Chapter 88: The Party (2) The records room of the Imperial Royal Audit Bureau.
Dozens of accountants and investigators were poring over stacks of documents, searching for any potential tax evasion related to the Aternum factory and the Rommilton mines.
Rustle— rustle—
The sound of flipping pages filled the room.
Mana stones were a vital global resource. As the mineral sustaining human civilization, it was no exaggeration to call them the most important commodity in existence.
However, even mana stones had grades.
The Magic Towers used high-grade mana stones for magical development and research. Various complex magi-engineering technologies also required high-grade stones. High-level artifacts and the recently popular "Aura Spheres" went a step further, requiring mana stones of the highest purity.
On the other hand, the fuel used for trains and factories was low-purity mana stone—essentially the impure dregs.
Rustle— rustle—
Consequently, tax laws dictated different rates for high-purity and low-purity stones. Families owning multiple mana stone mines often evaded taxes by under-reporting high-purity stones as low-purity ones, or by claiming they were damaged during mining to write them off as losses.
It was an open secret among the Imperial nobility. Even the Imperial family turned a blind eye to this level of "tax saving."
In that sense, this audit had actually been triggered by lobbying from other mana stone-owning families seeking to keep Maximilian in check.
But.
"...Director."
The inspector reviewing the ledgers stopped.
"They are shockingly clean."
"...Hah."
Director Dietmar let out a hollow laugh.
"I've never seen ledgers like these before."
The inspector mimed shaking the books out, as if to see if any dust would fall. Not a speck appeared. It was absurd.
"What do you think?"
Dietmar looked toward a corner of the records room. A woman wearing round glasses was meticulously reading through the documents.
"Lady Kandel."
Sonette of the Kandel family looked up.
"...I have no objections."
Clack. She took off her glasses and placed them on the table.
"Maximilian von Ebenholtz is..."
Munch, munch.
Rolling the gum she chewed when concentrating in her mouth, Sonette reached a conclusion.
"A loyalist of the Empire whose actions match his words."
"Yes. On paper, it's certain. And regarding the disappearance of Assistant Manager Lutz Rosen... circumstantial evidence suggests it was the work of Reutern II."
"Yes. It seems so."
Sonette neatly folded a piece of tissue and spat out her gum.
"Reutern touched the Agency far too prematurely."
The direct agencies were the Emperor's hands and feet, possessing their own independent systems. A mere assistant manager hadn't been digging into Ebenholtz for no reason. As long as their justification was firm, they had the power to leave a mark even on the Great Houses.
"No matter how much influence Reutern has in the Imperial Palace, killing a high-ranking official of the Agency without cause is crossing the line."
Now, the Agency would watch Reutern like a pack of hyenas. The focus had shifted from Maximilian to Reutern.
Reutern II would be torn apart when he was at his weakest.
"Maximilian... did he perhaps anticipate even this?"
The corner of Sonette's mouth twitched slightly.
"...Pardon?"
Using Reutern as an ally to eliminate Lutz, then turning him into an enemy of the Agency to isolate him.
Killing with a borrowed blade—eliminating two nuisances at once. It was so artificially clean that it felt uncanny.
"It's nothing."
Sonette straightened her clothes and left the records room.
In her mind, the shadow of the man named Maximilian grew one shade darker.
* * *
At the end of February, as the world awaited spring, I was in a penthouse in the Kanilan Independent State.
I had set up a new office there. I expected to be traveling back and forth quite often in the future.
—Ah, yes. Boss~ This is Russell, VP of KNSE. You remember me, right? I've only been meeting your representative lately.
It was a call from Russell.
"I remember."
—That's a relief~ How have you been lately? Kanilan is hitting! New! Highs! every single day.
His voice was quite pleasant to listen to.
He was insolent, but he was so consistently insolent that I felt like giving him at least one chance.
"Do you have any interest in taking the same position as me?"
