Chapter 33: From a Tense Daily Life Major Kai Han entered the interrogation room. His expression was stiff as he glanced between Lorenz and me.
"...Major."
Lorenz relayed my previous words to the Major, and I, as a Knight, delivered the final verdict.
"Lieutenant Lorenz was, in fact, a victim who had been blackmailed by Jeremy Keshun for a long time. Since Jeremy Keshun was an Izenheim sub-species who coveted the Imperial Guard's internal intelligence, this killing is more than justifiable under the circumstances."
Major Han and Lieutenant Lorenz exchanged glances. Their eyes held a strange mixture of confusion and wariness.
"That is my conclusion."
"Then… what is it that you want from us, Sir?" Major Kai Han asked.
"A power base."
A faction of my own to plant within the Imperial Guard—more specifically, within the military.
Right now, they were weak and insignificant, but that was precisely why they could be trusted. If I were to sponsor an already massive faction with tens of millions of dollars, they would stab me in the back the moment it suited their interests. Those who were not yet tainted were far more reliable.
In particular, Kai Han was a figure who had left a very strong impression on me, even in my blurred past.
He gave a bitter smile.
"...Our position is not solid enough to be of much help to you, Knight."
"It doesn't matter. We can build it from now on."
With the backing of Ebenholtz, even a mere commoner can be granted stars. After all, my father, Zebestian, is the Commander of the Empire.
...Though I do wonder if he would actually help me.
"...Understood. Please, speak freely, Sir."
Major Han accepted my proposal. I immediately shifted my tone.
"Major Han. From this moment on, there is a mindset you must adopt."
Would they live as commoners, trampled like weeds in this rotten organization, or…
"Ambition."
Would they climb higher and seize power?
"If you've decided to stand with Ebenholtz, you must discard the thought of remaining a mere soldier. Half-hearted efforts won't meet my standards."
I suddenly glanced at the clock in the interrogation room.
Tick— Tick—
"Major Han. Do you know the difference between a commoner and a noble?"
Tick— Tick—
The ticking of the second hand was still grating.
"...That we are born differently."
I shook my head.
"No. What is different is not birth, but time. It is the power of a House, wealth, and people that have been layered and accumulated over a long period."
Before my regression, as I watched the decline of the Empire and its broken nobility, a thought had taken root in my mind.
"However, individual ability is not like that at all. In fact..."
It was a realization I had reached while living as a fugitive and a vagrant.
"A single rotten noble does more harm than thousands, even tens of thousands, of commoners. If one truly cares for the Empire, trashy nobles are unnecessary. If a noble is not respected, it is because their conduct is flawed."
"...."
Han and Lorenz both caught their breath at the same time. Their pupils shook violently.
To them, were my words radical, or were they a contradiction?
"I don't care if someone is a commoner or a noble. As long as they have ability—as long as they can be of help to the Empire."
I would raise these men, who were nothing more than nameless weeds in the Imperial Guard, to the heights. At the very least, I would make them a match for the "Executive Branch"—the secret police organization of the Imperial Guard.
"What do you think?"
Major Han was already a resource I had verified, and Lorenz Tillman was a very promising mage. They were sufficient to be my first stepping stones.
"...."
"...."
Major Han kept his mouth shut. Lorenz was the same, but only for a moment. Soon, both exhaled heated breaths and answered with action.
They stood up so forcefully their chairs nearly overturned, and saluted me.
I gave a small smile and nodded.
"Then, return to your duties as if nothing happened."
With solemn faces, they left the interrogation room.
*
The Knight's Office. A peaceful afternoon.
"...Um, Sir. It seems there has been a mistake with the deposit."
Two administrative officers from the Western Prison requested a meeting, their expressions bewildered. The reason was that they couldn't believe the numbers reflected in their salary accounts.
"What's the problem?"
"It's so different from the base pay you mentioned that we thought there might have been an error—"
"The base pay is indeed 6,000 dollars."
Even if I wanted to give more, my budget as a Knight is 600,000 dollars a year, and the monthly salary I can give to administrative officers is limited.
"However, the bonuses paid from my personal account are separate."
"Th-then, this is all our salary...?"
