Chapter 133: Your World I submitted a petition to the Imperial Palace to strip Julius—the mastermind behind this incident—of his seat in the House of Nobles.
The grounds for the petition were the embezzlement and smuggling of Gigantes weapons, which had led to a massive outflow of national wealth. I enclosed the documents obtained from Reutern II as evidence.
Stripping a noble of their status meant banishment from the Imperial Palace. For them, it was a punishment tantamount to a death sentence, making a political struggle inevitable.
Now, the factions within the palace would split and tear at each other. In the process, the Imperial Guard would fiercely weigh their options to see which side to join.
A single incident had spread like wildfire, but I intended to keep my distance from that chaotic mess.
"Good work."
At the Sentinel Headquarters, Chiron gave a satisfied smile.
"The decapitation of Dune Khan. The Dream Road. And now, this 'Truth of Weapons' operation."
The Truth of Weapons. It seemed to be Chiron's own naming.
"How about 'Beyond Steel'?"
"Oh. Quite philosophical. Let's go with that."
Operation names were important in their own way. They would be permanently recorded in the Sentinel archives as official files and would later be included in Empire Point textbooks or used as teaching materials for new knights.
"I hear the clouds of war are gathering in the Imperial Palace."
"Yes. However, political strife is not our concern."
"True. To be honest, I didn't know Reutern II was such an ambitious man."
That fellow, Reutern, probably still didn't understand what was happening, but well...
It didn't matter.
"Right, a letter arrived from Zerpa."
"Yes. I've been informed as well."
The Zerpa Civil War was ongoing. The conflict between the incompetent Royalist Faction and the spiteful Republican Faction continued endlessly, with only the innocent citizens suffering.
Someone had to break that vicious cycle.
"I heard there are elements within the military who are siphoning off the supplies I provided."
Until now, I had been waiting and building a justification.
Now, I would weed out those in the Zerpa military who deserved it and elevate those with talent, turning them into allies of the Empire.
"Haha. Right. And the name for this operation?"
Chiron asked lightly, but this time, it wasn't a matter that could be lumped together as a mere operation.
My goal, which I had been working toward for quite some time, was...
"It is the first step toward the annexation of Zerpa."
At that moment, Chiron's expression stiffened.
* * *
Before leaving for Zerpa, I paid a brief visit to Southern Hermes.
"This is the warehouse."
To take advantage of the vast land, the 'underground' had been renovated to be even larger. The entire space, divided into dozens of sectors, was a warehouse for storing food.
"We are storing supplies across multiple sectors to prepare for any contingencies. A magic circle for constant temperature and humidity, powered by mana stones, runs twenty-four hours a day to fundamentally prevent food spoilage."
I nodded at Lorenzo's explanation.
"From now on, prepare enough canned goods and preserved rations to feed the entire Imperial Army for at least ten years."
The war would break out within six years at the latest. It might come sooner, but it could never be delayed.
The Western Union had already noticed the Empire's military buildup, and the Eastern Union had drastically increased its military power after being completely taken over by Izenheim.
The golden window to crush them was exactly six years.
This was the established theory put forth by Republican military scholars after the fall of the Empire before my regression, so it was reliable.
"Taste is also important."
Soldiers' rations shouldn't be like food waste. Taste is extremely important for maintaining morale.
"Please focus all the brains of the Lorenzo Academy on this."
"Yes. Understood. Also, Sir Knight. Armand says he has something to tell you."
Lorenzo pointed deeper into the underground warehouse.
Step, step.
A man walked out.
It was Armand.
"...Are you really Armand?"
"Yes. I'm in a growth spurt, so I'm growing more every day."
He had truly grown an incredible amount. The buzz cut I saw before had grown long like an orange mane, and his height nearly reached my shoulder.
"Sir Knight. The prototype of the Mana Stone Waterwheel is finally complete."
Even his voice had thickened significantly after going through puberty.
I realized anew.
Time truly flies.
It's surprising, yet bittersweet...
"I'll lead the way."
"Yes."
We moved through the underground passage together.
Passing through the tunnel connected to the warehouse, we reached a hollow cavern where the mana ore vein had already been fully mined. A large mechanical device was installed there.
Clunk, clunk, clunk. It was a rotating waterwheel.
"It collects mana from this vein or the atmosphere accumulating underground to manufacture natural mana stones. However, the purity isn't very high yet."
Armand picked up a handful of the results piled at the bottom. They were crystals imbued with mana.
"What is the production volume?"
"Right now, this single waterwheel can produce enough low-purity mana stones in one day to run a single tank for a month."
I looked at Armand. He had grown too much to pat on the head.
"Armand. Wear gloves. It's dangerous to touch mana stones with your bare hands. Wear a mask, too. You need to live a long life."
"Yes."
"You've become quite mature."
Armand gave a small, bashful smile.
"It's already been almost two years since I first met you, Sir Knight."
...Indeed.
