Chapter 92: A New Spring (2) Year 0 at the Sentinel—the first day of work for the new knights.
Step. Step.
Hannah felt a sense of dazed disbelief as she walked down the corridors of the Sentinel headquarters. The scenery of the knight order itself felt surreal, and the Sentinel uniform wrapped around her body still felt awkward.
"Follow me."
"Yes."
Each Year 0 knight was assigned a mentor.
For the children of high-ranking families, like Lois and Dare Tan, knights with five or six years of experience were assigned as their mentors. However...
"...It certainly is strange. Setting aside the fact that you're a commoner, I never expected you to actually make it in."
Hannah's mentor was Reynel McQueen, a second-year knight.
"This is your office."
Reynel opened a door, making no effort to hide his annoyance. It was a cramped room. A Year 0 office—a space barely large enough for three or four desks, containing nothing but computers and cabinets.
"Um, Sir Knight. How should I handle my assignments...?"
Reynel had already vanished.
"..."
Left alone, Hannah sat down and turned on the computer.
──「Sentinel Mission Management System」──
Identity Verification: Hannah Usar
Year 0 Knight
* * *
It was a system she had learned to use through simulations at Empire Point.
The missions for Sentinel knights were either assigned through this system or could be personally claimed. Among them, the basic task assigned to everyone was 'Active Residual Trace Analysis.'
One case had already been assigned to Hannah.
[ Case Number 1039-C-22: Analysis of Mana Surge Site in District 24 ]
She stared at the site photos on the monitor. Residual traces of mana were scattered chaotically in fluorescent hues.
Hannah narrowed her eyes. This was a field where she had received an A+ at Empire Point, so she focused with confidence, but...
"This is hard."
Was this the difference of the field?
The threads of mana were intricately tangled and knotted. A real-world scene, where a culprit's intent was mixed with accidental surges, was on a completely different level from the examples in textbooks.
"Ah... Um..."
She squeezed every bit of knowledge from her brain as her fingers moved.
Tap, tap. Tap, tap.
Tap, tap. Tap, tap.
As she forced herself to hammer away at the keyboard, midnight passed before she knew it.
"What? Already?"
She quickly stood up for a brief departure.
She returned to work around dawn, sat in the same spot, and stared at the active traces until her head throbbed, agonizing over the analysis.
"Wow... I can't do this."
Unable to get a grasp on it, she went to find her mentor, Reynel, at his office.
"Figure it out yourself. Yourself! Aren't you a knight?"
Reynel only offered a sharp rebuke.
"Could you perhaps just take a look at what I've written—"
"Ugh, shut up. Just go. For people like us, time is money."
"...Yes, I understand."
"God, does she think this is a damn nursery...?"
Left with no choice, Hannah returned to her office and resumed typing.
Tap, tap.
Midnight passed again.
Tap, tap.
And again.
In that manner, it took her nearly four days to complete a single report.
"...Hmm."
Hannah stared at the monitor with hollow eyes.
She had managed to write it somehow, but she dreaded the final section of the report: the [Knight's Opinion].
The Knight's Opinion meant that her analysis would determine the direction of the investigation and carry legal weight.
What if her opinion was wrong?
An innocent person could be arrested, or the real culprit could slip away.
"Sigh..."
But this wasn't Empire Point. There was no instructor to give her advice, no lecturer to judge the correctness of this report.
The environment, status, and authority that had changed so suddenly felt like a heavy burden.
Hannah stepped outside to clear her head.
In the lounge of the first-floor main lobby, she heard familiar voices.
"Active residual traces are difficult. It's only natural that they're hard."
The speaker was Reynel, and the listeners were Lois and Dare Tan.
It seemed Reynel was giving them advice.
...He's my mentor. But he told me to figure it out myself.
"Could you teach us a bit, Sir Knight? We really can't get the hang of it. We've been stuck on these reports forever."
"Hey, now. That's how it is when you're Year 0. Did you think you'd just be out in the field? You're knights now. You have to handle things yourselves."
