Chapter 84: Before Spring Comes (7) Crackle, crackle.
Inside the Governor-General's office, the fire in the hearth burned through the heavy silence.
I sat across from Governor Fabian. It was a private audience, just the two of us. However, a longsword leaned against my chair, while Fabian remained unarmed.
Even if he were armed, it wouldn't have mattered.
"...I heard all the department heads were executed," Fabian said, his voice heavy.
"Yes. It was unavoidable."
I wore a feigned expression of regret as I placed a newspaper clipping on the table.
"This is the Gemion Daily, soon to be distributed across the Empire."
The paper still smelled of fresh ink. The Governor's eyes scanned the front page. It featured a photograph taken by Alphonse.
A procession of tanks filled the main streets of Genen. Soldiers stood in orderly ranks. The formations were strictly controlled.
It was a display of perfect military discipline, far removed from a disorganized rabble.
Furthermore, Alphonse's tone was remarkably restrained. These photos merely showcased the enduring might and prestige of the Empire. It was the result of careful censorship, thoroughly emphasizing a bold suppression and the restoration of order.
However, on the very next page:
[Incompetence and Corruption at the Governor-General's Office!]
The full story of the Adeline incident. The murder committed by the Governor's secretary. And various criminal allegations against the officials of the Governor-General's office.
Alphonse's signature acerbic criticism filled the pages, completely unfiltered.
"As you can see, the disposal of the department heads was an absolute necessity."
I tossed a stack of documents onto the table next to the newspaper. They were evidence of the embezzlement, extortion, and abuse of power committed by the executed officials.
"They were too much to bear... Yes, they were truly vulgar people."
The first page upheld the dignity of the Empire, while the second page exposed the corruption of the Governor-General's office.
This contrast justified the deaths of the department heads as a 'purge of incompetence and corruption.'
"..."
The Governor let out a deep sigh. He toyed with his mustache, a bitter look on his face.
I asked him, "What is it that you want, Governor?"
Fabian said nothing. He simply stared at me with deep, searching eyes.
No, this silence was his answer.
He was a clever man, after all.
"I see."
I looked at Fabian and smiled.
"That will suffice."
The Governor only needed to stay still.
Just as he was doing now, he simply had to hold his position until someone arrived to replace him.
"Well then."
I snapped my fingers. Schatz entered and handed him a small gift.
It was a statue carved from a mana stone. It was likely worth enough to heal even the most wounded of hearts.
"I look forward to our continued cooperation, Governor Fabian."
Threats and coercion shouldn't be the only tools in the box. This was a small gesture of generosity on my part, but it would prevent unnecessary hostility.
* * *
At the Genen prison, Elias nodded at the student council executive who had come to visit.
"That's right. Kasim was an ideological criminal."
Elias gestured toward his chest. Though he had been protected by the Aura Shield of his necklace, a dark bruise still remained.
"Then..."
"Kasim wanted Genen to be reduced to ashes. He tried to contact armed organizations to drive a wedge between Genen and the Empire. Their goal was to inflict profound damage on the Empire's prestige and finances."
As he spoke about Kasim, who had already betrayed him, Elias felt a sharp pang in his heart.
"President... what's going to happen to you?"
"I'll be fine. Just in case, don't start any protests."
"What about a petition?"
Elias gave a short laugh.
"That might actually work."
"Oh, right. Did you hear the news? They say the heads of the Governor-General's departments were all wiped out!"
"..."
Elias listened quietly to their words.
"Those bastards didn't just lose their jobs—they lost their heads!"
The students, barely twenty or twenty-one, chatted excitedly with bright faces. To Elias, they just seemed adorable.
"What was it? They're being held responsible for their incompetence in letting the situation in Genen get this bad? They said they weren't acting like true Imperials? Anyway! Rumor has it that Maximilian beheaded them himself."
"It's like using one enemy to kill another! What do you call it? Killing with a borrowed blade!"
"The problem is the next appointments for the Governor-General's office..."
Despite their excitement, the university students were still afraid. They feared that the same things would happen again, that the same kind of nobles would fill the leadership of Genen.
"Everyone."
Elias gestured for them to come closer. He whispered his plans for his future path to the students who gathered around.
Their faces were painted with shock and astonishment.
"...A lot of people might be disappointed in me. They might curse me. No, they definitely will. But."
Elias met their eyes and clenched his fist.
"Genen must become a friend of the Empire. That is the only way Genen can truly become better."
* * *
──Before spring could arrive, I suppressed Genen.
Before the history from my previous life could repeat itself, I crushed the sprouts with steel.
