The Coerced Imperialist
To Kill, or To Let Live (4)
2025.09.19 | Views 4,674 | Recommended 344

The infamy of the Genen Central Police Station was well-known throughout the entire Genen region. This was not only due to the aggressive tactics of its officers, but also because of its close ties and connections to the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.
They were also famous for not bowing their heads easily, yet for some reason today, everyone from the chief down was present to greet a visitor.

"Sir Maximilian, Knight. It is truly an honor to have you visit us in person..."

Maximilian von Ebenholz, a Knight of the Sentinel, and moreover, the heir to one of the three great pillar houses of the Empire, had paid them a visit.

"But, for what reason have you come to this humble place...?"

Maximilian was seated in a chair, while all the other officers, including the chief, stood and bowed their heads to him.
Maximilian spoke.

"I received a letter stating that you have apprehended the perpetrators of the recent terror incident."

A faint smile touched the chief's lips.

"Ah, yes, yes. Our investigators caught them."
"Are you certain?"

Maximilian looked at the chief, the meaning in his gaze ambiguous.

"......Pardon?"

The chief tilted his head. Maximilian asked again, unperturbed.

"I am asking if you are certain they are the true culprits."
"Ah, yes! We are!"

The chief answered quite brightly. The investigators cleared their throats, hiding smiles. They were, after all, expecting some kind of commendation.

"In that case."
"We are certain!"

An investigator shot his hand up and took a step forward.

"We have obtained their confessions."

A damnably self-assured investigator. Gendo. Maximilian looked at him. He was a man as stiff-necked as bamboo.
Maximilian asked.

"The evidence."
"......It is their confession. A confession obtained from the pro-independence faction members who participated in the protest."
"A confession?"
"Yes. We have obtained their confession."

Confession, confession, confession. Gendo repeated the same word. The gaze Maximilian fixed on him was quietly intense. Still, Gendo’s neck remained unbent.

"It seems you are mistaken."

Suddenly, the knight's voice turned cold.

"The evidence I speak of is not a record beaten out of a person, but definitive, physical proof."
"Ah~ Sir Maximilian."

The chief laughed heartily.

"About that, you see. These independence activists are so secretive-"
"When and where the bomb was planted, how the materials were procured, and in what manner the installation was confirmed."

Maximilian cut off the chief's excuse and continued.

"I am talking about precise evidence that cannot be contaminated under any circumstances."
"......"

The chief's mouth fell shut. The space was suddenly flooded with silence.
Numerous investigators stood, almost in formation, around the seated Maximilian. None of them stepped forward. They just stood in silence, exchanging glances.
As far as they were concerned, they had no idea why Maximilian was acting this way here. He surely had no connection to the independence faction.
Maximilian looked at the chief. His eyes were demanding a name.

"Ah, I am Elron."
"Chief Elron."

He called Elron's name and raised an eyebrow.

"I was at that location."
"......."

Only then did the investigators understand the source of this cold fury.

"None other than myself."

Right now, Maximilian was furious about the incident in which he himself had been embroiled. He had come here not as a knight, but as a 'noble.'

"I."

If they failed to properly find the true culprit who had dared to harm him, it would become a matter of pride. Furthermore, the pride of an Imperial noble was on a level unimaginable to the people of the Dominion.

"I..."

Sweat formed on Chief Elron’s clasped hands behind his back. His fingers kept slipping against each other.

"I want the perfect truth. Not some fabricated story."

Maximilian, in contrast, was calm. As if handling a purely administrative matter, he seized control of the place and the moment without a single emotional opening.

"Therefore, I will personally interrogate the individuals you claim are the culprits and determine the veracity of their testimony."

Maximilian looked around at the assembled men and asked again.

"Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes. What— what you mean, we understand."

The director bowed his head 90 degrees. The investigators remained motionless.

"No. It doesn't seem like you do at all."

Maximilian waved a dismissive hand at them. He gestured to the investigators standing in the back.

"I believe I told you to bring out the suspects."

Maximilian doesn't raise his voice. In fact, his tone has been constant from the moment he arrived. Not the slightest bit sharp, not a hint of emotion mixed in.
He simply stares into the chief's eyes...

"Now."

...and delivers a very small warning.

"Immediately."


One by one, the suspects were forced to their knees on the floor of the Central Police Station. All their faces were beaten to a pulp, and 'Yan Eboch,' identified as one of the culprits, was only half-conscious.

"...Autonomy Act Article 5, Clause 3: All investigative bodies within the Dominion must conduct their investigations in accordance with the principles of due process guaranteed by the Imperial Constitution and this Autonomy Act."

Maximilian recited the Autonomy Act with his lips, while his eyes read the sloppy, handwritten report prepared by the police.

"And in that process, excessively coercive investigation methods shall not be used."

He swept his gaze over the police officers.

"A dead letter, I see. Is this why Genen even needs autonomy?"
"I apologize."

The chief bowed his head. He had lost count of how many times he had apologized.

"There is no need to apologize. I had no expectations in the first place."

Maximilian's voice was clear. It was sharp enough to pierce the eardrums, likely due to the unique pronunciation and deep timbre of the nobility.

"The report is full of fabrications, there are no proper witness accounts, and of course, no physical evidence... With skills at this level, it's no wonder you handle things so poorly."

The investigators bit their lips, their pride wounded.

"Send these lower-class humans away."

