugene¡¯s words, Claude felt puzzled. If someone needs a hundred trained mages as bodyguards, they must be an incredible big shot. Such a person wants to meet me? Not Randall, who is the real power in the Revolutionary Army, but me? Just as Claude was frowning and thinking this. ¡°You can come out now.¡± Along with Eugene¡¯s voice directed behind him, one person slowly revealed themselves. ¡°¡­!¡± A simple suit and coat. An elderly man slowly walking while leaning on a cane made of fine material. Though he looked like a gentleman from any noble family, Claude could not say a word as he stood frozen in place upon seeing the old man¡¯s face. ¡°Are you Claude? The one who inherited Maximilien¡¯s will?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Friedrich Franz Kalhyram. The one who had called him to this back alley was the Emperor of the Empire. ¡®The Emperor, right before my eyes¡­!¡¯ His mind couldn¡¯t keep up with the sudden situation. No. To be more precise, Claude was closer to using all his strength to suppress the surging impulse. The Emperor is right in front of him now. Within reach if he stretched out his hand. No magical power could be sensed, and he wasn¡¯t wearing any defensive equipment ¨C completely defenseless! One surprise strike. With just that, he could strangle the Emperor¡¯s throat¡­! ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to tell you.¡± But that was only for a moment. ¡°It would be better not to have any foolish thoughts.¡± Whoosh-! Along with Eugene¡¯s words as he stood beside the Emperor, an incredible torrent of magical power burst forth toward Claude. Did he shoot out magical power? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Seeing the magical power emanating from Eugene, Claude could tell. Eugene had already loaded a spell imprinted on the sixth stroke and was aiming it at him. What was pressing down on him now was the residual magical power being emitted by the loaded spell. ¡®The other soldiers on standby are also on edge. This is¡­¡¯ Impossible. After gauging the situation, Claude withdrew the magical power he had raised with a heart that felt like it was coughing up blood. A sign of no intent to fight. Confirming this, the Emperor spoke to Claude. ¡°I heard from Eugene. You said you wanted to change the Revolutionary Army that has been infiltrated by the Republic and carry out a true revolution?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s correct.¡± A short answer. Though he used honorifics, his attitude couldn¡¯t have been more disrespectful. If it were the Imperial Guards, they would have been furious, shouting ¡®How dare you be so rude to His Majesty the Emperor!¡¯, but the Emperor and Eugene guarding him didn¡¯t seem to mind much. Asking the leader of rebels trying to overthrow the Empire to show proper respect would be nothing more than picking a fight. ¡°To overturn the Empire with the pure will of Imperial citizens, without borrowing the hands of foreign powers like the Republic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an upright thought. A difficult and painful path too. Since you chose it without hesitation, you must surely be the one who inherited his will.¡± What is he saying since earlier? That wanting to bring revolution to the Empire is an upright thought? ¡®No, more than that, those words just now¡­¡¯ Isn¡¯t his tone as if he had known Maximilien from before? Speaking just like about an old friend he had long been with¡­ ¡°To such a ¡®hero of revolution¡¯, I would like to make a proposal.¡± ¡°A proposal¡­ you say?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± At Claude¡¯s questioning, the Emperor smiled slightly. It was the kind of smile a villain would typically make, full of schemes. ¡°Would you like to plan an Emperor assassination operation together with me?¡± What is this. What on earth is he saying? Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 101 #101 ¡°Good. They arrived just in time.¡± During the period of Claude¡¯s secret meeting with the Emperor. Randall, who was preparing Revolutionary Army¡¯s next plan, smiled slightly as he looked at the supplies that had arrived from the Republic. ¡°Weapons, ammunition, and twelve vials of the ¡®Black Rose¡¯ toxin. Confirmed receipt.¡± What Randall picked up was a glass flask containing a blood-red liquid. During the Great War, it was a weapon of mass destruction that the Republic had created in desperation after repeated defeats, the ¡®Black Rose.¡¯ ¡°Please handle it with utmost care, Director. If even a tiny crack forms in that flask¡­¡± ¡°Everyone within a 100-meter radius would die. I know.¡± Randall shrugged his shoulders as he said this. Seeing the red liquid swirling in Randall¡¯s grip, the Republic agent disguised as a transport worker bared his teeth slightly. ¡°To think you¡¯d request such weapons from our homeland¡­ Director Randall, you must be quite impatient.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At the provocative tone, Randall¡¯s expression hardened as he glared at the man. The man¡¯s characteristic sharp gaze visible between his hat was fixed on Randall. Though his face wore a smile, behind it lay an emptiness devoid of even a fragment of emotion. With hollow eyes, the First Agent in charge of ¡®transport¡¯ opened his mouth toward Randall. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since you bragged about killing the Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Yet in those two years, neither you nor the Revolutionary Army have produced results worthy of His Excellency¡¯s interest.¡± With those words, the corners of the smiling man¡¯s mouth dropped slightly. A minute change that ordinary people wouldn¡¯t notice. But Randall could tell clearly. This man was now revealing his killing intent. ¡°The trap using Count Elcidore¡¯s remnants failed. You failed to obstruct the Emperor¡¯s reforms, and in these past two years, you¡¯ve failed to stop the expansion of the Special Magical Power Unit.¡± ¡°Unexpected situations arose. There were corresponding achievements¡­¡± ¡°The monster mutation experiment data? Was scientific experimentation what His Excellency ordered you to do? Hmm?¡± Such an overbearing attitude, as if addressing his own subordinate. A sardonic smile played around Randall¡¯s lips. The ones from the homeland were always like this. Parasites who act as if they were the Secretary General himself just because they received orders from him. ¡°The situation within the Republic isn¡¯t good due to the armistice treaty. In times like these, for the Republic¡¯s best agent to have no clear achievements, what do you plan to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± He felt what little patience remained running out. Come to think of it, from the homeland¡¯s perspective, losing one or two informants like this wouldn¡¯t be much of a loss. They could just claim they died on the way back. ¡°Complete your mission as soon as possible. If you fail this time too, the next courier won¡¯t be me but Number Two¡­¡± Slash-! Before he could finish speaking, the man¡¯s head fell off. A black shadow from Randall¡¯s imprint had severed his neck. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Listening to you go on and on, your arrogance reaches the heavens.¡± The man¡¯s head gaped in apparent shock. Looking down at this sight, a cold sneer appeared on Randall¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m the one who reformed the Republic from His Excellency¡¯s inner circle. A mere messenger dares to make such pathetic threats?¡± ¡°How, I couldn¡¯t even see¡­¡± ¡°Relay this to His Excellency Vladimir.¡± Though his head was separated from his neck, no blood flowed. The man¡¯s body gradually turned black, centered on the wound. Seeing this, Randall frowned. To die without even knowing what technique was used against him, without even sensing the magical power. Even an apprentice knight from any magic noble family wouldn¡¯t be this dull. ¡°Tell him the plan is proceeding without a hitch, and good news will follow soon. And.¡± Finally, addressing the completely blackened head, Randall continued in a cold tone. ¡°¡­Next time you select agents, it would be better to properly verify their abilities.¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡± Crumble-! Split in two with an eerie sound, the man finally turned to black ashes and disappeared without a trace. The cargo room became quiet, as if Randall had been alone from the start. ¡°Haa.¡± He released a deep sigh mixed with rising irritation. To let his emotions show over a mere messenger¡¯s nonsense, fatigue must be piling up. Returning to his usual expression, Randall spoke to the air. ¡°Proceed with the plan as scheduled.¡± At those words, nine shadows that had been standing behind him prostrated themselves. What hadn¡¯t even shown an outline until just now suddenly revealed their forms. The six-stroke magic imprint glowing on their right arms. These were his long-term pieces he had been grooming as the next generation of heroes, considering Claude¡¯s betrayal. ¡°I¡¯ll move if necessary, but don¡¯t let your guard down. Especially regarding Eugene Lorentz. That one always creates variables. Be particularly careful.¡± Understanding Randall¡¯s words, two shadows slowly bowed their heads before concealing themselves again. ¡®Not much longer.¡¯ The time to grasp the Empire after stepping over the Emperor¡¯s corpse was drawing near. And when that time comes¡­ ¡°This childish game called the Revolutionary Army will also come to an end.¡± Randall smiled with satisfaction as he shuffled through the documents on his desk. About a month remained until the operation began. The preparations for the Emperor¡¯s assassination were steadily progressing beneath the surface. *** ¡°Welcome.¡± At a small tavern located in a corner of the Imperial capital. I sat down at the counter and let out a dry sigh. ¡°What did I just witness?¡± After meeting with Claude, the Emperor returned to the palace and relayed the details of the plan. Andrei adamantly opposing it while the Emperor blocked him. Their intense argument over his safety eventually turned into¡­ ¡®It was the same forty years ago during our secret meeting. Even if it¡¯s for the Emperor¡¯s safety, who enters a place of male-female relations wearing full armor?¡¯ ¡®If Your Majesty brings that up, I have something to say too. The port from thirty-seven years ago! For someone who stole the lady I chased for two years to say such things¡­!¡¯ They started an intense battle over love affairs from before my age. My goodness, to see the Empire¡¯s two highest authorities growling at each other over women from more than 30 years ago. As young blood meant to lead the Empire¡¯s next generation, I felt my already insufficient patriotism being scraped away. ¡®Maybe the Empire¡­ should just disappear?¡¯ Come to think of it, revolution. It doesn¡¯t seem like such a bad thing. Yeah. That must be it. While I was seriously considering defecting to the Revolutionary Army, the Emperor suddenly came to his senses and sent me here. The tavern Aidan. He said it¡¯s a caf¨¦ he frequents, but given the hour, it would be awkward to wake the palace staff. So I came out on an errand to clear my head as well. Why did I have to watch two seventy-year-olds fight over women from thirty years ago? ¡°May I take your order?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± At the waiter¡¯s question, I ordered from the menu written on the note the Emperor gave me. ¡°Three sardine pies, two dark beers, and one chocolate cookie¡­ please.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I¡¯m at a loss for words even after saying it myself. What is this insane combination? Sardine pie with dark beer? S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What¡¯s wrong with the Empire¡¯s Emperor¡¯s taste in food? ¡°Ah, you¡¯re our reserved guest. This way.¡± Reserved? He even eats this regularly? Sardine pie? Just as my doubts were deepening, the waiter guided me to a back door set in one corner of the shop. It seems foods ordered from the palace are prepared separately. Come to think of it, since it¡¯s food the Emperor himself eats, that makes sense. Thinking this while following the waiter¡¯s guidance for ten minutes. No matter how I thought about it, something felt off. ¡®The next building? That should be a communications base station.¡¯ No, it was more than that. The employee guiding me into the base station, leading me to the basement. Moreover, seeing their extremely tense appearance, it seemed there was some other ulterior motive. ¡®Since these are coordinates directly specified by the Emperor, they shouldn¡¯t be enemies. But still¡­¡¯ Better safe than sorry. As I drew up a bit of magical power, the employee slowly opened the basement door, and. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Inside was a space completely different from the outside. Rustle rustle- Beep. Beep. Beeeep- ¡°Intercepted. ¡®AF lacks drinking water.¡¯ Their attack target isn¡¯t Lancaster but Aliman.¡± ¡°Message to Owl! Three acorns planted in Raccoon¡¯s den. First operation successful!¡± ¡°Team B discovered during operation. Currently fleeing with contact. Support team on standby locally will¡­¡± Numerous telegraph poles and communication devices. And between them, countless telegram documents and communication records flying about, suited men moving busily. In the middle of all these people looking haggard like office workers obsessed with overtime, an equally haggard-faced woman greeted me. Looking to be in her late twenties, with thick horn-rimmed glasses. A woman wearing the white coat issued to the Imperial Guard Knight Order draped like a blanket. At first glance, she reminded me of Rennie. Of course, this one looked much more weathered by life¡¯s hardships. ¡°Special Magical Power Unit Battalion Commander Eugene Lorentz. Correct?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± When I answered, she roughly nodded and spoke toward my side. ¡°See? So put your guns down quickly.¡± ¡°D-Director. But¡­¡± ¡°You can see his imprint. Six-stroke mages aren¡¯t common, and you must have verified his personal information. What are you so worried about?¡± At her sharp retort, the men who had been glaring at me slowly lowered their pistols. Why point them when they wouldn¡¯t even scratch him anyway? Muttering this while shaking her head, the woman took out a cigarette from her pocket and put it in her mouth. Not a homemade cigarette, but one from Imperial military supplies. ¡®A woman wearing an Imperial Guard Knight Order coat and smoking military cigarettes¡­¡¯ Plus, Director? Then could this person be¡­ ¡°Imperial Intelligence Department Director, Rebecca Pendleton.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Hey, this is crazy. Really? ¡°You heard correctly.¡± While I stood frozen, unable to speak, the woman who introduced herself as Rebecca twisted her lips and took my hand. ¡°Welcome to the Imperial Intelligence Department.¡± No, really. Why are you doing this to me, Your Majesty? You said it was just an errand. No, you said it was just a simple errand! *** ¡°I already know the operation details. I refined the plan His Majesty conceived.¡± Rebecca took the note the Emperor had given me and said this while guiding me to her office. No, I still can¡¯t believe this. The restaurant owner I was sent to on an errand is the Intelligence Department Director, and the menu written on the note is the password to enter the Intelligence Department? Your Majesty, you only said there was someone there, you never mentioned they were the Intelligence Department Director! ¡°The headquarters location is quite¡­ open. Even though it¡¯s not downtown, there were many people around the waterfront bar.¡± What kind of spy movie is this, having the Empire¡¯s largest intelligence agency in the middle of the city? Oh wait, it works. This was a game world after all. ¡°Though it looks like a bar, everyone inside was our agents.¡± ¡°¡­Everyone?¡± ¡°Yes. From the shop owner to the customers, even the passersby.¡± What the. This isn¡¯t The Truman Show, how can they spread their agents all around their headquarters entrance? ¡°Thanks to His Majesty¡¯s generous budget. And your Special Magical Power Unit is contributing to that, so I¡¯m somewhat grateful.¡± ¡°For that kind of thing, the agents¡¯ welcome was a bit intense.¡± Even pointing guns unnecessarily. ¡°Of course. Our workload increased more than fivefold along with the budget.¡± Rebecca smirked while maintaining her haggard face and put a new cigarette in her mouth. ¡°Thanks to some crazy bastards who blew up the entire city of Elcryer, all our agents had to frantically overturn Imperial media outlets to control information and suppress news coverage.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°We had to somehow plant agents among the magic nobles who were thoroughly enraged by the Elcidore incident. And to make matters worse, now we have to personally ¡®stage¡¯ His Majesty¡¯s assassination.¡± I glanced at the Intelligence Department agents driven mad by overtime and overwork. ¡°Hey, is that him? That bastard¡¯s the Special Magical Power Unit commander?! Do you know what hell I went through cleaning up after you¡­!¡± ¡°Hey hey, catch that bastard!¡± ¡°Why catch him?!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m going to hit him first, so catch that bastard! Huh? Hey? Hey that bastard¡¯s looking away! You, I¡¯ve got your face memorized, you son of a¡­¡± I covered my eyes and ears and shut myself in dark darkness. This is the Intelligence Department you chose. Endure it with pure grit. While I was doing that, Rebecca, who had been shuffling through documents occupying half her office, called me. ¡°It wasn¡¯t His Majesty who called you here, but me. There¡¯s something we need to do before the plan.¡± ¡°Something we need to do?¡± Rebecca pulled out a well-printed stack of documents and handed them to me. ¡°This is the list of spies that the Intelligence Department has acquired over the past two years.¡± Randall¡¯s eyes that relay the capital¡¯s situation to the Revolutionary Army in real-time. I pulled out several pages and looked at the profiles of the people in them. ¡°Wow, insane¡­¡± Seeing it directly was quite something. Palace janitors. Nobles residing in the capital. Self-employed workers, writers, musicians. Even the Imperial Guard. Dozens of detailed profiles with everything from birth backgrounds to childhood, family history. I was amazed once at the number of spies, and again at the Intelligence Department¡¯s ability to compile such a list in just two years. ¡®So the only person who could control this organization was the Emperor¡­¡¯ I hadn¡¯t realized the Emperor¡¯s early death in the original work would cause such a huge butterfly effect. If an organization with this level of intelligence and espionage capabilities had functioned properly in [Revolution Empire]¡¯s main story? I guarantee. Maximilien¡¯s revolution declaration or whatever, they all would have been dragged to Korhonen Prison before it even started. ¡°We¡¯ve compiled the list. However, handling all these bastards at once is beyond what we can do.¡± Thinking this, I turned the last page. The groundwork for the plan and the first step in starting the Emperor¡¯s assassination operation. Eliminating all the Republic¡¯s spies hiding in the capital. ¡°The Intelligence Department cannot move openly. So dealing with these ¡®reactionaries¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Rebecca interrupted and held out her hand to me. A single cigarette in her hand. Taking it, I lit the cigarette with a smirk. ¡°The Special Magical Power Unit will handle it.¡± Similar smiles played across both Intelligence Director Rebecca¡¯s face and mine. School ties, blood ties, regional ties. And after that, smoking ties. The partner the Emperor introduced was someone who matched with me beyond imagination. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 102 #102 ¡°Check once more. You haven¡¯t forgotten anything, right? Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve checked again. Don¡¯t worry, Viscount.¡± On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. Looking at Viscount Belphir checking himself repeatedly in the mirror, his butler Fel fixed his master¡¯s attire with an exasperated look. ¡°Huu, this is troublesome. I can¡¯t calm down.¡± ¡°Are you that nervous about meeting His Majesty?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Baron¡¯s eyes deepened as he said that. This banquet held in the Emperor¡¯s name. Befitting the Emperor¡¯s character, he heard that this banquet would be attended by various figures regardless of whether they were magic nobles, imperial faction members, nobles, or commoners. These people had one thing in common ¨C they were nobles residing in the Imperial Capital. ¡°Originally, banquets hosted by His Majesty were, well¡­ They were called banquets, but they were more like lectures with boring long speeches.¡± Like lectures more tedious than those given by old professors at the Imperial Academy. The butler Fel quietly agreed with his master¡¯s additional comment. ¡°Usually, this wouldn¡¯t be something to make such a fuss about. However¡­¡± ¡°The current Imperial Family is no longer the figurehead it once was. You¡¯ve judged correctly.¡± It was just as butler Fel said. The incredible military achievements of winning the war against the Republic and preventing the appearance of the Great Rupture. And using the war reparations and various resources extracted from the Republic to rapidly develop his direct territories. All indicators spoke of the Emperor¡¯s accomplishments. The legitimacy as the Empire¡¯s ruler. Overwhelming military achievements. Even the support of the prosperous citizens. With an appearance that seemed to have regained the prestige of the era when he was called the Iron-Blooded Emperor, the nobles residing in the Imperial Capital were busier than ever. Magic nobles and the Emperor. It was a situation where they had to maintain connections with both sides. ¡°The balance of power is gradually tilting. If we look at just the current situation, the judgment should be much easier. Siding with the Imperial Family would be far better than trying to balance between both sides. However¡­¡± ¡°Unlike the magic nobles, the Imperial Family has no future.¡± Despite the Emperor¡¯s successive victories, the Empire¡¯s nobles didn¡¯t easily switch sides. The reason was the Emperor¡¯s only weakness. His advanced age, approaching ninety. ¡°No matter how much he¡¯s regained his former prestige, His Majesty is too old. He won¡¯t last even 10 years at most.¡± ¡°And when that happens, the fruits of the Empire and Imperial Family that he¡¯s built up¡­¡± ¡°Will fall into the hands of the successor, not the Imperial Capital faction.¡± The Emperor¡¯s successor. The heirs with the right to succeed the throne. ¡°The moment His Majesty passes away, the Empire¡¯s power structure will undergo a massive upheaval.¡± The fierce competition for the throne that would break out. Because this massive battle was predetermined, this banquet held a far more significant meaning. The only opportunity to gauge the Emperor¡¯s thoughts on his successor and obtain information about the Empire¡¯s future power structure first. Probably many nobles heading here are thinking similarly. Clank-! While lost in thought, the elevator heading to the Imperial Palace stopped moving. Knock knock- The guard knight¡¯s hand tapping on the window. The elevator carrying the Viscount and butler Fel had arrived at the banquet hall. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing sight every time I see it.¡± Located at the very top of the Imperial Capital. The Viscount couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the scenery spread beneath his feet as he glanced downward. A position overlooking the entire Empire. It was truly a place befitting the residence of a monarch who looked down upon the Empire. ¡°Viscount Belphir. And your companion. Identity confirmed.¡± Bang-! The party hall they entered following the guide was luxury incarnate. This banquet held under the pretext of charity work to aid the subjects in the frontier. Hosted separately by the Imperial Family to pray for the Emperor¡¯s health, it was a lavish event unlike anything expected from the usual Emperor. ¡®Indeed, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡¯ The Viscount¡¯s butler Fel. No, Fel Gibson, an intelligence agent of the Republic, licked his lips while looking at the banquet hall. According to what he heard from superiors, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s operation would begin in about a month. Despite the massive operation to overturn the Empire being just around the corner, lower-level agents like himself could only hide in peripheral areas like the Belphir viscounty, without opportunities to gather important information. ¡®But if it¡¯s a place where I can directly observe the Emperor¡¯s condition, that¡¯s different.¡¯ Just reporting the palace facility layout and security situation he learned while coming up here. And the Emperor¡¯s physical condition that would soon be revealed. Just conveying these would earn him numerous rewards and medals. While looking for opportunities like this and waiting for the Emperor while enjoying the banquet as he had done for 10 years. Dong- Dong- The bells rang. The heavy bells announcing the Emperor¡¯s entrance. Fel¡¯s shoulders tensed automatically. Finally, the moment had come. Everything that happens from now on must be reported to the homeland without missing anything. Just as the Republic¡¯s agent Fel Gibson was on high alert. Stand! Suddenly Viscount Belphir got up and hurriedly left the banquet hall. ¡°Viscount? Where are you suddenly¡­¡± Pak-! As he said that, the Viscount immediately swung his hand and knocked away his arm. ¡°Vis-Viscount¡­?¡± An intense action unlike his usual self. Fel hurriedly looked at his master whom he had served for 10 years. Pale, stiff lips, and a face gripped by terror. Seeing this, Fel instinctively knew something had gone wrong. ¡®No way¡­ Was I discovered?¡¯ No, that couldn¡¯t be. It had been 10 years since he infiltrated this viscounty. There hadn¡¯t been any signs during that time¡­ ¡°Yo, Your Grace? Where are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Madam? Madam!¡± ¡°Rosaria. Where are you suddenly going? Le-leaving your master, where are you suddenly¡­¡± Fel and Viscount Belphir weren¡¯t the only ones experiencing this situation. The bells announcing the Emperor¡¯s entrance. The moment those bells rang, people hurriedly left the banquet hall as if they had planned it. ¡°He-hey you all¡­!¡± ¡°Wh-what in the world is¡­¡± Looking bewilderedly at them was one group of people. However, before long, Agent Fel could understand the whole situation. ¡®Everyone standing still here is Revolutionary Army¡­ Republic spies?¡¯ To maintain a cell organization structure, spies don¡¯t share personal information with each other. Just like himself, who had only received orders from headquarters for 10 years. Who would have thought he¡¯d discover the existence of colleagues whose faces he didn¡¯t even know in this way. This was the worst situation for him as a spy. This banquet hall was an isolated space floating alone in the Empire¡¯s sky. The only exit was the elevator he had just used. Bang-! As the bells ended, the Emperor¡¯s figure slowly appeared on the platform above the banquet hall. And simultaneously, a group of soldiers burst through the banquet hall doors. Seeing the black uniforms and weapons they carried, the blood drained from the faces of those who saw them. ¡°Th-those guys are¡­!¡± ¡°Special Magical Power Unit?¡± The Special Magical Power Unit members entering the banquet hall in two rows. Confirming this, civilians began running to the elevator without looking back. And during this. ¡°Go-good riddance! You Republic spies!¡± One noble, pale-faced, shouted while looking at them. ¡°You vermin eating the Republic¡¯s salt! Did you think His Majesty would le-let you li¡­¡± ¡°Baron Ringbelt.¡± Thump. However, hands grabbing his shoulders pushed him into the banquet hall. The members who accurately knew his personal information began filtering out all the spies trying to escape among the civilians. The gathered spies. The Devils of Magic Bullets surrounding them. And the Emperor looking down at them. By the time they realized everything, it was already too late. This banquet was a trap planned by the Emperor. ¡°Yo-Your Majesty-!¡± In this desperate moment. One of the remaining people began clinging to the Emperor like a drowning man grasping at straws. ¡°This is slander, Your Majesty!¡± The elderly noble with abundant white beard shouted toward the Emperor with a voice as if coughing blood. ¡°I am Galspard, head of an esteemed family that has served the Empire and Imperial Family since my great-grandfather¡¯s time! How could someone like me be a Re-Republic spy!¡± ¡°So-so is this humble one!¡± The servant beside him knelt and recited similar words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ They threatened me with my family¡­¡± One maid sat on the floor, pleading that her family was being held hostage. ¡°Ex-excellent trap, Your Majesty! Ho-how about making a deal?! The information I have, I think it would be of great help to Your Majesty¡­¡± One musician stepped forward seemingly boldly toward the Emperor, offering to become a double agent for the Empire. I can¡¯t just stay still either. Even if I¡¯m going to die, at least one excuse¡­ ¡°Your Majesty! This humble one¡­¡± However, the moment Fel tried to start speaking. Tang-! A sudden bullet shattered his head as he stepped forward. Thud-! His body collapsed, having lost its head. Seeing the blood scattered in all directions, the noisy banquet hall was instantly enveloped in silence. ¡°Dogs of the Republic who deserve worse than being torn apart, how dare you move your filthy mouths?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At the languid voice from inside, the Special Magic Unit members surrounding them parted to both sides. Walking through their salutes was Eugene Lorentz. The general commander of the Special Magical Power Unit looked at the Emperor standing on the platform and opened his mouth. ¡°The banquet preparations are complete, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Yes. So I see.¡± The Emperor, who had been silent throughout, spoke for the first time. The banquet. Looking at the corpse with its head shattered while saying this, the Emperor slowly raised his hand and ordered Eugene. ¡°Proceed.¡± ¡°Everyone, aim.¡± Swish-! As the imperial order was given, the Special Magical Power Unit members¡¯ gun barrels all pointed at them. The Emperor had already made all his judgments. The agents who judged there was no hope now resigned themselves to everything. They only used their remaining strength to curse the Emperor. ¡°Ki-killing us won¡¯t make the Republic¡¯s eyes pass you by!¡± ¡°You imperial pigs, we may die and disappear here, but the Republic¡¯s hands will always be at your throat¡­¡± ¡°Death to the Empire! Glory to the Repub¡­¡± ¡°How noisy.¡± A brief word toward the spies shouting desperately. As if understanding his intent, Eugene gave orders without hesitation. ¡°Fire.¡± Tutatatang-! Tutatatatatatang-! Tang-! A rain of bullets without magical power. The blood and flesh pieces of the riddled spies dyed the luxurious banquet hall red. The Emperor silently watched their state. Behind him, his knight Andrei slowly revealed himself. ¡°Word has come from the Intelligence Department. Director Rebecca¡­ agrees with Your Majesty¡¯s intentions.¡± ¡°Is that so.¡± The Emperor, looking down at the banquet hall where confirmation kills were in full swing, looked at Eugene commanding the members. With this, he had given everything he could pass on. ¡°Time will be tight.¡± With a faint smile, the Emperor turned around. This was the signal flare to open a new empire. The stopped clock slowly began to turn again. *** ¡°Word came from Commander Andrei. Operation successful. Persons of interest who detected something unusual have also hastily left the Imperial Capital.¡± ¡°Good. With this, we¡¯ve properly fastened the first button of the plan.¡± Hearing her subordinate agent¡¯s report, Rebecca put a cigarette to her mouth and looked around at the numerous photos attached to the blackboard. Revolutionary Army bases discovered by Intelligence Department agents. Routes for smuggling supplies connected to the Republic. The brokers in charge of those routes. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. And among them, even the list of double agents secretly cooperating with the Intelligence Department. Screech- The blackboard packed with all sorts of information. Rebecca removed most of the photos in the Imperial Capital and turned her gaze to the opposite side. ¡°Randall and Claude. And according to intelligence that just came in, two mages.¡± Unlike Claude and Randall, unidentified figures treated only as black silhouettes. Rebecca looked carefully at those photos and opened her mouth. ¡°The agents who brought this information?¡± ¡°All killed at the scene.¡± ¡°Yes. That would be the case.¡± The two people Randall was desperately trying to hide. According to her prediction, those two would likely be the biggest variables in this operation. Originally, she had intended to dig up their magic or information before the plan started but¡­ ultimately failed. ¡®But.