Chapter 63: Enemy of the Empire (3) I stood inside the military building, watching alongside Anton as Arnold departed.
"Will this be alright?" Colonel Keynes asked, his voice tight. "Letting him go just like that..."
I turned my gaze toward Colonel Keynes. He couldn't even meet my eyes properly.
"That disciple's letter was far too flimsy to serve as evidence. If I had used that as a pretext to suppress Arnold, it would have only damaged my own prestige."
The Imperial Palace's direct agencies were likely banking on exactly that.
If the heir of Ebenholtz followed the Palace's will implicitly, the Palace's authority would naturally rise, while Ebenholtz's external reputation would be tarnished.
However, I had no intention of being a pawn in their pathetic political games.
The will of the Imperial Palace is not the will of the Emperor. In the first place, those people are nothing more than treacherous officials who pretend to serve the Imperial Family while pursuing their own interests.
"But, the Department said—"
"Colonel Keynes."
Keynes still wore a worried expression, so I cut him off.
"Does the Department outrank me?"
Keynes's face turned pale. He straightened his back and shook his head.
"Not at all."
"Good. Then that's enough."
In truth, I had been annoyed.
From the moment a mere department head of some agency dared to summon me. From the day I faced that disrespectful face, with its stiff neck and eyes staring straight at me.
I never had any intention of cooperating with them submissively. This wasn't just a matter of noble pride.
How high must I climb? And at what point should I stop?
I didn't have the answer yet, but one thing was certain.
Every action I take builds my power.
To reign as the strong, one must act the part.
It meant I could not tolerate a mere beggar trying to crawl all over me.
* * *
The following day, a guest arrived at my mansion. It was the head of a department from a direct agency residing in the Imperial Palace.
Having arrived without an appointment, he entered with a curt nod. I guided him to the drawing room.
A servant placed teacups on our table.
"What is it?"
"I believe you already know."
His tone was insolent.
"Are you talking about Arnold?"
"Yes, I am."
"It couldn't be helped. The physical evidence was far too weak."
The Department Head stared silently at his teacup.
Come to think of it, I didn't even know this man's name.
"You have failed the expectations of the Imperial Family."
A laugh escaped me at those words.
"You mean the Imperial Palace, not the Imperial Family."
The Department Head's eyebrows twitched minutely.
"May I ask the reason?"
"It's simple."
I looked at the Department Head while holding my teacup.
"Arnold is a noble who is beneficial to the Empire."
I continued, staring straight into his eyes.
"And you are nothing more than a private commoner."
The Department Head's fingertips trembled.
This man was a commoner. He left traces of it.
"No matter how much you try to hide your origins, no matter how much you paint over yourself to the point of self-deception, there are things that do not change. Things that can never change."
His etiquette and mannerisms were plausible, but his speech—specifically, his intonation—was the key.
"Because what is given from birth is different."
The way he had spoken for over a decade since the moment of his birth. The faint accent of a southern Empire commoner that could never be fully hidden, no matter how hard he tried.
I sensed it instinctively.
"Was it an inferiority complex?"
"..."
The Department Head glared at me.
"Did you think you'd feel some kind of thrill by making a noble of the Empire kneel?"
His pupils shook.
"The very thought is so inferior that I couldn't even be bothered to play along. It's childish."
I mocked his pathetic inner thoughts and set down my teacup.
Clack.
The sharp sound cut through the silence of the drawing room.
"...You are mistaken."
"You're the one who's mistaken."
I leaned forward.
"Think carefully. Just because you are in the Imperial Palace doesn't make you a member of the Imperial Family."
"His Majesty—"
"His Majesty."
I intercepted his words.
"Indeed."
It was a laughable situation when I thought about it.
The Imperial Palace must have sent this vermin because they knew I had fallen out of favor with Zebestian.
"Would he trust me, the son of Zebestian?"
In the end, he is my father.
Even if he has no intention of helping me for the rest of his life, even if he never acknowledges me until the day he dies.
Zebestian is a man whose very existence serves as my authority. Blood ties are something that cannot be severed, even if one wishes to.
"Or would he trust you..."
I glared at the Department Head and asked.
"A piece of filth who crawled up from a maggot den?"
"..."
He trembled with humiliation, and I quietly sipped my tea.
It tasted quite good.
"Listen well."
I extended a finger and pointed it at the Department Head's solar plexus.
"You said Arnold's ideology was subversive."
If subversiveness is the reason.
"To me, someone like you who challenges the nobility is equally subversive."
This commoner's inferiority complex was a crime in itself. I didn't particularly like the Empire's class system, but for now, it was one of my greatest weapons.