"Aw, come on, Senior~ Just take a look once~"
Lois acted cute, quite unlike his usual self.
"Heh, you little... But active residual traces aren't exactly my specialty either..."
Hannah made herself some coffee at the counter. The three of them glanced at her but continued their conversation, pretending not to see her.
"Usually, people take a two-track approach while in university. Professors even open classes specifically for knights. Want me to get a recommendation letter from a professor?"
"Ugh~ I really hate studying."
"It's still a must, kid. Or..."
Reynel lowered his voice and whispered.
"Hire a professional analyst to ghostwrite it for you."
Hearing that, Lois and Dare Tan clapped their hands.
"Ah~ So that's an option."
"But you have to pick a good one. You still need a basic understanding of active residual traces yourselves. Field analysis is pretty much mandatory."
"Hmm~ Then by any chance, who is the best at this within the order?"
"What are you going to do with that information?"
"I'm going to go visit them~"
This time, Dare Tan acted cute.
To Hannah, it was absurd. These guys, who had done nothing but act like big shots at Empire Point...
"You guys are hilarious. The best person... Ah. There's one guy who's treated almost like an expert lately."
Reynel smirked and crossed his arms.
"Maximilian."
The way he boasted while saying the name made it seem like he was trying to show off how close they were.
"...Sir Maximilian?"
"Yeah. He's famous for active residual traces even among the police lately. The number of cases he's handled in a year is probably more than ten ordinary knights combined."
Dare Tan and Lois looked impressed. Perhaps feeling a bit petty, Reynel felt the need to add one more thing.
"Well, since he's rich, there are rumors that he hires professional analysts by the unit."
Hannah moved, holding her coffee cup.
"Anyway, if you're confident, go try and see him."
"...No way. Absolutely not."
"He's scary, just scary. I've been on the receiving end before..."
Lois and Dare Tan shuddered.
"..."
Leaving the lounge, Hannah suddenly felt a surge of defiance.
She took a sharp turn on the path leading to her office.
She scanned the department layout posted on the wall.
Maximilian's office, 3rd floor.
She strode up the stairs and knocked.
Knock, knock—
—Come in.
A wide space was revealed beyond the door. The interior was sophisticated, incomparable to her warehouse-like room. An administrative officer sitting at the counter greeted her.
"How can I help you?"
"I'm Hannah Usar. I'm a Year 0 rookie, and I was hoping to get some professional advice from Sir Maximilian..."
"Ah, yes. One moment."
The officer checked the schedule and nodded.
"I'll set a meeting for you tomorrow at 10:00 AM."
"...Thank you."
"However, there is one precaution."
The officer pointed to her wrist.
"When you meet the Knight, you must remove your wristwatch."
"Oh, this is my grandfather's heirloom—"
"It doesn't matter."
The officer shook his head very sternly.
"The Knight... dislikes watches very much."
"Ah... Yes."
It was a rare valuable passed down through generations in her commoner family.
Hannah toyed with the watch and gave a bitter smile.
...
Returning to her office, Hannah spent the entire night checking her report.
Because just maybe—just in case—Maximilian might actually read it.
She repeated the process of analyzing, writing, erasing, and re-analyzing.
Before she knew it, the appointed time—10:00 AM—arrived.
[ Maximilian ]
Hannah knocked on the door of Maximilian's office, a name that inspired fear.
—Enter.
A dry voice. An aristocratic accent.
Hannah stepped inside cautiously. A blonde man standing by the window turned around slowly.
"Hannah Ursa."
It's Usar...
She barely swallowed the words that almost popped out.
"What is it?"
"It's nothing else but... I wasn't confident in the first active residual trace report I wrote, so I came to seek your advice."
"Don't you have a mentor?"
"That..."
Hannah's lips trembled. At that, Maximilian silently held out his hand.
"Ah, yes."
She handed over the report she had spent all night writing.
Maximilian took it and flipped through the pages. One, two, three, four...
He scanned the document incredibly fast. His expression remained unchanged.
After a moment, he tossed the report aside.