¡¯ While dealing with the trash that had filled the Imperial Capital, Randall¡¯s plans also hit a snag. If our side experienced confusion, it means we caused even greater confusion for the enemy side. The risks each side shouldered were equal. ¡®He will move according to our will.¡¯ For the past 2 years, Randall and the Revolutionary Army had been pushed almost to their limits. Considering the Republic¡¯s internal faction fights, they couldn¡¯t carelessly cancel this operation. It means the work of luring the target into a trap had somehow succeeded. ¡°This is as far as our Intelligence Department can go. From here on, it depends on how you do.¡± Muttering thus, Rebecca recalled the person she met recently. The one directly selected by the Emperor and brought before her. The fact that Eugene came to find her held far more meaning than he thought. ¡®The Intelligence Department is the Empire¡¯s most secretive organization, existing only for the Emperor alone. Only two people can meet the head of such an organization.¡¯ Either the Emperor himself. Or his successor who would inherit everything from him. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I felt this way, dear.¡± Rebecca spoke while fastening her white coat. The ring on her ring finger had gradually faded over the long years. ¡°After you left, I lived thinking to hell with the Empire and everything else.¡± She had given up inside. Even while immersing herself in Intelligence Department work like a madwoman, one corner of her heart was already preparing to resign herself. That the Empire was finished. That the chance for revenge for that person had long passed. ¡°But if by any chance this succeeds¡­¡± If that young man who proved his abilities inherits the Empire. If the Emperor¡¯s will continues to the next generation. ¡°I can start my revenge again.¡± My love who died unjustly. My child who departed without even leaving the womb. The Empire¡¯s true enemies who brought me all those tragedies. She could find them all and throw them into the Intelligence Department torture chamber. She could rip open their bellies, split their skulls, and devour the brains inside. A deep smile supported Rebecca¡¯s bloodshot eyes. The sweet fruit called revenge was waving at her with a face similar to her own. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 103 103 Revolutionary Army Headquarters. Upon hearing the urgent report from the infiltration agent, Randall frowned. ¡°The Emperor did that?¡± ¡°Yes. While the key personnel remain, most of the lower-ranking agents have been caught. It will take time to restore the intelligence network¡­¡± ¡°So we¡¯ve lost our way of knowing the palace¡¯s security situation.¡± The palace¡¯s security arrangements changed constantly. The number of gatekeepers, patrol force composition, patrol cycles, movement patterns. All of these varied moment by moment, and there wasn¡¯t even a pattern to predict them. The one commanding all of this was the Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander, Andrei Leonhardt. As long as that man held his position, the security of the imperial city would never be lax. What they had secured was only a week¡¯s worth of palace patrol schedules and personnel deployment charts. Moreover, considering what the Emperor had just done, even this information could change at any moment, making the situation precarious. Their channels for obtaining information had been suddenly blocked. In other words¡­ ¡°Three days from now. The plan must be executed within that time at the latest.¡± The words came out immediately, as if the answer was already decided. And with those words, Randall felt a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. This large-scale, blatant action was different from the spy hunts that the Imperial Intelligence Department had conducted until now. It was almost as if it was meant to provoke something. ¡®A trap disguised as a banquet. The low-ranking agents might fall for it, but it¡¯s obvious the core personnel wouldn¡¯t respond. Yet they still made such a commotion¡­¡¯ Randall immediately grasped the hidden intention behind this incident. ¡®Eliminating spies isn¡¯t the real objective. The real purpose is something beneath the surface. For example¡­¡¯ Himself. When that thought struck him, Randall¡¯s eyes narrowed at once. The Emperor was trying to lure him out by doing this. In such an obvious way that his intentions were transparent. And for the Emperor to act so boldly meant¡­ ¡°Has the plan been exposed?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Sir Randall. That¡¯s¡­!¡± As the surrounding members reacted with alarm, Randall waved his hand dismissively, as if understanding. Their overreaction was natural. After all, the Emperor¡¯s assassination plan being exposed was practically equivalent to saying information had leaked from the leadership gathered here. ¡®The Intelligence Department must have learned of our movements and deduced it. The possibility of the plan leaking from within is slim.¡¯ The Emperor assassination operation was known only to an extremely small number of Revolutionary Army executives and spies. However, it was also true that the Emperor¡¯s sudden actions were incomprehensible. ¡°Huu.¡± Randall¡¯s concerns deepened. ¡®If we assume the plan has been exposed, executing the operation would be equivalent to walking into the enemy¡¯s trap.¡¯ Usually, he would have abandoned the plan without hesitation and waited for another opportunity. However, the current Randall didn¡¯t have such luxury. ¡®Complete the mission as quickly as possible. If we fail this time as well, the next courier won¡¯t be me but Number 2¡­!¡¯ That arrogant fellow. Though he had killed him in anger, the messenger who had visited him before carried the secretary general¡¯s warning. Mentioning ¡®Number 2¡¯ while making threats meant that the homeland¡¯s patience had reached its limit. ¡®Those pigs know nothing about the situation on the ground.¡¯ Though he was furious at the leadership¡¯s behavior, there was nothing he could do about it. Two years. During those two years, the Empire¡¯s power had grown incomparably larger than before. ¡®There¡¯s no time.¡¯ With increasing pressure from the homeland, he couldn¡¯t afford to delay any longer. As soon as Randall made his decision, he stood up from his seat. ¡°Sir Randall. Where are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°What is Claude doing right now?¡± Claude. When that name came up, the revolutionary member assisting him spoke with a start. ¡°C-Claude is currently in the underground quarters.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I told him to attend the meeting?¡± ¡°Th-that¡¯s because of that incident from two years ago¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is he still in that state?¡± Randall muttered with an apparently gloomy expression. The ¡®incident¡¯ the executives spoke of was what happened immediately after the Elcidore incident two years ago. ¡®Randall! Randall Dean Clark¨C!¡¯ Claude, who returned alone covered in blood. With a face burning with hatred, he drew his sword against Randall, who was staying at headquarters. ¡®Miles, and the other members who were with me! They all became monster food! We couldn¡¯t even find their bodies! Because of that cursed operation you planned!¡¯ ¡®Damn it, calm down, Supreme Leader! The Great Rupture was something even Sir Randall couldn¡¯t predict¡­! Aaagh?!¡¯ ¡®The imprint is activating! Raise the barrier! We¡¯re getting caught up in it!¡¯ The chaos was enough to turn the entire headquarters building upside down. In the end, Randall had no choice but to subdue Claude by revealing his own imprint. ¡®Randall¡­ Ran¡­dall¡­!¡¯ Even while choking with his throat being squeezed, he continued to growl at Randall with bloodshot eyes. ¡®You killed them! You¡­ Because of you, my comrades¡­!¡¯ Claude, crying out while covered in tears. Upon seeing Claude like this, Randall shed tears with him saying he was sorry, and with a heart-wrenching decision, confined him to solitary. ¡®Even for a Supreme Leader, threatening organization members was not an issue that could be easily overlooked.¡¯ If that had been all, it would have been fine. The real problem was that for the two years since that incident, Claude had completely cut off communication with him. He had rejected all interaction and fallen into his own world. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®This works out perfectly.¡¯ Claude¡¯s state, practically half-ruined. Recalling this, Randall smiled with satisfaction. ¡®If it¡¯s an operation that involves risk, it would be best to throw away the most useless card first.¡¯ To see if it¡¯s the enemy¡¯s trap. And to finally deal with the troublemaker he couldn¡¯t handle two years ago. *** ¡°Claude.¡± In the dark underground where not a single ray of light entered. At Randall¡¯s low voice, rustling sounds were heard from across the door. ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± The members opened the lock without question at Randall¡¯s order. Though it was an action that didn¡¯t even consider the Supreme Leader¡¯s will, no one found it strange. While Claude was known to the public as the Revolutionary Army¡¯s Supreme Leader, it was Randall who actually ran the Revolutionary Army. Except for a handful of fundamentalists, most of the Revolutionary Army already knew this fact. Creeeeak- With a squeaking sound, Claude slowly walked out of the dark room. With patchy facial hair and eyes full of hostility. It was an appearance vastly different from the Claude de Lascol known to the public. ¡°Has your head cooled off?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Claude didn¡¯t answer. He just frowned and turned his head away as if he didn¡¯t even want to talk. ¡°Huu¡­¡± Randall sighed with a heavy face. However, he secretly smiled inside. ¡®He can¡¯t make judgments because he¡¯s swayed by emotions. Perfect.¡¯ That¡¯s how a mindless tool should be. Thinking this, Randall slowly persuaded Claude. ¡°You said it before. That the Revolutionary Army¡¯s ideology was becoming distorted. That the current Revolutionary Army had become¡­ a different organization from the revolution that Maxim advocated.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Then, would you like to lead the Revolutionary Army yourself from now on?¡± At those words, Claude looked at Randall with a start. ¡°We¡¯ve received enough support from the Republic. Now we¡¯re in a situation where we can be self-sufficient with just our own strength.¡± ¡°If we succeed in killing the Emperor with this operation, our tiresome alliance with the magic nobles will also end.¡± ¡°As you said, we can start a revolution by Empire citizens alone, without the Republic.¡± Having said that, Randall put his hand on Claude¡¯s shoulder with his characteristic benevolent expression. ¡°After Maxim and Vark left first, the only burden left to me was making the Revolutionary Army stronger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But for that, I ended up joining hands with those I shouldn¡¯t have. I crossed the line.¡± Unlike you. At Randall¡¯s self-deprecating words, Claude spoke for the first time. ¡°If you knew that¡­ why didn¡¯t you stop?¡± A question with many implications. However, Randall spoke to Claude without a moment¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Because you were here.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Looking at Claude who opened his eyes wide, Randall continued speaking. ¡°The unstained hero of the revolution. The one who perfectly preserved Maximilien¡¯s ideology. And the Revolutionary Army¡¯s greatest swordsman, personally recruited and trained by Vark.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°All my friends who built the Revolutionary Army with me left something for you. Only I couldn¡¯t do that.¡± After speaking with a faint smile for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s why I must kill the Emperor.¡± He declared in a resolute voice with a hardened expression. ¡°What Maximilien couldn¡¯t do. The heart of the Empire that Vark ultimately couldn¡¯t take. If I don¡¯t rip it out and hang it on a flagpole, I won¡¯t be able to face the friends who left before me.¡± ¡°Brother Randall¡­¡± ¡°I will kill the Emperor. Whether using the Republic¡¯s money or borrowing the magic nobles¡¯ power. By doing so!¡± A moment of silence. Then when he opened his mouth again. ¡°I will pass on to you the achievement of killing the Emperor.¡± Randall¡¯s voice had changed to the same caring tone he usually used with Claude. ¡°The sneers about colluding with the Republic. The criticism about cooperating with magic nobles. I¡¯ll shoulder all of that and go.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The one who will lead the new era¡¯s Revolutionary Army and change the Empire¡­ will be you, Claude.¡± Because you are the revolutionary hero chosen by Maximilien. Perhaps it was that final added line that moved Claude¡¯s heart. Claude, who slowly came out of the room, opened his mouth toward Randall. ¡°The Emperor assassination operation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Put me at the vanguard.¡± He¡¯s taken the bait. Though Randall internally rejoiced, he couldn¡¯t agree right away. While showing a moved expression, he warned Claude. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you trust me again, but it¡¯s too dangerous a mission. Without considerable power¡­¡± And at that moment. Whoosh-! The red magical power that spread out from Claude made the quiet basement tremble. ¡°Six stroke¡­ He¡¯s awakened it¡­¡± One revolutionary member¡¯s words. Seeing this, Randall smiled with satisfaction. Claude Elcidore. He truly was an easy-to-handle and excellent tool. *** ¡°The operation is in a week. I¡¯ll tell you the details the day before.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Rest well. Things will get busy starting tomorrow.¡± Click. After the brief reconciliation with Randall. After confirming the footsteps had faded away, Claude carefully checked for any residual magical power from him. All clear. Once he confirmed it was safe, Claude let out a sigh of relief and sat down heavily on his quarters¡¯ bed. ¡°Really, it was exactly as Eugene said¡­¡± The act of repenting for his sins. The authority of the Supreme Leader that seemed almost predetermined. Even that subtle sense of security, as if everything would be fine if he just followed his words. If that guy hadn¡¯t warned him beforehand, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to fall for it completely. Even he had his heart shaken for a moment when Maximilien was mentioned. However. ¡®You dare put Uncle Vark¡¯s name in that mouth?¡¯ The truth about Randall that he confirmed in Elcidore. The very person who turned Vark into a monster was now sympathizing and mourning him. Recalling that detestable sight, Claude burned with determination. ¡°Miles. Alia. Jin.¡± Claude touched his imprint and repeated the names of his friends. The friends for whom he had made graves with his own hands. But soon after, their voices came through the imprint. [Is it finally starting?] [I¡¯m tired of waiting. My body¡¯s getting restless] [Just say the word, Supreme Leader! Everyone here has been ready for ages!] My comrades. Smiling slightly while thinking of them, Claude gave instructions to the waiting ¡®Revolutionary Army¡¯ members. ¡°Prepare to infiltrate the imperial palace.¡± To begin the ¡®Emperor assassination operation¡¯ planned by the Emperor. And for the true revolution they dreamed of. ¡°Huu.¡± After the magical power communication ended, Claude sat on his quarters¡¯ bed and fell into thought. ¡®I¡¯m afraid.¡¯ Randall¡¯s actions that he couldn¡¯t even predict. Yet they were controlling the Revolutionary Army¡¯s movements at will, as if watching from above. ¡®Even if I create a new Revolutionary Army, could I defeat them?¡¯ His clenched fist trembled. The Empire¡¯s grasp slowly tightening around the Revolutionary Army. And the Revolutionary Army moving toward the imperial capital without noticing it. The march toward destruction had already begun. Now there was neither the power nor reason to stop it. In this situation, Claude only realized one thing. That the enemy he would have to fight in the future was this powerful. That during these two years, they had become far too strong. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 104 #104 ¡°Huaaahm~!¡± At the garrison headquarters in Chernburg City, under direct imperial control. The guard captain let out a lazy yawn while trying to swallow his boredom as he watched the typically dark guard area. ¡°Are you sure this is alright? We received orders from above to strengthen security¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± The guard captain waved his hand dismissively at his adjutant¡¯s words and said with a grin. ¡°It¡¯s been two years since the armistice with the Republic, and even those rebel bastards have been quiet lately. If I make the kids work for nothing, I¡¯ll just get cursed at.¡± ¡°But the orders¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re Commander Keiren¡¯s orders. He¡¯s just harassing the soldiers like we¡¯re still at war. Let¡¯s just take it ea~sy.¡± After all, this was under direct imperial control. This was the safest unit in the empire, targeted by neither rebels nor magic nobles. After saying that, the guard captain let out another lazy yawn, and. Shunk-! He had to think again about what had just happened as he looked at the military dagger protruding from his chest. ¡°Ad-adjutant¡­? You bastard, what are you doing¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you, Captain.¡± Splat-! Looking down at the guard captain collapsed on the floor, the adjutant who had served him for years bared his teeth. ¡°Security should always be thorough.¡± His watch pointed to midnight. Seeing this, the adjutant¡ªno, the Revolutionary Army member¡ªfired a signal flare into the sky. Pheeeeew-! Red light soared up, tearing through the night sky. At the same time, red flags began rising throughout the darkness-covered city. ¡°It begins.¡± The panicking defense force, and his comrades mercilessly slaughtering them. The revolutionary member clenched his fist as he watched. The war had begun. The time had come for the flames of revolution to burn the empire. *** ¡°Rebel infiltration confirmed across the imperial capital¡¯s direct territories!¡± ¡°Intelligence Department keeps reporting in. Six locations confirmed so far! Over 30 outposts have lost contact!¡± The time had come. Simultaneous terror attacks and raids across the imperial capital¡¯s territories. Plus riots breaking out in slums with poor security and in prisons. ¡°Though we expected this outcome, seeing it firsthand still makes me sigh.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I agreed with Erich¡¯s words after receiving the report. We sent out emergency notices like crazy warning about raids, yet only three garrisons properly understood? I roughly knew there¡¯d be a big difference between frontline and rear units, but not to this extent. Once this is all over, should we overhaul this side too? ¡°Prioritize dispatching Special Magic Unit members to garrisons where mages have been confirmed. Check local personnel and get the armored trains moving.¡± ??????¦¯§£?S? ¡°The 3rd and 2nd Battalions have already all been redirected to the outer areas.¡± ¡°What about civilian evacuation?¡± ¡°Proceeding together with imperial army cooperation. However¡­!¡± ¡°Commander!¡± Amidst the chaos, an intelligence agent came running in urgently and shouted. ¡°Mage with four stroke or higher imprint confirmed among rebels! Based on the spell structure, they¡¯re definitely from the Knight Order!¡± ¡°These sons of bitches!¡± ¡°So they¡¯re done playing nice, huh?¡± It seemed the Revolutionary Army bastards had really prepared properly for this operation. Revolutionary Army forces with numerical superiority, and Knight Order members disguised as one of them scattered throughout. And to make matters worse, agents and support personnel dispatched from the Republic. These guys were now mobilizing all their available combat forces to pull this off. ¡°Eugene.¡± The battle map spread out in the center of the command post. Looking at it, Erich turned to me and said. ¡°With just our forces, we can only hold this back for about three days at most. Suppressing it is out of the question in this situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult, but we should request cooperation from imperial army units stationed at the border¡­¡± That would indeed be the proper course of action to stop what¡¯s happening now. However, I replied firmly. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°No need?¡± When Erich frowned and asked again, I answered immediately. ¡°The armistice with the Republic ends soon. And during these 2 years while war was halted, they¡¯ve been sharpening their blades to bring down the empire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If we pull back defensive forces trying to stop a civil war in this situation, we¡¯ll be handing an opportunity to the Republic.¡± If we redirect imperial forces, the Republic will immediately break the agreement and strike the border. They must know this well, which is why they timed this for when the armistice agreement is ending. Though Intelligence Department¡¯s operation moved up their invasion timing, we couldn¡¯t shake up their grand strategy itself. ¡°If they¡¯ve attacked defensive facilities, let them occupy them. They¡¯ll try to drag us out by conducting delaying actions to tie us down as much as possible.¡± These ongoing attacks aren¡¯t their real objective. After saying that, I pointed to the center of the chaotic battle map¡ªthe imperial capital. ¡°The real target is here, the capital. It¡¯ll be the imperial palace where the emperor resides.¡± Boom-! Right at that moment, an explosion was heard from below the command headquarters. ¡°An attack? In this situation?¡± ¡°It came from the lower floor guard post! The elevators connecting to ground level have been blown up!¡± They first neutralized the elevator-concentrated area to isolate the emperor in the towering imperial palace. ¡®About time they¡¯re coming, huh.¡¯ Finishing that thought, I immediately gathered equipment and ran toward the airfield. ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°As expected.¡± The faces of the Special Magic Unit members who ran out together immediately grew shocked. The imperial palace rising in the center of the capital. Here where no aircraft should be able to enter, an airship revealed itself. Taking advantage of the chaos from attacks breaking out everywhere, it had arrived here hidden in the clouds. Whoooosh¡­ An airship with a massive gas envelope that seemed made for festival promotion. However, as that aircraft approached, it immediately revealed its true form by burning away its camouflage gas envelope. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± The Red Wings emblem appearing in the sky. Along with it, the magical power field that unfurled broke through the anti-aircraft fire from the defense positions and was charging this way. ¡°Everyone combat ready!¡± As I opened my mouth, Special Magic Unit members lined up on both sides of me. Dozens of first-generation members led by my adjutant Leopold. They aimed their gun barrels in perfect unison at the charging airship and fired magic bullets. ¡°Fire-!¡± With Leopold¡¯s shout, they unleashed a volley. Kwaboomboomboom¨C! The magical power field instantly shattered and the airship caught fire. However, from various parts of that burning airship, glowing eyes targeting us began appearing one by one. Revolutionary Army imprint mages. Over a hundred mages aboard the airship began unleashing magic in response to the attack just now. Kwaaaboom¨C! The dock was engulfed in smoke with a tremendous explosion. And when the smoke cleared, the Special Magic Unit members with weapons drawn gritted their teeth. ¡°Damn it.¡± Despite being on fire, the Revolutionary Army¡¯s airship had succeeded in reaching this landing pad. The Revolutionary Army group that jumped from the airship had landed right in the middle of the imperial palace and were aiming their weapons. And three figures that emerged from among them. ¡°What¡¯s this? There are more than expected? Wasn¡¯t the Special Magic Unit supposed to all move to the outer areas?¡± ¡°The organization scale was beyond imagination. However, it¡¯s within Sir Randall¡¯s predicted range. These here are all the defensive forces.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Two mages who spoke without hiding their Westraine accent. They looked at Claude between them and said. ¡°Beyond there, guarding the emperor is just one half-baked six stroke mage geezer and the scarecrow Imperial Guard Knight Order.¡± ¡°Sir Randall can handle those sufficiently.¡± ¡°In other words, once we deal with these guys here, the rest will be a piece of cake.¡± So Randall has already headed for the emperor. The Imperial Guard Knight Order would be guarding him, but it was uncertain how long they could hold against a seven stroke mage. Need to hurry. ¡°Now then¡± Shing- The two mages who stepped forward each drew their weapons. Two daggers on one side. A bastard sword slung on the back on the other. Just as the two Republic mages took combat stances with their antique-looking weapons. ¡°The infamous Devils of Magic Bullets. Let¡¯s see just how skilled you¡­¡± Clang-! Claude¡¯s sword strike from behind cut off their words midway. ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°Supreme Leader Claude?! Why are you¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Why, you ask?¡± A growling voice as if having endured long-held resentment. Along with that voice, Revolutionary Army members who had been mixed in among their ranks began aiming their guns at their allies. ¡°What the hell?!¡± ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡± ¡°Pointing guns at allies, what¡¯s with this sudden¡­!¡± Though they claimed to be the same Revolutionary Army, at least to my eyes they weren¡¯t. The ones aiming guns at their comrades were original members who had been with Maximilien from the start. The ones looking bewildered at the guns aimed at them were members who had flowed in from the Republic¡¯s side. ¡®According to plan.¡¯ While I was thinking that, the Special Magic Unit members commanded by Leopold formed fire support formations as if to assist them. The movements were without waste, as if this formation had been planned from the start. ¡°This was our intention from the beginning.¡± ¡°Wh-what?!¡± ¡°You crazy bastard, betraying us at this critical moment¡­!¡± ¡°How long did you think we¡¯d dance to the Republic dogs¡¯ tune?!¡± ¡°This is our revolution! Get out, you puppets of the enemy nation!¡± Amidst the turmoil breaking out among the Revolutionary Army members who had infiltrated the imperial palace, Claude pressed forward against the two mages instead of saying anything more. Clangclangclang¨C! The two fell back along with Claude¡¯s continuous strikes. Six stroke imprints emitted brilliant light from their arms as they gritted their teeth. Two six stroke imprints. This would be difficult for Claude to handle alone. ¡°Everyone, support Claude¡¯s faction while eliminating the intruders.¡± After finishing that thought, I slowly walked up beside Claude who was in a standoff. ¡°We¡¯ll handle these ones.¡± The hero of the revolution and I standing side by side. Claude glanced at me and finally spat out grumpily as if still dissatisfied. ¡°Don¡¯t forget. Our cooperation is¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, just this once. I know that well enough.¡± Such a chatty one. Matching Claude¡¯s movements, I drew Heresy from its holster. Whuuum- Along with the sensation of magic circuits activating, my and Claude¡¯s magic imprints simultaneously glowed red. [Wings of Crimson] and [Red Wings] The two wings spread to either side took the form of a bird taking flight. *** ¡°It has begun.¡± Buckenheim Territory. Duke Buckenheim smiled with satisfaction upon receiving reports of the situation in the imperial capital and imperial direct territories. Even if the Special Magic Unit had grown stronger, they couldn¡¯t easily stop this chaos caused by mobilizing even the Knight Order. Then this time they could succeed. It meant they could kill the emperor sitting in the imperial castle and change the master of the empire. ¡°Now that urgent matters are settled, I should think about what comes next.¡± The next plan. Saying that, the duke began pleasant deliberations. ¡°First, I should think about what to do with the Republic.¡± From the moment the emperor dies, there would be no reason to maintain cooperation with that Randall fellow. If he moved the Knight Order, they could easily catch rebels exhausted from war with the imperial faction. ¡°Then after that, I need to take control of the military.¡± If their massive patron the emperor dies, Keiren would be like a shoe with its straps cut off. If he took his preciously beloved daughter hostage, that guy wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse the hand I extend. ¡°Heheheh.¡± There¡¯s so much to do in my later years. If only I were a bit younger, things would have gone much more smoothly. Right as Duke Buckenheim had that thought and rose from his seat. ¡°Y-Your Grace-!¡± A messenger who suddenly arrived brought shocking news. ¡°Ci-citizens in each territory have simultaneously risen in rebellion!¡± ¡°¡­Rebellion? What nonsense are you speaking?¡± For a moment his mind couldn¡¯t process the absurd report. Rebellion? Against magic nobles? That couldn¡¯t be. ¡°The rebels should be in the capital now trying to kill the emperor¡­¡± As he thought that and turned his head, Duke Buckenheim¡¯s eyes immediately grew wide. In the center of Buckenheim City which he directly ruled. The rebels¡¯ red flag was flying. ¡°Impossible.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand at all. Just what in the world was happening now? sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 105 #105 The Republic. No, the forces that Randall arranged to kill me were so extreme that I felt honored by the overkill. Claude, who had awakened an additional six stroke in the past two years, and two six stroke imprint specialists from the Republic who emerged as late-game named characters. After eliminating me with a simultaneous ambush by these three, they probably planned to assassinate the Special Magic Unit members and key figures throughout the Imperial Capital. ¡®Though it seems a bit excessive just to kill someone like me.¡¯ If the plan had succeeded, it would have been a truly dangerous situation. Facing three six stroke mages simultaneously, even with my surplus of magic bullets, that would have been impossible. However, that¡¯s only if the plan had succeeded. Thanks to the Emperor and Claude¡¯s schemes, Randall¡¯s assassination plan was twisted from its very premise. Boom¨C! Against someone with a five stroke or higher imprint, throwing basic spells would be meaningless. After taking control of the situation with [Solar Wind Manifestation], I pressed them with the penetrating spell [Spear of Mithra]. Whoosh-! Whoosh-! One magic bullet per spell. Though the extremely agitated magic imprint was emitting smoke, its effectiveness was excellent. ¡°Damn it, what kind of firepower¡­!¡± ¡°Gates! It¡¯s coming your way!¡± The magician wielding two daggers hastily twisted his body to dodge the red beam. ¡®His reaction speed is much faster than mine. Close combat would be dangerous.¡¯ Whoom-! I had already set up red magic circles in the expected infiltration routes. The binding spell [Helios¡¯ Snare]. And a minefield mixed with the installation-type detonation spell [Hellfire]. The opponent who was trying to rush toward me stopped in his tracks upon seeing those numerous magic circles, and I didn¡¯t miss that opening. Clang-! ¡°Alex!¡± [Spear of Mithra] that slipped through that momentary gap The Republic¡¯s mage who took the red beam gritted his teeth. ¡°Damn it, even Claude alone would be tough enough¡­!¡± Claude¡¯s Red Wings, specialized in head-on power struggles. As if to counter that, the purple imprint engraved on his right arm began to emit light. ¡°You stupid brat-!¡± Boom¨C! Alex swung the greatsword gripped in both hands. As Claude twisted his body to avoid it, the airship hull behind him was split in two before exploding. ¡°How dare you¡­ How dare you betray us at this crucial moment?!¡± ¡°Supreme Leader Claude. Do you understand what you¡¯ve just done?!¡± A momentary lull. The two mages growled through gritted teeth, but Claude gave no response. He only glared at them with his back to the burning airship wreckage. Perhaps frustrated by this, the mage wielding two daggers shouted at Claude. ¡°This was our chance to deal with the Emperor and eliminate all the key figures of the Special Magical Power Unit. If you hadn¡¯t pulled this nonsense, we could do it right now!¡± ????????¦­?????§§? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Sir Randall promised you! This would be the end of the Republic¡¯s support! After this, the Revolutionary Army would follow your will¡­!¡± ¡°Then, you answer me.¡± A chilling voice. Claude, his face twisted like a demon, bared his teeth at them. ¡°The previous Supreme Leader, Uncle Vark. Why did Vark Urgan mutate into a monster on the day of the rescue operation?¡± ¡°T-That was the Empire¡­!