There was no reason not to utilize it.
The Department Head, gritting his teeth, eventually stood up and gave a short bow.
"Yes. My apologies."
The Department Head turned and left the mansion, but it was a foolish choice.
It wasn't the right way to apologize.
You should have knelt. You should have slammed your head against the floor. You should have shown me more than that.
If you didn't have the confidence to do so, you shouldn't have come here in the first place.
"I'll have to cut him out."
The man was overestimating his own value. However, a department head of a direct agency is easily replaced. He was nothing more than a part—a bolt or a nut—that hadn't even become a gear yet.
People like him were the type to weaken the Empire's strength.
Therefore, that position needed to be held by someone far more rational and precise.
* * *
At the Sentinel Knights, aerial assault sessions are held twice a week.
The number of knights who initially joined out of curiosity or for fun had steadily increased, and now a third of the order enjoyed a descent at least once a week.
"Spread your mana."
Before starting the descent, I called Tiana and Leon to the [Training Ground] for a private lesson. It was a rectangular, enclosed space within the knight headquarters.
Tiana asked, "Mana?"
"Yeah. Don't think about anything. Just naturally."
Though they looked puzzled, the two of them released their mana from their bodies.
Sssssss....
Like a blue haze rising, mana particles spread uniformly from their bodies.
Both had mana with a dispersive property.
"You two are very much alike."
"Are you crazy?"
"...Max. That was quite rude."
Tiana and Leon turned serious at the same time.
"Anyway. Both of your mana has a dispersive nature."
I told them.
"This property can provide a special advantage when descending from the air. By spreading mana particles widely to maximize the friction surface, it becomes possible to glide silently, change direction in mid-air, or even decelerate rapidly."
It was the exact opposite of an assault like mine, where I 'step' on mana and concentrate all my power into a single point to strike down.
For them, a descent focused on infiltrating enemy lines covertly suited them much better than a direct ground strike.
"So, practice releasing your mana in mid-air."
"Releasing it?"
"Yeah. For your mana to affect your descent speed..."
I looked around the training ground and thought for a moment.
— Thump!
The Virus activated. The calculations performed by its intuition were delivered to my mind.
"You need to be able to fill this place within at least three seconds."
I didn't know the exact volume of this training ground. However, my 'intuition' told me that for mana to generate meaningful lift and drag in the air—that is, to form the minimum density required to interact with air molecules—a mana release speed capable of filling this space in three seconds was necessary.
"Once you can do that—"
Now, a proper term was needed. Establishing a term for a concept means more than just making it 'easy to refer to.' A clear term carves a complex concept into a single image and instills a distinct sense of purpose in the learner.
It meant efficiency would increase significantly.
"You will be able to use the Mana Wing."
"Mana Wing?"
"It's a technique where you use the mana released from your body to directly create and control the airflow around you."
Furthermore, terms should sound as impressive as possible to boost the learner's motivation. Everything looks better when it has a nice polish.
There was such content in the advanced manuals distributed by the New Cabinet.
"Oho. Mana Wing... So I just need to fill this space with mana?"
"Wings of mana..."
A strong sense of interest appeared on Tiana and Leon's faces. Behind their awareness as knights and their forced mature attitudes, the excitement of twenty-one-year-olds flickered through.
"Okay. Then, I'll go first."
Just as Tiana was enthusiastically rolling up her sleeves.
Beep—
A call rang out from my terminal. It was Chiron.
"Wait. I have some business."
The two of them began training on their own, and I went up to Chiron's office.
"Max. Have a seat."
"Yes, sir."
On Chiron's desk, a premium mana stone cube was placed prominently.
Was he displaying it just to show off?
Sensing my gaze, Chiron gave a bitter smile.
"Everyone's been envious."
So it was for showing off.
"Everyone asks where I got a mana stone like this."
"I see."
The workshop in Hermes had recruited renowned artisans from across the Empire, and their apprentices were gradually improving their skills.
Skill, in the end, was also a matter of money. Supplied with an infinite amount of top-grade mana stones, they were growing at a rapid pace.
"Sir Chiron. Perhaps."
The workshop is still in its early stages, so they can only produce 9 to 10 premium-grade cubes a year, but items available for sale are slowly piling up.
"Would you like to receive some Premium Reservation Tickets?"
"...Premium Reservation Tickets?"
"Yes."
I had just thought of it.
"They are tickets that allow one to reserve a premium mana stone cube. I'll give you five. You can distribute them to whoever you wish."
"..."
Chiron hesitated for a moment, but his expression soon turned intrigued.
"Is it alright for me to accept those?"
"Of course."
I smiled.