"It's all wrong."
Her heart sank.
"Pardon?"
He didn't even seem to have read it properly.
"Rewrite it. The report itself is too cluttered, and it's full of unnecessary speculation. Your analysis of the traces can't even be called pattern-following. It will only cause confusion in the investigation."
"..."
Hannah stared blankly at her report.
Honestly, she felt wronged. She was angry.
He hadn't even read it properly; he'd only glanced at it for a few seconds... No.
No, that wasn't it.
She shouldn't have expected anything in the first place.
She was alone in the Sentinel. Maximilian, like the other nobles, probably just thought that because she was a commoner, or because of Jacob, someone like her shouldn't be in the Sentinel.
"...Yes. I understand. My apologies for the intrusion."
Just as she was about to turn away, swallowing her disappointment.
"Wait."
Maximilian opened a desk drawer and picked out several neatly organized stacks of documents, placing them on the table.
[ Case Number 1038-A-01: Analysis of Mana Traces from Destruction Magic: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1038-A-05: Analysis of Condensation Patterns Derived from Blade Edges: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1038-B-12: Reconstruction of Multiple Mana Collision Sites: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1039-C-09: Backtracking of Amorphous Mana: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1038-A-03: Analysis of High-Density Mana Stone Explosion Debris: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1038-B-15: Distinction Between Biological and Artificial Mana: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1039-C-21: Time-Lag Calculation of Active Residual Traces: Maximilian ]
[ Case Number 1039-S-01: Mana Forensics for Special Homicide Cases: Maximilian ]
"The difficulty goes from bottom to top. Read them and study."
"Eh?"
Hannah's eyes widened.
Active residual trace analysis data was essentially a knight's personal asset. It wasn't something light enough to be shown to others—especially a rookie—so easily.
"...Is it really alright for me to have these?"
There was no change in Maximilian's expression. He simply spoke in a tone devoid of any emotion.
"If you went so far as to seek me out, it must mean you wanted to learn that much."
"Uh..."
"It means I liked your attitude of putting in effort."
"Th-thank you..."
Maximilian waved his hand dismissively.
Bowing her head in a daze, Hannah returned to her office with her arms full of documents.
"..."
She opened the first file.
"Let's see how good he really is."
To be blunt, she didn't think he would be that different from her. At the very least, the method of analyzing active residual traces should be similar. Only the know-how of organizing it would be different.
—That kind of thought was shattered the moment she read the first sentence.
──[ Case Number 1038-A-01: Analysis of Mana Traces from Destruction Magic: Maximilian ]──
■ Types of Activated Traces
• Red spectrum. Radial scattering traces centered on the ignition point.
• High mana viscosity, long residual duration.
■ Pattern Analysis
• Unlike typical explosive magic, the mana density at the center is lower than at the periphery.
• This suggests a restrictive ignition that tightens from the outside in, rather than mana condensing at a single point and exploding.
■ Type of Magic Used Based on the Above
• 「Flame Cage」, or a variation of it.
■ Reconstruction of the Crime Scene
• The culprit did not set the fire with the intent to kill the victim...
• It is judged that the magic was deployed first to block the escape route, but the victim died of suffocation due to the thermal pressure generated in the process...
• Therefore, the culprit's murderous intent was likely impulsive; it is recommended to first investigate relationships involving grudges, such as passion or money.
* * *
"Wow..."
It was clean. The logic of the mana was lean and thorough. Above all, there was an unexpected 'excellence' in the method of analyzing the active residual traces.
Maximilian did not observe the mana traces in two dimensions.
He set countless traces as points, then used density and direction to determine the chronological order in which the points occurred. Through that sequence, he reconstructed the scene as if rewinding time.
Hannah spent another night comparing her case with this report, studying the perfect teaching material.
* * *
...It must be a temporary adjustment.
It must be a problem unique to Ransom.
Kanilan, where many high-tech companies stood tall, would surely bounce back.
Contrary to the Mayor's hopes, those inside the securities firms already felt that they were ruined.
