Chapter 114: Dream Road (3) Whoosh—
A dark wind swept across the rooftop.
I stood there, gazing out at the night view of the Empire. It was the atmosphere of a nation in slow decay, a state that had persisted for a thousand years. The lights of the fortress... a breakwater for all of humanity, though it didn't even realize it.
Suddenly, I felt a presence approaching from behind.
"...Max."
It was Chiron.
"Are you sure about this?"
He kept his ear to the ground regarding political affairs. As a man of great ambition, he was naturally cautious. Now that I had initiated the operation, he was likely worried about the Imperial Palace's reaction.
"They, too, must remain mindful of the Sentinels. They have no choice."
At my firm response, Chiron let out a sigh.
"But the Imperial Guard—"
"Before that."
I cut him off and closed my eyes.
"I simply cannot endure it."
I had many words prepared, thanks to Johann's help. Once this operation was over, I would pour them all out through the Gemion Daily.
"Those bastards who tarnished the spirit of Aran, the spirit of a Sentinel Knight. All the rotten things eating away at the Empire..."
It was a thoroughly calculated pretext, a mask of righteous fury.
The genius of propaganda—Johann Goetze—was now in my pocket. As long as I had a justification, there was nothing to fear.
"I simply cannot forgive them."
"..."
Chiron fell silent for a moment. Countless calculations seemed to flicker within his deep eyes.
"Maximilian."
As the night wind brushed against our clothes like moonlight, he called my name.
"It is already the end of summer."
Nearly two years had passed since my regression, and before I knew it, my second October had arrived.
"I remember when I first met you."
He continued with a faint smile.
"Back then, I thought you were just a frail young master, exactly as the instructors at Empire Point described. I wondered if you could even live up to the Ebenholtz name."
It was an uncharacteristically honest admission.
"I was completely wrong."
I offered a thin smile.
The impossible miracle of regression. The final conversation I had with Edmond. My grand cause, which I must never forget for even a single moment: the survival of humanity.
That was what had led me here.
"..."
Chiron watched me for a while before slowly stepping up to stand beside me. However, we were not perfectly aligned.
He stood one pace behind. It was a subtle but clear distance.
"I will stand behind you."
In truth, Chiron's words were almost laughable. The 'current' version of him wasn't of much use to me. However, his sentiment seemed sincere, and more importantly, the future Chiron would be a great asset.
He was a man whose ability matched his ambition, after all.
"...Thank you."
*
The Cartel's money laundering operated like clockwork.
First, the drugs smuggled into the Empire by the Cartel would spread across the eastern, central, and western borders. The proceeds would then be laundered through shell corporations scattered all over the country.
During this process, the funds were split and mixed dozens of times. They were disguised under plausible pretexts—winning bids at art auctions, down payments for real estate investments, or payments for overseas trade—transforming into untraceable, clean Imperial Dollars.
The laundered funds flowed first into the secret accounts of the Imperial Guard.
"...The deposit has been confirmed."
In the office of Goebel, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Goebel smiled with satisfaction at his adjutant's report. He checked the account details and closed the file.
"However, Commander. What do you think about that place? There is a bank that has been getting famous in Kanilan lately..."
"Are you talking about Kronen Schatzinsel?"
"Yes. The Imperial banks are getting a bit risky now. We don't know when that monster of a man might pull another one of his stunts."
The adjutant spoke with a worried voice. The 'monster' in question was Maximilian von Ebenholtz.
Zebestian was an eternally loyal subject of the Emperor, and thus, he never touched the Imperial Guard, which represented the Emperor's power. But Maximilian was different. He was cherry-picking the businesses the Imperial Guard had their eyes on, and instead, he was throwing his weight behind the regular army.
"...Do not call him a monster."
Goebel adjusted his monocle and spoke softly.
"He is merely a young knight of twenty-two. There is no need to fear him by granting him unnecessary narratives. He is just a lucky brat who was born into the right bloodline."
The adjutant nodded silently.
"Kanilan is still premature. We will watch a bit longer before moving. Just make sure to wrap up this current business properly."
Goebel immediately ordered the next stage of the wire transfer.
"Yes, sir. Understood."
Half of the funds presented by the Cartel and various other sources were used for the Imperial Guard's operating expenses and the maintenance of the officers' prestige. The other half was sent further up the chain.
The Imperial Guard was the pipeline connecting the Imperial Palace and high society.
—The estate of the prestigious House Bertem.
An influential noble favored by the Emperor, and a Great House comparable to Ebenholtz, Kandel, and Luncelot. Kents Bertem, the second son of the Bertem family and a pillar of the Imperial Guard, picked up an envelope of cash from a tray.
"There's quite a lot today, isn't there?"
