Chapter 14: One Step (2) The night was dark. An old car sped desperately down a dim road on the outskirts of the capital. Arman and his family were fleeing the city.
"They're coming."
Rodriguez's masked subordinates watched them from the shadows of the forest.
"The Major's orders were clear."
The most trusted member of the Imperial Guard raised his hand. Multiple pairs of eyes glinted, tracking the vehicle's movement.
"A half-breed like him dares to make a fool of us? He won't be leaving in one piece."
Cruel smiles spread across their faces.
"Erase them. Leave no trace."
These people were to be deleted as if they had never existed.
"Ready."
They crouched, preparing to spring.
The moment the vehicle rounded the corner and came into view—
"Go."
They lunged. Dust kicked up beneath their powerful strides.
In an instant, they surrounded the car, thrusting swords into the tires and stabbing through the hood to destroy the engine.
Screeeech!
The car came to a grinding halt with a roar of protesting metal. Inside were Arman, his wife, and three terrified children.
"Kill them all."
The children screamed, and Arman begged for their lives. Their pleas only fueled the guards' mockery.
Crack!
Just as they ripped the car door open and prepared to plunge their blades inside—
Whish!
An arrow tore through the night air. A sharp steel tip buried itself deep into one man's throat.
The moment the guards turned, figures clad in ink-black clothing appeared silently.
"What the—?"
They were surrounded before they knew it. It happened in a heartbeat. They instinctively raised their swords to face the newcomers, but the killing intent in the air pricked their skin. Their limbs trembled involuntarily. The sheer difference in the quality of mana was overwhelming.
"Who... who the hell are you people?"
There was no answer. Instead, a man walked out from among the shadows like a ghost. He had narrow, long eyes and an expression that seemed gentle yet somehow terrifying.
His cold voice sank heavily into the air.
"I have a message for you."
The dagger in his hand glinted chillingly under the moonlight.
"Just one sentence."
Suddenly, his narrow eyes curved into crescents like a waning moon.
"Do not overstep your bounds."
That was the signal. Multiple blades flashed coldly. The sound of clashing steel shattered the silence, but only for a moment. Soon, the wet sounds of gurgling screams and flesh being carved apart filled the air.
En and his men slaughtered Rodriguez's subordinates.
It was a massacre.
"Butler, Major Rodriguez isn't here himself."
"I know. He is a man without the courage to begin with."
En checked on Arman's condition. The three children and the wife had fainted, but fortunately, none of their lives were in danger.
"The car is ruined."
"..."
Arman could only swallow hard. Words wouldn't come. His mind had stopped working; it felt as if the very folds of his brain were tangled.
En gave a thin smile.
"Do not be too alarmed. This is a small token of gratitude from Sir Maximilian for providing such a fine mansion."
He glanced around at the scattered corpses.
"As you can see, foolish people have a hard time letting go. They always try to vent their spite somehow."
"Th-that... I... th-thank you, thank you..."
"I will gladly pass along your thanks. A new car will arrive shortly. Take it and leave."
Gurgle...
Just then, a bloody froth bubbled up from the ground. One man had luckily survived.
Arman flinched.
"Ah, don't worry. I left him alive on purpose. The message needs to be delivered, after all."
It was a threat and a directive at the same time. The interpretation was simple:
Leave the capital and live like a dead man.
In truth, it was an intelligence test. The smart ones would behave correctly to preserve their lives, while the stupid ones would refuse to give up.
"Well then, farewell."
En signaled to his subordinates. They melted into the darkness of the night. With his next step, En also vanished without a trace.
"..."
In the middle of a pile of corpses, Arman sat slumped in a daze.
* * *
The next morning, when I arrived at the Knights' headquarters, a letter was waiting on my office desk.
I tore open the envelope. The contents were as follows:
* * *
[To: The Imperial Judiciary]
[ COMPLAINT ]
1\. COMPLAINANT
Name: Giovanni von Rodriguez
2\. RESPONDENT
Name: Maximilian von Ebenholtz
3\. PURPOSE OF COMPLAINT
I hereby file a complaint against the respondent, Maximilian von Ebenholtz, on charges of murder and instigating the illegal use of force. I request a rigorous investigation and punishment in accordance with the laws and justice of the Empire.