¡± ¡°Are you saying the Empire also caused the Elcidore Incident two years ago? That the Elcidore knights who mutated into monsters then were also the Empire¡¯s doing?¡± That didn¡¯t add up. After all, it was the Revolutionary Army that had stationed the Elcidore knights there. When the speechless mage couldn¡¯t find words to respond, Claude smirked and said to them. ¡°Uncle Vark, who was Supreme Leader at the time, was never happy about the Republic¡¯s support coming to the Revolutionary Army. At the same time, he was suspicious of Brother Randall, who was mediating between the Republic and the Revolutionary Army.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°After turning Uncle Vark into a monster and driving him to his death, I was designated as the next Supreme Leader. Claiming I was the successor directly appointed by Vark.¡± This was a story even I didn¡¯t know. It was the behind-the-scenes truth of the Revolutionary Army after Maximilien¡¯s disappearance, known only to Claude who had watched over them. ¡°So then.¡± A face that smiled while eyes filled with hatred. The red magical power flowing from Claude¡¯s magic imprint was wrapping around his body like smoke. ¡°Once this operation is over, I¡¯ll meet the same end, right?¡± The revolutionary hero who had discovered all the truth. His blade was first aimed at his organization, which he had devoted his entire life to nurturing. ¡°Tch!¡± Clang¨C! Instead of answering Claude¡¯s question, Alex with the greatsword unleashed a series of slashes toward Claude. ¡°That¡¯s why I suggested it several times! That we needed to replace him quickly before things went wrong!¡± ¡°Indeed. Finding out this much¡­ wasn¡¯t in Sir Randall¡¯s predictions.¡± The two mages who revealed their true colors completed their battle preparations. Cutting power that could slice through double-alloy steel frames like tofu. And the tremendous magical power that effortlessly unleashed such cutting force. Though they unleashed destructive power that could easily blow away any Knight Order captain, Claude¡¯s eyes remained calm as he blocked it. ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°What?¡± The moment Claude smiled slightly and muttered that. Whoosh-! The Red Wings sprouting from his shoulders added red energy to the military sword in his hand. The red-hot blade and the heat swirling around it. Taking one step, Claude had already reached right in front of him. ¡°This bastard!¡± ¡°Gates! Take his back! I¡¯ll handle the front¡­!¡± Claude pressing them with fearsome magical power. Just as the two were about to swing their weapons simultaneously- ¡°Eugene¨C!¡± At Claude¡¯s shout, the two hurriedly looked in my direction. And I, standing behind them. ¡°What, when did he prepare such a spell¡­!¡± ¡°Oh no, fi¡­!¡± Roar¡­ I slammed a complete spell at critical state toward where they were. [MOAF] A Fireball of maximum firepower combining five explosion spells. By the time they noticed the spell approaching point-blank, it was already too late. ¡ª¨C! In the light and explosion that turned everything pure white, only Claude maintained his form intact. Whoosh¨C! Six magic bullets loaded in Heresy were extracted simultaneously. Heat and pressure swept through the area. Though Claude staggered back with his balance disturbed, his eyes looking my way were vibrantly alive. Meaning there was still work to be done, I suppose. ¡°T-This¡­!¡± ¡°Impossible. This quickly?¡± Seeing the two six stroke mages fall, the faces of the other Revolutionary Army members who had infiltrated the Imperial Palace turned pale. Mission failure. Then only one thing remained. ¡°All forces, aim.¡± Rustle-! The Revolutionary Army members corralled into one place. Though they looked to Claude like clutching at straws, the gazes of Claude and his comrades were cold. Those who had eaten away at the Revolutionary Army while taking the Republic¡¯s pay. There was no room for sympathy. ¡°Open fire.¡± With my order, the guns of the troops surrounding them blazed. Starting with them, all Revolutionary Army members who appeared in the Imperial direct territories would meet the same end. *** ¡°A popular uprising in Buckenheim territory? And what? Claude betrayed us?¡± The deepest part of the Imperial Palace. The center of the Imperial Palace where the Emperor resides. Walking past the imperial guards writhing on the floor, Randall couldn¡¯t believe the news that came through the magical power communication. While it was hard to believe that Claude had betrayed them, a popular uprising? He grew anxious. His mind couldn¡¯t keep up with the situations occurring one after another. ¡®I concentrated all available combat forces here. Even gave assurance that magic nobles weren¡¯t the priority. But who on earth¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a popular uprising incited by the Revolutionary Army. Just as you planned.¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While he was deep in thought, Andrei standing opposite him let out a low laugh. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Things aren¡¯t going according to plan?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The old knight who hadn¡¯t let go of his sword despite bleeding from his mouth, blocking his path. And dozens of imperial guards positioned behind him. A hint of irritation crossed Randall¡¯s face. A half-baked old knight and imperial guards who had never seen real combat. He had already wasted over 30 minutes dealing with such insignificant forces. ¡®That¡¯s not all. That reaction¡­¡¯ The magical power communication from the Duke and Andrei laughing at it. Seeing this, Randall could instinctively realize. This situation was his¡­ No. ¡°The Emperor¡¯s scheme?¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± Andrei laughed briefly and said to Randall. ¡°When you instigated this uprising, you only shared the true operation details with a select few executives, right? You just explained it as a popular uprising to the other rebels.¡± A stopgap measure to secure both revolutionary legitimacy and practical benefits. That was also why Claude hadn¡¯t been excluded from the Revolutionary Army. ¡°And that became your undoing.¡± ¡°My undoing?¡± ¡°News of the uprising in the Imperial Capital spread quickly throughout the Empire through your information network. Public sentiment boiled over, and the people eagerly waited for your rebels to arrive in their territories too.¡± And then, when expectations for revolution reached their critical point. Claude¡¯s subordinates, thought to be dead, made their move. A single cry. A single person¡¯s instigation. Stimulated by that one word, the people rose up on their own and began pouring out their anger toward the magic nobles who had exploited them. ¡°Perfectionism that doesn¡¯t tolerate loose ends. And the information isolation based on that¡­ What tripped you up was none other than yourself.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The voice came from somewhere other than Andrei. Randall immediately turned around. Eugene Lorentz. And Revolutionary Army Supreme Leader Claude were approaching him. They defeated two? This quickly? No, more than that, their magical power was this intact? Against two six stroke mages? ¡°Don¡¯t think that controlling the Revolutionary Army means you can control the masses who stand with them.¡± Currently, the Empire¡¯s public enemy isn¡¯t the Emperor but the magic nobles. No one knows this better than the Imperial citizens themselves who are being exploited. Adding that, Eugene continued speaking. ¡°Revolution was just a pretense. Your real goal was to assassinate His Majesty, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But this fake revolution you started has now become real.¡± The enraged masses began attacking not just the Imperial family but the magic nobles. Not through artificially instigated uprisings by the Revolutionary Army, but through their own judgment. A real revolution that even you couldn¡¯t stop had begun. ¡°This¡­!¡± Cracks appeared on Randall¡¯s face as he received communications. They were starting to arrive. Eastern, Western, Southern Empire. Small villages on the border regions, workshops, farms. Reports that Imperial citizens were rising up in all those lands managed by magic nobles. ¡°The reason the masses side with your actions is simply because you¡¯re the only voice representing them.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°When given cause and justification, the masses always think for themselves and make judgments for their own sake.¡± Well, despite all the explanations, the conclusion is this. ¡°The Imperial citizens¡­ no, the masses.¡± The many humans oppressed in this game. ¡°Randall, they aren¡¯t as stupid as you think.¡± That¡¯s why revolution is like an unstoppable natural disaster. ¡°¡­Ha, haha!¡± How much time had passed like that? Randall, who had been laughing as if in disbelief, bared his teeth while looking at me. ¡°I¡¯m impressed you¡¯ve cornered me this far, but your judgment was wrong.¡± Whoom-! Muttering that, Randall activated his magic imprint, [Watcher of the Abyss]. ¡°If you wanted to reveal everything like this, you should have been confident you could kill me. Two six stroke mages trying to eliminate me? Sorry, but that¡¯s impossible.¡± Rumble¡­ Black shadows spreading out from his center. As the surrounding scenery gradually disappeared, Randall¡¯s figure also began to blur. ¨C I am one who wields a completed seven stroke imprint. ¨C You cannot defeat me. At the voice echoing from within the shadows, the remaining imperial guards hastily formed a barrier. ¡®He¡¯s right.¡¯ Even with two six stroke mages together, they can¡¯t stop the power of a seven stroke. The final stroke that completes a magic imprint. The authority contained within was that absolute. ¡°However.¡± Right now, I have something different from before. The essential condition for clearing [Revolution Empire]. The greatest NPC companion that must be secured from the beginning and nurtured throughout the story. The protagonist¡¯s sworn friend who draws out his maximum potential by connecting with protagonist Eugene. Because Claude Elcidore is with me. ¡°You¡¯re not tired already, are you?¡± ¡°What about you?¡± Claude and I, back to back, raised our magical power while holding our weapons. Claude, the best performing companion obtainable in this game. I¡¯ll work you to the bone and use you as material for my awakening. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 106 #106 ¡®How frustrating.¡¯ Claude and Eugene faced each other with weapons drawn against Randall. Looking at the two of them, Randall clicked his tongue inwardly. The plan that had been proceeding without any hitches was now sinking into a swamp of uncertainty that even he couldn¡¯t predict. No, it¡¯s not uncertain. He could predict what results their actions would bring. It¡¯s just that those predictions were pessimistic to the point of being extremely disadvantageous to him. ¨C Randall! What are you doing with the Revolutionary Army!? ¨C Did you dare betray us? Did you think our alliance would hold after committing such acts? The magic nobles who had participated in this operation were sending direct communications to him, ignoring the reporting system. Simultaneous civilian uprisings. They now thought this situation was Randall¡¯s intention. ¨C We must send back the knights immediately! The forces in the territories cannot stop those mobs! When one noble shouted that, voices of agreement flowed from various parts of the communication network. Send back the knights? What nonsense. In this situation where the entire empire was in turmoil, did they think such a thing was possible? The Knight Order¡¯s greatest weakness was their extremely small numbers. While the Special Magical Power Unit grew to thousands of members in just two years, the Knight Order could only commission about three hundred new knights throughout the entire empire. Unlike the Special Magic Unit, which implanted factory-made magic imprints and supplemented magical power with magic bullets, the Knight Order never abandoned their method of slowly nurturing noble children educated from childhood. ¡®In normal times, it might have been possible to overwhelm the Special Magic Unit with the individual capabilities of Knight Order members. But now is different.¡¯ While the empire continued its war with the republic, the Revolutionary Army steadily attacked magic nobles and reduced the number of knights. To make matters worse, there was the Elcidore incident two years ago. The situation worsened when the heirs of Buckenheim and Nachtval, along with about two hundred Knight Order members following them, disappeared entirely. £Ò????????§à?????? ¡®Though we somehow preserved the five stroke and higher commander-level knights who could be called the central military force of the families, we couldn¡¯t prevent the loss of three stroke and four stroke knights below them.¡¯ The mid-ranking knights who formed the backbone of the Knight Order continued to be depleted, and replacements weren¡¯t made in time for two years. The damage that had steadily accumulated during that time finally caught up with them. ¡®Even among the Revolutionary Army engaging in delaying tactics against the Special Magic Unit in the imperial capital¡¯s direct territory, the Knight Order¡¯s strength has been committed.¡¯ At this timing, if rebellions broke out in the territories, there were no forces available to suppress the citizens. Mobilize private soldiers? Even among the private soldiers, there were those participating in the civilian uprising. Deploy commander-level knights for suppression operations? Even the most prominent families had no more than 20 knights with five stroke imprints. Even if they deployed them, suppression of the uprising would only be possible in some areas under their direct control. They physically lacked the manpower to control all the vast territories and business establishments held by magic nobles. ¨C They¡¯re just non-ability users anyway! If we just dispatch the remaining knights, no matter how many territory residents there are¡­! ¨C What do you expect us to do after that!? Moreover, if it was just a rebellion in one settlement, they could just kill everyone, but to bloodily suppress territory residents who had risen up across entire territories? It would be possible if commander-level knights stepped in to suppress them. They wouldn¡¯t even need to dispatch knights ¨C if the heads of each family just stepped up, they could subdue everything. But what then? ¨C What¡¯s rising up now isn¡¯t the Revolutionary Army invading from outside. These are the components working in the territory¡¯s farms, factories, mines, and fish farms! These weren¡¯t simply mobs but labor forces operating the territory¡¯s business establishments, each one an important component. If they killed all of them, how many years would it take until that workforce recovered? They couldn¡¯t even redirect the children and women they had already put into the factories! ¨C A delicate point has been struck. At that voice cutting into the chaotic magical power communication network, Randall¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¨C At this point when the Knight Order has been mobilized to bind the feet of the Special Magical Power Unit. ¨C ¡­¡­ ¨C Right at this timing when the planned delay tactics have begun and you¡¯ve infiltrated the imperial palace¡­ To think you had prepared such an insolent move. Crunch. The sound of grinding teeth could be heard through the communication. The emperor assassination plan devised by the Round Table and Randall. The operation they had prepared for two years had been completely stolen. ¨C Randall. ¡°The plan itself is proceeding smoothly, Your Grace. Once we take the emperor¡¯s head, everything will¡­¡± ¨C Your usefulness ends here. ¡°¡­!¡± Those words came from Duke Buckenheim, who had been receiving operation updates. Hearing those words, Randall felt his insides twisting. ¨C Each family¡¯s Knight Order is to swiftly withdraw from combat zones. Make suppressing the uprisings in each region the top priority. ¨C I will order the knights. ¨C We shouldn¡¯t have trusted the republic¡¯s plans in the first place, Your Grace! ¨C Such useless ones¡­¡­ They¡¯re going to pull out at this timing? In this situation where they had isolated the Revolutionary Army? Randall tried to send another communication with bulging eyes, but there was no more contact from Duke Buckenheim. ¨C Well, we¡¯ve at least managed to make the rebel leadership and emperor share the same fate, so I suppose we got results worth our investment. With those final words, the magical power communication network connected to Randall disappeared completely. Their brief cooperation with the Knight Order had come to such an empty end. ¡®No, not yet.¡¯ Randall, his fists trembling, turned to look ahead. Claude pointing his sword at him. And Eugene behind him, having generated a magic circle. The Revolutionary Army¡¯s imprint and Maximilien¡¯s imprint were blocking his path. ¡°Just you wait, Duke Buckenheim.¡± If he could kill these two and kill the emperor. If he could just do that, everything would return to square one. The variables and uncertainties would disappear, leaving only his plan. If that happened¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll be the one victorious in the end.¡± *** Clang¨C! In the space dyed pitch black all around, red magical power light sporadically shot up. ¡°Randall-!¡± Claude was in a situation of relentlessly driving back Randall, rushing in to avenge Vark. And I was supporting Claude while trying to suppress his movements. Clang-! Clang clang¨C! Claude engaged in close combat, centered on Red Wings¡¯ physical ability enhancement and magical power barrier. And my activated [Eye of Horus] was detecting the blind spots that Claude couldn¡¯t confirm behind such movements. Swoosh-! ¡°Oh.¡± The moment magical power chains wrapped around Randall¡¯s body, Claude¡¯s sun sword blazed toward that spot. Boom¨C! Flames spread in all directions. However, Randall easily cut through those flames and tried to drive Claude back in return. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± The moment an attack was directed at Claude. I didn¡¯t miss that opening and unleashed high-powered formulas toward Randall¡¯s blind spot. [Spear of Mithra] and [Focused Heat Shell] When the techniques that had hunted the republic¡¯s red bear successively struck him, Randall finally had no choice but to give up distance. Crash-! The wall burst out with a thunderous roar. After one exchange led to a lull, Claude¡¯s spread Red Wings recovered some of the consumed magical power. It was the optimal linking formula for supporting my imprint with its high magical power consumption. ¡°Hah.¡± As if something occurred to him seeing that sight, Randall sighed briefly and said: ¡°I understand now why the two I sent ahead were defeated so quickly. Like it was fitted together from the start, such precise and clean coordination.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Maximilien¡¯s imprint, Wings of Crimson. And Claude¡¯s imprint, Red Wings, created based on it¡­ This scene unfolding before my eyes must be the completed form of the Revolutionary Army that Maximilien had envisioned.¡± What irony that it was only completed after cooperating with imperial forces. Chuckling while saying that, Randall continued. ¡°But I already told you. You cannot defeat me.¡± Boom-! With those final words, magical power incomparable to before pressed down on everyone present. ¡°You¡¯ll soon find out why.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°Even that Knight Order commander sitting there half-dead was just as arrogant as you at first.¡± The imprint carved on Randall¡¯s right arm, [Watcher of the Abyss], spewed black smoke. Shadows that instantly covered the entire space. Seeing that, I gritted my teeth and fired a magic bullet. ¡®Here it comes.¡¯ This scene unfolding right now was precisely what differentiated seven stroke magic imprints from other imprints. The seventh stroke signifying an imprint¡¯s completion. Unlike other imprints where different formulas are carved, the formula inscribed in seven strokes is the same for all imprints. [Domain] It was a formula that consumed magical power to transform the surrounding environment itself to suit oneself. ¡®Randall¡¯s [Watcher of the Abyss] is a domain with shadow attributes. Once activated, he becomes the undisputed ruler of this space.¡¯ The moment a domain is activated, that area¡¯s space becomes covered in the caster¡¯s magical power. Formulas activated within the domain no longer need to consume magical power, and all magic circuit spewing from the magic circuit is used only to maintain it. Clang clang¨C! ¡°Ugh?!¡± Randall, hiding between shadows, created multiple copies of himself to overwhelm Claude with combined attacks while simultaneously creating dozens of shadow spears to pressure me. A situation where he overwhelmed Claude and me in both quality and quantity. While I gathered magical power through gritted teeth, Claude, recognizing this, charged toward the main body beyond the duplicates. ¡°No matter what, your magical power can¡¯t be infinite¡­!¡± ¡°How foolish.¡± Clang-! Claude¡¯s sword strike was instantly blocked. Randall smiled slightly and, abandoning the power struggle, grabbed Claude¡¯s neck. ¡°From the start, you were just a tool in this revolutionary pretend play.¡± Though he swung his sword to cut his body, Randall, unified with the shadows, merely let all the strikes pass through. ¡°You might have been happier knowing nothing. If you had just believed my words and followed my directions for the revolution, you¡¯d be a hero by now.¡± ¡°Kuh¡­ Khugh¡­!¡± ¡°But look now. Because of what you¡¯ve done, all plans¡­¡± ¡°The only plans that were disrupted were yours, not the Revolutionary Army¡¯s.¡± Cutting off Randall¡¯s words, I drew his attention. ¡°You¡¯ve lost the medal the republic was going to give you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Randall ground his teeth at my provocative words. ¡°Seeing how the plan has turned into such a mess, I wonder what your secretary general will say?¡± ¡°¡­You. Eugene, was it?¡± Boom¨C! ¡°Meeting you for the first time, you¡¯re more ill-mannered than I expected.¡± ¡°Right. Come to think of it, you¡­ never really liked me from the start.¡± ¡°What?¡± Though bewildered by my tone suggesting I knew him, it didn¡¯t matter. During that time, Claude had burned away all of Randall¡¯s duplicates and was charging toward the main body. ¡°How foolish!¡± Shadow blades created on the spot blocked his sword. The flame sword being gradually eroded. Seeing Claude at a loss, Randall, having deflected Eugene¡¯s fire support, kicked Claude in the abdomen. ¡°Kuh¡­!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even at full strength. You think you can defeat me after exhausting yourself fighting an equal opponent? Nonsense.¡± Boom¨C! Randall instantly pushed Claude into the wall. Claude lost consciousness and his head drooped. One down. Randall now began charging toward me. ¡°Kuh!¡± I fired the pre-completed highest-grade penetration formula, [Solar Ray]. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But that was only momentary. The light beam I had worked to create was devoured by shadows seeping in from the domain and easily scattered. ¡°So seven stroke really is unbeatable?¡± Like Elcryer¡¯s imprint that ravages human minds. And like this Randall who covers the entire space in shadows. While thinking that, Randall, having nullified all my magic, approached. And what followed was merciless beating. Bang-! Crash-! Bang-! If I raised my gun he unleashed even greater magic, and when I tried to charge in he pressured me with the same close combat. The republic agent with decades of experience overwhelmed me even in close combat without magical power. This domain was already his territory. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say the shadows covering this space were Randall¡¯s body itself. Being nullified like that, and hit. Trying to counter but getting caught, then hit. In the middle of dozens of spears mercilessly striking my defenseless body as I tried to call for support. ¡°Randall Dean Clark-!¡± Claude, having regained consciousness, charged at Randall¡¯s back and. Slash-! Randall immediately turned around and created shadow blades to deeply cut Claude¡¯s chest. ¡°Kuhak¡­!¡± ¡°I told you. You cannot defeat me.¡± Saying that, Randall bound Claude and approached me. ¡°Claude has things to do as a symbol of the Revolutionary Army. Once I scramble his mind with drugs, he¡¯ll become an obedient doll. His qualities are decent too, so I could prepare a suitable breeder and send him as a gift to the republic.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°But Eugene. This is the end for you.¡± Saying that, Randall picked up the Heresy I had dropped. ¡°Killing someone with Maximilien¡¯s imprint using Maximilien¡¯s weapon¡­ What a strange sight.¡± The moment he pulled the trigger thinking that. Clang¨C! A barrier field spread and deflected the bullet flying toward my head. ¡°¡­What?¡± I slowly stood up. As if sensing the gradually rising temperature around, Randall¡¯s eyes grew wider. ¡°First. Activate all six strokes and squeeze out magical power to the limit.¡± ¡°What?¡± Randall¡¯s expression turned strange at my sudden words. ¡°Second. A close comrade suffers severe injury, and you yourself sustain comparable wounds.¡± ¡°Third. The will to defeat the opponent must surpass fear of the target.¡± I muttered while staggering to my feet. A desperate situation. The injury of my comrade Claude. The crisis of death. And the will to not give up even in that hopeless situation. ¡°Through the battle just now, all conditions have been met.¡± The qualities as a hero that drew out Claude¡¯s awakening. All the conditions for activating the [Indomitable] trait had been fulfilled. Whoosh-! Fire spreading from the edges, gradually blazing centered on Eugene. Matching that sight, the black shadows that had been eroding him began to burn. ¡®A normal formula affecting the domain? No, this is¡­¡¯ Randall, startled like that, looked at me and. ¡°Could it be?¡± Hoo. Breathe in, breathe out. White smoke billowed out as I exhaled the heat filling my body. Two eyes shining brilliantly golden, not the usual murky color. Red magical power light shining brightly after clearing away all shadows. ¡°It¡¯s complete.¡± Wings of Crimson. Its seventh stroke had been completed. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 107 #107 ¡°¡­¡­This can¡¯t be.¡± Turning back time to the present. Looking at the [Wings of Crimson] completed with seven strokes, Randall momentarily lost his words. ¡°Maxim¡­?¡± It was a majestic sight. The flames burning death and the surging magical power. And Eugene, watching him from the middle of it all. The moment he looked into those eyes burning with golden light, Randall felt an indescribable emotion. A tingling sensation at his fingertips. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that it was fear. ¡®Don¡¯t jump to conclusions. That guy isn¡¯t Maxim. He¡¯s just a mere soldier who stole his imprint.¡¯ Though Randall thought this while feeling fragments of power flowing from Eugene, he didn¡¯t make the mistake of denying his emotions. This sensation he was feeling now was the overwhelming pressure he felt when he saw Maximilien decades ago. The threat detection ability that had protected him for decades was warning him. That this boy now possessed power similar to Maximilien in his prime. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡®Even right after awakening he¡¯s in this state, if that thing were to grow¡­.¡¯ Duke Buckenheim. Does this mean that a monster comparable to him could emerge? Thinking this, Randall gritted his teeth. If that happened, his plans would be ruined from the very premise! Swoosh-! Gathering all his remaining magical power, he activated [Watcher of the Abyss] at maximum output. The domain of black shadows gradually expanding its range. Numerous clones and spears made from those shadows were baring their teeth while aiming at Eugene. ¡®Fortunately, he¡¯s not yet familiar with his power.¡¯ The [Domain], which could be called the symbol of seven stroke imprint, wasn¡¯t just about simply activating it. The torrent of magical power created by the domain. Its power varies drastically depending on how one utilizes it. In Randall¡¯s case, he used the shadows enveloping the domain for presence concealment. Erasing his presence, summoning clones to disperse attention, and then striking from behind at critical moments. Extreme stealth that couldn¡¯t be detected even by other seven stroke mage¡¯s detection spells. It was the most suitable application for [Watcher of the Abyss], which specialized in assassination and covert operations. ¡°Envelop.¡± Swish-! With Randall¡¯s word, dozens of shadows surrounded Eugene from all directions. Black energy wrapping around him from all sides. However, Randall¡¯s shadows creeping in couldn¡¯t swallow the flames burning around Eugene. Slash-! Without even flinching, Eugene merely stared at where Randall was. Seizing the opportunity, the shadows simultaneously swung their weapons at Eugene. Spears, daggers, and swords made of shadow. If they even grazed him, the shadows that dug into the wound would instantly eat away at his body. However. ¡°Expand.¡± ¡°?!¡± Just before the weapons created by the shadows could reach Eugene, their tips burst into flames. No, that wasn¡¯t all. The shadow hurriedly checked beneath his feet. The ground he was standing on was covered not in Randall¡¯s shadows, but in flames erupting from Eugene¡¯s body. Whoosh-! Before they could retreat, dozens of shadows burst into flames. Simply by expanding the range of his domain, Eugene had completely nullified Randall¡¯s spells. ¡°Kuk!¡± Confirming this, Randall hastily created distance. Eugene¡¯s flames advancing while burning away the shadows. His own domain that had dominated the space was being pushed back by Eugene¡¯s domain. Screech¨C! As Eugene waved his hand, dozens of magic circles burned with red light. ¡®The domain¡­. He¡¯s controlling it freely? Such freedom with power he just awakened?¡¯ Just moments ago, a single blast of firepower that shook the entire imperial palace. Eugene was now using that tremendous magic dozens of times in succession. Thud. Thud thud. Magic bullet casings flowed down from his grip. Though he had taken away weapons thinking something like this might happen, that crazy bastard had crushed magic bullets with his hands to activate the fuses. ?????????§à????¨º???? Eugene made a gun shape with his fingers, slowly extending his hand toward him and. ¡°Full fire.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± With that brief command, a wave of flames completely enveloped his body. ¡°Damn it¨C!¡± Though he hurriedly gathered all the shadows of his domain to create a barrier, it was futile. Unlike Randall¡¯s [Watcher of the Abyss] which specialized in assassination and covert operations, Eugene¡¯s [Wings of Crimson] was a magic imprint specialized for frontal combat. In the current situation where magical power and stroke count were equal, engaging that imprint head-on was nothing short of suicide. ¡°Argh?! This madman!¡± ¡°That crazy bastard, is he planning to burn down the entire imperial palace?!¡± ¡°Maintain the barrier! Even the aftershocks could drag us in! What about the Commander?!¡± ¡°Evacuation complete!¡± The imperial guards scattered around could be seen hurriedly taking cover. If even knights with [Shield of Radiance] specialized in defense were like this, he had no way to endure any longer. ¡®For now, I need to retreat¡­¡­!¡¯ Just as Randall thought this and tried to step back. Swoosh-! Chains of magical power that shot up from the ground firmly bound his body. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running?¡± Eugene¡¯s voice stabbed down at him. Along with it, his eyes shining with golden light drew closer. ¡°Republic Intelligence Director, Randall Dean Clark.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°If you think you can control the situation as you please like always, you¡¯re mistaken.¡± This place was a trap prepared from the start to catch you. Saying this, Eugene began creating a massive spell by gathering the flames remaining in his domain. He began concentrating the tremendous output heat of the explosion spell into a single point. Like focusing the heat of a giant sun through a magnifying glass. The point of magical power concentrated this way aimed at himself who was firmly bound to the ground. ¡ª¡ª! Tremendous heat that couldn¡¯t even be distinguished as sound began tearing apart the shadows protecting his body without a trace. Crack-! Crackle-! Shadows burning along with the domain. The moment he tried to respond by gathering magical power, cracks began forming in his magic circuit that had reached its limit. ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡­!¡± [Solar Ray], the large-scale destruction spell engraved in Eugene¡¯s six stroke imprint. Having all his barriers stripped away, Randall was finally enveloped in a flash of light that seemed to blind him. *** ¡°Fire? The Emperor said that about you?