Semi-Coercive Imperialist

Deep within the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Princess Justine recalled Rainer’s words.

”...We will first plant bombs at the Empire’s border outposts. The bomb’s composition, the primer’s manufacturing method, the source of the mana stones, even the knots in the fuse. The more thoroughly they are analyzed, the more everything will point to Yursled.”

In other words, the Empire would become the victim before this war began.

”...Yursled has been demonizing the Empire, so we have more than enough justification.”

Additionally, after deploying agents within Yursled,

”...We will stage shootings within Yursled. Imperial citizens will be killed by nationalists, and the embassy will be attacked.”

By causing several such incidents in rapid succession, the Empire would gain grounds to begin the war, on the pretext of protecting people of Imperial descent within Yursled and punishing the Yursled government for taking no action.

”...The Imperial Guard can occupy Yursled in just one week. After that comes Bolska.””

For some reason, his voice had bothered her. It was deep and low, but that was all. Maximilian’s voice was like clear crystal, its final notes lingering brightly. This man’s voice sank to the bottom at the end, leaving something like sediment behind.”...Bolska will be even easier. We only need to coordinate with the Eastern Union and divide it in half.”

Justine conveyed the plan to the Emperor, and he was pleased. Calling Rainer the brain of the Imperial Guard, he asked for his name twice.

The operation would therefore be prepared, then carried out once the order was given.

The deadline was summer. They would settle the East before its land turned to mud, secure their rear against threats, then strike the West.

”Will Maximilian be left out of this?”

When the Emperor suddenly asked, Justine paused for a moment.

”We should watch for now. Maximilian was too cautious.”

The Emperor endlessly desired war, and Justine felt much the same. Sorting the races and cleansing the continent were duties the Imperial bloodline had to begin as soon as possible.

”We will call him back when the time is right.”

”The time may never come.”

If every operation by the Imperial Guard, including Rainer’s, succeeded and they took the East in an instant. If the Imperial Guard lived up to the Emperor’s trust, proved its own abilities, and won battle after battle.

”That would be even better for Father.”

The Imperial Guard was an organization the Emperor had created himself. It had been formed to keep the nobility, knight orders, and regular army in check. Chosen not for status or bloodline but solely for loyalty, its members swore allegiance to the Emperor personally.

If they conquered the continent without the knight orders or the regular army, it would become the Emperor’s own achievement. He would accomplish with his own hands what no Emperor in a thousand years had done, and history would record him as the Empire’s greatest Emperor.

”Indeed, you are my blood.”

The Emperor laughed aloud.

* * *

As spring ended, Hailand held a new election. The government changed, and Arthur Winston became the new prime minister.

He immediately pushed through the bills he had promised.

Scratch. Scratch.

Arthur Winston sat in the official residence, signing every document.

”Congratulations, Prime Minister.”

It was Leonard, the Army Minister.

”...Haha.”

Arthur gave a small laugh and shook his head.

”Now it begins. You know that.”

Leonard accepted the documents Arthur handed over. They covered everything Leonard had wanted and hoped for. A conscription term of two years and six months, a threefold expansion of military production lines, a war-preparation cabinet, increased Intelligence Bureau funding.

And, most importantly, a weapons development plan.

If Gary Beaufort had remained prime minister, he would still have been dragging his feet. That fool with his head in the clouds would have obstructed them instead.

”Yes. Now it begins.”

Leonard looked at Arthur with a resolute expression.

”Everyone who has been oppressed, driven out, and stripped of their property will support you, Prime Minister.”

Arthur Winston also felt something boiling up within him.

”Prime Minister, you will now fight for justice across the continent.”

Justice across the continent. At those grand words, Arthur looked out the window for a moment. He gripped his cane tightly.

”Justice... I know nothing of such things. I have seen countless people collapse while claiming justice.”

The moment someone became certain that they were justice, they imprisoned themselves in their own reasoning. Believing that only they were right was the most comfortable and the most dangerous thing of all.

”We only know that the Empire is evil.”

Arthur looked at his reflection in the window. He had grown old before he knew it, yet his heart was no different from when he was young.

”But I promise you one thing.”

Arthur turned to Leonard.

Thump!

The tip of his cane struck the floor of the prime minister’s office.

”Hailand will never submit to the Empire.”

* * *

The Sentinel Knights’ drop base.

”A knight’s duties include civilian aid, disaster relief, protecting important persons, or assassination...”

Julian spoke as he walked ahead, and I followed behind him. Walking while looking at someone else’s back felt unfamiliar these days, yet it also put me at ease.