However, the world, unaware of the truth behind my actions, now judged me as one of the 'most dangerous imperialists.'
Professors from various universities and countries beyond the Empire analyzed my actions and wrote papers on them, while the Empire's weekly magazines, acting on orders, poured out commentaries praising me.
The knight who had mobilized hundreds of tanks to suppress a protest in an autonomous region.
Maximilian, who poured out the Empire's wrath over the Gigantes terror attack and suppressed the autonomous region to flaunt the Empire's might.
The blood-stained spring breeze would no longer blow.
Instead, my public image was carved out of radicalism and fear.
It was likely because they did not know of that spring day when tens of thousands of lives were lost.
Because they did not know of the massacre that occurred in the Genen of the past, which had now vanished.
The death toll in this suppression was only a few hundred. Since most of them were ideological criminals, the Izenheim who had seeped into the area like a cancer were also wiped out.
I had gained the opportunity to bring Genen under my sphere of influence.
Genen is a crucial region for the upcoming war. It is perfectly situated to strike the Eastern Union...
Clack. Clack.
Meanwhile, I was walking down the long marble corridor of the Imperial Palace.
The high ceilings, ornate decorations, and cold air—it was a place that made one tense just by walking through it.
"Those ignorant fools were acting up a bit. But I think you were absolutely right, Max."
Unfortunately, there was someone beside me I wished would just disappear.
Reutern II.
"Well done, very well done. I heard that General Affairs guy—or whatever he was—was actually a sub-species?"
"Yes. The autopsy revealed that Erio, the Head of Internal Affairs, was a sub-species. There were others in the Secret Police Bureau as well."
Soon, the executions of Kasim Ekin and the other Izenheim would be carried out, and the announcement that they were sub-species would be made.
However, there were quite a few among the radicals who were not Izenheim. Whether they were brainwashed or truly held revolutionary ideals.
They would either be executed alongside the Izenheim or, if their crimes were deemed less severe, sent to labor camps in the North.
Regrettably, I didn't have the time to consider all of their individual circumstances.
"Exactly! Hah, those bastards always seemed a bit filthy. Just looking at them. How dare a sub-species go so far as to forge their identity... The noble who sold his identity to that guy is a problem too. We should hunt him down and kill him."
Reutern was quick to defend my use of summary judgment during the Genen suppression. Of course, it wasn't for free. The bearer bonds and mana stone cubes I handed over were the fuel that kept his tongue wagging.
"...Max. I've been thinking about some candidates for the Governor-General's office."
Once again, Reutern brought up his main point in an insinuating voice.
"No. That won't be necessary."
"Oh, come on. They're really good people, I'm telling you. I'll vouch for them."
Just as Reutern's expression began to sour, I changed the subject.
"Lord Reutern. I heard a pink diamond will be appearing at the Yanuk Auction."
Reutern was still useful. He was the type who would spit out as much as he swallowed, after all.
"...Oh, Max. You knew about that too? I've been keeping an eye on it myself."
Diamonds are natural mana stones. They are among the highest grade of mana stones. However, because the processing method isn't as versatile as regular mana stones, they can't be used for cubes and are usually used as cores for artifacts.
"Why? Are you going to buy it to use for an artifact?" Reutern asked, his face showing a hint of anxiety.
"It seemed like it would make a fine New Year's gift."
Understanding my meaning, his face slowly broke into a grin. His lips twitched brightly, curling into a vulgar smirk.
Reutern cleared his throat and stepped back slightly.
"Aha! Max, you've truly become a proper noble. Right! Genen or whatever, well, you'll handle it on your own. Don't be intimidated, and do a good job! I'm off!"
I looked ahead.
In front of the massive doors flanked by Imperial stewards. They opened the double doors with solemn faces as they waited for me.
Creeeeeak──.
Beyond them, the ministers of the Empire stood in rows. Every eye in the room focused on me.
It was the Imperial medal ceremony.
I approached the Emperor's representative and bowed my head.
Kurt von Eus Grossman. The Emperor's closest confidant, and a man who would later become a very famous sycophant.
"His Majesty has seen your achievements. He was deeply impressed by the march of tanks through Genen and the orderly appearance of the military."
Kurt placed a hand on my shoulder.
"He says your display of power has washed away the worries caused by the destruction of the Gigantes."
The Emperor loved performances that flaunted the Empire's strength. He also loved strictly maintained discipline and military order.
That was the kind of man the Emperor I knew was.
"It is an infinite honor."
"...Truly, you are the son of Zebestian, Maximilian."