¡± When he came to his senses, what came to mind was a distant past he couldn¡¯t even remember when it was anymore. Junior cadets repeating their training. Looking at them training while dripping with sweat, a young Maximilien nodded his head. ¡°He said it when I was in the Imperial Guard Knight Order. He said there was something special he felt when looking at me that he didn¡¯t feel with others.¡± ¡°You are special alright. He probably never imagined a knight he trusted and believed in would do something this absurd.¡± Randall said this while raising his right arm. The imprint engraved on his arm, [Watcher of the Abyss]. And the imprint engraved on Maximilien¡¯s arm, [Wings of Crimson]. To think the first five imprints stored in the imperial archives had fallen into his hands. It was an unbelievable sight even thinking about it again. ¡°What about the other three imprints? Doesn¡¯t seem like any were implanted in your comrades.¡± ¡°That¡¯s classified. Top secret. In the first place, why would we tell the Republic Intelligence Department about that?¡± ¡°I thought I could dig a bit since you even handed over an imprint.¡± ¡°Bullshit. Our deal ends there.¡± Right. What he and Maximilien had was a deal. In exchange for handing over one of the original five imprints, providing funds to lay the foundation for the Revolutionary Army. And providing his abilities to operate the massive organization called the Revolutionary Army. That¡¯s how Republic Intelligence Director Randall Dean Clark became a member of the Revolutionary Army. A imperial knight and republic agent who once targeted each other ended up on the same boat called the Revolutionary Army. ¡°Don¡¯t die, Maxim.¡± While looking at the imprint, he said that to Maximilien. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with that suddenly?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said. This group called the Revolutionary Army is just a bunch of misfits that can¡¯t exist without you.¡± The rising star evaluated as the Imperial Guard Knight Order¡¯s most promising talent. The leader of the golden generation that would stop the tyranny of magic nobles and save the empire. Because he was evaluated as such, this organization called the Revolutionary Army could be born. ¡°There are guys like Vark and Melissa too.¡± ¡°Vark is blinded by vengeance, and what Melissa spouts are just impractical nonsense. The one who can rally citizens and present them with an alternative to the empire is¡­. Maxim. Only you.¡± Starting with himself. The reason he participated in this madness under the pretext of fostering local forces while putting aside his original duties as a republic agent. Even Randall himself had projected his ambitions onto the hero called Maximilien. ¡°The existence of the hero called Maximilien. The charisma that hero possesses. If that disappears, this group called the Revolutionary Army will be¡­. Nothing more than a mob of rioters.¡± ¡°Ha, isn¡¯t that evaluation too harsh for a Revolutionary Army we created together?¡± ¡°As I said earlier, I¡¯m not a dreamer like Melissa.¡± He took a bite of the sandwich he was holding. A humble meal that couldn¡¯t compare to the feasts eaten in the republic¡¯s red palace. However, Randall liked this humble meal. No need to worry about whether poison was in the food. No need to rack his brain to match politicians¡¯ rhetoric. ¡°So remember this, Maxim.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you fall pathetically somewhere, I¡¯ll immediately return to my original form.¡± Not as a Revolutionary Army collaborator, but as the Republic Intelligence Director. And as the republic commanded him, he would use the Revolutionary Army organization as his chess piece. After all, a Revolutionary Army without Maximilien as its symbol would only have that much value for use. ¡°Then I¡¯ll warn you in return, Randall.¡± ¡°A warning?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to control this group called the Revolutionary Army as you please.¡± A serious voice different from his constantly grinning appearance. Looking at me with an expressionless face, Maxim slowly opened his mouth. ¡°The more you try to hold the Revolutionary Army¡¯s leash and tie it down, the more the Revolutionary Army will tighten around your neck.¡± ¡°¡­What a brutal warning.¡± Randall smirked and looked at the Revolutionary Army members in the midst of training. To think such rabble would strangle my neck. What nonsense. That¡¯s what he thought, and yet. *** Thump. The pitch-black burned ashes fell to their knees, then crumbled in place. An appearance bleached white beyond recognition as human anymore. Seeing this, Eugene retrieved his weapon from the ashes with a sigh. Heresy. That gun Maximilien used maintained its original form even in that tremendous heat. ¡°Is it¡­ over?¡± At the voice from behind, I slowly turned my head. Claude Elcidore. The battered hero of the Revolutionary Army was smiling dejectedly while looking at Randall¡¯s corpse. ¡°With this¡­. The Revolutionary Army will return to normal.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°We can carry out our revolution purely for ourselves, without getting entangled in the republic¡¯s schemes.¡± Saying this, Claude slowly, painfully raised his body. Though he looked like he could collapse at any moment, a relieved smile adorned his face. ¡°With this, our alliance ends.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your victory for now. Killing Randall¡­. Was impossible without you.¡± Seven stroke imprint awakening. Without that, Randall could have killed us without much difficulty. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, Eugene.¡± However, Claude baring his teeth at me opened his mouth to me with a triumphant smile. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave for now, but someday I will definitely¡­!¡± And the moment Claude said that much. Bang-! A bullet erupting from Heresy pierced Claude¡¯s heart. ¡°Wh, what¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Why such a surprised expression?¡± This is such a pain. Thinking this, I fired the four bullets remaining in Heresy¡¯s chamber into Claude¡¯s chest. Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Claude, who couldn¡¯t even scream when hit by bullets filled with magical power, perished. ¡°Supreme leader of the rebels, Claude Elcidore has been eliminated.¡± The commanders scattered in various locations immediately responded to the communication. ¡°From this moment, the capital defense operation changes to rebel suppression operation.¡± My men waiting for orders. Looking down at that corpse, I ordered the Special Magic Unit members on standby. ¡°Crush the rebels spread throughout the capital and empire without leaving a single one.¡± Rumble¨C! The airships on standby in the capital¡¯s airspace began spreading to various parts of the empire. The Emperor¡¯s operation had succeeded. Now it was my turn. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 108 #108 ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­!¡± Something had gone wrong. The endless barrage of firepower from the Special Magical Power Unit. Revolutionary comrades falling one by one. Even while consoling them and maintaining the frontline, Fell Rosson, a Revolutionary Army mage, couldn¡¯t shake off that thought. ¡°What¡¯s happening, Sir Randall! What are the next orders¡­! What should we do about the next orders¡­!¡± ¡°No instructions are coming from headquarters! The chain of command isn¡¯t responding!¡± ¡°Hey! Where are you going in the middle of battle¡­!¡± According to what headquarters had told them, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if withdrawal orders had come by now. They had reached their limit in both withstanding the Imperial army¡¯s firepower and maintaining the defensive barrier. Despite repeatedly requesting responses from headquarters and executives, no answers came from anywhere. ¡®Did the previous one fail? No, that can¡¯t be¡­!¡¯ The operation had all gone smoothly. The simultaneous raids and the Special Magical Power Unit scattered to various locations. And Randall and Claude who infiltrated during that time. One seven-stroke mage and three six-stroke mages. With such rabble as the Imperial Guard Knight Order, they shouldn¡¯t have been opponents they could possibly defeat. The other side shouldn¡¯t have had any fighting power left to stop this. But how¡­! ¡°The Knight Order is running away!¡± ¡°What?!¡± A thunderbolt of words burst out from one of his fellow revolutionary members. ¡°They¡¯re breaking formation! They¡¯re creating an escape route!¡± ¡°Those bastards, what kind of communication did they receive?!¡± ¡°Stop them! If this happens, the defensive line will collapse!¡± ¡°Let go, you lowborn scum! Don¡¯t you know what situation this is¡­!¡± ¡°Argh?! These sons of bitches are using magic on us!¡± It was complete chaos. While they were already struggling to respond to the advancing Special Magical Power Unit, now the Knight Order was trying to break formation? This couldn¡¯t be¡­! Click, click-click¡­ Just as he was thinking that. Receiving magical power communication through his magic imprint, Fell immediately focused all his attention on it. ¡°Headquarters?! What¡¯s going on! What are the next orders?! How is the operation progressing¡­!¡± And the next moment. ¨C Ah, ah. Good. The connection status is fine. The voice that came through the magical power communication wasn¡¯t Randall¡¯s, but that of an unfamiliar person. ¨C Rebel mages, can you hear my voice? ¡°What, what? Rebels?¡± ¡°This voice¡­¡± ¡°Could it be, Imperial army?¡± The languid voice calling them rebels. The moment they heard that voice, the blood drained from Fell¡¯s and the other mages¡¯ faces. ¡®For the enemy to use magical power communication on our network means they¡¯ve captured the core imprint that relays magical power wavelengths. And the imprint that relays the Revolutionary Army¡¯s magical power communications is¡­!¡¯ ?????????? The supreme leader¡¯s magic imprint, [Red Wings]. In other words, they had now extracted Claude¡¯s imprint. And realizing this, Fell could recognize who the owner of the voice coming through the magical power communication was. ¨C This is Special Magical Power Unit Commander, Colonel Eugene Lorentz. Eugene Lorentz. The leader of those devils who were driving them into a corner. ¨C Your commanding officer Randall Dean Clark and rebel supreme leader Claude Elcidore have just been killed¡­ ¡°Ha, haha¡­! Hahaha¡­!¡± ¡°Fell! What¡¯s happening?! This communication¡­¡± Still seemingly unable to grasp the situation, one revolutionary member beside him turned to Fell. He was getting irritated seeing his colleague standing beside him laughing like he¡¯d lost his mind. But the moment the member with the scrunched face looked at Fell. Click. Fell had his pistol, which had been holstered at his waist, pointed at his own chin. ¡°Hey, what are you-!¡± Bang-! Before his colleague could stop him, Fell¡¯s pistol spat fire. ¡°Ah, ah¡­!¡± ¡°Ca-Captain Fell¡­!¡± ¡°What! What just happened?!¡± ¡°Re-retreat! Run away! Run away!¡± What had they said when they first set out? To change the Empire? To end the Emperor¡¯s suffocating rule and create a new world? It was all nonsense. A hopeless battle situation. No response from above. The Knight Order trying to flee. And finally, the suicide of their commanding officer. Whatever cause or ideals they had resolved themselves to at the start had long since vanished. The terrified revolutionary members now began to flee in complete disarray, having lost all reason. ¡°Confusion occurring in enemy ranks. Their formation is collapsing.¡± ¡°Looks like Eugene succeeded.¡± Watching the anti-aircraft position occupied by the Revolutionary Army, Special Magical Power Unit 2nd Battalion Commander Guille smiled slightly. ¡°Eugene, you crazy bastard, you really caught a seven-stroke mage.¡± He¡¯d thought it was an impossible operation, but he really pulled it off. Guille¡¯s grip tightened on his weapon. If he dawdled while his superior was doing this, who knows what harsh words he¡¯d hear during the post-operation review. Thinking this, Guille immediately loaded a magic bullet into his pistol. When the five-stroke magic imprint implanted in his right arm began to glow, the other members who saw it grinned. ¡°3rd and 5th platoons advance first, with the fire support team following. The remaining troops?!¡± ¡°1st and 7th platoons are combat ineffective! The rest are ready!¡± ¡°Good. All troops prepare to charge!¡± As Guille raised the pistol in his right hand, the other members in cover lowered their bodies. Rumble¨C! The moment shells from the armored train swept through the Revolutionary Army¡¯s position- ¡°All troops charge-! Tear the rebels to pieces-!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaah¨C!¡± ¡°Forward! Forward-!¡± With Guille¡¯s command, the 2nd Battalion members began charging all at once. Simultaneous attacks occurring throughout the Imperial Capital¡¯s direct jurisdiction. Unlike the magic nobles they had been facing, the Imperial army was defeating them all too smoothly. *** ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­!¡± Two shadows could be seen running down an old alley. Trench coats and berets, wing-shaped magic imprints made of brass. These were the characteristics of the Revolutionary Army they had seen sickeningly often. ¡°Where¡­ Just where did the plan leak from?!¡± A voice rang out. While frantically fleeing, one of the members ground his teeth and shouted. Right. Randall had surely said this plan was perfect. That they would start simultaneous uprisings in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital to disperse the Special Magical Power Unit, and during that time, they would infiltrate and deal with the Emperor. The security would have been lax, and there wouldn¡¯t have been any mages guarding, so they just needed to pull the trigger. ¡®But now, all those plans that were made have been twisted.¡¯ Randall, who had made the plan, had become a pile of ashes and had his magic imprint taken. Claude, the Revolutionary Army supreme leader, had become a cold corpse. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The moment they lost both men who were the pillars of the plan, all command structure of the Revolutionary Army collapsed. They had simply degenerated into a mere mob of rioters, without even high-ranking executives to give retreat orders. ¨C Eastern Direct Jurisdiction in charge, 4th Battalion Commander Matt. Area suppression complete. ¨C Western sector, 2nd Battalion operation complete too. We¡¯ve captured the main executive members. Handing them over to Intelligence Department agents. ¨C Southern sector 3rd Battalion! They fortified the anti-aircraft position, so we turned the position to dust! Looking at how these bastards fought, seems like there were a few knights mixed in, maybe we should have kept one alive? ¡°We¡¯ve secured about five from other sectors. The rest are unnecessary, eliminate them all.¡± Magical power communications were coming in one after another from the commanders in charge of each sector. The Revolutionary Army being quickly dealt with, along with revolutionary members from the Republic who had cooperated with them. And even the knights who had been attacking the Special Magic Unit while disguised as Revolutionary Army. They would all be dragged to the Imperial Palace underground as prisoners. The torture technicians dispatched from the Intelligence Department would gladly extract information from these guys. ¡°With everyone below working, how can I rest?¡± Muttering that, I fired my pistol straight ahead. Bang-! ¡°Kuhk?!¡± The bullet that cut through the air pierced one of the shadows. It was a strange sensation. Though it was just a basic technique, it had enough power to pierce through a mage¡¯s barrier. In the past, I would have felt at least some magical power draining away. But now that I had awakened the seven-stroke imprint and could use domain. Firing a magic bullet with this much power was nothing. ¡°Damn it¡­ My, my leg¡­¡± The Revolutionary Army member screaming while clutching his ankle. Though it was hundreds of meters away, [Eye of Horus] had hit its target precisely. ¡°Go ahead! I¡¯m done for!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! How can I throw away a comrade who shared in our great cause like an old shoe¡­!¡± ¡°You should have thrown them away like old shoes.¡± While they were squabbling over their fallen comrade, I said that having reached right beside them. ¡°You should survive, even if just one person, to plan for the future, right?¡± Though I¡¯d killed the big shots Randall and Claude, unfortunately my work wasn¡¯t done yet. [Eye of Horus] is a detection technique with the highest level of precision. The operation speed differs depending on whether it¡¯s used or not. I was identifying the locations of Revolutionary Army members scattered throughout the Imperial Capital and relaying them to our troops. A tedious task that made me want to yawn. When I dealt with the rats hiding in the Imperial Capital¡¯s alleys while I was at it, the revolutionary members who heard my voice turned pale and trembled. ¡°Eugene¡­ Lorentz¡­!¡± Yes, correct answer. Multiple iron chains appeared from a magic circle that manifested in the air. Swoosh-! ¡°Kuk?!¡± Magical power chains binding both arms of the fleeing revolutionary member. In the case of his fallen comrade, I put it around his neck instead of his arms. It was quite entertaining to see the faces of the two people as I bound the no~ble Revolutionary Army fighters who would liberate the Empire with chains like slaves. ¡°Why¡­ Why do you side with those people! Eugene!¡± To those words spat out like blood, I walked leisurely toward where they were. The uniform roughly thrown over my shoulders, Heresy held in one hand. And the magical power that was slowly leaking out around me, having awakened not too long ago. Honestly, I was dying of exhaustion. I felt like throwing away all this suppression operation nonsense and going to sleep in my quarters. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a poor person like us! Weren¡¯t you a refugee! Then why¡­ Why¡­!¡± ¡°Why did I side with the Emperor instead of you guys?¡± While answering, I pressed the gun barrel against the man¡¯s face. How dare rebel scum bark. Making noise in the neighborhood in the middle of the night. Thinking that, I spoke to the two revolutionary members with a languid expression. ¡°Simple. The ending of this game was getting betrayed while doing the revolution with you guys.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Look at that expression. A face showing they didn¡¯t understand at all? Well, it¡¯s natural they would react like that. How could there be games or anything like that in this world. Since I wasn¡¯t particularly expecting an answer, I pulled the trigger without hesitation. Bang-! The magic bullet that flew from Heresy struck the man¡¯s face. A non-lethal impact round rather than a penetrating round. ¡°Looking at your appearance, you seem like an executive, this is perfect timing.¡± This guy should have lots of information to extract. Looking at the man losing consciousness and collapsing, that¡¯s what I thought. ¡°Do your revolution among yourselves.¡± After putting a cigarette in my mouth, I opened my lips to the air. ¡°I¡¯m going to sell you out and live well.¡± After falling into this damn game world. From beginning to end, that was my only goal. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 109 #109 ¡°Damn it¡­ To end like this, like this¡­!¡± ¡°Remember this! You imperial dogs, the ideals of the Republic will someday¡­!¡± ¡°Execute.¡± Ratatatata-! The rebellion in the imperial capital was quickly suppressed. The death of the real power Randall and the supreme leader Claude. The numerous executives who became morning dew at the execution grounds before they could even mourn those deaths. From my position watching from afar, it was quite a peculiar feeling. The ones who had raised the red flag at the top of the imperial palace in the original work were now mostly executed or exiled to the northern prison. ¡®Though, it¡¯s not like I particularly sympathize with them.¡¯ No matter how much they talked about their cause and ideals, even newly assigned recruits knew that the current Revolutionary Army was just a puppet of the Republic. Rest in peace¡­ as if. Looking at the fresh rank insignia provided by the Imperial Army headquarters, I muttered in bewilderment. ¡°I finally got it after all.¡± As the commander of the Special Magical Power Unit, I suppressed the rebellion, killed the rebel leaders, and uncovered the connection between the Revolutionary Army and the Republic. A triple axel achievement earned at the cost of risking my life. The silver rank insignia placed on the table was one of those rewards. The imperial army emblem shining in silver, and the star gleaming brilliantly in its center. At the young¡ªno, childish age of eighteen, I was able to wear a star. Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz. As a reward for suppressing this rebellion, I became the youngest general in Imperial Army history. ¡°Brigadier General. It¡¯s time for the meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± There was no time to be lost in sentiment. The Revolutionary Army was both the biggest variable shaking the Empire and a cornerstone that had been suppressing internal conflicts within the Empire. The moment it disappears, all the conflicts the Empire had accumulated would explode in an instant. No one knows what will happen to the Empire from now on. ¡®I suppose my knowledge of the original work is almost useless now anyway.¡¯ After attaching the new rank insignia to my uniform, I left the room. As soon as I left my private quarters, I saw figures from all walks of life densely filling the imperial palace. ¡°He¡¯s out.¡± ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­¡± ¡°A brigadier general? At that young age?¡± ¡°Well, his achievements speak for themselves.¡± ¡°Even so, that¡¯s¡­¡± Savoring the voices of those whispering about me, I made my way toward the central palace where the imperial audience would be held. One week after the rebellion in the imperial capital. The sword handle was firmly in our grasp. *** The central hall of the imperial palace where the imperial audience was being held. When the senate members, regular nobles, and representatives of magic noble families all gathered together, the spacious hall was packed without room to even step. ??????????B§¦? ¡°A rebellion in the imperial capital, it¡¯s extremely unsettling.¡± ¡°I heard the Republic had a hand in it. To use such dirty tricks while under a ceasefire¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty must have had a difficult time. But to hold an imperial audience after just a week, this is¡­¡± High-ranking officials buzzing with their own topics. Amidst the crowding of numerous power holders, the magic nobles seated in one corner of the meeting hall couldn¡¯t hide their anxiety. Especially severe were the nobles belonging to the Buckenheim faction. Those who had secretly sponsored this rebellion were now feeling as if they were sitting on pins and needles. ¡®Why¡­ Why isn¡¯t there any word?¡¯ Among those who participated in the attack on the imperial capital were knights, and the Imperial Intelligence Department persistently caught them. While a considerable number of knights committed suicide, just as many others were detained in the underground prison of the imperial castle for interrogation. With the Empire¡¯s best torturers gathered in the Intelligence Department holding them, the game was as good as over. The information that the Republic and Revolutionary Army were connected. And evidence that magic nobles had secretly supported such a Revolutionary Army had fallen into the Emperor¡¯s hands. ¡®However, for a week after suppressing the rebellion, the Emperor hasn¡¯t raised any issues.¡¯ This was exactly what made the magic nobles anxious. If he would at least arrest them for treason or send the Imperial Guard Knight Order, they could think of countermeasures, but he didn¡¯t even do that, leaving them at a loss for what to do. A strange silence. However, even amid all this, those gathered in the meeting hall could understand one thing. That the Emperor had obtained justification to draw his sword whenever he wished. And now that the attack on the imperial capital had failed, the magic noble faction had no way to prevent it. Though there were no particular movements for now, this was merely the calm before the storm. The winds of reform were predetermined, and it was the Emperor who held the sword handle. ¡®And the name of that sword in the Emperor¡¯s hand is¡­¡¯ As the nobles thought this, their gazes turned to one person. Eugene Lorentz. One who monopolized the Emperor¡¯s trust at a young age and attained the position of general before turning 20. And one who possessed such military achievements and power that no one could raise objections despite such unprecedented personnel appointments. ¡°Seven stroke at such a young age¡­ Truly an unprecedented genius in imperial history.¡± Eugene, who was attending the imperial audience on the recommendation of the Emperor and Imperial Army headquarters. What the nobles noticed was where he stood. On the opposite side of Andrei, the Imperial Guard Knight Order Commander, to the left of the central throne where the Emperor would sit. Seeing him standing in Keiren¡¯s place, who was currently at the front lines, the Empire¡¯s power holders instinctively understood what position Eugene had come to occupy. Keiren¡¯s proxy in controlling the military. Eugene had now become a core figure representing one pillar of the imperial faction. ¡°Is everyone present?¡± What broke through the strange tension enveloping the meeting hall was the Emperor¡¯s voice. The nobles and elders immediately stood up from their seats to show respect. After having them take their seats, the Emperor began presiding over the imperial audience as if nothing had happened. The damage situation in each territory due to the rebellion. Support measures for them, and reconstruction project plans. The upcoming talks with the Republic, and discussions about them. Despite the unsettling atmosphere following the rebellion, the Emperor¡¯s demeanor in discussing with the nobles was incomparably composed. ¡°Now that we seem to have discussed the main issues, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± But that was only for a moment. After waving away the waiting attendants, the Emperor handed out thick bundles of documents to those seated in the meeting hall. ¡°Your Majesty, this is¡­¡± The phrase written on the document cover was ¡®Imperial Assembly Establishment Plan.¡¯ With expressions saying what was bound to come had arrived, the tensed nobles quickly examined the plan distributed by the Emperor. ¡°The ¡®Imperial Assembly¡¯ was a policy institution that existed in the early days of the Kalhyram Empire¡¯s establishment.¡± Along with the sound of pages turning, the Emperor¡¯s explanation began. ¡°An advisory body where representative figures from all walks of life in the Empire gathered to discuss policies and deliver them to the imperial family. However, it gradually became forgotten and obsolete while dealing with the unprecedented calamity called the Monster War.¡± The content was about reviving this organization and reorganizing it as an advisory body for implementing imperial policies by having citizen representatives, figures from various sectors, and territory resident representatives from each territory participate. It was a declaration to involve the general citizen class, not nobles, in imperial politics. ¡°Of course, since it¡¯s limited to an advisory role rather than actual authority, it won¡¯t cause changes to the existing imperial power structure.¡± Though the Emperor said this, the nobles who skimmed through the documents immediately clutched their heads. A channel being created where the citizen class could voice their opinions, and these opinions being directly delivered to the Emperor. This was not at all welcome content for the noble class, especially the magic nobles who had positions equivalent to kings in their own territories. However, just as they were about to open their mouths to say something, the Emperor mentioned the territorial residents¡¯ rebellions that occurred in conjunction with this imperial palace attack. ¡°The fact that we couldn¡¯t prevent this attack in advance is, paradoxically, because the Empire¡¯s subjects don¡¯t trust us. The war with the Republic, and the monsters. The Empire has sacrificed far too much to overcome these unprecedented calamities.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The disappearance of a properly functioning Imperial Assembly and the separation between our imperial subjects and us are also such matters. It¡¯s a tradition of the Empire that we¡¯ve kept at arm¡¯s length for the sake of survival as the supreme premise.¡± After catching his breath briefly, the Emperor spoke. ¡°However, now the Empire has changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The eastern monster front is being cleaned up smoothly, and the contaminated zone purification project is also on track. With the national treasury having room thanks to the Republic¡¯s war reparations, now the Empire will take its first step toward returning to the glorious golden age that existed before the Great Rupture appeared.¡± Let¡¯s restore lost traditions. This agenda brought out by the Emperor drew favorable responses from the senate members who remembered the old Empire, but the nobles with territories immediately began to oppose. ¡°Your Majesty. At this point, not long after suppressing the public uprising, to give such authority to the general citizen class.¡± ¡°This is giving legitimacy to the rebels¡¯ actions. Moreover¡­¡± ¡°If things go wrong, it could give the impression that the Empire yielded to their public uprising. Not only would it damage the Empire¡¯s authority, but it could also become the spark for new rebellions¡­¡± ¡°Rebels, you say.¡± A rebuttal worthy of nodding agreement from the listening nobles. ¡°You all say such strange things.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± However, hearing those words, the Emperor opened his mouth with a smiling face. ¡°The rebels who threatened the Empire under the Republic¡¯s orders were annihilated just last week. The supreme leader is dead, and the connections with the Republic have been revealed in detail.¡± When the rebellion issue that hadn¡¯t been mentioned all along came out through the Emperor¡¯s mouth, the faces of the opposing magic nobles turned pale. ¡®You¡¯re the ones who supported those rebels from behind.¡¯ ¡®Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡¯ While maintaining a smiling face, the Emperor was saying just that. ¡°This very moment, when the Empire has been cleanly swept, is the opportunity to reward the ¡®truly loyal imperial subjects¡¯ who did not participate in the rebellion. Couldn¡¯t you think of it that way?¡± ¡°Your Majesty. But that is¡­!¡± Just as the nobles who couldn¡¯t find words were about to speak further. ¡°House Gloucester supports the imperial family¡¯s decision.¡± The representative of House Gloucester seated at the round table said this while placing his right hand, implanted with a magic imprint, on his heart. The glowing of the magic imprint meant that the Margrave himself, connected through magical power communication, had agreed. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While the nobles were stirring, an unfamiliar voice was heard from the direction of the meeting room door. ¡°Korhonen also agrees with the imperial family¡¯s decision.¡± Korhonen. When that name came out, the gazes of the representatives from each family and the attendees all turned to one place. An achromatic Knight Order ceremonial uniform covered by a black fur cloak. Seeing this strange attire unsuited for the season, the nobles momentarily lost their words. ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°Korhonen?¡± As words were coming out like this, one of the senate members who saw the emblem embroidered on the cloak opened his mouth as if in disbelief. ¡°¡­Count Kassel!¡± ¡°!?¡± ¡°Are you saying that Margrave Korhonen has come to the imperial palace in person?¡± At this unprecedented event in decades, the nobles gathered in the meeting hall began to buzz. However, as if such reactions weren¡¯t even worth considering, the count slowly walked into the meeting hall and bowed his head toward the Emperor. ¡°Head of Korhonen, Kassel Korhonen. I greet Your Imperial Majesty.¡± A voice mixed with metallic sounds. At the same time, it was a voice with an eerie resonance. ¡°You¡¯ve made a difficult journey, Count. Please take your seat.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The count, welcomed by the Emperor, slowly walked to take his seat. A chair that had been empty for decades whenever imperial audiences were held. When the northern hegemon who had never voiced his opinions took his seat, the Buckenheim faction¡¯s representative asked again. ¡°M-Margrave Korhonen, Your Lordship. What you just said¡­¡± ¡°I said Korhonen supports the imperial family¡¯s decision.¡± Hearing those words, both the magic nobles and the nobles supporting the imperial family couldn¡¯t hide their bewilderment. For Korhonen, who had never made any statements about central affairs, to suddenly come out in support of the imperial family? However, such thoughts lasted only briefly. ¡°Ah, yes. So be it, Your Lordship.