"But what do they gain from moving this way?" Herman wondered, irritation creeping into his thoughts as he put down the latest report. He had only recently finished dealing with the secret realms, and the last thing he wanted was another political mess appearing before he had time to deal with the consequences of the previous one. At present, he was working tirelessly to ensure that nothing resembling the disaster in the United States could happen within the European Union. The situation required constant vigilance, and he had neither the time nor the patience to deal with powerful families stirring up trouble for reasons they refused to explain.
The intelligence agencies were working harder than ever, and Herman had a fairly good idea of just how exhausted their personnel had become. The last time he had spoken to his son, a week earlier, the young man had looked like a walking corpse despite having an improved body that should have helped him endure the strain. If even someone with those advantages looked that terrible, Herman could only imagine the state of the other intelligence officers who lacked comparable improvements. They were dealing with an overwhelming workload, trying to identify potential traitors and uncover threats before they could develop into something dangerous, all while adapting to a world that had changed beyond recognition.
Consequently, Herman had no interest in becoming involved in another political game at the moment. What he wanted was a little peace and quiet, enough time to digest the gains made through the secret realms and establish a more stable foundation for the military. There were still too many unanswered questions about the people who might betray the Union, and he wanted those matters investigated before another crisis forced everyone to react without preparation. An anti-corruption campaign might be necessary from time to time, but launching one now would only add another burden to an already strained system. He had no intention of supporting such an undertaking unless there was a compelling reason to do so.
Of course, Herman understood why these campaigns occasionally became necessary. When he had returned to his position, he had swept through the military and dealt with the problems that had accumulated during his absence, and he knew that no organisation could remain healthy if corruption was allowed to spread unchecked. Even so, timing mattered, particularly when the government was already struggling to adapt to the consequences of the world's transformation. Removing corrupt officials was one thing, but initiating a campaign that disrupted several branches of the government at once could create opportunities for people with far less honourable intentions. If the Great Houses were responsible for what he was seeing, he needed to understand their objectives before deciding whether to intervene.
It seems I will need to call Karl to make sense of this entire operation, Herman thought, reluctantly acknowledging that his old friend might be the only person who could explain what was happening. In hindsight, he regretted that he had not reconnected with Karl sooner, since a great deal might have been different if he had been able to consult him during the years he spent dealing with the Great Houses. Their history and complicated relationships with eachother were matters Herman had never fully understood, and he now suspected that he had underestimated just how much influence those families possessed. Still, there was little point regretting the past when he finally had an opportunity to speak with Karl again.
Unfortunately, making the call was not as simple as picking up the telephone in his office. Herman needed to travel to the nearest city where modern communication technology was still functioning, which meant leaving the military headquarters and making the journey on horseback. He looked towards the door with a sigh, already disliking the inconvenience before he had even stepped outside. The new headquarters was impressive in many respects, but its location had one particularly irritating drawback: most modern technology no longer worked reliably in the surrounding area. It was a necessary inconvenience, though that did not mean he had to enjoy it.
The military had deliberately chosen to build the headquarters in a place where technology was largely unusable. With the world changing so rapidly, it was important for military personnel to learn how to function without relying on devices and systems that might suddenly fail when they were needed most. Training in such an environment would allow soldiers and officers to become accustomed to the limitations of the new world, reducing the risk that they would be caught unprepared during an emergency. Herman understood the reasoning behind the decision, even if he found it frustrating to work in a facility where something as simple as making a telephone call required a journey. Practical considerations did not make every inconvenience pleasant, particularly when he already had more work than he could reasonably handle.
The military was not the only institution struggling to adapt to the gradual disappearance of modern technology. Across the Union, the departments responsible for technology and education had begun printing books and other forms of information in enormous quantities. Documents that had once been readily available through the internet needed to be preserved on physical media if humanity wanted to ensure that its accumulated knowledge survived the transition. Digital storage was no longer something that governments could depend on everywhere, and losing access to such a vast amount of information would be a disaster in its own right. The authorities therefore treated the preservation effort as a matter of considerable urgency, even though it consumed resources that were needed elsewhere.
The problem was not simply that people would lose access to convenient entertainment or everyday information. Humanity had accumulated generations of scientific research, historical records, engineering knowledge, medical discoveries, and countless other resources that had helped build modern civilisation. Although the world had changed dramatically, much of that knowledge remained relevant, and some of it might become even more valuable as humanity learned to work with mana. A scientific principle that seemed unrelated to the new world could still provide the foundation for a future breakthrough, while an old technical manual might inspire someone to develop an entirely new method of using the resources now available. Losing those records because people had failed to preserve them would be an entirely avoidable mistake.
For that reason, the printing efforts continued on a massive scale. Government departments worked to ensure that as much information as possible was transferred into physical formats before further technological disruptions made the task more difficult. They even approached the Great Houses for advice on how to preserve their accumulated knowledge, since everyone now recognised that those families were effectively living libraries. Over generations, the Great Houses had gathered and maintained enormous collections of information, including records that ordinary institutions might never have thought to preserve. Their experience made them valuable partners in the effort to safeguard humanity's collective knowledge, particularly when the future reliability of digital systems could no longer be guaranteed.
After roughly two hours of riding, Herman finally reached the nearest city where internet access remained available. The journey had given him plenty of time to think about the reports he had read, but it had done little to improve his mood. He made his way into a secure building specifically constructed to support this kind of communication, where the necessary equipment could be used without the interference that affected the military headquarters. Once inside, he wasted no time making arrangements for the call. There was little reason to delay when every additional hour might allow the situation to develop further without his understanding what was happening.