Kents asked, curious as he weighed the thickness of the envelope.
"Yes. I heard there was quite a lot to be presented this month in particular."
He chuckled at the butler's cautious reply.
"Hmm. How commendable."
His curiosity didn't go deep. There was no reason to think deeply about it. The source of this money had nothing to do with him. Whether it was squeezed from someone's lifeblood or stained with gore, it was a good thing as long as his wallet grew thicker and his safe filled up.
"But that fellow Maximilian is a problem lately. He's acting as if he's the king or something."
Kents grumbled as he tucked the money into the safe.
"...It seems His Majesty is quite fond of him."
"He's just playing cute, a youngster performing tricks. To think he's acting so high and mighty just because he got his hands on a single mana vein."
Zebestian of Ebenholtz was, of course, a man worthy of respect. He was a hero of the Empire and a general who had never lost a battle. But even that Zebestian was merely a general, and Maximilian was not Zebestian.
"That arrogant brat who looks like a squirrel..."
Kents Bertem crossed his legs and swirled his wine glass.
*
A secret airfield hidden deep in the mountains. Three transport ships were lined up on the foggy runway.
Sentinel Knights in civilian clothes gathered around them. This was because Chiron had issued an order following Maximilian's remark that it was 'time to get over the obsession with uniforms.'
"Everyone is here, I see."
Maximilian and his servants distributed equipment first. They were suits with a smooth, black texture.
"These are the latest wingsuits."
The knights toyed with the wingsuits with curious eyes.
"They are made of special fibers that maximize mana conductivity. Not only do they drastically improve aerial maneuverability, but they also resonate with the wearer's mana circuits to ensure stability during flight."
It was an invention created by the brilliant minds of the Lorenzo Academy. However, there was a condition Maximilian had added:
'Knights value their dignity, so make sure they look stylish when worn. They shouldn't look ridiculous like flying squirrels.'
Thanks to that, the wingsuits were excellent in both functionality and design. The knights seemed satisfied as well.
"These wingsuits have been precisely customized to your body sizes and mana characteristics. Also, if you inject mana into this specific area, they will miniaturize for easy carrying. You are free to keep them as personal property after the operation is over."
At those words, everyone tucked their wingsuits under their arms a bit more carefully.
Immediately after, Chiron stepped forward.
"The main force will be divided into five units. Three will drop into the Cartel's Capo hideouts to decapitate them."
He pointed to the key strongholds on the operation map: Pellier, Costa, and Kunta. These were the hideouts of the Capos known as the Triumvirate of the Cartel.
"The remaining two units are independent detachments. They will simultaneously strike the mid-level managers spread across Berkina like a spiderweb. Since each knight is equivalent to a company, I will leave the detailed tactics to your individual discretion."
The doors of the three transport ships opened. The knights boarded the ships in an orderly fashion.
"However, keep the rules of engagement in mind. Harming innocent civilians is strictly forbidden. But if there are those who cooperate with or help the Cartel, they shall be considered enemies and may be executed immediately."
Vroooooom—!
The engines under the wings roared, burning through the thick fog. The transport ships took off like birds of prey, soaring into the night sky.
It was the deployment of a very quiet and concentrated human firepower, set to crush the Cartel that had dared to touch a Knight of the Empire.
The 'Dream Road' forged by Egillon's death would stain the night streets of Berkina with blood, and the ruins left in its wake...
'They' would swallow it whole.
*
Kalian Ross. He was quietly waiting for his time in a bunker beneath Berkina. He was calming his racing heart, preparing for the battle that was soon to come.
"Do you trust them?"
Suddenly, Julian, who was sitting across from him, asked.
"...Pardon?"
"I mean, do you trust your subordinates?"
"Yes. I do."
Kalo answered without hesitation.
The organization members he had gathered were those who had lost their families and had their lives trampled by the Cartel. He had intentionally embraced those armed with the strongest motivation: revenge.
"The Cartel bastards don't know. They forget, intoxicated by the pleasure right in front of them, that their crimes will one day return as a blade aimed at their own throats."
There were more than enough people with such grudges in the underbelly of Berkina. Enough to form an army just by gathering them.
"What I mean is, can you really trust that many people?"
Julian asked persistently.
Trust was the most difficult thing. In this world where betrayal was a daily occurrence, not every person one trusted could be a loyal subject.
Kalo fidgeted with his fingers before offering a faint smile.
"...Actually, I have a secret."
"A secret?"
"Yes. Distinguishing between truth and lies... is quite easy, at least when it comes to these friends from the bottom. Though it doesn't work on you, Sir Julian."
Julian asked back, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
"Are you perhaps a Yaken?"
In an instant, Kalo's face stiffened. His brow twitched as if his secret had been exposed.