"Yes. Effectively, you can consider your monthly salary to be 15,000 dollars."
Considering their salary during their time as prison guards was 3,000 to 4,000 dollars at most, this was more than four times that amount. The officers stared at each other with blank faces.
I gestured to them.
"Now, go back to work."
"Yes, yes! Understood! We will serve with total loyalty!"
Both left the office, unable to hide their joy.
In this way, money—Imperial Dollars—is the most certain and simple reward. People throw away their lives for it, and they offer infinite loyalty because of it.
Therefore, I need money.
I will pour humanity's greatest invention into the preservation of humanity itself.
...
Zap! Crackle!
Schatz practiced her mana relentlessly in the well-polished training hall. Through diligent effort, she had now perfectly mastered her attribute, electromagnetic mana. When she detonated mana beneath her feet, her body soared like a bullet, and when she discharged currents, they were powerful enough to melt steel.
"...Agent Schatz."
Someone called out to her.
It was Zendo and his investigators, who had arrived from Genen. By Maximilian's order, they were the new colleagues Schatz had gained.
Zendo spoke.
"We've caught the tail of the Revolutionary Group."
They would now be tasked, alongside Schatz, with monitoring the interior of Genen and identifying the "sub-species" attempting to incite the population there.
"This is the location where the Genen Independence Faction and the Revolutionary Group are said to meet, discovered through wiretapping."
Schatz looked at the box filled with evidence.
"The records are extensive."
"Yes. We have reviewed tens of thousands of minutes of footage and audio."
As he spoke, Zendo's face contorted. He clenched his fist as if in disgust.
Schatz shook her head.
"First, kill your personal emotions. They are of no help to the work."
It was the first thing she had learned at the Ebenholtz estate.
When performing a mission, even if it is a revenge that cuts to the bone, one must remain cold and composed.
...
Dieter moved quickly. He began constructing a factory to refine the mana stones mined from the Rommilton Mountains, initially funding it with a loan from Hermes State. Furthermore, he maintained worker wages at the highest level in the industry during the mining process and invested generously in safety equipment and welfare facilities.
"It's truly amazing how quickly this Rommilton backwater has changed. Hahaha."
Mayor Jensen came by to flatter him. Not only was job creation up, but new roads were being paved, and shops and restaurants were opening. Due to the economic effects brought by the mine development, his popularity in Hermes had soared.
"By the way, Secretary. I was wondering if Knight Maximilian had anything else to say..."
"...There will likely be those who complain or try to incite others by claiming that the mana stones from this land are being monopolized by the nobility or the bourgeoisie."
Dieter's expression suddenly turned cold.
"Those who speak such words are our enemies."
He spoke while looking directly at Mayor Jensen.
"That is what the Knight said."
"...Ah, yes. Of course. Certainly. But, is it really necessary to provide those 'masks' to every single worker? I heard the cost is quite high."
Masks. Safety equipment that filters out the fine mana dust generated during mana stone mining.
"He told me not to spare any expense for the safety of the Empire's people."
"...As expected! The Knight is a true noble~ Hahahaha!"
Ding— Ding— Ding—
8:00 PM. The bell rang to signal the shift change. Their work hours did not exceed 10 hours a day.
Families stood at the entrance to greet the workers pouring out of the shafts. The exhausted miners smiled brightly as they warmly embraced their approaching children, wives, or husbands.
"It's a wonderful sight. Don't you think?"
To Jensen's heartwarming comment, Dieter replied professionally.
"There are likely sub-species among them as well."
"...Pardon?"
"Knight Maximilian loathes the Izenheim among the sub-species. So, regarding that part…"
Dieter spoke in a low voice.
"Please pay attention. It means you should closely analyze the backgrounds of the workers."
"Ah, yes. Of course. I will certainly keep that in mind."
Jensen also took on a serious expression and noted the details in his notebook.
...
Thud. Thud.
Major Kai Han arrived at the Imperial Guard headquarters for work as usual.
Thud. Thud.
He strode down the hallway in his combat boots and sat in a chair outside an office. Holding a fruit basket he had brought as a gift, he glanced at the nameplate.
[Imperial Guard Leadership Headquarters, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff: Jens Joachim]
He waited five minutes.