¡± The representative who seemed to have reached communication with the main family muttered into his magic imprint and opened his mouth. ¡°Du-Duke Buckenheim has also expressed his agreement.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Starting with Buckenheim, the heads of each magic noble family conveyed their agreement to the Emperor¡¯s policy through magic imprints connected to their representatives. ¡°Nachtval agrees.¡± ¡°Count Drexler also agrees.¡± ¡°Dvorak will also follow Your Majesty¡¯s decision¡­¡± The pretext of restoring the old Empire¡¯s traditions. The political intention to quell the remaining embers of rebellion. In a situation where they couldn¡¯t find grounds for opposition anyway, and now with both Margraves who guard the frontiers agreeing. They must have judged there was nothing to gain by showing defiance here. Thus, the meeting that was expected to be difficult ended much more anticlimactically than expected, with victory for the imperial faction. After the representatives left their seats, what remained in the meeting room were the Emperor and his close associates. Looking at the suddenly empty meeting room, Andrei spoke to the Emperor sitting in his seat. ¡°They won¡¯t stay quiet.¡± ¡°Indeed. Though they¡¯re showing submission for now, where would decades of accumulated power go?¡± After saying this, the Emperor turned his gaze to Count Korhonen sitting in his seat. The large man sitting like a statue. After silently observing that figure, the Emperor slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Thanks to you, things went much more smoothly, Kassel. I won¡¯t forget this.¡± Count Korhonen silently bowed his head. However, due to the strange sense of incongruity I¡¯d been feeling from before, I frowned. ¡®Is that¡­ really the Count himself?¡¯ No, that couldn¡¯t be. The Korhonen Margrave would surely be a top-tier magician with a seven stroke imprint. But the man standing before me didn¡¯t give off any feeling of being such a powerful magician at all. No, even before thinking whether he was a magician¡­ ¡®Is that even human?¡¯ ¡°What you¡¯re thinking is correct, Eugene.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Andrei¡¯s words as he grabbed my shoulder. At the same time, the Margrave who stood up from his seat slowly approached me. The black cloak covering his entire body. But what was glimpsed of the Count¡¯s body between the gaps¡­ Click. Click. ¡°¡­An automaton?¡± There was no doubt. An automaton created with mechanical devices and an exoskeleton centered around a precisely processed monster mana core. A bizarre doll with a body like a ball-jointed doll, but with a face uncannily similar to a human¡¯s, was looking at me. ¡°Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz?¡± The voice flowed from the expressionless face. A voice output from mechanical devices while the mouth remained still. My surprise at the strangely metallic voice was brief. I simply showed proper courtesy and spoke. ¡°I greet the Guardian of the North. Special Magical Power Unit Commander, Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°¡­So it wasn¡¯t false that you recovered one of the five imprints. You really did awaken the seven stroke imprint.¡± After saying this, the Margrave¡­ no, the doll taking the Margrave¡¯s form turned its gaze toward the Emperor. ¡°This time, I hope it will be certain.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. That¡¯s why I called you here personally.¡± Certain? What? And the Emperor called him? Why are these guys having another conversation only they understand? While I was frowning and thinking this. ¡°Come with me to Korhonen.¡± The doll, its facial part clattering, said while looking at me. It was an abrupt invitation from the northern hegemon with no context. ¡°Your Lordship. What do you mean all of a sudden.¡± Could you turn on some lights before entering? Just as I was about to wave my hand with that thought. ¡°If you truly wish to become the master of the Empire.¡± A statement that simply couldn¡¯t be ignored pierced my ears. ¡°There is something you must see.¡± I met the gaze of the doll looking at me, having thrown off the mask covering its face. In that emotionless doll¡¯s voice, there was an undefinable heat burning within. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention! P.S: If you want to buy the chapters in bulk and wanted a custom price, do hit me up on my discord account @_dawn24 Chapter 110 #110 Screech¡ª! Along with the horn sound, an armored train heading north was running on the snow-covered tracks. A prisoner transport armored train bound for the northern prison. The first car of this train, which gathered all sorts of dregs and vermin of the Kalhyram Empire society, was where I was seated. ¡°Eugene, look over there! Snow! There¡¯s so much!¡± ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve been seeing it for three days straight.¡± The party heading north was much smaller than expected. There was Irene, bouncing around like a Samoyed seeing snow, and me shaking my head at that sight. Margrave Korhonen sitting across from us with his head down. And¡­¡­ ¡°Is there anything you¡¯re uncomfortable with?¡± ¡°Ah, no! Thank you¡­!¡± Squeezed in between us was a private first class who had been drafted as an orderly. Seeing the rookie private maintaining a rigid posture while frozen stiff, a feeling of sympathy naturally bloomed in my heart. ¡®Really, this is pitiful.¡¯ When I needed an orderly and inquired with the Special Magic Unit¡¯s administration department, this guy was waiting for me at the station. Chern Pailled. No, age 16, rank private first class. Normally, this would be the rank where one would just be finishing their time as the youngest and starting military life with newly arrived juniors. However, what this fresh rank faced was an insane situation ¨C on one side was a division commander, and on the other was a magic noble ranked within the top 10 of imperial power. No, I thought they¡¯d at least give me an officer of second lieutenant rank. With how much our unit has grown, are we still short-handed? ¡°The imperial family members have been restless.¡± While I was thinking that as I looked at the completely stiffened Private Chern. The margrave, who had been sitting with his head down silently, slowly opened his¡­ no, his speaker. ¡°Understandable. Those who were closest to His Majesty during the attack incident couldn¡¯t do anything at all.¡± Though I was receiving the Emperor¡¯s favor for preventing the assassination attempt, I was nothing but a thorn in the side of the imperial family members. Such a person had suppressed this rebellion and achieved such an unprecedented promotion. From their perspective, it was like having fire dropped on their feet. ??¦­????????¦¥? ¡°Their wariness of you isn¡¯t just for such reasons.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± A voice flowed from the automaton¡¯s speaker. ¡°Those who are especially wary of you aren¡¯t just simple imperial family members, but the princes who hold succession rights to the throne.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Thinking about it, that was true. Princes my age were just learning military tactics as junior officers or showing their faces in political circles. Even the strong candidates led by Meldir could only rely on the power of their supporting noble factions, unable to directly lead their own factions. ¡®Among them, Prince Baker must be taking it especially hard.¡¯ Prince Baker, who supported and represented the rebels, had completely fallen due to this incident. I heard that now he¡¯s living a life no different from exile, holed up in a frontier territory. ¡®Though they won¡¯t carelessly touch him while the Emperor is alive¡­¡¯ I had no intention of letting that guy live quietly. The last of the three traitors who betrayed the protagonist. Even though he¡¯s fallen now, his own wit and capital as a prince haven¡¯t disappeared. If given the opportunity, I should kill him without hesitation. ¡°Strong magical power at a young age. And the Emperor¡¯s favor that seems strange in its intensity.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Keep this in mind. To them, you are no longer just some young hero.¡± Are they saying they recognize me as a powerful competitor who will contend for the throne? Understanding that implied meaning, I opened my mouth with a pleased expression. ¡°I know.¡± The Emperor was raising me as his successor. The existing succession rights holders figured that out? That¡¯s actually better. Sooner or later, there won¡¯t be any place for the imperial family in the empire anyway. *** Whoosh¨C! Along with the sound of steam being released, the train that had been running for three days and nights came to a stop. Korhonen Station. It was the terminal station of the empire¡¯s transcontinental railway extending northward. ¡°Eugene! There¡¯s so much snow here too¡­! Achoo!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± The Korhonen autonomous region located at the empire¡¯s northernmost point. Looking at the snow-covered city and the massive wall surrounding it, I had only one impression. Cold. And intensely so. Even though I had served frontier duty that only 1% of Republic of Korea soldiers experienced in my previous life, the cold here was of an intensity that defied comparison. To give you an idea of how severe it was¡­ ¡°Eugene, look at this! My snot froze!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡­¡± Yeah. Let¡¯s just leave it at that. After spending some time melting Irene¡¯s snot with magic and wiping it away¡­ Rumble-! A half-track armored vehicle was approaching from far off at the station, plowing through the rough snow field. ¡°Division Commander Eugene Lorentz! Is that correct?!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Please save us since that¡¯s correct. As I said that with a desperate feeling, a man wearing an imperial army uniform appeared, opening the armored vehicle¡¯s door. ¡°I am Colonel Sandal Denton, officer in charge of the autonomous region¡¯s prison! This way please!¡± I received the colonel¡¯s salute with a newly emotional feeling. A colonel saluting me first. Coming outside the imperial capital, I finally felt the reality of having received my stars. ¡°Ah, right. Report.¡± While I was thinking that, Colonel Sandal who turned his gaze spoke to the Count Korhonen standing beside me. More precisely, to the automaton wearing the count¡¯s face. ¡°Your Lordship, we have properly received the VIP. From now on, we will guide them.¡± ¡°I leave it to you.¡± An emotionless voice. However, what the automaton that had been using the count¡¯s voice did next was surprising. Clunk, clunk clunk. ¡°Huh?¡± The automaton immediately brought its hands to its face and began peeling off its face. The automaton, now with a plain silver face matching its body, saluted me with mechanical movements. ¡°Automaton No. 1102, escort duty complete. Returning to regular duties.¡± With those words, it turned its back and walked toward the armored train. ¡°¡­What is this.¡± ¡°An interesting sight, isn¡¯t it?¡± As I watched with a bewildered feeling, Colonel Sandal spoke with a bitter smile. ¡°That automaton is originally one of those monitoring the prisoner transport train. The Count was controlling it separately.¡± ¡°Controlling?¡± ¡°Yes. He controls the automatons from his mansion located in the city center.¡± This was news to me. According to the original [Revolution Empire], Korhonen in the north was a region that only existed in the setting. A frontier that naturally joined the protagonist¡¯s forces when the revolution succeeded. However, the actual Korhonen autonomous region possessed technology that was incomparable to its low importance in the game. ¡®Moreover, from what I just heard, that automaton was No. 1102? That means¡­¡­¡¯ In other words, it meant there were over 1000 such automatons. Is he saying the Count himself controls all of them? ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be surprised by just this much. Once you arrive in the autonomous region, you¡¯ll often see even more amazing sights.¡± What could be more amazing than this? While saying that, something happened at the transport train stopped at the station. Bang-! ¡°?!¡± A window suddenly burst open. Through that narrow window, prisoners began escaping one by one. ¡°Hahaha! Freedom! We¡¯re free-!¡± ¡°So it was true that the train would stop! This is our chance!¡± Looking at the right arm of the prisoner in the lead, a two stroke magic imprint supplied by the Knight Order was glowing. I had heard they put magical power restriction formulas on them, but it seemed they had managed to break the binding formula inside the train. ¡°A mage broke the window!¡± ¡°Shit, the guards are coming! Quickly escape¡­!¡± The guards who were inside the train were running in panic to stop them. ¡®Looking at it, it seems they were able to escape because of me.¡¯ It was something I could understand with just a moment¡¯s thought. The train that should have gone straight to the prison had stopped at an intermediate station to let me off. Since things got complicated because of me, I should help to some extent. As I drew up magical power while watching the guards frantically running from the train¡¯s direction. ¡°Sir.¡± Colonel Sandal stopped me with a bitter smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to step in, sir.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Just as he said that. Click-! The automaton that had been walking toward the armored train extended its hand toward the escaping prisoners. More precisely, the end parts that looked like hands. A faint magical power light was emanating from between the mechanical devices that opened to the sides. Magical power spewing from the mana core in the center gathered together, and the next moment. Bang¨C! An enormous magical power wave shattered the prisoners escaping from the train into pieces. ¡°W-what the hell?!¡± ¡°What is that?! There definitely weren¡¯t any mages among the guards¡­!¡± ¡°Run! If we scatter, at least one person¡­!¡± Though the prisoners were bewildered by the magic that suddenly struck them, it was already too late. Because the automaton that instantly closed the distance crushed their faces with its fist. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-what is this¡­!¡± Blood splattered on the cold armored train¡¯s armor plate. Steam was rising from the fallen prisoners¡¯ bodies. What a heartwarming sight to see right after arriving in the north. Watching the criminals trembling like insects, that¡¯s what I thought. ¡°The guards¡¯ panic wasn¡¯t because the prisoners escaped.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°It was their struggle to save at least one person before the automaton turned the prisoners into that state.¡± The one who spoke with a slight smile was Colonel Sandal, who was watching that scene with a familiar expression. ¡°Having to remove the pieces stuck to the armored train in this cold north is quite troublesome, you see.¡± ¡°I¡­ see.¡± This guy looks innocent but says some pretty brutal things. Though that¡¯s what I thought, my interest wasn¡¯t in the prisoners. ¡®That automaton¡­¡­¡¯ Taking down a two stroke mage in one hit, and strength that crushes a human body with one punch. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. I let my guard down because I couldn¡¯t sense any magical power, but its performance was beyond imagination. And there are at least a thousand such automatons? ¡°Ah~! These bastards, they just had to break out and get themselves killed!¡± ¡°How long is it going to take to clean this up again. These damn bastards¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Hurry up and walk!¡± While saying that, the guards who rushed out from the train began blocking the automaton and calling the prisoners back in. The prisoners stunned by the scattered flesh and corpses everywhere, and the guards roughly shoving them back in. ¡°Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz, sir.¡± As I was watching that with indescribable eyes, Colonel Sandal who opened the armored vehicle¡¯s door spoke to me. ¡°Welcome to the Korhonen autonomous region.¡± The snow-covered city and the steel wall surrounding it. The armored train heading toward the prison, and the criminals¡¯ blood splattered on its armor. And Colonel Sandal gesturing to me with all that as the backdrop. ¡°¡­Haha.¡± A hollow laugh escaped involuntarily. It seemed this place was far more insane than I had thought. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 111 #111 The Korhonen autonomous region, located in the north, was originally a military city built to defend the coast. A fortress established to block foreign tribes invading along the northern coast. However, when the Monster War broke out, an anomaly appeared in this quiet fortress city. A rupture opened deep in the northern coast. ¡®W-what the hell?!¡¯ ¡®Monsters are rising from the seabed!¡¯ ¡®Mage! Call a mage! Hurry¡­!¡¯ Though it was just an average-sized rupture in terms of size, the Empire soon realized the gravity of the situation. The Great Rupture was a hell¡¯s maw that contaminated the surrounding environment and endlessly spewed out monsters. The only way to close it was for an elite group of mages to enter the rupture and destroy the rupture stone that formed its core. However, the location of the Great Rupture that appeared in Korhonen was in the deep sea. With existing technology, it was impossible to even approach the Great Rupture that had opened at the bottom of the ice sea, let alone enter it. The rupture activated underwater kept spewing out monsters, and there was no way to stop it. From the Empire¡¯s perspective, it was a situation that forced them into an endless war of attrition. Eventually, the Empire built a great wall to block these monsters¡¯ invasion and entrusted its defense to the Count Korhonen family, which was a prestigious military family. And in that process, the Count Korhonen family acquired all governing rights of the north. By now, they had become the rulers of the north, encompassing all the snow-covered regions of the Empire¡¯s northern territory. ¡°However, isn¡¯t food self-sufficiency impossible in the north due to geographical characteristics?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± ¡°So our Imperial Army created and maintained supply lines to maintain relations with Korhonen¡­!¡± ¡­Just as Colonel Sandal¡¯s three-hour-long lecture on Korhonen history was about to continue. ¡°A-choo!¡± ¡°Oh my, seems the fireplace was lacking fuel. Just a moment¡­¡± Irene¡¯s sneeze timely interrupted it. ¡°Well done, Irene.¡± ¡°Huh? What did I do?¡± ¡°Something big. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might have died from neurosis before even reaching the mansion.¡± ¡°???¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At that moment. Clank-! ¡°Ugh?!¡± As the tracked vehicle jolted after hitting a rock, Private Chern, who was on duty, let out a groan. ¡°The road is quite rough. Isn¡¯t that right, Private?¡± ¡°N-no, sir!¡± Quite? While I was thinking that, Sandal gave me an apologetic smile. ¡°I have no words for transporting a hero of the Empire in such an old armored vehicle. Usually, we should have called for a ceremonial vehicle to escort you separately¡­¡± ?????????? ¡°No need. There¡¯s no need for such formality.¡± It¡¯s much better than walking. Besides, bringing a delicate thing like a ceremonial vehicle to this snowfield? When even the armored vehicle¡¯s heating system isn¡¯t working properly and needs to be preheated with magic? I guarantee the engine would die before even starting. As I was saying this, Colonel Sandal, who had lit the dead furnace, opened his mouth while looking at me. ¡°I received the telegram from headquarters well. A large-scale amnesty¡­ quite an interesting move from the central government.¡± ¡°Have you finished the selection process?¡± Instead of answering my question, Colonel Sandal pulled out documents from inside his coat. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a list of prisoners incarcerated in the northern prison. Background, occupation before imprisonment, family relations¡­ We¡¯ve gathered most of the relevant information.¡± Quick work indeed. Taking the documents, I immediately checked the profiles of those listed. ¡®An ideologist imprisoned during Revolutionary Army activities. A noble who fell after losing an internal faction fight. A journalist who criticized magic nobles and the Empire¡¯s ruling system. A professor who spread subversive ideology to students¡­¡¯ Political prisoners from various backgrounds and all walks of life. A faint smile appeared on my face as I looked at the list. ¡®While the Margrave¡¯s words piqued my interest, this is the real reason I accepted the invitation.¡¯ The reason I came to the north. More precisely, the reason the Emperor sent me here. It was related to the ¡®Imperial Assembly¡¯ that the Emperor said he would revive during the last royal audience. An advisory body that gathers representatives from all walks of life to hear their voices directly. The important thing here was these ¡®representatives from all walks of life who represent the citizens.¡¯ ¡®While it was quite comprehensive in range, when you think about it, it wasn¡¯t that broad.¡¯ Administrators, businessmen, politicians, ideologists, religious figures. Most of those who would participate in the Imperial Assembly would be intellectuals who prided themselves on having studied somewhere. People who were intellectuals but not nobles, those caught in between. But the real problem lay elsewhere. ¡®There¡¯s no talent. Seriously none.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s understandable.¡¯ Well. In the current Empire, the life paths of the intellectuals I mentioned earlier typically split into two branches. First, those who stuck with magic nobles to exploit citizens, only to end up like hedgehogs during this popular uprising. If not that? Those who bet their lives on the Revolutionary Army, only to perish miserably and cross the rainbow bridge during the recent capital raid incident. In a situation where you die whether you work for the citizens or exploit them, how could proper human resources remain? So even if the Emperor ambitiously wants to create an assembly, there aren¡¯t enough highly educated non-noble talents to fill it. ¡®Even recruiting officials and soldiers is difficult due to lack of people, let alone politicians and intellectuals.¡¯ That¡¯s why the Emperor focused on this place, Korhonen Prison. Businessmen and administrators who fell out of favor with magic nobles. Knights who lost in internal faction fights within the Knight Order. Revolutionaries who joined the Revolutionary Army only to be abandoned by the Republic¡¯s wishes. The imperial order given to me was to check all of these people and deliver those talented enough for the Imperial Assembly back to the Empire. Someone who could gather citizens¡¯ opinions and deliver them directly to the Emperor. Creating a ¡®people¡¯s faction¡¯ that would oppose magic nobles while filling the void left by the Revolutionary Army. ¡°I should warn you in advance that persuasion won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t. But what can we do?¡± Gotta do what needs to be done. Adding that, I tucked the documents Sandal handed me into my coat. Meeting them would come later. The urgent matter now was meeting the Margrave who had called me here. Clank- As we were talking, the half-track armored vehicle running through the snow jolted once. A sharp metallic sound came from under the vehicle. We had moved from the snow-covered ground onto a metal surface. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± When Colonel Sandal, who had leaned out the window, gave a hand signal, the iron gate blocking the armored vehicle slowly opened. The city gradually revealing itself beyond the concrete walls. Looking at the cityscape covered in metal structures and the great wall surrounding the city, I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut. [The Empire¡¯s Steel Fortress.] Korhonen City, which I had only seen in setting descriptions. The steel fortress located at the northernmost point of the continent was looking down at me with an imposing appearance befitting its name as a fortress. *** Click- Click- Two automatons guided me with regular mechanical sounds. A mansion more austere than Elcidore¡¯s, modest in size. Walking on the marble floor without even carpeting, Margrave Korhonen¡¯s private room soon came into view. ¡°So you¡¯ve come.¡± When I opened the door without warning, a voice came from inside the room. A voice that seemed blocked by something, with a metallic sound bubbling up from within. Without showing any discomfort at the jarring sensation, I entered the room, and a man sitting in a chair waved at me. ¡°Forgive the rudeness of not shaking hands. Having sent puppets as far as the capital, it¡¯s quite difficult to move my body.¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be invited, Your Lordship.¡± After finishing the ceremonial greeting, I raised my gaze to look at the Margrave. The ruler of the north. The so-called Great Ruler of the North. However, the Kassel Korhonen I saw was slightly different from the image in my head. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Small in height with a slight build. A mask made of iron and white robe, gloves on his hands. The intermittent coughing and the unsettling voice of the Margrave himself. He seemed more like a patient suffering from illness than the Margrave who oversaw the north. ¡°Sit here. Having a guest after so long, I find myself more excited than expected.¡± Following the Margrave¡¯s invitation to take a seat in the chair opposite him, I observed his private room. ¡®Stained cloth placed beside the bed. Incense burning throughout the room. And¡­¡¯ The smell of perfume strong enough to hurt my nose. It was a stopgap measure to mask the stench, just as lepers typically do. ¡°Were you contaminated by the rupture?¡± At my question that came without warning, Margrave Kassel shrugged with a slight smile. ¡°You¡¯re more perceptive than I expected.¡± ¡°It occasionally occurs in soldiers who¡¯ve fought monsters. While treatment isn¡¯t difficult¡­¡± ¡°In my case, it¡¯s already too late.¡± Saying that, the Margrave took off his gloves to show his hands. Blackened dead hands and necrotizing tissue. And pus and discharge flowing from within. ¡®That explains why he covers his entire body with masks and cloth.¡¯ Probably his whole body is in that condition. The Margrave Korhonen who guards the northern great wall is slowly dying. ¡°¡­On my way here, I occasionally saw automatons. They were all remarkable works.¡± ¡°Thanks to the efforts of the autonomous region¡¯s technicians.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s Your Lordship who controls them, isn¡¯t it?¡± I looked at the count¡¯s right arm that was still glowing brightly. A thousand automatons guarding the wall. The seven stroke magic imprint that controls them simultaneously and protects the north was Margrave Korhonen¡¯s ¡®Steel Puppeteer.¡¯ ¡®Korhonen¡¯s cold is severe, almost unbearable even for human bodies.¡¯ Especially guarding the high great wall would be even more so. An extreme cold where you¡¯d freeze to death just standing still, let alone stopping monsters climbing the wall. Therefore, the count decided to maximize the use of the Korhonen family¡¯s magic imprint as puppeteers. ¡®Allocating all the power of the seven stroke magic imprint to maintain the puppet control technique.¡¯ Thanks to this massive technique imprinted in the mansion, Korhonen could become a massive military force commanding a thousand-strong puppet army. Magic noble interference and monster invasions. It was an ingenious solution to block both simultaneously and maintain Korhonen. However¡­ ¡°Because of that, I missed the timing to treat my chronic illness.¡± The center of the collective technique was the chair where the Margrave sat. The moment he leaves his private room, controlling the puppets becomes impossible. Therefore, the count had endured for decades sitting in this cramped private room. ¡®He¡¯s insane.¡¯ An unbelievably reckless method. But the fact that Margrave Korhonen would unhesitatingly do such a crazy thing probably means he loves his citizens that much. A city maintained by the sacrifice of one hero. At its end, I came to visit this city. ¡°Don¡¯t you have an heir?¡± ¡°I did. A child with high magical power aptitude and intelligence.¡± Past tense. The Margrave spoke with a troubled expression. ¡°He¡¯s unable to move due to the same illness as mine, and his older brother is moving behind the scenes, which is the problem.¡± The Margrave had two sons, and the heir was the second son. But the first son was the problem. The first son who desired magic noble authority and awaited the hero¡¯s death. He was arguing that after his death, the northern defense should be entrusted to the Round Table. ¡®Handing the north over to magic nobles, what nonsense.¡¯ However, the Margrave didn¡¯t have much time left. His heir who inherited his illness was on the brink of death, and his remaining son was eyeing his position. In such a situation, the Margrave intended to draw me in as a variable to deal with his son who belonged to the magic noble faction. ¡°The truth one must know to become the Empire¡¯s master¡­ was that just a lie to draw me in?¡± When I asked, having grasped the count¡¯s intention, Kassel slowly shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a lie. Despite appearances, I know quite a lot about this Empire¡¯s blemishes.¡± ¡°Blemishes?¡± ¡°Yes. For example¡­¡± Trailing off, Kassel raised his hand to point at my right arm. ¡°That your ¡®Wings of Crimson¡¯ is an imprint directly bestowed by His Majesty to Maximilien.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or the fact that Maximilien, the Revolutionary Army supreme leader, was Lord Andrei¡¯s son.¡± ¡°¡­Wait. What did you say?¡± What nonsense is this now. At words I¡¯d never heard or seen in the original game, I doubted my ears for a moment. ¡°Information about your power, the reason His Majesty favors you, the past before you were born¡­ The information I can provide is far more than you think.¡± But sadly, I don¡¯t have much time left. Saying that, the count asked me. ¡°What do you think? Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you feel inclined to accept this old man¡¯s deal?¡± Two eyes behind the mask were staring at me. ¡®And here I thought he was just a patient, to think he¡¯d come at me like this.¡¯ Tightening the loosened strings of tension, I met the Margrave¡¯s gaze. Kassel Korhonen. Though old and sick, he was still the ruler of the north. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 112 #112 Swoosh- Behind the Korhonen mansion, there was a cliff overlooking the North Sea. The sea stretched out to the horizon. A sea that was like hell, teeming with monsters. Irene, dressed in outdoor clothes, sat at the edge of the cliff, gazing endlessly at that sea. ¡°Ah.¡± Then at some point, as if noticing something, Irene slowly rose from her spot. The quietly surging surface of the sea. The massive glacier existing beyond it. The enormous entrance gaping beneath that glacier. And from that entrance, a voice calling to her. ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± Irene, who had murmured quietly, stood up from her place. The reason she came to this northern land, stubbornly insisting despite being told not to. The Rupture was calling to her. *** ¡°You¡¯re planning an expedition to the North Sea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I asked that, Margrave Korhonen slowly nodded and spoke. ¡°With a thousand automatons under my control and the numerous weapons and ammunition stored in the territory¡­ I intend to mobilize all these capabilities to conquer the Great Rupture located in the deep sea.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± I could guess why without him having to explain. The head of the family was dying, and the heir was suffering from illness. Meanwhile, with the first son, who had connections to the magic noble faction, watching closely for a chance to take his position, he wanted to try everything he could with all his available resources. ?a?????????????? ¡°The drilling equipment in the North Sea is already digging a tunnel to where the Great Rupture is. In about a week, a passage will be created to enter the rupture located in the deep sea.¡± ¡°So you plan to deploy the automatons from the territory through that passage.¡± The rupture that had been tormenting the north since the first generation. Margrave Kassel wanted to close that rupture before he died. If that¡¯s the case, I could guess the content of the ¡®deal¡¯ he proposed to me without him saying it. ¡°You want me to participate in that expedition to close the rupture.¡± It was a reasonable judgment. From what I could see, the expedition the Margrave was planning was his final aspiration before death. He would need to gather whatever cards he could use. ¡®A mage with the seven stroke imprint like me would be especially valuable.¡¯ While thinking this and weighing my options, Margrave Kassel shook his head with a faint laugh. ¡°I would like to borrow your strength, but¡­ regrettably, that¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± What was this now? After going on about the expedition, now he¡¯s saying I shouldn¡¯t participate? ¡°The passage to be used for dismantling the rupture is one-way. While entering is possible, leaving is not.