—Ehey~ No thanks. I'll! Pass! Oh, but I heard you're participating in the Land Protocol demonstration this time? Your representative picked up the invitation.
Russell still knew me as 'Ebert' of the Empire. Since exporting photos of Imperial nobles was a grave crime, it wasn't easy to recognize me—famous for my blonde hair and gold eyes—if I simply changed my hair and iris color.
"I'm skeptical of that technology, so I'm thinking of shorting it."
—Shorting? Pwahahaha!
His laughter was incredibly boisterous.
Pleasant, indeed.
—Ah, sorry. It's just that your thinking is so... doomsdayer-ish. Hahaha.
A doomsdayer... Finance people certainly were quick-witted.
"Yes. I am actually thinking about the end of the world."
Thanks to Russell, I remembered what I had to do. I took out manuscript paper and a fountain pen from my bag and placed them on the desk.
One of the tasks essential to my goal.
I had been too busy at the end of the year to find the time, but now that things had settled down, I planned to start 'writing' in earnest. It was the draft for an autobiography that would spread my will throughout the Empire—something I had always thought about but never quite got around to.
—Wow~ That's amazing. If you short the entire continent, you'll make a fortune.
Scratch. Scratch.
The nib of the fountain pen scraped against the paper.
—Still, if you're that confident... fine! I'll bet 100 dollars!
"What are the odds?"
—Who knows. Maybe a thousand to one? Anyway, see you on March 3rd. I'll give you your 100 dollars then.
"I'll hold you to that."
—Yep~ Hanging up now!
Russell ended the call, and I scribbled a random sentence on the blank page.
[ I was born in the Ebenholtz ancestral castle in the heart of the Empire. My father is Zebestian, and my mother is Cecilia... ]
Snap.
I stopped at the very first page.
Cecilia. The mother I loved most in the world, and whom I lost far too soon.
Thinking about her was always painful. Her death had left a massive scar on me, and perhaps on Zebestian as well.
"...."
I closed my eyes for a moment, then moved the pen again.
I stripped away the sentiment and listed only words.
This manuscript was only a draft anyway. I planned to hire a ghostwriter later. I knew someone who would later gain infamy as a war criminal but whose writing skills were second to none.
The content was what mattered.
[ ...Aranians are the purest master race and the subjects who lead civilization. Therefore, we have a duty to quell the chaos of the continent and establish a new order. ]
Aran. The superior race proclaimed by the Emperor and the Empire.
However, the Empire had failed to clearly establish the 'hierarchy' that followed, creating too many enemies.
[ The Genen people are historically the undeniable friends of the Aranians. They deserve to stand on the battlefield alongside us... ]
[ Furthermore, the various nations of the West can be considered branches of the Aranian people, and thus must one day gather under a single flag once more. ]
Sentences hinting at the unification of the West, something the Emperor so loudly advocated and intensely desired.
[ On the other hand, the East is inferior. They are unrefined savages who must be ruled by the Empire... ]
The Eastern Union I would eventually face would likely be the home of the Isenheim. I might encounter countless Isenheim just walking down the street.
[ And, the sub-species. ]
My thoughts on sub-species were firm.
[ Sub-species may be the impurities of the continent. However, the characteristics of each race are too distinct to lump them all together as 'sub-species.' ]
We must not antagonize all sub-species. There must be 'exceptions' based on necessity.
[ In particular, the Yaken are like wild beasts, but if one holds their leash and tames them, they can become the Aranians' most loyal hunting dogs... ]
Scratch. Scratch.
The paper was being filled with words. My writing was crude. I was merely spitting out the thoughts in my head, but once I met a professional, they would be refined to better reflect my intent.
Scratch—
[Isenheim.]
My hand paused at the Isenheim, the enemies of humanity.
Regrettably, I couldn't write the truth—that they were an otherworldly race destined to destroy the world. I would only be treated as a madman. Instead, I had to cloak it in a logic of hatred that suited the tastes of the Emperor and the Empire.