Lately, I had always been the one at the front.

”In practice, they can handle every duty of the Empire.”

A runway stretched across the grounds. Transport craft of every size stood in the hangars, while the control tower analyzed cloud height and air currents at the altitude where knights would make their drops.

”If we wish, we can deploy anywhere.”

Only knights could use this place, and no records could leave it. There were now many permanent personnel stationed here.

Dropping had become a knight’s most fundamental and important skill, so controllers, navigators, mechanics, cooks responsible for ultra-high-calorie meals, and even military doctors who managed knights immediately after a drop all worked here.

For one knight to take to the sky, ten people moved on the ground. Including the cafeteria, lodgings, infirmary, and maintenance shop, it was no different from a legion.

”This assassination target is...”

Julian and I boarded a transport craft together.

It was a small craft designed for its purpose. There was no reason to use a large transport craft just to deploy two or three knights, so the craft were classified according to the number of passengers.

Having money was no reason to waste it. Efficiency had to be maintained.

”The anti-Imperialist Helmut Nordt.”

Julian spoke a name unfamiliar to me.

If I did not know him, perhaps he was just a low-ranking figure.

”He was an assistant to a mana stone professor at Imperial Central University. They say he defected to Hailand with important military intelligence and mana theory.”

It was therefore a top-secret mission. We had to enter Hailand without leaving a trace and eliminate him.

”There are reports that he changed his name and now appears at anti-Imperial lectures and petitions calling for military expansion. He still has little public presence, but seems to be known among prominent scholars.”

”What exactly was the information he took?”

”That is uncertain, but...”

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

The transport craft began to take off.

Inside the craft as it raced down the runway, Julian continued.

”According to an informant, it involved using the critical point of mana stones to create...”

At Julian’s words, I suddenly felt as though my heart were being squeezed.

”An explosion.”

”...”

I remained silent and clenched my teeth.

Whoooosh.

Before I knew it, the transport craft had risen into the sky.

”An explosion...?”

Mana stones were rocks that naturally leaked mana little by little throughout their existence. But if ten thousand tons were refined, one might only find a handful of a variant known as a Critical Stone. It released waves powerful enough to trigger a chain reaction all at once.

The material used to create mana nuclear bombs, which had also been invented before my return.

”I hear it is not yet realistic to put into practical use.”

No, it was entirely possible.

This created a compounding effect.

Because of the appearance of ”me,” the Izenheim bastards were trying to develop that nuclear bomb much sooner. Perhaps an even greater mission than an assassination would be needed.

”...I see.”

Critical Stones and mana nuclear bombs had been developed in Hailand before as well.

Hailand had an enormous landmass. It was a country that held three islands beneath one crown. Its capital stood on the second-largest island, where all politics took place.

The largest island, meanwhile, remained underdeveloped because of the monsters.

That was why they built a secret laboratory there.

Hidden from the Empire’s eyes, they gathered thousands of scientists almost like prisoners and drove them to complete nothing but a weapon that would end the war.

”It will not be particularly difficult. There may be a few guards.”

That was what Julian said.

In truth, the mission itself would probably be easy. Killing one anti-Imperialist would not draw much notice.

But if the mana nuclear bomb was being developed much faster in Izenheim’s hands, this could not end with a mere assassination.

Annihilation.

Later, close surveillance and sabotage would be necessary. Complete collapse.

”...”

Shhhhh.

Suddenly, I noticed the rain striking the craft.

The clouds overhead darkened to gray, and rain streaked across them at an angle.

”It is raining.”

”Summer has come.”

Neither of us failed to understand what that meant. We simply closed our eyes and passed the time in silence.

Rumble.

”We are at the point.”

The pilot spoke. We opened our eyes and checked the radio communication through our headphones.

”Can you hear me?”

”I can.”

The mana stone communicator could handle field radio communication over roughly thirty kilometers. It could only be made with twin mana stones, so there was no need to mention how much a pair cost.

Whoooosh.

The ramp opened. Wind rushed in like a grasping hand. After exchanging a glance, we stepped into empty air.

Roar!

For the first few seconds, there was only sound. The sound of air pressure striking my face, the pounding of my heart.

Then, as I reached terminal velocity, I felt free.

The clouds broke apart, and the ground opened below.

Black forests, silver rivers, village lights.

Julian fell to my lower right, and I opened my magic wings. I glided through the wind as though riding a wave.

”...Haa.”

I breathed out deeply, as though expelling everything knotted inside me.