He answered like a sigh.
"...Yes. I am a half-blood. Luckily, it doesn't show much in my appearance, so I've kept it hidden until now, but how did you know?"
"Yakens usually have one of those little tricks."
Julian's gaze shifted to Kalo's wrist. A strange, handcrafted bracelet, seemingly carved from human bone, was hanging there.
"Unless you have a morbid taste, that must be a Yaken tradition."
"Ah..."
Kalo toyed with the bracelet and gave a bitter smile.
"Could I ask you to keep it a secret? I know very well what the people of the Empire think of sub-species..."
"It's fine."
Julian shook his head.
"Maximilian. He despises the races of the East and is a figure of terror to various ethnic minorities, including sub-species. He is a man who believes in racial hierarchy more than anyone."
His gaze deepened.
"But in some ways, he is generous. A Yaken could, in fact, become his friend."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes. Because that man likes capable dogs."
Julian looked up at the ceiling. With his eyes closed, he seemed lost in thought for a moment before lowering his gaze again.
"Kalo."
"Yes."
"Before long, this place will become your world, but keep one thing in mind."
He didn't even consider the possibility of the operation failing. Because Julian trusted Maximilian.
"Improper control. Or corruption blinded by desire will turn us into your enemies."
Weight was added to Julian's voice.
"The reason he left you alive is because you are useful and controllable. The moment you cross the line, you will meet a more miserable death than Ashton."
It was a warning and advice at the same time. Kalo nodded with a serious face.
"Do not worry. And as for me..."
He answered, meeting Julian's eyes.
"I find you, Sir Julian, more terrifying and more trustworthy than Sir Maximilian, whom I've only met a few times."
"..."
Julian looked at him without a word, without even a flicker of emotion. His gaze remained dry and inscrutable. He simply replaced his answer with silence.
*
Inside the relatively quiet transport ship, the sound of the wind hammering against the steel wavered like white noise.
The eight knights waiting for the sortie sat there, refining their minds and bodies in their own ways. One was nodding his head to a rhythm, another was taking deep breaths with his arms crossed.
I watched them, waiting for the time.
"We've reached the point!"
The pilot shouted then.
The ramp opened, and—
Raaaaaaar—!
Gales and noise rushed in. A massive amount of air swirled inside. My shout rang out, pushing back against the atmospheric pressure.
"—Drop in the designated order!"
At the promised location, one person.
"Reynel. Drop!"
One person.
"Zionne. Drop!"
And another.
"Lois. Drop!"
They dropped one by one. Though it might look meager at a glance, the moment they reached the ground, they would exert destructive power exceeding dozens of tanks.
Swoooooosh—
The knights disappeared into the night sky of Berkina.
Now, only Chiron and I remained inside the transport ship.
"Sir Chiron."
I called out to Chiron against the wind. I had a few things to say to him.
Chiron looked back at me.
"I have been thinking carefully about what you said to me that day."
Whoosh—
The gale surged, fluttering our clothes.
"About standing behind me."
"...Indeed."
Chiron nodded gravely. He had decided to grab onto the rope that was Maximilian. Rather than the background of Ebenholtz, he had bet his ambition on the potential of Maximilian as an individual.
In that case.
"For your sake, I will suppress my anger for a while. I want to tear apart the Imperial Guard and the Palace bastards who took that dirty money along with the Cartel, but..."
I spoke as if I were holding myself back. I had to maintain some level of relationship with the Palace anyway. Until my power grew greater. Until I could surely strike off their heads.
"Numerous pieces of evidence will likely be found at the scene in the form of ledgers. However, I will remain silent about the bribes they accumulated and the corruption they have committed thus far. I will endure it."
Instead of opening a path for the Palace and the Imperial Guard, what I would extract in return was clear.
"What we will gain is..."
The thing Chiron wanted most.
I spoke while looking straight into Chiron's eyes.
"The Palace's unconditional support for the position of Knight Commander."
In that moment, Chiron's eyes widened. Bright starlight flooded into the pupils of the man in his mid-to-late thirties. It was a somewhat overwhelming sight, but it meant his dream was that grand.
"...Yes. If that is your will."
He placed a trembling hand on my shoulder. I looked back at the sky.
"Yes."
My father, Zebestian, was a knight but abandoned the Knights. It was solely to be loyal to the Emperor. However, I would make the Sentinels my foundation. I would grasp the sharpest sword of the Empire in my hand.
How far I could go using this foundation as a means...
"Let's go."
I didn't know yet.
The only thing certain was that I had somehow come to look toward a much further place.
"Drop!"
Shouting loudly, I threw myself out of the transport ship. I flew gracefully along the grain of the rushing air in the sky.
Turning my gaze to the side, I saw Chiron following me.
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