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°If I were to use and dispose of a talent His Majesty cherishes so dearly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face him in the afterlife.¡± We¡¯re going to meet in the afterlife soon anyway. Watching the Margrave chuckle while saying that, I realized this man was quite insane himself. Where in the world would you find a noble who jokes about the Emperor dying of old age? Moreover, those words meant¡­ ¡°Your Lordship, do you intend to meet your death inside the rupture?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it will be.¡± A calm tone as if discussing today¡¯s weather. However, the content of his words was anything but. ¡°Your Lordship.¡± I called to him quietly. ¡°You are the head of House Count Korhonen and possess a seven stroke imprint. For someone like you to lose your life inside the Great Rupture¡­¡± ¡°This imprint I possess will also disappear along with the rupture.¡± If the core imprint possessed by the family head disappears inside the rupture, House Count Korhonen would suffer an unspeakable blow. Like Elcidore. No, it could be an even more serious situation. If the Margrave disappears like that and the Korhonen autonomous territory falls under the influence of magic nobles¡­ ¡®This is dangerous.¡¯ The northern region of the empire controlled by Korhonen was a major hub for mining iron ore and rare metals, and its financial power was considerable. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for magic nobles to have intervened long ago. However, the military power of the Korhonen territory and the isolated environment of the north ¨C these two factors had been blocking the magic nobles¡¯ intervention. After all, no fool would station a Knight Order in a frozen wasteland where you could die just from walking. ¡®But if the Margrave himself disappears, this precondition crumbles.¡¯ The military power supporting the north disappears, and the first prince with connections to magic nobles takes control? If that happens, Korhonen in the north would become an enemy of the empire from that moment. This meant having a huge problem in the north while already having to deal with the Republic and Knight Order. Even from the Margrave¡¯s position, this situation couldn¡¯t be pleasant. Nevertheless, he planned the rupture expedition. Because if he died of old age, even his seven stroke imprint would fall into the hands of his firstborn. Rather than letting that happen, he planned to disappear along with the rupture. In that case, my role there would be¡­ ¡°My job is to clean up after Your Lordship¡¯s plan.¡± Hearing my words, the count slowly nodded. ¡°Whether the expedition fails or succeeds, I will die.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°And Korhonen without its head will fall to my firstborn, becoming part of the magic nobles.¡± So before that happens¡­ The count, with a dark expression while choosing his words, looked at me and spoke. ¡°I will give you all the information and secrets I know. In return¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kill Russell Korhonen, the First Son of Korhonen.¡± A father requesting the murder of his son. Looking at the Margrave speaking in an emotionless voice, I thought. This was properly messed up indeed. *** Clank- Clank- Even after my discussion with Margrave Korhonen ended, my schedule remained incredibly tight. In the armored vehicle heading to the Northern Prison. After lighting the stove like when I first came, I was mulling over my conversation with Margrave Korhonen. ¡®I thought I could just announce the pardons and gather the talents before leaving, but this has gotten bigger than expected.¡¯ While thinking this, Colonel Sandal, who was driving the armored vehicle, looked at me and spoke. ¡°The northern prison is a garbage dump for imprisoning heinous criminals. The empire supports Korhonen with some imperial troops and resources in exchange for managing this place.¡± The concrete wall growing closer. As my gaze fell on it, Colonel Sandal continued speaking. ¡°The special nature of being an exile location in the north, combined with its notoriety as the empire¡¯s worst prison, has made the northern prison a massive exile location for violent criminals, political prisoners, and anti-establishment activists.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°However, that image is merely superficial.¡± Bang-! Bang-! While the armored vehicle stopped at the entrance for inspection, gunshots were periodically ringing out from one side of the prison. ¡°Prisoners who enter the prison first go through primary screening. Those deemed irredeemable trash are executed before entering the prison. What remains are¡­¡± ¡°Political prisoners or anti-establishment activists. Or those who entered on false charges.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± After briefly agreeing, Sandal continued his explanation. ¡°These people undergo secondary screening in coordination with the Imperial Intelligence Department. And until this investigation is complete, they live working alongside Korhonen citizens on labor necessary for running the territory.¡± Forced labor in this freezing land. Whether they¡¯re noble-born or knights, one blast of the northern wind strips away all sense of authority. In such conditions, living together with the commoners they used to look down on, supporting and dealing with each other, they form bonds with the territory¡¯s residents. Among them, those with decent backgrounds or abilities were sometimes employed by the Korhonen autonomous government for policy proposals, military reorganization, and other administrative duties. ¡°Kill all the heinous criminals and dump them at the bottom of the North Sea, then put the talented ones through the washing machine of mines or wall guard duty before utilizing them.¡± After hearing Colonel Sandal¡¯s explanation, I drew my conclusion. ¡°In other words, this northern prison is¡­ a cradle for nurturing the empire¡¯s future talent, prepared jointly by the Emperor and Margrave.¡± ¡°You see it perfectly, Sir.¡± Sir. That honorific still doesn¡¯t feel natural at all. Thinking this, I looked at the scene unfolding beyond the car window. A circular wall made of steel, Watchtowers installed throughout, searchlights, barbed wire, and even magical power detection devices. The Empire¡¯s Northern Prison. Taking in that brutal scenery, I slowly moved forward. *** The northern prison I entered expecting a gloomy jail was a much stranger space than anticipated. While its external image was that of a brutal northern prison, inside lived prisoners who stacked imperial newspapers, all sorts of political books, and philosophy texts, arguing about imperial political issues. ¡®Financial officers from magic noble houses, fallen nobles, former Knight Order commanders and retired generals, even Revolutionary Army executives¡­¡¯ Watching all these people from various backgrounds fighting like dogs gathered in one place, I thought. It¡¯s exactly like the National Assembly, sh*t. ¡°Hello. It¡¯s noisy as usual today, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Oh, Major General.¡± ¡°Major General, please listen to our discussion too. From an imperial army officer¡¯s perspective, how would you view this agenda¡­¡± ¡°Ah, please don¡¯t. I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m not interested in politics.¡± I was getting 21st century Korean vibes from these people in this strange game world. You know, it felt exactly like being caught between adults discussing politics during holidays. While thinking this, the prisoners who had been discussing various topics among themselves looked my way. Without need for questions or introductions, people started coming forward one by one. After examining their faces, I made my judgment. ¡°It seems you already know why I¡¯ve come here.¡± Then there¡¯s no need to delay. Saying this, I addressed the gathered prisoners. ¡°His Majesty intends to implement a large-scale pardon for this northern prison. He wants you to enter the soon-to-be-established Imperial Assembly and represent the voices of citizens.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Now then, among you, those who want to change the empire, those who want to engage in politics for the citizens¡­¡± What kind of mess is this. While reading the note the Emperor had written, I briefly spoke like that. With a slight smile, I corrected my expression and told them. ¡°Honestly, I have little interest in your ideologies or ideals.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°What you¡¯ll do after entering the Imperial Assembly is, well, up to you once you receive your position as representatives. You can conduct politics for the citizens, or you can use your position as representatives to embezzle wealth.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If they were the type to just do as they¡¯re told, they wouldn¡¯t have ended up in this northern prison in the first place. There¡¯s no point in appealing to such emotions now. Thinking this, I looked at the gathered prisoners and spoke. ¡°What I¡¯m proposing to you is a deal.¡± Though we suppressed the Revolutionary Army, public sentiment throughout the empire was seething, and the empire¡¯s power holders needed something to appease the angry public. That¡¯s why the Emperor decided to revive the Imperial Assembly, an old tradition of the empire, and wanted to place these people in those positions. They¡¯d be much better than the puppets recommended by the magic nobles. After finishing this supplementary explanation, I continued speaking to them. ¡°You will gather the opinions of imperial citizens and relay them to the imperial family while also directing the people¡¯s antipathy toward the magic nobles. In name only you¡¯re the ¡®people¡¯s faction,¡¯ but in reality, you¡¯ll be inciting citizens according to the imperial family¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And in return, you can enter imperial politics as members of the ¡®people¡¯s faction.''¡± These people already harbor grudges against magic nobles in one way or another. Moreover, if they accept this deal, they can become a political group replacing the Revolutionary Army¡¯s void in the empire that¡¯s about to be completely transformed. Through legitimate procedures, legally, they can restart their ended political lives. Some might say they¡¯d just be the Emperor¡¯s puppets? Of course. What fools in the world would share power they worked hard to stabilize? ¡°I¡¯ve given you the options, the choice is yours.¡± Either build a political career as a member of the new people¡¯s faction. Or remain a prisoner in this prison. After I said this, several people walked toward me. Fallen nobles who opposed magic nobles¡¯ exploitation, intellectuals, businessmen, and ideologists. While most Revolutionary Army members looked at me with hostility and hesitated to participate, some among them wrote their names on the pardon order I handed over. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m reluctant to cooperate with you, who killed Supreme Leader Claude. However¡­¡± ¡°Still, there needs to be a channel to represent the citizens.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s sufficient.¡± As for political career, it¡¯s just giving them positions in the assembly, which is merely an advisory body. How this newly born assembly will change depends on their actions. Whether they¡¯ll grow into a political group leading the empire from the front, or become a fleeting spark that disappears after briefly flaring up due to the Emperor¡¯s whim. ¡°Brigadier General Eugene Lorentz. May I ask one question?¡± Meanwhile, a professor who had signed his name on the document I handed over pushed up his glasses and spoke. ¡°This means ex-convicts will be participating in the Imperial Assembly¡­ is that alright?¡± Hearing those words, I smiled slightly. ¡°The people gathered here now are people¡¯s politicians who will lead the citizens.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Thinking about it that way, isn¡¯t your imprisonment in the northern prison a medal rather than a flaw?¡± At those words, several prisoners gave bitter smiles. This roughly wraps up the Emperor¡¯s side of things. What remains is how to handle the deal with the Margrave? While thinking this, at that moment. ¡°Eugene, Eugene.¡± Irene, who had approached my side at some point, tapped my shoulder. ¡°What is it? Where have you been until now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming.¡± Coming? What is? As I thought this, what caught my eye were Irene¡¯s pupils. Eyes glowing amethyst. The red light dwelling within them. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me this is.¡¯ Monster reaction? In this situation? Rumble- At that moment, as the ground shook, emergency bells began ringing throughout the great wall. ¡°Large-scale activity detected from the North Sea Great Rupture!¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± Along with reports of monsters swarming up from the sea, northern knights shouted urgently. ¡°Though monsters come up every day in this area, there hasn¡¯t been a large-scale attack of this magnitude in 30 years.¡± ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Hearing those words, I looked at Irene staring toward the sea and thought. ¡®Ah, we¡¯re fucked.¡¯ This is very likely because of us. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 113 #113 Weeeeee¡ª! ¡°Wh-what is that¡­¡­!¡± Along with the siren, soldiers appeared at the barrier. However, upon seeing the monsters rushing in from the coastline, the soldiers¡¯ faces turned pale. ¡°Grrrr¡­.¡± ¡°Kwak-! Kwaaaaak¨C!¡± A horrifying sight of bodies crawling on four legs with human faces and limbs tangled chaotically. An enormous number of monsters they had never seen before were charging forward, filling the coastline. ¡°How many¡­ how many are there¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Battle positions! Everyone to battle positions-!¡± ¡°Fire at anything you see! Get everything from the ammunition depot! Hurry-!¡± As soon as the emergency was declared, the guard patrols and automatons stationed at the barrier began firing their machine guns. Heavy machine guns specialized for monsters, not for human targets. As the large-caliber rounds tore the monsters¡¯ bodies to pieces, the magical power circuits on the dolls¡¯ arms emitted light. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Boom boom boom¡ª! Dozens of automatons fired beams, creating explosions. Though the power was formidable, it was far from enough firepower compared to the number of monsters charging in. The guard captain¡¯s face showed dismay as he watched the battlefield situation. But at that moment. Thud-! An automaton with a different appearance from the others launched itself outside the barrier. A slender face profile and spikes protruding from both arms. And that swift speed as it charged toward the monsters. The soldiers¡¯ faces lit up with fighting spirit upon seeing the doll. Among Korhonen¡¯s soldiers, there was no one who didn¡¯t know that doll¡¯s owner. ¡°It¡¯s Young Lady Reina! The Young Lady is taking the lead!¡± ¡°Maintain formation! Focus firepower forward! Clear a path for the Young Lady!¡± The doll sliced through monsters with nimble movements. When they saw the monsters hesitate after confirming this, hope dawned on the soldiers¡¯ faces. ¡°Good, now we can see hope!¡± ¡°While the monsters¡¯ attention is focused, if the artillery guys can finish deploying the fortress guns¡­¡­!¡± But that thought lasted only a moment. Gruuuu¡ª! The churning sea surface bulged upward, and something emerged from within. Boom-! ¡°Ah, aah¡­¡­!¡± ¡°This is insane¡­¡­!¡± A giant monster appeared at the shore. A horse of overwhelming size, like a high-rise building moving whole, trampled the doll that had been struggling with the monsters. Grrrrrr¡­¡­. The giant monster advanced slowly while deflecting the automatons¡¯ firepower. To make matters worse, the monsters beneath the giant monster approached the barrier and began climbing the walls one by one. ¡°Changing machine gun barrels! We can¡¯t hold them back!¡± ¡°The automatons are at their limit too! The gun barrels are burning up!¡± ¡°Everyone, prepare for close combat!¡± At the guard captain¡¯s shout, the knights standing by among the soldiers placed their hands on their waists. The knights of House Korhonen. If monsters breached the barrier, it would be their duty to face them from that point on. ¡°We must hold them back even if we die. Understood?!¡± ¡°Yes-!¡± Their hands gripped their sword handles tightly. The vibrations climbing up the barrier¡¯s steel walls. The monsters¡¯ cries getting closer and closer. And their own breathing getting heavier in proportion. Tension, fear, anxiety. Just as these emotions mixed chaotically reached their peak- Whoosh-! A storm of flames swept across the monsters climbing the barrier. ¡°Kieek?!¡± ¡°Kwaaaaaaak¨C!¡± The monsters unanimously stopped moving upon feeling the heat. They stood still against the wall, staring at one point. What is it? What just happened? As they wondered this, a voice came from atop the barrier. ¡°All automatons in the front line, regroup and rearm. Knights, deploy barriers to prepare for impact.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± At the voice from above, the guard captain hurriedly turned toward its source. A man loading bullets into a pistol engraved with complex imprints. Eugene Lorentz was standing at the edge of the barrier. The magical power swirling around him. The guard captain¡¯s gaze fell on Eugene¡¯s right arm. The seven strokes imprint was emitting magical power with a red glow. ¡°Six magic bullets is all I have on hand. Wonder if one spell will use them all up.¡± Eugene clicked his tongue as he watched the monsters climbing the barrier. The situation itself couldn¡¯t be better, if anything. Thinking this, Eugene slowly activated his imprint and. Swish swish swish-! Dozens, hundreds of magic circles began instantly decorating the space behind him. ¡°Im-impossible. Don¡¯t tell me all those are¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Bombardment spells¡­¡­?¡± The domain was already expanded to maximum range. With no allies present, there was no worry about soldiers getting caught in the bombardment. No obstacles like civilian houses nearby, no farmland to protect, so no worry about destroying city districts. And decisively, everything in front was nothing but monsters. This meant he could concentrate all magical power on blast radius and firepower, without power restrictions, maximum range limits, or need for precision calculations. ?????£Î?????§¦???? ¡°Phew¡­¡­.¡± As he exhaled like taking a deep breath, red smoke flowed from his mouth. [Eye of Horus] deactivated. Detection spells, targeting correction calculation magic deactivated. Long-range spell protection barrier released. After releasing all the magic he had been using to prepare for every situation, he concentrated that computing power and magical power solely on firepower. No safety measures, no restrictions. Indiscriminate magical bombardment with the sole purpose of burning the enemies before him. Eugene¡¯s pistol aimed at the rushing monsters, and hundreds of huge magic circles created to match began glowing increasingly red. Wooong-! At that moment when the red glow of magical power reached its peak. ¡°Fire all rounds.¡± As he pulled the trigger, all magic circles began indiscriminate bombardment. Boom boom boom¡ª! As hundreds of fireballs began pounding the coastline without pause, explosions and flames engulfed the entire shore. A crude method of simultaneous casting of the basic Fireball spell at maximum power and rate of fire. When he unleashed all that magical power from the seven stroke magic imprint with six magic bullets loaded, the entire front line began burning for almost 5 minutes. Though the knights were all dumbstruck seeing the coastline melt red, that didn¡¯t last long. Kuoooooo¡ª! An enormous shockwave created by the explosion¡¯s pressure hit the barrier, and the knights had to use defensive magic to withstand the blast pressure. ¡°Waaah?!¡± ¡°What is this¡­¡­!¡± ¡°De-deploy barriers! Protect the guard patrols! Quickly!¡± So this is what he meant by preparing for impact. Watching the relentless flames and scattered monster parts, the knights had to desperately struggle to maintain their barriers. 10 minutes later. By the time the main force from the territory arrived at the barrier, everything was already over. ¡°Kruk¡­. Kruk¡­¡­.¡± The completely tattered giant monster twitched, while all the other monsters had been reduced to ashes. The knights who had been staring slack-jawed at this looked up at where Eugene had been standing on the barrier. Hisssss¡­¡­. The armor plates glowing red from residual magical power heat. Smoke was rising from Eugene¡¯s body at the center. Trudge- trudge- Eugene slowly descended the stairs while emitting smoke. The knights and garrison troops who had been silently watching began gathering around Eugene one by one. ¡°What are you doing? The corpses won¡¯t clean themselves up.¡± At his nonchalant words, they began shouting loud enough to shake the entire barrier. ¡°Wooooooah¨C!¡± The honor of standing on the same frontline as the Empire¡¯s hero. The fact that they had directly witnessed the magic he used. The wonder of him single-handedly incinerating thousands of monsters. Perhaps it was natural for the soldiers to be excited. ¡°Eugene-! Eugene-! Eugene-!¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t, everyone. Really, it¡¯s fine¡­¡­.¡± Though the barrier was in an uproar, Eugene waved his hands trying to dissuade the soldiers. Such a powerful person being humble on top of it! ¡®No. Really, stop.¡¯ Hearing the people¡¯s increasingly loud cheers, Eugene thought with a troubled expression. ¡®These monster bastards attacked because of us!¡¯ We¡¯d be dead if I said that. If nothing else, that much was absolutely certain. ¡°Thank you very much for helping defend the barrier.¡± Amidst this, there was a girl who bowed her head saying thank you. First Young Lady of Korhonen, Reina Korhonen. The successor to Korhonen chosen by the Margrave. ¡®The automaton that jumped out first to handle the monsters¡­ was controlled by this woman?¡¯ A girl with snow-white hair and blue eyes. Though the knights gasped saying how could the Young Lady come out here, she was unmoved. ¡®This much greeting is necessary for someone who protected the barrier.¡¯ Though Young Lady Reina spoke with such spirit, Eugene could immediately notice upon seeing her. ¡®Thin legs from not walking for a long time. Unfocused eyes. And¡­.¡¯ Even the strange magical power flowing through her heart. She was slowly dying right now. *** ¡°So the automaton that went to battle was controlled by you, Young Lady.¡± Just because all the monsters were eliminated doesn¡¯t mean a soldier¡¯s work was done. Processing the burned monster remains, and investigation. As I casually asked while confirming kills on the monsters, Reina¡¯s automaton looked at my face. ¡°Its performance was quite impressive.¡± At those words, laughter came from beyond the automaton. ¡°It¡¯s not my strength. It¡¯s thanks to the engineers¡¯ hard work.¡± ¡°The automaton¡¯s performance may be one thing, but you¡¯re the one controlling it, Young Lady. I think you can take pride in that.¡± ¡°Even so, I¡¯m still far from being worthy as Korhonen¡¯s successor.¡± Young Lady Reina¡¯s automaton¡­ no, the automaton smiled slightly and looked at me. A pair of unfocused lenses. But it was the Young Lady herself speaking to me from beyond them. ¡°Though I received the Korhonen imprint, I can¡¯t do multiple control like Father. At best, I can only extremely enhance the operational capability of a single automaton like now.¡± Reina said. ¡°I lost my sight and the use of my legs early on. I grew up receiving help from the people here since I was young.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°And Father passed down automaton magic to me¡­ opening new horizons for me.¡± If you share senses with an automaton, you can feel what the automaton sees and feels. She could see scenery she originally couldn¡¯t see, and walk on ground she couldn¡¯t walk on. ¡°The northern lands and people of Korhonen gave me everything. So I¡­.¡± Will protect them. By any means necessary. Her voice as she said this was filled with pride and undisguised affection. However¡­. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Honestly, from my position, it wasn¡¯t particularly moving. ¡®Despite her frail body she came out to face me directly, was first to the battlefield, and is even now talking with me during recovery work? Protecting the north together?¡¯ What nonsense. At first glance it seemed like noble conduct, leading political affairs despite physical difficulties, but Young Lady Reina¡¯s true nature was thoroughly political. If she really had no interest in politics and cared for the domain¡¯s people, she should be tending to the wounded from battle right now instead of talking with me. Rather than engaging in such socializing with an Imperial brigadier general. ¡°I heard you had a private audience with Father, seems you had an important conversation?¡± See? She deliberately approached me. To those words with clear intentions, I briefly pondered how to respond. He didn¡¯t specifically say it was confidential. Having finished thinking, I said. ¡°He requested the assassination of First Son Russell.¡± ¡°Kuhup!¡± A startled coughing sound came from beyond the automaton. ¡°Y-you speak very calmly. Though it must be quite a serious matter¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It may be serious to you, Young Lady, but not to me.¡± Kill this, assassinate that, whatever. In the end it¡¯s just another family¡¯s internal strife. The ones suffering emotional turmoil from siblings killing each other are the people of this house, not me. I just need to do what I¡¯m told and take what was offered in return. ¡°That¡¯s fortunate.¡± She even says it¡¯s fortunate. When it¡¯s about killing her own brother. Weren¡¯t siblings programmed to kill each other? Is that really true? But those thoughts lasted only briefly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Reina¡¯s automaton that had been examining the monsters stopped speaking and held up some monster tissue. ¡°I felt it while fighting, but this confirms it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s confirmed?¡± ¡°These dead monsters¡­ they¡¯re different from the ones that usually attack.¡± I was a bit surprised. ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°The existing monsters that burst out from the rifts are specimens fully adapted to the permafrost. But look at this.¡± Reina answered while holding up one of the monster corpses. ¡°There are traces of water frozen to their body surface from rushing out of the sea hastily. This is why their movements were sluggish and advance speed was slow.¡± ¡°Ooh.¡± ¡°The ones that usually attack would never produce specimens like this. Moreover, decisively, these specimens¡¯ body structure isn¡¯t suited for swimming in the sea.¡± ¡°In other words?¡± Though these are monsters, they¡¯re different beings from the monsters Korhonen usually faces. Reina¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°If new species of monsters have appeared, this is no ordinary matter. I must quickly inform Father¡­¡­!¡± Just as Reina¡¯s automaton turned its body after saying that. Ping-! The detection magic I had deployed caught something. The pile of burned monster corpses. Clear hostility felt from within it. ¡°Danger. Get back!¡± ¡°Eh? Get back, what¡­¡­?¡± In the moment Reina spoke, not understanding the situation. Rip-! The body of the automaton Reina was controlling was split vertically. Cutting power that instantly bisected the alloy body that could withstand monster fangs and toxins. Beyond the automaton¡¯s body split to both sides, a black exoskeleton body appeared. ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡­.¡± A sleek physique with an appearance like a knight¡¯s armor. A cleanly organized body rather than being twisted about. And even red eye lights looking at me. This is¡­¡­! ¡®A pure-breed monster.¡¯ While I was thinking, it had already begun to act. The monster that charged at me immediately raising its claws. But I focused my mind and generated magic at its feet. ¡°Hellfire.¡± Whoosh-! Flames that burst from the ground pierced its abdomen. Monster bio-armor is strong against impacts but weak to heat. Unable to withstand the heat, the monster collapsed there. ¡°Kruk¡­. Kruruk¡­¡­! Kuk¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Persistent bastard. You¡¯re still alive?¡± As with any monster, it showed amazing tenacity. Hiding among its comrades¡¯ corpses to wait for a chance to ambush. As I thought this and aimed my pistol for the finishing blow. ¡°Hu¡­. Man¡­¡­.¡± ¡°?!¡± Human language flowed from the fallen monster¡¯s face. ¡°Dis¡­gusting. Queen¡¯s¡­ descendant¡­¡­. Filthy hybrid, shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡­!¡± That was all it managed. The monster whose breath was completely cut off slowly ceased moving. And where that monster had been staring until its death¡­¡­. ¡°Eugene-!¡± Running around here and there with feet in the seawater¡­ was Irene. ¡°Ha.¡± A bitter laugh escaped. When suspicion became certainty. These monsters truly were targeting Irene. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 114 #114 ¡®This is not an ordinary situation.¡¯ My head ached from the continuous situations that kept coming. The monsters that pushed in from the coastline were a new type, different from those appearing in the North, and they were specifically targeting Irene. That fact. Adding to that, the fact that the monster spoke made me feel like I would lose my mind right then and there. However, organizing the situation takes priority over being surprised. Looking at the shattered corpse of the monster with holes in it, I thought. ¡®From what I heard about hybrids and such, the reason they¡¯re looking for Irene isn¡¯t friendly.¡¯ Kill her, kill her, they must have come to kill her. To retrieve what that muzzle babbled about, the ¡®Queen¡¯s Factor.¡¯ In other words, I now had my own reason to close the rift in the North. ¡®If there¡¯s any consolation, it¡¯s that I¡¯m the only one who heard the monster speak.¡¯ At least there won¡¯t be any need to reveal Irene¡¯s identity. While I was thinking that. ¡°Sir-!¡± A group of knights accompanied by automatons was approaching while calling out to me. It seemed they had rushed over after confirming that Reina¡¯s automaton was destroyed. ¡°It was our oversight. Who would have thought a pure-breed would remain among the corpses¡­!¡± ¡°Are, are you alright?!¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to Young Lady Reina¡¯s doll, I ended this without injury.¡± Ah, I need to play politics. Politics. With a smile full of pretense, I said that, and the knights finally seemed relieved as they wiped their chests. After finishing such ceremonial concerns and thanks, I returned to the conference room located inside the barrier. There, knights gathered around the Margrave were discussing countermeasures. ¡°The passage the monsters used?¡± ¡°We got communication from the drilling equipment. They came from a rift located on the ocean floor.¡± ¡°For a rift that showed no reaction for decades to suddenly become active again¡­!¡± ¡°¡­We must hurry with the expedition.¡± ¡°Your Lordship!¡± Margrave Kassel muttering with a heavy expression, and the knights shaking their heads at such a Kassel. Seeing that, I got a rough idea of the situation. The current situation caused by Irene¡¯s appearance. The knights advised that the Margrave should stop the ongoing expedition plans, but the Margrave seemed to think differently. This is just the beginning. Before a larger situation occurs, the rift must be closed. ¡°Your Lordship.¡± I never thought I¡¯d say this with my own mouth. With feelings like swallowing needles, I opened my mouth toward the Margrave sitting in the center of the conference room. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you as well.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°B-Brigadier General Eugene?!¡± ¡°Sir. What¡¯s with this sudden¡­!¡± When I said I would directly enter the Great Rupture, the knights of House Korhonen gasped. ¡°I cannot permit that.¡± The one who said that was the Margrave himself. He looked at my face for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth. ¡°You are a guest who came to the North. Originally, you shouldn¡¯t even be participating in battles like this.¡± I understand what he wants to say. He must mean that while it¡¯s already shameful to involve an outsider in battle, they can¡¯t involve them in something like an expedition. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished the task you requested yet, and there¡¯s still much information I haven¡¯t heard from Your Lordship.¡± Looking at the Margrave who said that, I reminded him of the deal we had previously made. ¡°Just as I was about to start working, how can you leave beyond the rift like this?