[ ...The Isenheim are base. They are the most dangerous parasites on this continent. They take human form, but their essence is rooted in void and destruction. ]
[ Kasim, the ideological criminal who incited chaos in Genen and sought to burn the entire Autonomous Region... ]
Using actual cases as examples, I devoted the most space to the Isenheim. These examples would only accumulate as time went on.
[ They, who contaminate the purity of the continent, are beyond redemption, and compromise with them is synonymous with self-destruction. ]
"...Contaminate the purity."
I was impressed by the sentence I had written unconsciously.
Since the Isenheim were an otherworldly species, they were indeed contaminating the purity of our humanity.
...
The nights in Kanilan couldn't even be compared to the Empire. In that independent state, the night was the 'real' deal.
Since such talk was famous even among Imperial nobles, I stepped out to relieve some stress. From the Gigantes in autumn to Genen in winter, there had been so many headaches... I wanted to let my guard down for once.
—Ah, of course~ There happens to be a top-tier VVIP party tonight.
I had asked Russell if he could recommend a good party.
—It's a place where only wealthy clients like you, VVIPs of the same caliber, can enter. I'll send the invitation right away. What's your address?
Russell gladly sent the VVIP invitation.
"Luminous Hall."
It was a strangely shaped building, twisted like a pretzel. The basement seemed to be a club, with bizarre music thumping out, and a long line of people waited at the entrance to get in.
"Hey, don't cut in line!"
"Hey! Where's the management? Who is this guy!"
I walked past them and presented my VVIP invitation to the guard. At that moment, the guard barked at the person complaining about the line.
"Shut your mouth! Watch how you speak!"
Then he gave me a bright smile.
"Please follow me."
They said Kanilan was a capitalist society where money was status, and it truly was.
"You can take this elevator. Have a pleasant night."
The rooftop I reached via the VVIP elevator was—
Spectacular.
Thousands of mana stone chandeliers flowed across the ceiling like the Milky Way, and the floor was made of transparent crystal. Men and women in casual attire laughed with champagne glasses in their hands.
When a man and woman caught each other's eye, they disappeared into a room together. Some were gambling with cards, others were dancing on stage.
Glug, glug. Alcohol was endlessly poured into glass cups. Occasionally, strange bubbles floated through the air.
Everyone enjoyed the party like that. As if there were no tomorrow, or as if today would last forever.
"...."
It wasn't laughable. I had no right to find anything laughable. I, too, had once been as immersed in pleasure as they were—no, even more so.
However, now, a greater pressure seemed to weigh down my entire body.
The end of the world.
As a doomsdayer, that 'fact' which only I knew and which no one else in this world would believe...
"Hmm? Your face looks familiar."
Just then, someone trudged up to my side. The smell of alcohol hit me instantly.
I turned my head to look. Flaming red hair. A woman with a sturdy build wearing a leather jacket. Holding a champagne glass, she scrutinized me with slightly unfocused eyes.
Would she recognize my face, disguised with black hair and brown eyes? Just as I was debating whether to move elsewhere.
"Oh~ You're handsome."
It was a needless worry.
"...Nice to meet you."
"Mmm~ Do you know me?"
"Yes. Captain of the Acarius Mercenaries, Ren."
"Am I that famous?"
"I happen to be good at remembering faces."
Because of the virus, I couldn't forget a face I'd seen once even if I wanted to.
"I see. And your name?"
Her voice was slurred with drink. She seemed to be in a very good mood lately. Well, her current rate of return must be astronomical.
"It's Ebert."
I had heard from Dieter. All contracts and profit rights of the Acarius Mercenaries had been taken as collateral by my bank.
I felt a bit bad about it.
The loss itself was due to Ren's own greed, but before my regression, the Acarius Mercenaries themselves were never put up as collateral.
"I run a small fund."
"Ebert... Huh? Ebert?"
