Semi-Coercive Imperialist

The trial orchestrated by those scum in the Imperial Palace went awry from the very beginning. Flustered, the prosecutor merely mumbled through a summary of the Gigantes terror incident, and the judge banged the gavel, announcing that a new trial date would be scheduled later. The trial, which was supposed to extract compensation, ended haphazardly like that.

“Truly unfortunate.”

“Haha… haha…”

“Ahem. Even so, Gigantes was destroyed… Isn’t it somewhat inappropriate to let personal emotions take precedence…?”

Most of the nobles from the Imperial Palace nervously glanced at me before slipping away as if fleeing.

Of course, not everyone in the Imperial Palace is like that. It’s just that the proportion is significantly high, and those nobles who are either rational or exceptional would not have coveted the blind fortune that was the Gigantes in the first place.

At any rate, the trial ended meaninglessly, and the security personnel who had been seated as defendants approached hesitantly and bowed their heads.

“We are sorry. We are truly sorry, Sir Knight.”

Together with their defense attorney, they repeatedly apologized, but I waved my hand.

“There is no reason to apologize. You were never in that position to take responsibility in the first place.”

“…Huh?”

The Empire’s class system is, at times, my weapon or the basis for my actions.

“What can commoners take responsibility for, and to what extent? To say that the destruction of Gigantes was because of people like you is utter nonsense.”

Their complexions brightened as if relieved by my arrogance. As they tearfully embraced their families, I turned away.

There, Alphonse was standing.

“Do you really believe that? What you said at the trial just now.”

Alphonse looked doubtful. I shrugged and replied.

“…The logic may not be perfect. When you’re angry, emotional fallacies come out. But my belief that repressive control and treating people like machines doesn’t directly lead to efficiency hasn’t changed.”

“”How unexpected. Aren’t nobles supposed to treat their subjects like livestock who need their piss and shit schedules managed?”

At Alphonse’s provocation, I let out a hollow laugh.

“You seem a little too happy about Gigantes being destroyed. Be careful, or you might actually end up in prison.”

“……”

Alphonse stuffed his camera into his bag and left for somewhere. He really had guts.

As I walked through the courthouse lobby, I spotted a welcome face.

“Edmon!”

Colonel Edmon Bruindol. He turned to look at me and raised a hand with a stern expression. He certainly had a distinctive weightiness when it came to official duty.

“Max. I heard you suffered significant losses because of Gigantes, too.”

“What’s lost won’t come back, so let’s not talk about it. More importantly, what’s your situation?”

“Everything’s on high alert. Starting from the border zones.”

Just then, a man quietly approached Edmon’s side. Edmon gestured toward him, looking a bit uneasy.

“Let me introduce you. This is Major Goetz. He’s with the staff.”

“Loyalty! It’s an honor to meet you, Sir Knight!”

Goetz. A familiar name, and a familiar face. Eyes bulging as if they’d pop out, an emaciated frame, and curly hair overly groomed making him look unbalanced.

He’s a noble-born officer who would later rise to a high-ranking position, but he ends his life as a particularly nasty war criminal.

“I’ve heard so much about you from the Eastern Border, Sir Maximilian!”

“Yes.”

“Please speak comfortably to me! Hearing about your military achievements from afar, I cannot tell you how moved I was…”

Goetz spewed sentence after sentence without pause. Dressed up on the outside but hollow on the inside.

In other words, pure flattery.

I’ve dealt with this type for so long that I’m sick of it now.

I asked Edmon,

“Is there any word from the military or the imperial family?”

“Same situation, emergency status. No matter how problematic Gigantes was, it was still responsible for a large portion of the Empire’s military supply.”

In that case, I need to prepare too.

Soon, my factory will be the one to fill the void left by Gigantes.

“…However.”

Edmon gave a faint smile and lightly placed a hand on my shoulder.

“What you said in court earlier was right on the mark. In this case, the people responsible are elsewhere.”

His plain compliment didn’t feel bad.

“Um, excuse me… Sir Knight.”

Major Goetz, who had been watching for the right moment, cut in from the side.

“If it’s not too presumptuous, could I get your terminal number? My insight is shallow and lacking, so I’d like to seek your advice on various matters going forward…”

A greedy gleam in his eyes. People who are obsessed with rising through the ranks are exhausting. Especially those who are desperate to grab onto connection.

“I’ll give you the number for my administrative officer. My schedule is tight, so it’s hard to take calls directly.”