¡± After acting all high and mighty saying you had a lot to tell me, now you¡¯re deciding life and death on your own? ¡®Besides, truthfully, there are parts that prick my conscience.¡¯ This extraordinary situation and invasion from the rift were certainly caused by us. While it would be perfect if we could handle it with the North¡¯s help, we can¡¯t leave such a debt to future collaborators. ¡°Haha, right. I can see how you might think that.¡± As if understanding my intention, a low laugh flowed from behind the Margrave¡¯s mask. ¡°Very well. Then I won¡¯t decline¡­¡± Just as the Margrave was about to say something more. ¡°In this serious situation where monsters have invaded the barrier, are you still talking nonsense about expeditions, Father?!¡± At the hoarse voice from the conference room entrance, several knights turned that way. A thin face with a fierce expression. A man wearing an elaborately decorated noble uniform rather than the black clothes typically worn by Northern knights. ¡®Finally here.¡¯ First Son of Korhonen, Russell Korhonen. The assassination target that the count entrusted to me finally showed himself. ¡°You¡¯re late, Russell.¡± ¡°I was handling ore trade business in the Northern border region. During that, I heard news that the barrier was invaded and hurried back.¡± Taking off his coat and handing it to an attendant, he strode over and raised his voice while leaning on the conference room table. ¡°Father. The North is truly at its limit now. We need the Knight Order¡¯s support!¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I said no.¡± Russell suggesting they request help from the Knight Order, that is, the magic noble faction. However, the count¡¯s stance was firm. ¡°Northern matters must be resolved in the North. If we borrow outside help without doing so, who knows what demands they¡¯ll make using that as leverage.¡± ?????£Î??????S ¡°Then, what about that Imperial Army general?¡± What about me? While father and son were having a lively fight, why suddenly drag me into it? While I was thinking that, Russell pointed his finger at me and raised his voice with veins bulging in his neck. ¡°Not only did you bring in the Imperial Army, but even their Special Magical Power Unit commander to the North and now involve them in the expedition? Are you saying this isn¡¯t the Imperial Army interfering in Northern affairs?!¡± ¡°I apologize, but my helping His Lordship with the expedition is purely for personal reasons.¡± I should step in here. Taking a step forward, I clearly drew the line while looking at Russell. ¡°Eugene, Lorentz¡­¡± ¡°If the Imperial Army intended to interfere in House Korhonen¡¯s autonomous territory¡¯s affairs, I wouldn¡¯t have come here in the first place.¡± I would have just sent a request to the Special Magic Unit and dispatched about a company¡¯s worth of personnel. I might get some nagging from Erich, but we could send at least five airships, which would be much more convenient. ¡°However, the reason I¡¯m not doing that is because of His Majesty¡¯s orders.¡± Bringing the Imperial Army into Northern affairs would violate the contract with Korhonen. That¡¯s why I came here alone, without bringing my subordinates. ¡°Tch.¡± Unable to find words to refute my mention of the Emperor, Russell clicked his tongue. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you sick of that saint act yet.¡± Russell muttered in a quiet voice, as if not meant to be heard. Hearing that voice, I recalled what Reina had said. ¡®Brother Russell couldn¡¯t understand father who sacrificed even his own life to protect the territory while claiming to protect it.¡¯ I don¡¯t want to live like father. Saying that, Russell gave up his position as successor and joined the magic noble faction, they said. While staying outside the fold like that, as the magic noble side¡¯s connections greased various wheels, he became enchanted by their words and tried to hand over Northern land. In exchange for the gold, power, and titles they offered. ¡®And the Margrave who noticed this is trying to use my hand, an outsider, to kill Russell who is trying to divide the North.¡¯ The way this family operates is quite something. Looking back and forth between the confronting father and son, I drooped my shoulders from the fatigue washing over me. ¡°Eugene. Eugene.¡± While thinking that, someone pulled on my clothes from behind. ¡°What is it?¡± What¡¯s she doing coming into the conference room? I asked that to Irene who pulled on my back, and. ¡°¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± While listening to what Irene whispered in my ear, I asked back as if unexpected. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irene nodding slowly. Looking at my face that seemed surprised, she spoke in a clear voice. ¡°I want to go together with Eugene too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Irene trying to do something of her own will. This was the first time since leaving the Elcidore mansion. My already complicated mind felt even more jumbled up. The monster¡¯s rift existing in the deep sea. What in the world is trying to happen in there. *** ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief to visit without notice like this.¡± Formal. And at the same time, words containing thorns. The renowned magician with six stroke magic imprint and Kalhyram Empire Magic Corps Commander-in-Chief, Schultz Pendleton. He looked at the middle-aged man tilting his coffee cup with nerves on edge. Keiren Buckenheim. The Emperor¡¯s confidant who controlled the entire Imperial Army had visited him without any notice. ¡°I apologize for not contacting you in advance. It¡¯s because the matter is that important.¡± ¡°An important¡­ matter?¡± ¡°Please look at this.¡± Saying that, Keiren took out a document from the briefcase he was holding and handed it to him. A document titled [Kalhyram Army Integration Plan]. It was a confidential Imperial Army document with the Imperial Intelligence Department¡¯s censorship and the Emperor¡¯s seal. ¡®To show such a confidential document to me who is practically a potential enemy. What kind of ulterior motive is this?¡¯ While thinking that briefly. After confirming the contents and plans written in the document, Commander-in-Chief Schultz¡¯s face trembled. ¡°L-Lieutenant General Keiren! This is¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a plan ordered by His Majesty and carried out by me. For the past 2 years, my staff officers and I have been focused solely on this.¡± Saying that, Keiren¡¯s gaze turned to the document Commander Schultz was holding. 2 years after the war with the Republic ended. What Keiren did during that time was a major retirement operation of the Imperial Army and royal organizations. Under the pretext of reorganizing the command system according to lessons learned after the war. However, Commander Schultz who saw the plan could immediately notice its true intention. ¡°Currently, the Imperial Army has different command systems due to their respective factions and various political interests.¡± The Imperial Army, Magic Corps, Intelligence Department, Royal Guard, Imperial Guard Knight Order, Special Magical Power Unit, Knight Order, etc. However, as the originally separate Emperor faction and military faction were bound into one sphere of influence, changes occurred in the divided military organizations¡¯ command systems. The cooperative relationship built between the Imperial Guard Knight Order and the Imperial Army military. Based on that, Keiren is trying to integrate all military groups existing in the Empire into one massive military organization called the ¡®Kalhyram Army¡¯. A plan assembled with surprising sophistication. As a soldier, Commander Schultz couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the deployment and structure diagrams Keiren had drawn up as he flipped through the document. ¡®If the military organization is reorganized like this, the Empire¡¯s scattered military power will be consolidated into one mass.¡¯ It would become an enormous power incomparable to now. And what they¡¯re preparing through such grand integration. That is¡­! ¡°His Majesty.¡± Commander Schultz who examined the plan opened his mouth with a trembling voice. ¡°Does His Majesty the Emperor plan to conquer the Republic?¡± Keiren silently nodded. A preemptive strike against the Republic. While an electrifying thrill ran through his whole body, Commander Schultz discovered something strange in the integration plan he was reading. ¡®In the list of military organizations to be integrated¡­ the Knight Order is missing?¡¯ He checked again just in case, but there was nothing he had missed. An omission? No, that¡¯s impossible. There couldn¡¯t be an omission in such a persistently and meticulously organized chart. Then this is¡­ ¡®They excluded the Knight Order from the Imperial Army to be integrated¡­!¡¯ There was no place for the Knight Order in the new Kalhyram Army to be launched. And only after confirming that could Commander Schultz understand why Keiren had come to him. With victory in the war against the Republic, the Emperor¡¯s support was at its peak. In such a situation, if the Emperor announces the conquest of the Republic and eliminates the Knight Order¡¯s place there¡­ ¡®The very reason for the Knight Order¡¯s existence disappears.¡¯ It was certain. The large-scale conquest plan against the Republic. The Knight Order thoroughly excluded from the reorganization plan. The Emperor and military are trying to completely finish off the magic noble forces from Imperial politics through this war. They¡¯re trying to brand them as an evil nobles¡¯ private army without any justification for existence! ¡®In such a situation, he came to me and showed me this plan.¡¯ Due to the emergence of the massive Special Magical Power Unit group and the weakening of the Knight Order, the Magic Corps had become an entity caught in between. The Magic Corps was a gathering of noble-born magicians, but intermediaries who didn¡¯t possess enough qualifications to enter the Knight Order. Meanwhile, for Keiren, the military¡¯s supreme commander, to visit him¡­ had a simple meaning. The Knight Order and Kalhyram Army. Magic nobles and the Emperor faction. Choose one of the two. Commander Schultz swallowed dry saliva. Keiren. No, the Emperor was now¡­ presenting him with options. ¡®While the Emperor faction is on the rise, the Emperor is already elderly. Since the heir Meldir was the magic nobles¡¯ puppet, the Empire will fall into the magic nobles¡¯ hands the moment the Emperor dies.¡¯ If they could just get through the current situation, it would be advantageous to take the magic nobles¡¯ hand. Just as Commander Schultz who thought that was flipping through the documents. ¡°¡­Wait, a moment?¡± Schultz¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the top of the Kalhyram Army organization chart. The Emperor as supreme commander. Below that was Keiren who was to be appointed as Kalhyram Army Grand Marshal, and the military leaders and high-ranking officials appointed as heads of organizations under him. And rising to the same ranks as them was the ¡®Special Magical Power Unit.¡¯ A massive organization gathering all the Empire¡¯s magicians, absorbing both the Magic Corps and Imperial Guard Knight Order. The name of the one who would command the massive magician corps rivaling the entire Knight Order was¡­ [Eugene Lorentz] Confirming that name, Schultz widened his eyes in disbelief. The Special Magical Power Unit moving under direct orders from the Emperor rather than Keiren¡¯s commands. Being the head of that unit meant rising to the same rank as Keiren. ¡®The same position as Lieutenant General Keiren? Giving such enormous power to a young soldier not even twenty?¡¯ It was impossible. Such an unprecedented personnel appointment was not something to be done for an ordinary soldier! At least an Imperial Prince. Or someone even higher¡­ ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No way.¡± Finishing his thoughts, Schultz asked Keiren. ¡°Could it be that His Majesty¡¯s successor¡­¡± ¡°As expected of Major General Schultz. Your quick understanding makes conversation smooth.¡± Saying that, Keiren spoke to him in a lowered voice. ¡°Decide, Commander Schultz.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Whether to move forward with the new Empire, or disappear into the back alleys of history with them.¡± Hearing those words, Schultz silently clenched his fist. If the Emperor¡¯s plan was real. He had no options left. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 115 #115 Despite numerous voices of concern, Margrave Korhonen¡¯s Rift expedition plan was proceeding without a hitch. Automatons being transported to the North Sea glacier region, along with their special equipment. While preparing to enter the Rift, regular soldiers and Count Korhonen¡¯s knights were deployed to fill the gaps left by the automatons. The city of Korhonen, now empty except for minimal security forces. ¡°Aaargh¨C!¡± In a mansion at its center, a man was screaming in frustration. ¡°Why won¡¯t they cooperate, these stubborn fools-!¡± Wham-! How noisy. As the items on the table shook, Emma¡¯s eyes narrowed as she looked in her vanity mirror. ¡°It seems persuading the knights isn¡¯t going well?¡± ¡°Not going well is an understatement. Those stubborn bastards, they won¡¯t budge an inch!¡± The one spitting out these words in response to Emma¡¯s comment was Russell Korhonen, First Son of Korhonen. His repeated attempts to recruit the family knights had been met with only cold stares. ¡®We deeply apologize, but our Knight Order¡¯s loyalty lies with Lord Kassel and his heir, Young Lady Reina.¡¯ ¡®While it¡¯s true that you are a direct member of the family, Lord Russell, that doesn¡¯t mean you have the authority to issue such orders to us.¡¯ ¡°Just like that damned father of mine! There¡¯s no talking sense into them!¡± Russell ground his teeth as he shouted. Watching him quietly, Emma could guess the situation in Korhonen. ¡®Is it time to prod a bit?¡¯ Time to do what the Duke ordered. With that thought, Emma began to provoke Russell with her characteristically seductive voice. ¡°If the expedition succeeds as planned, His Lordship¡¯s authority will only grow stronger.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°The Conqueror of the North who subjugated the Rift and Young Lady Reina who inherited his will¡­ I don¡¯t see any room for you to squeeze in, Lord Russell?¡± ??¦­?????¦¥? At her provocative tone, Russell¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°Even so, Reina can¡¯t walk and she¡¯s blind. Plus, that girl is sick. She¡¯s nothing more than a walking corpse!¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it true that she has the qualities needed to inherit Lord Kassel¡¯s magic imprint?¡± Hearing Emma¡¯s words as she applied her lipstick, Russell fell silent. Is he starting to heat up? After confirming Russell¡¯s reaction, Emma continued to goad him. ¡°If the Young Lady inherits the imprint, she could easily slow the progression of her illness with that magical power. Just as Lord Kassel did.¡± Margrave Kassel was exposed to contamination at a young age and contracted a disease that caused his entire body to rot. Normally, he should have died long ago. But Margrave Kassel was still alive, controlling over a thousand automatons. The reason this was possible. It was thanks to the body regeneration ability built into his seven stroke imprint, ¡®Steel Puppeteer¡¯. ¡°If the Young Lady inherits the imprint, I imagine¡­ she could easily last at least 20 years?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­!¡± ¡°And if during that time she finds a suitable mate and bears an heir, what then?¡± Reina, the successor personally acknowledged by Kassel. And what if such a Reina had a child? If that happened¡­¡­. ¡°Your chance to become the Conqueror of the North would disappear forever.¡± Emma said with a playful smile. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing those words, Russell ground his teeth and jumped to his feet. This moment could be his last chance, after all. ¡°Yanik!¡± Russell called for his trusted subordinate. When a man in a suit entered, he asked with bulging eyes. ¡°What about the knights?!¡± ¡°All gathered, Lord Russell. They await your orders.¡± A voice full of confidence. Hearing this, a smile spread across Russell¡¯s face for the first time. Margrave Kassel preferred automatons with guaranteed production and technical capability over unstable human resources like Magic Awakening users. As a result, now that the automaton army was complete, the quality and scale of the repeatedly downsized Korhonen Knight Order was far inferior to other magic noble houses. Even as the family¡¯s Knight Order, they were just a ragtag group of fewer than 50 people. ¡®But I¡¯m different.¡¯ Magic Awakening users who couldn¡¯t find positions due to being pushed aside by automatons as weapons. Russell used capital and imprints provided by magic nobles to draw them into his faction and secretly trained them as knights. After decades of work, the number of knights following him rivaled that of a Knight Order. And now was the time to use the cards he had kept hidden for so long. ¡°The expedition begins in two days. Due to the rushed preparations, security inside the castle is lax.¡± Emma, sitting on the bed, casually hinted as if reading Russell¡¯s thoughts. ¡°With all the automatons gone, only regular soldiers and a few knights will remain. If you target that timing¡­¡± Suggesting that the coup could succeed. If so, there was only one remaining problem. ¡°Eugene Lorentz. That man is the issue.¡± A seven stroke imprint mage who came to the North at this crucial time. If he moved, the coup would be suppressed before it could even begin. Russell furrowed his brow, his mind clearly troubled. Watching him, Emma slowly rose from her seat. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry? About a seven stroke mage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We have just the right weakness. Saying this, Emma recalled the information she had gathered about Eugene. ¡°There was a girl his age traveling with him, wasn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Y-yes, there was.¡± ¡°When I investigated her, some quite interesting information came up.¡± Her name was Irene. She had been with Eugene since being adopted by Keiren, and even now stayed by his side year-round. For Eugene, who had no other connections, this girl was like his only family. ¡°Wait a moment, Emma. Are you¡­¡­.¡± As if guessing Emma¡¯s meaning, Russell¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Are you suggesting we take a hostage and threaten the hero of the Empire ?¡± ¡°My, how crude. Not take hostage, but ¡®invite¡¯ her to this mansion for ¡®protection.''¡± Chuckling as she said this, Emma continued. ¡°We¡¯ll specially ¡®protect¡¯ her to ensure no innocent victims are harmed during your coup.¡± ¡°H-hmm¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Since the Imperial Army can¡¯t interfere in internal Northern affairs, it would be quite a convenient excuse for Brigadier General Eugene too, don¡¯t you think?¡± Eugene¡¯s reason for coming to Korhonen was clear. His aim was to draw Korhonen, which kept its distance from magic noble factions, into the Emperor¡¯s faction. In that case, Emma thought to use that very situation. ¡°Secure the girl Irene and buy time, then use that time to succeed with the coup.¡± Then inherit the position of Margrave Korhonen. If successful, even a seven stroke mage wouldn¡¯t be able to move rashly. From that point on, it would be the realm of politics, not power. He wouldn¡¯t be able to use force carelessly. ¡°Then, securing the girl¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do it personally, Lord Russell.¡± After all, we can¡¯t have the future Margrave Korhonen involved in something as unsavory as kidnapping. Saying this, Emma clapped her hands twice with a slight smile. Then shortly after. Swoosh- A man in red clothes appeared from behind her. Then two, six, ten. As their numbers grew, Russell¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. ¡°Emma. This, this is¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± First-class assassins personally dispatched by the Duke. Looking over their faces with chilling gazes, Emma smiled slowly. ¡°This sort of thing is my specialty, after all.¡± *** ¡°Your Lordship. This is¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Take it. I rarely meet young men I get along with, I should at least offer a drink.¡± In Margrave Kassel¡¯s office. Though he called me to discuss expedition plans, what the Margrave handed me wasn¡¯t an operation plan but a wine glass. Saying we should have a drink before tomorrow¡¯s expedition since the automaton transport work was all finished. I hadn¡¯t enjoyed alcohol in this life or my previous one, so I tried to politely decline the glass, but¡­. ¡°Come now, take it, Eugene. My arm¡¯s already rotting away¡ªdo you want to be responsible if it falls off?¡± Seeing his arm trembling, I had no choice but to accept the glass the Margrave personally offered. What a crafty old man. If you say it like that, doesn¡¯t it make me the bad guy? ¡°Good. It¡¯s been so long since I shared a drink like this.¡± One glass, then two. After emptying what was clearly an absurdly expensive wine, the Margrave examined the clear glass and spoke. ¡°Let me ask you something, since I¡¯m tipsy.¡± ¡°Please go ahead.¡± Though neither of us is particularly drunk. The Margrave set his glass on the table and asked me. ¡°You must have killed countless times, through many battlefields.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Put bullets in enemies¡¯ heads, cut throats with daggers, and pierced hearts. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Stating the obvious at this point. As I thought this, the Margrave¡¯s voice grew deeper. ¡°Then at those times, what emotions did you feel?¡± ¡°No different from any other soldier.¡± Does alcohol make one more contemplative? At the Margrave¡¯s question, I recalled events from long ago, one by one. After my first kill in a back alley, I trembled at the lingering sensation and chilling feeling. During the Knifehead training, I feared seeing my peers die, and raged at Elcidore who killed them. When such people calmly ordered me to kill, and I followed those orders to kill uninvolved people¡­. Honestly, there were countless times I wondered if I really had to live like this. ¡°But why do you ask that suddenly?¡± He won¡¯t say something crazy like ¡®killing is wrong!¡¯ As I thought this, the Count¡¯s expression behind his mask grew serious. ¡°The more one repeats combat and war, the more human emotions wear away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Guilt, disgust, fear, anguish¡­ After suffering through that violent whirlpool of emotions, eventually one becomes unable to feel anything at all. And humans who reach that point ultimately¡­¡± ¡°Go insane.¡± A sight I¡¯d seen countless times on battlefields. A new recruit stabbing an enemy corpse with vacant eyes. A soldier wailing over a family photo found on the corpse of an enemy he shot. An officer who couldn¡¯t bear the guilt of civilian casualties from his bombing orders and committed suicide. In this game world where wars never end, countless people were still dying and going mad. ¡°To prevent that emotional erosion, I created this puppet army. Using machines to eliminate monsters¡­ to eliminate the North¡¯s enemies.¡± After saying this, Margrave Kassel¡¯s gaze turned to me. ¡°Then what about you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Those numerous mages under your command. Those superhumans who spread countless deaths and destruction¡­ How do you maintain them as humans rather than monsters?¡± Suddenly turning philosophical, are we? Putting that thought aside, I spoke. It was simple, not even worth thinking twice about. ¡°I redirect the guilt they would feel onto myself, their commander.¡± The Special Magical Power Unit is the Empire¡¯s spear for killing its enemies, and they¡¯ve killed the Empire¡¯s enemies through all sorts of battlefields. The Revolutionary Army, knights, Republican forces, and numerous other anti-establishment groups. But were all those killings truly justified? ¡®Of course not.¡¯ Not all Revolutionary Army members are ignorant masses corrupted by the Republic. Just as not all magic nobles are virtuous, even if the Republic is our enemy, their individuals are just people like us. But I and the Special Magical Power Unit point our guns at them without hesitation. We torture, kidnap, and kill, using any means necessary to achieve our goals. No matter how much we claim it¡¯s justified, it¡¯s not something a sane person could do. ¡°A soldier¡¯s profession is killing. The more actual combat they experience, the faster their emotions wear away.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± And soldiers¡¯ emotions are a resource that¡¯s hard to replenish and easily depleted. ¡°That¡¯s why I used every possible method to minimize my subordinates¡¯ emotional wear.¡± The Revolutionary Army are terrorists shaking the Empire. Magic nobles are a cancer eating away at the Empire¡¯s strength. The Republic is the main enemy eyeing the Empire¡¯s territory. After defining the enemy with simple dichotomies, I use superior authority and discipline to declare: That the Special Magic Unit is a tool for my advancement. That they are emotionless combat machines, and I am the one using them. Therefore, all the slaughter and violence they commit is no different than if I did it myself. Thus I justify their killing and dilute their morality. I numb the guilt of those who return with gold and honor, and through memorial services and tears, process the deaths of comrades into lubricant of hatred and hostility toward the enemy. ¡°That¡¯s difficult. Taking on your subordinates¡¯ responsibility to maintain their humanity.¡± ¡°I believe most commanders already do this. It¡¯s nothing special, just a matter of degree¡­¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± Wrong? What is? As I wondered this, Margrave Kassel looked carefully at my face and said. ¡°Taking on the malice and responsibility committed by a group. That¡¯s not a commander¡¯s job.¡± ¡°Then whose¡­¡± ¡°That is the duty of a king.¡± What? King? ¡°A king sitting on the burning throne¡­ Just as Freddie said.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The Margrave used the Emperor¡¯s nickname as if speaking of a friend. Come to think of it, Margrave Gloucester spoke that way too. Is there something between the three of them? No, more importantly. What the Margrave Kassel just said. I¡¯ve heard it somewhere before¡­¡­? Bang-! ¡°Your Lordship!¡± Just as my thoughts were deepening, a knight burst through the office door and called out to Margrave Kassel urgently. ¡°Lord Russell and a group of knights¡­ They¡¯ve occupied the first floor of the mansion.¡± Good grief. I thought something felt off, and now they¡¯ve gone and done it. Perfect timing. I was just wondering how to kill them in a way that would make for good rumors, and they¡¯ve crawled right into my sights. As I thought this and started to rise¡­ ¡°And bad news for you too, Sir Eugene¡­¡± Who? Me? Wondering what it could be, I waited for his answer. After fidgeting for a while, the knight bowed his head with a grave expression. ¡°Suspects believed to be working with Lord Russell¡­ They¡¯ve kidnapped Young Lady Irene who was staying on the first floor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Pardon?¡± What kind of nonsense is this? Kidnapped? Irene? Is this some new form of suicide? ¡°Haah¡­¡± Seeing this truly unprecedented strategy, I let out a dry sigh. ¡®I wondered what gave them the nerve to act in this situation where I¡¯m present¡­¡¯ So this is how they decided to play it. Thinking this, I loaded magic bullets into the Heresy holstered at my side. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°Y-yes! If we delay, Young Lady Irene¡­!¡± As I stepped forward with a troubled expression, the knight nodded hastily and led the way. Right. We really needed to hurry. ¡®As that knight just said, if we delay¡­¡¯ Forget interrogating them¡ªwe won¡¯t even find their corpses. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 116 #116 Swoosh- The scenery visible to the eye was one of two things. The sky, or the sea. However, what Irene saw sitting at the edge of the cliff wasn¡¯t just these two things. The massive glacier beyond the sea. And the crack beneath it. Since arriving at the Korhonen Territory, sitting here and looking at it had become one of Irene¡¯s daily routines. [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤! ¡¤¡¤¡¤! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤!] [¡ª!] Bizarre intertwined voices dug into Irene¡¯s mind. Voices calling for Irene, voices telling her to die. Voices urging her to come this way, and voices fearing her to stay away. Different wills and emotions mixed together, endlessly tormenting her mind. If humans could hear these voices, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if they had gone mad long ago. However, in Irene¡¯s mind at the center of it all, an entirely different scene was unfolding. Herself, unleashing all her power, creating an army of monsters. And the many knights who confronted her. What unfolded in Irene¡¯s mind was the battle during the Elcidore Incident. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it all.¡± Eugene. And the monsters created in the image of Eugene¡¯s soldiers. At first, they fought effectively, suppressing the knights, but gradually they were pushed back and eventually defeated. Even the five special children she had particularly focused on creating were ultimately defeated. Eugene had clearly said she should kill them all, but she hadn¡¯t properly fulfilled those words. ¡°This can¡¯t happen again.¡± Since that day, she had thought that countless times. After agonizing and pondering, she came to a conclusion. Power greater than now. She needed an even larger army. ¡°That¡¯s why I came here.¡± Irene spoke toward the invisible crack. ¡°I learned a lot from fighting last time. I improved the design structure of the pure-breeds and increased their numbers. I have tons of really strong dolls, and Eugene will come with me too. You can¡¯t win.¡± ??????????????¨§? So I just need to devour all of you. If I enter the crack. If I devour everything waiting for me inside. She could gather power incomparable to anything until now. She could properly accomplish what Eugene had ordered. ¡°Wh-what?! How dare you all¡­ here of all places¡­! Aaagh?!¡± ¡°Lady Irene! Please dodge! There are intruders¡­!¡± Slash-! With a sharp cutting sound, the two soldiers guarding Irene instantly became corpses. Slowly approaching her was a group of assassins wearing red cloaks. Among them, holding swords dripping with blood, an incongruously seductive voice was heard. ¡°Lady Irene. That would be you, correct?¡± Emma. Russell¡¯s mistress and collaborator dispatched from the Round Table. Passing by the corpses of the two soldiers, she looked at Irene with a sinister smile. I¡¯ve come to escort you. My lady, please come with us. A tone clearly intended to be threatening. However, Irene didn¡¯t respond to her words, simply continuing to look at the sea silently as before. Frozen with fear? Or just baseless bravado? As Emma pondered this and that, a quiet voice reached her. ¡°Eugene told me. He said not to go with anyone except those he mentioned.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. My lady, Lord Eugene will be coming this way soon too. Now, please come this¡­¡± ¡°Eugene doesn¡¯t know someone like you.¡± A cold voice. Emma was momentarily surprised by this demeanor, contrary to the foolish attitude she had observed while monitoring Eugene. ¡®So she¡¯s not just a thoughtless woman after all?¡¯ She saw Irene¡¯s face as she slightly turned to look at her. With no trace of her usual smile, just an expressionless face dripping with coldness. ¡°You¡¯re not Eugene¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°If you were a friend, Eugene would have told me about you first.¡± Must not eat them. Swallowing those words, Irene briefly looked around at them. ¡®They have imprints but they¡¯re worthless. Their magical power isn¡¯t even pure. They don¡¯t look tasty at all, not even close to Karin whom I ate before, let alone knights.¡¯ After confirming the individuals surrounding her, Irene completed all her judgments. Trash. Irene turned her gaze away, completely erasing any interest in them. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but the current situation is more serious than you think, my lady.¡± However, that didn¡¯t last long. With a slight nod from Emma, two assassins approached and held their knives to Irene¡¯s throat. The cold sensation of metal against her nape. It couldn¡¯t have been a more perfect threat. ¡°So while I¡¯m still asking nicely, obediently come with us. If your face gets scarred, how sad would Sir Eugene be¡­¡± But that didn¡¯t last long either. ¡°¡­would you look at that?¡± Emma¡¯s expression twisted. Despite having knives held to her throat, Irene maintained her initial expressionless face while staring at the sea. As if showing complete disinterest in her and the assassins, an utterly arrogant attitude. Emma felt a slight irritation rising. ¡®This lowborn wench without even a proper lineage, acting so proud just because she has the war hero Eugene¡¯s backing?