The Semi-Forced Imperialist
My Family and I (2)
A belated ripple went through the Knightly Order’s headquarters.
Maximillian, a new recruit, had killed a child. Of course, the child was a suspect in the murder of a nobleman, but the dead nobleman's reputation had been atrocious. In fact, it wouldn't have been enough if he'd died a hundred times over. Various media outlets in the Empire also seized on that point.
"...How strange."
In the Sentinel Knight’s training hall, a new recruit, Leon, thought of Max as he wiped his practice sword.
He wasn’t a conspicuous fellow. It had been the same since their days at the knight academy, ‘Empire Point.’ There, distinct factions existed, and Max had the backing to declare himself a leader whenever he pleased. Yet, he never joined a faction. Nor did he create one. At first, Leon had thought him the type to detest even associating with the less-talented.
He wasn’t.
Max was surprisingly soft. Yet, he wasn't simply a good person.
He wasn't one to trample on others, but he intensely disliked being ignored or having his pride wounded…
In some ways, a very ordinary man.
It felt odd to say, but he was one of the countless 'un-noble-like nobles' in this Empire.
"Twelve years old. Three years younger than the last one."
Leon's sparring partner, Tiana, muttered, twirling her sword.
"Maybe there was a madness hidden in his weakness. Those are the types that go crazy when they snap."
Leon wiped his sweat and let out a small laugh. A strange interest colored his gentle face.
"Max did seem like a madman at times."
The type to bottle things up until they explode, and then completely lose it.
"Still, Max is getting ahead. I'm envious."
"It's enviable, but the media's in an uproar right now."
At Leon's words, Tiana tossed him a towel.
"There was no need to kill him. Those pen-pushers are so sharp these days. He probably just got overzealous on his first day. He must be regretting it now."
"...You think so?"
"Of course."
The two left the training hall, drinking water.
"If it were us, headquarters would've raised hell. But since it's an Ebenholz—hey, salutes!"
"Salutes!"
Ascending the corridor stairs, they encountered senior knights. The two quickly saluted.
"Ah, you're doing good work. You're Tiana and Leon, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
It was Chiron and Julian. Chiron had a venomous, snake-like impression, while the model-handsome man next to him, Julian, was Max's assigned mentor. Julian and Max bore a faint resemblance to each other.
Julian nodded to the two of them.
"Keep up the good work."
"Yes, sir!"
The senior knights entered the underground training hall, and the two went up to the first floor.
Just then, they saw Max standing in front of the elevator.
"Max! Max! We heard the news. Congratulations."
Leon approached with feigned cheerfulness. Max simply gave a slight nod.
"Yeah."
"Where are you going?"
Just then, the elevator doors opened. Max stepped inside and answered.
"Summoned to the Vice-Commander's office."
Knock, knock.
I knocked on the door of Vice-Commander Anton's office. Soon, a voice from inside bid me enter.
Opening the door, I saw Anton sitting at his desk. He smiled warmly at me.
"Welcome, new knight, Maximillian."
"Salute."
"Come here."
I walked over and stood before his desk.
"You've resolved a major incident in your first week."
He tapped a few newspapers on his desk with his finger. The headlines were split between extremes.
[Ebenholz's Star, Judgment of a Vicious Criminal!]
[Cold-Blooded Knight Points Blade at Child, Controversy over Excessive Force]
[Was the Noble's Murderer Really a Child? The Opaque Investigation Process…]
"There are many who doubt us. They call even the things we've seen with our own eyes fabrication."
Much of the media was hostile to the Knightly Order. Before my regression, I had loathed them too, but behind it all was the Emperor's machination.
A public opinion campaign to shift the center of power from the Knightly Order to the Imperial Guard.
"The Grand Jury has been confirmed. I hear you didn't refuse the examination."
"That is correct."
The Grand Jury was set for next month. Anton gave a bitter smile.
"Maximillian, I know the burden on your shoulders. The name Ebenholz is too brilliant. The weight of your house, the world's expectations… such things can crush a man. But there is no need to move too hastily. Even one step a day will get you to your destination."
I looked at Anton. He was a man who had risen through the ranks. Born to a fallen noble family close to commoners, he had risen to this position on sheer merit alone.
"Yes, sir. I will take it to heart."
Anton Geffren is a kind man. A truly good person. He is a man who tries to walk the right path, leaning neither towards the Empire nor the revolution.
But in this age, thick with the clouds of war, there is no need for a man like Anton. He is certainly a man deserving of respect, but he is unfit for the position of Vice-Commander.
"As a reward, 50,000 dollars will be added to your yearly knight's budget."
Every knight is allotted a specific operational budget each year. A new recruit starts with a base of 300,000 dollars, while high-ranking knights with proven records can command up to two or three million, or even more.
Knights use this budget to hire informants and cover mission expenses.
"Thank you, Vice-Commander."
"Is there anything else you wish to say?"
"No, sir. I am fine."
"Then you are dismissed."
"Salute."
I walked backward out of the Vice-Commander's office. I returned the way I came and took the elevator down to the second floor.