“Ah… yes. Understood! Even that is an honor!”

Goetz bowed deeply, trying hard to hide his disappointment.

Edmon raised his eyebrows.

“Well then. You seem busy, so go on.”

“Yeah. Take care.”

I turned away from Edmon.

Suddenly, I found myself wondering about his true feelings regarding Gigantes.

Edmon was likely a comrade of the Revolutionary forces.

One of the core leaders, even deeper than Thomas Wagner.

“…….”

Edmon Bruindol. A man who grew up like a brother alongside me since childhood, in the main castle of Ebenholtz.

Must he someday become my enemy?

Must I someday cut him down with my own hands?

Is that the only way?

For now, no one can say.

***

Kuuung─!

In the Knight Order’s administrative office. A heavy stack of papers landed on my desk. They were documents brought in by Dieter.

“There are this many documents?”

“Yes. These papers explain the advantages of our factory and prove that we can cover much of the gap left by Gigantes.”

Dieter calmly continued his explanation.

“There’s a plot of land we previously purchased in Southern Hermes, and we’ve also imported state-of-the-art precision machinery from the Canilan Independent State for the mana stone refining business. These facilities were originally designed to process unstable mana stones, so their durability and precision exceed military standards. With slight adjustments to the process, we can immediately start producing shells, firearm components, and even tanks.”

The justification was perfect. In preparation for this incident, we had even pre-purchased numerous raw material mines, including iron ore.

“Do I need to go to the palace right now?”

“Yes. The timing seems just right.”

I left the office with Dieter.

We went down to the parking lot and got into the car that was waiting. In the passenger seat, the Yaken race Yukia bowed her head. Aware of how Yakens were treated, she had covered her facial features with sunglasses and a suit.

“Aren’t you going to introduce yourself?”

At my words, Yukia replied briefly.

“…Personal secretary Yukia.”

“Ah, Sir Knight. I’ve been conducting job training, but it seems her short responses won’t change, probably because she’s not fluent in Imperial language.”

The administrative officer added awkwardly.

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

She’s probably doing it on purpose.

“Yes.”

On the road from the Knight Order to the Imperial Palace.

Suddenly, a massive shadow passed over the window.

Kugugugugugu──!

It was a transport aircraft taking off with a thunderous roar. In the distance at the landing zone, knights waiting for their turn were gathered, checking their equipment.

Soon, aerial assault will not only be a basic skill for knights but a required core ability for the upcoming war.

Leaving that scene behind, we arrived at the main gate of the Imperial Palace.

“Wait here.”

I got out of the car. Guided by the secretaries of the palace, I headed to the main conference room. It was the place where an emergency meeting was being held to fill the void left by Gigantes.

Beneath a splendid chandelier, high-ranking officials from the military and the Ministry of Finance, nobles from the Imperial Palace, and a suitable number of corporate representatives were already gathered.

“Elron Industries will secure a production line for new artillery shells as quickly as possible. Please entrust it to us.”

“This is Kaision Heavy Industries. We can deliver combat-ready tank parts immediately.”

“We, Emelton, will take responsibility for the steel supply. It may not compare to Gigantes, but…”

Amid a stream of self-promotions from various companies and families, my turn finally came.

“I am Maximilian Ebenholtz.”

People who had looked bored and even yawned suddenly straightened their postures.

This is the weight carried by the name Ebenholtz.

“I have a factory in the southern Hermes Province region.”

I laid the proposal out before them. The latest equipment imported from Canilan, a stable supply chain of raw materials, and immediate production capability.

“This factory will be equipped with Canilan’s latest automated facilities. Since the machines were originally designed for mana stone refining, their durability and precision exceed military standards…”

The nobles of the Imperial Palace noticeably nodded in agreement.

“Though smaller in scale compared to Gigantes, the factory will be far more efficient. What required 100 workers in Gigantes, we can achieve with just 10. I guarantee that level of efficiency.”

It was probably because they felt at least some degree of guilt over the losses I suffered from the Gigantes investment.

“-However, Sir Maximilian.”

Still, not everyone here was easy to deal with.

Oscar Steiner, the official in charge of operations at the Ministry of Finance, adjusted his glasses and sharply pointed out.

“You say the facility was built for mana stone refining, but doesn’t that mean you require tax support for the conversion?”

I have no intention of begging the palace bastards for subsidies. If I ask for funding, they’ll use it as an excuse to interfere with shares and everything else, that much is obvious.