¡¯ If that¡¯s how you want to play it, we don¡¯t need to be so courteous either. Snap! Emma strode forward and roughly grabbed Irene¡¯s face. ¡°Ha¡­!¡± Irene¡¯s cold face showed no sign of even noticing the killing intent Emma was radiating. Seeing that face so blatantly ignoring her, Emma¡¯s patience was rapidly wearing thin. ¡®Russell¡¯s orders were to avoid rough handling, but there¡¯s no helping it if we want to handle this smoothly.¡¯ Just a light slap or two¡­ Thud. At that moment, the sound of something falling to the ground was heard. What fell? Is she trying to contact that Eugene bastard? Thinking this, Emma looked down to check the ground and. ¡°¡­huh?¡± What had fallen to the ground was her own hand that had been holding Irene¡¯s face. ¡°Ah, aah, aaaaaagh¨C!¡± ¡°Wh-what! Lady Emma¡¯s arm!¡± ¡°When did she¡­!¡± Emma screamed while clutching her completely severed arm. The assassins hastily drew their guns, but those with even slight magical power could sense something bizarre. ¡°Wh-what is this?¡± ¡°Until just now there wasn¡¯t even a trace of presence¡­¡± A murky, dark energy different from ordinary mages. Several assassins¡¯ eyes widened instantly upon sensing it. ¡°This is¡­ could it be?¡± Those who had been dispatched to contaminated zones could recognize it. This magical power wavelength was that of monsters. No, it was the special wavelength emitted by the crack. And upon realizing this, they were gripped by an even more incomprehensible feeling. Why was this magical power wavelength associated with monsters emanating from that girl? ¡°¡­ah.¡± While the assassins were in confusion. Irene¡¯s expressionless gaze settled on one spot. Her white blouse. The blood that had splattered on the hem of that clothing had created a red stain. ¡°This clothes, Eugene bought it for me in the capital.¡± Only after seeing that did Irene¡¯s gaze turn toward Emma and the assassins. ¡°H-huk?!¡± ¡°Th-this is¡­¡± Amethyst eyes gleaming beneath dark shadows. The assassins felt chills run down their spines upon meeting that gaze. Such murderous intent that even assassins trained for decades were terrified. Even Emma, trembling in pain, froze at that chilling voice. ¡°Because of you people, it got dirty.¡± Slash-! A brief statement. As those words ended, black tentacles shot out from beneath Irene¡¯s feet. Tentacles rushing toward the assassins with growling teeth and bulging eyes. Their faces instantly turned pale when they saw it. By the time they realized something had gone wrong, it was already too late. *** ¡°I know most of our combat forces were dispatched to the glacier¡­ but wasn¡¯t this breached too quickly?¡± ¡°Nothing to say about that. Who could have known they¡¯d attack in such numbers.¡± 30 minutes. That was the time it took from receiving reports of knights infiltrating the first floor until Russell and his knights broke into this office. ¡°We¡¯ve subdued all the knights from the main house. All that remains are Reina, who¡¯s stationed in the annex, and you.¡± Knights surrounding Margrave in a semicircle. Among them, Russell spoke while drawing up his magical power to the fullest. ¡°Lord Russell. A report from the annex, sir. They say the automatons are delaying their entry¡­¡± ¡°What are they doing at this crucial moment. Send reinforcements immediately.¡± These idiots are whispering in front of a seven stroke imprint mage. I can hear everything, you fools. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. While thinking this, I observed Russell¡¯s figure as he aimed at the Margrave. The magical power crystals formed around his body, and the magical power sword made from those crystals. Without needing to look further, it was Duke Buckenheim¡¯s crystal magic. ¡®A Korhonen direct descendant using another family¡¯s magic.¡¯ Just how much must this person have hated his own family? While I was thinking this, Margrave Kassel called out to his son in a grave voice. ¡°Russell. Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°To become the master of Korhonen.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll protect this land in my stead?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my job, but the Knight Order¡¯s.¡± With a cold sneer, Russell continued speaking. ¡°The Knight Order will take charge of the Korhonen Territory and wall defense. The automatons you developed will be used for mining labor and drilling operations. Korhonen will become far wealthier than during your reign.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll sell our autonomy for momentary profit? Even though that means handing over Korhonen¡¯s sovereignty, the North¡¯s governance to them?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have inherited it anyway. The successor was Reina, not me.¡± Rather than protecting a freedom that was never mine to begin with, selling everything to the Knight Order is a much better deal. Though he was speaking without hesitation, Russell¡¯s face didn¡¯t look entirely pleased. ¡°Do you think the Knight Order can properly protect the North?¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. I just need to reign as Korhonen¡¯s next lord. Unlike you, who¡¯s trapped here half-dead claiming to protect the territory¡¯s people!¡± ¡°What a pathetic fellow.¡± With that sigh, Margrave spoke while looking at Russell. ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t choose you as my successor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Everything that made you who you are came from Korhonen¡¯s land and its people. Do you think what you gain from selling them off will protect you forever? Do you think becoming a willing slave to magic nobles will satisfy that petty vanity of yours?¡± Shaking his head, Margrave continued. ¡°You will be discarded.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And the North you seize will transform into hell¡­!¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t want that, you should have quietly passed the title to me-! Not to that lowborn adopted daughter without a drop of our blood-!¡± Cutting off Margrave¡¯s words, Russell¡¯s voice burst out. Russell shouted as if throwing a tantrum. However, that only lasted a moment before he turned his head with an indescribable expression. ¡°¡­Out of respect for the former Margrave¡¯s honor, I won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Hand over your imprint. I¡¯ll arrange a suitable place for you to recover.¡± It seemed merciful at first glance, but in reality it wasn¡¯t. The seven stroke imprint [Steel Puppeteer] was what suppressed the count¡¯s illness. Demanding its surrender was no different from telling him to die. ¡°And you, Eugene Lorentz.¡± Having said his piece, Russell now approached me. ¡°The die is already cast, and I am the ruler of the North. From now on, I¡¯m the one you need to negotiate with. Not that dying corpse over there.¡± ¡°What if I refuse to acknowledge that?¡± ¡°Could you really do that?¡± As if he had anticipated my resistance, Russell lowered his voice while looking at me. ¡°We¡¯ve captured that woman Irene who¡¯s always with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± How can he be so triumphant while jumping into the fire pit himself? While I was thinking this, Russell brought his face close and growled. ¡°Don¡¯t think this is just bravado. We¡¯re serious. If you make any rash moves, I¡¯ll immediately order that woman¡¯s death¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong.¡± I looked at these pitiful ignorant fools with a deep sigh. Oh you poor idiots. What? Kidnap Irene? Kill her if I make any sudden moves? Go ahead and try if you can. How do you plan to kill someone who walks away laughing after taking a direct hit from an armored train¡¯s cannon? Looking at Russell who frowned, seemingly not grasping the situation, I spoke slowly. ¡°Your planned coup. It was doomed from the start.¡± And the next moment. Aaaaaagh¡ª! ¡°?!¡± ¡°What was that sound just now?!¡± ¡°No, more importantly, that voice is¡­¡± A scream was heard from outside the mansion. A woman¡¯s scream so high it seemed to tear apart. No, it would be more accurate to call it a death cry. Russell¡¯s voice went pale, apparently recognizing the owner of that voice. ¡°Emma? Why would she be screaming¡­?¡± ¡°My lord.¡± This is urgent. While activating my magic circuit, I turned my gaze to look at Margrave. ¡®I¡¯m going to kill your son now, is that really okay?¡¯ A question too cruel to ask a father. Unable to voice it out loud, I just looked at him silently, and the masked count¡¯s face moved up and down. ¡°Kill him, Eugene.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± The moment Margrave¡¯s approval fell, I transmitted magical power from my magic circuit to my imprint. Kuu-! ¡°Kugh?!¡± ¡°M-my body¡­!¡± The space instantly churned with my magical power filling the audience. The knights¡¯ faces all turned pale at feeling that pressure. ¡°By confirmation of Margrave Korhonen. The Imperial Army hereby considers Korhonen First Son Russell Korhonen as a rebel force threatening the legitimate governance of magic nobles from this moment forward.¡± Congratulations, Young Master Russell. You¡¯re a rebel from today. Muttering that internally, I pressed Heresy¡¯s muzzle against Russell¡¯s head. ¡°And according to His Imperial Majesty¡¯s orders, there is only one sentence for rebels. Immediate execution.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°From this moment, I will carry out the imperial command.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 117 #117 Like overlaying an old photograph, an unfamiliar scene filled my vision. [Fath¡­ Father¡­] Russell, covered in blood, collapsed on the floor. And Margrave Kassel, sitting there dumbfounded while holding his son. His white robe completely stained with his son¡¯s blood, he just sat there with a blank expression. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ A vision faded like a black and white film. The d¨¦j¨¤ vu from this vision-like scene lasted only a moment before I could recognize what this scene was. ¡®This seems similar to what happened with Feilun.¡¯ It was from a few years ago, during my junior officer days. A support request sent by Baron Zicklinte. The deal made there with the Revolutionary Army. A non-violent protest, the Baron murdered by the Revolutionary Army¡¯s hands. And when everything was over, the original scenario I saw in my dreams. [I just¡­ didn¡¯t want to¡­ live like you¡­!] Russell, crying tears of blood, reached for Margrave¡¯s mask with trembling hands. Four streams of blood running down the metal mask. After touching Margrave¡¯s mask, Russell met his death in his father¡¯s arms. ¡®This is the scenario that would have played out in the original game if I hadn¡¯t intervened.¡¯ As soon as I made this judgment, the vision before my eyes immediately showed the next scene. Margrave Kassel who killed his son with his own hands. Automatons returning from the northern glacier, massacring the knights occupying the mansion. The Korhonen territory engulfed in civil war, and the Great Wall burning. It was more than enough to infer the situation here. ¡®Even without my intervention, Russell¡¯s rebellion would have failed.¡¯ Margrave Kassel had been watching Russell¡¯s movements and would have made appropriate preparations. The thousand automatons stationed in the north would return to Korhonen territory and suppress the knights Russell had brought. ¡®However¡­¡¯ The civil war that broke out in Korhonen territory wouldn¡¯t be suppressed quickly. The Knight Order conducting delaying operations from the mansion. The automatons using any means necessary to break through the mansion. The longer the civil war dragged on, the casualties would increase exponentially, and as more civilians bled, House Count Korhonen¡¯s authority would plummet. ????????????? After such a difficult suppression of the coup, would Korhonen have any strength left to conquer the rift? Of course not. [Is this¡­ the result of dedicating my entire being to protecting the north?] [Are you saying this ending, where I killed my son with my own hands, is the result of my choices?] The vision now showed Kassel sitting there devastated. The northern ruler, broken and fallen. Korhonen was weakened after the civil war, and the Great Wall, collapsed from the war¡¯s aftermath, couldn¡¯t function properly. ¡®So the weakened Korhonen would end up submitting to the Revolutionary Army.¡¯ The north¡¯s mention in [Revolution Empire] was at most two lines of text. A message about Korhonen¡¯s letter of surrender arriving at the Revolutionary Army camp surrounding the imperial capital. The executives cheering about their growing forces. That was all. ¡®But beyond the Great Wall lies the rift.¡¯ As if sensing my thoughts, the vision quickly showed the next scene. The place Korhonen had wanted to conquer by gathering all their power. ¡®The north¡¯s greatest threat, capable of endangering the entire continent.¡¯ Margrave Kassel¡¯s goal was to eliminate the rift. And when his son Russell started the civil war, that opportunity was lost forever. The automaton army was consumed fighting the knights, revolution broke out in the imperial center, and House Count Korhonen¡¯s authority had hit rock bottom. Thus, Korhonen would transfer control of the north to the revolutionary government. The Revolutionary Army, who didn¡¯t even know about the rift beyond the Great Wall. Could they, who had never even set foot on northern soil, stop the coming monster offensive? ¡®Of course not.¡¯ The countless tragedies in the northern lands. The innocent blood spilled between twisted emotions and conflicting interests. All of these overlapped and intertwined to create. This scene now before my eyes. [Aaaargh¨C!] [The monsters, the monsters are crossing the wall!] [Where are the soldiers?! The Revolutionary Army?! They said they would protect us!] [Run! Hurry and run¡­!] [Where are we supposed to run to! We¡¯re surrounded by monsters!] A burning city. Monsters endlessly devouring people. The collapsed mansion. House Count Korhonen¡¯s banner, torn to shreds on the ground. Step- Amidst the scene of pandemonium, an old and sickly hand picked up that tattered banner. An elderly man in a worn robe and mask. No, he was just a corpse with only breath remaining, watching the destruction. [Just as Franz predicted.] The wave of monsters filling the sky was heading in one direction. Monsters that emerged from the northern rift. After devouring all life in the north, they would march toward the imperial mainland to fill their hungry bellies. The Great Rupture that appeared in the republican capital. Along with the monster army that emerged when that rift opened. [Though I fought all those years to change this predetermined future.] Facing the dark sky where everything had ended, Margrave Kassel pointed a pistol at his chin and. [It was all futile struggling.] Bang-! With the gunshot, he ended his painful life by his own hand. This was the true ending of [Revolution Empire]. The story after the death of the revolutionary hero, protagonist Eugene Lorentz. The continent¡¯s destruction. *** Bang-! In the backyard of the Korhonen mansion. With a single gunshot, Russell¡¯s body, bound by magical power chains, crumpled. The execution was carried out by a member of Imperial Army, Colonel Sandal. It was a lawful execution conducted in the presence of House Korhonen¡¯s knights. ¡°Execution complete. According to imperial law, the body of the executed prisoner will be handed over to the family.¡± ¡°Philip, Commander of the Korhonen Knight Order. Confirmed receipt.¡± An emotionless, dry salute. The knight placed his hand on his chest, accepting it. With both sides observing proper courtesy in their own way, Russell¡¯s coup was completely suppressed. The knights who followed him would be imprisoned in the northern prison, undergo some ¡®education,¡¯ and then be released. ¡°Is it all over?¡± Around the time the knights were collecting Russell¡¯s body, the Margrave slowly appeared. Two automatons standing in formation as if guarding him. When I turned my gaze toward the mansion, Reina was slowly bowing her head at me. ¡®What are you thanking me for.¡¯ Thinking that inwardly, I looked at Count Kassel. He seemed lost in regret as he watched his son¡¯s body being loaded into the transport vehicle. His appearance overlapped with the vision that appeared when Russell died. ¡®He can¡¯t break like in the original.¡¯ I spoke to Kassel as he watched the departing transport vehicle. ¡°From the moment he started the coup, and from the point he became a magic noble¡¯s pawn, I had to kill Russell.¡± Even if it wasn¡¯t your request. As I added that, Count Kassel¡¯s gaze turned to me. ¡°My goal and His Majesty the Emperor¡¯s is to drive out magic noble influence from the empire. Even if it¡¯s Your Lordship¡¯s son, there can be no exceptions.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that killing your son was my decision, not yours.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At those words, the gazes of the knights guarding Count Kassel grew sharp. Kassel¡¯s silent gaze on me. What that face behind the mask was thinking¡­ Well, honestly, it wasn¡¯t my business. ¡°I was the one who destroyed his magic, broke his imprint, bound him with magical power chains like a dog, and killed him.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°So drop this pointless self-blame about your decision causing your son¡¯s death. You and I still have work to do in the north.¡± ¡°Sir-!¡± Words too harsh to say to a father who just lost his son. Several knights whose patience had run out shouted at me. ¡°No matter what, you¡¯ve gone too far! His Lordship¡­!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Kassel stopped the knights and spoke while looking at me. ¡°Yes. So this is how you handle people.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I saw the count¡¯s face behind the mask. Though his face was haggard, there was a faint smile as he looked at me. ¡°Self-blame, resentment, regret¡­ You¡¯re trying to overlay these emotions I¡¯m feeling now with hatred toward you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So that I won¡¯t give up on this expedition. To ensure I don¡¯t abandon protecting the north.¡± Ah damn, he caught on. I guess someone of Margrave¡¯s caliber sees through it quickly. ¡°The King of the Burning Throne. A flame that changes the future, is it?¡± Just as I was thinking that. After muttering those incomprehensible words, Kassel slowly walked toward me and Thud. He lowered himself, kneeling on one knee and bowing his head. ¡°Y-Your Lordship?!¡± ¡°Please stand up, Your Lordship! What is this suddenly¡­!¡± ¡°I, Margrave Korhonen, Kassel Korhonen, hereby declare.¡± While the knights were gasping in shock. Margrave Kassel, speaking in a solemn voice, faced me. ¡°From this moment forward, House Count Korhonen and the people of the north recognize Eugene Lorentz as the empire¡¯s rightful successor.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°W-What¡­¡± Following the sudden action, a shocking declaration. As soon as the count finished speaking, those present looked back and forth between me and the count with wide eyes. However, among everyone here, the most surprised was probably none other than me. No, really. What¡¯s suddenly going on here? ¡°Your Lordship.¡± Just as I was about to open my mouth thinking this, a messenger from the glacier region arrived with a report. ¡°Transport operations and maintenance complete. Automatons 1 through 1,172. All units ready for deployment.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Hearing those words, the Margrave slowly rose and looked at me. ¡°Russell¡¯s coup has been suppressed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My puppet army is in its best, optimal condition, and all of the north¡¯s power is gathered before the rift. And finally¡­¡± Margrave Kassel slowly raised his hand, pointing at me with his gloved hand. ¡°You are with us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You, who possess the imperial imprint. The master of [Wings of Crimson].¡± Hearing those words, I looked at the sea behind the Margrave. The endless horizon. The glacier beyond it. There lay the rift. ¡°Therefore Eugene. Successor to the empire recognized by Emperor Franz.¡± As I stood there unable to find words, Margrave Kassel slowly straightened his posture and. Gave an order. Paid his respects as a knight would to his master. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the moment the Margrave showed his respect, the soldiers and knights lined up behind him all took the same posture. The soldiers and knights who had fought alongside me to stop the monster invasion. Looking at their faces, I was finally able to calm my confused mind. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± With the Margrave and now these people pushing me, I couldn¡¯t exactly tell them not to. It¡¯s a bit uncomfortable getting this treatment already. Just as I was thinking that. ¡°Our goal is singular. To completely eradicate the northern rift that threatens the empire.¡± I straightened my posture as I would before troops, then opened my mouth while looking at them. ¡°Therefore, by the authority you have recognized, I order all northern troops¡­¡± Like lighting a dry wick, I gathered their gazes through a moment of silence and. ¡°All forces, advance.¡± As my words ended, thunderous cheers covered the northern coast. I now had to depart to burn the seeds of predetermined destruction. Into the rift. Into the heart of the monsters. Beyond the gate to another world, different from this one. Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price! Chapter 118 #118 ¡°The contact has been lost?¡± At the Buckenheim mansion. Upon receiving the report from the messenger who was trembling like an aspen tree, Duke Buckenheim¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°J-just now, we lost contact with the agent we had infiltrated. There was a report about kidnapping Brigadier General Eugene¡¯s lover, but that¡­¡± ¡°Failed. How foolish.¡± The news that his planted spy had been cut off meant that the coup they had been planning had also failed. Nothing seems to be going right. He thought it was the perfect timing, but did it fail? If so, the main reason was¡­ ¡°Eugene Lorentz¡­ In other words, it¡¯s because of the Emperor¡¯s arrangements.¡± With a short sigh, the Duke closed the book he was reading with a sound. With this, the plan to draw the North into the Round Table had to be scrapped. Rather, Korhonen was more likely to cooperate closely with the Emperor. ¡®Gloucester entrenched in the East and Korhonen in the North¡­ The two Margraves guarding the Empire¡¯s frontiers are supporting the Emperor.¡¯ What an unpleasant scenario this brings to mind. Muttering thus, the Duke spoke to his servant. ¡°Contact Duke Nachtval.¡± ¡°Y-yes, yes!¡± If this situation is left unchecked, the standing of magic nobles in the Empire¡¯s power structure will gradually diminish. It means the Emperor at the center and the Margraves at the frontiers will surround us. ¡®If that happens¡­ The Empire will return to that day.¡¯ When Emperor Franz wasn¡¯t a toothless tiger like now, but was called the Iron-Blooded Monarch. That must not happen. The magic nobles are heroes who saved the Empire, and furthermore, the continent. It was none other than us who saved the world. The rulers of this Empire must also be of our heroic bloodline. ¡°We cannot let the Emperor take power from us now.¡± To prevent that, we must unite. That¡¯s why we revived the Round Table as a noble alliance. ¡°Though it¡¯s irritating how Nachtval, the second seat, keeps complaining about everything, they also understand the necessity of the Round Table. They should know this isn¡¯t the time for factional fights among magic nobles¡­¡± While the Duke was in the middle of his monologue. When the messenger who should have rushed to contact Nachtval didn¡¯t move, the Duke let out a rough sigh and opened his mouth. ¡°What are you doing! Why aren¡¯t you going¡­!¡± But at that moment. The Duke noticed something was wrong with the state of the prostrated messenger. ¡°Kuh, kuhkuh¡­!¡± His body twisting this way and that. ¡°An assassin?¡± Seeing this, the Duke immediately drew up his magical power. Pook-! The magical power crystal shot without delay. After piercing the heart to cut off his breath, the dead messenger¡¯s corpse began to stagger up. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see your responses are still quick.¡± Not the messenger¡¯s voice, but someone else¡¯s. Hearing the high-pitched female voice, the Duke¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I was wondering if your judgment might have dulled due to your advanced age.¡± ¡°Hmph, nonsense.¡± Snapping thus, the Duke thought while listening to the voice flowing from the dead messenger¡¯s body. ¡®Possession magic. Moreover, judging from the flow of magical power, the mage controlling it is outside Buckenheim territory.¡¯ An imprint with enough precision to move a corpse from such a distance¡­ There¡¯s only one. [The Jester of the Thorn Forest] One of the five imprints that Informant M. Maximilien stole from the Imperial Archives. And now¡­ it was also a seven stroke imprint possessed by a Republican mage. The Duke could immediately recognize who this person was. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Agent No. 2, who¡¯s the talk of the town, to come looking for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m honored you recognize me, Your Grace.¡± ¡°So what is it? Have you come to take my head before breaking the armistice?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± The messenger let out a chuckling sound and gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°If that was my intention, I wouldn¡¯t have used such a weak vessel. Please take this rather as a sign that I have no intention to harm¡­¡± But the moment those words were spoken. Screech-! With a sharp cutting sound, the messenger¡¯s head fell off. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the Duke¡¯s hand was the crystal sword, a secret art of the Buckenheim family. Crunch, crunch The messenger¡¯s severed head. What was writhing at the cut surface was a centipede. In that short time, it had eaten the brain and was controlling the corpse. ¡°You dare to prattle on while preparing to aim for my head at any moment.¡± ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to notice so quickly.¡± The messenger ¨C no, the head twisted its face grotesquely as it said this. ¡°However, Your Grace. It¡¯s also true that the Round Table is in a tight spot.¡± ¡°In a tight spot?¡± ¡°Yes. According to the information I¡¯ve obtained¡­¡± The head trailed off, showing a slight smile before continuing. ¡°The Magic Corps is planning to betray the Round Table soon.¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± Looking at the Duke who frowned deeply, the head smiled slightly and opened its mouth. ¡°How about engaging in a joint venture, Your Grace?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Like the ¡®deal¡¯ Your Grace made with us decades ago.¡± The Republican agent brought up a shameful incident that had been long forgotten. No, one that had been trying to be forgotten for a long time. Though the Duke ground his teeth, he soon looked at the messenger¡¯s head with a sigh. ¡°Speak.¡± Though his anger was rising. Deals with these people had never disappointed him. *** Sniff-! Oh my, look at that runny nose. I took out a handkerchief from my chest and pressed it to Irene¡¯s face while saying. ¡°Here, blow. Huff~ ha huff!¡° ¡°Sniiiff-!¡° Oh, how good our Irene is. Looking at Irene giggling with a red nose tip, the sea of blood I saw when I first brought this kid seemed like an illusion. ¡®P-please¡­ spare me¡­!¡¯ ¡°Hee, heehee¡­! Heeheeheehee¡­!¡± What sat among the pile of corpses were some knights driven mad with fear and a woman named Emma who had completely lost her mind. Though Colonel Sandal was planning to take custody and interrogate them¡­ honestly, I didn¡¯t expect much meaningful information to come out. What could come out of torturing someone who had already lost their mind? ¡°Good! More this way! That¡¯s it-!¡± While I was thinking that, preparations for departure toward the rupture were entering their final stages. The drilling equipment set up in the middle of the glacier. At the end of the massive cylindrical equipment was installed a mechanical device that could push 20 automatons into the rupture simultaneously. ¡°Checking the range of motion, Your Lordship. Move your leg this way¡­ Yes. Good.¡± Looking toward where the voice came from, Margrave Kassel was preparing to enter the rupture interior, surrounded by technicians. ¡°It¡¯s heavy. Even with auxiliary power, it¡¯s this much?¡± ¡°Our power system technology is far behind the Republic¡¯s. Please extend your arm this way as well.¡± ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Armor. No, Margrave Kassel wearing something similar in appearance to the Republic¡¯s Armored Infantry that we faced in the war. He was being equipped with a pressure suit based on the Republic¡¯s Armored Infantry enhancement suit to command the puppet corps. I guess they want to prepare as much as possible since you never know what might pop out in the Great Rupture. ¡°Though knights from the autonomous territory have cleared the monsters at the drop point, according to the advance team¡¯s report, monster incursions have become less frequent at some point.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand what this means?¡± At first glance, it seemed safe to enter. However, the Margrave, who had fought monster hordes for a long time, spoke as if he sensed something. ¡°It means the enemy knows we¡¯re coming.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not attacking the advance team deliberately is to lure us in. They¡¯re saying ¡®come if you dare.''¡± The rupture subjugation in the game was like that too. The rupture interior is virtually a monster stronghold. Probably the moment we enter the rupture, monsters lying in wait will charge in. ¡°There¡¯s practically no information about the terrain, and we can¡¯t even guess the scale of the enemy forces.¡± It¡¯s a hellish space that no commander with common sense would ever step into. But I looked at the Margrave and said. ¡°If we don¡¯t do it now, we¡¯ll never be able to do it, right?¡± The Margrave nodded heavily. ¡°Though Reina¡¯s qualities are certainly remarkable, that child isn¡¯t as proficient at multi-control as I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A puppeteer who can control over a thousand puppets simultaneously¡­ coincidentally, I¡¯m the only one throughout Korhonen¡¯s history.¡± The reason Korhonen completely cut off external connections and just accumulated power. The reason they created a puppet corps by mobilizing industrial technology at its peak and his seven stroke magic imprint. All of it was for this moment. To deal with this rupture that had been threatening the North. ¡°I will protect the North.¡± Looking at the massive drilling equipment, the Margrave said. ¡°This is a mission shouldered by my generation, no one else¡¯s. We cannot leave that terrible monster breeding ground to the next generation.¡± The technicians bowed their heads as if with determination. And the knights. While receiving their gazes, the technicians checking the Count¡¯s enhancement suit gave a thumbs up. Entry preparations complete. Now it¡¯s really time to depart. ¡°The moment His Lordship arrives, we¡¯ll immediately send in the puppet corps. But until then¡­¡± ¡°I must protect His Lordship. I understand well.¡± Hearing my words, the technician immediately activated the mechanical device and lowered the elevator. ¡°It¡¯s likely to be a one-way trip, yet you¡¯re quite brave to enter this death trap with me.¡± ¡°Well. Rather, think about it the other way around.¡± ¡°The other way?¡± In the elevator descending into the rupture. To the Margrave¡¯s question, I said. ¡°After putting on such airs, how could you think about dying first on your own?¡± ¡°What do you¡­?¡± The moment the Margrave wondered at those words. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Q-quick! Catch her!¡± ¡°Lady Irene is jumping in without protection!¡± Along with the knights¡¯ screams, something jumped into the drilling equipment. ¡°Eugene-!¡± Seriously, I told her to jump quietly. Thinking that, I immediately adjusted my posture to catch Irene¡¯s body. Thump-! As I caught Irene¡¯s body falling into the elevator, the Margrave¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. ¡°W-what is this? That girl¡­!¡± But that was only for a moment. The Margrave¡¯s eyes wavered in confusion as he faced Irene. ¡°That¡­ girl¡­?¡± The alien yet simultaneously familiar energy felt from Irene as we got closer to the rupture. Mana core. The moment he noticed its presence, the Margrave¡¯s gaze hurriedly turned toward me. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve come this far, I should reveal my hidden card too.¡± Irene, who buried her face in my chest while wrapping her arms around my neck for whatever reason she found so pleasing. After glancing slightly at her, I said to the Margrave: ¡°With this kid here, we should be able to make it back alive.¡± Author''s Thoughts Hi everyone, I''ve completely translated this novel! For those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price!