She didn't recognize my face, but she seemed to know the name Ebert.
"I heard your name from Russell! Hey~ Good to meet you! Really good. I've wanted to meet you at least once."
In any case, it was a rather strange connection.
"...I'm honored, then."
"Well. I heard you bet on Kanilan's decline."
"Yes. Would you like to join me?"
At my words, she let out a snort and shook her head. As if she had instantly sobered up, she straightened her back and scanned me with sharp eyes.
"But you, you really reek of nobility."
The drunken voice was corrected in an instant.
"Anyone can see you're an Imperial noble. And not just some random one, either."
In truth, the same went for her. Even though she tried to feign a rough and tough persona, the elegance of an Imperial noble occasionally seeped through her actions and speech. Her Imperial pronunciation and mannerisms gave her away.
But...
"Is that so?"
I gave a bitter smile.
Her family had been destroyed by Zebestian.
And I was about to ruin everything she had built for herself.
* * *
Meanwhile, in District 42 of the Empire, Yukia visited Entikkan's orphanage.
"...It's changed a lot."
The floors, which used to be ice-cold because they couldn't afford heating, were now warm, and the ceilings, once stained from leaks, had been neatly repaired. The children were dressed in thick clothes, and more than anything, the smell of meat wafting from the cafeteria was unfamiliar.
Entikkan said the same thing as he looked at her.
"You've changed a lot, too."
"...."
"...."
In the director's office, the two shared a long, silent gaze.
Entikkan was Eric's brother, and Yukia was Eric's daughter. They were family bound by blood, but no affectionate conversation passed between them.
The Yaken were that kind of people.
"Ahem. What brings you here?"
Entikkan asked with a dry cough.
"...Salary."
It was money she had saved without spending a single penny of the wages and bonuses she had received from Maximilian.
"Use it on yourself. The children and I have enough now."
"It's useless to me. You know that."
Yukia replied indifferently.
It was true. She had breakfast and lunch at the knights' cafeteria and made do with meals delivered to her quarters for dinner. For clothes, a few suits for her role as an assistant and a pair of sunglasses were enough, and she slept in the provided lodging.
"Build those machines you like. Use your talent. Don't just stand still."
"...Always nagging."
"Do you speak informally to Sir Maximilian as well?"
"A little."
"Hah."
Entikkan clicked his tongue in disbelief. It felt like another torrent of nagging was about to pour out. Before it could, Yukia lowered her ears and her voice.
"He's strange. That man."
"What is?"
"He had a Yaken carving. A wooden necklace."
Yukia's brow furrowed as she tried to recall the shape.
"I don't know whose it was, but..."
She had only caught a glimpse, so she couldn't be sure, but it was definitely a familiar Yaken style. And even stranger than that.
"Also. He said he had a debt to pay me."
Entikkan's expression instantly froze.
"...."
He bit his lower lip in silence for a moment. He lowered his hands beneath the desk to hide their trembling.
The words Maximilian had once said to him echoed in his ears.
'The Yaken always seem to make things like this.'
'Do they ever give them as gifts?'
Gifts...
Maximilian's sponsorship. The reason he kept Yukia by his side. His favor toward the Yaken. And Eric Tarik.
Those words connected of their own accord, and a single possibility assembled itself in Entikkan's mind.
He thought deeply before finally hanging his head. He let out a heavy sigh.
"...I see. So that was it."
Doubt had turned into certainty.
"Yukia."
He looked his niece straight in the eyes.
"Do you still harbor hatred in your heart?"
"...Are you going to nag again—"
"Not all nobles are the same. Those who caused your father's death and the knight named Maximilian are different."
Yukia stood up as if she didn't want to hear it.
As she reached for the doorknob, Entikkan caught her.
"Yukia. Listen well."
His voice carried a weight it hadn't possessed before.
"The knight named Maximilian..."
He opened his mouth, choosing his words slowly.
"It seems he holds a special place in his heart for your father."
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