Kurt took a medal from a velvet box. I turned my back to him, and he hung the medal around my neck.
The Imperial Golden Lion Medal 2nd Class.
It was the youngest record for receiving it, second only to Zebestian.
* * *
Meanwhile, at a high-end restaurant in the Kanilan Independent State.
Ren, the leader of the Acarius Mercenary Group, looked incredulous as she read the morning paper.
"Wow. This guy is a total lunatic."
On the front page, hundreds of tanks occupied the main street of Genen. That single photograph alone was incredibly violent.
"The Empire was already on edge because of that Gigantes business or whatever, and those Genen folks just got caught in the crossfire. Why even bother with demonstrations or protests? They should have just immigrated."
Across from her, Russell, the vice president of a securities firm, sipped his wine as if it were nothing. Ren frowned.
"Hey. Don't you know the Empire? The immigration process is incredibly complicated. You have to shove a ton of bribes to the bureaucrats. It's a real shithole over there."
"Anyway. Don't worry about those barbaric brothers over there. Isn't making money more important for us?"
"...I suppose."
Ren snorted and closed the newspaper.
"It's the Empire's business, after all."
"Exactly, exactly. Ren, how many years has it been since you immigrated?"
"Ten-something years? I don't really remember."
"That right there~ was the best choice you ever made."
Russell chuckled, pointing his fork at Ren.
"How could anyone live in such a stifling place? Well, in a way, it is very Imperial. Dropping hundreds of tanks into an autonomous region... Ugh. Civilization truly resides here in Kanilan."
He chewed his steak, then suddenly seemed to remember something and put down his fork.
"Oh, and..."
He leaned in, checking his surroundings. Ren leaned in as well.
"This spring."
Russell whispered in a secretive tone.
"A legendary technology will be demonstrated."
"Legendary?"
"Yeah. A technology that will go down in the history of the continent. A technology that will raise Kanilan to be on par with the Empire—no, even greater."
Russell pulled a small object from his pocket.
It was a transparent, rectangular crystal about the size of a thumb. Inside, golden mana circuits thinner than a hair were densely engraved, glowing softly.
It was Kanilan's latest information storage medium—a mana chip.
"The blueprints are inside this."
"...What is it? Tell me more."
"Hah. I don't usually tell people this... but since you've helped me out before, I'll give you a special tip."
Russell lowered his voice even further.
"It's the 'Community Land Protocol' led by Ransom."
"The what-tocol? Patocol?"
"Land Protocol. Simply put, it's technology to create land."
Ren tilted her head.
Technology to create land. The terms were too broad.
"Land?"
"Yeah. What's Kanilan's biggest weakness? It's our landmass. We're born with narrow territory. Compared to the Empire, we're not even a handful. So, no matter how much technology develops, growth is limited if there's a lack of physical space. Therefore."
Russell tapped the crystal chip.
"A perfect harmony of magic, magi-engineering, and magical engineering—artificial continent generation technology. We solidify the foundation on the sea with mana and build a city on top of it. Infinite expansion of territory."
Ren blankly processed his words.
Creating a continent artificially. It sounded like nonsense, but this was Kanilan. The land of miracles that made the impossible a reality.
"That's insane... Can I invest?"
"You already are."
Russell chuckled as he put another piece of steak into his mouth.
Ren was startled.
"What? Me? Since when?"
"The CDOs, man. Ransom is included in those. You just have to sit back and wait."
A smile spread across Ren's face.
Kanilan was truly Kanilan, and this guy, who looked like a con artist, was surprisingly capable.
However, Ren felt a bit more greedy.
"Still. Can't I do more with individual stocks?"
"Hmm? All your cash is tied up in our CDOs."
"...There are banks."
Ren's eyes gleamed.
"Hey. You know that new bank that just opened? I went and asked, and they said they count mercenaries as human assets for mercenary groups."
"Oho~? Then don't tell me?"
"I'm going to take out a loan using our mercenaries as collateral."
Russell clapped as if impressed.
"You've gotten smarter, Captain Ren."
"I was always smart, you bastard."
"Make sure you buy the securities through our firm, okay? I'll give you some serious leverage."
"Got it, man. Let's have a drink."
The two laughed and clinked their wine glasses.
Clink—
A clear, cheerful sound. Hahaha. Hohoho. Laughter that seemed to dream of becoming billionaires echoed. Inside the restaurant, on the streets, and further into almost every securities firm and bank.
They were taking out loans to pay off loans to suck up performance bonuses, and then using leverage on those bonuses to invest and speculate again, dancing atop a bubble that continued to swell endlessly──
They were dancing.
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