He waited ten minutes.
He waited thirty minutes.
He had made an appointment in advance, but the time stretched on endlessly.
This was the position of a commoner named Kai Han.
"Major Han?"
After about an hour had passed, the Deputy Chief's secretary finally called him.
"Yes."
"He says you may enter."
Major Han straightened his uniform and went inside.
"Loyalty."
After saluting, he sat across from the Deputy Chief of Staff, Jens.
Major Han's work, having grasped a new "lifeline," began here.
Jens was not far from retirement, but he had a broad base of support, and many of his juniors were general-grade officers involved in personnel matters.
"What is it?"
He asked while cleaning between his teeth with floss, as if he had just eaten meat. He acted as if he didn't even consider his former subordinate a fellow officer.
Major Han knew the reason. It was because, until now, he couldn't give Jens what he liked, even if he wanted to.
"Brigadier General Jens. I heard the news that you will soon be stepping down from active duty."
"...There are still six months left. Did you come here to mock me?"
Jens frowned, running a hand over his thinning hair.
"No. I came to give you a gift."
"A gift?"
Han lifted the fruit basket he had brought. Jens snorted the moment he saw it.
"Take it away. I don't need things like—"
"Please, take a look."
"I said, take it away."
He tried to push it away irritably and roughly, but the basket didn't budge.
"...?"
He pushed the basket with his palm, and the weight was unusual. Jens looked at Han with a questioning expression.
"It's fruit."
At Han's words, Jens finally picked up a piece of fruit. In that instant, his complexion changed.
"They are very yellow. I made sure to get only the best ones."
To the eye, it was an ordinary apple, but beneath the skin, it was filled entirely with gold. It was the work of a skilled alchemist, making it far more precious than its face value.
"No... how did you get something like this?"
"It is simply out of my respect for the Deputy Chief of Staff. I have been saving up for this bit by bit."
"...."
Jens's expression suddenly became serious. He abruptly crossed his arms, exhaled with dignity, and asked.
"Right. What is it you want to say to me?"
"Ah, it's nothing major, but I heard there is a vacancy for the commander of the Fromm Company, directly under the Imperial Magic Division. It's really not a big deal, but I believe there is a soldier very well-suited for that position. A man named Lorenz Tillman..."
"...."
Jens's face stiffened. Han was also momentarily tense.
Was his approach wrong? It was his first time soliciting a favor, so he was nervous.
"...."
"...."
After an awkward silence, Jens suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahaha! Look at this fellow."
"...Haha."
Han laughed along.
"Don't worry. Who doesn't know how much you care for your subordinates? I was already thinking he was the perfect person for that spot. Lotsran Talso. He's from the Magic Tower, isn't he? Right?"
"Yes, Lorenz Tillman. That's correct. As expected of Deputy Chief Jens—"
"Hahahaha. My goodness. Anyway, I don't know how you've grown so much. I heard land prices in the capital are going up lately; did you hop on that trend?"
"Ah, that is—"
"No. No need to say. It must be your secret, so you should keep it hidden. Indeed. Hahahahaha—!"
"Haha...."
Major Han forced a smile as he looked at Brigadier General Jens.
He looked at the noble.
He looked at the man laughing until sweat broke out on his bald head, his wrinkled hands endlessly stroking the golden apples.
Suddenly, the Knight's voice echoed in his ears.
'If one truly cares for the Empire, trashy nobles are unnecessary. If a noble is not respected, it is because their conduct is flawed.'
Brigadier General Jens was already sixty years old.
But age is not experience. It is not maturity. It is not wisdom.
The personal assets this sixty-year-old noble had built up were not even worth as much as the dirt under the fingernails of the Knight, who had barely turned twenty.
"Well then. I shall take my leave."
"Ah~ Yes, yes. I was feeling a bit neglected since you haven't shown your face lately, but it was good to see you. Come by again anytime."
"...Yes. Loyalty."
Major Han saluted without showing any emotion and quietly slipped out of the Deputy Chief's office.
— Ah~ This is quite something, hahahahaha...
Even after the door closed, the sound of laughter leaked out from inside.
Listening to that laughter, Major Han's heart sank into a cold, hard stillness.
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