“I will cover everything with my personal assets. If I lack funds, I’ll even use my mana stone mine as collateral to move forward.”

The room stirred. Oscar, rather surprised, asked again.

“Then what do you want in return?”

“All I ask for is manpower and consistent contracts.”

“Manpower?”

“Yes. Please select skilled workers from Gigantes and assign them to my factory.”

No matter how advanced Canilan’s automation technology may be, heavy industry like military manufacturing still ultimately relies on people.

Well-practiced skills, know-how, intuition.

Gigantes may have collapsed, but the artisans who had worked with steel there for decades survived. I needed them, and the palace also needed a way to deal with the sudden mass of unemployed people.

“That much would be enough compensation for the losses I suffered from Gigantes.”

I scanned over the faces of the nobles seated around the palace.

“This is your chance to avoid blame or scrutiny for the Gigantes incident. We often waste our anger in the wrong places or divert our focus.”

A direct criticism of how people are turning against each other, when the true object of our outrage should be the rebel group that destroyed Gigantes.

“I believe what I’m proposing is the most ideal solution under the current circumstances.”

“…Yes, I understand. However-”

Oscar still looked doubtful.

“There must be full transparency regarding cost structures and profit margins.”

“Discuss it with my staff. We’ll supply at very reasonable unit costs.”

Military industry is only going to expand further over time. Taking modest profit is enough. One percent of a 100 billion business is still a billion. Even just 1% is an enormous sum.

On top of that, weakening the palace’s base of power while strengthening the Empire’s military force, that alone satisfies me.

“Reasonable pricing. Can we trust that?”

To Oscar’s question, I smiled.

“Yes. Of course. I swear it on my name.”

***

Imperial Ministry of Finance conference room.

In the silence, only the scratching of pens and the rustling of turning pages echoed dryly. The bureaucrats, led by Minister of Finance Oscar, were dissecting the documents submitted by Dieter Schmidt.

“…Hmm.”

Eventually, Oscar furrowed his brows.

To be honest, he was suspicious of Maximilian’s intentions.

The destruction of Gigantes could have been seen as an opportunity from the perspective of a great noble house. If he were the type who lusted after tax money, it would’ve actually been more easier.

But the terms presented by his administrator were excessively reasonable.

No, they were advantageous to the Empire.

“Secretary Dieter Schmidt.”

Oscar spoke to Dieter Schmidt, who was attending the meeting.

“The documents alone are not enough. I’ll make my decision after personally inspecting the factory with my own eyes.”

Dieter nodded.

“Yes. Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”

“…….”

Oscar fell silent for a moment. He quietly observed Dieter, then finally opened his mouth.

“Even so, military expenditures are paid with the blood taxes of our citizens. Therefore, we must ensure that a portion of the profits you gain…”

Just as he was about to probe them further by demanding additional concessions.

“We are prepared to reinvest over 30% of our net profits into the civilian sector.”

Dieter beat him to it.

Thirty percent. It was a massive figure. Oscar and the other bureaucrats wore expressions of disbelief.

“What’s the reason?”

Oscar finally removed his glasses and set them down. He stared at Dieter with sharp eyes.

“You seem to be just as much a numbers man as I am, so let’s speak plainly. This isn’t the kind of calculation a businessman would make.”

“Military manufacturing is a business of enormous scale. So if the operation continues steadily, it will eventually yield significant profits for us as well.”

“Of course. One can endure present losses for future gains, if there’s a need to.”

The Empire had to fill the void left by Gigantes.

That meant desperation.

It meant they could fully become the ones in control.

“But right now, there’s no need for that. So then, why?”

Dieter organized his pen and answered lightly.

“It is the president’s will.”

“You mean Sir Maximilian’s will?”

“Yes.”

He added calmly.

“Because he is a loyal subject of the Empire.”

“…A loyal servant.”

Loyal servant. A word rarely heard in the stagnant halls of the palace, one more likely to be found embalmed in textbooks.

Oscar blinked blankly, then let out a hollow laugh.

“It seems you were momentarily confused because you’ve seen too many fakes until now, sir.”

Dieter swept his gaze across the entire Ministry of Finance.

“He serves only the Empire.”

“…….”

──Tick. Tick.

Oscar and the bureaucrats were left speechless, and in that silence, the ticking of the clock echoed louder than anything.

Dieter, as if nothing had happened, turned his attention back to the documents.

──Tick. Tick.

Through the steady beat of the second hand,

their conversation was delivered to somewhere unseen.