How did he grow up so much in that time? Did he get a girlfriend or something?
"However, there is still a problem with this waterwheel."
"Is it the cost?"
"Yes. I've reinforced the durability by compensating for the points you pointed out before as much as possible... but there are parts that cannot be compromised if we want to increase the size of the waterwheel and ensure stability."
Armand took a deep breath and continued.
"In other words, the production cost per unit is ten million dollars."
It was extremely expensive.
Assuming the annual mana stone cost for one tank is 50,000 dollars, the calculation showed that this machine would have to run for seven years—without even breaking down—just to break even.
Was I pouring too much money into this?
"Wait a moment."
Whenever such doubts arose, I just had to look at the numbers in my account, which Dieter had neatly organized. It was the [Twin Notebooks] I shared with Dieter.
"...Hmm."
An endless parade of zeros. Thanks to predicting the collapse of the Kanilan bubble and sucking up their capital, as well as the success of various businesses, corporations, and mana stone mine explorations, I had far too much money.
Someday—no, as quickly as possible—these scraps of paper had to be spent. I had to convert all this money into physical assets.
The value of the Imperial Dollar would fluctuate wildly the moment war broke out.
"Proceed."
"Wait, are you sure? If we mass-produce like this, we'll be in the red..."
Armand asked back worriedly, but...
"Don't worry about the money."
I said, looking at the mana stone fragments the waterwheel was spitting out.
"As we make one, then two, then three... eventually, a better way will be discovered in that head of yours."
Since I had more than enough capital to handle failure, there was no need to fear it.
"Armand. You are a genius. I do not spare expenses for the Empire's talent."
At that moment, Armand's eyes, looking at me, throbbed like a heartbeat.
* * *
This was the dormitory of Empire Point.
Eric, a cadet from a commoner background, opened the delivered mail with trembling hands. It was an envelope with a luxurious silver seal on the front.
" Huff, huff... "
He tore it open, breathing heavily. At the very top—
[ Maximilian Foundation: Notice of Selection for Eric Franz as an Empire Point Academic Scholar ]
"...Waaaaagh!"
An exclamation immediately burst out.
He was the son of a farmer from the remote outskirts of the Empire. His whole family had taken on enormous debt just to barely get him enrolled, but he had been at a loss for living expenses. His future had looked bleak.
A salvation he hadn't dared to imagine had descended upon him.
"Ah, I'm tearing up..."
Inside the envelope, along with a large check, a book was enclosed.
A hardcover book with the title engraved in gold on a leather cover.
—「The Knight of the Empire」—
Author: Johann Georg Goetze
Editor: Johann Georg Goetze
Reviewer: Maximilian Albrecht von Ebenholtz
* * *
The purity of the Aran people, the historical mission of Empire Point, and the absolute loyalty a Knight of the Empire must possess.
It was an ideological education book written by Johann under Maximilian's instructions.
At the bottom of the notice, a proviso was attached.
'Future support will only continue upon passing the theoretical examination administered by this foundation.'
The examination location was Maximilian's mansion.
It meant that one could only continue to receive support by reading the book and fully internalizing his ideology.
"..."
Eric stared blankly at the check next to the book.
300,000 dollars.
It was a huge sum, enough to cover not only his living expenses but also to pay off his family's debts back home all at once.
『Cadet Eric. For the glorious future that your abundant talent will paint. Waiting for you, who will devote yourself to the Empire.』
— Maximilian Albrecht von Ebenholtz
The words Maximilian had scribbled by hand on the back of the check pounded fiercely against Eric's chest.
The emotion of 'that person' recognizing his value. He clenched his two fists tightly.
Thump!
Suddenly, a dull vibration echoed from outside the dormitory window. He looked back, startled.
The mountain behind Empire Point. Construction was in full swing, with the lush forest and hillsides being completely leveled. In their place, magical structures that would realistically implement various battlefields—such as urban warfare, mountain warfare, and trench warfare—were scheduled to be built.
The name of the training ground was—「Maximilian Ground」.
"...Whew."
Anyway, Eric took a deep breath. He had a practical evaluation for aerial assault this very afternoon.
Maximilian, the founder of the knight's descent tactics. Thanks to his two achievements recorded in textbooks—the 「Dune Khan Decapitation」 and the 「Dream Road」 operations—descending had become more than just a requirement; it was essential.
— Get out of the way, will you!
A sharp shout was heard from across the parade ground.
It was the 'Novus Knights.' The second-ranked knight order in the central region, evaluated as being right after the Sentinels, had come all the way to Empire Point to receive descent training.
This was because they had neither their own transport ships nor a descent training ground.
"Ah, they're here again. Those people."
Because of this, both sides had many complaints. The cadets were being robbed of their precious descent training time, and the Novus knights felt a sense of humiliation at having to come to Empire Point, which was crawling with green juniors.
"..."
Eric drew the curtains. He sat neatly at his desk. He finished his meal lightly with half a bowl of soup. He had to keep his stomach empty to avoid vomiting during the descent.
