The Reluctant Imperialist
https://m.munpia.com/novel/detail/503857
Chapter 1: https://rentry.co/3ioosho3
Chapter 2: https://rentry.co/wqfxnhhw
Chapter 3: https://rentry.co/4g94srva
Chapter 4: https://rentry.co/m9i9h4ub
Chapter 5: https://rentry.co/hiv8wyau
Chapter 6
From the First Day
The Semi-Compulsory Imperialist
From the First Day
The Sentinel Knights are considered the best job in the Empire. It is a position coveted by all the nation’s youth, an organization where simply being inducted brings glory to one's family. They are the Emperor's sword and the Empire's shield, an institution that symbolizes the Empire's ideals and purity.
…Today is the induction ceremony for the ever-so-honorable Sentinel Knights.
I looked at myself in the mirror. A Sentinel Knights uniform of deep navy blue, embroidered with golden thread. It was an outfit I once desired to the point of madness. I used to think that if I could just wear this, my existence would become noble, and I would finally be able to earn my father's acknowledgment.
It's nothing more than a hide.
No, it's a scrap of cloth that can't even pass for a hide.
Rather than that Sentinel nonsense, I thought about the special ability (異能) that had manifested when I killed Jacob.
"Tick-tock."
I clicked my tongue, mimicking the sound of a second hand.
But nothing changed. The phenomenon of time stopping or slowing did not occur.
Twitch.
Instead, a familiar sensation spread from below my left clavicle, near my heart. It was the black fragment that had taken root in my body.
A faint but distinct pulse of mana could be felt.
It wasn't just now. Before I sleep, when I exercise, even when I eat, this thing throbs like a heart.
Thus, a thought came naturally—
Perhaps I can use this thing as my pseudo mana core?
The mana core was one of many methodologies for handling mana in the past, but it has become almost obsolete in the modern era. As related fields of study like magic, human anatomy, and life sciences developed, the inefficient core [核] was replaced by a far more sophisticated circuit system that has become the standard.
The gist of modern mana operation is clear:
To circulate and amplify mana through a 'mana circuit' formed in the human body via innate or acquired awakening.
Of course, depending on how one trains the circuit and in what manner one operates the mana, people are divided into knights and mages, and within those, countless schools and factions exist. But the foundation, in any case, lies in the mana circuit.
However, this black virus inside me is a 'plus alpha.'
When you get down to it, it’s a mana source of unearned income.
"…Hey."
I placed a hand on my chest and spoke softly.
"Become my mana core."
There was no reply. Then again, it’s not like it could understand me.
"You have to. If I die, you're finished too."
If this thing could generate, store, and release mana on its own—functions similar to a mana core—there was no reason we couldn't be friends.
Knock, knock.
A knock was followed by Enji's voice.
"Young master. It is time to go."
"Ah. Got it, I'll be right out."
I applied wax to my messy hair. In my early twenties, I was hopelessly bad at grooming myself, but now I had quite a long experience with social life.
"Nice."
With a few touches, my hair was in a neat, swept-up style.
The induction ceremony was held with its usual annual splendor.
The capital's central plaza was packed with a crowd so dense there was no room to stand, and the faces of citizens peered from the windows of every surrounding building. On the stage sat high-ranking officials of the Empire and renowned nobles, and at the center, where flower petals would rain down, stood the new recruits who had just become members of the Sentinel Knights.
Even there, I was in the position that drew the most attention. The prestige of the Ebenholz family and my imperial good looks pushed me into the center of everyone's gaze.
"We will now commence the Sentinel induction ceremony."
Knight Commander Alberich von Stein began the speech announcing the conferment of knighthood. His voice, amplified by a mana device, echoed throughout the plaza. The glory of the Empire, the honor of a knight, loyalty to the Emperor… it was a repertoire I had heard so many times it felt like my ears would rot.
I slowly scanned the faces of my fellow inductees on the stage.
Forty knights were selected for this class.
I already remembered their faces and names. Each of them would leave their name in the Empire's history in their own way.
At least 30% of them either harbored intentions different from the Empire's or would eventually turn their backs on it.
You think 30% is too many?
It can't be helped.
These are the final years of the Empire, after all.
"—As the shield of the Empire, as the sword of His Majesty, do you swear to offer your souls for the glory of the Empire!"