Free promotion and free customer acquisition. Chiron had been helpful to me in many ways lately.
"Then I won't refuse."
"Yes. But what was the reason you called for me?"
"Ah~"
Chiron offered a thick envelope with a somewhat confident smile.
"My resident agent in the Underground City has acquired information about a black market."
Chiron didn't spare any money when it came to his ambitions. He was one of the few knights who spent his own personal funds, exceeding the knightly budget, to build his own intelligence network and connections.
"The location is the 9th basement level of the Underground City. It's a place where all sorts of people gather. However, a certain item appearing in this black market is the problem. According to the agent, it seems a terrorist group is after it. I thought it would be better for you to handle it rather than me."
This mission involved a black market, and I had plenty of money.
Chiron had brought me an easy mission that was perfect for me.
"Yes. I'll take it."
Moreover, in the irregular black markets of the Underground City, quite practical items often appeared. Since I had earned a lot, I should do some extravagant shopping.
The value of the Imperial Dollar would drop before long, so I needed to convert it into physical assets whenever I had the chance.
"It shouldn't be too difficult."
"Yes. Then, I'll be going."
As I was about to stand up, Chiron caught me.
"...Wait. What about the Premium Reservation Tickets?"
"An administrator will deliver them to you tomorrow."
"Ah~ right. I see."
As expected, Chiron had a surprisingly cute side to him.
...
The path leading to the Underground City was in the lowest district of the Imperial Center. I walked through it with my robe hood pulled up.
Passing through Districts 40 to 43, where those addicted to drugs, the starving, and those floundering on the boundary between the living and the dead resided, an entrance as dark as a mine shaft opened up at the very end of a secluded alley in District 43, sinking into the ground.
The entrance was no different from the slums above. A damp stench and darkness. But as I descended along that path, the scenery subtly changed, and soon a weathered freight elevator revealed itself.
"Stop."
A massive guard blocked my path. I silently held out a bundle of dollars.
The entrance fee was a mere 100 dollars, but this was 50 times that amount. As soon as he confirmed the amount, the guard's eyes softened.
"Please, come this way."
The guard guided me to a completely different elevator. It wasn't a freight car but a clean, mechanical one.
"Have an enjoyable tour."
Whirrrrrr.
The descent began.
The Underground City is a place where money and martial power are everything. It is the most alien district, untouched by the laws and order of the Empire, but the reason the Empire maintains this place is similar to why cockroaches can never be permanently eradicated.
The Underground City is effectively an autonomous region. The residents here know their place and do not crawl up to the surface; instead, they pay massive amounts of taxes. Paradoxically, the existence of this lawless zone also serves as a safety valve that suppresses unrest and riots in the surface slum districts.
Even the New Cabinet before my regression had defined this place as a necessary evil and didn't bother to annex it, and it eventually became independent as a nation called 'Authentic.'
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the 9th basement level. The moment the doors opened, a dazzling array of lights and noise washed over me.
A dark city without a sun. Instead of the sky, there was black bedrock, and below it, an endless stream of neon signs and mana holograms flowed like a river. The air, a mixture of cheap perfume, unidentified pollutants, the smell of vomit, and human desires, stung the tip of my nose.
"Nauseating."
There was a reason the gas mask industry flourished in the Underground City.
First, I needed to purchase a suitable identity. I headed toward the most prominent sign among the many—an identity card shop called 「Name」.
"Welcome~"
The owner, who had been grinning slyly, instantly turned serious when I set a thick bundle of cash on the desk.
"The highest grade."
"...One moment. I'll count the money."
It was 30,000 dollars.
Without a word of complaint, he produced a perfect forged identity card in just a few minutes and held it out.
"If you have an account at the Imperial Central Bank, I can link it... but I assume you won't."
Naturally, I had no intention of attaching a traceable tag.
I stepped outside.
Just then.
— Thump.
My heart throbbed irregularly.
I stopped walking.
I calmly turned my head.
I felt for an alien energy amidst the crowd.
— Thump.
There were three people.
An anonymous group walking through the crowd with their robes pulled up. Two men and one woman.
The one my heart was reacting to was a man with a thick beard on his lower face.
His build looked to be a little over 180cm, but unfortunately, I couldn't gain any more information than that.
I had to get that robe off.
Whoooooosh.
I sprayed a thin layer of mana from my feet to create an artificial wind. The wind brushed past them.
"...?"
The man's robe hood fluttered in the wind, and for a brief moment, the shadows on his face were revealed.
I saw him.
He was a wanted man. A person whose montage was stored in the Knights' main server.
A member of the Revolutionary Group.
They were here.
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