In that moment.
"Max!"
Someone called my name. I turned to look.
There were knights of noble birth. About five or six of them, all part of Chiron's faction.
The ones who, before my regression, had ruined Anton and seized control of the Knightly Order.
"Max, what did the Vice-Commander say? Tell us."
"So, did he say anything special? You know… about the Ebenholz family."
They were wary of me. To be precise, they feared a potential alliance between Anton and Ebenholz. Anton's only weaknesses were his birth and background.
"Max, hey, if that Anton guy said anything weird to you…"
"Max, you tell us what you heard in there…"
"Maxy. You remember when we went drinking? I can set that up again…"
Maxy, Max, hey Max, you punk, Max.
Their voices, calling my name as they pleased, were disgusting to hear.
"Max?"
I cut them off and asked coldly.
"When did I grant you permission to call me that?"
"...Huh?"
I must become the most loyal man in the Empire. To exterminate an entire alien species, I absolutely must.
However, that doesn't mean I want to side with trash like this that eats away at the Empire. That would only be a choice that turns the lesser evil back into the worst.
"My name is Maximillian, and this is not Empire Point where we casually associated."
"…"
The so-called knights were momentarily speechless.
"Please be mindful of your address from now on. We are all fellow knights, regardless of seniority."
I walked past them and headed to my office.
Old memories surfaced for a moment. The days when I was a foolish nobleman, treated like a pushover.
"I should have known sooner."
Those bastards still call me around like their personal dog, but you are not the same as me.
I am not the same as you.
I am the son of Zephestian, the legitimate heir of Ebenholz.
You and I were different beings from the moment we were born, and Priya’s words were the truth.
I should not have strayed from Ebenholz.
Because I am Ebenholz itself.
I stand in a position where I can do what must be done.
How does a knight's day begin, and how are missions carried out?
I had completed my first mission with my mentor, Julian, but he was just a mentor. All of the Sentinel Knight's duties were systematically managed through the central computer's 'Mission Management System.'
Click.
I turned on the computer in my office. The interface screen appeared.
[Sentinel Mission Management System]
On one side of the screen, countless incidents reported in real-time from all over the Empire were constantly popping up like alarms.
Ding- Ding- Ding- Ding-
Monster appearances, stirrings of rebellious forces, heinous crimes, unsolved cases—the variety was vast. The incidents were graded according to their severity and urgency.
These innumerable missions were assigned to individual knights based on a specific algorithm. The primary consideration was specialization.
Past mission records, training performance, personal skills, and all other data became the criteria for determining this specialization.
For example, a knight who had focused on hunting monsters, or a knight specializing in assassination and intelligence activities, would be recommended related missions first.
Of course, it was a simple recommendation, so one could decline if they wished, and not every mission found its perfect owner. In the case of more general incidents where specialization was ambiguous, knights could directly select and apply for missions from the list.
Therefore, for a new recruit, it was a process of finding their own field of expertise.
Click.
I clicked on the ‘Bounty List’ from the mission list. The screen filled with gruesome mugshots and red warning text.
I skimmed through their codenames.
"…?"
Suddenly, a name, ‘Head-Eater,’ caught my eye. A bizarre serial killer who only ate the heads of Imperials.
The attached crime scene photos were horrific. All the victims' bodies were mutilated from the neck up, making them unrecognizable. The cross-sections were torn and ragged as if mauled by a wild beast.
"Wait a minute."
Suddenly, Jacob's final moments flashed through my mind.
C-c-c-c-crack-!
His mouth, tearing open beyond human limits to his ears. The sharp teeth writhing with magical energy within.
—Who is this ‘Lexi’ who has come to offer you her heart?
I had asked Jacob that, and the creature had erupted in a violent rage, revealing its true form.
Was the existence of ‘Lexi’ that precious to it?
But the child I killed in the park was different.
Just before I cut the child's throat, I had whispered something.
—I know who you are. Are you still waiting for Lexi?
The child showed no agitation. It simply looked at me with a faint smile, not revealing its true identity. It died maintaining the form of a weak child.
It was to protect its kin.
"...Lexi."
I murmured softly.
Jacob had not reacted to the fact that I understood the alien language. Instead, it lost its reason at the name of its kin, Lexi.
Creatures of its kind prioritize preventing their existence from being discovered by humans above all else. Enough to willingly accept their own deaths.
However, there were clear differences in personality and emotion between individuals. Jacob cherished a specific individual named Lexi with particular care.
Perhaps by Izenheim's standards, it was a ‘very weak’ creature. That was why it fell for the provocation, revealed its identity, and died at my hands.
"Head-Eater."
I turned my gaze back to the ‘Head-Eater’ on the screen.
[Sentinel Knightly Order Mission Management System]
[Knight Identity: 0-Year Maximillian von Ebenholz]
[Mission Code: C-077]
[Mission Type: Bounty Hunt and Disposal]
[Will you accept the next mission?]
[Target: Head-Eater (Unidentified)]
[> Accept Mission] [Decline Mission]
I pressed accept.