The Emperor, the Imperial Princess, the Imperial Guard, the war, Izenheim, the knight orders, the nuclear bomb. They were all down there now.

Up here, there was only the wind and me.

Ahhh, what a stress reliever.

* * *

Shhhhh.

On one early summer day, rainwater ran down the window.

Lieutenant General Schweitzer looked down at the envelope his adjutant had delivered.

”...The Imperial Guard, what?”

His expression asked what that was supposed to mean.

”It is a message from Martin Himler, Security Chief of the Imperial Guard.”

”Why are those bastards contacting me? And when did he become some kind of chief? What is a Security Chief supposed to be?”

”There was apparently a rank reform. Georgen was reorganized under the Imperial Guard, and they created a new post overseeing all of it.”

”For fuck’s sake...”

Well, it seemed they were preparing something.

Schweitzer opened the envelope.

He took out the letter and skimmed it. The general meaning was that he should prepare troops to deploy at any time. The direction was east, and the timing would be announced later.

”...Did this letter go to anyone besides me?”

”Yes. It seems to have been sent as top-secret information to the legion commanders of the Frontline Imperial Guard as well.”

Schweitzer set down the letter.

Things had become somewhat messy since the Emperor created the Imperial Guard, but the Frontline Imperial Guard could roughly be understood as the corps responsible for military operations.

”Hmm. What about Maximilian?”

The name mattered to Schweitzer.

”He is not part of this operation. They intend to exclude the knight orders entirely.”

His brow drew together with a sharp crunch. It was already a foolish decision.

”What about Colonel Kai Han? That bastard is Imperial Guard too.”

Kai Han was capable. They hungered to learn, were humble, yet did not bend their convictions.

If Kai Han had belonged to the regular army, Schweitzer would have marked them as his successor.

”A proposal was made based on Kai Han’s accomplishments in Zerpha, but Kai Han’s injuries were too severe, so they submitted a request for leave.”

”Really?”

Leave.

Schweitzer scratched his arm and snickered.

For some reason, he could roughly see how the future would unfold.

”Even if I work my ass off, those bastards will take all the credit... Well, that part is fine.”

Schweitzer loved battle and war. As long as he could enjoy himself to his heart’s content, it did not matter if his achievements were overlooked.

”But it is obvious those bastards will give orders however they please.”

There would surely be no freedom in battle.

”His Imperial Majesty is watching, so charge straight in. Yursled must be crushed within three days.” Orders like that might come down.

If that was what they wanted, they could just find some twenty-year-old corporal and put them in command instead.

Unfortunately, battlefields were not that easy.

Those who defended their own country were needlessly desperate and grim, so the Imperial Guard bastards with no real combat experience would surely have a difficult time.

”More than anything.”

Schweitzer pushed the letter away with his fingertips.

”Those bastards are too ugly.”

He was a man who understood aesthetics in his own way. That was also why he obsessed over formations and columns.

Spacing and shape were extremely important when forming a breakthrough formation. Even the slightest disorder could destroy its balance, so Lieutenant General Schweitzer had something of an obsession with it.

”It would only be embarrassing to stand with them. The picture would not come alive.”

...In truth, he had never cared about people’s faces before. But after meeting a certain young knight, he seemed to have become somewhat addicted to them.

Perhaps the wildness and youth of that like-minded knight, who had spoken of plans to kill tens of millions, had rubbed off on him as well.

”What should I tell them?”

The adjutant, who had also been with him in Zerpha, asked.

”Tell them I am not ready either. Say I am exhausted from recovering after Zerpha and feel like I am falling apart. Say I got shot a few times too, and I am going into surgery tomorrow. Make some hospital appointments as well.”

He needed to have surgery done for real, or those above him might find fault with him.

The adjutant smiled and nodded.

”Yes. I will relay that.”

After the adjutant left, Schweitzer, now alone, turned his gaze toward the window.

”...”

Even if war broke out tomorrow, it would be nothing but a fake to Schweitzer.

The targets were in the East, and they were not even Lobrus, only a pack of riffraff. More than anything, only fake people would be deployed.

Schweitzer had no intention of wasting himself on a fake battlefield or standing beside fakes. He wanted a battlefield where the real ones fought.

Shhhhh.

A face rose between the falling rain, within mist-like spray.

Pale silver. Blond hair and gold eyes. Good and evil coexisted within them, along with a boy’s clarity and an old man’s depth. Those transparent eyes had recognized my true worth and spoken of war with me.

Lieutenant General Schweitzer was waiting for Maximilian Ebenholtz.