Maximilian glanced at the members of the independence faction.

"If this is all you could get out of them even with torture, it seems they don't know anything useful."
"......Sir."

It was then that Gendo stepped forward.

"The Dominion has independent investigative authority. Therefore, we have the right to conduct our own investigation."
"If you can call this an investigation."

At those words, Gendo's expression hardened. He let out a breath laced with heat.
Maximilian nodded as if he understood.

"Still haven't learned your lesson."

He reached into his inner pocket. A terminal gleamed from outside his uniform.

"S-Sir Maximilian!"

In an instant, the color drained from the chief's face and he dropped to his knees.
The connections of Maximilian von Ebenholz reached the very pinnacle of the Empire. A single word from him, and the head of a Dominion chief would be sent flying.

"My apologies, truly! You, you son of a, of a bitch!"

The chief glared at Gendo, cursing him with his eyes. If Maximilian weren't there, he would have unleashed a torrent of vulgarities.

"All of you, on your knees—now!!"
"We're sorry!"
"We're sorry!"

At the chief's outburst, every investigator dropped to their knees. No, they slammed their heads to the floor. Maximilian's gaze swept over the crowns of their heads.
He pointed a lifeless finger at the fake culprits.

"Get them out."
"Yes, yes! What are you doing! Let them go at once!"

The investigators scrambled to their feet and helped the suspects up. The seven unjustly captured individuals staggered out of the police station. Maximilian watched Yan Eboch's back among them, then nodded.
His immediate objective was achieved, but the work was not yet done.

"From now on, I will give you a chance to redeem yourselves."

He tossed the torture-filled report into a trash can and rose to his feet.

"Find the real culprit."

They were incompetent fools, capable of nothing more than intimidating the powerless, but he had no intention of driving them to their deaths. They were, in the end, just low-level functionaries, mere commoners.

"Let me say it again: I want the truth."

Izenheim was surely involved in this incident.
The comrades of the Sage I cut down that day must be hiding somewhere.
The Spring of Genen, the incident where tens of thousands died, was because of their incitement and agitation.

"If you bring me the 'true masterminds' who planned this terror attack."

I will find them and kill them.
I will diligently cut the weeds and wring their necks, leaving not even a chance for future trouble.

"My evaluation of you may be revised."
"Yes! Your loyal servant!"

The director shouted loudly and saluted.

"We understand completely!"
"Your loyal servant!"

The investigators followed the director's salute. With a small nod, Maximilian left the police station with the characteristic stride of a noble.
The director and the investigators maintained the angle of their salutes until the very moment he disappeared from sight.


Yan, released from the station, walked aimlessly down the main street of Genen. His mind was hazy. He didn't know where this was, nor where he was going. He just staggered forward.

Screeeech—

Just then, a car stopped in front of Yan. The window rolled down, and a low voice flowed out.

"Are you Mr. Yan Eboch?"

Simultaneously, the car door opened. Yan quickly waved his hands in refusal.

"N-no, please. I didn't, I didn't do anything."
"It's alright. I'm not the police."

Yan belatedly saw the face of the man calling to him.
A man with a scholarly impression, wearing rimless glasses. From his attire, he was at the very least not a police officer.

"Please get in."

Yan swallowed. He hesitated, but then got into the passenger seat. The man's overall aura wasn't bad.

"Who... who are you...?"

He asked cautiously.

"You don't need to know, but if I must explain, I am a company employee. An administrator of sorts. I have many duties."

The man adjusted his rimless glasses and handed Yan an envelope.

"This...?"
"See for yourself."

Yan opened the envelope. Inside were several documents, a laminated paper, and even a bundle of cash.

"Hah! Th-this is—"

A stack of one hundred $100 bills. A sum he had never touched, never even seen in his entire life: ten thousand dollars.

"It is your sponsorship funds and a new identity. A letter of recommendation is also enclosed. You will be able to receive the education you desire, wherever you wish."
"Sponsorship? For, for me?"
"Yes. I was told that Mr. Yan has an opportunity."
"Who, who...?"

A certain person suddenly came to Yan's mind.

—You must hide it. Until you are strong enough.

That day, the Knight of the Sentinel, the blond man who had saved him during the bombing.

"..................Why, why me?"
"My job is only to carry out orders; I do not convey any meaning beyond that. The meaning is for you to find for yourself, Mr. Yan."

Vrooooom. The man drove the car somewhere.
Soon, they reached a familiar alley, and at some point, the car stopped.
Yan flinched in surprise. It was right in front of his house.
The man asked.

"How was the driving? It's only my second day learning."
"Ah. Ah. Yes. It was very. Very good."
"Then you may exit."
"......Yes. Thank you."

Yan got out of the car. He was about to head home but turned back around and asked the man in the driver's seat.

"Excuse me, your name is........."

The man adjusted his rimless glasses and replied.

"Dieter. Dieter Schmidt."

A very professional and weary impression. And a voice that matched that impression.

"Lastly, there is a message my boss asked me to deliver."

Ahem. After a slight cough, he relayed the message in a low voice.

"—If you strive earnestly from where you stand, we will one day meet again.—"

"Ah... yes."

Yan nodded blankly.

"Well then, don't miss your chance."

Dieter drove the car away somewhere. Yan Eboch watched his retreating figure as it disappeared down the winding slum alley for a very long time.

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Pub: 19 Sep 2025 21:07 UTC

Views: 9