He opened Johann's book, 「The Knight of the Empire」, imagining himself jumping from the distant sky this afternoon.
Mind control.
...
The knight, Hannah Usar, was awarded a plaque in the Great Hall of the Sentinels.
— Operation Beyond Steel. Year 0 Knight Hannah Usar. We commend your contribution to protecting the security of the Empire.
She barely remembered Vice Commander Anton's words; she had been in a near-fainting state.
However, she received a hefty bonus, and the knight budget had tripled.
Everyone clapped and congratulated her on the achievement, but there was a strange emptiness in Hannah's heart.
Even while organizing her belongings alone in the knight order's office late at night—it was an office upgrade!—that hollow feeling wouldn't go away.
Because of that, she visited Empire Point for the first time in a long while. As a full-fledged senior knight of the Sentinels.
"You're here."
Her former mentor, the commoner instructor Phillips, welcomed her warmly.
"Yes. I'm sorry I haven't been able to contact you."
Hannah gave a small smile as she placed the gifts she had prepared on the table.
"No. It's fine. I'm sure you've been busy with many affairs."
"Not really. Oh, these are gifts for Cadet Commander Dane."
A set of top-quality whiskey and expensive tea leaves. It was a luxury she couldn't have imagined for herself just a year ago.
Phillips looked at Hannah intently.
The youthful look remained, but her face now carried the elegance and coolness befitting a Knight of the Empire.
"...You seem to have become tougher."
"Well. I'm about to become a first-year knight soon."
She had certainly changed.
"But how is Empire Point? I heard rumors that the training has become incredibly intense. I saw several new training facilities, too."
"It's become very tough. 40% of this elite unit's class has already dropped out and gone to the hospital. Especially the noble brats; their whining is severe."
"Heh. Do their noble parents just stay quiet? They must have protested a lot."
A noble cadet hospitalized? In her time, the school would have been turned upside down. A few instructors would probably have lost their jobs.
"Commander Dane made up his mind. Hannah, you would have actually had an advantage in this kind of environment."
At Phillips' words, Hannah smiled quietly. For some reason, she missed those days a little.
The days when she could focus only on training without any worries or thoughts...
"Well, I should be going now."
She had to go to work at the knight order tomorrow as well.
Piled-up paperwork, training, and new missions would be waiting for her.
"—Before you go."
When Hannah stood up, Phillips called her in a heavy voice.
"There's something I need to tell you about Jacob."
"...Jacob?"
"Yes."
He let out a deep sigh.
Hannah was still nineteen. No, she must have turned twenty by now.
Anyway, back in her Empire Point days when she was even younger. Since the existence of a peer means a great deal to a cadet of that age, he had hidden the truth until now, fearing she might be shocked.
"Actually... Jacob tried to frame you."
"...Pardon?"
Hannah sat back down awkwardly.
"What, what do you mean by that? All of a sudden?"
"A diary was found while organizing Jacob's belongings."
Phillips continued in a low voice.
"It contained detailed accounts of you secretly sneaking out of the dormitory every night to contact subversive forces."
"No, what, I never did that!"
"Did you really never do that?"
"Ah, of course not! I was busy training every day, where would I go! Me! Is, is that true?"
Phillips closed his eyes tightly. Conversely, Hannah's eyes, nose, and mouth widened in horror. Memories of nearly being killed in Volska after being betrayed by Gale, a fellow commoner senior, overlapped.
She had survived a life-threatening crisis, and now this again?
"As I thought, it was Jacob's framing. I thought so too."
"Of course! That Jacob, no, where is that diary now?"
Phillips shook his head with a dark expression.
"It's gone."
"What?"
"It was burned."
The word burned.
Gulp. Hannah swallowed hard.
"...By you, Instructor?"
"No."
Phillips gave a bitter smile and brought up a name Hannah hadn't expected at all.
"Maximilian."
At that moment, Hannah's eyes shook violently.
"It's already been over a year."
The words continued quietly and slowly.
"Already over a year ago, Knight Maximilian saved you."
Suddenly, Phillips' voice seemed to drift far away.
"A talented commoner. Simply because you would be of help to the Empire..."
Jacob McQueen was a sub-species, and there was no credibility in the diary of such a fellow.
However, Hannah Usar's birth was certain. She was an Imperial born and raised in the heart of the Empire. Even if she was from the boonies, a country bumpkin with nothing, she was clearly a pure Aran of the Empire.
"He said that with talent like yours, you were more than qualified to join the Sentinels."
"..."
Hannah listened to his words blankly.
A faint smile appeared on Phillips' face.
"Congratulations on your achievement. You have proven his faith in you."
In an instant, Hannah's mind went blank.
An electric shock similar to when she was betrayed by Gale occurred, but its meaning was the exact opposite.
It seemed that a faith discovered in a completely unexpected place...
Sometimes came with a shock as great as betrayal.
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