"...And now?"
At the top of a skyscraper in the capital of Kanilan. Dayson, the Executive Director of Rekiano Securities, asked with bloodshot eyes.
"They are refusing even to meet."
The secretary lowered his head.
"We offered up to five times the face value, including penalties and settlement fees, but..."
"That son of a bitch, that goddamn bastard."
Dayson tore at his thinning hair.
This wasn't just a problem for Rekiano. All the major securities firms and banks in Kanilan, including Merylchi, were in the same position.
The astronomical losses in derivatives caused by the Ransom Shock. On top of that, the insurance payouts they had to give to the crazy bastards who had bet on the decline.
"The others are the same, right?"
"Yes. Merylchi also tried to make contact but failed."
The ones who had snatched up the insurance weren't just Ebert, that Imperial noble. They were hyenas who had timed it luckily. Bastards who were praying for the country to fail.
"...Hold out."
"Ye-yes?"
"I said hold out!"
He glared at the secretary with bloodshot eyes.
"Call the banks, the credit rating agencies, the insurance companies, the corporations—everyone. Tell them that if we go down, their money becomes scrap paper too! We're all in this together!"
"B-but market confidence has already—"
"Look!"
Dayson violently turned the monitor. The screen showed Ebert's estimated profit curve and the corresponding costs.
"Do you know what money this bastard used to buy the insurance? It's money he made from Kanilan stocks. He did this kind of bullshit with money he earned in Kanilan."
He pointed his finger at the current appraised assets.
"Looks like a lot, right? But 40% has already melted away in fees. How do you think he filled the additional margin? He must have borrowed it from the bank. That means interest is going out too. He's bleeding cash like blood right now."
The speed at which the market was collapsing versus the speed at which this Imperial bastard's money was running out.
It was a game of chicken.
"He doesn't have time either. No matter how much money he has, how much could it possibly be?"
Bang! Bang! He shouted, pounding on the desk.
"So hold out! No matter what!"
It was a game of hot potato.
Whether it was individuals, the government, or stupid foreign capital. They just had to hold out until they could dump this mass of rotten, non-performing loans onto someone else.
They just had to survive until then.
"Control the media too. Never lower the appraised prices of the companies. Then they'll be the ones getting anxious first..."
Dayson muttered as if hypnotizing himself.
"Surely. Surely..."
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The time bomb called Kanilan was still ticking.
* * *
—...That is how they are moving.
Dieter's report over the terminal was calm.
Everything was the future I had 'seen,' and the desperate struggle was within the range Dieter had 'calculated.'
"It's fine. No need to interfere."
In any case, I have infinite money, and Kanilan will begin a chain of bankruptcies before spring is even over. Numerous securities firms and insurance companies will go bankrupt.
At that time, I will realize astronomical profits and pick up prime companies at bargain prices.
—Yes. I will proceed as planned.
"Right."
I hung up the phone.
The next schedule is—
"...Sir Knight."
Just then, an administrative officer entered with a dark expression. He was the employee in charge of driving.
"Right now, my father..."
He couldn't finish his sentence. His lips trembled as he spat out fragments of words, but it seemed to mean his father was very ill.
Sometimes, these unexpected things happen.
"It's alright. Go and stay for as many days as you need."
I took money out of my wallet and gave it to him.
There isn't much a boss can do in a situation like this. You just have to give them money. The more money, the better.
"...Thank you! I'll be back in three—no, two days!"
"Forget it. Take three days off."
"Thank you... hic."
Then they naturally bow their heads. With tears in their eyes, they swear lifelong loyalty.
"Has Yukia learned to drive?"
"Yes. Honestly, it hurts my pride to say this... but she's much better than I am."
"That's a relief, then."
An unexpected situation—Yukia and I.
A situation where only the two of us remained for the upcoming schedule.
"Then Yukia will take over from the next appointment."
...The timing of the officer's father getting injured is quite opportune.
Whether it's the Revolutionary Group or Izenheim.
For some reason, I feel like they'll aim for this very moment.
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