4\. DETAILS OF COMPLAINT
On March 17, Year 1038 of the Imperial Calendar, on a road on the outskirts of the capital, Arcadia, the respondent mobilized an unidentified armed force to brutally murder ten of the complainant's loyal vassals, including 'Utun Bill,' 'Cassio Beron,' and 'Ten Ishin.'
This is a clear act of murder and a grave crime that ignores the legal order of the Empire and abuses private military force.
The respondent's instigation not only severely tarnished the dignity of an Imperial Knight but also constitutes a blatant challenge to the authority of the Imperial Guard, which executes the law in the name of His Imperial Majesty. Therefore, it cannot be overlooked.
Accordingly, the complainant strongly urges the Imperial Judiciary to swiftly and fairly uncover the truth of this incident and impose a severe punishment on the respondent commensurate with his crimes.
5\. EVIDENCE
\- Map and photographs of the crime scene (Submitted separately)
\- List of victims' identities (Submitted separately)
Complainant: Giovanni von Rodriguez (Signature)
* * *
Rodriguez had filed a complaint against me. The claim was that I had murdered his subordinates.
"Hah."
A scoff escaped me.
"Does this country bumpkin from the East really know nothing about how the world works?"
Before my regression, a piece of trash like this had become a high-ranking official in the Imperial Guard and wielded immense power as a close confidant of the Emperor. He was living proof of how rotten the Empire had been back then.
Of course, he must have made his own calculations. It wasn't as if the Ebenholtz family lacked political enemies.
For starters, we were on awkward terms with the Kandel family, who competed for the Emperor's trust, and the Zest family, the wealthiest in the Empire.
The Imperial Guard had quite close ties with the Kandel family. He probably thought that if he lined up with them and stirred up public opinion, he could at least trip up the Ebenholtz family—
Shallow.
It was a delusion possible only for a provincial fool who didn't understand the power dynamics of the capital.
I crumpled the complaint and tossed it into the trash can.
Even this was likely part of En's calculation.
He could have handled it without leaving a single trace of evidence, but he intentionally left someone alive so that Rodriguez would create his own pretext.
"Goodbye."
This complaint would become the man's suicide note. I had a much more important schedule than dealing with this idiot.
Staff interviews.
I needed to find my own people.
A Knight is the sword of the Empire, but they cannot do everything alone. That is why modern Knights have many components: administrative officers, intelligence officers, aides, and so on.
An administrative officer is a secretary and butler who handles the Knight's administrative affairs. They take care of all the grunt work—budget management, report writing, procurement, scheduling—so the Knight can focus solely on their mission.
An intelligence officer is an espionage expert who collects and analyzes all information related to cases. They serve as the Knight's eyes and ears, analyzing field evidence, checking suspect identities, and accessing relevant records.
However, what I wanted was more than that.
This was the first step toward my 'private organization.'
I used to hate factions, but now I had to build one.
I needed talent. Not just people with outstanding abilities, but those who could understand my intentions and follow me silently.
Such people usually don't come looking for me. I have to go to them.
For me, this was a huge advantage.
Because I was a regressor.
"Let's see..."
I turned on the Knights' [Personnel Inquiry System].
* * *
On the outskirts of the Imperial capital, Arcadia, lay Berryhall Street, lined with low-rise buildings. In a corner stood a small company with a sign so faded it was barely legible.
「Veritas Trading」
I didn't know what they bought or sold, but inside this place was the future Prime Minister who would one day single-handedly support the collapsing finances of the Empire.
I stepped inside.
Near the counter sat a thin man in his early twenties wearing glasses.
His name was Dieter Schmidt.
I stood before his desk and watched him as he remained buried under a mountain of paperwork.
"...?"
Sensing a presence, he looked up.
"How can I help you?"
He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his expression indifferent. His face was filled with fatigue from the paperwork and a general apathy toward the world.
"Nice to meet you."
Before my regression, Dieter was a financial secretary for the Empire. Though a pure-blooded Imperial, he had no other background and entered the bureaucracy solely through his talent. He was the man who managed the failing finances with miraculous efficiency, delaying the Empire's bankruptcy by a year or two all by himself.