"Hello, Herman. What can I help you with?" Karl asked when the call connected. His tone was calm, but he made no pretence of believing that this was an ordinary friendly conversation between old acquaintances. He knew Herman well enough to recognise that the marshal would not have gone to the trouble of travelling to a city simply to exchange pleasantries. Given the current state of the world, there were plenty of reasons for someone in Herman's position to seek information, and Karl was clearly waiting to hear which problem had brought his old friend to him.
"It's like this," Herman began, proceeding to lay out his concerns and explain the information he had gathered. He described the apparent preparations for an anti-corruption campaign, the unusual activity surrounding the government, and his suspicions that the Great Houses were somehow involved. He also made it clear that he had received no warning from his usual contacts, which suggested that the operation was taking place beyond the normal channels through which major government decisions were communicated. After explaining what he knew, he asked Karl to help him make sense of the situation, hoping that his friend could provide the missing pieces.
Karl listened without interrupting, allowing Herman to finish his explanation before responding. "Herman, let me put it this way: they have their reasons, and those reasons are good ones," he said, his voice carrying a seriousness that immediately caught the marshal's attention. "Just understand that if someone gets in their way, they will be buried, and I will not help you if you try anything underhanded. In fact, I will actively stand against you." His words were direct enough to leave little room for misunderstanding, and Herman could tell that Karl was not speaking casually or exaggerating to make a point.
However, Karl was also careful to clarify the limits of his warning. "This is not directed at you or at any official whose background is relatively clean," he continued. "I am talking about the really dirty ones." Karl had no illusions about the political world, and he certainly did not believe that every politician was honest simply because they held public office. Nevertheless, he understood that there was a difference between an imperfect official and someone whose corruption had become a serious threat to the interests of the Union. His warning was aimed at the latter, and he wanted Herman to understand that the coming operation was not intended to punish every person who had ever made a questionable decision.
"What they are doing is in the best interests of the Union and the continent," Karl concluded in a calm tone. "So rest easy, and give them a month or two. By then, this whole thing should be over." The confidence in his voice made it clear that he was speaking not merely as Herman's old friend, but as the patriarch of the Sonnenberg family. He was not offering a personal opinion that could be casually debated or dismissed, but communicating the position of a family that had already committed itself to a particular course of action. Karl had revealed enough to reassure Herman that there was a reason behind the unfolding events, while also making it clear that he would not disclose everything over the telephone.
The call ended shortly afterwards, leaving Herman sitting in the secure communications office with a troubled expression. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment, allowing Karl's words to settle in his mind. All right, this is serious, he thought, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he tried to process what he had just heard. For a few minutes, he felt as though he had stepped into the truly dark side of the continent, a world of influence and power that existed beyond the ordinary structures of government. He did not particularly like what he had glimpsed, and the knowledge that he now had a connection to that world was hardly comforting.
Until recently, Herman had possessed no real access to that hidden side of European politics. He knew that the Great Houses and trade families were powerful, but he had not fully appreciated how far their influence extended or how quickly they could coordinate when their interests aligned. Now, however, he had an entry point in the form of his old friend Karl, and the conversation had revealed more than enough to make him uneasy. There was a particular quality to Karl's voice when he spoke as the Sonnenberg patriarch, a tone Herman had heard only a handful of times throughout his life. Each occasion had preceded a major offensive or defensive operation in which large numbers of people had died, and the memory of those moments made it impossible for Herman to dismiss the warning as ordinary political posturing.
From what Herman knew about the Great Houses, they possessed the resources and connections to carry out the kind of operation Karl had implied. Their influence extended into numerous institutions, and some of the most talented generals serving under Herman had benefited from connections associated with those families. The Great Houses were not necessarily responsible for every capable person who rose through the ranks, but Herman understood that their networks could open doors that remained closed to others. In a world where connections often determined who received opportunities, talent alone was not always enough to advance beyond a certain point. Those who possessed both ability and the right relationships had a considerable advantage over those who lacked either one.
Herman knew this from personal experience. He was a talented commander in his own right, and he had never felt the need to deny his own abilities merely because he understood the importance of political connections. However, he could not honestly claim that his friendship with Karl had played no part in his rise to his current position. Their conversations, disagreements, and shared experiences had shaped his command style and influenced the way he approached military problems. His relationship with Karl had helped him understand how to think beyond the immediate battlefield, and the lessons he had learned from his friend had become part of the foundation on which his career was built.
That was precisely why Karl's warning carried so much weight. Herman had trusted his old friend for years, and he knew that Karl was not someone who would casually threaten to stand against him without a serious reason. If Karl was willing to make that position clear from the beginning, then the operation must have been important enough that even their friendship would not be allowed to interfere. Herman did not need to know every detail to understand the message: the Great Houses had decided to act, and he would be making a mistake if he tried to obstruct them without understanding what was at stake. Whatever was happening, he needed to avoid becoming an obstacle in the path of people who were already prepared to deal with anyone who stood in their way.
Right, I'm staying out of this, Herman decided, reaching for the telephone again. He had no intention of blindly supporting an operation whose details remained hidden from him, but neither did he intend to interfere simply because he disliked being left out of the loop. For the moment, the safest course was to remain focused on his own responsibilities and ensure that his family did not become entangled in the unfolding affair. He began contacting a few people who needed to be warned, intending to advise them to keep their distance from the anti-corruption campaign unless they had a clear and legitimate reason to become involved. If Karl was correct and the situation would settle within a month or two, Herman had no desire to make himself or his family part of a conflict that was not theirs to fight.