Grand Duke Stein's shout shook the plaza.
"—The Empire will remember your loyalty and will repay your devotion with glory! For His Majesty, the Emperor!"
Following the Knight Commander's lead, we pledged our allegiance.
Someone gave me a signal. I briefly closed and opened my eyes. Stepping forward, I drew the sword from my waist and raised it high. My peers followed my lead. Forty swords caught the sunlight, shining brilliantly. The cheers of the imperial citizens crashed down like a wave.
…A very long time ago.
So, the me before my regression had felt an indescribable ecstasy at this very moment.
It felt as if the entire world existed for me, and I fell under the delusion that the future of the Empire rested on my shoulders.
Now, it was just bland.
The Knight Commander who once seemed as mighty as a mountain, the nobles clapping with greasy smiles, my peers standing beside me, and every citizen in this plaza would all die.
I had seen that future.
"Now, descend. Show your proud selves to the subjects."
At the Knight Commander's direction, we went down from the stage. Countless nobles and officials swarmed us to offer words of congratulations and flattery.
I gave them appropriate responses and tried to slip away.
"So it's you."
Just then, a voice that was both familiar and strange called out to me. A man with his arms crossed was looking me up and down.
The man who was my senior officer in a distant past.
"The friend who cut off the head of a cadet."
His name was Julian Askar. His sharp jawline was framed by dark blond hair, and his golden eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
A familiar face.
Looking at that face I knew all too well, I had a strange intuition.
"Yes. I am Maximilian."
In the not-so-distant future, I will kill him.
Before the clamor of the induction ceremony could even fade, we moved immediately to the Sentinel Knights' headquarters. The interior of the building, which resembled a fortress, was a complex maze, bustling with knights and administrative officers coming and going.
"This is your space."
My senior, Julian, opened an office door at the end of a hallway. The office itself wasn't large. Just a few desks and a cabinet for storing documents. The me before regression had been quite disappointed.
I was arrogant.
But now I know. I was someone who had stolen this very spot from another. From someone who had far superior abilities than me, but was denied this opportunity simply because their social status and standing were low.
"Yes."
I placed my bag on the desk.
"You can freely hire personal staff within a budget of 500,000 dollars. You'll need administrative support or intelligence gathering assistants, so if you're not sure, request a list of recommendations from the personnel department."
Julian tossed a file onto the desk.
"And, you know what that is, right?"
He pointed with his chin to a rectangular box-shaped machine. It looked similar to a television but was a device that performed far more high-dimensional functions.
A state-of-the-art desktop computer connected to the imperial communications network, capable of various tasks like viewing information, writing reports, accepting missions, internal messaging, and video conferencing.
"Yes, I know. A computer."
I replied as I sat in the chair.
"Right. You're certainly young."
Vzzzt. A vibration came from Julian's wrist. It was a watch. It was likely a state-of-the-art terminal equipped with an artifact.
"………Finish unpacking and come down to the first floor. You've been assigned your first mission. It's a homicide case involving a noble."
A homicide.
Before my regression, I probably would have asked, "Already?" I had an enormous amount of luggage to unpack.
In fact, I was the only rookie to be deployed on a mission on the very first day.
"I'll give you 10 minutes."
"Yes."
Julian left first.
Hold on a moment, what exactly is a knight's job?
To look cool?
Of course not.
It covers a wide range: maintaining the security of the Empire, suppressing special criminals or rebel forces that are too much for regular troops to handle, dealing with monsters, and also protecting nobles, among other things.
Therefore, knights could earn a lot of money through additional allowances on top of their base salary.
The rare materials obtained from hunting monsters and the bounties on criminals were quite lucrative. It was a strict meritocracy where the more skilled a knight was, the more wealth they could amass.
It was also the reason why I, who lacked ability, was quickly pushed to the sidelines.
I left the office. Two of my peers were standing side-by-side in the hallway.
One was Tiana, the other, Leon.
The two just gave me a slight nod.
The fate of a parachute hire.
In the past, I hated those kinds of looks, so I threw tantrums and went ridiculously overboard.
Now, there was no need for that.
I…
"I don't know, fuck."
I don't know myself.
I have no idea how I'm supposed to navigate this fucked-up, predetermined world.