"I am Maximilian, a Knight of the Sentinel Knights."
I had come here to hire this man as my personal administrative officer.
Since the scale of my group would inevitably grow, I needed the most capable person.
"Yes. Nice to meet you, Sir Maximilian," Dieter replied nonchalantly. The Revolutionary Group had evaluated him as a stubborn eccentric. Even right before the Empire fell, he had been strangely obsessed only with his work.
"...Maximilian von Ebenholtz."
I stated my full name and reached out for a handshake.
It felt a bit tacky, but this man was just so dry.
"Ah, I see."
Even so, his reaction was lukewarm. The name Ebenholtz seemed to trigger no emotion in him.
"I am Dieter Schmidt. An employee of this company."
"..."
I was certain now. This man wouldn't take my hand even if I offered it. After all, he had a history of refusing the persistent recruitment of the New Cabinet and choosing execution instead.
Calling it a 'history' feels a bit weird, though.
Anyway, it would be strange to ask him to be my administrative officer at our very first meeting.
"...Excuse me. What is this about?"
Just then, a middle-aged man with a protruding belly emerged from the back of the office. I took my eyes off Dieter.
"Are you the owner?"
"Yes, that's right..."
I approached the owner and pulled out my Knight identification.
"Nice to meet you. I am Maximilian von Ebenholtz."
"...Pardon? Eben... Ebenholtz?"
The owner's eyes widened instantly. I glanced at Dieter.
Since he said he belonged to this company, the best way to have him was already decided.
"I'm here to acquire this company."
It was a method favored by the Imperial Guard. A takeover that went beyond hostile—a 'forced' merger and acquisition.
But I was different from them. At the very least, I wouldn't just steal it; I would pay a fair price.
"Let's find a place to talk."
I needed a corporate entity anyway.
"Ah, this is so sudden. I'm sorry, but I have no intention of selling—"
"No."
I gave a faint smile and extended my hand to the owner.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not asking."
If there was one thing I shared with those Imperial Guard bastards, it was that the other party didn't have the right to refuse.
If I tried to accommodate everyone's convenience, the world would end.
* * *
The interior of the building was made of cold marble and sharp lines. Members in black uniforms stood at intervals along the corridors, maintaining perfectly rigid postures. The high, empty hall was so cold the air itself felt frozen.
This was the headquarters of the Imperial Guard KS.
"Hmm..."
In the office of Lieutenant General Strassen of the Imperial Guard, he spoke to Major Rodriguez sitting across from him without taking his eyes off his documents.
"I've heard the report, Rodriguez. You filed a complaint."
"Yes, Excellency. This is a clear challenge to the authority of the Empire and His Imperial Majesty."
Rodriguez raised his voice as if he had been wronged. Strassen's eyebrows twitched.
"I know. I saw the scene myself. It would have been better if you'd given me a heads-up before filing it, though."
Rustle. He continued to flip through pages, his gaze still fixed on the paperwork.
"It was an act that simply could not be tolerated. Formal members of the Imperial Guard were sacrificed. To begin with, Ebenholtz walks a different path than us. We should use this opportunity to take them down a notch!"
"Well... I understand. Ebenholtz... does act a bit arrogant."
Strassen finally looked up. His eyes were relatively dry, but Rodriguez took heart from his words and smiled.
"Yes, thank you. Then I shall contact Duke Kandel and make this a public issue—"
"No, there's no need for that."
The Lieutenant General cut Rodriguez off. He stood up, walked to the window, and offered a thin smile.
"I'll handle it. Aren't you the rising star of the Imperial Guard? You don't need to worry about this kind of noise."
The corners of Rodriguez's mouth twitched slightly. He liked being called a rising star.
"These troublesome conflicts are meant to be handled by people like us. That's why we have these ranks."
Strassen tapped the Golden Lion Medal pinned to his chest.
"You should focus on bigger things. Go and get some rest."
"...Thank you, Excellency. Loyalty!"
Rodriguez saluted with a moved expression and left the office.
Thud!
The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from Strassen's face. He clicked his tongue and reached for the communicator on his desk.
"Yes, Duke Kandel. This is Lieutenant General Strassen..."
The hushed conversation filled the room.
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